It had been the first wolf shifter funeral that I had attended as the president of our MC. My father had always helped Pasco with the preparations. I never realized how many traditions there were in the burial of a wolf. Cat shifters kept things simple. Throw us in a box, toss us in the ground and party hard to celebrate the dead’s life.
The sun was setting and we only had a few more miles to go. The brothers and I swam across the river that separated the Howlers land from our land. The current was stronger than usual. Just like the funeral, it took longer than expected.
When we finally arrived on the other side, I shook my body violently. The water trapped in my fur splashed free of me. A growl next to me pulled my attention to my right.
Banshee stood there on all fours in her albino leopard form. She shook the water from her fur while she growled. The woman hated being wet. She was as tough as nails but despised water. But only in cat form. The clubhouse’s water bill was proof that she didn’t mind water in her human form.
I watched in amusement. Her head whipped in my direction and she glared at me with glowing red eyes. Good ole Banshee. Always mad at the world. She was mad that the funeral was during the day. Because her eyes are sensitive to light, I decided that we would leave before the sun came up. She complained, saying she didn’t need special attention. I told her she could drive there. She growled then demanded that she be treated like one of the guys. The woman was never happy. Her past was to blame for that.
I frowned at the thought of how Banshee had come into our lives.
Banshee hissed at me and gestured at the tree line ahead of us. She was right, it was time to go. We had shit to do back at the clubhouse and it was pointless to worry about the past. It had already come and gone.
“Prez,” Crimson said knocking on my office door. I waved him in and went back to looking through the clubhouse and MC’s bills. Crimson walked in and took a seat in front of my desk.
Crimson was an enforcer for the MC. He’d been around since the dinosaurs. The wrinkles on his face, leathery-like skin, thick gray hair and beard, and limp proved that time hadn’t been kind to him.
“What’s up?” I asked when he didn’t speak right away.
“There’s been a hiccup with the shipment, Prez,” he muttered. I looked up from my computer and slammed my fists on my desk. Crimson jumped in his seat but quickly settled. “Two-day delay.”
“I don’t want to hear excuses. I want solutions!” I growled. Crimson looked at me then lowered his head. If we were normal humans, I’d mind my tone and respect him as my elder. However, we weren’t normal humans, we were shifters. MC shifters and I was the president and pack leader.
“Already working on it, Prez. I swear.”
“How did this happen?”
“Some new company is starting to make waves in the shipment industry,” he looked at me. “So… I’m going to need permission to make some bigger waves, Prez.”
“I don’t care if you have to make a fucking tidal wave! Show those mother fuckers who we are!” I slammed my fists down again on my desk, this time with too much force. The wood of the desk splintered. I looked at Crimson. “I want that shipment on time… at all costs.”
305
Kendra
Walking from the garage and into the office, I wiped my hands on the rag I always kept tied to my belt loop. I’d been doing fourteen-hour days since I took over Niles’ Tune-ups and Parts from my uncle. Everything was a mess and I wondered how he’d kept it afloat for so many years. When I first laid eyes on the place – moving from Texas had taken longer than expected and my uncle had left for Florida before I arrived – I almost turned around and headed south again.
But the idea of having my own shop was too seductive and I’d stayed. There was a constant flow of business since the small town wasn’t close to bigger cities and I was the only mechanic within a short tow.
There was also a healthy part supply to things as well. Unfortunately, my uncle had been shit at doing his books, keeping his bills paid, and filing his taxes. I was still digging myself out of the backlog.
The bell over the door rang and I turned to greet my customer with a smile only to have it drop.
Mayor Michaels stepped inside and looked around the small space with a frown.
“Kendra, may I call you Kendra?” He asked before continuing without a pause. “I’m checking in with you for Dick. Have you considered his offer?”
“Mr. Michaels, I to–”
“Travis,” the nervous little man stepped closer and focused on my chest.
“Mr. Michaels, I told Mr. Billingsworth that I’m not interested and I’ll tell you the same,” I stated firmly and crossed my arms over my chest where the zipper of my overalls had worked its way down while I’d been working.
“But Kendra, thi–”
“Ms. Niles, please,” I interrupted with a glare.
The mayor reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and held it over his overly large nose. It was the biggest nose I’d ever seen and had a tinge of red at the tip which always made me think of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer when I saw him.
I could see his grimace as he once again looked at the dirty space around him. His light gray suit really didn’t fit in around my place. Mayor
