“The shifters are going to smell us all over you anyway,” Bryce said, with a shrug. “Are you ashamed?”
“No, but as most of them are still under the impression that we’re blood related, I’d prefer not to spend what’s left of the day defending myself for something that’s no one’s business but ours,” I said, trying to remain patient.
Bryce stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at me with his lips parted as if he were about to say something, but Sebastian beat him to it.
“That’s fine,” Sebastian said, holding up a hand in Bryce’s direction. “Let’s get back.”
“What’s your problem?” I asked Bryce, hands on my hips.
“You are my problem,” he snarled, and his eyes flashed. His beast was riding pretty close to the surface, and I could tell he was about to shift. “We didn’t even… You and I haven’t… Fuck! You’re already trying to hide, and nothing has even happened.”
“Do you want me to fuck you now?” I shot back. “I could slam you against that tree and bury my cock in your ass dry, right now. Would that convince you I’m trying? Until about an hour ago, I thought you were my brother, dude. I’m sorry if I’m not handling all of this as well as you’d like me to.”
“Cole,” Bastian groaned. “Why do you have to antagonize him?”
But he was too late. With a roar, Bryce shifted, his beast howling its anger into the rapidly darkening forest.
An answering cry went up from the east, in the direction of Pops’ cabin, and I knew without a doubt, without even looking at Sebastian, that Bryce had caused all the cats to burst free early. A fuzzy head knocked my hand, and I looked down, with a sigh, to see Bastian glaring up at me with his bright blue eyes blazing from his furry face.
“I didn’t even fucking do anything!” I yelled. I clenched my hands at my sides and struggled to keep my anger in check. Lashing out at Bryce now wouldn’t do either of us any good.
“You hurt his feelings,” Sebastian hissed.
“I’ll hurt a lot more than that if he doesn’t stop being a fucking drama queen,” I shot back.
“Fuck off, Cole,” Bryce growled. “Just stop talking. Please. You’re not wrong, but I can’t take any more right now.”
“Any more what?” I asked, raising my hands in confusion.
Before Bryce could answer, the sound of other shifters running toward us broke the argument, their paws beating hard on the earth in their zeal to reach their alpha. With a grunt, I turned away from Bryce and Sebastian and walked back toward the cabin, figuring the whole pack would want to run and play and whatever, now that the moon was pretty much in control.
“Cole,” Sebastian called after me. “Don’t run off.”
“I’m not running,” I said as I continued through the woods. “I’m just leaving.”
Chapter Eight
When I got back to the house, Pops was sitting on the porch, shotgun to his left and a very pretty lady on his right. I went into the house to clean up and put on a shirt then got my own sawed-off before I went back out to sit with them.
“You and Bryce make up?” Pops asked. I glared at him, but he just gave me a half-smile then introduced his friend. “Cadence, this is my grandson, Cole. Cole, this is my friend, Cadence.”
“Nice to finally meet you,” she said, holding out a hand for me to shake. “I’ve heard so much about you from Jack and Bryce.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I promise I’m not as big a jackass as they tend to think I am.”
“Not at all.” She smiled and shook her head. “They’re obviously very fond of you.”
“Especially, Bryce,” Pops mumbled. “Where is he? All the cats shifted and took off. I assume he called them?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Should be full dark any minute, but I guess with the moon so close, it doesn’t really matter. What time does the eclipse start?”
“Midnight,” Cadence answered. “Jack and I are going to head down to the beach and watch. Do you want to come with us?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “Wear shoes. Bryce broke a couple beer bottles earlier and didn’t get a chance to clean up after himself.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what else might be going on by then. I’d wanted to do a sweep of the woods to see if I could figure out what Bryce had been sensing. I wasn’t too keen on going out alone but I couldn’t ask Pops to leave his girlfriend behind to come with me.
I got to my feet and went back in the house, filling my pockets with various types of ammunition, hoping I’d be ready for anything that might be out there. I didn’t want to weigh myself down with a whole pack, so random bullets would have to suffice.
“I’m gonna do a perimeter check,” I told them as I headed down the steps toward the woods.
“There’s nothing dangerous out there,” Cadence said. “It’s just a few ghosts. They can’t hurt anything.”
“I beg your pardon?” I turned and looked up at her.
She had gotten to her feet and was leaning on porch the railing, looking down at me with a wry smile. A pentacle swung on a chain around her neck. A witch. Pops was dating a fucking witch.
I raised my shotgun, not pointing it at her, but making sure she understood the threat. Her hands went up in a defensive motion which caused Pops to get up and glare down at me.
“Cole, put that away,” he snapped.
“Are you a Sister of the White?” I asked her, not lowering the weapon.
“No,” she answered. “Just a wiccan. I know of them, but I’ve never been swayed. I swear to you. I believe in peace, not violence.” She laughed. “Look at me. Do I look like I’ve eaten a lot of souls? I look every bit of my fifty-eight years, Cole.”
“Sorry,” I said,
