Claiming a Beta Coyote

by Serenity Snow

  “You can zip it,” Astor told her in a hard tone. “You and Blacklaw will be outvoted and with Blacklaw’s suspension, you’ll face the same result.”

  “We can suspend you, too,” Forbes said. “Give you time to think whether you want to continue as part of the Coalition.”

  “Zip it?” she snarled. “You pompous little ass. How dare you sit up there and act as if you’re a real man. You can’t roll over me anymore than you can roll over Sam.”

  “Claudia, let it go,” Dunbar insisted. “You’ll be more good to Summerfield if you aren’t on suspension.”

  “You’re both on suspension,” Astor said. “Blacklaw is a threat and you, Mayer, are a menace. Out.”

  Mallory got up. “You just cut your own throat, Jenner, and we’re going to let you choke on your blood.”

  Claudia couldn’t help agreeing with that, but the look on Forbes’ and Almens’ faces along with Astor’s told her the battle for Snowbury had just begun.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kyra did a turn on the stage, coyote on edge. She came out of it and reached for the string dangling from the ceiling. Sam had been reluctant to allow her to use the trick that had come straight from an old movie, but she’d agreed.

  She gave the cord a tug and water rushed down over her, soaking her to the skin and the crowd roared with applause. Before she could take a single step, the lights went out, but the eyes of every shifter in the room went nightglow casting a dim glimmer.

  An explosion rocked the building, and she staggered.

  “Fire!”

  Kyra hurried from the stage, expecting the sprinklers to go off, but the only water was the puddle she was leaving behind on stage.

  Smoke drifted into the room, heavy and thick, and patrons rushed for the exits.

  “Everybody stay calm,” Camden called.

  Nobody listened as fire flared to life right in the middle of the room and raced along the floor engulfing everything in its wake.

  Kyra went to the lounge, not wanting to expose herself. The area wasn’t on fire, but the dancers there were rushing out. She headed to her locker, the scent of something burning her nostrils and making her growl.

  “Come on,” one of them said. “You can’t stay here.”

  She wrenched her locker door open and grabbed a shirt from inside and tugged it on along with her shower slippers before turning and sprinting back the way she’d come.

  She barely had time to clear the doorway when a blast caused the building to tremble, throwing debris at them and knocking them off their feet.

  “Oh, my god!”

  Rolling to her back, Kyra saw the reason for the woman’s panic. The bomb had been nothing less than a firebomb and fire was rapidly eating away everything in its path as it rushed toward them.

  She threw up a hand and sent out a wall of light and the energy deflected the fire back on itself. Kyra struggled up and followed the crush of bodies along the corridor. They spilled out the employees’ entrance as smoke billowed above and fire crackled gleefully behind them.

  Getting out was damn near impossible she realized after following the others to the employees’ entrance not far from their lounge. The doors wouldn’t budge.

  “We’re going to die in here,” someone shrieked.

  That was an understatement, Kyra thought, as the women headed for the main floor. She closed her eyes for a moment and focused. She pushed out as much energy as she could despite how light-headed she was starting to feel from the smoke. The door shook, but didn’t open.

  “Focus,” she growled. She threw out her hand—laser energy cut through the door’s lock and the door shot out. She rushed forward and heard cries of joy from behind her as a couple of women came rushing toward her.

  “Go,” Camden ordered from behind her.

  Kyra hurried from the building, dragging cold air into her lungs. She stumbled away from the building to the melody of women’s pants and groans.

  Kyra backed away from the fire, scanning the crowd looking for anyone who seemed to be watching with way too much interest. She spied two men, one she recognized from a file she had on Russo. He was one of his cleaners.

  Looks like the game was really heating up.

  ****

  She saw the smoke before she reached Coyote Closet. Her pulse hammering, Claudia kept going, dread settling in her stomach like a leaden weight. When the club, or what used to be the club, came into view, she almost lost her breath.

  She’d expected something, but not this.

  Kyra!

  God, where was she?

  Claudia pulled into the lot across the street from the club and turned off her bike. The fire department was there along with a single cop car. One side of the parking lot held several women in various states of undress.

  “Claudia,” Sam called and came toward her.

  “What is it?” Claudia asked, distracted as she scanned the faces, hoping Kyra had stayed home tonight. At the same time, a knot of anger formed in her stomach at Sam and Mallory’s blatant disregard for life.

  “Who’s your real source?” Sam demanded. “I know the dancer didn’t tell you someone was going to do this.”

  Claudia glared at her. “Who the fuck are you to question me? After that video and now this—you have no right,” she growled. “You should have closed the club in case.”

  “In case this was a set up by maybe you and your buddy Astor?” Sam demanded. “I want answers.”

  “You want answers?” Claudia asked silkily. “You tell me about the drug buy you and Mallory were making.” She didn’t bother mentioning the attack on Jenner they’d also received footage on.

  She knew Jenner wouldn’t be alive if they’d wanted him dead but the drug buy…

  “That video was a cut and paste job if ever there was one.”

  “Right. You screwed up with this, so you don’t get to hang your shit on me.” She saw movement and looked past Sam. “Even if I believed you about the buy, this is something different.”

  Kyra came into view and the animal inside her surged forward, propelling her around Sam despite the rest of what she wanted to say to her. Claudia jogged across the street, the coyote eager to get to the dancer.

  “Kyra.” Claudia kept her voice low, yet Kyra turned to look in her direction. “Kyra.”

  Kyra threaded her way through the small pond of bodies to her. Soot darkened her face and clothes. She looked damp in the white shirt that clung to her body. Quickly, Claudia removed her own shirt and wrapped it around her.

  “Thanks, but I need more. I’m not wearing anything beneath this.”

  “Damn it,” she muttered. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  “The cop doesn’t want us to leave until they can take our statements, but they’re dragging their feet for some reason.”

  “We know why,” she growled. “Come on. You can’t stay out here like this.”

  “I can’t ride on your bike either.”

  “No,” she said with a frown and glanced around and then led Kyra back across the street where a truck was pulling up.

  “Black Velvet, what happened?” Sam demanded, joining them. “In the club?”

  “I was on stage when the fire started,” she said quietly. “Then there was an explosion—”

  “Someone set the place on fire?” Claudia asked tautly. “Then, bombed it?”

  Kyra nodded, anger in her lovely eyes. There was a hint of fear coming off her that had Claudia moving a little closer to her.

  “They used firebombs and one of them watched, he was filming.”

  “One of who?” Sam demanded. “Your bosses? Tell me the truth, you conniving little twit.” Sam grabbed Kyra by the shirt and Claudia tugged Kyra free, delivering a punch to Sam’s stomach that had Sam grunting as she staggered back.

  “You were just waiting for that opportunity, weren’t you?” Sam snarled and came at Claudia. She swung and her fist connected with Claudia’s stomach. Claudia let out a growl.

&nbs
p; “Stop it,” Kyra screamed. “Both of you, damn it.” She was grabbed around the waist and pulled back as they glared each other down.

  “Delgado,” Claudia snapped. “Take care of the lady while Sam and I have a quick little chat.”

  “Let’s get you in the truck,” Delgado said, all business.

  “What is your problem?” Sam demanded. “She’s just a piece of ass to you.”

  Claudia yipped, and she took another step into Sam’s personal space. There was a slight chill running through her blood, and she forced herself to leash the animal.

  A snow coyote was a dangerous creature but never more so than when it’s home, life, or that of someone it loved or considered under its protection was being threatened.

  “Are you losing your mind, coyote?” she demanded in a low growl, and Sam’s eyes flashed brown, the coyote coming to the fore in her as well now. “Don’t you ever insult Kyra like that in my presence.”

  “Or what?” Sam snapped.

  “Find out,” she said silkily.

  Amusement flitted across Sam’s face, but she didn’t step back. “Just tell me one thing,” she said softly, but the taut line of her body belied any relaxation her face gave the impression of.

  “What?”

  “Is she just a fling or under your protection?” Sam asked.

  In the coyote world, there were different protocols for dealing with an alpha’s woman. A friend or a fling could be attacked, even killed. A long-time lover, a lover with intentions attached, or a mate wasn’t.

  The intentions had to be stated and clear up front because even those didn’t always promise safety.

  “She’s my lover with special interest,” Claudia said. She had known she would make Kyra a lover, but not until this moment did she realize she had more than a casual interest in her.

  Sam arched a brow at her, doubt in her stare. “I didn’t get that impression yesterday,” she said. “But I don’t care which side of the road you’ve chosen, I want real answers.”

  “I’ll think about it,” she responded coldly.

  “You do that,” Sam said and turned and strode away.

  Claudia headed back across the street to where Delgado stood guard at the driver’s side of the truck.

  “Take the bike, but leave it, and take the truck back. First, call Dylan and tell her to send Mono. I want him to watch my woman’s place for any and all suspicious activity.”

  “Gotcha,” he said with a nod.

  “In animal form,” she said.

  “Where am I going?” he asked after clearing his throat.

  “Follow me,” she told him and then climbed into the truck, Jenner pulled into the club’s lot in a police cruiser driven by Rowel. Claudia started the truck and looked at Kyra. “Buckle up, baby.”

  Kyra gave her a questioning look, but didn’t argue.

  Claudia maneuvered the vehicle out into the street before turning down the radio. This attack on the club had changed the tone of their original agreement a little. Where Claudia had been concerned about a cartel moving drugs through her town, she was concerned about a possible takeover.

  And she didn’t care what lines had to be crossed to prevent that from happening or who she’d have to kill to keep Kyra safe.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Are you okay?” Claudia asked.

  Kyra threw her a look in the dark cab. “Fine. You took things a little far with Sam, don’t you think?”

  “You don’t know how dangerous she can be,” Claudia said.

  “I have some idea.”

  Kyra had seen Sam in action recently. She’d taken down three men in a blitz attack.

  That she was a shadow coyote had been clear, but she was no real threat to Kyra. If they got into a serious confrontation, she’d wound her right off to avoid death or painful injury.

  “She’s on edge and therefore not in the best of moods with strangers,” Claudia told her.

  “That’s not my problem.”

  “She was about to make it your problem, and I’m glad you didn’t dispute my right to protect you. If you had, you’d have called into question our fauxmance.”

  “I doubt that,” Kyra murmured. “Sam would merely have continued to press until she and I came to blows.”

  “That can’t happen,” Claudia snapped. “Sam isn’t an ordinary animal.”

  “Who is these days?” Kyra replied dryly. “Anyway, how was the Coalition meeting?”

  “Who told you about that?”

  “I have my sources.” Kyra shrugged.

  “It didn’t go well, unfortunately,” Claudia admitted. “There is a great bit of dissention going on.”

  “Mystic Snow’s lands. The documents are good,” Kyra told her. “Bradley had someone forge them, so someone he appointed owned the lands giving him rightful access to them. And he had a witness lined up to back that up.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I broke into his office,” Kyra said airily. “He had the proof stolen right from under Sam, too. Deeds to the land.”

  “What?” she exclaimed. Damn. This was complicated enough without this minor problem.

  “I guess that’s going to make for one hell of a fight when the person who has them comes forward.”

  “If you know who it is, you need to tell me,” Claudia insisted as she pulled into the driveway.

  Kyra snorted. “Possession is nine-tenths of the law, right? So, I guess whoever has those documents would be the owner so to speak.”

  “Don’t play games with me,” Claudia growled. “I have nothing against Sam or Mallory, and I’m not going to allow you to fuck them over. I want answers.”

  “We all want something, Claudia,” she said and released her seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride.” Kyra climbed out, and Claudia turned off the engine and got out.

  “Kyra, I’m not screwing around.”

  Kyra smirked as she made her way up the steps. After unlocking the door, Kyra was forced inside and nearly tripped. She collided with the wall that ran along the entry and turned to find Claudia glaring at her.

  “We aren’t going to play games, tonight,” Claudia told her with a growl. “Only honesty or one of us is going to get hurt.”

  Kyra studied her, the air taking on a definite chill as she pushed away from the wall, keeping her gaze on Claudia. The dangerous glint in her eyes put her on edge, and she growled.

  “Yeah?” Claudia asked softly. “What are you going to do about it?”

  She could do a few things, but the question was which of them did she want to do?

  “I’m going to put on some clothes and then we can have this discussion.” Kyra walked away weighing the pros and cons of alienating Claudia right now.

  They could do this without her, and she preferred to at this point. Her animal had an unnatural attachment to Claudia. She had been the one moving closer to Claudia, allowing Claudia to play protector. However, Wes thought she needed an ally.

  She felt rather than heard Claudia following her. Her own animal viscerally aware of the hint of snow and the warmth of Claudia and her animal. She wanted to turn to her and take her to the floor and ride her until she came so hard it blinded her.

  “Help yourself to a drink,” Kyra told her. Hell, she needed one to take the edge off her rising desire.

  In her bedroom, Kyra took a quick shower. When she reentered the room, Claudia was there looking around.

  Kyra hid her smile as she went to the dresser. “Did you find anything?”

  “I didn’t expect to,” Claudia drawled, and Kyra caught her gaze in the mirror over the dresser. Claudia’s stare was darkening with lust as she slowly perused Kyra’s body.

  Kyra shivered, the heat of hunger snaking through her.

  “You’re right,” she agreed. “I’m not that careless.” Kyra removed a slip she sometimes used as a gown and tugged it on before stepping into panties that left the curves of her ass bare.

  “Sam will kill you if she finds out you’re fuc
king with her pack,” Claudia told her. “Do you want that?”

  “I’m not afraid of her,” she murmured, turning to lean against the dresser. “In fact, very little actually frightens me.” What did only made her determined not to become a victim or a statistic.

  Claudia came toward her, a resolute look in her eyes. Kyra frowned, not sure how to handle her.

  Claudia leaned toward Kyra, resting her hands on the dresser on either side of her. “You didn’t shower just for me, did you?”

  “Does that turn you on?”

  Claudia gave her a husky laugh. “It makes me—” she dipped her head, so she could whisper in Kyra’s ear, “want you.”

  “Mmm, that’s intriguing,” Kyra murmured. “Do you plan to seduce answers from me?”

  Claudia met her gaze then and straightened to run the tips of her fingers down one of Kyra’s arms. “I think that would be pointless. Girls like you know how to keep a secret, don’t you, baby? You lie beneath men or women or both and engage in their deepest desires. Afterward, you listen to their secrets.”

  Anger snaked through her, and Kyra’s hand shot out, but Claudia was quicker. She blocked her palm before it could connect, and her fingers curled around Kyra’s wrist and twisted her arm up behind her back before jerking Kyra against her.

  Claudia’s eyes were winter chill as she stared down at Kyra. She bared her canines in a silent snarl.

  Kyra pushed against her. “Get out.”

  “Get out?” Claudia demanded softly. “Are you sure that’s what you want, little tart? Whoever sent you must mean to have me wrapped around your little finger or maybe pussy whipped in no time.” She slipped her other hand between Kyra’s legs. “I’m sure he’s banking on this being so good I can’t think straight.”

  “You bitch,” Kyra snarled and drew her nails down Claudia’s arm causing Claudia to withdraw her hand.

  Only she didn’t back away as Kyra thought she was going to do. Claudia closed her fingers around Kyra’s jaw, eyes pale gray-blue as the animal stared back at her.

  She wasn’t afraid, but Kyra was intrigued. Then, Claudia lowered her head and kissed her hard. Kyra bit her tongue, and Claudia drew back to stare down at her.