Shifted Plans

by Brandy Walker

  He may not be ready to find his mate and confront her, but he had no intention of leaving until he knew what to call her. What he would do with the information? He could decide on that later. When he was alone in his apartment where no one else would question his intelligence.

  “Police or not, unless it’s official business, which from the way you’re acting I’m guessing it isn’t, you aren’t getting her name from me. Got a problem with my decision, take it up with him.”

  Levi pointed over Declan’s shoulder. With a quick about-face, Declan came face to neck with a mountain of a man. Declan considered himself a fairly tall guy—six foot, six-one on a good day—and he wasn’t without a bit of muscle either. He worked out, stayed in shape for the job. But this guy. Shit. It would take three of Declan to get close to bringing him down.

  “What’s up, Levi?” the beast of a man rumbled.

  “He says he’s police and is looking for someone. A woman. I got the impression it wasn’t in a professional capacity.”

  “You know who he’s looking for?”

  “Yep. Friend of ours.”

  The big guy grunted in understanding. Declan didn’t want understanding. He only wanted a name. Pulling out his wallet, he dug a business card out. “Here,” he said, offering it to the behemoth. “Name and info are on it. Check me out. You decide I’m a decent guy, call the number.”

  The big man took the card without looking at it, stuffing it in his pocket. “Name’s Niklaus Braun. I’ll be in touch.” He paused, searing him with a leveling look. “One way or the other.”

  Declan knew that was the best he would get from these guys. He couldn’t fault them for looking out for a friend. It didn’t mean he had to be happy about it. “Thanks.” With one last glance in the direction of the mystery woman, he shook his head and left.

  He had to be the dumbest motherfucker on the face of the earth. Never in his life had he heard of a man willingly walking away from his destined mate because he didn’t feel ready. Was anyone ever ready to find the other half of their soul?

  Once outside, he took a deep breath as he made his way to his truck, attempting to clear the woman from his mind. Declan hit the button to unlock it and climbed into the driver’s seat. Mark, at least, waited until they’d settled in before opening his mouth.

  “That’s it? You find your mate and you leave? You don’t track her down, introduce yourself, drag her off to the nearest corner, and mark her from head to toe?”

  Declan clenched his jaw, willing the agitated lion inside him to calm down. The creature, even though it hadn’t scented her, still wanted to find her. Confident they should mate her and keep her. Knowing it would happen sooner than he thought was powerful shit, and the man, he resisted, not quite ready for any of it. At least that was what he kept repeating. “Nope. I told you. Now isn’t the right time. Too much to do first. Too much to finish.”

  “So, you’re going to forget she exists until you’re ready?” Mark’s voice held disbelief.

  “Yep.”

  “Holy shit you’re stupid. I mean, seriously dumb. The woman destined to be your mate is inside that bar. Could very well be with another man right this minute, and you’re walking away without a care in the world.”

  Declan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white. If he squeezed any harder, he might break the damn thing. Then he’d be stuck there. Within reach of a woman he denied not only himself but his lion as well. One finger at a time, he forced himself to loosen his grip.

  The lion in him knocked around, trying to break through to the man. It wanted to stalk back inside, sniff out his mate, pin her down, and fuck her into submission. The more Declan opposed the idea, the more certain his lion became. It clung to innate knowledge the man didn’t have.

  Based on the quick glance Declan had of her, a part of him thought the lion might be on to something. His attraction to her could not be denied. They could get to know each other later—after he fucked her and marked her so no other man would dare get near her.

  Not gonna happen, Weller. Not part of the plan…yet.

  Easing out of the parking spot, Declan forced himself to drive away, no matter how much the lion protested. He would have plenty of time to find her later. He was a cop after all. Finding people part of his job. Something he excelled at.

  Nik leaned against the wall outside the bar, watching the cop leave. Too damn noisy and not enough privacy inside, he’d headed out into the cool night air. Some poor woman might need to be informed about a stalker before the guy figured out who she was on his own. A woman his brother said was a friend. Years ago he made a promise to himself to never again let a woman in need down.

  Punching in a number, he raised the phone to his ear and waited for the call to be picked up.

  “River Rock Police Department,” the gruff voice on the other end answered.

  “Hey, Liam. Need you to verify something for me?”

  “Sure, Nik. What’s up?”

  “You have a Declan Weller on staff?”

  “Dec? Yeah. Good guy. On the fast track for promotion. Got some ten-year plan he’s always going on about. He’s leaving for greener pastures after he finishes up a course at Shifter U. Heading to the sheriff’s department in Mischief.”

  The tight ball of unease in Nik’s gut slowly unwound. “He isn’t mated or anything, is he? Not in some serious relationship?”

  Liam’s deep chuckle echoed over the line. “Why, you looking for a date?”

  “Fuck you. No. He asked about a woman in the bar, tried to get information about her. She’s a friend.”

  “Understood. He gets a green light from me. He’s single. Focused on the job. Helps when he can, where he can. One of those above and beyond the call of duty kind of guys. The kind you wouldn’t mind your daughter dating.”

  “Thanks. Good to know. We still on for the game tomorrow?”

  “Yep. Wouldn’t miss kicking your ass. Later.” Liam hung up, but Nik remained outside, not quite ready to head into the chaos again. His brother Levi joined him after a couple of minutes. It didn’t take long for them to notice he’d gone missing.

  “Wondered where you ran off to.” Levi leaned against the wall next to him, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Checking on the guy. Who’s the girl?”

  “Avery,” Levi said a little too nonchalantly.

  “No shit!” Nik couldn’t help the surprise bleeding through his voice. He really shouldn’t be. Avery was great. Focused on school. Loyal to her friends. Didn’t take shit from him when they hung out. She happened to be cute as hell, too.

  “I’m not sure why you’re surprised,” Levi said, voicing exactly what went through his head. “She may be a bit of a bookworm but she’s a looker. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed.”

  Nik grunted. He’d noticed. Too little too late, rang through his head. Avery wasn’t like most women he knew who would jump in the sack with him, knowing he had been with their best friend. “Well, I think he’s after more than a date. I saw him and his friend talking and noticed his eyes glowing. I get the impression he thinks they’re mates.”

  “Damn! Good for Avery,” Levi said.

  Nik shook his head. “I’m not too sure. If you found your mate, would you rush out of a bar like your ass was on fire, leaving her behind?”

  “Hell, no!” Levi exclaimed.

  “Me either.”

  “What do you plan on doing? Tell Avery her mate ditched her or give the guy what he wants and hope he goes to her?”

  Nik chuckled. “I sure as hell don’t need a woman going off on me because of another dude. I’ll give him her name. Let him take it from there and hope like hell it doesn’t come back on me. You have to watch out for those quiet ones.”

  Levi reached out and smacked Nik on the chest. “No shit! Remember the one chick that thought you’d dumped her sister for her other sister, but it wasn’t you at all? One icy glare from her and you were a quiverin
g mess.” He chuckled and pushed off the wall. “Let’s head back in before Landon realizes we’re gone and claims we own him one.”

  “Yeah,” Nik grunted and followed his brother.

  Chapter Four

  Avery walked into her Law and Ethics class Monday morning, heading for the front row. Spotting a two-seat desk off to the side, she dropped her book bag on the empty chair and took a seat in the other before pulling out her laptop.

  The class, in her opinion, was a necessary evil, and she put the required course off for as long as possible. Law enforcement was not something that interested her. Not the field of study and not the people in it. Too intense with too much worry when someone you loved held one of those high-risk positions.

  Booting up her laptop, Avery took in the room. A sturdy oak podium sat in front with a projector tucked up against it. Rows of desks filled the elevated seating area with power plugs at each station, typical for the school.

  From her position, she would be able to see anything written on the boards, see anyone entering the room, and still make a fast getaway when over. A must if she wanted to get to her next class on time across campus.

  Familiarity settled into her bones as other students began to file in. Over the last week, the three housemates she’d been told to expect had moved in. The once quiet space now filled with a bubbly cheerleader, a band student who practiced or played music at all hours of the day, and a slightly older than typical freshman. With one room left to be filled and courses starting, Avery didn’t know if it would be filled. That was fine with her. It would be one less body to keep track of.

  Thankfully, she only had to give one tour of the campus to Riley, the freshman. The other two new roommates, Blaire and Tess, were both seniors and already familiar with the grounds. Their housing arrangements fell through at the last minute, so they only needed to shift their things from the storage facility on campus.

  A couple more students walked into, snagging her attention with recognition. Austin Shaw, Shifter U’s star wide receiver with a promising career to go pro and Ryan Springer, another player on Shifter U’s football team—defensive back if Avery remembered correctly.

  She waved as they walked by heading for the farthest row in the class. Pleasantly surprised to see people she knew, she relaxed a bit more. Granted, she only knew them in passing and because they were high profile football players on campus, plain and simple.

  A group of girls walked in giggling, following Austin and Ryan. They sat near the guys, batting long lashes and flirting. It appeared it would be a win for all, knowing through the grapevine the men never turned down companionship. But then, what shifter did? All were highly sexual, and the majority prime specimens of hotness.

  Her phone beeped with an incoming text, startling her. No one should be texting her. Pulling it out of her bag, she swiped her finger across the bottom, pulling it out of the lock mode.

  Reese: Holy shit! Hot uniformed men heading your way. You are such a lucky bitch.

  Avery’s snort at her friend’s text got caught in her throat when five men entered the room. All tall, ruggedly handsome, and built. Their black uniforms molded to every muscular bulge and curve from their broad shoulders down to their shapely, solid thighs. Gear belts wrapped around their waists glinted under the harsh light of the room. Avery had no idea what weapons they carried but decided it didn’t matter. The men looked lethal on their own. The weapons—turned it up a million notches of hotness.

  As her gaze drifted lower to their backsides, her phone vibrated in her hand. Reluctantly tearing her gaze from the men, she checked it out.

  Reese: Full details later. I want names, numbers, and detailed descriptions.

  Oh, she would give her friend a report and maybe even a few pictures if she could sneak them in. They were too delicious not to try and capture for future drooling. Her hormones shot off like firecrackers on the Fourth of July, one sparking right after the other. Would fanning herself draw their attention? Did they know what they did to the female population? Maybe she should rethink the whole no dating guys in law enforcement rule.

  As the thought drifted through her head, the air stirred, bringing the scent of grass and earthy musk to swirl around her. Her head popped up, eyes rounding wide as she checked to see who had come in while she hadn’t been paying attention.

  Mate, the animal within purred.

  A low thrum of awareness and excitement immediately coursed through her body. Her nipples beaded beneath her bra and cotton T-shirt. Tingles ran up her spine to her scalp.

  Her lioness drifted close to the surface, making her presence known, forcing claws to appear where fingernails had once been. Avery gripped her leg under the desk, letting the pain of her claws piercing through her jeans and into her skin keep her grounded to her spot.

  A man came in while she had focused on her phone. He walked stiffly toward the other officers in the middle row, plopping down next to a sandy blond-haired guy. They both stared at her. The blond-haired man leaned over saying something, causing the late arrival to nod sharply.

  The newcomer captured her attention. Sight and sound fading around her. A feeling of familiarity settled into her heart, deep inside telling her she knew him, whispering he was the missing part of her soul. Breath whooshed out in a rush at the realization, and she looked away. She’d finally found her mate. The man she looked for that night at the bar.

  What do I do now? Do I go to him? Does he realize it, too?

  Damn, the man was gorgeous. Short, light brown hair, sharp cheekbones, and intense brown eyes glowing brighter by the second. He frowned in blatant disapproval.

  He is not a happy man.

  A hot rush of tears gathered in her eyes. Refusing to let him see her hurt, she blinked a couple of times as heat rushed to her face in embarrassment. She knew from his lack of action what he decided about their mating. He didn’t want it. He’d rejected her before he’d talked to her, spent any time with her.

  Quickly, she turned away as hurt filled every crevice of her soul, replacing the rush of excitement she’d experienced when he walked into the room. The tears pricking the backs of her eyes overflowed. Brushing them away, much like her mate brushed her off, she was thankful when the professor entered the room.

  As the professor talked about what they would cover over the course of the class, Avery found she didn’t care. All of the things she grew up to believe, to hope for, had just come crashing down around her. Her dreams of happily ever after were never going to happen.

  She tried to focus but couldn’t. Her thoughts overrun by disappointment and pain. Avery had heard stories of one mate rebuffing the other. One didn’t want the other for whatever reason. One mate already had someone in his or her life and didn’t care if they were with their destined mate or not. One of the intended mates could be rogue with no intention of settling down. She had heard of mates being displeased with the physical appearance of the other, superficial things a person would think wouldn’t matter, but did.

  Resolving to sit through class, Avery tried her best to pay attention. When class ended, she would head straight to her advisor to change her schedule. No way would she sit through an entire semester with a mate who didn’t want her.

  Declan tried to listen to what the instructor rambled on about, but all he could think about was Avery. He felt her sadness like a blow to the gut, and it killed him. He could see she forced herself to pay attention and not look at him. Something he had done had upset her. Or more accurately, something he hadn’t done. Talk to her for starters. Introduce himself and get to know her. Better yet, toss her over his shoulder, and carry her away, so he could convince her they were meant for each other.

  The lion within rippled right beneath the surface, clawing to get out. Already, in the span of twenty minutes, Declan had to stop his shift twice. Once when he’d walked by her, getting a full-frontal assault of her scent. The second time when she’d turned away, hurt and embarrassment shining in her eyes when she’d ju
mped to the accurate conclusion he would be doing absolutely nothing about the pull between them.

  He knew who she was now, thanks to Nik, along with a quick but thorough background check. Some might call him an asshole for doing it, but he wanted to know as much about her before he got wrapped up in mating. Running background checks was a force of habit, something to kill time when sitting at a desk.

  Everything he hoped to find out about Avery came up on his check.

  A lion shifter. Age twenty-five. She was the residential manager living on the third floor of the townhouse she shared in with three other students. One bedroom in the building available. No one assigned as of yet.

  Single, with no significant boyfriends in the last two years—thank the gods above.

  No criminal record of any kind—also another plus.

  She was the oldest of Dr. Michael and Jane Hillman’s six children. Graduating at the end of the school year with a master’s in health services management, she would be taking over the day-to-day operation of her family’s medical practice in Mischief.

  She had honey-brown hair he wanted to bury his face in. Creamy skin he wanted to kiss and caress. A body he wanted to get lost in for days on end. Lips he wanted to see wrapped around his dick as she knelt in submission before him.

  A low rumble worked its way up his throat. Mark kicked him in the shin, causing Declan to grimace in pain. The kick did its job of pulling him from his thoughts, but it did nothing for the hard-on in his pants.

  “Watch it,” Mark whispered harshly. “You can pounce on her after class.”

  Declan looked toward Avery again. Unlikely. She had yet to look his way again and, even from this distance, he got the “hell-no” vibe she gave off. Something was really wrong.

  For all his research and subsequent planning, he knew there would be no way in hell he could ignore the fact she was his mate.

  Not now.