Real Men Shift Volume Two: Paranormal Werewolf Romance Boxed Set

by Celia Kyle

Val looked at him like he was an idiot. “You think best friends don’t vent to each other about family shit every now and then? By the sound of things, she wasn’t getting support from the people who should have given it the most.”

  Zeke scrubbed a hand over his almost-beard. “I haven’t had my coffee yet, but if I didn’t know any better, I’d think that was a shot at me.”

  “That so?” she said, giving him a challenging smirk. “Interesting.”

  He’d never been so conflicted over a woman before, especially not a human woman. His guilt over Chloe’s treatment by their father still gnawed at him, even though she’d forgiven him, so naturally he felt defensive. At the same time, he was grateful she’d met such a fiercely loyal friend at a time when she needed one the most.

  “I’m not my father,” he finally said, frantically searching for some way to explain pack hierarchy without revealing the “pack” part. “He was… old school. Shit, maybe that’s just an excuse. It was hard to know the man and why he acted the way he did. All I can really say is, at the time, things worked a little differently in Tremble.”

  “That so?” she said again, as if nothing could explain away Chloe’s pain.

  “Dad was sort of a big deal around here. Respected. A leader.”

  Val rolled her eyes. “I figured that much out on my own. I suppose next you’re going to tell me that everyone who snubbed a young girl was just following orders?”

  “It’s not like that, exactly. It’s complicated. He may have been old-fashioned, but he also did a lot of good for the people of the town. They respected him and, for good or bad, followed his lead. All I can tell you is that as much as I loved my father, I’m not like him.”

  Val sniffed as she pushed her plate away. “Sounds like you’re all a bunch of pussies to me.”

  Rage and shame duked it out inside Zeke’s gut. The eggs on his plate held no interest anymore. He wanted to argue with her, but at the same time she had a point. Which pissed him off even more.

  Pushing his chair back, Zeke stood over her, ready to show her the meaning of “pussy” and exactly what he wanted to do to hers, when his phone rang. Dammit!

  “What!” he barked into the device.

  “Bad time, boss?”

  Next to Newman, Rich was one of Zeke’s best sentries. As a security guard at City Hall, he kept Zeke abreast of the goings-on in Tremble’s city government. If he was calling this early in the morning, the news couldn’t be good. Zeke rubbed the throbbing vein in his temple and did his best to modulate his tone.

  “No. What’s up?”

  “Got a situation down here. Mayor Calhoun is meeting with some land developers at eleven. Says they’re gonna sign a deal for a big chunk of Wolf Woods.”

  The world around him disappeared in a haze of red. “The hell he is! No way am I letting some piece of shit human sell off our territory! I’ll be there in ten.”

  He nearly smashed the phone into the far wall, but somehow managed to hold on to his temper long enough to turn it off and cram it in his back pocket. Fucking Calhoun! Zeke should have seen it coming, but he’d been too distracted with everything that had gone down in the last year.

  The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, a sure sign he was being watched. Spinning around, he met Valerie’s steely scowl.

  “Just so you know,” she snarled, standing slowly and never breaking eye contact, “not all humans are pieces of shit.”

  Shit.

  Without another word, she stomped out of the kitchen, leaving Zeke to stare after her—mouth agape and heart thundering—Fang in her wake. The tiny pooch followed as far as the doorway before turning back to give Zeke a forlorn whimper. Then she trotted after her mistress.

  Zeke stared after them, feeling totally gobsmacked. What had he just done? “Shit.”

  Chapter Seven

  Tendrils of anger wound around Valerie’s body so tightly she felt almost swaddled by it, cocooned inside her own righteous temper. No amount of pacing her room seemed to be easing her fury over the way Zeke had insulted her entire species. No matter what she did with her arms—planting her hands on her hips, crossing them, punching the air where she imagined his face—nothing felt right. It didn’t take a mind reader to know he was just venting, but the diss had pissed her off.

  The strange animal magnetism that cracked and sparked between them like a downed electrical wire carried some pretty heavy emotions. Val didn’t care much for any emotion that wasn’t anger, it seemed. Especially since Afghanistan. The worst part was that it wasn’t all Zeke’s fault. Not even most of it, if she was being honest.

  The only reason she’d even driven to Tremble was because her CO had insisted she take some leave to work out her anger issues. Everything pissed her off, not just Zeke and his irrational dislike for humans. In fact, humans had been pissing her off plenty recently.

  Only… it wasn’t really anger, exactly. A deep, abiding rage constantly simmered just under the surface, waiting for any chance to explode in a white-hot geyser of fury.

  Add to that the frustrating fact she couldn’t chew Zeke’s ass out, as she so badly wanted, because she didn’t dare let it slip that Chloe had broken some random werewolf law. No way, no how would she ever put her best friend’s life or safety or maybe just reputation in jeopardy. Their secret must remain safely tucked away, even if she wanted to bash the fact over Zeke’s head.

  A soft whimper sounded from the bed. Fang sat smack in the middle, staring at her with as worried an expression as a dog could muster. As soon as Val turned to her, the little vamp rolled onto her back, exposing her soft tummy for pets and scratches. With a heavy sigh, Val did as her canine overlord commanded.

  But it wasn’t a frustration for her. Truth be told, the miles-high wall of aggravation crumbled to a pile of dust as she rubbed Fang’s belly. The dog’s pink tongue curled and lolled out of her small mouth as she happily squirmed under Val’s hand, drawing a laugh from her. It seemed impossible that such a tiny dog could brighten her day and ease the tension that built inside her.

  “Thanks for coming on this bizarre ride with me,” she whispered to Fang, just as a knock sounded on the door.

  Zeke eased his head around the door as if he expected to have a shoe thrown at him. Val’s smile at Fang’s antics still lingered on her lips, and relief washed over his handsome features as he ventured into the room.

  He’d better be happy, she thought rather smugly. The guy had no clue how close he’d been to receiving the same painful treatment his pal Newman had suffered. Reminding herself to be civil, she met his gaze without an ounce of rancor.

  “Thought you might like a ride to town,” he said, sitting on the bed and reaching out to join in the fun of rubbing down Fang. “Maybe check out of the Lupine Inn?”

  This time when the rage tried to take hold, she tamped it down. It wanted to be outraged that he knew where she was staying, but her rational mind reminded her there weren’t too many hotels in Tremble, and Lupine Inn happened to be closest to The Lair. Or maybe someone had told him. Does it really matter? she asked her ragey self. As it turned out, not in the slightest.

  “Sure, that would be nice, actually.” She returned her attention to Fang, who panted like she was in heaven from all the attention. Glancing back up at Zeke from under her lashes, she added, “Thanks.”

  His gaze lingered on her mouth before he cleared his throat and pushed off the doorway. Val kissed Fang’s head to hide her smile over his interest in her lips. No sense encouraging that kind of behavior.

  None at all.

  “Mama’s running out for a quick errand,” she murmured into Fang’s impossibly soft ear. “Be a good girl while I’m gone.”

  Fang wiggled around until she sat upright, gazing up at her mistress with such devotion it nearly brought tears to Val’s eyes. No one had ever loved her as much as Fang. Except maybe Chloe. The dog gave a soft, sweet “boof” that sounded halfway between a bark and a grunt. Then she turned four circles on the bed a
nd lay down with her head resting on her paws, looking as dejected as a dog ever did.

  “Poor thing thinks I’m abandoning her every time I’m out of sight,” she explained as she joined Zeke at the door. Giving him a preemptive glare, she wagged a finger in his face. “That mangy mutt you have skulking around here better not come sniffing around my little princess. Got it?”

  She caught the first glimpse of a scowl on his face before she pushed past him, chomping down on her lips to keep herself from laughing. He wouldn’t call her on it. He couldn’t. Not without accidentally-on-purpose revealing the beastly truth about all of the so-called dogs in the area. Her secret knowledge gave her the advantage over him, some leverage, in case she needed it.

  Not that she expected trouble from him. He seemed like a good guy, if a little bossy and overprotective. A prerequisite for any good military officer and, no doubt, every werewolf alpha. But despite all of that, she actually kind of enjoyed Zeke’s company. Of course, her body certainly enjoyed being close to him, despite her opinion on the matter. More than that, she enjoyed their talks—even the ones full of fire.

  At least he wasn’t a wimp. Most men who showed an initial interest in her backed away pretty fast once they realized she was more of a man than them. Not Zeke. He didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by her. Annoyed, yes. Intimidated, no. It sure was fun fucking with him though.

  Actually fucking him would be a hell of a lot more fun… She shook the thought away as she followed him to his SUV. The attraction between them was almost palpable, but nothing could happen between them. Forget that he was a wolf. He was Chloe’s brother. No way would she risk her friendship with her bestie over some guy. On top of that, Val still wasn’t happy about how Chloe’s family had treated her after the accident. Zeke had only been a kid when it happened, but even if he wasn’t part of the problem, he obviously hadn’t been part of the solution. At the end of the day, Valerie was loyal to Chloe, not her obnoxiously attractive brother.

  A half-hour later, Val walked out of the Lupine Inn to find Zeke holding open the passenger’s door of his SUV, a cocky grin plastered on his cocky face. Rolling her eyes at his old-fashioned manners, she tossed her backpack and Burberry in the footwell and climbed in. Only he didn’t close the door. Shooting him a curious glance, Val was surprised to find him frowning at her in what looked like confusion.

  “What?” she asked, looking down to see if she had dried egg on her shirt or something. Nothing, all clean.

  “Where’s the rest of it?”

  She blinked up at him, the sun catching fire in the coppery undertones of his hair. “Rest of what?”

  “Your bags. Did you leave them at the front desk? I’ve got plenty of room.”

  Right. Guys were used to women who take tons of junk with them when they traveled. Sometimes Valerie forgot she wasn’t very “normal.”

  “That’s it.” She nodded at her backpack, tucked between her feet. “That’s my entire life right there. In a backpack.”

  He said nothing, just stared at the pack as if it had personally offended him. He slowly closed the door and crossed to the driver’s side. When he slid into his seat, it seemed he was desperately trying not to stare at her sad, lonely backpack.

  “I know. It’s not much,” Val said with an exasperated sigh. “I don’t have much stuff. Pretty much been on the go since I graduated college. The Army keeps me moving a lot. I rarely stay in one town for more than a few months at a time, so it doesn’t make sense to accumulate stuff I don’t need.”

  He shot her an amused look. “But designer handbags are a necessity?”

  Val chuckled. “No, they’re my guilty pleasure. But even when I buy a new one, my old one gets listed on Poshmark lickety split. I like to travel light.”

  “Like that guy… in those books… Tom Cruise played him…”

  “Oh god, do you mean Jack Reacher? Don’t even get me started.”

  His deep laugh sent tickles skittering across her skin. “Really? That bad?”

  Val shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, he tells a compelling story,” she conceded, “but let’s just say I have a hard time suspending disbelief when I try to read them.”

  “That’s just your military service talking.”

  “Damn straight! Funny thing is, I have no problem in losing myself in a steamy romance about sexy blue barbarians rescuing human women who’ve crash-landed on their ice planet.”

  His laugh turned into a roar, booming through the cab and heating up her cheeks at his appreciation of her joke. Not a joke, actually, but it must have sounded pretty funny.

  They fell into an easy silence as they drove along the small road into town before Zeke gave her a curious sideways glance.

  “Don’t you ever dream of settling down somewhere? You know, just hang around in one place for the rest of your life and become part of the community? I don’t know, buy some damn furniture or join a book club or something?”

  Val narrowed her eyes and studied him for a long moment. It almost sounded as if he was hinting at something. Something she didn’t want to think about. And even if she did, the furball was delusional if he thought that something might include him.

  “Look,” she said, shifting in her seat to face him. “You’ve always belonged to a community. I get that. I honestly wish I’d had that growing up, but I didn’t. The closest I’ve ever come is the Army. I stopped daydreaming about anything more a long time ago.”

  “You stopped dreaming?”

  Val didn’t like his pitying tone. “Some of us don’t have the luxury,” she bit out.

  He shot her a doubting glance but said nothing. Val stared out the window at all the ridiculously cute business names. The quaint downtown looked straight out of an old Christmas movie. Was the menu at the Canine Cafe also filled with bad wolf puns? A better question would be, would it be so bad to stay long enough to find out? Before she could answer, they sped past The Wolf’s Lair Bar & Grille—with an ‘e.’

  “Hey, stop! My Jeep’s in the back.” Zeke stared straight ahead as if he hadn’t heard her. “Zeke, turn around. I need my Jeep.”

  A frown creased his brow. “Why?”

  “Why?” Val couldn’t believe her ears. “Um, because I’m leaving. That’s why.”

  “Why?”

  Again? The guy was either obtuse or a controlling jerk. Val had a feeling it was both.

  “Because I came to this godforsaken backwater to see Chloe. Chloe’s not here, if you hadn’t noticed. No reason for me to stick around.”

  Zeke’s frown grew deeper and darker. A muscle in his jaw tensed and released, tensed and released. He still wouldn’t look her in the eye. “You can’t.”

  This was turning into a bad nightmare. It wasn’t that she feared for her safety, but he was acting a bit like a lunatic.

  “Why the hell can’t I?”

  He pressed his lips together before finally blurting, “Because!”

  If she didn’t know any better, she might have thought Zeke seemed a little panicked, like he was desperate to keep her from leaving. But that made no sense. He didn’t even like humans!

  Forcing herself to take several slow, deep breaths to calm herself down, Val watched him carefully. He sat tensely behind the wheel, but nothing about his demeanor suggested he would try to hurt her—“try” being the operative word. But for some reason, he wanted her to stick around.

  “‘Because I said so’ wasn’t a good enough answer when I was a kid, Zeke. It sure as hell isn’t acceptable now that I’m a grown-up. Try again.”

  “Because,” he started again and then gave his head a shake of irritation. “Because… you’ll miss her. You’ll miss Chloe.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? You said she moved.”

  “I did, but… uh, she’s coming back.”

  This made no sense, but Val couldn’t hold back her excitement at the idea of seeing her friend again. “From her honeymoon?”

  Zeke nodded, perhaps a little more
vigorously than the conversation warranted. “Yeah, yeah. Exactly. She and Drew are dropping by on their way home in a few days. If you leave now, you’ll miss her here and there. Might as well stick around, if you’re so dead set on seeing her.”

  She could smell the desperate fib, but she wanted to see Chloe so much that she decided to believe him. Or at least pretend to in an effort to save his fragile male ego. He undoubtedly felt proud of his masterful lying skills.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” she asked. “That changes everything. But in that case, I need to go check back into my room.”

  Now that’s how it’s done, son.

  “No!” he blurted and then shot her a furtive, almost sheepish look. “I just mean that any friend of Chloe’s is a friend of mine. You can stay at the pack— Um, at my house.”

  Val had to turn away to keep him from seeing she’d caught his slip-up. The powers that be might have been interested in how poorly he kept their wolfy secret, not that she’d ever rat him out. Regardless, sleeping in “his” house sounded a thousand times better than trying to get some rest under the mirthful gaze of a furry Michael J. Fox movie poster.

  “Okay,” she finally said, “but I still want to get my Jeep.”

  Zeke grinned at her as he pulled into an empty parking spot in front of a slightly run-down, but still-grand brick building. CITY HALL was etched into the facade.

  “I’ll be right back, and then we’ll go get your Jeep,” he said as he hopped out. As she reached for the handle, he paused just before shutting his own door. “You stay here. This won’t take long. I just have to rip some guy a new asshole.”

  Val watched him hurry across the street, her blood boiling that he dared to give her an order like he was her superior or something. Whatever was going on, it promised to be juicy and entertaining, and she’d be damned if she was going to sit in the car like a good little girl. Besides, it’d been almost twelve hours since she’d ripped anyone a new asshole. She was itching for a fix, even if it was just to watch.