Series: Shifter Ops Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
“Go ahead,” I say, and Geo dives for the table. Should I make him wash his hands first?
Too late, he’s flipped open a pizza box and stuffed three slices into his mouth at once.
I turn away before I start nagging him to chew.
“Thank you,” I say to Channing. Meaning it. “For everything.”
He accepts my thanks with a dip of his head and moves close, into my space. “Have you eaten yet?”
I shake my head.
His nostrils flare, and he takes the dish rag and catches my hand. “You got yourself good.”
“I was distracted.”
His head dips to mine, and a wave of his spicy, wild scent washes over me. I don’t mean to, but I find myself leaning into him, wanting more.
He raises his head, his green eyes catching mine. My breath stalls in my throat. My heart thumps. A swell of heat rolls over me. I’m not attracted to Geoffrey’s baby brother. I’m not. I feel only brotherly thoughts about him.
“Sit.” He nudges me to the table. “I’ll get something to clean this.”
“The first aid kit is–”
“On the top shelf in the bathroom. I remember.” His dimples flash, and he disappears.
I sag into a chair. My cheeks warm. Another hot flash? Or was it the wine?
That must be it. The wine’s affecting me. I haven’t finished the glass, but I drank on an empty stomach. That’s why my insides are fluttery.
No other reason.
Geo’s eaten a whole pizza already and is sucking on some hot wings. I remember Geoffrey eating like this when he returned from a long run. Shifting forms burns a lot of calories.
I push a second pizza box towards him. “Eat up, mijo.” He gives me a grateful look and stuffs a stack of three pizza slices into his mouth.
Channing returns and kneels in front of me. He’s so big, the kitchen shrinks around him, but his hands on mine are gentle. He checks my finger for shreds of glass. Once he’s satisfied, he bandages it with deft movements. With every touch, tingles run up my arms.
I find my voice. “You’ve done this before.”
“A time or two.”
“Shifters don’t need bandages.” Their healing powers can take care of anything short of decapitation. Or a blast from an IED.
He looks solemn, as if he can follow the line of my thoughts. “We do when we’re trying to pass.” Pass as humans, he means. “And I’ve fought alongside humans at times.”
I drop my eyes to the bandage. “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” he murmurs, taking my hand and turning it over. Tingles race over my skin where he touches me.
I dip my head and gulp in the air. Channing moves away, out of my space, but I feel his presence pressing on me, a delicious weight. I’ve never been so aware of anyone in my life.
After he cleans up the glass, a chair scrapes across the kitchen tile, Channing taking his seat.
“Careful, Uncle Channing,” Geo says. “That table leg is loose.”
“Ah. I remember your dad fixing it the day he bought it. Let’s fix it tomorrow. I’ll wait until after school, so you can help.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
I grab a slice of pizza and nibble, keeping my eyes on my plate and trying to get my heartbeat under control.
“Do you run as a wolf every night?” Geo asks.
Channing shakes his head. “No. Not every night. Every full moon, for sure. And if I need to let off steam. You’ll probably need to run quite a bit as a teenager. Hormones are raging through you, way more intense than a human experiences. You’ll get attracted to girls at school, and it will nearly make you shift in your seat.”
“Channing!” I can’t stop the shocked sound of my voice. I really don’t want him giving Geo sex advice. I remember what a man-whore he was when he lived here.
“What?” He tosses that lazy grin my way again. “It’s true. Better I warn him now than have him actually lose control in front of humans.” He turns his gaze on Geo. “You understand that you can never, ever speak of this with any human? Not with your best friend. Not with your girlfriend, if you date a human. Not with anyone. You can’t shift in a fight with boys at school. You can’t use your superhuman strength to play sports. You have to hide what you are. That’s the most important thing I have to teach you.”
“Why? Because I would scare humans?”
“Yes. But…” Channing’s gaze shifts toward me, and I can tell he doesn’t want me to hear what’s coming next. “There are humans who do know we exist, and…” –another concerned glance my way–“and some of those who know like to hunt our kind.”
I’m sure the color drains from my face because I go ice cold.
Channing reaches over and covers my hand. “Nothing’s ever going to happen to Geo. I promise. My ops team is the best in the world. If any danger ever came this way, I would know it and prevent it from touching Geo.”