A Shifter's Curse, Raven Steele [the top 100 crime novels of all time .TXT] 📗

sun had set moments ago, yet a warm breeze still blew through the trees smelling like lilacs with a hint of ambrosia. There was no one at the gate, but there was a camera. I bet someone showed up in the next thirty seconds.

It only took ten.

A car came skidding around the corner of the dirt road, its back sliding to the side. A plume of dust trailed behind it. When it came to a stop, two large burly men jumped from the vehicle. They looked familiar, I think I recognized them from the night before.

The darker haired of the two walked toward me, his expression tight with muscles bulging on both sides of his jaw. He was massive, his chest rounded in all the right places. "State your business.”

The other shifter, also built like a dump truck, raised a gun and pointed it at me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and I suppressed the growl threatening to erupt from me.

I lifted my hands, trying to calm them and my wolf down. “Relax boys. I just came to let you know that I liked what I saw last night. And I'm all in. Sign me up."

"Hey, Gerald.” The light-haired brute elbowed the brown-haired one. “It’s that woman. The one who escaped.”

Gerald looked from him to me.

"I'm your girl.” I tried to look non-threatening. Guns was something I didn’t mess with. You never knew if they held silver bullets. “I got a good look at what kind of pack this is, and I’m kind of digging the whole power trip thing. My momma always told me I was drawn to power like a moth wants to fly." I wrinkled my nose. “That’s not right. What’s the phrase?”

“Like a moth to a flame.” Gerald puffed out his chest.

I smiled. “You’re not as dumb as you look! So where do I sign up?”

Gerald chuckled, but his friend was a little more hesitant. Maybe he sensed the true strength of my power. Gerald began to open the gate. "You'll be lucky if Dominic lets you wash our dishes. Now be a good wolf and follow us to containment. We have lots of questions for you."

I didn't like the sound of containment. I imagined it a place I might be trapped in for a while. "Take me straight to your Alpha."

Gerald glanced at his friend. “You hear that, Toby? I figured this woman stupid, but I didn't think she was crazy.” He turned back to me. “There's no way you're going to meet our Alpha. You're a nobody."

I grit my teeth. “Just take me to Dominic or even Silas."

"Lady, you're not going to be talking to either one of them for a very long time. You have to work your way up the pack’s social ladder.”

I narrowed my eyes, my gaze flickering to both of them as I tried to assess who the better fighter was. I focused on Gerald. “How about we make a little wager? Let’s fight to submission, you and I. If you win, take me to your bunker or whatever containment is. But if I win, you take me directly to Dominic.”

Both Gerald and Toby snickered.

"Lady, you have a deal. I would be honored to physically muzzle you while I straddle that tight body of yours.”

Ugh. Why were guys always such pigs? I took off my jacket and tossed it to the ground, giving them my crazy smile. "Let's do this. I've been needing a fight all day."

"No shifting,” Toby warned. “Human forms only.”

“You bet.”

Gerald ambled toward me, ramming his beefy fist into his open palm. He was trying to be intimidating, but he was only letting me know which hand was his hitting hand. My breathing increased as adrenaline poured through my veins. I centered my base and lowered into a defensive position.

Gerald sneered, his nose flaring at the excitement. “I bet I pin you in three moves."

"I bet I get you in one."

Growling, Gerald lunged for me. He swung his fist straight toward my face. I ducked.

Anticipating his follow through hit, I spun on my heel. His second swing missed, and he stumbled forward.

I usually took advantage of this mistake by crashing my fist into my opponent’s kidneys, but I wanted to give him his third try.

"That's two,” I gloated.

His brows drew thick over his eyes, and he danced on his feet like a boxer. He was quick, but I was quicker.

The next and final swing, I stepped to my left and jabbed my own fist into his throat, collapsing his larynx. His head snapped back, eyes wide. Elation flooded my body.

Money shot.

He leaned forward, sucking in a rattling breath. I slammed into him, bringing him to the ground. Dust billowed around him.

As soon as we were down, I straddled him and punched his face. I growled, trying to get him to submit.

Instead, he pushed at me, trying to throw me off. I leaned forward and slammed my hands on the ground above his head. I shoved my knees up higher around his chest, forcing his arms up around his neck. Moonlight illuminated the shock in his green eyes.

I grinned down at him, breathing heavily. “Look who’s straddling who.”

He grappled his arms, trying to hit my face, but he could barely move his arms, much less punch me. I shoved my left knee up higher, forcing his head to squish against his shoulder. Now he just looked like an idiot. “Ready to call uncle?”

Instead of waiting for him to respond, I grabbed his wrist and, twisting my body, locked him in an arm bar.

He cried out.

I tightened it, just a notch. He slapped the ground with his free hand.

I put my hand to my ear. “I don’t hear you.” I arched my back. Any higher and I’d shatter his shoulder.

“Uncle!”

I gave his arm one last tug, just to remind him not to mess with me again. Then I released him.

He yanked his arm out and rolled over. I sat up and leaned over to catch my breath, still keeping my eye on them. Toby stared at me with his mouth wide open.

"What's your problem?" I stood and paced to let out my excess energy. My blood was still roaring through my ears. It had been too easy to take him down, and my wolf was still restless. "Haven't you ever seen your buddy get beat before? Really wasn't that difficult. Kind of a letdown, actually.”

I shook out my hands, and my body began to relax.

Gerald moaned and rolled onto all fours. He slapped at Toby’s hand when he offered to help him up. "I got it."

“Now take me to Dominic,” I ordered. “I want to get this over with." I walked to their vehicle and slid into the backseat, slightly disappointed. Because of Gerald’s size, I expected him to put up a bigger fight. I really thought it would take me more moves to neutralize him. Sometimes it wasn't fun being right.

As Toby closed the gate, Gerald moved into the passenger seat. His shoulder was probably hurting pretty good; I hadn't been gentle. Even though he wasn’t showing pain, he was quiet.

Toby jumped into the driver’s seat, and we headed back down the long lane to the mansion. As he drove, Toby glanced at me several times in the rearview mirror. "You seriously have been a lone wolf this whole time?"

"Think I need a pack?"

"Hell, you could lead a pack."

"And have to deal with buffoons like you guys? I don't think so."

"Then why join now?" Gerald turned to look at me.

"Cold hard cash. I’m sick of working for peanuts. I heard the Silver Claws are the richest pack in the country. I want in on the action."

As soon as we pulled up to the mansion, I threw open the door. I didn’t wait for them to ask any more questions. Toby tried to grab my arm, but I yanked it out of his grasp.

He grumbled but didn’t try to take it again. I noticed Gerald wasn’t getting anywhere near me. Instead, they walked ahead of me, leading me up a set of long stairs and through dark, mahogany front doors.

Toby glanced at me over his shoulder. “He's this way. But don't blame us if he wants to beat you for interrupting his meeting."

"I wouldn't mind another fight."

Gerald just held his lips in a firm line. Toby split off to my left while Gerald moved to the right, motioning me to follow him. We moved down a long hallway. The deeper we moved, the more my body began to hum. I’d waited for this so long. The temptation to rush in and just snap his head from his body was strong. The fight with Gerald had just been an appetizer, but now I wanted more.

Dominic’s head on a platter would do nicely.

Gerald knocked on a door at the end of the hall, softer than I thought his massive knuckles could accomplish. When no one answered, he cleared his throat. “Dominic, someone’s here to see you. It can't wait."

"Come in.” By his sharp tone, Dominic wasn’t happy being interrupted.

Gerald swallowed a lump in his throat and turned the doorknob. It swung open wide, motioning for me to pass through first.

I took a step through the door and saw red as Dominic’s ugly mug came into view.