Claws and Effect (Small Town Shifters Book 1) Read online

  In her area, that likely meant some kind of big cat or something water-based. Maybe a polar bear. They didn't like the wet climate. She checked, and he lived in a town that was mostly shifter. So it was possible he was one of the scarier shifters. Maybe a snake or a spider. That didn't excite her, but she was drawn to him.

  He was handsome and on the older end of her possibilities for the night. He wasn't movie-star handsome or a pretty boy, but his face had character. He had warm brown eyes that she imagined were very expressive when he got emotional. His nose was a bit off-kilter, like maybe it had been broken once before. Strange for a shifter. From all reports, they healed very quickly. There had to be a story behind a nose like that on a shifter.

  His lips were full and a dusky pink. He wasn't smiling in any of his pictures. According to his bio, he was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He worked in shifter relations and didn't have much time for romance. He was looking for someone to spend the night with, maybe on a regular basis.

  He wasn't conventionally handsome, and he wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. Even the other shifters on the app said they were open to finding a mate, but he wasn't having any of that. He was honest, and that appealed to her. His profile picture wasn't one of the shirtless shots which would have pulled many more likes, because his body was bananas. That appealed to her too. He wasn't going to coast by on his chiseled abs. He looked like a real man's man. The type that was hard to find these days.

  She wondered if his gruffness extended to the bedroom.

  Everything in his profile seemed tailor-made to get her interested. This had to be a sign.

  His second message came before she even replied, and it had an address: If you're dripping with curiosity, I for one am dying to meet you. You're hands down the most beautiful woman who's shown interest in me tonight. If I can't have you, I don't want anyone. You've spoiled me for the rest.

  That was a bit forward. She looked up the address, and it was a home only forty minutes away. She couldn't get a street view, since the town banned that kind of thing. She did Google him and found that he was a big shot in his town—not someone she would expect to need to try Speed Mating. She bet the ladies lined up for him. But he did say he worked hard and didn't have time to find someone. She could relate to that.

  On the other hand, his second message was so over the top. She hadn't said more than a few words to him. She'd asked what kind of shifter he was; small talk. Her bio wasn't particularly interesting, either, and there was no way she was the most beautiful woman he'd even seen in the last ten minutes. If she was so hot, her profile would be seeing more action.

  She hadn't gotten popular until she started hitting up shifters for one-night stands. Nobody had been swiping right when she said she was looking for a relationship only. It was kind of depressing, but she wasn't surprised. Of course more men were going to be interested when they could sleep with her without putting in any effort.

  She was a pretty girl, but more for the bedroom than the bring-home type. Go figure.

  No matter. She wasn't trying to husband this dude, either. She just wanted to have one incredible, toe-curling orgasm. Or five. Whatever.

  What did one wear to a booty call? She didn't know the etiquette. Should she wear something with easy access or something that tore off easily? Jeans and a tee would be her preference, but it seemed a little too underdressed. She also didn't want to show up in some sexy little black dress that didn’t seem like it was nearly sexy enough.

  In the end, she settled on her sexiest nightie that could almost be worn as normal clothes. Almost, that is, if it wasn’t see through. It was what she would have worn to a booty call a decade earlier. It was perfect for a night out to get laid. She put on a pair of heels and grabbed a pair of flats to leave in her car.

  Since her outfit was simple, she went with a full face of makeup. It wasn't dramatic smoky eye, but it was sexier than her everyday wear. Her nerves made her hands heavy, and she ended up with enough highlighter to put a disco ball to shame. No matter. It wasn't going to be coming off on her bedsheets tonight.

  When she left her house, she was feeling on top of the world. She messaged "Rhett [Wildcard] Lundthal" that she would be there in less than an hour. He told her he'd be on the edge of his seat waiting. You just made my month, gorgeous.

  Totally over the top, and probably the same bullshit line he fed all his hookups. But it still made her smile. It was nice to hear some compliments. She hoped he kept it up after her clothes came off.

  The sky was ominous as she started her drive. It might be a bad sign, but it made her hopeful. She loved making love during a thunderstorm. The weather matched the primal feeling she was hoping for tonight. She wanted a wildcard night in the best way possible.

  Chapter Three

  "We shouldn't be out here." Tucker pushed a branch out of his way before almost tripping over an exposed root.

  "No, your people shouldn't be out here," Rhett huffed. "This is my territory."

  "But if you won't shift, there's nothing you can do."

  "I can do plenty." Rhett knelt down and looked at the brush. "It went this way."

  Tucker sniffed the air. "How do you know that?"

  Rhett pointed to the tracks. "It's clear as day. Use your eyes, boy."

  "Hey." Tucker stopped. "Hurtful. You know I hate it when you call me 'boy.'"

  "I'm two hundred years your senior. You haven't even lived one human lifetime yet. To me, you will always be a boy."

  He didn't have time for niceties. There was a scorpion rampaging, and he needed to get it off the streets, or at least out of his territory. He was sure he could do it without having to shift, either. It didn't matter what Tucker said. He wasn't going to let the dragons come in and tell him how to protect his own people.

  "Is this because of the Speed Mating thing?" Tuck asked.

  "Try to keep up, and stop talking so much. I can't hear."

  It wasn't because of the catfishing, though the dragons were also "taking care" of that little issue.

  "What is there to hear?" Tuck cupped his hand over his ear and turned in a circle. "I don't hear anything, and there's no way a giant scorpion would be quiet."

  "I'm not listening for a scorpion." Rhett pushed a branch out of his way. They weren't on a path, and the going was starting to get tough. He was going to have to ditch Tucker soon. The kid was a good enough Keeper, but he wasn't the best when it came to traversing hard terrain in human form. He relied way too much on his dragon to get though the hard stuff. "We're getting close to the road."

  "It isn't going to get to the road. Even if it did, there's nobody out here tonight."

  Thunder rumbled in the distance, and a streak of lightning split the sky. Rhett's animal didn't like that one bit. "I want to find this thing and get out of here before the rain starts. If we don't find it before then, we're going to be in trouble."

  "My guys are in the sky as we speak." Tucker paused, out of breath. "Can we stop for a minute?"

  "No time. I told you to hang back. This isn't your space, Tuck. No offense."

  "None taken. I hate these creepy-ass woods." Tuck shivered. "And I'm getting wet."

  "The rain hasn't even started yet." Rhett stopped.

  "Thanks, man. I think I know when I'm wet or—"

  "Shh!" Rhett put his hand over Tuck's face and pointed with his other hand. Just ahead of them, sitting perfectly still in the black night, was a six-foot-high scorpion. "I think we found our man."

  Tuck pushed away his hand and exhaled sharply. "Shit. Never seen one of them shifted before. That's big."

  Rhett shook his head. "That's why you shouldn't be out here. Radio your people and tell them where we are. Who's on?"

  "Red and Gold dragons. Hayes and Knox will be here in a snap."

  "No. Tell them to hang back." Two more children. He needed experienced dragons. He was starting to understand why the dragon Keepers never got anything done. "What happened to the Green dragon?"

  Tuck shr
ugged. "I don't know. Never showed up to work a while back. I've seen him around town, though, so it looks like he quit."

  "Great. Look, we have to be very careful when we approach him. We don't want to spook him."

  The young dragon took off his shirt and started shimmying out of his pants. "Naw. I'm going to shift and rush him. He won't be able to take down my dragon."

  "No, that's exactly what we don't want to do. Murry is a skilled shifter. He's been around even longer than I have."

  "And he's shifted just as much in recent years," Tuck snorted. "Don't worry. I've totally got this handled. That scorpion will be hog-tied before my boys even get here."

  Rhett watched in horror as Tuck started to shift. There was no way to stop him. He hit the ground and looked at the scorpion in the distance. Before Tuck was even halfway through his shift, Murry was already running. Tuck's shift was fast, but the scorpion hit him full force before he could get his feet under himself.

  "Shit." Rhett threw himself away from the fray.

  Tuck hit a tree behind them with a heavy thud. The scorpion was on the move before Tuck could get his bearings back. He shifted back to human and was shaking on the ground.

  "What the hell?" Tuck looked around and wiped the blood from his mouth. "What was that?"

  "I told you Murry was dangerous. Any idea why he's doing this? Where he might be going?"

  "None. This was out of the blue. He isn't seeing anyone, as far as we can tell, and he hasn't even left town for a few weeks. He's been quiet for a long while now."

  "Fine. Find your phone and call your boys this time and tell them we have to hit him together."

  Tuck nodded. His eyes were having trouble focusing. He was done.

  Rhett pushed him toward the ground. "Don't try to shift again. He really rang your bell."

  "I'm fine." Tuck tried to stand up and fell back against the broken tree. "Okay. Maybe not fine, but you can't do this alone."

  "You can't shift," Rhett warned.

  "Fine. What can I do, then?"

  "Probably be a distraction, but we'll see when we get there. We gotta run now. Murry's probably already across the road. We'd better hope no human has seen him."

  "What are the odds of that?" Tuck jogged alongside him. "I'm telling you, this is fine."

  Rhett took his phone out and called his boys. They were close. He thought about bringing in Beau, but there wasn't enough time. Better to have him watching Lake Magnolia.

  The scorpion was much easier to follow this time. It had cut them a clear path to the main road into town. Rhett had a bad feeling about this. The road was usually dead, but something told him they weren't going to get lucky this time.

  As if on cue, a scream pierced the air. Tuck stopped for a moment, and Rhett pushed him forward. "No stopping now. We gotta finish this. It's our job."

  "That couldn't have been a scream. No way," Tuck puffed. He was looking a little pale, but Rhett couldn't let him stop. Someone was in danger, and there was no way Rhett was going to be able to fight off a scorpion on his own.

  Even if he shifted, Tuck was right. His animal was rusty. It had never been a problem before, but he was shaking now. He was never going to go this long without shifting again. He could barely think straight. It was unbearable.

  Their target was right in front of him, clear as day. There was a woman running around her car, and the scorpion was trying to figure out how to get at her. The windshield was already cracked, and there was glass around the woman on the pavement from the broken driver's-side windows. The scorpion had her trapped. She couldn't keep running around in circles, and if she tried to move away from the car, it would have her.

  Rhett's heart seized in his chest. He was going to have to shift. Tuck was basically out of commission, and there was no one else close enough to save her. He didn't think Murry would kill the woman; scorpions weren't usually in the business of killing for fun. But Murry wasn't the type to go on the rampage, either. He couldn't risk it.

  He started pulling off his clothes. "I'm going to distract Murry. You get the girl. Be quick about it. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold him off."

  "My boys will be here any minute. All you have to do is keep him busy for a moment or two." Tuck crouched low and poised himself to shoot off at a moment's notice. He looked to Rhett for a signal.

  Rhett exhaled. "Now!"

  Tuck shot off in a straight line for the woman without looking back, and Rhett let his animal explode out. It had been more than ten years since he'd last let his saber-toothed tiger have free rein. He prayed it would cooperate with him.

  Tuck was already gathering the woman into his arms as Rhett ran between them. Tuck was trying to keep her head down.

  "What is that?" She was fighting against him. "What the hell is that?"

  She was terrified. Her voice was clear as a bell above the rumbling thunder and the shrieking scorpion.

  There was a reason he rarely shifted now that they were in the human world. This woman's response was how it always went. He was here to save her, and she was still terrified of him.

  A sharp sting hit his back, and he roared. Murry had gotten him with his tail. Rhett jumped onto the scorpion's back, and it began to thrash. He could barely keep it down. It threw him off, and he hit the ground hard enough to see stars.

  He righted himself just as the scorpion crashed into him again. It hurt, but that was fine. His plan had worked well enough. He knew Tuck had gotten the woman to safety. Now all he had to do was extract himself from this situation.

  His saber-tooth could barely get back to its feet before Murry went on attacking him. It was nonstop. He had already been stung a dozen times, but it wasn't going to kill him. His animal was acting with a mind of its own. It was dodging most of the attacks. Its legs were getting the brunt of the attack, but it was still moving. It was driving the scorpion crazy. The bigger animal was attacking more ferociously, but it couldn't get in a killing blow. His animal knew how to protect itself.

  It was a standstill. He was pressed against the tree line and didn't want to go farther into the trees. There was no way for him to push Murry back. He was faring better than he'd expected, but his human side wasn't as tough.

  He was never going to let his guys know, but he was out of shape mentally. He didn't have the same steely mind that he'd had before. He didn't know if he would be able to kill Murry if it came down to it, even with a human's life on the line. The only reason he had a chance now was that his animal's instincts were stronger than his own human mind.

  A flash of white light blinded him, and the wind whipped at his cheeks. The light stunned the scorpion temporarily, too. While Rhett watched, shocked, a deep gold dragon and a ruby red one set down in the street. The gold one was to his side, mostly behind him. The red dragon was between him and the scorpion. Its back was to him, but it advanced toward Murry like waves on the beach. In all his years, Rhett had never seen a dragon move like that before.

  The scorpion moved to defend itself, but it was too late. The dragon soon had it on its back and had its tailed pinned to the ground. Rhett helped knock it off its legs, and it was a wrap.

  It was over, thank God. He was exhausted. He let his shift drop and stood on shaking legs. He had to find Tuck and the woman.

  Chapter Four

  Joseline couldn't believe her eyes. The thing in front of her was a monster, but it was protecting her from the scorpion. Her teeth were chattering as she watched the scene unfold from underneath the big, burly hunk's arm.

  "What did you say your name was?" she asked him.

  "I'm Tucker." He was trying to step in front of her again, but she was having none of it.

  "I've already seen whatever that was already. You can't hide it from me."

  He frowned. "Damn. Would you believe this is a dream?"

  "No chance."

  He pulled her close. "Fine. But be ready to run at any moment."

  "What is that thing?"

  It was big and brown
. It had some dark brown spots on its coat and long fur around its mouth. It sort of looked like a big cat, but it had giant fangs coming out of its mouth. She'd never heard of or seen anything like it.

  "I don't think you guys have the same word for it, but I'm pretty sure you call it a saber-toothed tiger."

  "Like from the Ice Age?" Joseline racked her brain, trying to remember anything about the creature, but she came up blank. Whatever this was, she was thankful it had come along. She would be dead without it. She was pulled up close to the big man who had pulled her free, but it was the saber-tooth that was doing the real work.

  "I'm Joseline. You're a shifter too, right?"

  "Yeah. How could you tell?" He flashed her a bright smile in the dark.

  A rumble of thunder made her shiver before she answered. "You're big and very handsome. Also, you're hanging out with an extinct animal, and you're not scared of a giant scorpion thing. If you're not a shifter, you're crazy."

  "So you think I'm handsome?" He winked at her. "What were you doing out here?"

  "I was coming to visit a friend," she lied. He was kind of a friend, but she didn't want to reveal too much to Tucker. Not all shifters loved that humans came into their towns for hookups—but from the way he was winking and flirting in this situation, she had a feeling he wouldn't mind. He was flirting while their lives were in danger, for goodness' sake.

  He was handsome and tall, with brown hair and deep blue eyes. Even with the chaos happening around them, she couldn't help but notice his perfect smile. She knew that if that scorpion got close or hit them, his strong arms would be enough to cushion her from the blow.

  With all of that, it was the tiger thing that dulled her nerves. She could sense that it was more than powerful enough to take out the scorpion. That was what was going to protect her.

  "We need to get farther away." Tucker looked at the sky and pulled her back a few more feet.

  "Don't you think your friend can handle it?"