Alpha's Rescue (Shifter Ops 5)

“What are you doing here?” Teddy growls.

“Came to check on things.”

“Bullshit. Call back your pilot and get the fuck out of here.”

“Theodore,” Daruis scoffs in the face of Teddy’s rage. I make a note never to call Teddy ‘Theodore’. Darius is either really brave or really dumb to keep doing it. “My pilot’s halfway to Santa Fe by now. I thought you could give me a ride. Or is Teddy’s Helicopter Tours already defunct?”

Teddy shoves his hands in his pockets. “We’re on hiatus.”

“Pity.” Darius is smiling. “I could send you plenty of business. Maybe hire you myself. If I get a family discount.”

“You get nothing.”

“That’s a shame, seeing as I’m here to solve the town’s problems. You gonna make me leave before I lay out my proposal? What will Daisy say?”

“She’ll say you’re full of it. None of us are falling for your bull anymore.”

“Fine.” Darius steps back. “I’ll go as soon as I see Mom.”

“Mom doesn't want to see you.”

“Are you sure about that brother? Why don't you ask her?”

“We can't ask her, and you know it. It’s your fault.”

“My fault? You're the one who left. You joined the Army and peaced out. We had to figure it out and guess what? I figured it out.”

“You're a fucking sellout,” Teddy snarls.

I clap my hand over my mouth. I thought my family had drama, but this is a whole new level. Teddy’s about to go nuclear, and judging by the red flush flowing up Darius’ neck, he’s two seconds away from losing it, too.

“I'm the one who's going to save this mountain. Meanwhile you’re hiding here with a female.” Darius points at me. This time Matthias steps in front of me, one hand outstretched with the palm towards me, signaling me to keep back.

“Leave her out of this,” Teddy says. “You don't look at her. You don’t even smell her.”

The way Teddy rushes to defend me makes my heart beat faster.

Darius isn’t done. “What was the last one’s name?”

“You shut your mouth.” Teddy’s voice is soft.

“Oh that’s right.” Darius snaps his fingers. “Her name was Tiffany, right? Didn’t you learn your lesson about shacking up with hum–”

But I don't get to hear anything more about Tiffany because Teddy’s elbow snaps back, and he slams his fist into Darius’ face.

Teddy

I've been fighting my twin since we were old enough to crawl. My fists know his face better than anyone else’s, and his fists know mine. But I’ve picked up a few tricks since fighting him last.

When I joined the Army, I learned discipline. When Colonel Johnson recruited me into his special team of shifter soldiers, I learned how to fly a warbird into hostile territory, surprise the enemy, and carry out a mission. I learned all sorts of combat styles, but it was between missions, when my unit was bored and our animals needed to blow off steam, that I really learned how to brawl.

Meanwhile Darius went to business school and re-created himself into a soulless mogul. How many fights with another shifter does he have under his belt? He spends all his time with humans who have MBAs.

Underneath that pretty suit, Darius is about my size. His clothes are cut to make him look leaner. It’s a good disguise. I underestimated him in the first crucial minutes of our fight and learned the hard way that he still packs a lot of power in his punches.

We circle each other, me with bare feet, him in shiny new shoes that are quickly getting scuffed. My cheek throbs from his last haymaker.

“Looks like you've been working out,” I say. “But it won’t be enough for you to beat me. You sit on your ass too much in an office.”

Behind his fists, Darius has his chin up. He looks ridiculous, like a Victorian boxer about to engage in fisticuffs. “Like you've been keeping yourself in top form. When was the last time you had a mission?”

I don’t answer.

“Matthias says you’re turning into a hermit.” Darius continues circling me. “Completely checked out of the family. What’s the point of you living here if you’re not going to help us?”

“Us? You left the mountain.” I throw a few test punches, but they’re half-hearted and Darius knows it. He doesn’t even dodge. That’s the one downside of fighting a twin. Sometimes he knows my own mind better than I know it myself.

Or maybe his plan is to talk me to death.

“Who do you think pays the bills?” Darius rants. “Who paid for Matthias to go through med school? Who got the grant to install the new solar panels Everest wanted? Who do you think does Ma’s taxes? You think I went to business school for fun?”

“Yeah. Fun and profit. You’d do anything for a buck.” I jab and jab, but Darius surprises me by ducking and darting past me, his fist catching me in the kidney as he goes.