Alpha's Moon (Shifter Ops 1)

“See,” I point out. “She thinks they’re hot, too.”

“I didn’t say they weren’t hot,” Tabitha mumbles, taking a drink of water.

“Do they ever eat here?” Adele asks. Her water glass is half full, and she’s still clutching it.

“No, they don’t stick around long. When they’re not on their bikes, they load up on supplies and head out,” the waitress says.

Charlie taps her lips. “I thought they looked more military than biker gang. The way they stood, you know? Shoulders back and chests up. And their buzzcuts.”

“I was just looking at the one with the wolf and moon tattoo,” I confess.

“They all had wolf and moon tattoos,” Adele says.

“Really?” Tabitha squints at Adele.

“Yes.” Adele doesn’t say anything further.

“Can you imagine Sadie showing up with a guy like that as her new boyfriend? Scott would shit a brick,” Charlie says.

“So would her dad,” Tabitha agrees.

Adele chokes on her laugh. “Oh god, that would be hilarious. Can you imagine the look on Scott’s face?”

It’s my turn to grab my water and drink deeply. I can just imagine Scott’s face if he saw me next to a biker man like that. He’d throw a fit. But I don't want to think about Scott. What would it be like to date a guy like the biker? Would he be great in bed? Assuming he’d look twice at me. That kind of guy, those muscles, bare and sleek spread out on my comforter…

A flush spreads over my face. I clutch my empty water glass. There’s not enough water in the world to quench this desire.

“I was just kidding,” Charlie says with an alarmed look my way. Like she’s guessed at my thoughts. How far I’ve run down the road of trying on that giant man as a partner. “I was totally kidding. Those guys definitely aren’t safe.”

“If they’re military, they’re probably a lot safer than a biker gang,” I reason.

Charlie shakes her head. “Even if they are, they’re trouble. I would never date a military guy. They are man-whores and adrenaline junkies. Definitely not boyfriend material. Especially not for you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I demand.

“No, nothing. Just that you’re sweet, Sadie. I only suggested it to be funny. I figured you’d never, ever date a guy who looked like them.”

I shrug my shoulders. “Well, you never know.”

My friends all give me sharp glances, and I wink to make them laugh again, but something rebellious and bold has taken root inside me.

I sort of love the idea of shocking every resident in this small town who thinks they know me by hanging around a big, bad biker.

But Charlie’s right. That’s just nuts.

Deke

There’s a sweet scent wafting across the town plaza. It’s driving my wolf crazy. I keep raising my head and sniffing the air.

“Cut it out,” Lance mutters to me, and a growl rumbles in my chest. My blond packmate is standing too close. Fucker’s doing it on purpose. He knows my wolf needs space.

“Leave him alone,” Channing defends me to Lance. “It’s almost a full moon. That makes him crazy.”

“This is Deke we’re talking about,” Lance retorts. “He’s always crazy.”

I narrow my eyes at him, my growl intensifying. Lance side steps quickly, dancing out of the way. I’ve been known to up and punch my packmates for less provocation.

“No fighting.” Rafe, our Alpha, emerges from the alley shadows. “Not in front of civilians.” By civilians he means humans. Rafe glowers extra long at Lance. The two are brothers, but Rafe never plays favorites. If anything, he’s harder on Lance than us.

“Business done?” Lance asks, running a hand through his surfer blond hair. Fucking pretty boy preens like he’s in a boy band.

“Yep, let’s move out,” Rafe orders.

The other guys immediately follow our alpha. But I resist, scuffing my boots on the plaza stones. That scent calls to me. Candy sweet. My mouth waters.

Rafe doesn’t miss my reluctance. “Deke? You coming?”

“I don’t know.” I rub my chin. “I think I might stay a while.” Even as I say it, I know it’s lame. I’m the last of my pack who’d want to stick around a public plaza crawling with humans. Things are better for me now that I’m out of the service. We have our own place and can run free in the mountains every night. It keeps my wolf manageable. But I’m still the guy who gets edgy around too many people.

“For what? There’s no band tonight.” Channing smirks and points to an old concert flyer. “And I didn’t know you liked Jimmy Buffett.”

I flip him the bird.

“Deke,” Rafe says, a hint of growl in his voice.

“What?” Out of respect for my alpha, I tuck my middle finger away. “I just want to stay out a little longer. Enjoy the night air.”

There’s a long pause while my pack stares at me like I announced I wanted to put on a pretty pink tutu and dance a pas de deux.