Season of the Witch (Claws Clause 2)

When it came to Shea, though? He was shit out of luck unless he wanted to draw even more attention to himself. Which would’ve been fine—if he wasn’t working with the Grayson PD.

The dance floor was crawling with Nightwalkers and Ants. Colt was the only shifter on-site, his wolf bristling with the scent of blood and meat and mating that filled the air. He snuffled through his nose, eyes locked on the door that kept him separated from his mate—

From Shea.

He pushed his shades up to hide the way his shifter’s eyes glazed over, his wolf coming to the forefront. Because Wright didn’t really get how a Para’s abilities worked, he was convinced that the fancy suit and the mirrored sunglasses were enough of a disguise to get them in the door. Colt didn’t bother explaining that, one sniff, and the Nightwalkers knew what blood type Wright had as well as what beast Colt shifted into.

It was fine. There were enough humans milling about that Wright would be alright.

And Colt… he only decided to keep up with the pretense the second he spied Shea and discovered that, whatever was going on, his gorgeous witch was in it up to her adorable purple eyes.

Two matching corpses stood on opposite sides of the door, flanking it. If Colt wasn’t so worried about Shea getting caught in the crosshairs, he would’ve dared the Nightwalker guards to stop him from following her inside.

He lost track of how long she’d been in there. Seemed like hours, though it was probably twenty minutes, tops. It was enough that Colt started prowling along the opposite wall, his shoulders back and his face hollowed as he fought the shift. The clubbers gave him a wide berth, sensing that he was hanging on by a thread.

Just when it was about to snap, the door opened.

And there she was.

A vision in purple satin that had his wolf throwing itself against his ribcage in a bid to break out and go to her. He barely stifled a snarl when one of the Nightwalker guards reached to lead her out of the room, pausing when only a few inches separated his hand and her arm as if something stopped him.

He wasn’t the only one watching her, either. Heads

turned as she stepped carefully out of the backroom on her own. Colt didn’t bother muffling his growl or hiding his lengthening canines when he realized that something about her was drawing the Nightwalkers toward her.

The vamps wanted to show off their fangs? His wolf had something to say about that.

It also had something to say about the males—and some females—watching Shea closely as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear and exhaled out a shuddering breath. Her breasts rose, then fell, the action extremely noticeable thanks to that slip that just might be a dress.

Maybe.

Colt had to fight the instinct that said to run forward and shield her with his body. How dare the vampires look at her like that when he was right there.

He doubted he was overreacting when he thought she was commanding the attention of nearly every patron in this Nightwalker club. Muffled whispers, soft murmurs followed in her wake. Colt was too riled up to listen to what any of them were saying.

It didn’t matter.

The only thing that did?

Getting to Shea—and now.

* * *

The crowd seemed to part in front of Colton.

As if the vampires could sense that he was different, that he was more dangerous than all the rest of them put together, they moved aside, leaving a path for him to walk without interruption straight toward her.

She was rattled. Her finger was healed, courtesy of Julian’s dark kiss, but it still burned. Two of his crew were at her back, standing guard. Did they know that their leader—their king—had just claimed her? From the way they reached to help her, pausing before they made contact with her skin as if afraid to touch her without Julian’s permission, Shea was thinking yes.

Oh, Goddess. If the Nightwalkers could tell, what about Colton?

Would he know?

Would he care?

Did she want him to?

He wasn’t slowing down. She recognized the determined expression he was wearing and held her breath. Julian was only a door and a winding hall away from her. So was that Rafe guy. And Alexis, who already looked like she hated her.