Page 24 of Shifters Reckoning

Joey’s eyes went wide, the whites suddenly showing. He ducked his head toward Olivia. “I meant no disrespect, Beta.”

“I know you didn’t.” She shot a glare at me.

“And I’m the multimorph, and he was following orders, so we’re both in the clear,” I said, offering the Six-Mile employee an encouraging look.

Joey’s throat worked, and he nervously fidgeted a zip tie back and forth in his hand.

Olivia shook her head. “You know it’s not that simple. Logan won’t want you to go alone. He’ll want to take you or demand that Jasper does, or I do, or we take a whole army into Willow Creek to keep you safe.”

“I don’t want to do that.” I made a sour face. “I want to visit the people I care about, come home, and be normal for a second.”

She pressed her lips into a tight line, and her gaze narrowed as she considered me.

“Here’s a thought for you.”

“Yeah?” she bit out.

I arched an eyebrow, challenging her to argue with my logic. “Does Logan get off on riding bitch?”

She grimaced, the bright flash of her teeth contorting grotesquely in the morning sun. “How the fuck would I know what you two do in that bedroom of yours?”

A belly laugh worked its way up from my middle and spilled out, the sound sharp in the air. “No, no.”

“Then what?”

“My mate might like riding bitches or at least riding this bitch.” I gestured to myself provocatively. “But I’d be willing to bet he won’t ride bitch on a motorcycle, even if it is my motorcycle.”

She chuckled at that, and a smile twisted her face. “Yeah, but he could bring his own car and drive it back, you know.”

“I’m coming back to Six-Mile with my motorcycle, and if I’m honest, Logan is too big to ride bitch, so it makes the most sense to go alone. Joey can drop me off at my house. I’ll grab a few things, including my wheels, and then I’ll zip around Willow Creek on my bike and get home at a reasonable hour.”

“You’re really reaching on your reasoning there.” She scrunched her nose, shaking her head as though she knew I’d never learn. She dropped her hands from her hips. “Fine. Say the words and make it an order. Logan will still be mad, but he can’t argue with those four little words you use every time you want to win an argument.”

I tipped my head to the side. “I… am… the… multimorph?”

“Those are the ones.” She winked. “Enjoy your day of masquerading as normal, Emma. God knows it won’t last long. Don’t make me regret letting you roll out of here without an escort. May the fallout be on your head.”

“I’ve got my cell.” I grinned at her and slid back into the passenger seat of the work truck. Then I punched the ceiling twice. “Come on, Joey. Let’s go.”

Joey turned twitchy the minute we got to the end of the driveway, repeatedly checking the rearview mirrors and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “Uhm, M-m-multimorph?”

“Yeah?”

“How m-mad do you think the alpha will be?”

“He’ll be furious, but Olivia will tell him I made you do it.”

“Will he believe her?”

“Of course he will.”

“Good. Good,” he said. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I wasn’t at all sure Olivia’s assurances would keep Joey completely in the clear, not when it came to me, but I wasn’t about to turn around and head back to Six-Mile.

After retrieving the bag at my feet, I dragged it onto my lap and dug out my cell phone. The wallet cover had one credit card and a bit of cash tucked into it. At least enough for a couple of lattes from the kitschy, sexy coffee place.

I tapped the cell phone screen. No alerts. Yet. It’d probably start dinging nonstop once Logan figured out I’d gone off on a rogue adventure, a side quest, in the calm before the shitstorm that was Acheron.