Page 50 of Mated to Team Shadow

I barely knew them, and I'm in love these men, these jaguar shifters. Whatever doubts I had about this arrangement are gone. I am part of Team Shadow, their mate, woman, whatever anyone wants to call it. I'm theirs, and they are mine.

A snap of a branch outside brought Ryker to full alert, and he shifted. It is a fantastic thing to watch, and I won't ever grow tired of it. He moved with deadly stealth to the mouth of the cave, and I'm in awe of the play of muscles under his spotted hide. He's gorgeous, and my heart swelled with pride.

Damon, Gunner, and Kane stirred and glimpsed at Ryker. Gunner and Kane shifted while Damon sat next to me.

"Here, babe," he whispered. Damon handed me a pack of wet-wipes from the pack and gave me a t-shirt. "Clean up. We have to get moving anyway," Damon whispered.

"What I need is a bath," I said.

He sniffed my skin, playfully. "I like how you smell—of sex and things."

"And things? Is this how you wax poetic?"

"Nope," he said with a grin. "I used other things for wax."

"You're so bad."

He waggled his eyebrows. "Yes. So bad I'm good."

Ryker snorted. "Okay, you guys. The noise came from monkeys moving in the canopy, but night has fallen and it’s time to roll. Let's go over the plan. Kane and Gunner, you'll wear your catsuits. Kane, go to the northeast point, and Gunner, southeast." He held out one rifle to Damon. "You take point. And Jeanine, stay here."

"But—"

"No buts. You're not trained in combat, and an untrained combatant is a liability to herself and her team. You'll help us most by staying put."

I don't like this, not at all. I want to be there to look for Surma.

"No. I'll hang back, but I will not stay here."

Ryker growled, and I gathered he wasn't used to someone questioning his orders.

"Ryker," said Damon, as if appealing to his better nature.

"Chief," said Gunner. "I don't want her sitting in a cave alone."

"Yeah," said Kane. "A cave is not the best defensive position, especially if you don't have a weapon."

Ryker threw his hands into the air.

"Okay, but stay well behind me. And if you don't behave, I'll have to discipline you."

"Why," I said, "do you make that sound more fun than it should?"

The rest of the guys laughed while Ryker growled.

"Let's move out."

Ryker hefted his backpack and headed out of the cave.

"I don't understand him," I said.

Damon shrugged and then shouldered his pack and rifle. "He doesn't want you to see what we will do. Someone will die tonight, and it won't be us."

"Like I don't know what it is you do."

"No, babe, you don't," said Gunner. He gave me a peck on the cheek and then shifted to his animal form. With one glance over his shoulder and what I swore was a smile on his face, he stalked into the night, and Kane followed him.

Damon put one of the backpacks on my shoulders and shouldered two. "Let's go," he said.

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