Page 48 of Savoring Her Snake

“My brother’s best friend is a coyote shifter,” I reply.

“Bad introduction,” Roxanne mumbles, and I tilt my head.

“Coyote shifters are not well-liked,” Sally explains.

“Daisy is the exception,” Stephanie says. It’s difficult to keep all their animals straight.

“He revealed himself?” Saphira asks.

“He has been friends with my brother since he was a teenager. Levi has been a constant in his life. Stanly behaved oddly a lot. He would disappear at night. Some things happened that made Levi question him. So he shifted in front of my brother. Levi thought it was fascinating. Levi would go with him when he transformed into his animal and watch him run.” I smile slightly. “I was suspicious of the late nights Levi would come home dirty and tired when he had school in the morning.”

“Was your mom worried?” Gabby asks and sips her drink.

“My mom wasn’t home or with one of her boyfriends,” I mumble.

“She didn’t notice,” Sally says softly.

“No.” I lean back, crossing my arms. “When I questioned them, Stanly told me he was a shifter. I thought they both had been drinking. He offered to show it to me as long as I didn’t tell anyone else and kept it from my mom. They didn’t want to get in trouble. Mom wouldn’t have cared how late they stayed out but would have taken advantage of his gift. I agreed. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He was standing in front of me, and then he was a coyote. Shock is an understatement. He answered all my questions, and life went on.”

“You accepted him,” Quinn says.

“I suppose. He isn’t my favorite person, but he meant everything to my brother. After the shock wore off, it wasn’t that surprising. Stanly was still an asshole most of the time, shifter or human,” I snort.

“Did you know your brother fights for Heath?” Saphira asks.

“Not for Heath, but I knew he fought. He came to me to take care of his wounds. Stanly pushed him into it, and Levi will do anything to keep him happy. The night I met Heath, Levi got hurt. I thought I was going to pick up my brother and ran into Heath. The turn my life has taken since is nothing you can prepare for.” I grab a fry. “I did get to see Stanly scared.” I pop it in my mouth.

“Is your brother alright?” Roxanne asks.

“Apparently,” I say dryly. “He left the next morning, and I haven’t spoken to him. Heath offered him a job, but I doubt he’ll follow through.” Levi is probably drinking somewhere with Stanly.

“Heath gave him work?” Quinn asks.

“Yes.”

“Heath doesn’t often let anyone in his business,” he continues.

“Unless he cares about them,” Micah says as he returns to the table. Daisy is a little rumpled, and Micah is smirking.

“Good for you,” Sally says, looking them up and down. Micah’s smile widens, and Daisy smooths down her shirt. “You’re losing your touch, vampire. That was fast.”

“I assure you I’m not losing my touch,” Micah drawls, pulling out the chair next to Sally. Daisy sits on his lap.

“His touch is very thorough,” Daisy says. Our humor is cut off when Rylee storms in, the door slamming against the wall. Her red hair is tousled. She’s wearing jeans and a tight T-shirt. Her beautiful face is free of makeup but is pinched in anxiety. She glances around, and her gaze locks on mine. My heart jumps as she rushes over, and I push to my feet.

Heath.

“Is it true?” she asks when she stops beside me.

“What?”

“You know what he is doing,” she says.

“Did something happen to Heath?” I ask.

“No. Is it true?” she repeats. “Is he killing a man for me?” I keep my eyes on hers, but I don’t have to be a shifter to feel the intense emotions of everyone around us.

“You should sit down,” I encourage, holding my hand out. She pushes my hand away, and I stumble. Quinn catches me.

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