Page 82 of Shifter's Homecoming

Troy snorted and ignored him.

Rowan took Remington inside and pulled him up a tall chair so he could sit next to her at the counter. Trent left his brother to watch the reservoir and turned to look at Remington. The male was trim, tall, with college-boy looks and reddish hair, wearing a dark, starched shirt. He was impeccably groomed, not a hair out of place, and he had one stupid-ass tiny earring in one ear that Trent had never been able to understand.

Remington looked up and met his eyes. In that moment, a communication even deeper thanruhipassed between the two males, and in that moment, Remington knew that if he so much as sniffed the hair on Rowan’s head, Trent would have him for breakfast. Also in that moment, Trent knew that Remington was not interested, and even if he was, he would not let himself be, that was not how he operated.

Trent inclined his head slightly. Remington did the same. That was it, they were mostly ok, although Trent would probably have to shift and run before he was able to get rid of all the tension he felt. He turned back to the reservoir, thinking he would be shifting soon, he would be running soon, he would be ok soon.

Troy finished his food and got up. He motioned to Trent like he wanted to show him something down the steps. Trent followed him. When they got to the bottom, Troy put a hand on his shoulder. He looked in his eyes. “You ok with that, bro? We’re not going to have any issues?”

Trent nodded darkly. “I’m good,” he said, even if he didn’t quite feel it yet.

Troy watched him for a few seconds more. Then he grinned and said, “I haven’t had a chance to ask you—what do you think about sex, huh?” He put his hands up like he was framing an imaginary picture. “The whole package is pretty fucking awesome right? It looks good, smells good, tastes good, feels good.”

Trent grinned, feeling some of the tension lift off of him. No one could cheer him up like Troy.

“When you’re right, you’re right,” he said. “Now we just need to catch those assholes who are keeping us from it.

***

Another hour passed.

Trent made a pass through the forest, then joined Troy on the porch. Rowan and Remington were still working.

“This waiting is the worst,” Troy said grumpily. “I would much rather be fighting or chasing or…” he looked back over his shoulder into the laboratory and Trent could easily fill in what his next word was going to be—fucking—but then Reed came out looking bleary-eyed from sleep. Troy jumped up and put his arms around her, pulling her close, rubbing her shoulders, whispering to her. Trent just barely heard her say, “I feel better,” before she buried her face in his brother’s chest. She didn’t sound like she felt better. She sounded like she felt worse. According to Trevor, half of Big Claw woods was on fire and there’d been some explosions. Serenity was a mess and they were having to call in firefighters and cops from Chicago. If those trees were talking and Reed could hear them, it was no wonder she wasn’t doing well.

“What do you think their plan is?” Troy said, his arms still around his female.

Trent had an easy answer for that. “Exhaust us, spread us thin, keep us from sleeping, and then strike when we least expect it.”

Troy nodded. “That’s what I’ve been thinking, too, and there’s one thing we haven’t thought of. What are we going to do if we see Rex’s cracked ass in the woods? Rowan and Reed can’t go with us to fight.”

Trent had thought of it, and he’d been working it over in his mind and found no solution yet. He felt lucky that their hand had not been forced yet.

He nodded at his brother “We need some sort of a guard for them, and Remington’s not enough.” He looked over his shoulder and called, “No offense, Remington,” in case Remington was listening.

“None taken,” Remington called back through the open window. “I’m a doctor, not a wolf.”

“Hey Remington,” Troy said. “There’s supposed to befelenin the forest watching this reservoir. They won’t talk to us because—well, I’m not sure why,” he laughed. “Can you try them?”

“Done,” Remington said after a beat. “Their names are Korvelle and Lynus. Try them now.”

Hey felen,Trent tried.

Hey assholes,came the snarling response.

“Thanks Remington.”

“Anytime. They speak highly of you.”

Troy laughed out loud at that. “We could get them to patrol outside the lab,” he said.

Trent growled at the thought. “That won’t work, especially if Khain shows up. We’re going to need them to fight.”

“What about Reed?” Troy said.

“Reed?” Trent looked at her.

Her eyes went wide and she shook her head in a not-me gesture, but even as she did so, the forest seemed toheavearound them, and thick branches closed in on them from all sides, completely enclosing the porch and the entire building, first and second floor. It was like they were in a covered fort.

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