Page 19 of Shift Faced

She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

Rafe chuckled and pulled her into his arms without hesitation, wrapping her so tightly against his chest it was as if he could shield her from everything, as well as her past, her grief, and even her doubts. “Okay, okay... I’m kidding,” he murmured into her hair. “Sort of. We’ll take this as slow as you need to, Billie Ann. I’ll follow your pace. But just know this…”

She tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Know what?”

“You are mine,” Rafe growled softly, like a vow pulled straight from his soul. Then his mouth came down on hers, claiming her with a kiss that was as intense as it was tender, raw and soul-deep, a little rough around the edges but honest in every way that mattered.

When he finally pulled back, his gaze searched hers for a reaction.

She didn’t speak. Just stared up at him, her breath caught somewhere between wonder and disbelief.

Rafe’s brow furrowed. “Billie Ann, what is it?”

“I just realized…” she whispered, her lips tugging upward slowly. “I didn’t just inherit a bar. I inherited a man too.”

For a beat, he blinked. Then his head dropped back as a deep, roaring laugh burst from his chest. He laughed so hard, it shook them both.

“That you did, sweetheart,” he said, still laughing, eyes shining as he looked down at her like she was the only thing that mattered. “That youdefinitelydid.”

And for the first time since everything had happened, she felt at home in Assjacket.

CHAPTER 11

Suddenly, the sky darkened above them.

Rafe’s head snapped up just as a low whoosh cut through the air. Crows, dozens of them, flying in a tight formation overhead. Their black wings cast flickering shadows across the ground, the sound of their feathers slicing through the silence like a warning.

“Fucking Crows,” Bruce muttered behind them, his voice flat with disdain. But Rafe didn’t answer. His attention stayed locked on the sky as his instincts sharpened, going razor-edged with the familiar prickle of danger.

The Crows dove.

Rafe moved instantly, stepping in front of Billie Ann, shielding her with his body as the birds twisted in mid-air. Then, in a blur of movement and cracking bones, they shifted. Human forms hit the ground with practiced precision.

At the front stood Jack Crow.

Rafe’s jaw tightened.

Jack’s dark eyes scanned the area briefly, then landed on Billie Ann. His entire expression shifted as he opened his arms wide.

“Billie,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

Before Rafe could react, Billie Ann darted around him and threw herself into Jack’s waiting embrace like a daughter coming home. The sight hit Rafe square in the chest. He didn’t move. Couldn’t. His Jaguar roared, furious and possessive, pacing just beneath his skin as the woman he’d only just claimed buried her face against another man’s neck.

Jack held her like she belonged there.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” Jack murmured, pulling her back just enough to search her face. “We had our annual migration meeting, and most of us were out of range. We didn’t know.”

“He’s gone, Jack,” Billie Ann said, her voice brittle and so full of pain that Rafe felt it echo in his bones. “Davey’s gone.”

“I know, Billie,” Jack said, wrapping his arms around her tightly again. “I know. I should’ve been here. He was family, like a brother to me.”

Behind Jack, the rest of the Crows stood quietly, some bowing their heads in respect. One of them, a tall man with storm-gray eyes, stepped forward and gently pulled Billie Ann into his own arms, whispering something that made her nod in response.

That was when Rafe nearly lost it. It wasn’t until he witnessed her quickly pulling away that he calmed, somewhat.

He’d been doing his best to stay back, to give her space, but watching her in the arms of another man, no matter who the hell he was, lit something violent inside him. The kind of heat that burned low and lethal. His muscles coiled, fists curling athis sides, and his Jaguar pressed against the inside of his skin, snarling for release.

Then Jack moved, stepping into his line of sight, cutting him off from the scene like he knew exactly what Rafe was thinking.

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