Page 6 of The Tiger's Secret Baby (Savage Shifters Special Ops 4)

“I have to unhitch my boat, then I’ll be there.”

“You have a boat? I thought tigers hated the water,” he quipped.

“That’s why I have a boat – so I don’t have to get into the water,” I said, and then hung up the phone.

I unhitched the boat and covered it. With one last, sad look at my boat, I said goodbye to my vacation and headed out.

When I arrived at the office, I could hear a woman’s voice wafting outside. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

A blast from the past nearly knocked me down like a cold winter wind. That tempest turned around, and her emerald green eyes seemed to pierce right through me.

“Hello, Damian. It’s been a long time.” Her voice was hard and as frigid as a squall from the highest mountain.

Gage said, “Ember informed me that you two used to know each other. Will that be a problem here?”

My head was still spinning from the icy shock I got. Finally, I remembered to close my mouth and shake my head.

“No, not a problem,” I said, keeping my voice just as stoic as hers. I looked from Ember to Gage, then back again.

“Shall we?” I asked, leading the way to the conference room.

I had about two seconds from the reception area to the conference room to slow my heart rate and to regain my composure. I felt as though someone had punched me in the gut. We all took our places, with Ember sitting at the center of the table. Lucian sat at one end, Gage at the other. Jared and I sat across from her.

Ember nodded at Jared and Lucian. Since Ember was friends with Elise, she knew Jared and knew that he was a wolf shifter. Lucian and I had been friends when Ember and I were dating, so she knew that Lucian was a dragon shifter.

“It’s nice to see you guys again,” she said to them, smiling.

Gage said, “It seems that I am the only one who hasn’t had the privilege of meeting you.”

“I’ve been friends with Elise for a long time. I wasn’t able to go to the wedding because of the home I run. However, I have since met Jared. I was friends with Lucian way back when…,” she said.

“Before Cedric died,” Lucian provided. “When you and Damian were together.”

A shadow passed over her face, but she managed to keep the smile plastered on her face.

“Yes,” she acknowledged. Then, she turned to Gage.

“Since you are the leader of this group, I assume that you also are a shifter?” Ember asked.

He nodded. “I am. I’m a bear shifter.”

“Good. That means that when you meet my children, you won’t be shocked. I have lions, tigers, and bears. Oh, my,” she chuckled, referencingThe Wizard of Oz.I also have panthers, wolves, dragons, and a few other magnificent animals.

“So how can we help you?” Gage asked.

“I received an inheritance about ten years ago and bought forty acres. I originally had a small house built, but then I kept adding on to it. I found one of my first kids eating out of a trash can. He was a dragon shifter.”

She paused and took a sip of water. “Since then, lost, abandoned, abused, or otherwise needy shifter children have made their way to me, in one form or another. I just kept adding on to the house.”

No one interrupted. We all waited for her to continue her story.

“Recently, our little paradise has been attacked. Alan Duggers, who is a developer, wants our land. He has visited me several times, and each time he has become angrier and more frightening. Then, the other night, our barn was burned down. Mr. Duggers came to see me the next day with an offer and more threats. Elise suggested that I contact you guys.”

She paused again and swallowed more water. “She said you guys are like a modern-day A-Team. However, I’m afraid I don’t have much money to pay. Every cent I get goes back to the kids. Since I inherited the ranch, I am not sure if I want to sell it. I am thinking about how to pay you guys!”

“If we take the case, we won’t take your money,” Jared said.

“I appreciate that. If it were just me, I wouldn’t be here. However, I can’t stand the thought of that man hurting one of our animals, or worse, hurting one of my children.”

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