Page 15 of Spike

"Why don't you ask your friend Sean?" asked the hawk-faced man, who I assumed to be the new group's leader.

"Who's Sean?" I asked out loud.

The sound of popping bones and shifting flesh reached my ears. Spike returned to his human form. In the process, he released Jack, who limped over to Clive's unconscious figure.

Spike froze when one of the gun-toting grizzly shifters moved his shotgun to him.

"Juan," Spike gritted out, clearly still in pain from his recent shift. "Things just got out of hand, that's all."

"That's all?" Juan scoffed.

"I don't think you've realized that before you came back to Haven Brook, we had no violent incidents. We're a peaceful group and have no fights with anyone," Juan said, his gaze boring into Spike's.

Spike stiffened. He and Juan seemed to know each other as well. Did Spike have a tendency to pick fights with everyone he met?

Then again, it wasn't like I knew the whole story. Besides, I technically owed Spike my life.

If he hadn't intervened when Jack came for me, who knew what could've happened to me? Certainly nothing good.

"Look," Spike finally spoke. "No one died yet."

"There would be two dead wolves on our hands if we hadn't arrived," Juan said. "I recognize these two. They're Olaf's wolves, aren't they? We would have to answer for their deaths if that happened. You've always thought of yourself, Sean. You don't care who else you drag into your mess."

Spike glowered at Juan. His eyes changed to beastly yellow, a hint his beast was close to coming out.

The bear shifters with Juan tensed. Unthinkingly, I made a grab for Spike's arm, and some of the intensity in his eyes faded as he gazed at me.

It seemed, for a moment, he forgot about Juan and Jack.

"Spike's right," Nitro interrupted."Let's all take a breath and consider the situation more carefully. If you guys kill Spike and me, then our MC won't take that too kindly either."

"Nitro, I doubt threatening them would help us," Spike grumbled under his breath.

"We want no trouble with the Grizzly Reapers," Juan evenly said.

"So let's leave it at that. You let us and the wolves leave this bar. Send us the bill; we'll pay for any damages we've caused," Nitro said.

"I have one condition of my own before I agree to this," Juan said.

"Let's hear it," Spike said.

"I don't want to see any of your faces back in my town. We see any of you, we kill you," Juan said.

He gave each of us a hard look, including me. I gulped.

"Fine," Spike said.

"Then go, you wolves first," Juan said.

Jack and Clive didn't waste any time leaving. Jack had to drag his pal out the door. As soon as I heard their car leaving, Juan gave us a jerky nod.

"Then you three," Juan said.

Neither Nitro, Spike, nor I had any complaints. We swiftly left the bar.

5

SPIKE/ GRAY

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