Page 143 of Not Your Ordinary Shifter

“I’ve got better things to do than stand around talking to you, Mad.” Thor tossed the insulting words over his shoulder. “I’ll see you in the arena.”

The bull shifter huffed and stomped off in the other direction, taking a trail of the audience with him, all of them eager to see what he’d do next. The rest watched Thor, clearly curious about his ‘better things to do.’

“Sorry darlin’,” he drawled as soon as he reached her, sliding his arm around her waist to tuck her into his side. Debbie’s honey badger, who had apparently already forgotten about its desire to stick him with something pointy, happily snuggled right in. Since she was currently placated with sugar, she decided to allow it. “Got caught up with work.”

A murmur went up. Everyone who’d stayed to watchhimwas now watching her with curious eyes. Several of the women looked like they were choking on jealousy. She didn’t blamethem. A man who dropped everything to come to her side, and he apologized?

That was unexpected.

“Oreo?” she asked, lifting up the tray where there were only four left.

Natra and Windy both sucked in shocked breaths. Honey badgers rarely shared food. It wasn’t a rule or anything, just the way things were. But right now, she would be willing to share with him.

For a second, she thought he was going to say no, but he seemed to realize the importance of the moment.

“Thanks, baby,” he said, plucking one up and taking a small bite. Then he held the rest to her lips, his gaze steady on hers. Debbie took a big bite, flicking her tongue over his thumb and nipping his fingers. Heat flared in his eyes.

A blonde came running up to them, catching Debbie’s attention, and she almost snarled at the woman, who was looking up at Thor with wide, eager eyes.

“Thor, I have your order,” the woman said breathlessly.

“Thanks,” Thor said, barely glancing at her as he took the tray before turning his attention back to Debbie. The blonde looked so disappointed, Debbie almost felt sorry for her—almost, but not quite.Back off.Her honey badger was definitely not conflicted. Thor only had eyes for Debbie, though. “Let’s go find a place to sit down and eat.”

That was when Debbie realized she didn’t just want to knock boots with him, she might actuallylikethe guy.

Well, that was unexpected.

Chapter

Four

THOR

As enjoyable as the next few hours with Debbie were, they also went by in a flash of flirtation, conversation, and frustrated lust. Only frustrating because neither he nor his buck wanted to wait, even though it was the right choice. Well, the right choice for him as a bull rider.

Little devil that she was, Debbie seemed to enjoy frustrating him even more. Other than his cock, he didn’t think he had any body parts left that she hadn’t ‘accidentally’ rubbed her boobs against by the time he finally had to leave her company. She’d even managed to get his face between her cleavage when she’d ‘tripped’ and ended up straddling his lap.

Dragging himself away from her hadn’t been easy, and his buck sulked all the way until Thor joined Ajax, Kade, and Jack, the other members of his herd who were competing in the bull riding today. They were waiting behind the chutes where the bull shifters were lining up, already in their animal forms. Thor could easily pick out Maddox’s bulk, a shoulder higher than any of the others.

Damn, he was a big one.

Smelling the dust and bulls, Thor’s buck finally refocused on their upcoming ride. If it hadn’t, Thor’s chances of staying on Maddox’s back would dip perilously low.

We will win.The buck’s statement was almost fierce in its intensity. Thor wouldn’t call his stag a sore loser, exactly, but only because he didn’t want to hurt its feelings. He wasn’t much better, honestly, although he wouldn’t sulk as much as his buck.

If he did lose, at least he’d have Debbie to help him get over it. Fulfilling whatever fantasies she had could be fun. Truthfully, Thor liked to take control in the bedroom, and he wanted it all. He wanted to win, he wanted to defeat Maddox, and he wanted Debbie at his beck and call all night afterwards. Victory in every way possible.

That was how he lived his life and why he was the alpha of the largest shifter herd in the country. Most herds ran fifty to a hundred members; Thor’s had just under five hundred. The majority of them weren’t here at the rodeo, of course. They were at home, working on the ranch or one of the other various herd enterprises. With such a large herd, they had been able to diversify.

“Ready for your ride?” Kade asked as Thor walked up. One of the few elk shifters in Thor’s herd, he served as the herd’s Omega, their peacekeeper. Calm, cool-headed, and nearly impossible to anger, most of the herd was happy to reconcile their differences just so they wouldn’t have to listen to one of Kade’s long-winded lectures. By the time he was done talking, all anger had drained away through sheer boredom. When he wasn’t performing his duties, he was a fun guy to hang around, just still very, very chill.

“I was born ready,” Thor replied, ignoring the twinge of anxiety in his stomach. It was okay to feel it, but he’d never show it.

Debbie

Joining her cousins in the stands, Debbie felt oddly nervous as she sat down. Butterflies were bouncing off the sides of her stomach, and her palms were a little sweaty. Maybe it was just all the sugar she’d eaten. And it was kind of humid out.

Stag will win.

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