Page 69 of Coming Home

“Heard you were fitting in just fine around here,” I told him.

“Damn straight I am!”

“What the hell is this I’m hearing about you leaving?” Crawley asked. I knew he wouldn’t be happy about it.

“You heard right, I’m afraid. Talked to Collins, and he’s getting me a full medical discharge. Writing up the paperwork as we speak, though I insisted on coming back to at least say goodbye to you assholes,” I told him honestly. It had taken another two weeks to get things sorted and back to my unit, but I was here and that was all that mattered for the moment.

“You’re really leaving the army?” Bulldog asked.

“Yeah, I really am. I think Collins is a bit relieved. It’s a lot easier to pull the medical discharge card than to sell a miraculous recovery and fit for duty.”

“What are you going to do?” Mike asked.

“Not certain yet. There’s a group of paramilitary shifters that approached me for an interview. I think I’m going to check them out.”

“Westin Force is recruiting you?” Crawley asked.

I nodded, not all that surprised that he was familiar with them.

“I’ve served a few joint mission with Silas Granger in the past. I hear he’s over there now. He’s a good man. A hard-ass, and a damn veggie-eating gorilla, but I think you’ll like working with him. He ain’t as pretty to look at as me, of course,” Crawley said.

Everyone hooted with laughter.

“You guys ever consider leaving here, look me up and I’ll be happy to hook you up with them,” I said.

“We’re going to hold you to that,” Bulldog said as he grabbed me by the neck and gave me a noogie.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m going to miss you guys, too.”

My phone rang and I smiled as I looked down.

“Bloody hell. I know that look. You’ve been taken by a dame. That’s the real reason you’re leaving us,” Crawley challenged.

I shrugged, not denying it, and swiped to answer the video call. My heart swelled with joy at the sight of my beautiful mate.

“Hey babe,” I said.

“Just wanted to make sure you arrived safe and sound,” she said.

“Shit! It really is all because of a woman,” Crawley said.

I laughed. “Guys, meet Shelby. Shelby, this Crawley, Mike, Bulldog, and Jake. The others are out at the moment, so I ‘ll have to show you off to them later,” I said as I passed the phone around for each of the guys to say hi to her.

“Wait, Shelby? The dead girl?” Bulldog asked, and Crawley smacked him upside the head.

“I told ya she ain’t dead. No man is going to pine after a dead woman for as long as he has her,” Crawley said.

Shelby laughed, completely unaffected. “Definitely not dead.”

“So what? You went home and reconnected with your old sweetheart?” Mike asked.

I pulled the collar of my uniform down and showed them my mark. “Reconnected with my true mate, who also happens to be my old sweetheart,” I said proudly.

“Westin Force won’t take ya with a mate, I’m afraid,” Crawley said

“They made an exception on a trial basis,” I said. I wasn’t about to tell them that I had negotiated some fifty vials of memory serum off the major in exchange for that exception.

“Nope, not buying it. Why would they?” Mike asked.

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