Page 4 of Shifter Marked and Claimed

“Maybe you’re coming down with something?” Tarron offered.

I groaned. “I’m not sick, just, I dunno, restless. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

“When’s the last time you went for a run?” Grant asked.

I sighed and tried to think. “Too long, I guess. That’s probably all it is.”

“You can’t let your wolf stay cooped up inside for that long. Just go for a run,” he suggested.

My head certainly wasn’t in the game, but I still stayed. Even though we were just playing for fun, I hated letting my team down.

When I got subbed out, I sat on the bleachers. I never sat during a game. What was wrong with me?

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tarron asked.

“I’m fine, I guess. Just in a funk today.”

“That’s not like you, especially on Wednesdays,” he pointed out.

It was true. Wednesday was my favorite day of the week. I only took emergency cases on Wednesday and on the weekends. Since my father retired, I was the only true doctor in Westin Pack, though there were some medics and EMTs that could assist when needed, like Grant. He was the field medic for Westin Force’s Bravo team and it wasn’t uncommon for us to work together.

Every Wednesday I spent part of my afternoon playing basketball and hanging out with the guys. Then later in the evening it was time for Dungeons and Dragons, my all-time favorite game. I was the local Dungeon Master for my party, or DM as they called me. I knew it was a little dorky, but I just loved it. From the strategy and creativity of developing the game, the story telling, to just spending time with friends, I loved it all. The game meant a lot to me.

“Hey, Susan wants to come check out D&D tonight. Are you cool with that? I really think she’ll love it and have been trying to encourage her to come,” Tarron told me as he came off the court so I could go back into the game.

Susan was his mate, a fox shifter like Tarron.

“You know I’m cool with that. The more people the more fun.”

That wasn’t entirely true, there was such a thing as too big of a group, but we weren’t anywhere close to that number…yet.

“Are we playing basketball or gossiping, you pussies,” Baine said waiting on me.

I just shook my head and rejoined the game.

My head was a mess thinking through how best to add Susan in tonight. Would she want to dive in and play or just observe? Christine was hosting tonight after Quinton had to bail thanks to Kyle calling a Pack Council meeting at the last minute. She hated the thought of anyone knowing she secretly played so we all agreed to be discreet about coming over. I wished I had just offered up my place again. Christine could be a little high maintenance at times, but she had a strategic mind like no other.

Painter passed me the ball. I took my shot and missed.

Baine took the rebound and broke loose as he ran to the other side of the court to easily make his shot without any opponent threat.

“That’s eighteen to four. You guys aren’t even fun to play with today,” he gloated.

“I’m really sorry guys. My head’s just not in this game today.”

“Yeah, you might as well just leave now and go for that run or something, because you are really sucking ass today,” Baine teased as he dribbled the ball more carelessly than usual and then passed it to Silas.

I intercepted the ball with a sudden burst of energy. I didn’t have to be the best of the best at the game, but dammit, he wasn’t going to call me out like that. With a jump shot from the three point line, I sunk the ball through the net.

“Oh! That had to hurt,” Grant mocked.

“Nice,” Tarron said.

“Why the hell haven’t you been playing like that the whole time then?” Baine asked as I was walking away.

“I’m taking your advice and going for a run. Catch you guys next week… after you’ve recovered from that one,” I added with a glint of mischief in my voice.

Baine had an ego the size of Texas and so all of us took every opportunity possible to put him in his place. I knew he was going to cast a bet that I couldn’t do it again or something like that, so I got out of there as fast as I could.

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