Page 135 of Secret Shifters Next Door

That was cryptic, but I didn’t push it. Instead, I nodded. “Deal. Seems like a surprise I can look forward to.”

April gave a funny little laugh. “Well, I hope so. Otherwise I’m gonna be really embarrassed.”

I chuckled at that, even more intrigued. I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, but I decided to let it go. The rest of the day went by like a dream. There hadn’t been a single day in my life more enjoyable than that one. Being with April, experiencing a gorgeous day with the woman I loved, was the best gift I could have ever asked for.

I should have known it wouldn’t last.

We were sitting in my truck discussing where to go for dinner when my Blayne called. I ignored the call at first, not wanting to interrupt my conversation, but he called back again immediately.

Sighing, I answered. “What’s up?”

“You need to get to the office.” Blayne sounded like he was talking through gritted teeth, like he was struggling to control himself.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Hunters.” The call went dead.

A sinking sensation swelled within me. Panic and fear warred in my mind. What could the hunters have done to have Blayne that spooked? Whatever it was, there was no way I was leaving April alone. Not if something bad had happened.

“Are you okay coming with me to the office real quick?”

“What’s wrong? You look worried.”

“I’m not sure. Blayne said something about hunters and that I needed to get to the office. Let’s go.”

I started the truck and rocketed toward the office. The whole way there, my mind went through a dozen different scenarios. None of them could have prepared me for what we found. Beforewe even got there, I could see the flashing red-and-blue lights of police cruisers and an ambulance.

Shit.

I pulled up to the curb and jumped out. When April gasped, I looked over in the direction she was staring at. A puddle of blood oozed from beneath a body covered in a sheet. I slid to a stop, my eyes bulging as I took in the scene.

“Oh, God, Steff, who is that?” April asked, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I don’t… I don’t…”

“Hey, what are you folks doing here? This is a crime scene. You need to move on,” A burly cop called over to us.

“They’re with me,” Blayne called from the front door of the office.

“Well, then get the hell inside. Now. Wait for us to come question you,” the cop barked.

Blayne waved us over and hustled April and me inside. I glanced over my shoulder one last time before the door closed. “Blayne, who was that? Is it?—”

“It’s not Miles or Tate, no. They’re in the back.”

I almost sagged to the floor in relief. “Then who the hell is it?”

Blayne ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack. “We were in the back, having a meeting. Suddenly, we hear this horn blaring outside. Over and over again. Like somebody was trying to get our attention. When we finally opened the front door, a van sped off. Tires squealing, smoke pouring off the skid marks, speeding away as fast as they could. We couldn’t see the driver, just the body lying in the parking lot by our door.

“We didn’t recognize the corpse, but we could tell by his scent that he was a wolf shifter. He’d been tortured. Fingers cut off, eyes gouged out. It’s fucking awful, man. And he was riddled with bullet holes. Silver bullets. He reeked of silver. Even fromten feet away, we could tell his blood was full of it. The hunters are sending us a message.

“They’re still watching, and they’re still hunting.”

TWENTY-ONE

APRIL

It felt like it was never going to end. The police pulled each of the four men into the conference room, using it as a de facto interrogation room. First Blayne, then Tate, Miles, and finally Steff. Then they went through again and again. It went on for hours. One of the detectives pulled me aside and asked me a few questions, but not in any formal interrogating manner.

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