Page 187 of Secret Shifters Next Door

I put the craft supplies away, keeping the ones I planned to use for my first project on the table. All the while, thoughts of Miles flitted through my brain. Every type of thought. Romantic thoughts of him bringing me roses and champagne; childish thoughts about him rescuing me from monsters; dirtier thoughts about him peeling my clothes off and doing things to me I couldn’t even imagine.

Before I knew it, my laptop was in front of me, and four hours had gone by. I’d actually finished my original manuscript and was ten thousand words into a brand new book: a story where the main character was a man with supernatural powers,gorgeous looks, and a powerful aura like…what? I thought about it before typing it.

Like an alpha wolf.

SIX

MILES

The night before, the firm had received a request for a new assignment. It was, of course, right in my wheelhouse. A woman’s husband had run off with their babysitter and every bit of their seven-hundred-thousand dollars in savings. He’d cleaned her out, and she wanted him found. Sadly, it was typical. I got similar assignments at least twice a year. A rich wife ran off with the pool boy, or a rich husband ran off with the nanny. If the jobs didn’t pay so well, I’d probably stop accepting them because it was getting boring.

Needing to get in early and talk to the guys about it, I was in my truck and on the way before the sun was fully up. Not only did I need to tell them about the assignment, but I had to let them know about Celina. So far, the only one who had any inkling was Blayne. He’d have put two-and-two together by now, but Steff and Tate needed to know. Plus, they needed to give me advice on what to do.

The job had sent my wolf into hysterics because it was in Chicago. My beast was not excited about being that far away from Celina, especially since we knew she wasn’t going to be in town much longer. Time was growing short. Cheating spouse jobs usually only took a week, but it was a week too long.

The same old thoughts crept into my mind. Was I wasting my time? Would she even want a mate like me? The negativity continued to plague me. I couldn’t believe I was even entertaining the idea. Not only was I entertaining it, but I’d pretty much decided to pursue her, and I couldn’t get the thought that she’d reject me out of my head. It was another reason I needed to tell the guys.

The office was quiet when I got there. We were almost always the first ones in, with our employees showing up between eight and nine. These early mornings were the best time for us to discuss things like the pay structure, bonuses, and shifter things—basically anything the employees didn’t need to hear. I found the guys huddled around the coffee pot in the break room.

“Did you guys get that email last night?” I asked.

Tate nodded. “The horny guy running off with the nineteen-year-old babysitter? Yup. We gonna take the job?”

I poured myself a cup and sat at the table. “That’s what we need to talk about. There’s been a development.”

Blayne’s eyes lit up. “I knew it.”

Steff and Tate glanced at each other, and frowned. Steff sat beside me. “What development?”

“My mate found me. Well, I guess we found each other.”

“Oh shit,” Tate said. “I win the bet.”

“There was no bet,” Steff said.

“Mmhmm, you only say that because you thought Blayne was gonna be next,” Tate muttered before taking a sip of his coffee.

“Can we focus, please?” I said.

“Okay,” Steff said. “Who’s the lucky lady?”

“My new neighbor.”

Steff and Tate both laughed.

“Wonder if Emily put that as a prerequisite of the curse?” Tate asked. “You must mate with your new neighbor.”

I grunted. I wasn’t in the mood for their jokes. All I could think of was Celina and how everything that lay before me seemed impossible.

“How do you feel about it?” Blayne asked, his tone and expression serious.

I looked at each of them in turn. “If I’m being truthful, I think she’ll reject me.”

Tate and Steff groaned, and from the look on Blayne’s face, he was already contemplating his own fate. He was the last one left. I didn’t blame him for looking nervous. I was knee deep in it, and it was as terrifying as I’d thought it would be.

“You can’t think like that,” Steff said. “Remember what you told me when I was actively trying to force April to reject me? You basically called me an idiot. You were right. You can’t assume she’s going to reject you based on past experiences. We all know your history. Same as you know ours.”

I nodded. “I know, I know. It isn’t a conscious decision. I think I’m just fucked in the head. From the moment I saw Liz in bed with my alpha’s son…the instant I saw that, all my love and adoration wasn’t enough? Every ounce of confidence vanished. There’s a mental block there that I can’t get through. My wolf’s emotions and desires are the main thing pushing me forward. Without them, I’d probably give up, let her go, and die.”

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