Page 278 of Secret Shifters Next Door

We exchanged numbers, and she headed off to the registers to check out. “I’m excited to see you. I can’t wait to hang out,” she called over her shoulder as she rounded a corner.

I finished shopping, making sure to grab a few bags of salad mix that would, most likely, turn brown and mushy before I ever ate them. It was like a ceremony everyone partook of when shopping. At least, that’s what I told myself.

Two hours later, April texted me and asked me to meet her at a little Asian bistro between Lilly Valley and the next town over. When I arrived, she’d already secured a table at the back of the restaurant. The place was packed, so I ordered a plate of steamed dumplings and chicken fried rice as soon as I was seated. April went for a small sushi roll and some kind of spicy noodle dish. Once the orders were placed, we were able to catch up.

“So,” I said, taking a sip of the wine she’d ordered before I arrived. “Why are you back in town? Shouldn’t you be trotting the globe? Banging sexy movie stars and stuff?”

April rolled her eyes, but there was a light in them as she did. “I’ve done my fair share of that. I’m pretty much retired now.”

That had me choking on my wine. Recovering, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and said, “Retired? Seriously?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It got to be too much.” She glanced away, and I could tell she was a little embarrassed. “I’m assuming you heard about that whole scandal a few months back? The nude party pictures, the stalkers, my shithead ex.”

My idea of a good time was not watching the tabloids or any TV, really. Though the story had been so big it hadbeen impossible to miss. I nodded. “I saw the tripe they spouted. I actually tried texting you, but the number I had was disconnected.”

April grimaced. “Yeah. I lost contact with a lot of people from my past. Even friends like you. It was another reason I was ready to leave that world behind. I’d lost the connection to my real life. My brothers, my nephew…all of it.”

Another part of the story trickled up from my memory. “Did I read that your ex had his…uh…his tongue cut out?”

April nodded sadly. “Yeah. He was an asshole, but no one deserves that. It was one of my stalkers who did it.” She gave a slight shake of her head. “Enough about that. How are you doing? I heard you’d moved away.”

“I did, but I came back to be with my father. He…he was diagnosed with cancer, and I’m here to make sure he gets treated.”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. How’s it going?”

“They caught it early. The doctors say the prognosis is good, but my dad’s stubborn. I came back because my uncles knew I was the only one who would be able to force him to get the treatments.”

“Well, that’s something. As long as he’s being treated, things will probably be okay,” April said.

Our food came out a moment later, and we ate in silence for a few minutes. Then I said, “Do you have a guy yet? I know the pickings in Lilly Valley aren’t as good as LA.”

April smiled slyly. “Oh yeah. I’ve got a pretty serious guy. He’s the one, no doubt about it.”

“The one? LikeTHEone?”

“Yup.”

“Well, who is he? Is he from around here? Do I know him?”

“Probably, yeah. It’s Stefan James. My boyfriend from back in high school.”

My jaw dropped. “Steff? The guy who dumped you?”

“We made up,” April said, smiling around the California roll she popped into her mouth.

It took me a moment, but then I made the connection. That morning in the coffee shop. The Tate guy had mentioned he was in business with Blayne and two other guys. Somebody named Miles and a guy named Steff.

Holy shit. That meant Steff—the Steff I knew—was a shifter.

I remembered Blayne’s story about the mating curse, how it had affected his friends, and how the fated mates became shifters themselves.

“Wait,” I said, throwing up my hands. “You’re with Steff? Does…” I dropped my voice to a whisper and leaned in close. “Does that mean you’re a shifter, too?”

April dropped her fork and it clattered across the plate before falling to the floor. Her head jerked up as her eyes locked on mine. “How the fuck do you know about shifters?” she hissed, glancing around the room to make sure no one heard.

“I’ve known for years. All the way back to my senior year. I dated this guy named Liam Walker. He and his brother were shifters and he told me about the whole deal.”

April paled, looking as if she’d been kicked. “Hang on.Youwere Liam Walker’s girlfriend?”

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