Page 3 of Dane's War

Me, however, I don’t think I’ll ever find something like they have. It’s beautiful what they share. They still have obstacles to get through, but I’m not sure what those are.

Just a feeling I’m having.

“You should totally come with us,” Sloane states, trying again to get me to accompany her. “You could meet Karsyn and Lake.”

She mentioned meeting them at a cookout the club had not long ago and how Cyrus had invited those who were in his brother’s club. I hadn’t been able to go because I’d been at work. I guess you can say I work a lot. It’s my way of getting on with life, I suppose.

“I’m just going to catch up on some sleep.” I’ve got the next two days off and need to sleep first for sixteen-umph hours. Then I need to run errands that have to get done. After that, I still have to do laundry, make sure I’m straight for the next week coming up, and at some point, ask Bandit if he can get my oil changed in the car.

My mind keeps working, compiling a to-do list amile long. It’s never-ending. I also wanted to be able to make dinner for my parents one night because they always make sure I have something to take with me to work. Mom even sometimes brings me food.

“Okay, well, I can’t say I didn’t try,” Sloane says and gives a heavy sigh. “Let’s just hope everything goes okay and nothing happens.”

“What do you think might happen?” I ask cocking a brow.

Sloane takes a breath, then sits on the side of my bed I was sprawled out on and throws herself back, lying across one of my legs. “One of the members is a guy I used to date.”

“You dated a shifter that wasn’t my brother?” I ask. I didn’t think shifters dated unless it was their mate. I mean, I know they do things. Every guy, even male shifters, has needs. I didn’t know she’d been with a shifter that wasn’t Bandit.

“Yeah, it was a while ago. He hurt me and made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. I really cared for him but didn’t mean anything to him other than a booty call, I guess. I caught him screwing another woman at the clubhouse when I went to surprise him.”

“Oh God.” I gasp. I hate that she went through that.

“It was humiliating. I’d gone there intending togive him a surprise I had for him.” She looks in my direction, cheeks blushing. “Don’t ask,” she mutters before looking away once again and continuing. “He didn’t follow after me. Just let me go and kept right on going with his festivities. The next day, one of their doxies filled me in on all the juicy details.” Those last words come from her mouth like they held a bad taste.

“What’re doxies?”

“The clubwhores,” she answers, sighs, and sits up again. “If it weren’t for Karsyn having just had the baby, and me wanting to see him, I wouldn’t go.”

“I don’t blame you.” I nod. “Just put that BS out of your mind. Bandit will be with you, and he’s not going to let anything happen to you. He’s protective like that. I see the way he is with you, and nothing is going to happen, I promise.”

“Thanks,” she says and gets to her feet. “Well, since you’re not going, I’ll let you be and go find the big beast himself and see if he’s about ready to head out. Maybe I can convince him to go for a long ride before he heads to the Spiked Raiders MC clubhouse.”

“I don’t think you’ll have an issue with getting him to ride,” I tell her, giving her a knowing smirk.

Sloane giggles and goes in search of Bandit, and I look back to the ceiling. For the first time in months, I’m going to be home alone. Mom and Daddecided to go on a trip. They said they would be out of contact for at least a day. They left yesterday for the mountains. I knew what they were going out to do. In the past two months, I knew neither of them had shifted. They stayed close to me since moving home. The only time they weren’t near me had been when I was at work. They needed this, and I was in no way going to ruin that for them.

Plus, I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself. It’s been months and I’ve not once heard anything from Brady. He’s probably long since forgotten about me.

Chapter Three

Dane

The music was playing low in the clubhouse, people were milling around, and there was laughter to be heard throughout the whole place. A year ago, before Karsyn showed up and Corbin accepted her as his fated mate, this wouldn’t have happened. The two clubs hated each other to the point that we’d been known to pick fights around town with them if they so much as looked at us in a way we didn’t like.

It probably would’ve turned into an outright war if not for Big Daddy. I guess you could say he was the keeper of the peace when it came to both clubs, mainly because Corbin and Cyrus were his sons.

I glanced around, not seeing my sister anywherearound, I made my way out of the clubhouse to where I knew I’d find more people hanging about. I could easily sniff her out, but what’s the point? All I wanna do is find her and give her something I’d been waiting until today to give her.

Our dad, Daniel, and I went in on a gift for her, not for Asher. I’d already given that to her. I carved her a wolf out of a log that sits near the cabin where we found her. It wasn’t anything special, but I knew she’d loved it, which she had. I didn’t have to ask her what she’d done with it, I already knew. It sat in her son’s room right next to the crib.

Spotting Karsyn sitting at one of the tables, my Prez right behind her with my nephew in his arms.

A grin easily slides into place at the sight of the little boy. That kid was going to be special. It was a given. Not only was he a wolf, but he had his mother’s blood rushing through his veins and, with it, the magic that she wields.

Hell, for the longest time, none of us even knew about the gifts Sage and Jazmine kept secret. To this day, we don’t even know the extent of what those gifts are. The most we know is that Sage could see through her dad’s eyes when he’s in his wolf form.

I’m willing to bet that when she gets older and finds her mate, that gift will transfer to him. She’s apure wolf with gifts as she has. That alone is a rarity in itself, which makes her as special as she is.

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