The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,93

this city?” Rhianne asked Ben in a low voice. “Shifter Bureau, and so forth. Won’t they notice Shifters gearing up for battle?”

“They might,” Ben said. “Unless your father has taken care of that. I notice no one has left Shiftertown since the ley line started acting up.”

The sky overhead was a pale blue, a fine Texas autumn morning. At the edge of the horizon, however, clouds were forming, a dark ring encircling the blue, though they were a long way away. Storms blew up here quickly, or passed by altogether—it could go either way. Ben wondered if Ivor could manipulate the weather in this world and didn’t like the implications if that were true.

Kendrick and his reinforcements had arrived. They’d shown up singly or in pairs to not draw the attention of human law enforcement. Kendrick’s people, who’d started life as Shifters who’d escaped the roundup twenty-five years ago, lived in secret out in the empty lands west of here, and didn’t wear real Collars.

Kendrick was a white tiger, a rare beast. He’d found himself a mate in the cute Addison, who’d come with him and joined Kim and Carly. Other human mates of Shifters migrated to Kim and Liam’s house as well.

Dimitri and Jaycee, Kendrick’s top trackers, along with a lion called Seamus, waved to Ben and Rhianne but stuck with Kendrick, listening to his orders.

Walker Danielson, in black fatigues, arrived with Rebecca, a Kodiak bear Shifter. All the bear Shifters of that household were present—Ronan, their leader; Scott, who’d just passed his Transition; and Francesca, who moved back and forth from this Shiftertown to Kendrick’s compound. So was Olaf, an orphaned polar bear cub who apparently couldn’t be persuaded to stay home.

“I want to fight too,” Olaf declared. He had white hair and the same dark, soulful eyes as Zander.

“Olaf, honey,” Carly called to him. “Why don’t you come here and help me take care of Seth?”

Olaf debated as he gazed from Dylan lining up Shifters, to Ben and Rhianne, and then to Carly.

“Okay.” Olaf trotted to the porch and bounded up the steps.

He was getting bigger every year, Ben reflected. In time, he’d be as huge as Zander. Wouldn’t that be fun?

“Rhianne,” Ben began.

Rhianne swung on him. “Don’t you dare tell me to stay behind while you strike out in this hopeless battle. I’m the only one here who knows how to fight a Tuil Erdannan. The method is, don’t fight them.”

Ben lifted his hands. “I was going to say, let’s stick together, kid. Or two is better than one.”

“Oh.”

Ben closed the space between them and caressed her flushed cheek. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.” He turned the touch into a caress and then a kiss. “But I really mean, let’s stick together. No flying off on your own, trying to take down your stepdad by yourself. I want you next to me, where I can protect you.”

“That’s where I want to be. To protect you.” Rhianne raised his hand to her lips. “After … If there is an after …”

“We can talk about it when after happens, if there’s anything to talk about.” He shook his head. “I know that people like us don’t always get happily ever after. Sometimes all we can hope for is happy-for-now.”

“I am happy now.” Rhianne’s voice went soft. “Or I would be if my stepfather hadn’t decided to interfere.” Her expression changed to that of an annoyed Tuil Erdannan. “I’m growing a little tired of that.”

Ben grinned at her. “All right then. Let’s kick his ass.”

Rhianne’s answering smile held Shifter ferocity. “Let’s.”

“And then go out for ice cream.”

Rhianne considered this. “How about shrimp?” she asked, a roguish twinkle in her eyes.

She was adorable. “We’ll argue about that when the time comes,” Ben assured her. “Dylan? Where do you want us?”

Dylan formed the Shifters into a big circle around the ring of trees. They’d attack from all sides, he instructed. Shifter species were intermixed within squads, so that the strengths of each type of Shifter could be used to greatest advantage and the weaknesses of each guarded. Felines were swift, wolves savage and determined, and bears were just fucking big.

“I want everyone in Shifter or half-Shifter form.” Dylan gave his orders in a voice that could be heard through the crowd. “Whichever way helps you fight your best. You won’t have time for shifting once we start.”

Clothes fluttered from the Shifters who were still in human form, and soon the common filled with lions, leopards, wolves, bears, and the jaguar that