Addie (Pack of Misfits #1) - Raven Kennedy Page 0,74

smear of blood and a healing mark. “You’re in the pack?” I ask hopefully.

A grin spreads over his face. “We’re in the pack.”

Giddy, I jump up and down before flinging my arms around all three of them, smooshing them together. One of them presses his lips to my temple. Another one squeezes my ass.

Jetta puts a hand on her cocked hip and eyes them, glaring until we pull apart. “So. You’re the three asshole coyotes who mated with my girl here.”

“That’s us,” Lafe says, chipper as can be.

In a move that I would’ve missed if I’d blinked, Jetta suddenly shifts her weight, and jabs Penn in the gut. Breath escapes him with an “oof” as he hunches over, but Jetta is already away, doing this super impressive spinny move that catches Herrick in the throat with the edge of her palm. He curses as he hacks, and then she leaps in front of Lafe. He flings up his arms in front of him. “Uncle! I fuckin’ surrender!”

Jetta stops short with an unimpressed snort. She looks over at me, eyebrow cocked. “This is your trio of mates?”

I laugh at Penn who’s still trying to stand upright, and at Herrick who continues to cough. Lafe is pretending that he didn’t just edge behind me, but...he totally did and I’m currently shielding him from Jetta’s attacks.

“Yep. Aren’t they great?” I beam.

Jetta rolls her eyes and takes her bag back from my hands. “If I’m staying, I want in on the Pack Rockhead retaliation,” she says as she starts to stalk away. The guys watch her warily as her combat boots clank up the metal steps.

“Okie dokie! I’ll let Hugo know.”

She gives me a wave before disappearing into her room. I look back at the guys, barely able to contain my mirth. “You guys are so tough.”

“She came at me out of nowhere,” Penn grumbles.

“That female is ducking scary,” Lafe says, finally coming out from behind me. “What kind of shifter is she?”

I shake my head. “First rule of Pack Aberrant, we don’t divulge each other’s animals. They’ll let you know what they shift into once they like you.”

“Pretty sure that one doesn’t like us,” Herrick says dryly.

I shrug. “We were each other’s first friends, and you were a jerk to me.”

He tilts his head side to side. “Fair enough.”

Lafe eyes the spot Jetta had been. “I bet she’s a honey badger or some shit. Those things are vicious.”

I just laugh. “Does Hugo want us to get ready to go?” I ask.

Penn nods. “Yep. He asked us to come get you. We’re leaving in ten.” I nod, steeling myself for tonight. Penn notices and his eyes soften. “Hey, you okay? If you don’t want to be the bait, just say the word and we’ll talk to Hugo. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to,” I reply with determination. “I want to help take Rockhead down a notch.”

Jetta suddenly pops up out of nowhere behind us. “Me too, let’s go.”

Lafe flinches. “Dammit, female!” he exclaims. “You’re like a freaking ninja.”

She chuckles at him as she yanks open the front door. “Come on, preds. I’ll protect you.”

I pat Lafe on the shoulder as they grumble about how tough they are, and follow Jetta outside. “You sure they’re coyotes?” she asks me, making me laugh.

“I’m sure. Lafe accidentally shifted when he saw me in the shower earlier.”

She snorts. “Males.”

I cast a look over my shoulder, catching all three of them staring at my ass. I smile and face forward again. Yep, males. And they’re mine.

17

Penn

I look around at the other twenty or so members from Pack Rockhead as we stand in the wooded area behind the parking lot of Joystick, the gamer club that Addie and her friends are positioned in.

Herrick and Lafe have already shifted, as have about half of Rockhead’s shifters, but I’m still in my human form. I eye the wolves and bobcats warily, worrying that our plan is somehow going to fall apart.

If Addie gets hurt, or any of her—our—pack gets hurt either...No. I can’t think like that right now. All I can do is trust that Alpha Hugo knows what he’s doing, and do what I’m told.

If we want to be new enforcers for the pack, we have to show that we’re dependable and can follow orders. We already royally fucked up with Addie, so if we have any hope of earning Hugo’s respect, we have to prove ourselves worthy of her and Pack Aberrant.

After