the fringe on her gold bra and undies flipped up. She reveled in their adulation. Alpha and celebrity, a potent mix.
Then she cast both arms out wide and shifted form. It took her an average length of time. It would have taken her longer had she not been Alpha. It was weird to see it done in the middle of a stage under strobe lighting. Generally, shifting was a somewhat private affair, like hot tubbing – for friends, pack mates, and lovers only. And best done in the dark, by necessity. Her clothing, such as it was, was designed to rip away like their pants. She was left standing in front of the roaring crowd on four legs in nothing but her own fur.
Which was probably a good thing, because a wolf would look bloody ridiculous in a gold lamé fringed bikini.
She threw her head back and howled.
The crowd went absolutely bug nuts. Half of those who could, also shifted form – mostly barghest and a few large cats. That caused a ruckus. Judd was glad his team wasn’t responsible for crowd control. The ripped clothing, lost belongings, and public indecency citations alone. Poor Deputy Kettil.
Colin trailed behind the others as they went to collect Lexi from backstage. The SBI remained with the selkies and seemed inclined to stay there.
Apparently, the jacket was not for keepsies. Lexi threw the biggest prima donna fit about it not being back in her dressing room when she returned. Prince of the Blubber Bozos was prevented from leaving the amphitheater and directed backstage to return it to her, personally. He clutched at Lexi’s hand and told her how wonderful she was.
His mother was gracious, but he saw Risa pass her a towel to wipe her hand the moment the selkie left.
Lexi’s eyes were bright and feverish as they hustled her up the hill and into the waiting limo. They were driving down the highway before most of the concert goers had made it back to their cars. Those who had brought cars, of course. More than a few had run to the amphitheater in shifted form. Mount Tam was lovely hunting ground and unclaimed shifter territory.
Colin felt a little twitchy himself. He didn’t usually experience the frantic energy of other shifters, the hum of quintessence, or the drive to hunt. But for some reason, tonight, even though it was nowhere near full moon, he wanted to run with his pack. Or was it just horniness? Maybe he really actually just wanted to fuck.
How novel.
He watched Judd from beneath lowered eyelashes.
Judd was still in full security mode. “Anything go missing tonight? Anyone make it backstage who wasn’t supposed to?”
Lexi’s manager shook her head. “You did good, and you did it while down two men from our normal security detail. We should have gone with werewolves this entire tour.”
Lexi was still on a performer’s high. Colin hadn’t thought shifters got that way. “What a fantastic show. Didn’t you love it? What a wonderful crowd. They adored me.”
“You were great, Lexi. One of your best, darling,” replied the manager.
Lexi glared.
“The best, definitely the best,” she corrected herself.
Lexi’s team then spent most of the rest of the drive telling her how amazing and talented she was. If Colin hadn’t been relieved at how smoothly everything went, he would have been sick.
Finally they were back at the fancy house in Mill Valley that Judd said stank of eighties coke-fests and desperate tycoons with tiny, fast cars.
Judd and Kevin made sure Lexi and her people were safely inside the house. Isaac and Kevin swept the grounds while Colin and Judd did the same inside.
Their contract was up the moment the concert ended, but Judd was thorough and Heavy Lifting came by its stellar reputation honestly.
Lexi was taking a bubble bath when they left, so she didn’t bother to wish them goodbye. Colin certainly wasn’t cut up about it and Kevin had seen more of his mother than he ever wanted to. He was still complaining about it on the drive home.
They piled into the pack’s pickup truck, Colin and Isaac in the back of the king cab, Kevin up front in the passenger seat, and Judd driving.
“Well?” said Judd, as they wended their way down the mountain towards Tam Junction.
“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, Judd, but if you ever book us a country music gig again, I will eat your head,” said Kevin.
“That selkie mobster is totally in love with her, and I wonder if that