Free Shifter Wars by A. E. Jones

didn’t think I was just going to sit around and do nothing, did you? Just sit around and wring my hands while you big, strong males take care of everything?”
    He shook his head at me like I was a troublesome child. “Kyle, I do not expect you to do nothing. I know you. Is Jason going to be able to protect you if something happens?”
    Now it was my turn to stand, my anger bubbling near the surface. “I actually do a pretty good job of protecting myself on my own. Jason and I were the logical choices to go under cover, since we’re human. Jean Luc and Misha are backing us up. What have you got against Jason?”
    “Nothing. I just don’t know much about him.”
    “All you need to know is he has my back and I have his.”
    Before Griffin could respond, Beatrice poked her head into the room. “Sorry to interrupt, but you have a call. It’s the one you’ve been waiting for.”
    “Thank you, Bea.” Griffin stared at me for a second, his jaw tensing. “We are not through talking about this.”
    I shrugged. “I think we are.”
    He was about to respond, but stopped, since Bea watched us like a finals tennis match. He turned and walked out of the room. I glared at his retreating back and stuck my tongue out at him.
    Beatrice laughed. “You don’t have to run off, do you? I thought we could talk.”
    “Sure.”
    “Give me five minutes. I’ll be right back.”
    She hurried out of the room, and I decided to poke around a bit. Next to the fireplace were large windows overlooking the back of the property. Since it was dusk, I couldn’t see much other than the outline of trees. I gazed out into the night and just concentrated on breathing. Something about Griffin always seemed to push my buttons.
    As I stood contemplating whether or not I should tell Griffin to stuff it, I caught a quick flicker of light in the dark. I tensed. Who would be in the back yard now? One of Griffin’s guards? I squinted in the general direction of where I had seen the light. Maybe I had imagined it, but after a couple of seconds it flickered again, and that’s when I realized it was part of some larger outline in the dark, and it was moving. When it turned in my direction, I backed up a step and gasped. The “light” was a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Holy crap!
    I jumped when a voice came from behind me. “Kyle.”
    Beatrice walked into the room carrying two large mugs. She took a look at my face and stiffened, setting them on the coffee table. “Are you okay?”
    I probably wouldn’t have said anything under normal circumstances, but Trina’s safety was at stake. “I just saw a pair of glowing eyes outside.”
    Beatrice sighed and then motioned to the chairs. “I’m not surprised.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Have some cocoa.”
    I reached for a stoneware mug piled-high with whipped cream. I took a small sip. It was luscious and rich.
    “I can tell by your face you like it,” Beatrice smiled. “I see what Seamus means about you being so expressive.”
    “The cocoa is wonderful.” But she wasn’t going to distract me. “Can you explain to me about the eyes?”
    She hesitated. “How much do you know about shifters?”
    “I haven’t had as much exposure to shifters as I have demons and vamps. I know you have an animal form you can transform into.”
    “Yes. Each one of us has an animal self and a human self. It is important we change into our animal self periodically to maintain balance. For shifters who turn into smaller animals you would normally see in Northern Ohio, it’s easier to maintain the balance.”
    “Like Matthew Johnson.”
    Beatrice smiled. “Exactly. I hear he lived with you in his cat form for a while.”
    “Yes. He almost got his balls shot off when I found out what he was.”
    She chuckled. “I would love to have been a fly on the wall during that encounter.” She took a sip of her cocoa. “Now, for those shifters whose animal form is more exotic, they cannot simply change and wander around the