Free Mating Behavior by Mandy M. Roth

her
shoulder and neck. She touched it and came away with a sticky,
almost tacky substance. Confused, she yanked the quilt around her
tighter and went to follow Alan, but stopped when she sensed
something nearing the window.
    “Who’s there?” she called out, suddenly
uneasy. The only answer Katie received was a howl.
     
     

----
Chapter Six
     
    Alan thrust the front door open and stepped
back as Bersh stumbled in. Bersh went to his knees and the smell of
fresh blood assailed Alan. He slammed the door shut quickly and
bent to check on Bersh. “You’re hurt.”
    Bersh offered a half smile. “You’re
naked.”
    Rolling his eyes, Alan growled and shoved
Bersh before standing. “What happened to you?”
    Bersh ran a hand tentatively down his side
and came to a stop where blood was pooling. “Noelle knew I’d go for
Brone. She had an ambush waiting for me.”
    The harsh reality of inter-pack politics
normally came down to survival of the fittest so Alan couldn’t say
he was shocked, but still. It looked as if Noelle’s flunkies had
tried to gut Bersh. Sure, the guy was a pain in the ass who Alan
wanted to kill ninety percent of the time, but he’d been doing the
right thing. As much as he wanted to let Bersh rot for having
started it all, he couldn’t. He sighed. “Where can I find
Brone?”
    A half laugh, half cough came from Bersh.
“You, city boy, can’t find your ass with both hands out here so get
the idea out of your …”
    “I’m Alan Becker.”
    A pregnant pause followed before Bersh
glanced around the cabin. “If you find Brone he’ll help you.”
    “I’m currently worried your crazy ex is
going to go medieval on your ass, but I do want to get Katie off
this mountain.” He bent to check on Bersh again, but Bersh waved
him away. “What makes you so sure Brone will help me?”
    “Because your father saved our lives,” Bersh
said, his breathing shallow. “Our father seized hold of the pack
and ruled through fear. Brone and I tried to stop him, but he
turned on us. Your father’s the one who intervened, saving our
lives. Brone will help you. Just tell him who you are.”
    The sound of glass breaking jerked Alan away
from thoughts of his father. “Katie!” He took off running in the
direction of the master bedroom. He yanked the door open and
stared, stunned at the scene before him. Katie, wrapped in a quilt,
stood with one hand out, glaring at Noelle—who stood over what
looked to be a dead shifter lying on the floor. Instantly, his
heart leapt to his throat. “Katie?”
    She didn’t turn to face him. Instead, she
remained focused on Noelle. “Go, Alan.”
    “Go?” he asked, unable to believe his ears.
“I’m not leaving you with…” It was then he noticed that Noelle
wasn’t moving to attack. No. She was standing so rigidly still that
it looked as if invisible hands held her in place. Alan sniffed the
air. “I smell magik.”
    Noelle’s gaze flickered to him and then to
Katie. Fright was evident, but that was absurd. Why would Noelle be
scared of Katie? Something brushed past Alan’s side, reminding him
he was naked.
    Bersh grabbed Alan’s shoulder for support.
“Noelle, no!”
    Noelle didn’t move or say a word. Katie, on
the other hand, did. “Alan, leave here now!”
    Alan was about to comment when Bersh
collapsed, drawing Katie’s attention. In that split second, Noelle
burst free and lunged at Katie. Alan’s breath caught as he charged
forward, allowing his claws to emerge from his fingertips and fur
to sprout on his body. A moment before he would have slammed into
Noelle an unseen force beat him to it, lifting her up and off her
feet.
    “I told you not to move, bitch!” Katie
shouted, the air around her buzzing.
    Alan’s hackles rose as he looked around the
room for the source of the power. Katie glanced over her shoulder
at him and her eyes widened. “A-Alan?”
    He stopped and stared down the length of his
body. He was in partial shifted form. This wasn’t how