Free ShiftinDirty-ElizaGayle by Eliza Gayle Page B

I met Gage at a bar. Then he brought me to a bar. You met Dean in a bar. Now you live in a bar.”
    “Not a whole lot to do out here in these woods. And if you want to hook up, you go to—”
    Sienna laughed. “A bar.”
    “Yep. Now you’re getting it.”
    “Is that why Gage showed up at the bar I work in yesterday? Was he looking for a hook up?”
    Nikki’s face softened. “Honey, I can’t speak for Gage. Things haven’t been easy for these guys around here lately.”  
    “How so?”
    “My pregnancy isn’t just hard on me. Shifters have enhanced senses and the kind of hormones I’ve got flying these last couple months has sent most of them in a frenzy more than once. When that happens all they want to do is either fight or fuck.”
    “Oh.” Sienna was starting to get the gist of what she meant. Which gave her another thought. “So that could be what’s got Gage on the mate thing. It’s just some overzealous hormones speaking.”
    Nikki shook her head, laughing. “Hardly. He’s the last person I expected to walk in here talking about a mate.”
    She cocked her head, making donuts long forgotten. “Why is that?”
    “Because he wanted it about as much as I did. You must be a very special woman to have changed his mind so quickly.”
    And they were back to the root of the problem. Everything was happening too fast. “Exactly my point. If he’s acting out of character and I’m not myself either when I’m around him, then something must be wrong.”
    “Maybe you just need to have sex and see how it goes. If you think it’s not normal then maybe it will go away.”
    Sounded logical to her. But why was Nikki snickering behind her hand?
    “Do you love your mate?”
    The woman stopped snorting immediately. “Why in the world would I become his mate if I didn’t?”
    Sienna winced. She kept saying the wrong thing and insulting Nikki. “I really don’t mean to offend you. I’m just trying to understand.”
    “Well, it is possible you’re thinking about it too much. Are you attracted to Gage?”
    She scrunched up her face and made her best “Are you serious?” face.  
    “Then stop worrying so much and start getting to know him. I know it’s hard to wrap your head around how mating works, but I’ve yet to see a mating situation that didn’t turn out exactly as it was supposed to.”
    With her stomach in knots and her mind churning through all of the information of the day, Sienna touched Nikki’s shoulder. “Thank you for being nice to me. I really needed that.”
    Nikki winked. “I know how it feels. Although I would not have sat through anyone giving me advice. Plus I know we’re getting fresh donuts this morning and for that I’ll talk all day.”
    “Oh my God.” She jumped up and rushed over to where she’d set all of her ingredients. “I got so distracted I stopped working.”
    “Relax. We’ve got time. Or we’re giving the big lugs in the other room more time to work their shit out.”
    She glanced at the door. She was not looking forward to returning to that room, although she’d pay money to be a fly on the wall.

Chapter Nine

    “This shit is too fucking complicated for four in the morning. Why can’t we ever have a crisis in the middle of the day?” Bhric was stalking behind the bar grabbing glasses and a couple bottles of scotch.  
    “If it wasn’t complicated you’d be bored.” Dean reached for one of the bottles as soon as his brother set them down.
    Gage was pacing. After last night, he didn’t like have Sienna out of his sight. The only thing that kept him from the kitchen was her sweet scent drifting through the door reassuring him she was close and the anger stamped across Bhric’s face. He had to get them all on board with the situation or they were screwed. Wolves chasing him was one thing. He absolutely did not need to add Guardians to the mix.  
    “I’d ask you if you were sure, but I guess we wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.” Calder had been