Free Taming the Alphas: Part Four: Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance by Kate Kent

CHAPTER ONE
     
    I gasped as I peered out from behind the cabinet. My beautiful Todd was sitting in his office chair, a light glimmer of sweat on his brow. His hands gripped the corner of his office desk tightly. Jerry stood directly behind him, cocking a gun towards his head. Though Jerry’s face was pale, his hand remained steady. Dave was directly in front of the pair snarling, his smoky grey, salt and pepper fur bristling with anger.
    “Dave, don’t....” Todd said, his voice low and raw with emotion.
    “Dave? What the hell!” Jerry shouted. “I thought this monster in front of me was Beverly. Dave’s a shifter too? Where is Beverly? Where is that skank ho?”
    I could see from Dave’s wolf that he was ready to pounce on Jerry. Shaking, I could feel my knees starting to buckle. A wereman has incredible strength and power, with the ability to fight off multiple men, but he is no match for a gun. If Dave were to leap at Jerry, I knew for sure he would be shot. If Todd tried to protect me, he might be looking at a bullet too. The thought that one or both of the two men I loved could be hurt at any moment was horrifying.
    “I know she has got to be hiding back here somewhere. Oh, Beverlyyy,” Jerry sang, keeping the gun focused on Todd, “come out, come out wherever you are!” his voice rang out. “Get the fuck out here bitch, or your werewolf man’s gonna get it!” he growled, low and guttural. “This one…” he shook the gun towards Todd, “…or this one,” he pointed menacingly at Dave.
    He’d left me no choice … there was only one thing I could do. Trembling, I stepped out from my hiding place behind the cabinet. “Jerry, please put the gun down. Let’s talk this out.”
    Jerry glanced over at me, a delighted smirk splayed across his face. “Speaking of the whore, it’s so nice of you to finally join us, Beverly.” 
    Dave hissed. He cocked his tail and bared his fangs, snapping his incisors.
    “She’s not a whore!” Todd exclaimed, “She has more class in her little pinky than you have in your entire body.”
    Jerry waved the gun in the air and for a moment I thought he was going to crack it down onto Todd’s head. “Man, I’d like to fuck you up. But fortunately for you, there’s a bounty on your head if you are delivered in good condition.”
    “A bounty?” I cleared my throat. “What are you talking about?”
    “Don’t ask any questions,” Jerry snapped. “Dave, change back to your man, or your lady and her friend will get a bullet—bounty or not!”
    Dave snarled but he could see he was in no position to argue so he quickly transitioned back into his man. Bones snapping and crunching, fur enveloped into skin, his body collapsed into itself. He quickly yanked on his jeans and shirt. In seconds, Dave stood before Jerry in his man, trying to contain his anger.
    “You’re quite the ugly monster wolf, Dave,” Jerry said nastily. “Thank God my dad warned me about you shifter types and prepared me for this moment.”
    Dave shook his head, glints of darkness flashing across his steely gray eyes.
    Yeah, dad said you people in your wolf would shock the hell out of any man, so we practiced. He had me work with some nasty attack dogs to get a feel for what running into a vicious animal would be like. But damn…” Jerry wiped his forehead with his sleeve, “it was still a shock seeing you like … like that.”
    I looked at Jerry again. The guy was just pure evil. There was something about his jawline and the way he spoke, and what he said about his dad that struck a chord with me. Suddenly it clicked, and I had a clear suspicion of who he was related to.
    “Who is your dad?” I asked.
    “Jerry … Jerry Mars. He owns the Orange Tap bar in Frederick. You may have seen him. He’s been on the news a lot lately, supporting the werewolf protestors. And,” Jerry added proudly, “he won’t allow none of your kind in his bar.”
    I knew it! He had the same jawline, an identical