Shepherd's Moon Read Free

The members of my diverse pack would probably kill each other if I weren’t around to keep the peace. Having Richard as both a friend and employer is convenient, but he keeps me busier than I would like to be. But seeing as how he’s the only living human who knows our secrets, we help him.
    “And then there’s the matter of that pesky blood oath,” he reminded.
    I scowled and briefly considered hanging up on him. Like I need a reminder. Every single day of my life is a reminder of the penalty I was paying for illegally crossing territorial lines with a pregnant werejaguar. They had reduced the charge to smuggling—an improvement over murder, but not by much. The Territorial Council didn’t care much about the reasons I had for getting Modnik out of Costa Rica, only that I had gotten her out.
    “Don’t remind me.” I sulked, although I couldn’t really complain. Working for Richard isn’t too tough when the alternatives were considered. He lets me keep my own hours and doesn’t waste my time with cases that any rookie could handle. Richard is a man who knows how to use his resources. And being able to keep Modnik and her twin cubs with us while we helped her with the post-traumatic stress had made it well worth the price.
    Richard chuckled, knowing how much I hated being under his control, even if he was pretty easy to work for. “Has Billy shown up yet?”
    I shook my head before remembering he couldn’t actually see me. “No, but I’m sure he’s nearby.” My partner had never been one to miss a hunt and he would die before he abandoned me anywhere with a Newborn on the loose.
    “Besides, I’m only giving Azrael three more hours, then I’m bailing.”
    The disapproval was evident in his voice. “The mayor is threatening to send the Snake-eaters in if this isn’t resolved soon, Alex. We need to get this one off the books.”
    Rolling my eyes, I reached into my pocket and retrieved a stick of gum. The Snake-eaters were the more elite, and most destructive, branch of the Special Forces. They did two things well: survive and destroy. Bringing that group in was like the city bringing cobras in to correct a rodent problem. Needless to say, they weren’t my favorite branch of the military.
    “Geez, talk about overkill. Why would they send those guys in? We haven’t had to deal with those lunatics for years.”
    I unwrapped the piece of gum and placed it in my mouth, ignoring my stomach as it grumbled in protest of the meager meal. I needed to remember to bring a snack along on these excursions.
    “Yes, well we’ve been busier than usual these days, Alex.”
    Truth be told, we had been busier than usual. Generally I only get called in on an occasional side job when Richard got too busy to send Billy out. Lately, it seemed like I was becoming a full-time employee. I said as much to him.
    He appeared to consider my words for a moment. “Let’s just worry about this problem for now. Get Azrael off the street, then locate his handler. I suspect he’s been a busy little vampire over the past year.”
    “We’ll find him. Besides, when have I ever let you down?” I grinned and ended the call with a quick press of the earring stud before he could answer.
    At the very least, I would always have Richard in my life. Whether I wanted him or not. And Billy, our resident coyote shifter and full-time detective, was fast on his way to becoming my number two.
    Turning from the street, I stared into the shadows of the buildings, giving my eyes time to adjust to the fast approaching night as I once again scanned the shadows.
    A black cat burst from a nearby dumpster sending garbage cans crashing to the ground. It darted through the alley as I rapidly drew my favorite handguns — a pair of Glock 10mm pistols. They were specially outfitted with a heat-seeking laser that could find its target faster than the human eye. The one thing I did not have on these guns was a hair trigger, which was a good thing at the moment. I