Shifted Plans Read Free

the strangest rules,” he said absently.
    Avery rolled her eyes. He would have no problem replacing her, not that she believed
     in his earnestness when he asked her out anyway. Sure in her belief, he only did it
     out of habit after all this time.
    “Not strange, just courteous. I see you’ve got your eye on something. I’m going to
     head over to Reese. See ya, Nik.”
    Nik’s gaze slid to her, a sheepish grin softening his face. “Sorry, Av. I’ll see you
     later.”
    “I’m sure you will.” She chuckled. On impulse, she got up on her tiptoes and planted
     a kiss on his cheek. Turning, she walked away, not bothering to wait and see how he
     reacted. The move totally out of character for her, but if she wanted this year to
     be different, she needed to be a bit more daring.
    She made her way to the corner of the bar, weaving between the bodies heading for
     the dance floor. A soft country tune pumped through the speakers, and she felt herself
     begin to relax.
    Nearing the table, she found Reese talking to an attractive blond-haired man. Around
     six feet tall, he had a handsome, roguish kind of look. Shaggy hair, mischievous glint
     in his eyes, and a devil-may-care smile. Definitely a wolf .
    Detouring, Avery slid onto the empty bar stool, picking up a menu. She didn’t need
     it, but it would give her something to do while her friend flirted.
    She could practically taste the seared rare steak she planned on getting, the slight
     burn of the marks, and the red, juicy meat that would melt on contact. Her mouth watered,
     and her lioness purred in approval. She caught the eye of a waitress, signaling her
     over. The woman nodded in acknowledgment, holding up her finger in the universal sign
     for give-me-a-minute.
    Mission accomplished.
    Avery got comfortable settling in to watch the scenery.
    Girlish giggling erupted from Reese making Avery chuckle. Depending on the guy, her
     friend played the ditzy card even though she was far from one. She’d once told Avery
     powerful women intimidated men even before a woman came into her power. It made dating,
     Reese’s sole goal in college besides getting her degree, hell.
    Looking for her mate never entered Reese’s mind. In fact, she confided in Avery she
     knew she wouldn’t find him until much later.
    Avery perused the bar patrons while Reese focused on the male. Maybe there was a guy
     out there for her to flirt with. Or maybe blondie had a friend. She sneaked a peek at the guy then fixated beyond him. No typical cluster
     of horny college guys watching intently to see if their friend scored.
    Must be a lone wolf.
    Fidgeting in her chair, she impatiently waited for the waitress, who got waylaid by
     another table. The woman shot her an apologetic look and continued taking the order
     from her current table.
    Bored and with no food or drink in sight, she thought about interrupting Reese when
     someone rudely bumped her chair. She jolted forward, catching herself against the
     table as a group of men walked by, none of whom bothered to apologize.
    So preoccupied with their rudeness she was thrown off guard when her lioness shifted
     violently within. The scent of tall grass and crisp, earthy musk swirled in the air,
     making her head spin. Still gripping the edge of the table, her claws emerged to dig
     into the wood, keeping her from falling off the chair.
    Holy shit. That’s never happened before .
    Shaking her head, she took a fortifying breath, pulling in the scent. Her grip on
     the table tightened in preparation of the same dizzying effect, but she was surprised
     when her lioness chuffed, urging her to get up and follow blindly.
    Ever so casually, Avery surveyed the bar, trying to see where the group of men went.
     Much to her disappointment, they disappeared into the crowd. The man the scent belonged
     to must be with them, she mused. Nothing else made sense.
    Her lioness demanded action. Mate. Follow.
    “Oh, hell no!” she exclaimed louder than she