Page 53 of Shifters Unifying

emma

The sound of punches and grunts filled the warehouse as I stepped inside the refurbished tobacco drying building turned into shifter training gym. The ex-warehouse sat about one hundred yards behind Six-Mile headquarters where I’d left Logan only in body.

My mind remained wholly on Logan and the frustration streaming through our bond. The reinforced door clanged shut behind me, and my eyes didn’t immediately adjust to the change in light, so I stood, still panting. My hair clung to my sweaty neck.

If you don’t stop, I’ll…I thought, pushing the plea at him.

You’ll what? Come again?He replayed our quickie in his head.

Logan, I have to focus…Focus. Focus. Training.Dammit, Logan.I tried to summon something else to think about… Saving the world from cruel Acheron. That was something I had to do, right?

I’ll give you something focus on.His growling answer echoed in my head, a challenge and a promise.And you’re going to know every time I’m thinking about fucking you from here until we die.

My knees threatened to give out right there.Oh, god… Logan…

That’s right, baby. Scream my name while the earth shakes beneath us.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and opened them again, pleased they’d adjusted. John, Ahmie, and Evie, each holding a long bo staff and all barefoot, sparred while the others observed from the edge of the mats. The situation brought flashbacks of my first days as a newly discovered shifter.

Geeze.It felt like a lifetime ago.I hope the distance between Six-Mile and the squirrel territory gives me a little brain space.

Straight up until I knock on the door of your treehouse, sweet cheeks, and I won’t care if you’ve got a roommate, so you had better multimorph your way into a spot off in a tree by yourself. Have you ever had an orgasm in a tree?

My out of place laughter cut through the sound of fighting, and Jasper glanced up from his place at the edge of the workout mats. He nodded toward me but turned his attention back toward the training trio. Olivia stood beside him, and Levi, Benjamin, and Reuben stood on the other side of her.

Blaze and Izzie sat on the bleachers, one on either side of the bespectacled Dr. Eleanor Wise, a short, sixty-something human, the widow of a strong shifter, and the de facto, Logan-approved, historian for the shifter clans. Dr. Wise’s dark leather attaché case rested next to her.

All three were now engrossed in the fight in front of them.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Motherfucker,” John yelled. “Do you two have to hit so hard?”

“Try harder, and maybe we won’t be able to hit you,” one of twins barked back.

Thwack!

John dropped to his knees, his chest heaving. “I give up,” he panted. “Let somebody else get beat up. I’ve had enough.”

Blaze elbowed Izzie, and they both jumped up from the bleachers. “Can me and Izzie fight you two together?”

On the mat, the twins shared a long look.

Ahmie shrugged. “If you think it’ll help, we have no problem with it. Get your sticks from the weapons wall.”

“No need,” John said. He tossed his to Blaze, and Oliver gently handed his to Izzie, his gaze lingering on the young woman. Unless I missed my guess, Oliver had a crush on Izzie. The two new male shifters joined Jasper on the sidelines.

Ahmie, Evie, Izzie, and Blaze began a four-way dance, sticks arcing swiftly through the air. The younger two had lightning-quick reflexes, but the twin’s training soon showed its advantage.

Smack! Slap!One of the ends of Ahmie’s staff landed solidly on Blaze’s arm.

“Ow!” Blaze dropped her stick and grabbed her hand, tears already flooding her eyes. She sniffled. “That hurt.”

Izzie’s eyebrows knit in concern, and she rushed toward Blaze. “You okay?”

Ahmie lowered her staff and took a step toward the injured woman. “Can you shift? That’ll take care of the injury. It’s a method you can use to heal yourself.”

Izzie glanced over her shoulder and scowled at Ahmie. “She can’t do that.”