Shifters of Silver Peak: Mate For A Month Read Online Free PDF Page A

sent mud splashing up her jumpsuit, ruining it. “And your roads are terrible!” she shrieked, tears burning her eyes. “You have horrible, horrible roads! You should be grateful we offered to build a road on your property, because we’d build a real road and your roads are made of dirt!”
    “You’re mad because we have dirt roads?” He looked as if he were really trying to understand.
    Her shoulders sank in defeat. Had she really just insulted him and his pack because they had dirt roads? What a snobby thing to say. She was starting to sound like her father. A fate worse than death.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, blinking hard and trying not to cry. “None of this is your fault. I’m having a bad day. I’ll leave now.”
    And then she burst into tears.
    * * * * *
    “Is that him?” Verity glanced out the window. Marcus was standing outside, a few hundred yards away.
    Great. Of all the times for Marcus to decide to be social, it had to be right now.
    Marcus was arguing with the blonde, who was yelling at him about something and waving her arms. They were standing so close to each other... Marcus never let people get that close to him physically.
    It was weird how they were interacting. Roman felt an odd sense of déjà vu, then realized what they reminded him of.
    Him and Chelsea, on the day they’d first met.
    “Excuse me. I’ll go get him for you,” he said to Verity. “Stay right here.”
    He hurried outside, running over to where Eileen and Marcus were standing.
    “You want to build that road?” he said to her in a low voice. “Play along with what I say. It’ll only be for a few days, maybe a few weeks at most. Okay, maybe a month.”
    Verity had ignored his orders; she trotted over to him with her “advisors” at her heels. His pack members had also followed him outside.
    Roman turned around and said triumphantly, “Oh, and here’s the other reason why Marcus hasn’t been spending much time with the pack. He’s been too busy with his new mate.”

Chapter Five
     
    “New mate?” Verity looked suspiciously back and forth from Eileen to Marcus. “She hasn’t registered yet. There’s no certificate on file.”
    “Well, we’re pretty informal around here.” Roman shrugged. “But he’s been spending time in the company of his mate, so that meets your requirements.”
    He gestured at Verity. “Eileen, Marcus, this is Verity Farragut of the Council for Shifter Affairs, and these two men are what she’s referring to as ‘advisors’, but we all know they’re really Enforcers.” The two burly shifters scowled at that, and glanced at each other with furrowed brows, but didn’t make a move.
    Verity raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow and looked at Eileen. “She’s crying.”
    At that, Eileen looked up and glared. “ She’s standing right here . She can hear you. And she’s crying because she ruined her shoes.”
    Verity looked her up and down. She stared at Marcus, at Roman, at the half-dozen other pack members who were striding towards them and shooting wary looks at the “advisors”. Then she looked at Eileen again.
    “You’re not dressed like someone who lives out here.”
    Eileen pretended to burst into tears. “This was my only good outfit, and it’s ruined! Ruined!” she wailed loudly. “If only they had decent roads here!” She shot Roman a look as she said that.
    Verity blinked and took a step back.
    “ Ruined! ” Eileen shrieked. “I saved up for a month to buy these shoes! Ruined!” Her voice rose to ear-splitting level. She stamped her foot in the mud and sent it splattering everywhere, including all over Marcus, who didn’t seem to notice. It also splashed all over Verity’s legs, making her grimace and step back even further.
    If there was one thing that Eileen could do, it was throw a temper tantrum. That was one of the few ways she could get rid of her father when he was being annoying and patronizing, which was always. He pretty much seemed to expect her