Shifter’s Surrender Read Online Free PDF Page A

wrist, he brought up his other hand. It too was snared, and he was shoved around the side of the building.
    A deep voice snarled in his face.“Dean, snap out of it. Do not make me take you down.”
    Slowly, ever so slowly, the sound and touch of his second-in-command penetrated the fog of rage. Dean took in several long breaths, filling his lungs with the familiar scent of Caleb Bennett.
    “That’s it,” Caleb said, loosening his grip only slightly. “Follow my breathing. Nice and easy. Now look into my eyes. Good. Do you hear my heart beating? Yes? Now try to match it.”
    It was a calming technique used on humans that worked exceedingly well for shifters. Social and sensual creatures, shifters usually responded to any steady external stimulation of their senses. Fighting sights, sounds and smells created the urge to battle, while easy sounds and gentle touch soothed the beast.
    After several long minutes Dean reigned himself in, both claws and temper, and nodded at Caleb in appreciation. “I’m good. Thanks.”
    Caleb dropped his hands and stepped back, but not out of arms reach. A powerful shifter in his own right, Caleb Bennett could easily be the Alpha of any pack. Instead, he followed Dean’s leadership, often saying that being the sheriff was enough of a responsibility without the added headache of running his own pack. A personal decision that Dean had been thankful for on many levels and many occasions. This wasn’t the first time Caleb had had to pull Dean back from the edge, and probably wouldn’t be the last. Fortunately, the sheriff was just as big and strong as Dean, and should there come a time when Caleb couldn’t physically take down Woodcliff’s Alpha, a bullet from his gun would. It was a dismal thought.
    Caleb swept an analytical gaze over Dean. “What the hell happened? I’ve never seen you this … upset.”
    Dean nearly snorted at the mild term. Shifters were in complete control of their wolves until the full moon, when the animal had to come out. As a strong Alpha, Dean had the ability to revert any member of his pack from furry form to human with a simple touch, but he was losing control over his own changes. Another irony not lost on him.
    Blowing out a breath, Dean rested his hands on his hips and starred up at the darkening sky. While he might want to lie and say nothing happened, he didn’t have a clue how long Caleb had been in the vicinity and what he might have seen. And if push came to shove, his second needed to know why one day, possibly sooner than later, Caleb would have to take Dean down, permanently.
    Meeting the clear brown eyes of the sheriff’s, Dean made the decision to tell him the truth. “Kaylie happened.”
    A minute tightening of Caleb’s eyes was the only reaction. “What exactly does that mean?”
    As Caleb was engaged to Kaylie’s older and only sister, Tess, Dean knew the other man already considered Kaylie part of his family. And Caleb was very protective of his family.
    Dean ran a hand over his chin, absently noticing the rough stubble that rasped against his palm. “Kaylie is … a mate.”
    Though Dean hadn’t said “my mate,” the implication was clear. While there were possibly thousands of females in the world that had the compatible DNA to produce shifter cubs, the actual “mate” of a shifter tended to be the one the male not only had a compelling need to claim, she was also the only female the shifter actually desired. Basically, if a male shifter was placed blindfolded into a large room, or an open field for that matter, with every potential female mate in the world, the one he gravitated towards—identified by an enticing and irresistible scent that drew the male like a magnet—was the shifter’s true “mate.” It didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was cause for celebration, not rejection.
    Ever the trained observer, Caleb caught Dean’s phrasing. “ A mate or your mate?”
    Dean hesitated a moment, his eyes focused on