Chapter 13
THE MINUTE PHOENIX disappeared, Travis headed straight for Max’s table.
“What did you idiots do to Phoenix?” he growled, noting that five of the six shots he’d poured were still sitting on the table untouched.
The cougars and wolves exchanged uneasy glances.
“Well?”
“It should have worked,” Pete said sullenly.
“I agree,” Max said. “This isn’t exactly good news.”
“What should have worked?” Travis asked.
“The sixth shot was for her.” Karl nodded at the empty glass. “She downed it fast, but then nothing happened.”
“Shit,” Travis growled. “Are you telling me she just did a shot of The Beast Within?”
“Yeah, but nothing happened!” Karl said.
Travis spun around and scanned the room. The minute he saw Glory, he headed her way. “I need you to take over the bar.”
“What? Why?”
“I’ve gotta check on Phoenix.”
Glory scanned the bar. “Where is she?”
“Just watch the bar,” Travis growled and stormed away.
* * *
“You did what?”
Max winced. He wouldn’t want to be Pete right now.
Glory looked like she might claw off his face at any moment. “We have no idea what kind of shifter she is and you thought ripping her animal free with The Beast Within was a good idea?”
Pete shrugged. “Well… yeah.”
“It should have worked,” Karl insisted.
“I’ve never seen a shifter retain their animal after a shot of The Beast,” Dan said.
“He’s right.” Max shook his head. “Which means this is more serious than we thought.”
Glory huffed. “You didn’t see any evidence of a shift at all? No claws, no fur or feathers, nothing?”
“Nothing.”
“I’ve gotta go watch the bar, but you boys better be on your best behavior. You take those shots, you control your beasts. Got me?”
Max and his crew all nodded.
“Don’t worry about us, Glory,” Pete said. “We’re going to do a bit more planning before we have these here shots.”
“Yeah, we gotta figure out our next steps,” Cole said.
Max just rolled his eyes and wondered how much worse things could get.
* * *
Travis knocked on Phoenix’s door and waited.
There was no answer.
Remembering how unhappy she’d been the last time he woke her from her nap, he opened the door quietly, but realized almost immediately she wasn’t there.
Closing the door, he crossed the hall, entered his own apartment and headed for the bedroom.
At the center of his bed, Phoenix rested, curled in a small ball, bathed in a pool of moonlight.
He’d never felt the intensity of tenderness and joy that welled inside at the sight of her. She was so beautiful and peaceful. And she was in his bed.
All he wanted to do was crawl in beside her.
Even though he and his bear had both hoped to find her in shifted form, he wasn’t even disappointed. And neither, he realized, was his bear. They were both simply too charmed and enchanted by the sight of Phoenix in their bed, sleeping peacefully in the middle of their territory.
Glory could handle the bar.
He was going to take a nap with his mate.