Page 36 of Remington’s Mate

Remy: How’s Sutcliffe? Is he pissed about the magnificence that is Us?

Jaeda: All of a sudden he’s looking at my boobs a lot. I’m thinking he doesn’t really want to bone me, but he still feels like you poached on his territory

All of a sudden Remy felt like Sutcliffe was poaching on his territory.

He reminded himself he wasn’t going to see her again.

His owl said, That’s one. If things go according to pattern, you have six more tries to quit Jaeda before dragons get involved.

Fuck off, funny bird.

If you like, we can rip out the innards of the human man in the big glass building.

Remy sighed. Not yet. Hold that thought.

To Jaeda he texted: Watch your back. Dudes with power issues are dangerous

Jaeda: I told you. So am I

Remy: No doubt in my mind.

When Remy pulled up to the mansion, the whole crew was outside despite the chilly weather. Squatch and Brandon, in human form, were playing soccer against Colt in leopard form.

No, wait, Colt had just passed the ball to what looked like empty air—and it was dribbling down the field on its own.

Apparently Phantom Nick was on Colt’s team.

Kitty and Callie were perched on the limb of a large tree, hanging a tire swing.

The soccer ball heaved itself past Brandon for a goal, and a few seconds later the tire swing began swinging wildly back and forth in a ghost panther celebration.

Kitty almost fell out of the tree. “Phantom Nick, you cut that out! Go play!”

Remy couldn’t tell if he did or not. Brandon, Colt and Squatch were the only ones who could see the ghost unless he wanted to be seen.

As Remy got out of the truck, Colt broke off the game and bounded toward him. Callie grabbed the tire swing rope and started sliding down.

Colt got to him first. He Changed to human and the two of them jumped and did a mid-air chest bump. As they landed, Colt grabbed him in a giant bro hug.

It felt great.

Remy hugged him back, then grabbed him around the neck and gave him a noogie. “You’re naked, dude. Get your hairy dick away from me.”

Colt twisted out of his headlock. “You’re just jealous because I got the leopard and the giant dick.”

“You sure as fuck didn’t get the giant brain.”

Colt grinned and slapped him on the back, then went to get his pants.

Callie raced up to Remy and hugged him hard. “Sheeyit,” he said when he got his breath back. “What was that for?”

“A girl can’t hug her brother after being gone for two weeks? What are you, some kind of snotty bird shifter?”

Remy was touched. Callie had lost her adored brother only a year or so ago. Being elevated to that spot in her heart meant a lot. To cover his emotion, he mussed her hair. “Yes. So superior to fur-creatures.”

She smacked him, still smiling.

“Welcome back,” he said to her. “How was fucking in the snow?”