Shifting Allegiance (Shifter Lords #11)

Chapter 1

Chapter

One

“Iquit.”

Ethan smirked at me. “You can’t quit.”

My fists clenched at my sides at the surety in his tone. “Oh? How about I bite the shit out of each of you, drain your blood, then set the building on fire and leave your bodies inside for your mothers to discover?”

Soren and Ben blinked, their expressions changing from smug to wary in a heartbeat.

“Gods, Moira,” Ethan muttered. “Can you tone it down?”

“No. I cannot tone it down. You jerks have been running me ragged for months now, and I’m over it. There is no junior council because I am the junior council. You’ve appointed no one and sent me out to do all your crappy errands.”

I suspected Ethan was spearheading this nonsense, too.

Ever since I started dating Cernunnos, he’d kept me so busy I barely got to lie my head down before popping up to go off to some other hellhole to do the Lord’s business.

I had zero time for myself, let alone spending any time with Cernunnos.

That wasn’t even counting the tea shop I now owned in name only because I was never home and forcing Evie to hire a new helper because I also had zero time to pop into her shop.

All in all, the Lords sucked, and I was done with their nonsense.

“We can’t be in more than one place at once, which is why we need a representative,” Ethan said. “And for some reason, our people like you.”

The sarcasm of the last part of his statement was not lost on me. “At least your people have one likable person in leadership,” I shot back.

Ethan bared his teeth.

“Moira,” Ben interrupted, giving Ethan a meaningful look I took to mean, please shut up. “What are your thoughts on managing this council better?”

I liked Ben, but in this, the poor guy didn’t have a clue.

“I don’t manage this council at all. I’m merely the lackey.

If you’d like to have a council, you need more people.

If you want representatives, you need at least three for each territory.

Not one for everywhere. Please consider this my in-person two-week notice.

After this, you’ll need to find someone else. ”

Ethan leaned forward. “You’re under contract.”

I met his midnight gaze. “And you have abused my time and effort. I’m sure if you thoroughly read my contract, you’ll see I am well within my rights to walk away.” I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “The notice is a courtesy I am not required to provide. Do not push me.”

I nodded and turned to leave the room. As I was reaching for the door handle, Ethan spoke up. “What about a raise?”

What an ass. I was a vampire. If an immortal being didn’t know how to save and invest, they’d be cast out of the vampire club.

If they had one of those. I liked money.

I especially liked the feel of it as I handed it over the counter to receive something shiny in return.

But I didn’t need more of it if I still had to put up with the same bullshit.

“Not interested.”

Ethan snorted. “I know you’re eyeing a piece from Ari’s store.”

I slowly turned. My heart thumped in my chest. “Spying on me now, Ethan? How very unbecoming of a Lord.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “I keep tabs on everyone who works for me.”

“Including their jewelry wants?”

Soren and the other Lords looked down at the table or anywhere else but at me.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Moira,” Ethan snapped. “I know everything about my employees.”

But I hadn’t missed the slight widening of his eyes when I called him out about it. “Hmm. Then maybe you should add the matching piece. My ring size is 6.”

Without another word, I walked out of the room.

Ass. I didn’t bother waiting around for the Lord’s meeting to end.

Coffee waited just around the corner, and I needed to head to my shop and stop in at Evie’s to see how the new hire was doing.

I was in between assignments right now, after just ending the last one yesterday.

None had been as ridiculous as Soren’s run-in with the witches, nor had I seen my mother since I’d stabbed her with a spear, though I wasn’t foolish enough to believe she was done with me.

The last few assignments I’d been tasked with had been relatively easy and stress-free, but the travel was beginning to irritate me.

Cernunnos, my current…hmm. Calling him my boyfriend when he’s an ancient god felt a little weird, but I guess that’s what he was.

He could pop in anytime and anywhere he wanted, but to add insult to injury, Ethan made sure he gave me the most tedious assignments that took up almost all my time.

I was just sliding into my vehicle when Ethan came outside, spotted me, and took off running. The odds of my skidding out of the parking lot and leaving him behind were low, especially since I was still fishing around in my purse for my keys.

Ethan stepped into the space between the open car door and the driver’s seat and bent down to peer in at me. I liked the way his stupid face looked, and it annoyed me because he was acting like an asshat, and the last thing I wanted was to look at him right now.

His eyes were a midnight blue, so dark they sometimes looked black.

Silver hair edged his temples, an unusual feature for any immortal, but especially a shifter.

Most of them, no matter how old, looked like they were in their mid-twenties to early thirties.

Ethan looked closer to his early forties.

His face was unlined, but the edges of his eyes had a hint of laugh lines my fingers always itched to smooth over.

He wasn’t a man who laughed often, but I suspected that for those lines to etch his skin so thoroughly, there must have been a time when he smiled all the time. That reason continued to keep us apart, and I’d finally moved on.

Even if his presence made my heart pound in my chest and my mouth go dry.

“You’re annoyed with me.”

My hands clenched the steering wheel a little tighter. “So you thought you’d come over and poke the bear?”

One side of his lips tilted up in a half-formed smile. My gaze sharpened on that almost smile.

“I’d argue it’s like poking a tiger,” Ethan drawled.

“This kitty cat bites,” I said sweetly.

Ethan’s eyes flared gold. “Careful, Moira. You never know who might want to get bitten.”

I opened my mouth to fire back, but nothing came out. My brain had stuttered to a halt because the image he put into my mind…

“Damn it, Ethan. Stop it. What do you want?”

His chuckle made my nerve endings sizzle. I was one of the few he ever laughed around. Those moments had wrapped around my heart like a vise, and I knew I’d collect this one as well and cherish it forever.

I wanted to hate him, but I couldn’t. When someone showed you who they were, you had to believe them. And Ethan had shown me someone had so thoroughly captured his heart there was no room for anyone else. Nor would there ever be.

A few months ago, I finally believed him and had opened the door for Cernunnos to step in.

“I’ll be in Emberwood tonight. I’d like to see you.”

I shook my head. “You’re seeing me right now. Anything you want to say to me can be said right here.”

Ethan’s nostrils flared. “Moira.”

“Ethan.”

His jaw tightened. “We haven’t spent any time together.”

“I’m well aware since you seem to be the cause of it.”

The bastard didn’t look a bit chagrined. “What can I say,” he drawled, “the Lords have been busier than ever.”

“Piss off with that nonsense,” I growled as I reached for the door. “You know as well as I do that you’re being a hateful, jealous bastard.”

Ethan blinked. “I—”

I twisted in my seat, shoved him with a booted foot, then pulled my door shut.