Chapter One
T
obias was going to kill his bodyguards. Provided the Ravens that were tailing them didn’t jump the gun and do the job for him first. While the latter might have seemed like a better option, since Tobias wouldn’t have to exert himself, or get his new jeans all bloody, it really wouldn’t work. Not since he’d be the first one the birds attacked. It was common knowledge that the birds always went for the weakest member of the pack first. Born a runt and still as small as ever, Tobias fit that bill and then some. Plus, as Russell’s youngest sibling, that put an additional target on Tobias’s back. Face it, he may as well be wearing a t-shirt that read Fresh Meat on it.
Sigh…it so sucked being the younger brother of the wolf who was at the head of the most illegal activity this side of he state. Correction, make that former head of illegal activity. Ever since Russell had found his mate, he’d cleaned up his act. Now that he had two new cubs to take care of, he was being even more of a Boy Scout. In the past six months, he hadn’t so much as ripped the tag off a mattress.
In truth, their small pack didn ’t need to do anything for awhile. While Russell had still been wearing the black hat, they’d amassed a small fortune. But Tobias was quickly finding out that all play and no work, was making for a very boring life.
At the moment, he was sitting in a small Italian restaurant with his two bodyguards, Ervin and Nico. They had been with him for years, yet they’d never really become close friends. Be it because they resented having to always look after the runt of the pack, or because they thought Tobias was just a brat. Whatever the reason, they’d never warmed up to him.
Letting out another sigh, Tobias spun his fork over the cheap plastic red and white checkered tablecloth. At the same time, he looked up from under his lashes at the group of Ravens who were sitting only two tables away.
Tobias sighed again. “I just wish they’d attack and get it over with.”
“They probably don’t want to call attention to themselves since we’re surrounded by humans,” Nico said.
With shaggy, chin-length brown hair and deep amber eyes, Nico would be good looking if it weren’t for the purpetial expression of annoyance on his mug. Even Ervin was hot, despite having an old man’s name. His hair was shorter…in a near buzz cut, but he had piercing blue eyes that made him catch the attention of both sexes. Unfortunately, Ervin always wore pieved expressions, too.
“Since when has a little attention stopped the Ravens? From what I heard, they have been doing everything to announce their presence these days,” Tobias countered.
In fact, thanks to the damn birds, humans were now discovering the existance of shifters. It had gone down exactly like most of them had expected, too. Every day, more groups of hunters were sprouting up. They had already attacked several small shifter packs and families. Tobias knew it would only get worse, before it got better.
Ervin reached over and slammed a hand over the fork.“Just play it cool. Maybe they’re here just to grab a bite.”
Tobias shot him a duh glare.“Unless they have rotten meat back there, this place doesn’t carry what they like to call dinner.”
A look of revulsion came over Nico’s face.“They really do eat that stuff? I thought it was just a myth.”
“Yeah, last time I was visiting the felines, Chance told me so himself.”
“Does he eat that kind of thing?”
“No, Chance isn’t like other Ravens.”
As always, whenever he thought back to the coalition, Tobias’s mind instantly fixated on one cat alone…Colby. Young and small like Tobias, the blond, blue-eyed feline had a sweet vulnerable side that instantly called out to Tobias. The fact that Colby had a rough past hadn’t turned Tobias away either. If anything, it had made the Lion all the more alluring. So much so that Tobias wanted to wrap his arms around the other man and protect him from ever being hurt again.
“I still say the cats should never have taken in Chance and his sister. Once a Raven, always a Raven,” Ervin grumbled.
“I said, Chance is nothing like them. Besides, Chance and Dulla are practically family to Ranger,” Tobias defended.
While he’d only met the Raven siblings on a few occasions, Tobias had found them very likable. At least they could hold an intelligent, friendly conversation, which was a lot more than Tobias could say for Ervin or Nico. Just the other day, Nico had knocked over an old lady and instead of apologizing, he’d told her to go back to Rose and the other Golden Girls. Although to be fair, he had offered to buy the next round of cheesecake, but Tobias had a feeling that was just another cut-down.