Slow Shift by Nazarea Andrews (best summer reads of all time txt) 📕

his fault, but he certainly didn’t do his job.”

She’s staring at him now, and her expression is something between curiosity and disdain. “And what does a half-trained human know about it?”

Chase laughs. “You can’t insult me that way, Chelsea.”

“I’m the Alpha. I can do whatever I want.”

“No, I mean—you aren’t saying anything I haven’t heard before and ignored. I know what I am and what I mean to this Pack. So insulting me with my humanity? I like being human. Calling me half-trained? Sorry, lady, you don’t know shit about my training. You never asked, and sure as hell never cared. So you can try, I guess—but it’s not actually effective.”

She’s staring at him like he’s some kind of strange and disgusting insect, which makes him smile, wide and amused. He looks back at his papers and sits back down, ignoring the Alpha still staring at him, now a little baffled.

He gets halfway through the page he’s reading.

“Where is my brother?” she snaps.

“You might know this if you were here more, but we don’t actually live on top of each other.”

“The size of this pitiful house would suggest otherwise,” she says haughtily.

Chase glares at her. “Tyler is at work. So is Lucas. And no, I won’t call them. They’ll be home when they’re home and you can talk to them then.”

“You do know I’m the Alpha, right? You serve me.”

Chase stares back at her, and he knows his heartbeat is steady when he says, “You aren’t my Alpha. And I serve my Pack.”

She stares at him. He turns his gaze away from her. It’s an insult, giving him her back like she isn’t a threat. She knows it and so does he.

He doesn’t give a damn.

~*~

She watches when he carries his books into his bedroom, abandons them in a messy stack on the desk, and goes to the kitchen.

It’s been almost an hour since she arrived and he’s a little surprised that Lucas isn’t here yet—he’s not stupid enough to think Aurora didn’t text him as soon as she heard him say Chelsea’s name.

It wasn’t quite a call to arms, but it sure as hell isn’t a friendly neighborhood visitor.

“It’s quaint,” she says, poking at the couch where he likes to sit, smooshed between Tyler and Lucas.

“We like it.”

“Pack homes are meant to be bigger. I know you don’t know that, but—this is barely a den.”

“Most Pack homes can house twenty or more, with whole wings for individual families, panic rooms for safety, and cells for werewolves still learning control. There’s usually a war room for the Alpha, for the Second, the Left Hand, the Shaman.” He stares at her, his smile fixed. “It typically sits on miles of untouched land, with room for the Pack to run and hunt, while staying hidden. It’s a place where Pack is safe, isolated and together, and outsiders aren’t welcome.” His smile quirks and he says, “Did I cover it?”

Chelsea smiles. “So, you’re not just a pretty face.”

His grin goes feral. “Not even close.” He chops up some chicken and tosses it into the pan to fry before dragging out broccoli. Lucas will complain, but with Chelsea staring at him like a bug she wants to pin to a board, he needs quick and easy. “Tyler built it. The Reid house is still close—I never go, but I think they do, on the full moon. But he likes it, that we’re small. We can hear each other anywhere in the den.”

“Must make it awkward when Tyler drags home his conquests,” she say.

Chase stills. He doesn’t look at her, but she makes a low delighted noise.

“Oh, I see,” she purrs.

“No offense, Chelsea, but you don’t see shit,” Chase spits.

She laughs again.

A car rattles up and she twists to look at the door. About fucking time.

The door opens and John steps through.

Chelsea’s eyes narrow. “Chief,” she says politely.

“Alpha,” he answers easily, and her eyes go wide at that. “Son. Sorry I’m early. I wanted to get out of the station before I got caught up again.”

“Early is better than late, old man,” Chase says, and John laughs. Chelsea is back to looking confused, and Chase almost feels bad for her—almost.

“Chelsea,” John says smoothly, opening a root beer and watching her with a genial grin. “What brings you back to Harrisburg?”

~*~

When Lucas walks in, he goes straight to Chase, ignoring Chelsea completely as he cups the Shaman’s neck and rubs against his hair.

Chase grins at him. “I’m fine, big bad.”

He rolls his eyes and glares at the food half-finished on the counter. “I don’t like broccoli.”

“Deal with it,” Chase says cheerfully, then starts the noodles.

Lucas sighs and turns to study his sister. She looks the same as ever, if possibly a little soft. There’s nothing sharp and alert about her lazy sprawl at the table—that’s Chase’s seat—nothing aware about the wine warm gleam in her eyes.

“Lucas,” she says, her voice edged with that familiar disdain and disgust.

He smirks. “Sister.”

Her eyes gleam red for a heartbeat, but she tamps down on that and stands. “No hug?”

Lucas crosses his arms. He doesn’t want to touch her, doesn’t want her scent on him. “I’m going to take a shower. Tyler will be here in ten minutes and you can explain yourself then.”

Chelsea gapes at him and Chase nudges against him, a gentle reminder that he’s not alone. Lucas shoves the urge to drag the boy closer, protect him from Chelsea, down.

“I don’t know what kind of welcome you expected, Chelsea, but I am going to be very clear—I don’t want you. Not here, and not as my Alpha.”

~*~

Her eyes are on Lucas as he stalks out of the room. Chase watches her. He almost feels sorry for her, with that confused expression, the pout to her lips, but not quite.

“He’s being kind of harsh on her, don’t you think?” John murmurs.

Chase shakes his head. “He’s really not.”

“Why are you even here?” Chelsea demands abruptly.

Chase glances at her. He pours a cup of coffee and slides it to her, getting