Texas Longhorn Surprise

By Charlie Richards

When Ryan Carpenter realizes the scientists he works for are torturing sentient beings, he feels the need for penance in the form of helping the shifters free their comrades. To that end, Ryan heads to Oregon to offer aide in shutting down one of the scientist’s training facilities and freeing any captive shifters. He’s unprepared for one of the men, Sam Abbott, a Texas longhorn bull shifter, to express an attraction to him. Unfortunately, Ryan has secrets of his own, and knows if he becomes involved with Sam, a shifter, his own transgressions against Sam’s kind would eventually come out, destroying anything they might have built. Walking away—especially for the good of everyone—should be easy, right?

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Nov 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781771116565

Book preview

On the Road: To combine two lives, first one must understand the components of each.

When Ryan Carpenter realizes the scientists he works for are torturing sentient beings, he feels the need for penance in the form of helping the shifters free their comrades. To that end, Ryan heads to Oregon to offer aide in shutting down one of the scientist’s training facilities and freeing any captive shifters. He’s unprepared for one of the men, Sam Abbott, a Texas longhorn bull shifter, to express an attraction to him. Unfortunately, Ryan has secrets of his own, and knows if he becomes involved with Sam, a shifter, his own transgressions against Sam’s kind would eventually come out, destroying anything they might have built. Walking away—especially for the good of everyone—should be easy, right?

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Texas Longhorn Surprise

Copyright © 2013 Charlie Richards

ISBN: 978-1-77111-656-5

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books

Look for us online at:

www.extasybooks.com

Smashwords Edition

Texas Longhorn Surprise

Kontra’s Menagerie: Book Thirteen

By

Charlie Richards

To my loving partner—Your support gives me the drive to continue.

Chapter One

Tapping a thumb restlessly on his thigh, Ryan Carpenter glanced around surreptitiously as he waited beside the luggage carousel for his bag. Normally, he wouldn’t have to check anything, but he’d decided to bring his M24, and that wasn’t something he could carry on.

He tried not to come off as twitchy as he wondered if any of his fellow travelers were shifters like the ones he intended to help. It wouldn’t be surprising, and it was impossible to tell. He sure as hell wouldn’t have known they existed if the scientists hadn’t recruited him to work their security.

Ten years in the military and this was how he went out…by getting sucked into some fascist scientist’s vendetta against another race that most people didn’t know inhabited the planet.

Of course, at the time, he hadn’t known that shifters were sentient in their animal form. It’d taken watching the animals…er…shifters while guarding them for six months, followed by a guy also employed by the scientists and in the intelligence division, to get him to realize the error of his ways. Well, it wasn’t even his ways. Outside what he thought of as the line of duty, he’d never harmed an animal in his life, other than the occasional spider or scorpion. He’d been following blindly.

Not something I’m proud of.

He spotted his gun case—the camo colors standing out against the pink, reds, and blues of many of the other passenger’s luggage. When he snagged it, he got a couple curious looks from others. Ignoring them, he kept his head up and shoulders back while making his way toward the exit.

Ryan? Ryan Carpenter?

Ryan turned and spotted a tall, slender fellow with sandy-brown hair and a slight smile.

Yes?

The man stepped close and held out his hand. I’m Luc Laurent. Kontra sent me. He offers his thanks for your willingness to come.

Right. Kontra’s the leader of this pack of shifters. He’d learned from Carson—a wolf shifter in Stone Ridge—that shifters kept to a fairly strict hierarchy in their groups. They had to do it to keep order, which assisted in assuring the continued secrecy of the race.

Ryan took the man’s hand and replied, It’s no problem, all the while wondering what kind of shifter Luc was. He had a slight French accent and laugh lines around his hazel eyes. Now that he’d confirmed Ryan’s identity, he appeared to relax, his shoulders loosening and his smile widening.

"You may feel that way, Luc replied, leading the way up an escalator, out of the airport, and into a parking structure. But it means a lot to us to get our brethren out of…such a dangerous situation."

He just nodded, uncertain what to say and not wanting, even inadvertently, to offend. Years in the military had taught him when to keep his mouth shut.

Luc stopped at a navy blue SUV. Taking in the plates, Ryan noted it was a rental. He wondered at that, hoping this wasn’t some elaborate set-up to get him alone to punish him for his part in holding shifters hostage. Declan—the big alpha wolf from Stone Ridge—had made him plenty nervous, but he hadn’t seemed the type to be vindictive like that.

Ryan opened the back door and placed his duffle inside. Keeping his rifle case with him, he settled in the front seat, the case resting between his right thigh and the door. If he needed to duck out for any reason, he wanted his weapons with him.

The shifter started the vehicle, but instead of backing out of the parking space, Luc rested his arm on the steering wheel, turning to face him. You don’t trust us.

Feeling no point in beating around the bush, Ryan replied, Probably about as much as you trust me.

Fair point, Luc said, nodding. Then, he cracked a smile and stated, Except if you were trying to deceive us, we’d scent the lies in your words.

Ryan’s brows shot up. You’re lie detectors?

Luc shrugged. That’s one way to put it. Unless someone is a professional con artist, we can pretty much tell if the average person is lying or even omitting or stretching the truth. A person’s heart rate will spike, their pupils often dilate, and there’s an increase in nervous sweat. To a shifter, the nerves are the biggest indicator because it changes the person’s scent.

Wow, that’s— Ryan frowned and shook his head. How many times had he wished in the last couple of weeks that he’d been able to tell how the scientists were lying to him? Sighing, he slid his gaze out the window, not really seeing the other vehicles. That’s a handy ability to have.

A calloused hand landed on his arm, giving it a squeeze. Ryan turned to see a sympathetic expression on Luc’s face. It’s not just lies we can scent out, he revealed. "Now, you’re feeling guilty. That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted you to know