บททั้งหมดของ Motley Crewed Shifters: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

##CHAPTER: BOOK 1:BLURB & PROLOGUE COWBOY DEVIL’S EMBRACE He’s been looking for someone to hold on to. She’s been waiting for the right guy. This Jersey Devil has a jaded past. Too many loveless affairs, sleazy backroom deals, and an overall loss of his love for life has led Maximillian Leeds to one conclusion. He needs a change. What could be more different for a city slicker than buying a ranch in Northern New Jersey? There’s just one problem. He has no idea how to run a farm/ranch/thing. What’s he even supposed to do on a horse? An announcement in a supernatural newsletter gets him a misfit group of lone Shifters that all have one thing in common. They each need an anchor to settle their beasts. Good thing the Motley Crewd Ranch is fully insured. Thinking he's made a big mistake, Max changes his tune when he meets his fated mate at the Devil’s Food Bakery. The pouty-lipped maker of decadent delights makes his mouth water. Can this Jersey Devil convince th

“What a fucking dump,” I growled.I bared my teeth as a low, hiss-like sound emerged from my chest. The four-hour drive north had left me feeling antsy and restless. My skin itched for me to shift, but I couldn’t. Not yet.Fucking Avail.This sealed it. I was going to murder my cousin.Okay, fine. The drive was long, but I did enjoy the scenery. North Jersey was lush and green, with forests, hills, valleys, and huge tracts of farmlands, though not as big as those in the southwestern part of the state.My new house and lands, courtesy of a huge chunk of my trust fund, sat just beyond an enormous wrought iron gate that held a weathered sign with the letters Mi l r R n h barely visible.I had no idea what they once said, and furthermore I did not care. This place was a mess. A veritable fucking dump even though I was pretty sure it was supposed to be a large ranch style house.Right off the bat, the roof was sagging, the porch missing a few planks of wood in the steps. There was a

“Next!” I shouted from the trailer I had set up all the way at the far side of a series of dilapidated goat pens.For some reason, three dozen Shifters had showed up on my doorstep at the ass crack of dawn the day after I moved into this hellhole.The roof leaked. My mattress was lumpy. And the AC unit was busted. I’d only gotten about two hours of sleep.Mrs. O’Hare was not awake yet, so now I was sitting here, angry as fuck, with no coffee or breakfast in sight, interviewing a whole gaggle of furry fuckers.“Sir?” a shortish guy with a long beard interrupted my inner tirade.“What?”“Uh, nothin’. I was just waiting for you to finish with your interview to talk about my fees for maintaining this place while you were gone,” the man said, swallowing.“What kind of Shifter are you?” I asked, not recognizing his scent. I knew it was rude of me, but whatever.“Prairie Dog,” he replied straight-faced.“I’m sorry, what?”“Prairie Dog, sir.”“And you say you’ve been maintaining thi

Five forty-five PM on Wednesday rolled around, and instead of being at home in my pjs with my TV on with warm, salty, buttery popcorn in an almost overflowing bowl on top of my lap, I was at the bakery, waiting for the mysterious MCR to pick up their order.Yay. Not.“I am here!” Avery called out before coming into the back.I knew Rosie had tap class every week at this time at the same place I used to go to right on the corner. Avery usually waited in the little room designated for parents just inside the dance studio, but not where the children could see. Apparently, parents were a distraction that needed to be out of view.Whatever.“Where do you want me?” she asked.“Ooh, over here,” I nodded at the workstation next to mine where I had a tray of fudge waiting to be cut and packaged.Since I was going to be stuck here, I decided to get a jump on my fall flavors candy collections.Yep. I made homemade fudge and caramels as well as baked goods, and it was time to get our pumpk

The atmosphere inside the bakery was so tense, I swear I could hear time crawl by. Avery was looking back and forth from Max to me, and I knew her evil little brain was spinning all sorts of ideas.No. No. No. Do not do it, Avery, I silently pleaded.“Ok, well, um, here you go,” I said, nodding to his boxes of cupcakes and taking an exaggerated step back.“Thank you,” Max said, and his blue eyes seemed to bore a hole right through me.“Um, goodnight,” I added, trying to end whatever this exchange was.It was too much for total strangers. He struck a nerve or something, but even though I nodded at the door and crossed my arms, Max made no move to go.He simply watched me, his head canted to the side like a curious animal.What did I need to do to get him to leave, for fuck’s sake? Draw a map?“Hope you like the cupcakes. Bye now,” I said pointedly.“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Max asked, narrowing his gaze.“No!”But really, yeah, I was.I wasn’t stupid.This guy had