Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set by Colleen Gleason

eyes.
    “Shifter Bureau,” Tiger said calmly.
    Reder watched him nervously. “Shifter Bureau
what
? What are you talking about?”
    “Shifter Bureau must be notified if any Shifters are taken in,” Tiger said. “There is a procedure. Call Major Walker Danielson, the commanding officer.”
    “This isn’t a military thing,” Reder snapped. “It’s first degree murder. On
my
watch.”
    Tiger shook his head. “All police involvement in anything to do with Shifters must be coordinated with and cleared by Shifter Bureau.”
    Reder looked to Bree, of all people, for confirmation. Bree shrugged, leaning down again to rest against Seamus. It felt natural to cradle him, as though they belonged together.
    Dylan broke in. “Tiger has a point. Put in a call to Shifter Bureau to confirm if you want to. You have to wait for their okay.”
    Reder’s temper was on its last frayed thread. “To hell with Shifter Bureau. I’m arresting all Shifters in this room on suspicion of murder. I’d read you your rights, but you don’t have any. You two.” She pointed at Bree and Nadine. “I’ll need you to stay in town, where I can put my hands on you and question you if necessary.” Reder nodded at her two uniforms. “Cuff them.”
    The uniformed cops didn’t want to do it, Bree could see, but they reluctantly took cuffs from behind their backs. None of the Shifters moved, including Seamus, who was tense as a coiled rattlesnake.
    It was interesting to see that both uniformed cops tried to go for Sean first—he seemed the least threatening. Sean found it interesting too, apparently. He grinned and started backing away from them.
    Reder, furious, went for Tiger.
    Tiger reached out, and without changing expression, took the cuffs from Reder’s hands and broke them. Reder shrieked, one of the uniforms spun around, drew his weapon, and shot Tiger.
    Tiger just stood there. He didn’t even look down at the red hole that blossomed in his side nor did he try to touch it.
    The man who fired went sheet white. Reder drew her gun and found it plucked from her hand by Tiger’s big one. Another shot rang out, this one grazing Tiger’s arm, but Tiger still didn’t flinch.
    Tiger said, “Dylan,” then his clothes were splitting, and an enormous man-beast with Tiger-striped fur filled the kitchen.
    Bree expected the cops outside to come charging in, alerted by gunfire and Reder’s shouts, but she saw and heard no sign of it.
    The uniforms aimed again. “Stop!” Dylan’s voice rang through the kitchen. “Don’t provoke him. Call Shifter Bureau. Do it.
Now!
”
    “I’m on it,” Sean said.
    “Seamus,” Dylan said. “See what’s happening outside.”
    “No one leaves this room!” Reder shouted desperately.
    “I think you’ve been outranked, honey,” Nadine said. She tapped a cigarette on the counter and put it between her lips. “Better let them find out why your backup isn’t coming.”
    Reder snapped her fingers at one of the uniforms and grabbed the radio he handed her. “Gonzales, Smith, respond.”
    No answer but the crackling of static.
    Bree reluctantly slid her arms from around Seamus as he got to his feet to obey Dylan. He started for the living room, but Bree went with him, because Seamus wouldn’t let go of her hand.
    ***
    They had to get out of here. Seamus’s skin was roasting hot, crazy images tearing through his head, his body starting to shift of its own accord. He clamped down on the need to become lion, holding himself in human form with all his strength.
    Watching Tiger taking the shots, breaking the pistol and the cuffs, and then bursting into his between beast, had surged Seamus’s adrenaline high. Tiger was nearly feral, unstoppable, un-Collared, and the feral inside Seamus responded to that.
    A glance out the front window showed the cops and the cars were still there. But the two uniforms were talking quietly, not looking at the house, obviously hearing nothing.
    “Huh,” Bree said beside him.