Readers love the THIRDS

  series by CHARLIE COCHET

  Hell & High Water

  “This book was a fantastic surprise! Great writing, fantastic world building, two interesting and very real MCs alongside a great team of secondary characters and an unusual slant on shifters.”

  —Prism Book Alliance

  “It’s probably her best yet—definitely most ambitious…”

  —Boys in Our Books

  Blood & Thunder

  “This has become my favorite series in the genre in just two short books! I think anyone would find something in this series they can latch on to and enjoy.”

  —MM Good Book Reviews

  Rack & Ruin

  “This book kept me hooked from the first word to the very last word, AGAIN!! These books just keep getting better and better.”

  —Love Bytes

  Rise & Fall

  “Charlie Cochet has continued to impress me with this amazing paranormal romance infused with incredible side characters, dialogue and edge-of-your-seat action”

  —The Blogger Girls

  “I have to give it to Charlie Cochet. She never fails to give us pure unadulterated entertainment with her THIRDS series.”

  —Sinfully… Addicted to All Male Romance

  By CHARLIE COCHET

  A Rose by Any Other Name

  Healing Hunter’s Heart

  THE AUSPICIOUS TROUBLES OF LOVE

  The Auspicious Troubles of Chance

  The Impetuous Afflictions of Jonathan Wolfe

  NORTH POLE CITY TALES

  Mending Noel

  The Heart of Frost

  Vixen’s Valor

  THIRDS

  Hell & High Water

  Blood & Thunder

  Rack & Ruin

  Rise & Fall

  Against the Grain

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Copyright

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Against the Grain

  © 2015 Charlie Cochet.

  Cover Art

  © 2015 L.C. Chase.

  http://www.lcchase.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

  ISBN: 978-1-63476-374-5

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63476-375-2

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2015906564

  First Edition August 2015

  Printed in the United States of America

  This paper meets the requirements of

  ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

  To my amazing beta readers, thank you so much for your outstanding support and encouragement.

  To the THIRDS Nerds who continue to make this adventure an amazing one. Thank you for your support, enthusiasm, and love. It’s been an incredible journey.

  To all my lovely readers, thank you. Thank you for picking up my books, for your e-mails, and messages.

  And a huge thank you to all the fabulous folks at Dreamspinner Press for helping me give life to this series and a certain Cheesy Doodle crunching menace.

  Cast of Characters

  (You’ll find these cast members throughout the whole of the THIRDS series, some being introduced in different books. This list will continue to grow.)

  DESTRUCTIVE DELTA

  Sloane Brodie—Defense agent. Team leader. Jaguar Therian.

  Dexter J. Daley “Dex”—Defense agent. Former homicide detective for the Human Police Force. Older brother to Cael Maddock. Adopted by Anthony “Tony” Maddock. Human.

  Ash Keeler—Defense agent. Entry tactics and Close Quarter Combat expert. Lion Therian.

  Julietta Guerrera “Letty”—Defense agent. Weapons expert. Human.

  Calvin Summers—Defense agent. Sniper. Human.

  Ethan Hobbs “Hobbs”—Defense agent. Demolitions expert and Public Safety Bomb Technician. Has two older brothers: Rafe and Sebastian Hobbs. Tabby Tiger Therian.

  Cael Maddock—Recon agent. Tech expert. Dex’s younger brother. Adopted by Anthony Maddock. Cheetah Therian.

  Rosa Santiago—Recon agent. Crisis negotiator and medic. Human.

  COMMANDING OFFICERS

  Lieutenant Sonya Sparks—Lieutenant for Unit Alpha. Cougar Therian.

  Sergeant Anthony Maddock “Tony”—Sergeant for Destructive Delta. Dex and Cael’s adoptive father. Human.

  MEDICAL EXAMINERS

  Dr. Hudson Colbourn—Chief medical examiner for Destructive Delta. Wolf Therian.

  Dr. Nina Bishop—Medical examiner for Destructive Delta. Human.

  AGENTS FROM OTHER SQUADS

  Ellis Taylor—Team leader for Beta Ambush

  Levi Stone—Team Leader for Beta Pride. Arrested for being a mole inside the THIRDS and part of the Ikelos Coalition.

  Rafe Hobbs—Team Leader for Alpha Ambush. The oldest Hobbs brother. Tiger Therian.

  Sebastian Hobbs—Team Leader for Theta Destructive. Was once on Destructive Delta but was transferred after his relationship to Hudson ended in a breach of protocol and civilian loss. Middle Hobbs brother. Tiger Therian.

  Osmond Zachary “Zach”—Agent for Alpha Sleuth in Unit Beta. Has six brothers working for the THIRDS. Brown bear Therian.

  OTHER IMPORTANT CAST MEMBERS

  Gabe Pearce—Sloane’s ex-partner and ex-lover on Destructive Delta. Killed on duty. Human.

  Isaac Pearce—Gabe’s older brother. Was a detective for the Human Police Force who became leader of the Order of Adrasteia. Was killed by Destructive Delta during a hostage situation. Human.

  Louis Huerta “Lou”—Dex’s ex-boyfriend. Human.

  Bradley Darcy—Bartender and owner of Bar Dekatria. Jaguar Therian.

  Austen Payne—Squadron Specialist Agent (SSA) for Destructive Delta. Cheetah Therian.

  Dr. Abraham Shultzon—Head doctor during the First Gen Recruitment Program who was personally responsible for the wellbeing of the THIRDS’ First Gen Recruits. He was also responsible for the tests that were run on the Therian children.

  Arlo Keeler—Ash’s twin brother killed during the riots in the 1980s.

  Felipe Bautista—Drew Collins’s boyfriend.

  EXTREMIST GROUPS AND GANGS

  The Order of Adrasteia—Group of Humans against Therians. Leader was killed by Destructive Delta. THIRDS arrested its new leader along with remaining members.

  The Ikelos Coalition—Vigilante group of Unregistered Therians fighting the Order. Leader was Beck Hogan. Beck’s second-in-command Preston Merritt was killed by Destructive Delta during a hostage negotiation. Most of the members of the group were arrested, leaving only Hogan, his new second-in-command Drew Collins, and a small group of Therians. Hogan and Collins were both killed during encounters with the THIRDS. The remaining group members were arrested.

  Westward Creed—Gang of Human thugs who went around assaulting Therian citizens during the riots of 1985. Were arrested for causing the deaths of several Therians but released due to “missing” evidence. Eight members all together but only five became members of the Order: Angel Reyes, Alberto Cristo, Craig Martin, Toby Leith, Richard Esteban, Larry Berg, Ox Perry, Brick Jackson.

  GLOSSARY

  Melanoe Virus—A virus released during the Vietnam War through the use of chemical warfare infecting millions worldwide and killing hundreds of thousands.

  Eppione.8—A vaccine created using strains from animals immune to the virus. It awakened a dormant mutation within the virus, resulting in the altering of human DNA, and giving birth to Therians.

  Therians—Shifters brought about through the mutation of Human DNA as a result of the Eppione.8 vaccine.

  Postshift Trauma Care (PSTC) —The effects of Therian Postshift Trauma are similar to the aftereffects of an epileptic seizure, only on a smaller scale, including muscle soreness, bruising, brief disorientation, and hunger. Eating after a shift is extremely important as not eating could lead to the Therian collapsing and a host of other health issues. PSTC is the care given to Therians after they shift back to Human form.

  THIRDS (Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron)—An elite, military funded agency comprised of an equal number of Human and Therian agents and intended to uphold the law for all its citizens without prejudice.

  Themis—A powerful, multimillion dollar government interface used by the THIRDS. It’s linked to numerous intelligence a
gencies across the globe and runs a series of highly advanced algorithms to scan surveillance submitted by agents.

  First Gen—First Generation of purebred Therians born with a perfected version of the mutation.

  Pre-First Gens—Any Therian born before First Gen Therians. Known to have unstable versions of the mutation resulting in any number of health issues.

  BearCat—THIRDS tactical vehicle.

  Human Police Force (HPF)—A branch of law enforcement consisting of Humans officials dealing only with crimes committed by Humans.

  Chapter 1

  THERE WAS nowhere to run.

  Ash Keeler had faced a hell of a lot in his life. He’d come up against terrorists, extremist groups, dangerous criminals, and lethal feral Therians. He’d been stabbed, taken hostage, had the shit beaten out of him, been shot—twice—but he’d never come face-to-face with the pissed-off dad of a potential romantic partner. And because Lady Luck had a habit of being a real bitch to him, the pissed-off dad before him also happened to be his sergeant.

  After their last—unsanctioned—investigation, Bradley offered to open Bar Dekatria exclusively to Destructive Delta for a night of much-needed rest and relaxation. They’d been having a great time, even if some of them couldn’t drink thanks to Therian-strength antibiotics and painkillers. Ash was almost fully healed from his gunshot wound. Sloane still had a few weeks to recuperate, as did Cael, who was on crutches after that bastard Hogan fractured his leg. Luckily Cael was a quick healer, thanks to his cheetah Therian metabolism, so he’d be back to running full speed in no time. Ash couldn’t think about how much worse it could have been after Hogan had taken Cael. It made him want to tear the son of a bitch apart with his bare hands. Good thing he was already dead.

  Everything had been going well at Dekatria until Maddock showed up with a baseball bat in his hand. Originally Ash thought the same as Sloane. That somehow their sergeant had found out about the mission. Instead Maddock had come to kick their asses for dating his sons under his nose. The only problem was Ash and Cael weren’t dating. Not that Ash hadn’t secretly thought about it. A lot. It was the logical step for two Therians who happened to be in love.

  Ash stood silently beside Sloane in the back end of Dekatria while Maddock glared at them, his nostrils flaring and the old beat-up baseball bat in his hand. How many others had come up against—what had Cael called it? That’s right, Old Betsy. How many potential boyfriends had seen the rough side of Old Betsy? And now here he was, his every instinct telling him to flee. It was hardly the first time they’d seen their sergeant pissed off, but this was a whole other level of pissed.

  This was stupid. Ash was a top agent for the THIRDS with twenty years of experience, skilled in entry tactics and close-quarters combat. He could handle one Human officer holding a baseball bat.

  “Which one of you heartthrobs wants to go first?” Maddock growled.

  Ash didn’t hesitate. “Sloane.”

  “Wow.” Sloane shook his head at him in disbelief. “Way to throw me under the bus, buddy.”

  Ash gave his best friend an apologetic smile. It was better to let Sloane do the talking. Knowing Ash and his propensity to piss people off, he’d open his mouth and make things a whole lot worse. Sloane was their Team Leader. He had experience in hostage negotiation. Most people liked him, the ones he didn’t scare the hell out of. Meanwhile, the majority of people disliked Ash from the moment they laid eyes on him.

  “Sarge, you have every right to be pissed,” Sloane stated gently, his hands held up in front of him in surrender. He motioned to the bat in Maddock’s hand. Their sarge appeared to give it some thought before he lowered the bat, though not completely. “I know I should’ve said something, but I promise you, Dex and I talked long and hard about this, about our relationship and the job. Whatever happens, we’ll work through it. We’re very serious about a future together. I love him, sir, and maybe I don’t deserve him, but I’m going to try my damn hardest to be worthy of him. His happiness is important to me.”

  Maddock pursed his lips, and his eyes narrowed. “How long you been practicing that speech, son?”

  Sloane shifted awkwardly despite his crutches. “A while now.”

  “Your honesty is appreciated, despite your dumbass attempt to keep something like this from me. I know those boys better than they know themselves. As far as your relationship goes, I have no intention of meddling or telling you what to do. I also don’t have to tell you what’s at stake. If Sparks gets wind of this—”

  “I’ll figure it out,” Sloane said, his voice grave. “I won’t let her break up the team. Not if she wants to keep me around. I know what I’m worth to her, to the Chief of Therian Defense. If I have to use that, I will.”

  “Shit.” Maddock ran a hand over his shaved head. “You really want to go up against them?”

  Ash had never seen Sloane looking more determined. He wished he could be as confident about this as his friend.

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my team together. My relationship with Dex is my business. What I do outside the job is my business. He’s my partner, and I’m not going anywhere without him.”

  Maddock didn’t look pleased, but he gave Sloane a nod. “Okay. Now get lost.” He motioned to the door behind him. “Tell your boyfriend I expect assurances from him. I also expect him to help with Thanksgiving dinner. He wants to eat like a Therian, he can cook. I’ll see you both there.”

  “Yes, sir.” Sloane smiled and headed for the door.

  Hoping his sergeant might not notice, Ash made to slip past. He should’ve known better. Maddock put a hand to his chest to stop him. Damn. So close.

  “I don’t think so, Keeler. You and I are going to have a little chat upstairs where it’s more comfortable and Dex is less likely to listen in. That boy’s like a damn ninja when he wants to eavesdrop, especially when it concerns Cael.” He turned and marched out the door. Reluctantly, Ash followed. Outside, everyone pretended not to notice, but he knew his nosey-ass team was following his every move. He stole a glance in Cael’s direction. His sweet face was filled with worry. Ash gave him a wink, hoping to ease his mind even if it didn’t ease his own.

  Ash was sorely tempted to make a break for it, but he’d have to face Maddock at some point. They headed upstairs to the second floor of Dekatria, which Ash had forgotten was there. He and his team spent so much time downstairs around the bar and that godforsaken karaoke machine that he tended to forget Dekatria had two other floors, one of them a roof garden. Maybe he should check it out one evening and invite Cael up for a drink. Lou had rambled on about how gorgeous it was, with its fairy lights and candles. All romantic and shit. Romantic? What the hell was wrong with him? Here he was about to argue the fact he wasn’t dating Cael, and he was getting thoughts about having drinks with the guy up in a romantic roof garden. Get your shit together, Keeler.

  He followed Maddock’s lead and slid into one of the booths, taking a seat across from Maddock and Old Betsy, which was tucked on the bench beside him. Both of them sat in silence as Bradley placed coasters and soft drinks on the table without making eye contact. As soon as he was done he darted from the place like it might spontaneously combust. All right, time to man up and grow a pair.

  “Sir, whatever you might think, Cael and I aren’t sleeping together. We’re not even together.”

  Maddock’s frown deepened. “That’s what worries me.”

  Not what he expected. “I’m confused.”

  “Cael’s in love with you, and I know you care about him, maybe even love him. Hell, you took a bullet for him. And that’s not the first time you sustained injuries to keep him safe.”

  Ash couldn’t bring himself to confirm Maddock’s statement about him loving Cael. He shifted uncomfortably and took a sip of his Coke. What he really needed was some vodka. “How long have you known?”

  “I had my suspicions for a while but felt it wasn’t the right time to address it. With Dex, my suspicions were confirmed at the hospital.” Maddock let out a heavy sigh and sat back, his gaze off in the distance at nothing in particular. “When I saw him at Sloane’s bedside, his anguish clear as day as he tried not to fall apart, I knew he’d fallen in love. Broke my damn heart seeing him like that.”