Shifter Secrets

by T K Eldridge

  Grandma handed Sett a half-filled plate from the stuff on her side of the table. Sett offered a “Thanks, Mama,” and finished filling it up before she dug in to eat.

  “Aren’t Becca and Bella rarely associated with the shifters?” Sid asked.

  “True. They prefer small animal shifts. I think the biggest I’ve seen from Becca was a bobcat. Bella is a bit of a prankster – she showed up at one shift as a skunk. Y’know, ‘scentsations’ shop and a skunk?” Benny said and chuckled.

  Everyone got a laugh out of that, and I felt even worse that someone so witty and gentle had their livelihood attacked.

  Sid wiped her mouth with her napkin, then turned to Grampa. “This sounds like that ‘death of a million cuts’ discussion we had a while back.”

  Grampa looked thoughtful and leaned back in his chair. “Y’know, Siddie, you’re right. It does sound like that.” He turned to Benny. “Are you willing to have a couple of my shifter officers hang out with your pack admins? That way they can be more immediately on the scene if and when stuff happens?”

  “Are you talking about Jim Berens and Lily Porter?” Benny asked.

  “Yeah, they’re two of the best at undercover and blending in,” Grampa Walsh replied.

  “They’re more than welcome. The few times they’ve dealt with the pack, they’ve been excellent. I know my guys are exhausted and would appreciate the extra hands and eyes,” Benny said.

  “Then we’ll make sure the help is there,” Grampa Walsh said. “One way or another, we’ll get bodies to help. We don’t have a lot of bodies, but the ones we have can step up. Only shifters or are your guys open to working with witches, or the twins?”

  “Some are okay with it. We’ll just have to plan ahead who to partner with which ones. And the twins are fine, because they can shift,” Benny replied.

  “Okay, then. Someone pass me the coleslaw? This food is excellent. Did you happen to get extra menus?” Grampa asked Sid.

  The conversation moved to lighter things, but I kept going back to Sid’s comment about the ‘death of a million cuts’. I’d have to corner her after the meal and find out what they’d discussed.

  Grampa knew what he was saying, though. The food was fantastic.

  Chapter Five

  Sid

  Everyone helped clean up after the meal, which both Grandma and I appreciated. I sent her and Grampa out to the back patio to enjoy some quiet time while the cleanup happened. Once everyone had gone on their way, Sin handed me a beer and tugged me to my little front porch where I’d placed two chairs and a bistro table.

  “So, what discussion did you and Grampa have about a ‘death of a million cuts’?” Sin asked.

  I pulled my knees up and hooked my heels on the chair and sipped my beer. “Well, you know how Grampa and I have made a habit of having breakfast in his office together? One day we got talking about the Shifter Wars and how it all got started. Grampa said it started with a lot of little things. Like the ‘death of a million cuts’, which I actually think is ‘a death of a thousand cuts’ but whatever. It’s what he said at the time. That lots of little irritations ended up exploding with the Taco Truck Terror battle and that’s what started the war for real. What Benny is describing, sounds a lot like the same tactics.”

  “I still have trouble with the name ‘Taco Truck Terror’. It makes it sound like a food fight when it was so much worse. Fourteen dead, twenty or more injured and a street brawl that went on for hours,” Sin said. “And no SPD at the time to break it up.” He took a swallow of his beer and looked over at me. “We’ve got so few SPD officers in town. Considering the Academy should be feeding us more, why is the department so small?”

  “Well, it seems the budget doesn’t allow for more – and other areas around the country need officers, so a lot of the students come here to train from other cities or towns and then go home. While we’re working and don’t need the salary, they are still mandated to pay us something,” I said.

  The conversation was interrupted by the sound of a vehicle coming up the road. “That’s Micah’s truck,” Sin said.

  “Gods, I hope he doesn’t decide to come hang out,” I muttered.

  The truck stopped, and both Sin and I fell silent. A figure came around the front from the driver’s seat and started towards us.

  “It’s Nico. May I come and join ya?”

  Sin looked over at me and I nodded, so he spoke up. “Sure, come on over. You want a beer or a soda or something?”

  “A cola would be good, thank ya,” Nico replied.

  I got up to get it for him, since I was closest to the door. I came back out and handed him the cold bottle before I sat back down. Nico found a perch on the railing since we couldn’t fit three chairs out here.

  “Where’s Micah?” I asked.

  “At Belle’s. Hopefully he’ll stay there for a day or three. I need a break from his bullshit,” Nico said.

  Sin almost spit his beer as he choked on the mouthful. “Trouble in paradise?”

  Nico took a swallow of his soda, his gaze shifting from Sin to me. “Can I trust you two?”

  “As family, yes. As law enforcement – if what you tell us is against the law, we’ll have to discuss next steps, understood?” I said.

  “Understood,” Nico replied. He took another drink and then sighed. “I didn’t know if I should be telling you any of this, but I’m at a crossroads as to what to do. Papa Micah is in serious trouble. He owes money to some very bad people and instead of working it off or paying them, he ran.”

  “What kind of people? Organized crime? Gangs? Drugs?” Sin asked.

  “Well, they’re family. Sort of. My mother’s brother, Damas Lamontaine, is the Alpha of the Loup Garou in the southern territory. When Maman got sick, we didn’t have the money for the doctors, so Papa asked Damas to help. He didn’t think of it as a loan, he thought it was her brother being helpful. Damas wouldn’t help someone else unless he made a profit, but Papa didn’t listen to me and he took the money. It didn’t help. Maman died anyway.”

  “How much money are we talking about?” I asked.

  “Over sixty thousand,” Nico replied. “And we still owe the hospital. The house got taken in foreclosure because the mortgage didn’t get paid in trying to get Maman better. We packed up what we could in the middle of the night and left before they threw us out. Papa came back here because we have nowhere else.”

  “Sounds like Micah didn’t follow the family tradition of good investments and savings,” Sin said.

  “No. He spends money so fast, I don’t know why he has a wallet. Nothing’s ever in it,” Nico replied. “And I’m tired of it. I work hard, he takes my money. I want to go to school, learn how to make things. I love working with wood. Carving and designing furniture, things like that. I’d like to have my own shop someday, and a house. A mate and a family. But I won’t get any of that with Papa the way he is. I love him, but I don’t like him very much right now.”

  That was so sad to hear, that I reached out a hand to rest on his knee before I even thought about it. “We’ll do what we can to help,” I told him.

  “Do you have a way to get in touch with Damas?” Sin asked.

  “I have a phone number, but I don’t dare use it because he’ll show up and kill Papa,” Nico said.

  “Give me the number and I’ll see that Damas gets his money,” Sin said.

  “You can just…do that thing?” Nico stared at us in awe.

  “I also happen to know someone that owns a custom furniture business. I’ll see if he’d be willing to talk to you about training and a job,” I said.

  Nico got to his feet and turned away from us. I watched as his head bowed and then his shoulders shook. I got up and set my beer aside, then wrapped my arms around him from the back. “You’re family, Nico. Family helps each other out. We’ll talk to Grams about Micah and getting him some help, but let us help you, okay?”

  He smelled good. No, I mean it. Really really good. I couldn’t te
ll you what it reminded me of, but there were hints of pine and sandalwood and something that made my belly clench when I breathed it in.

  Nico patted my hands where they folded at his belly. “Thank you, chere,” he murmured. A sniff and he took a step forward to gently break my embrace, wiped his eyes with a fist and turned back to us. “I should know better than to listen to Papa when he’s angry. He said such not nice things about all of you and I believed him. I know better now. Thank you.”

  “We don’t know much of anything about Micah, just that he broke our Mom’s, and Auntie Sett’s hearts when he left and didn’t stay in touch,” I said.

  “And Jolie won’t speak his name either, which is pretty bad since she almost killed our Mom,” Sin added.

  “He only told me that he needed to make his own way in the world,” Nico said.

  “Does that sound right to you?” I asked Nico.

  “I never questioned it, but now that you ask, not really. I mean, I don’t know much about witch families. I grew up always around shifters until Maman got with Papa,” Nico replied.

  “How did they meet?” Sin asked.

  “Papa worked for Damas’s people for a while. I guess they met that way? I didn’t really ask.”

  “Sounds like you didn’t ask because you didn’t want to know,” I offered, voice gentle. “I understand that. Sin and I went through something similar a little while ago with our Boudreau grandfather.”

  Nico pulled out his phone. “Sinclair, let me get your number so I can send Damas’ information to you. Sidonie, I’d like your contact info as well?”

  The way he said my name with that Cajun lilt had me so distracted, I didn’t hear Sin’s response, or give one of my own until Sin nudged my foot with his. “Sid, your number? Nico needs it.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry,” I stuttered and we exchanged numbers.

  “I’ll call Damas tomorrow and get the bank transfer set up. Hopefully, that will take some pressure off,” Sin said. “But for now, I need to get home. Mira’s waiting.” He kissed the top of my head as he rose and patted Nico’s shoulder before he headed off.

  Nico waited a couple of minutes, then moved to sit in Sin’s chair. “This is okay?” he asked as he sat.

  “Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry. I’m just thinking about everything. How does Damas feel about other species? I mean, the stories I’ve heard about Loup Garou make them seem like they’re ‘all shifters, all the time’ and don’t tolerate others.”

  “Damas is very much about the purity of the Loup Garou. He almost disowned Maman when she got with Papa, but she couldn’t have any more children, so it was tolerated. If they’d had a child together, he would have likely killed it, and them.”

  “There was a group here that our Boudreau grandfather helped run, called the Purity League. They were all about species purity, but worked with other species members who believed the same.” I caught a faint flinch on Nico’s part as I spoke. “I see you’re familiar with them?”

  “Just the mindset. Damas is all about pure shifter lines. If I were to make a child with you, for instance, he would hunt us down, and kill you and the child. Even if it showed strong shifter traits.”

  His voice was almost hypnotic and that scent had me leaning in to him. It took my brain way too long to register the words he spoke. I jerked back and stared up at him. “Well, then I guess if we ever get together, you’d better wear protection. I’d hate to have to kill a bunch of Loup Garou for trying to hurt me or my child.” What the everloving hell was I saying? We hadn’t even kissed yet and I was discussing our eventual fantasy children?

  Nico chuckled low and I sighed. “So you’re thinking about it too, eh, chere?” His hand lifted and cupped my cheek. I tipped my face into his hand and kissed his thumb.

  “Would you like to come inside?” I asked, my voice husky with want.

  He leaned over and pressed his lips to mine and all thought ceased. We kissed until I felt him tug me up out of the chair and open the door beside us. Once we were inside, he locked the door and turned to me, cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me again. I felt like I was drugged, and he was the only thing I craved.

  Clothes scattered across the floor as we kissed, touched, and moaned our way into my bedroom. I remember the feel of him, the taste of him, but when I woke the next morning, alone in my bed, I couldn’t remember any of the details of the night. The night-after ache from excellent sex was present, and my clothes were piled up on the chair in the corner of my room. A note and a daisy lay on the nightstand, so I sat up and reached for the paper.

  “Dearest Sidonie – Thank you for the memories from last night. I will carry them with me forever. I set up the coffee pot, so you just need to hit ‘brew’, and there are some fresh muffins in the basket on the counter, courtesy of Grandmaman. They were on the porch table when I went outside. I hope to see you again soon, sweet one. May your day be an easy one. - Nico”

  I checked my phone and saw I had a bit before I had to be at work, so I stripped the bedding and put it in the wash, started the coffee brewing, and took a shower. A couple of pain relievers and strong black coffee started to clear my head, but I still felt like I was in a fog. I puttered around my little place, did some straightening up, then tossed the bedding in the dryer. My travel mug filled and my bag ready, I grabbed the muffins and left the house, careful to lock it behind me. Once in my car, I slid my phone on the dock and spoke. “Call Sin.”

  The sound of my brother’s voice filled the space as I drove down the farm road. “Good morning, Sid. I’m out to breakfast with Mira and Ethan. I’ll see you at work in a few?”

  “Oh, sorry to bother you, Sin. Sure, give them my love. Just, um, stop by my office when you get in, please? I want to run something by you.”

  “Sure, sis. See you soon,” Sin said and disconnected the call.

  I sighed. I wanted to ask him about his plans with Damas. Oh, well. I’d have muffins and coffee with Grampa instead.

  I dumped my stuff in my office and brought my coffee and the muffins to the Commander’s office. “Grampa, you in?” I asked as the door was cracked open.

  “Hey, Siddie. Come on in. Just give me a minute to finish this email,” Grampa said as I stepped inside.

  I placed the muffins on the cabinet that held his coffee maker and prepped it to be ready for a fresh cup, then put two muffins each on plates and set one on the edge of his desk before I settled in a chair nearby with mine. I peeled the paper down and lifted the muffin to my mouth, about to take a bite, when Grampa reached out and grabbed it from my hand.

  “What the…?” I started to say when he broke the muffin in half and put it to his nose. A deep inhalation and he growled. Actually growled and put the muffin down on the plate. “Silver dust. Not enough to hurt a human or witch, but more than enough to make a shifter sick as hell if they ate one muffin. Maybe enough to damage or kill them if they ate more than one. Where did you get these?”

  Oh, hell. Now I had to discuss my sex life with my grandfather. Wait, maybe I didn’t? “They were left on the front porch table. I just assumed Grandma had left them for me.”

  “Has she left stuff on the table for you before?”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t. I, uh, had company last night, so she wouldn’t just come in and put them in my kitchen like she usually does.”

  “Company?”

  I sighed. Well, fuck. Now I had to tell him. “Yeah, I had a gentleman friend overnight.”

  “Who?”

  Wait, Nico. He probably grabbed a muffin or two for his own breakfast! “One sec,” I said and pulled out my phone, dialing Nico’s number.

  “Hello, chere. Are you missing me already?” His voice purred in the phone and I took a breath in relief. “Did you eat any of those muffins?” I asked.

  “Not yet. I have two here, but I wanted to go for my run first. You caught me coming out of the shower. Shall I paint…”

  “Nico. Please, shut up. Throw the muffins away. They
have silver in them.”

  “Silver? Who would do that? Grandmaman would not, would she?”

  “Fuck no, she wouldn’t. But who else was angry at shifters? Micah, that’s who.”

  “Papa? N…huh. I’ll call you back.”

  The phone disconnected and I huffed. “Dammit. I hate being hung up on.”

  “Do you think Micah did this?” Grampa asked.

  “It’s entirely possible. He was angry with all of us and had Nico drop him at Belle’s yesterday. Nico came back, and stayed.” My cheeks flushed crimson. “He left this morning, saw the bag of muffins and brought it in. Assumed it was Grandma’s gift, as I did. He had taken two for his own breakfast, but went for his run first, so he’d not eaten them yet.”

  “We need to bring Micah in for questioning,” Grampa said.

  “Well, you better hurry up. I think Nico went to find him.”

  Grampa got on his radio and put out a call for a team to pick up Micah. He then called a tech to bring in evidence bags and got the muffins bagged up. He took the one I’d unwrapped, and had them get the wrapper out of the trash, and sent it to the lab to be tested. I just sat there, sipping my coffee, still feeling disoriented and a bit stunned by the whole morning.

  “Siddie, are you okay?” Grampa asked after the last person left the room.

  “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, honestly,” I replied. “I’ve felt foggy all morning and then this? If I’d eaten one on the way in, or before I left for work, what would have happened?”

  “But you didn’t. You’re here, you’re safe, and we’ll figure out who did this.” Grampa took one of my hands in his. “You didn’t smell the silver?”

  I shook my head, then looked up at him. “I just smelled the cinnamon in the crumble topping. But I’ve been a little out of it this morning. Or maybe, because I’m not a full shifter, I couldn’t smell it?”

  “Did Sin have baked goods this morning?” Grampa asked.

  I started to panic, then stopped. “No, he took Mira and Ethan out to breakfast this morning. But we should call them and make sure they didn’t get a delivery too.”