The Wolf's Bride (Shifters Unleashed Book 1)

by Natalie Aejaz

  As several beasts voiced agreement with her words, Rex made a quick assessment, trying to sense how many of the members might be up for peace. Just over half he reckoned, but was he going to take the risk? “We’re not here to discuss the permitted use of our abilities,” he said. “We need to decide what to do if the authorities discover us. Do we take time to negotiate, or attack?” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I suggest we put it to a vote.” Hina raised his eyebrows; yes, it was a risk, but they were getting nowhere like this. If they went away without making a decision today, the threat of danger could drive even the shifters who were pro-peace into a war mindset.

  As there were murmurs of agreement, Klahan smiled. Had Rex made a fucking mistake? “I couldn’t think of a more civilized manner to resolve this,” said the tiger. “Like me, other members have lost loved ones at the hands of humans. I hope they remember the dead bodies of their own when they cast the vote.”

  “I hope they also consider the potential number of dead bodies of their own,” mentioned Hina. “When war breaks out, it spares nobody.”

  “So, we are in agreement?” asked Xia, “We put the matter to a vote?”

  When there was no objection, she sent an electronic poll to the devices. Like her, it was straightforward. Peace or Attack. Rex tapped on Peace without hesitation but others were struggling with their decisions. What if the team decided that humans were its enemy? He was not about to stand back and wait for any of the beasts to reach Leanne. Damn it, he would rip the fucking throat out of anyone who tried to touch her. Within a few minutes the result was uploaded to their devices and as Rex released a sigh of relief, Junaid gave him a reassuring smile. 54% for peace. Klahan flung his device across the table. “You call yourself fucking beasts? Cowards, the lot of you.”

  Xia was across the hall like a shot and had Klahan, who was well over six foot, out of his chair and pinned against the wall. Her eyes narrowed to slits. “The decision has been made. Now be a good beast and accept it.”

  When she stepped away from him, a chastised Klahan’s fangs were already withdrawing. “I hope none of you live to regret this.” His eyes burned white as he glared at Xia. “And if you would excuse me, I have a return flight to catch.” He left the hall, slamming the door behind him. A few days on the beach in Thailand should have him coming to terms with losing today’s battle. As for the humiliation of a part-human leopard half his size pinning him up against the wall, he would get over that too. Eventually.

  “This agreement will be filtered through to Representatives,” Xia told them. “I will keep the team updated with any developments, but if the worst happens and the authorities discover us, we first negotiate. By tomorrow GCB will set up a special negotiation team, with members expert in the necessary skills.”

  “What happens if it comes to that point, but negotiations fail?” asked Junaid.

  “There is already a team in place, working on a plan of attack,” Xia responded. Her words sent anxiety crawling to the pit of Rex’s stomach, because it was the first time shifters were openly discussing such a plan. Held back by bans and regulations, his kind had been patient for long, and if an attack was authorized, centuries of suppressed anger would be released. There were beasts who would go for all humans, whether or not they deserved it. He lowered his gaze, to conceal his reaction to Xia’s statement. “The team comprises members who are experts in the art of war,” she continued. “They only need time. If the authorities discover us, by that time we should be capable of organizing a global assault on humans—if negotiations fail.” She looked up, emotion flickering in her dark eyes. “But let us try to avoid things coming to that.”

  As the meeting ended, Rex silently prayed that things would avoid coming to that. By the time he left the building, he felt as exhausted as if he had already been through a war. As soon as he was in his car he took out his mobile, needing to hear Leanne’s voice; but before he could contact her, a call came through from Tyr. “How did it go?” his brother wanted to know. “Any more news on the government investigation?”

  “It has already begun—”

  “Fuck! And what’s the team doing?”

  “We can’t do anything about the investigation, but we discussed what we’d do if the authorities got to us.” He paused. “Whether we’d negotiate, or attack.”

  “And?”

  “We won’t be fighting humans anytime soon.”

  “And I supposed you voted for that option, even though it puts us at a disadvantage.”

  Arguing with Tyr was not what he needed after that bloody meeting. “It was the right thing to do.”

  His brother’s voice was cold. “Yes, to save your relationship with that human.”

  “Her name’s Leanne.” And she is my mate. “Today’s decision was made in our interest.”

  “And what will you do the day you have to choose between doing what’s best for our kind and your Leanne?” I will do what is best for my kind. But he could not say it … because he was not sure if it was true. “Don’t know what to say?” asked Tyr. “So what is it? You’d betray your own kind? After they elected you to Representative, trusted you to do what’s right for them?”

  The Council had put a huge responsibility on his shoulders, one he might not be able to handle much longer. “I would never betray our kind.”

  “You do realize that if we ever attack, she’s going down too, with the rest of her people. What would you do then?”

  Rex gritted his teeth. “Damn you, Tyr.” Thank fuck his brother was not in front of him right then.

  “You’re so pissed at the thought of one of us going after her, and you claim you wouldn’t betray us?” Tyr paused before continuing, “Just let go of her, before all this kicks off. Shifters need you, and this is the worst time for you to be backing off from your duties.”

  “I’m not backing off from anything.”

  “But you might, when you have to make some tough decisions. And the last thing we need is you pulling us all down with you, for a fucking human.” His brother hung up without saying goodbye.

  A potential war was far away, but in the meantime he had dragged Leanne deeper into this fucking mess by revealing so much to her. He had put her in danger and betrayed his kind in one go. If the wrong shifter found out what she knew … That day had better not come, because Tyr was right about one thing.

  Rex could not guarantee whose side he would be on.

  CHAPTER TEN

  * * *

  WHY DID HARRY SUDDENLY need to see her?

  When Leanne entered Foodies there he was, sat near a window, sipping an iced mocha while he bashed something into his laptop. Still obsessed with shifters, he contacted her an hour ago, insisting they had to meet. Before she could come up with a half-decent excuse to blow him off, he mentioned important information about a government investigation. Information she apparently could not afford to miss, and which he would only give in person.

  Harry grinned at her, closing his laptop. “Hey, Leanne.” As usual, he looked as if he had woken up in what he wore; baggy jeans and a purple tee shirt that would have coordinated nicely with the lilac walls of the café if it did not display the slogan: I’ll turn you into a character and KILL you. Friendly. With messy dark hair falling to his shoulders and a face that could be cute if it was not hidden behind thick glasses, his appearance was a contrast to the deep voice she had got used to hearing on the phone.

  “Hi, Harry.” She took the chair opposite him and ordered a coffee from the hovering waitress. “You’ve pulled me away from the office, so this had better be good.”

  “It is.” He leaned forward, as if intending to sniff the flowers in the white vase sat between them. “Remember I told you about a possible investigation by the security service? Into shifters?” She glanced around the café, but as it was not a busy time of day it was half empty, none of the customers close enough to hear. “The investigation you have refused to publish anything about on the site?”

  No point
addressing the accusation in his tone. “Your articles were just speculation.”

  “As if that has stopped you from publishing stories before.”

  He was right, of course, but she was not here to discuss rejected proposals. “You have details? On the investigation?”

  “Yep, which I wanted to give you in person. The story is that big.”

  She forced composure to her face. “Go on.”

  “Well, remember my source? From inside the security service?” Get on with it, Harry. “He’s confirmed the security and intelligence services initiated a joint operation, and the crazy news is that last night they captured a man.” He paused, as if for effect. “The authorities are sure he’s a shapeshifter … nothing has shown up in the medical tests yet, so they’re waiting for him to change.”

  Her heart jumped to her throat. She had not seen Rex since he left for that meeting the other day, and the last time she spoke to him was yesterday morning. But no, this could not be true, because there was no way Harry could obtain such details so soon. “It’s fake information.”

  “Have I ever given you fake information before?” No. “My source is reliable. He’s working inside the holding unit where the man’s secured.”

  But the agencies might be mistaken. Please let them be wrong. “How can they be sure the guy’s a shifter?”

  “They’re not, which is why they’re waiting. For him to change into an animal—a fucking animal!” As nausea crawled through her, she took a deep breath. The captured man could be anyone. “So, what do you think? Do you want the scoop?”

  She would have jumped at the story a few weeks ago. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to pass on this one, too.”

  He frowned, annoyed. “Come on, Leanne. This is big.”

  “This is still only speculation. And you know how it is, we’ve backed off from the shifter stories—”

  “But this news … it’s dynamite.”

  It would be if the man shifted. As it stood, it was a non-happening story, the kind no other agency would pay good money for. The best Harry could hope for was getting it up on some conspiracy theory site. She chose her words carefully. “Think about it. If we publish this, the security service will suspect a leak, which might mean losing your source and the chance of a bigger scoop. Wouldn’t it be better to wait? I mean, imagine if the man did change?” God, please do not let that happen. “That’s one news story you don’t want to miss out on—”

  “My source is very careful.”

  “But I would rather not take the risk. Let me know when you have more news on the subject and we’ll take it from there.” She felt bad for Harry—he was as earnest as they came—and before coming here had decided to commission him to write something about djinns instead. But before anything else, she needed to contact Rex. Please let him be all right. “Harry, there’s another project I’d like you to work on, which is generating a fair amount of interest. We can chat about it over the coffee.” At least that prevented his frown from turning into a scowl. “I just need to pop to the loo first.”

  The café restroom was occupied and after a few seconds she was impatient, needing to speak to Rex. When she returned to Harry, he indicated toward the cup of steaming coffee sat on her side of the table. “Just in time.”

  “Sorry, but I have to shoot off. It’s an emergency.” She placed money on the table. “But I’ll be in touch about that work.”

  Pain pounded inside her head as she hurried out of the café and pushed through crowds to reach her office building. She already had her mobile out as she entered the open-plan area and did not pause, hurrying into the restroom. What if Rex did not answer? She called him, frantic. Please don’t let it be you. No answer. She tried again and this time he picked it up. Thank God! “Rex? Are you all right?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  She could cry with relief. The door opened and as Pam entered, she lowered her voice. “Nothing.” Pam gave her a wide smile before disappearing into a cubicle. “Can you come over this evening? It’s urgent.”

  He sounded anxious when he spoke. “Leanne? Are you okay?”

  “Perfectly okay,” she reassured him. “I just have to talk to you.” Some place where there was no chance of an office gossip listening to the conversation. “It’s about something I heard today. Something important.”

  “I’m dealing with a situation here,” he told her, “But I’ll try my best to be there. I want to see you … so much.”

  She returned to her desk, emotion overwhelming her as she stared at the laptop screen. He is safe. She took an aspirin and tried to focus on work, opening an email from the web designer and going through proposed changes for the website layout, but could take nothing in. So she clicked on an article instead, about a prominent Christian church’s stance on the increasing number of djinn possessions being reported around England. The piece was ready for publication, but it did not hurt to take another look.

  “Coffee?” Diane stood next to her desk, eyebrows raised. They were getting on better these days and although would not be good friends anytime soon, she had to concede the other woman was not such a bitch after all.

  “You don’t have to—”

  “No problem.” Diane waved a hand in the air, her short nails manicured to perfection. “You can do the next round.”

  “Cheers.”

  Diane glanced at her laptop. “Still at the djinn stories?” Leanne nodded her head, the question making her a little tense. They both were getting on better but she was not stupid enough to reveal too many details of what she was working on. She had spent days researching Islamic theology and tracking down sources for firsthand information. The subject was a hit on the site and Alan wanted her to continue with the investigations, which she was keeping to herself. “I’m glad you’ve moved on from shapeshifters, Leanne. They were getting a bit much, weren’t they?”

  Not too much for Diane to try to swipe the media campaign from under her nose though. She hoped her colleague would not attempt to revive the shifter stories just to get one over on her. Well, as the current senior editor she would take her to task immediately if she pulled such a stunt. She gave the other woman a strained smile. “I reckon they were past their sell-by date. Our readers are more than ready for fresh material, exactly what I’m giving them now.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be as big a hit.” When Diane smiled, she seemed genuine. “By the way, the other evening I was passing the car park—the one on the other side of the road? And couldn’t help notice that totally hot man you were with.”

  Satisfaction oozed from Leanne’s pores. “He’s my guy,” she whispered. “But keep it quiet.”

  “I must say, your new man is quite the catch. But I don’t know … maybe I’ve seen him somewhere? How did you meet?”

  “Believe it or not, in a forest.” She grinned, loving the confusion on her colleague’s face.

  After a pause, Diane shrugged her shoulders. “Of course you did.”

  As she walked away, back slender and straight, Leanne’s mobile buzzed. “Can you come to my office?” Alan asked.

  “Sure, will come through now.” As she stood a text arrived on her mobile, from Rex. Busy as hell, but will try to come over tonight. You’ve no idea how much I need to see you. xx

  The thought she might see him later had her smiling as she entered Alan’s office. “We had a senior managers’ meeting yesterday,” he said as she took the seat opposite him, his smile wide. Good news? “And we’ve decided to offer you the permanent position of senior editor.” It had barely been a month though. “I know we agreed a two-month trial but you’ve proven you’re right for the job. So, what do you reckon?”

  She had dreamed of being the senior editor for months, and now she had been offered the promotion, hardly dared believe it. “I don’t know what to say.” She tried to stop her voice from rising in excitement, but failed. “Thank you for the opportunity.”

  “You deserve it. Would you contact the HR department asap and ge
t the ball rolling with the paperwork …”

  “I’ll sort it out at once, Alan.”

  “I know you will.” He paused. “Between you and me, carry on as you are, and it won’t be long before you have your own office.”

  How had it only taken a few weeks to turn her life around? Goodbye to the old Leanne who was not even considered for a pay rise—and dumped on her wedding day.

  She came back to her desk with a big smile, but anxiety still gnawing inside her, unable to get the captured man out of her mind. What had Rex said about shifters? If they did not change to their beast forms regularly, they became aggressive and suffered physical pain? If the man held out, it would keep Rex safe for longer … But how long before the shapeshifter, if that was what he was, gave in and this turned into a national crisis?

  And whose damned mobile was ringing like that? Diane’s, obviously. She was on the office phone with a client, her hand already reaching for her bag. By the time she ended the conversation to pull out her mobile, it had stopped ringing, and bleeped as a message came through. She took one look at it and her perfect face turned pale as she rose from her chair. Bad news? She passed Leanne’s desk, eyes lowered and usual composure gone, leaving a whiff of expensive perfume behind as she rushed to the restroom. Should she go after her? Well, she was officially a manager, and it was part of the job to make sure her staff was okay.

  In the restroom, Diane was bent over the sink. “Are you ok?” Leanne asked, closing the door behind her.

  Her colleague lowered her face. “It’s nothing.”

  It did not seem as if it was nothing. How was she supposed to help? “Would you like to go home?”

  “I might just do that. Thank you.”

  She paused, unsure of what to say. “I hope it’s not serious.”

  “My brother … he’s in a bit of trouble.” Diane’s hands clutched the sink so tight her knuckles were white. Leanne reckoned her brother was in more than a bit of trouble. She looked away and immediately turned back again. Diane’s nails had grown at least an inch and sharpened. What the fuck? Only one reason for that happening; but no, there was no bloody way she could be a shapeshifter. They had worked together for nearly two years—she would have noticed something. Wouldn’t she? Diane still had her head lowered, but no tears fell into the sink … which meant she was hiding her eyes …