by TL Reeve
“Yes.” She nodded. “It was my idea.”
“Take her home, Jase. Make sure her parents know where she was.” Kalkin tugged Fallon toward his Enforcer. “I’ll meet you at the station.”
“Sure thing.” Jase turned Calli away from Fallon and started for his waiting vehicle.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take to get through to you.” Kalkin sighed. “This is not how I want this to go between us.”
The words, ‘let me go then,’ sat on the tip of her tongue. If he didn’t want her to get into trouble, he could set her free. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. If she said anything else, it would only make it worse for her. After he situated her in the back of the Enforcer, he got behind the wheel and drove two blocks to the jail/Sheriff’s Department. He pulled into the back. The black chain link fence closed behind them. She shivered. The creeping dread swirling within her caused her tiger once more to sit up and demand she run. But, where could she go? Nowhere, she was good and caught.
Kalkin helped her out of the Enforcer. He guided her into the booking area of the jail—where all criminals go to be processed for their crimes—took her picture, collected her fingerprints, and belongings then lead her down to one of the interrogation rooms. The cold sterile room was familiar to her. She’d been inside rooms like these several times over the years. However, when it counted most, she hadn’t been the criminal, she’d been the victim.
Fallon laid her head on the cold metal table and waited. Since she moved to Window Rock with her brother, she'd become familiar with Kalkin's whole operation. The citizens around there didn't like house eggings or toilet-papering trees. Or graffiti. Oh well, not my fault they don’t have a sense of humor. Although, Jasmine called Fallon’s actions a cry for help. In reality, she supposed the therapist was right. Despite everything, she wanted help. She didn’t know how to ask. Sure, she conned Calli into being her look out at the new age herb shop, and to work the spell for Fallon, still, everything afterward was on Fallon.
When the door opened again, she glanced up. Her body was stiff from not being able to move and she’d been cold. Why do cops think putting people in cold rooms will force them to talk? Kalkin smirked as he strode into the room. The man aggravated her on a good day and plain pissed her off most of the other days.
Calli thought he was hot. Fallon wasn't convinced Calli understood the meaning of hot. Kalkin had curly black hair, shot with grey at the temples and through it. He had piercing blue eyes that turned yellow when he shifted into his wolf. She'd seen those eyes before when she'd been caught the first time. They were dead, as dramatic as it sounded. He had a strong jawline and the set of his mouth said he didn't take crap from anyone. Plus, he always seemed to have a few days' worths of scruff covering his cheeks.
Kalkin flicked open the file on the desk before taking a seat. Last year's school picture had been paper-clipped to her fingerprints. The form listed her current address and driving record, which consisted of one parking ticket she received because her meter had run out.
“Fú zé Wu, we meet again.” She hated her name. Why couldn’t he call her Fallon like everyone else? “You want to tell me why you were stealing an herb which costs all of about twenty bucks.”
“Not especially,” she answered with a shrug.
He pretended to read her file. It was an act. His eyes never moved an inch. She bet he memorized the whole thing. “You're pretty new to the area. In the year you've been here, you've been caught egging a house, toilet papering another. Writing on the side of the high school wall. Now, you've broken into Miss Chen's herbal shop. Why'd you, do it?” His tone of voice never changed inflection, nor did it increase in volume. It was unnerving, to say the least.
“It was a dare.” The lie slipped off her tongue with ease. Her heart hammered. Any shifter worth their weight would taste the lie. “I went for it. You know how peer pressure can be.” She glanced down at her nails in faux indifference.
“A dare?” he huffed out. “Your dare is going to cost you fifteen years when this goes to trial.”
“I haven’t been read my Miranda rights,” she came back at him. “It’s illegal to hold me as I’m a minor.”
He sneered at her. “Which can be rectified.” The snap of his fingers made echoed around the room, causing her to jump slightly in her seat. “Like that. You’re seventeen. Old enough to know better. Old enough to be sent to juvenile detention.”
Shame washed over her. If her parents were still alive, she wouldn't have ever done anything so reckless. She bowed her head, refusing to meet his hardened stare. She was trying to rectify all the wrongs. Fix the past so her brother could have a future, be damned the consequences for her.
Her parents were so— Americanized. They enjoyed barbecues with the neighbors, going to festive parades. At her old high school, she’d been the only “Asian” cheerleader, a true honor for her parents. Her Ji had been on the academic team. Lu and Lyle were in college. They had trophies and cheer shit all over their house. The true picture of Americana. The immigrant dream. Her mother was the traditional quintessential housewife—Sally Homemaker—who made traditional treats during the Lunar New Year celebrations or for school bake sales. While her father had a booming chiropractic clinic where he also offered acupuncture. They didn’t always have a lot, but what they did have love. Her parents wanted the best for Ji and her, too bad they had to die.
“Got nothing to say?”
“Not really,” she answered. “As you stated you caught me red-handed. Except for the fact I placed twenty dollars on the register for the herb.”
Kalkin stared at her. She shifted under his penetrating gaze. His cobalt blue eyes swirled then hardened into fierce determination. If she believed what everyone told her about the man sitting across from her, he could talk to his mate through a connection. Had he been doing it then? Kalkin retrieved a small silver key from his pocket and unlocked her cuffs. “Fú zé—”
“Fallon. I go by Fallon,” she stressed, suddenly irritated at him for using her formal name. That honor was for her parents and occasionally Ji when he felt like calling her by it.
“What do you think, Suān ní Ling?”
Kalkin tilted his head as black and red wisps of smoke swirled around her wrist. The scent of sandalwood wafted around her, reminding her of the shop. Also, the weird prickly feeling at the back of her neck intensified before dissolving. Beside her, the tendrils of mist twirled until a man, maybe a year or two older than her, stood beside her, dressed in an ancient traditional red palace guard uniform, made of the finest silks and in vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow.
“She is undisciplined. Erratic, foolish and bullheaded. But, she will do,” Suān ní answered.
She stared at her hand, unsure of what happened and not sure she wanted the answer. “Okay.”
“You protected Calliope tonight,” Kalkin hedged. “You were willing to take all of the punishment, why?”
“Are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room first?” She motioned to Suān ní. “Or how he was wrapped around my wrist and how I didn’t see him?”
“I am not an elephant. I am a lion. A great protector and familiar.” The man stood a little taller.
She swallowed hard. She supposed he was cute for being part of the palace guard, which was a whole other can of worms she didn’t want to open. He had short black hair, bronze skin, a square jaw and the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. They were a brilliant shade of green and deep-set, giving him a more intimidating, yet sexy, demeanor. “Okay, well, familiar then. How did he get here?”
Kalkin snorted. “You don’t pay attention much do you?”
Anger whipped through her. “I pay attention.”
“You came to Mrs. Chen’s shop. You took Huperzia, a deadly herb, put money down and walked out. Do you know what can happen to you if you use the essence wrong?” Suān ní stared at her, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
“Death,” Fallon said with a shr
ugged.
“You were warned against it. You are too young.”
She frowned. “I have my reasons.”
“I’ll ask again,” Kalkin said. “Why did you take the charges for Calliope too?”
“Because she didn’t do anything wrong.”
“She did though. She stood as a lookout for you. She used magic where she shouldn't have, trying to sneak past a shifter's senses and she tried to run when Jase spotted her.”
Fallon hissed in displeasure. “She wouldn’t have been there if I hadn’t asked. It was my doing.”
“Don't you find it a little easy for Calliope? I mean, she could have spoken up and taken her licks at this too, yet when offered a way out, she scurried away from you.” Kalkin sat back in his chair. “There should only be one type of friend in your life. The kind that are ride or die.”
“What?” She wrinkled her nose. “What do you mean?”
Kalkin sighed. “You either ride together or you die together, there is no other way. It shows how true a person is and if they’re worthy of being called your friend.”
She scoffed. “How many do you have?”
“My brothers. We're in this together. We're not only blood, but we're also pack. Also, my Co-Alpha, Rapier. So, how many do you have, Fallon?”
“I plead the fifth.”
Kalkin snorted. “Might as well say you’re guilty as Hades if you’re going to use it. You’ve been making waves in Window Rock. Why don’t you tell me why you broke into the shop and stole the Huperzia?”
“I already told you, it was a dare.”
He slammed his hand down on the metal desk, hard. “You’re lying. All three of us know it. Tell me the truth.”
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she let it out slowly. “Calli and I found a book in the library full of spells she wanted to try. You know, get proficient. Anyway, we thought it would be cool to give it a go. We needed the Huperzia to finish it, so I went in, by myself, to grab it.”
“Ok.” Kalkin held up his hand. “As amusing as this all is, let me stop you right there because you're digging yourself a hole you just can't get out. Stop lying to me. I already told you, I smell your lies.”
“I’ll deny it.”
“Kid, you're not in the position to deny anything. As it stands, you're on your third strike here. I'd be concerned about what happens next.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “What would your aunt think if we have to tell her, you've been thrown out of our pack/pride?”
“What?” She didn’t believe him.
“Do you think we don't know where your aunt is?” Kalkin's gaze bore into hers. “We can force this issue. Send you back to your family.”
“You can’t.” Fear gripped her, closing off her throat, making it almost impossible to swallow. Her aunt hated her. She had the opportunity to take her and her siblings when her parents were killed. She refused. From her understanding, her aunt even refused to have a traditional burial for her parents. She cremated them, dishonoring her whole family.
“We can. You’re disturbing the peace here. No one here should have to deal with your antics. Shifters and humans alike come here to find comfort and rest, to not fear who lives beside them. Your treading into an unredeemable arc. As the Alpha and Sheriff of this county, I can and will do everything to protect my people.”
Fallon slumped into her seat. “I—”
“But, you’ve been given a reprieve.”
She jolted in her seat, surprised by his statement. “What?”
“It’s in your wheelhouse. I want you to join the Psychic Retrieval Agency. I need more kids your age to become agents. The ones we have now are aging out.”
She sat up and shook her head as though she hadn’t heard him right. “Work with you?” Work with Lyle?
“Yes, and in return, you’ll be able to stay in Window Rock with your brothers.”
Which meant, if she didn't do what he wanted her to, she'd be sent back to an aunt, in Florida, who had no love for her or her family. “Since it looks like I don't have much of a choice, I guess my answer is yes.”
He grunted. “I figured you’d make me work for your ‘yes,’ more.” He walked over to the door and opened it. “You’ll have a team. If you step out on them, they’ll tell us. If you do anything out of the way, they’ll tell us. Consider yourself in jail, with work release.”
“Perfect.” She nodded.
“Oh, and you need to bond with Suān ní.” Kalkin closed the door behind as he left.
“Do what now?” She glanced up at the man standing in front of her. “Bond with you?”
“Yes. I am your familiar. We must bond. My life for your life. It is how it is done.” He held his hand out to her and sliced his palm.
“I’m not a witch.” The blood oozed from the cut, knotting her stomach.
“Yet, here we are. Please give me your palm so we might bond.” He stared at her, his green eyes unyielding.
“Fine, whatever. Not like you mean it.” She held out her palm and Suān ní struck, slicing her palm open. “Ouch.”
“Place your palm to mine, Fú zé Wu.”
“I hate that name,” she grumbled.
“It is a beautiful name.” He squeezed their palms together and recited some ancient spell in Chinese she’d never heard before.
Light filtered around them as life traveled between them. Her blood hummed. Her tiger purred. When it was finished, she stood there not sure what happened, however, she could feel Suān ní's presence within her. Not in a creepy way either. He was warm. Comforting. She hadn't realized how cold she'd been until he joined her. So weird.
“It is tradition for you to pick my new name, but I enjoy the name I have already,” he said.
“I could continue to call you Suān ní. If you want?” Fallon glanced up at him. A current of pride went through her and she recognized it immediately as coming from Suān ní.
“I like it much better than changing my given name. I am and will forevermore be, Suān ní Ling.”
“Call me Fallon, Suān ní. So, what do we do next?” She rubbed her hands across her thighs, then winced. “Blood is so hard to get out of denim.”
“There is no blood. The slice is already healed.” He held up his hand to show her.
Well, at least one good thing happened to her.
Chapter 2
Infuriating, insubordinate, terrorizing brat. Grainger Wilcox shook his head as he watched Kalkin interrogated the girl, Fú zé “Fallon” Wu. The girl had been caught outside, Mrs. Chen’s shop. The kindly woman didn’t deserve to have her place pilfered. Nor did the new age shop who shared space with Mrs. Chen. He supposed what pissed him off more, was the fact there hadn’t been an ounce of remorse in her body language. The only thing she regretted had been getting caught.
She’s nothing like Lyle.
“She’s cute,” Warren stated, coming up beside him. “Too bad she’s not your type.”
Grainger cocked a brow. “My type?”
“Prissy, not rebellious.” Abraham stood beside his blood partner and boyfriend. “Complete opposite of her brother if you ask me.”
“Not a bit like Lyle or Lu.” Warren grinned. “Not an ounce of good-girl there. I like it.”
All three of them had been friends since childhood. Grainger’s parents moved there when Kalkin opened the pack/pride up to others who might be searching for a place to call home. From his experience, most vampires roamed more than settled, so it’d surprised him when he learned there were nests around the globe. Warren and Abraham had different upbringings. Both of their families had standing within the community. Warren’s father working in the prosecutor’s office and his mother was an investigative reporter for the Window Rock Tribune. Abraham’s were a little different. Like Grainger, they’d spent more time traveling. Explaining why vampire stop aging, in the beginning, before shifters and others came out, led to certain death for their kind.
When Grainger and his mother arrived in Window Rock, howe
ver, they too began to help vampires using the network Keeley Raferty developed. They made sure each home had enough blood to keep the residents from going into bloodlust and also helped procure someone who could help fledgling vampires through their transitions.
There’s a period in every vampire’s life when they’re more human than vampire. They’re fragile. Their senses are dulled and, like humans, could be hurt or worse killed. The transition usually occurred when the vampire entered puberty, however, he’d heard of halflings not experiencing the transition until they met their mate or mates. Vampire puberty isn’t the same as a human’s puberty, which a vampire goes through as well, this though, is when the first feeding takes place. It’s difficult for the body to accept and can lead to the vampire being killed if they become crazed. It is also the first time a vampire has sex. In Abraham and Warren's case, they’d always been close, and their parents encouraged their budding relationship. So, when the time came, it’d been natural for Warren to step up and help Abraham.
Grainger, however, chose a family friend to help with his. The Nemescu family were known for their generosity in the vampire community. Though they weren't local, his mother reminded him whenever he needed anything, he could return to them for assistance. They'd been part of the reason Grainger and his mother had survived for as long as they had. He also suspected they'd been the ones who'd told his mother about Window Rock.
Before things went south for his mother, she again reminded him where he could go for safety is something should tear Window Rock apart. He believed his mother hoped he’d find his beloved in the Nemescu Family. Him, if he was meant to find his partner, he would no matter where they were.
“Do we enjoy good girls?” Abraham teased, pulling Grainger from his musings.
“Not. At. All,” Warren replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
“You’re both idiots.”
He stepped away from them. They'd been a team for five years. Due to his and Abraham's transition and the glamor, Warren could cast over himself, they didn't look a day over nineteen. They slipped into and out of social situations, weeding out those who might want to hurt shifter children or those who had abilities or both without detection. Adding Fallon to their group would tear them apart. She had no morals. No sense of self. She didn’t even respect her family, let alone herself.
