Risky Bargains

by J. C. Diem

  It was rare to see him joke and we laughed, but I sensed everyone was as uneasy as I felt. I didn’t particularly want to visit the fae realm, but it seemed I didn’t have a choice.

  Zeus took Mark back to their base in Europe and the rest of us resumed training.

  Franko returned with the package five hours after being sent to retrieve it. Liam took it with a nod of thanks, but carried it up to his bedroom rather than opening it in front of us. It was probably something he didn’t even need, since the trip to the city had just been a ruse to get rid of the rookie for a while.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  TEMPERS BECAME SHORT and our patience grew thin as the full moon drew closer. Franko became more aggressive when he was training in the ring with the twins. He stopped short of using his alpha power on them, but only because I stayed close so I could monitor him. I spent at least a couple of hours every day toning my muscles and working on my strength during his sessions. Apart from my driving skills, my fitness was another aspect that Irene wasn’t able to control with her spells.

  Franko became insufferable on the day the full moon was due to rise. Liam once again gave us the day off from training. I couldn’t stand being in the same room as the testosterone filled alpha, so I headed outside for some exercise. Yas was engrossed in a movie, so I left her to it.

  Emma rode on my shoulder as I broke into a jog. Clinging to my ear to keep her balance, the squirrel looked back over her shoulder when we heard the door open. I looked through her eyes to see the alpha running down the driveway in our wake.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” I muttered, annoyed that I couldn’t get a break from him for even a few minutes.

  Veering off the driveway before he could spot me, I knew I wouldn’t be able to evade him for long. He could follow my scent wherever I went. A grin surfaced when an idea occurred to me. At my mental urging, Emma made us sink into the soil, then we popped back up on the far side of the fence.

  I broke into a run and raced across the road to disappear into the trees. My herd didn’t have eyes that I could look through, but I paused to see what the rookie was going to do when my trail vanished. They reported him skidding to a stop, then milling around in apparent confusion.

  “Good luck trying to follow me now, douche nozzle,” I murmured, then broke into a run again.

  Coming across a trail, I followed it down to the foothills to an old road that didn’t look like it saw much traffic these days. A few houses were scattered around, but I couldn’t hear or see any people as I ran without a particular destination in mind.

  Seeing the aged ruins of a house that had burned down long ago, I veered over to it. A barn that had mostly fallen down was the only other building on the property. It was quiet and peaceful as I headed towards the woods a short distance away. Another trail took me to a creek. I passed the scattered remains of an animal that had been dead for a couple of decades. It looked like it had been a deer. The toothmarks on one of the larger bones looked familiar. It seemed a shifter had eaten it. I wondered if someone from the older generation of the squad had devoured it.

  Liam texted me, asking me where I was. I texted back that I was taking a walk with Emma and that we would be gone for an hour or so. Yas tracked me down by following my scent seconds after I sent him the message. She was wearing her full leather outfit to shield herself from the sun. “Did you really think we’d let you wander out here alone?” the vampire asked me in a pitying tone when I scowled at her.

  “I’m not alone,” I muttered and hiked my thumb at Emma.

  “You know what I mean,” my bestie scolded me. “The curse of Alex is always lurking around, not to mention the witch.”

  “Emma will take me back to the base if we run into any trouble,” I said, but I knew she was right. I was used to my freedom by now. I’d almost forgotten that Irene was still hunting for me.

  “You should have seen Franko’s face when you gave him the slip,” Yas said with an audible grin.

  “You were following him?” I asked.

  “Of course I was. I saw him sneak out after you and figured he was going to hit on you again. He followed your scent, then spun around in circles when your trail suddenly vanished.”

  We both snickered at that image. “He should have known I’d used Emma to get away from him,” I said in derision.

  “He still doesn’t know that you’re a necromancer,” Yas reminded me. “He has no idea what you’re capable of.”

  That made my mood turn glum, because I wasn’t capable of much at all. I was a pathetic agent and I would have been cut from the squad under normal circumstances.

  “Is there a reason why you came here?” Yas asked, looking around at the creek, woods and faint trail.

  “Not really. I just let my feet carry me where they wanted to go.”

  We ambled along the path, heading deeper into the forest. Animals fled at our approach, sensing we were predators. My werewolf was restless and was looking forward to shifting. With Jax gone, my inner beast was bound to be lonely and desolate without him.

  Yas was thinking the same thing. “I hope you don’t spend the next three nights howling again,” she said.

  “Me, too,” I agreed with a grimace. “My werewolf will have to accept the fact that Jax is gone and he isn’t coming back.”

  For a moment, I felt something prying at my mind and came to a halt. Sensing frustration coming from the presence, it faded away.

  “What is it?” Yas asked, alert for danger.

  “I think the witch just tried to scry through my eyes,” I said and described what I’d just felt.

  “Nancy’s charm bracelet is doing the trick,” my bestie said in relief.

  “I’m glad Crowmon gave it a boost with his magic. I’m pretty sure Irene would have been able to break through the charm if he hadn’t helped me. She’s pissed that her spell failed.”

  “She’s probably trying to set a new trap for you,” Yas figured uneasily. “It’s no wonder she was able to lure us away and send Killion and his goons after you.”

  It was a reminder that the master vampire and his minions could be lurking anywhere. Then I remembered they couldn’t stay awake during the day and relaxed slightly. I’d opted to go for a walk in the woods rather than along the roads because I didn’t want anyone to try to run me down. The curse had less of a chance to strike if I stayed away from people.

  That theory was proven to be incorrect when I stepped around a tree and walked directly into a wasps’ nest. The nest was attached to a branch that dangled above the trail. Insects immediately boiled into action, stinging me repeatedly as I flailed my arms to try to drive them away.

  Protected from the assault by her suit, Yas was laughing too hard to help me. Emma was smart enough to take us home, but the wasps that were stinging me were drawn along as well.

  By some stroke of luck, Crowmon just happened to be standing outside when we arrived. “So, that’s why I felt the sudden need to stretch my legs,” he said.

  The jester grinned in glee and swirled his finger in the air. The wasps were caught up in a tiny whirlwind that he controlled with his magic. He hurried over to the garage door and used more magic to open it, since we didn’t have one of the remote controls handy. He drew the small swarm of insects inside the garage with him, angling directly for Franko’s car. Once again, he used magic to open the Corvette’s door. Depositing the wasps inside, he closed the door and locked it, then hurried back outside. The garage door rolled back down automatically a few seconds later.

  Emma hadn’t been stung by the pests, but she hugged me in sympathy. My wounds had already healed and the pain was gone, but it hadn’t been pleasant. “Stupid curse,” I muttered dourly.

  Yas finally got control of herself and stopped laughing. “How did you know to come outside just then?” she asked the trickster.

  “My instincts told me a chance to cause mischief was afoot,” he said slyly. “Now we just need an excuse to get the alpha hole to go f
or a drive.”

  “He’ll run away like a little girl as soon as he opens the door and sees the wasps,” I predicted.

  Crowmon shook his head, grinning even wider. “I’ve put the beasties to sleep. They’ll awaken once Agent Franko is a mile away from our base. He’ll be in for a nasty surprise once they take their rage out on him.”

  “Leave that to me,” the vampire said confidently. “I’m sure I can persuade him to take a drive.” Chuckling beneath her breath, she led the way back inside.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  HEATH’S EYES WENT TO me the moment I stepped through the door. His intense stare made me uncomfortable. Yas sensed my emotions and moved between us to block his view as I headed for the kitchen. She stripped her hood and gloves off and tossed them onto the island.

  “What happened?” Sydney asked when she saw the vampire’s wide smirk. She and Brynn were watching a movie. The twins were working out. Franko was sitting at the dining table, craning his head so he could stare at my butt over the island counter.

  “Did the curse strike again?” Brynn asked in sympathetic amusement.

  “Yeah, in a big way,” I replied, half-turning to look at the girls. “I walked into a wasps’ next and got stung about a hundred and fifty times.”

  “Now you know how it feels,” Heath said in satisfaction.

  “You’d better watch out, Franko,” Yas warned him ominously. “Emma brought us back here, but the wasps were drawn along as well. They flew off and we don’t know where they went. They could be lying in wait anywhere.”

  I saw him sneer at her from the corner of my eye, then I turned away so I didn’t have to look at him. “Does anyone want coffee?” I asked and received a chorus of affirmative replies.

  I put some cookies on a plate and carried them into the living room when the beverages were ready. The shifters converged on the snacks almost before I’d put the tray down on a coffee table. Franko made sure to brush up against me as I was reaching for some cookies. He used too much force and knocked me off balance. I tripped and fell and would have smacked my head on the coffee table if Yas hadn’t caught me.

  “Nice one,” the vampire said sarcastically. “Are you trying to get into Alex’s pants, or kill her with your clumsiness?”

  He snarled at her, showing too many teeth. All shifters became volatile this close to the change. Werewolves were worse than most. He was an alpha, so he was even more unpredictable than the rest of us. “Don’t push me, you filthy walking corpse!” he said, voice a deep growl.

  “Or what?” she taunted him with a sneer. “I’m stronger and faster than you, douche nozzle. You couldn’t hurt me if I had both hands tied behind my back.”

  Already close to the edge, his temper snapped and he lunged at her. Yas was ready for it. She flashed to the side, tripped him up and rode him down to the furry rug. Twisting his arm up behind his back, she hunched over him like a vampiric vulture looming over a rotting carcass. “Try that again and I’ll sink my fangs into you, wolf boy,” she said threateningly, but winked at us to show she was just riling him up.

  Roaring in rage, Franko pushed himself to his feet with enough force to throw her off him. She landed on the far side of the couches, fists up and ready for a brawl. “I’m going to tear your face off!” he shouted and took a step towards her.

  Liam, Nick, Syd and Brynn moved to intercept him, while Crowmon, Emma and I watched. “That’s three strikes, Agent Franko,” Liam warned him. “You clearly can’t control your temper, which means you don’t belong in the Shifter Squad. I’m going to talk to Agent Steel about removing you from our team.”

  Instead of being upset at the threat, Franko just sneered at him. “I didn’t hurt anyone, boss,” he argued. “I haven’t done anything to get myself kicked off the squad. Agent Steel knows that and I’m sure he’ll agree with me.” His self-confidence was back in full force once again. “I’ve played nice so far, but that might not last for much longer,” he added. He allowed his alpha power to swell, but kept it contained. He flicked a look at me, knowing I could feel his strength.

  “Why don’t you take a long drive?” Liam suggested coldly. “We could all use a break from you.”

  Struggling against the instinct to challenge our leader, Heath saluted him sarcastically. “Good idea,” he said, as if he was the one who’d come up with it. “I could use the fresh air. It gets old smelling the dead all the time.” He sent a scathing look at Yas and Emma, then stalked over to the door that led to the long hallway.

  “Nice one, boss,” Yas said, clapping in glee when the door slammed shut behind the rookie.

  “Why do I get the feeling I just played directly into your hands?” Liam asked suspiciously.

  “Because you did, lad,” Crowmon told him with a smirk. “Yasmine wasn’t joking about the wasps, but we know exactly where they are.”

  Brynn figured it out and her eyes widened. “They’re in his car?” she asked.

  “Don’t bother trying to spy on him,” I said when my fellow agents turned towards the spiral staircase with the intention of watching him on a monitor. “Crowmon put the wasps to sleep. They won’t wake up until he’s a mile away from the base.”

  “I’d pay a million bucks to be able to see Franko’s face when the wasps wake up,” Syd said wistfully.

  Emma tugged on my hair, then pointed at her eyes. I gleaned what she was getting at and took a seat on the couch. “Emma wants to follow the Corvette,” I reported to the team. “She’ll be able to show me what happens.”

  “Let her go,” Nick said with a fierce grin. “I’ll let her out.” He jogged over to me and scooped the squirrel off my shoulder, then headed for the kitchen door. He opened it just wide enough for her to slip outside. We heard Franko streaking down the dirt driveway, then the sound cut out when the kitchen door closed. He’d been given a remote control to open the garage door and the gates now, so we didn’t need to let him in and out.

  Yas raced over and took a seat beside me. She put her hand on my arm and I linked us both to Emma as she sank into the ground. The squirrel popped up on the far side of the gate. She went in pursuit of the Corvette as Heath put his foot down. Using the zombie highway, my minion traveled a mile down the road and emerged from the soil.

  I relayed what was happening to the others as they all took a seat. “Here he comes,” I said a short while later. Emma was waiting in a tree, watching the road. She watched the red sports car zoom towards her with her paws tucked against her furry chest.

  “He just swerved,” Yas said in anticipation. “The wasps are awake and are stinging the crap out of him,” she crowed.

  “He’s going to crash into a tree!” I exclaimed as the car swerved off the road. Franko managed to slam on the brakes, then switched the engine off. He leaped out and whirled around in a mad circle, trying to slap the wasps to death while shouting inarticulately.

  “Is his car totaled?” Brynn asked with a smirk.

  “Nah, he managed to stop just in time,” my bestie replied between giggles.

  Laughing hysterically, Yas and I tried to describe the scene as the alpha sprinted away from the car in an effort to distance himself from the vengeful insects. His ploy worked and he came to a stop, glowering at his vehicle.

  “The wasps are leaving,” Yas said, fangs showing from her supreme pleasure at pranking the alpha hole once more. “Franko is slinking back to his Corvette.”

  “He’s standing a few yards away, listening to see if any of them are inside his car,” I reported, stomach sore from laughing so hard.

  “Now he’s climbing back inside,” my bestie told them. “He’s just sitting there, scowling and looking in his rearview mirror.”

  “I bet he’s trying to decide whether to come back here and accuse us of pranking him again,” Sydney said in a knowing tone.

  “That was a good one,” Crowmon said, pleased with his efforts. “I hope not too many of the wasps suffered from his wrath.”

  “I don’t think
he killed any of them,” Yas reassured him. “He wasn’t exactly in full control of himself.”

  “Thanks to you,” Nick said in admiration. “You really know how to push his buttons.”

  “It’s a gift,” the bloodsucker said with false modesty.

  “What’s he doing now?” Liam asked. He was amused, but was trying to be serious.

  “He’s just started his car,” I replied. “He’s leaving,” I added when Emma watched the Corvette zoom off towards the highway.

  “That was fun!” Yas said, rubbing her hands together now that the show was over. “If we keep this up, we’ll drive him away permanently.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Brynn said with a frown. “He seemed pretty sure that he’s not going to get kicked off our squad.”

  Liam was frowning as well and Nick was just as worried. Neither of the twins could shake the idea that Heath had been sent here to take over.

  “You should do us all a favor and get your herd to trample him to death,” Nick said, only half joking. After what we’d just seen, it was painfully obvious that Franko wasn’t fit to be in charge of anyone, let alone the younger generation of the Shifter Squad.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  FRANKO RETURNED JUST in time for dinner. He was wearing a smug grin when he swaggered inside. The stings he’d suffered had healed without a trace. He didn’t mention the wasp attack when he took his seat at the table.

  “Did you have a nice drive, boyo?” Crowmon asked him slyly.

  “You could say that,” the alpha replied with a smirk. “I met a lone werewolf in Denver and we took a couple of hours to become better acquainted.” He gave me a triumphant look and I ignored him. It was obvious what he was getting at and I wasn’t going to take the bait.

  “Ew,” Yas said, wrinkling her nose. “I can smell you from here,” she complained from her seat in the living room near Crowmon. Emma was sitting on her shoulder. “You could have at least had a shower before sitting down to eat.”