True Angel: a Fallen Angel romance (Curse of the Othersiders Book 1)
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The Eastern Pack was the law when it came to local shifters. Made up of close to two hundred predatory shifters—specifically wolves, big cats, and bears—and led by their Alpha, the pack protected some of the weaker shifters while also holding the predators accountable.
If Avery believed a shifter—feral or not—was responsible for what happened to her sister, she should be talking to the Alpha, not Cam.
The mortal bit down on her bottom lip. “I tried. But that’s the problem. The pack knows when one of its members goes feral, probably even before the shifter does. There’s no sign that any of them are the guy I’m looking for. He’s either a lone wolf or far from his territory. At least, that’s how Shea explained it to me.”
And wasn’t that another surprise?
“You know Shea?”
Shea Moonshadow was one of Cam’s neighbors. A sweet witch with a pair of shocking purple peepers, she owned Moonshadow Apothecary about a block down from Cam’s office. Like Cam, she lived above her shop—when she wasn’t spending time with her mate at his home—and she welcomed customers of all races. Not only did she specialize in crystals, supplements, and incense, but Shea was an empathic healer. The last time Cam got a kink in his wing, he walked down to her shop and was healed in seconds. She was a good soul, and suddenly he knew exactly who had told Avery about him.
Avery went ahead and proved him right when she said, “She’s actually the reason why I’m here. I know that her… her husband—”
“Mate,” corrected Cam.
“Excuse me?”
“Mate,” he said again. “If you know Shea Moonshadow, then you know that Colton Wolfe is a shifter. He’s not her husband. He’s her mate.” For some strange reason, he felt like he had to add, “It’s a Para thing. Even if they’re married, mate still trumps husband. Marriages can end, but a mate bond? They’re almost impossible to break.”
Which was absolutely true. When it came to soulmates—when it came to fated mates, once a bond began to form, it was always there. The only surefire way to sever it was for one of the couple to die. For Paras, ‘til death do you part wasn’t just a line in wedding vows. Only… why was he telling his prospective client any of that?
He cleared his throat. “What were you saying about Colton Wolfe?”
“Okay, so I usually get all my vitamins from Shea whenever I’m in town. I knew her… mate was part of the pack. I thought he could help me when Heather got taken.”
“Makes sense.”
“That’s what I thought. I didn’t have anyone else to ask, so I went and saw them early Sunday morning after I was sure my sister was really gone and I wasn’t just panicking over nothing. He looked around, asked some questions, and got back to me last night. None of his packmates could tell me anything about a feral shifter running off with a human.”
Cam thought about that for a moment. Maybe Colton Wolfe was telling the truth. Cam didn’t know all of the paranormals in the area, but you’d have to be out of touch not to know about the Wolfe brothers, especially if you lived in Grayson during the last couple of years like Cam had. Maddox, the older brother, had recently taken over as the Alpha of the Eastern Pack, with Colt as his Beta and enforcer. Whether a shifter in their extended territory was a member of the pack or not, they answered to Maddox or Colt, just like how the Alpha was loyal to his pack above all, with the only exception being his mate and his pup. If Colt said that he couldn’t tell her about a feral shifter, then he couldn’t—or wouldn’t.
Then again, it didn’t mean there wasn’t one.
“I couldn’t give up, though,” Avery continued, breaking through Cam’s thoughts—and suspicions. “I can’t. If anything ever happened to me, I know Heather would move Heaven and Earth to find me. I’ve gotta do the same thing for her. Shea said that I should see you. I came by your office earlier, but the door was locked. I guess you weren’t open yet. So I drank some more coffee so I didn’t crash, walked around for a while, then came back. And now I’m here. So. What do you think?”
She paused for a moment, then did it. She finally did it. She looked Cam dead in the eye. “Can you help me find my sister?”
Cam felt a jolt go through him as his whole body came suddenly alive. She offered him a pleading look that had his heart thudding a mambo against his ribcage. And his cock… that sucker went hard so fast, he went light-headed as all of his blood surged south.
He was speechless. Dumb-struck.
Lost.
And all because he finally had the chance to look deep in her eyes. Well, why not? They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, after all. And Avery’s soul—
Cam gave his head a quick jerk. A clearing shake. No. No. He wouldn’t think like this. As hard—ha, hard!—as it was, he ignored his cock and his thumping heart and his sudden urge to tell her that everything was going to be okay.
Because it wasn’t, was it? Her sister was taken, she was desperate, and Cam could suddenly feel the curse of the Othersiders breathing down his neck.
Maybe he could make this work, though. The points, Cam reminded himself. Focus on the points.
Stepping behind his desk, trying to hide the bulge in his dark denim jeans, Cam eyed Avery coolly across the space. This time, it was his turn to pick out a point just beyond her gorgeous face. It wasn’t worth the risk, meeting her gaze head-on again.
Who knows what Cam would see this time?
“I’ve got a quick question for you first,” he said.
“Sure.”
“Do you know what I am?”
That… wasn’t what he was going to ask. He was more concerned with what exactly Avery meant about wolf prints in Spring Valley and why she was sure a feral shifter was responsible or why she had avoided meeting his gaze until right now… he meant to ask any of those questions, only that’s not what slipped out.
Why did he ask that?
Why did it matter if she knew?
Why did he care?
Cam fisted his hands at his side as, instead of taking the question back, he waited for her answer.
She didn’t hesitate.
“Yes. Shea told me. You’re an Othersider, but that’s okay. She said you’re one of the good ones.”
Right. Because most mortals were convinced that Othersiders really were demons in disguise.
Did she realize that she offended him? Oh, well. On the plus side, her earnest answer did what he would’ve thought was impossible only seconds again: his cock immediately started to deflate.
After a quick—and hopefully discreet adjustment—Cam gave her a crooked grin. “And you’re okay with that?”
Confusion. He sensed confusion wafting off of her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I am a Para, after all.”
“So? I wouldn’t have come here if that bothered me. My sister’s the one afraid of paranormals. Not me.”
A blast of heat. Almost as if he’d opened the oven door after he’d turned it on, getting a face full of hot air… that’s what he felt pouring off of Avery. She was tired, but she had a temper—one that Cam had inadvertently triggered.
Huh. Looked like things were getting back to interesting again.
Cam held up his hand. “Easy. I just wanted to make sure I knew where we stand.”
The heat cooled, a wave of contrition washing over her, licking out at him. He could sense it, and knew right away that, if the temper hadn’t tempted him, her desperation as she rubbed her eyes, then looked imploringly up at him again would have just sealed the deal.
A shaky exhale. “Yeah. Sorry about snapping at you. It’s just… she’s my sister. I can’t find her on my own. I know. I tried. And if I can’t hire a shifter to track down one of their own, you’re my last hope.”
“The pack won’t get involved?”
She shook her head. “Heather’s human. If it got out that a feral went after her, it’ll be hell for the shifters. I don’t like it, but I get it. It’s better if they stand firm that it’s a human problem.”
Of course, on the side of the Paras, it was most definitely warranted.
“A little more colorful than that, but yeah. He suggested I go to see his buddy, this Nightwalker who used to work for the Grayson PD, but Shea told me to see you. And maybe you won’t be able to help me… I don’t know. But it’s been days and no one’s heard from Heather and that’s not like her. I have to make sure she’s okay.”
“And if she’s not?”
Avery jutted her chin out. Female looked ready to drop, running on adrenaline and caffeine, and she managed to come off as defiant as she told him, “It’s better than the worrying. The wondering. I have to believe she’s fine, but I need to know for sure.”
And there was that fire again. Maybe Cam did belong in the down below because, right then, he had the urge to let it burn him right up.
He should say no. Between stepping on the pack’s toes and knowing deep down that this was a job for the police, he should say no. This had the recipe for disaster written all over it, especially for an Othersider who liked to lay low, earn his points, and work toward his halo. And that wasn’t even touching on the curse…
Then again, when had Cam ever done what he was supposed to? If he had, he probably would’ve been on the fast track to his halo by now.
Telling himself that it had everything to do with being the good guy instead of shouldering this mortal female’s troubles, Cam started to say, “In that case—”
“Camiel. No.”
A thump as Dina jumped down from her perch. His head jerked in time to see her padding quickly toward him, her cat’s eyes gleaming.
He blinked. For the first time in a long time, he’d completely forgotten about his auditor.
“Not now, Dina.”
“Yes now. You listen to me. I don’t think you should take this job.”
That made two of them.
Avery’s mood turned on a dime. From daring to worried, she bent slightly to get a better look at Dina. She held out a hand as if she wanted to stroke the cat but, fortunately, knew better than to try.
“Is she okay? She’s meowing a lot. You don’t think she hurt herself when she jumped, do you?”
“Tell the mortal that, while I appreciate her concern, you’re regretfully unable to offer her any aid.”
“Di—“
“Do it. You must.”
Cam was pretty sure he knew why he should say no, but he couldn’t quite understand why Dina was so against him accepting. Considering this type of job was exactly what he did, he was already hoping this might be the score that put his point tally over the top. His auditor had to know that.
They couldn’t have this argument now, though. Not in front of his client. Because, regardless of Dina’s comment and Cam’s own good sense, he was taking this job. He couldn’t explain why exactly, but it seemed right. Almost like he had to do this.
Bending down to give Dina a quick, silencing pat, he said, “Yes, yes. I know,” before glancing up at Avery’s concerned expression. “It’s like I told you. Dina’s special. Probably finished with her donut and just needs me to re-up her bowl of water or something.”
“That is most definitely not what I said, Camiel,” snapped Dina. “And you know better than to serve me a bowl. I’ll have a glass, thank you, and don’t forget the ice after you escort this mortal outside again.”
At the fresh round of meows, Avery gave him a small smile. It was the first one since she walked into his office. And while that bit of fire tossed his way when he questioned her about being bothered by him being a Para had definitely snagged his attention, that was nothing compared to the way his heart seemed to just… stop when she shared that tiny grin with him.
And he thought “heart-stopping” was just a turn of phrase. If looking in her eyes set it pumping, that tiny grin nearly killed him.
Cam swallowed. Despite Dina twining around his ankles, warning him that he was about to make a huge mistake, he accepted that absolutely nothing was going to stop him from taking this job.
“You know, if you want to go get her some water, I don’t mind. She seems pretty thirsty. I can wait.”
So, Cam thought as he excused himself to the bathroom, she knew he was an Othersider, but like most mortals, she had no idea about his relationship with his auditor. She heard the meows and really thought that Dina was his cat and not his boss. For now, he’d make sure to leave it at that.
He came back less than a minute later, carrying a bowl filled at the tap. Dina turned up her nose at it—just like he expected—and jumped back to her cat tree. She’d obviously realized that, stubborn as ever, Cam had made up his mind so there was no changing it. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t have to hear about that—or his tease with the water bowl—later.
But that was later.
Cam went behind his desk again, pulled open one of his desk drawers, and yanked out a pad. He grabbed a pen, slapping it on top of the empty page, shooting it toward Avery. “Here. For starters.” He held up his hand, ticking off his fingers as he went. “Your sister’s name. Her address. How old is she? What did she do? What does she like to do? Why would a feral hunt her down? Anything I should know to start, jot it down.”
“Um. Write it? You don’t want me to, I don’t know, text it or e-mail it to you?”
Unable to stop himself, he threw a pointed glare at his nemesis. “Better not. Me and tech… let’s just say that I’ve never had a piece of paper blow up on me.”
Avery followed his gaze, eyes widening again when she noticed he was giving his computer the evil eye. “Then I guess I’ll write it down for you.”
Cam only had one seat in his office. He wordlessly gestured toward it.
She took it, turning the legal pad around so that it was facing her. Before she picked up the pen, though, she said, “Does this mean you’re going to help me?”
He had a smart ass quip halfway to his tongue before he thought better of it. Not only would it lose him a good couple of points, but he could tell that his mortal client had a reason for double-checking. The least he could do was reassure her. It was the kind thing—the good thing—to do.
“Yeah. I’m not sure I’m any better than the cops when it comes to tracking down a feral shifter, but I’ll give it my best.”
“Great. Well. Thank you. But maybe we should talk about payment first.”
“Payment?” Okay. That came out of nowhere. “What do you mean, payment?”
“I don’t really have much. When I told my job that I needed to take some time off, they just took me off the schedule. No vacation time. Probably no more job either, if I’m being honest. But if you’ll let me make a payment plan, though, I’ll give you whatever you want.”
Despite her words, there was an innocence to them that even the dark corner of Cam he kept hidden couldn’t twist. Torn between being annoyed at Avery’s employment for leaving her in the lurch and Shea for not thinking to mention a big part of Cam’s services, he shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s just—”
“Avery. I promise. It’s fine.”
“No. It’s not. I’m desperate, but I’ll pay my own way. I have to.”
“And I appreciate that. But this is how I do my business. I never accept payment of any kind. It’s not how I do things. I have my reasons, too, and if you don’t believe me, ask Shea. She should’ve told you.”
“She did. But I thought—”
“I’m not even saying for sure that I can do this. So why would you want to waste your money on me already?”
When she just stared at him, he jerked his chin at the pad. “Don’t forget full name and birthday. Address, too. Plus any details you think are important.”
“Cam. Call me Cam. Now write.”
“Cam. I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Then don’t say it. Jot it down. Trust me. That’ll give me the head start I need.”
It took her a few seconds to realize that he was serious. He wasn’t going to ask for payment, and he didn’t need her gratitude. He just wanted to do something helpful for another soul and, hopefully, earn a huge chunk of points.
At least, that was what he kept telling himself as she bent over the page, the length of her light brown hair settling over her shoulder, leaving the alluring curve of her throat on display.
After she finished writing down everything she thought he needed to know, they made arrangements to meet again the next morning and, with only a wistful backward glance as if she thought she had signed some kind of deal with the devil, Avery reluctantly left his office.
She had wanted to stay. She wanted to help him search. Even when Cam explained that he worked best alone—not counting Dina—Avery tried to insist. So Cam planted the suggestion that she get some sleep at least; she’d be no help to him if she was dead on her feet. And while his suggestions weren’t anywhere near as powerful as a true angel’s, her exhaustion worked in his favor. She was going home, leaving him to think about what he’d just agreed to do.
To make matters more… concerning, Cam could still sense her even after she was gone. Avery lingered in the office, especially in his seat. He rested his back against the upper part of his desk chair, soaking it in, vaguely realizing that the twitches from before were still there, only now he had to admit that he might’ve just figured out who had caused them.
He glanced at the legal pad. Avery Hayes of Spring Valley. Twenty-nine. Younger sister of Heather, the town librarian who went missing after work on Saturday night.
At least, he hoped she was just missing.
Cam tapped his finger on the page full of Avery’s sloppy printing. No wonder she wanted to type it up and send it to him. But apart from not being on the best terms with all things technological, he was able to sense the whole situation better from the emotions she poured into the page. It had to be this way.