Not My Shifter/ Sinfully Cursed (Shifter Paradise) (Volume 1)

by Kate Allenton

  “I don’t get that either. It’s not like we have anything in common. We weren’t even acquaintances. We don’t work together. I didn’t even know who you were.”

  He knocked her shoulder. “Besides the obvious shared lust thing going on, we do have two things in common.”

  She glanced over to him and really looked into his face for the first time since sitting down. Her brows dipped.

  “We’re both law enforcement and Fairy. Those are the only two things you and I have in common…” He shrugged. “Besides the bone-jumping lust riding each of us. That didn’t come until later, so I’m pretty sure we can rule that out.”

  She grinned. “You’re right.”

  “We couldn’t help it. We didn’t know each other.”

  She knocked her shoulder against his arm. “I’m not talking about the lust, you moron. You’re right about the fairy blood. But if you think about it, Fae are sexual creatures. It wouldn’t be that big of a leap to know that we’d have sex.”

  He shrugged. “All of this thinking is giving me a headache. Let’s go consult the oracle and have her do her hocus pocus.”

  Parker rose and shook her head. “She might shrink your head if you call her that.” Parker moved to the door. “The risk is yours.”

  He chuckled as he closed and locked up the house. He slid into the passenger seat. “Aren’t you supposed to protect me from things that go bump in the night?” He wiggled his brows. “Unless, of course, it’s our bodies.”

  She chuckled. “Focus, horndog…focus. Crystal and bad guy first.” She glanced at him. “In case you didn’t know, every sexual innuendo you’ve made is affecting me in places that are off limits to you. That’s not too smart for the man sleeping in the next room. I do tend to get a little loud when I have an orgasm.” She clicked her tongue and smiled. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

  ****

  They arrived at The Crystal Ball and had to park around the back of the building. Cars lined the street in front. The chaotic scene reminded him of a sale on the day after Thanksgiving. “She must be having one huge sale on some incenses or something. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a spell for catching bad guys on clearance.”

  “It’s the annual Fall Festival we have every year at Halloween.” Parker’s gaze travelled around the lot. Women, men, and children were laughing and talking as they moved up and down the street. A few of the men were carrying pumpkins under their arms. The children were so excited that they were wearing a part of their costumes home. Tiaras glinted in the sun. Pink tutus bounced up and down on the waist of little girls who couldn’t contain their excitement. Even red and blue superhero capes twisted in the breeze. The children had the costume bags clutched in their little hands.

  She stepped out of the SUV and rounded it to meet him. “Her shop gets pretty busy at this time of year, as you can imagine.”

  He nodded as they started walking toward the back entrance. “Ah yes, what Halloween party would be complete without the creepy stuff she probably has in her shop?”

  “Officer McKenna, your guest is just begging to be turned into a toad.”

  A toad? What? They spun around to find a tall pretty, well-dressed brunette approaching from behind them. She was polished and refined and sophisticated. She was the kind of woman you would expect to find in an upscale neighborhood and thriving at country clubs and tea parties, not slumming in a magical shop catering to the crazies in this town.

  “I get that a lot.” He grinned. “But I’d rather not be turned into anything green and slimy, unless Parker here can turn me into a prince with a magical kiss.”

  The woman lowered her gaze down to his shoes and back up to his face. “You’re unexpected.” She glanced at Parker. “I would have pegged you to turn up with the Kitty or Demon in tow…not…” She reached for his hand and wrapped her fingers around his. A burst of energy travelled up his arm from the momentary contact. The current shocked him. He yanked his hand away.

  “A fairy? Well, this is getting better by the minute.” She gestured toward the door. “Come into my office. We have much to discuss.” She glanced over her shoulder. “And, if I’m correct, time is of the essence for you.”

  Who the hell was this woman? Was she part of the conspiracy or did she have an inside source at Parker’s police station pumping her full of information? She couldn’t have known without someone telling her.

  Parker leaned into him and whispered, “She’s psychic.”

  He nodded and leaned into her as they followed the well-dressed woman down a long hall. “We should have just started here. I’m sure she could have channeled my mother, and Mom would have been able to explain it all.” His eyes widened, and he steeled himself to keep from smiling. “Maybe we should buy a spirit board while we’re here and we won’t ever have to do any real investigating again.”

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, Officer Montgomery.” The woman held the door open to a nice office and waited for them to enter. They sat in the brown leather chairs opposite the desk. The woman leaned down when she passed him. “You’re mother’s spirit arrived ten minutes ago; she said she raised you with better manners and that she liked the green dress better.”

  “How the hell do you know my name?”

  “An apparition told me.”

  The woman rounded the desk and sat down as Parker lifted a finger to cover her lips, as if that would silence him. “I would be quiet now if I were you.”

  “Who the hell are you?” he asked incredulously. He’d struggled with burying his mom in her favorite comfortable green dress versus her newer, more stylish purple dress. The purple had won. No one had known that. He’d never told a soul.

  He’d never met a psychic, but then again, he’d never met a demon or a fairy until recently either. He was having a lot of firsts lately.

  “Lesson eight. Never piss off a psychic. She has access to secrets that are best left buried.”

  “Life-changing secrets, as you well know, Officer McKenna.”

  The woman crossed her arms on the desk, turned to Quinn, and smiled. She had the look of a woman meeting her student’s parents for the first time…only with a bigger bite.

  “I’m Carrie Freeman, the owner of The Crystal Ball. And, might I add, Officer Montgomery, I’m no socialite. I don’t drink tea, and I’m not even a teacher. My bite is way worse that you can imagine, so please, for your own safety, stay on my good side.” She smiled cordially. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s discuss the reason you’re here.”

  Quinn crossed his arms over his chest while Parker leaned forward, scooting toward the edge of her seat. “You’ll have to forgive him. He’s new to all of this, and that’s the reason we’re here. We’re looking for answers.”

  Carrie leaned back and crossed her legs. The lines of her face softened. He met her violet gaze. They shined with an otherworldly knowledge that was hard even for him to miss.

  “I understand Officer Montgomery touched a Devic crystal. Is that correct?”

  Parker nodded. “How do you know? Did a spirit tell you?” She glanced around the room. “Are they here now?”

  Smiling, Carrie shook her head. “Officer Remington already stopped by to inquire about obtaining another crystal in the hopes of transferring the energy into something less tainted.”

  Well, it seemed the other officers were still working hard on the case. His problem hadn’t just become Parker’s to deal with. That thought alone worried him. Not that he didn’t think she would succeed, but what if she didn’t? Would she have been able to handle the failure, knowing that he’d wanted a different outcome?

  “And?” he asked, unable to keep the interest from creeping into his tone.

  She inclined her head. “I’m working on it. I’ve located one in China, but I’m afraid that it won’t make it in the time frame you need. I’m looking for one a bit closer that I can obtain more quickly.”

  Quinn glanced at his watch. “We’re dow
n to fifty-two hours, Mrs. Freeman.”

  “Miss,” Carrie said, correcting him. “Officer Montgomery, I’m well aware of the time constraints. I’ve been brought up to speed on the black widow, the staying curse, and your pending time limit.”

  “Please do what you can,” Parker begged.

  She inclined her head. “I intend to as payment for your kindness.”

  Parker waved her hand. “Payment isn’t necessary. That’s what friends do for each other.”

  Carrie gave a slight nod. “Indeed. And this is me being your friend.” Carrie leaned forward and laid her hands down on the desk. She glanced between them before meeting Parker’s gaze. “I will find you a crystal, and you should start investigating…” She glanced at Quinn and grinned. “And, no, Officer Montgomery, not with a spirit board. You need to start looking at your family tree. My guides are telling me that it’s all connected. The blood, the stone, the curse, the betrayal, the vengeance, it’s all connected to Quinn’s ancestry.” She closed her eyes and dropped her head. “Look toward the sign of the turning autumn leaves. You’ll find your answers there.”

  She opened her eyes.

  Quinn stood and held out his hand for Parker. “And here I thought we’d be given a name, maybe something a bit less cryptic.”

  Carrie stood. “I’m sorry, Officer Montgomery. It doesn’t quite work that way. Have faith that I’ll find your stone and all will be righted in your world.”

  Parker moved to the door. “Thanks for your time, Carrie. We really do appreciate it.”

  She nodded.

  Quinn followed behind Parker to the office door but was stopped by Carrie’s palm on his arm.

  “Quinn, your mother warned me of an upcoming choice you’re going to have to make soon. She’s saying it will affect the rest of your life, so weigh your options carefully. If you look toward the light, the correct path will be revealed.”

  “Cryptic…but uh…thanks…” He walked to the door. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He met Parker just outside the back door. He took her elbow and steered her toward the SUV. “She’s missing a few screws, isn’t she?”

  Parker shook her head. “Not even. She’s intelligent and never wrong. She’s my friend. You can trust her. I do.”

  “We’re talking about my life, Parker.”

  “I know exactly what’s at stake, Quinn.”

  Chapter 8

  It was official. Parker McKenna and Carrie Freeman were both delusional for suggesting he’d find his answers in his jacked-up family tree. He had no family left with his mother dead. She’d been it. The others, whoever the hell they were, didn’t matter. He had no interest in figuring out the other branches of his line. They’d never come looking for him, so why the hell would he choose to go find them? He let out a disgruntled sigh and kept his gaze on the passing tree line. The darkening pink sky hinted to dusk’s quick approach and the passing of valuable time.

  She parked the SUV in front of his cabin. He stepped out, slammed the door, and stomped up to the porch.

  “Screw this.” He’d get this crap out of his body and go back to his police department without the help of finding the people that had left his mom high and dry. The mere thought of searching for his father, much less the part of the family tree that had disowned his mother and ignored Quinn’s existence, did nothing more than piss him off. He’d burn down the tree, the branches, and the fucking leaves before he let those people in his life. And then he’d stay to poke a stick into the fire to make sure it didn’t die out before it all disintegrated and turned to ash.

  That’s exactly what he thought of the sperm donor and any of his kin. There was a special spot in hell with the man’s name on it. Whatever that name was.

  Parker moved to the kitchen and started rooting around in his cabinets, fridge, and freezer. She called out over her shoulder. “Are you done pouting and ready to discuss it?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe.

  She glanced up at him once and raised her brow. “Guess not. Do you realize you’re more moody then a woman with PMS?”

  She chuckled at her own joke and kept moving through the kitchen. “How come you don’t have any food in here? Everything is either frozen or not edible.”

  He gestured to the cabinet on the other wall. “Mac and cheese. Dinner of champions.”

  She chuckled. “Maybe in your alternate universe. The same one where pouting like a baby is acceptable behavior for a thirty-two-year-old. Or maybe the alternate universe where you think I would let you get away with it.”

  He stomped closer to her as a way of asserting his manhood, but she didn’t flinch. He’d never lay a hand on her or any woman, but the damn woman… “How the hell do you know my age?”

  “It was in your file.” Parker cocked her hip and rested her fist on it. His anger disintegrated. The fairy was just too cute and sexy and trying to help. She didn’t deserve what he was dishing out. His old man did.

  “Do you really want to go a round with me?”

  He cupped her cheeks, tilted his head, and pressed his lips to hers. Her body relaxed in his hold, and he ended the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. “Oh yeah, I wouldn’t mind taking you for a spin. But I’ve been told it’s currently bad for my health.”

  He dropped his hands and stepped around her. He opened the cabinet, grabbed out a box of the mac and cheese. and set it on the counter. “Sorry for acting like such an ass, but I never knew my father.”

  Parker stayed quiet, so he continued.

  “Mom told him she was pregnant, and he left her.”

  Rehashing the anger and hurt the sperm donor had caused his mom wasn’t something he wanted to do, although it appeared he didn’t have much of a choice. Parker appeared by his side and handed him a beer before disappearing again. He kept his back to her as he worked on their meager dinner, his favorite, not likely hers.

  “He didn’t give her any support, no child support, nothing. He just up and left her.” He filled the pot with water, turned on the stove, and set it on the burner before he turned around and leaned against the counter. He twisted off the top of the beer, took a nice long pull, and set it down. His hands braced the counter top. “When she told me he’d abandoned her, I saw the hurt in her eyes, so I quit asking questions. I didn’t even want to know who he was.”

  The water started to boil on the stove, so he turned his back to her and poured in the noodles. “Afraid that if I ever found out his name….that I’d kill him.”

  She appeared behind him and laid a palm on his back. “You’re a good man, Quinn Montgomery, and I’m glad he didn’t stay in your life.”

  He turned and pulled her against his chest and rested his chin on her head. “Why is that, my little fairy?”

  “Any man who can abandon his flesh and blood is no man in my book. He’s a coward.” She glanced up. “He can’t hurt you now, but we can screw up his life. How about we figure out who it is and go give him hell? Call him out for the coward he was? It’s the least we can do for your mom. As your partner, I consider it my duty to make the man’s life a living hell.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. “Devious and pretty. I like the way you think, Parker McKenna.”

  As they ate, they talked and joked about how many speeding tickets they would be dishing out to his father. Parking tickets, jay walking tickets, anything and everything that would make the man’s life a living hell. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He no longer felt hate for the man that abandoned him; just a sense of relief he’d never felt before. He’d spent all of his life hating the bastard. The man had been on his mind more than Quinn should have allowed, taking up precious time that Quinn wanted back.

  “It’s hard to believe I’ve only known you for two days. It seems much longer.”

  Parker rolled her eyes. “You aren’t going to confess your undying love, are you?”

  He chuckled. “No worries there, fairy. Lust definitely, lo
ve…hardly.” He reached for her hand and squeezed. “I’m just glad I got stuck with you.”

  She stood and took their empty bowls to the sink. “You say that now…but you’ve never been the recipient of one of my failed spells.” She turned to face him and leaned against the counter. “Tell me that again after I turn you into a blue blob or worse.”

  “When this is over, I’m doing more than taking you to bed.”

  She lifted a brow. “Oh?”

  “I’m taking you on a date.”

  He joked with her about lust, but it ran deeper than that. Not love, not yet, but it had potential. She was smart, funny, sexy, and damn if she didn’t keep him on his toes. Parker had a wicked personality and a body that could rock his world. He couldn’t ask for more than that.

  He rose from the table with the intent to corner her against the counter. His gaze clouded, and his legs almost gave out beneath him. He grabbed the back of the chair with both hands and blinked in succession to try and clear his vision.

  “Quinn.”

  Parker’s worried voice was drowned out by the ringing in his ears. His legs gave out, and he went down to his knees. His heart raced, his vision clouded, and his head pounded as though it might explode. The ringing became louder. “Parker?”

  The warmth of her arms surrounded him as she helped maneuver him to the floor. He was pretty sure his head was in her lap and not in the way he’d ever envisioned. “What’s happening to me?”

  He felt a warm hand on his cheek breaking through the cold chills now surrounding his body.

  “I don’t know…just stay with me…listen to the sound of my voice.”

  Her already soft voice faded until he couldn’t hear her at all. He closed his eyes and let darkness suck him in into a big black void.

  Blinking his eyes against the darkness, Quinn turned around in place. He was no longer on a floor in his mom’s kitchen. Everything that surrounded him was black nothingness, yet he was awake and standing. “Parker?”