Healing Cherri

by Jana Leigh

  The Drekinn Agency was designed to have their Board of Directors oversee the day-to-day operations of the Agency. They still did that, but Ms. Praton and Brooks were so much more. Together they ran the covert end of the Agency, and he had a feeling that Ms. Praton knew something she wasn't telling him.

  “I think we need to have a back-up plan. We have discussed for a long time what would happen if the humans decided they wanted a change. I think they're being manipulated into doing just that. I don’t know who yet, but I'm sure we have someone working behind the scenes trying to change things. Although I'm not sure what the purpose is, it's no accident that Calli and Kade found each other when they did. The beginning of the Pack again, and the things that are happening are all intertwined. The powers that be will let us know when the time is right. Until then, we'll have to be patient.”

  “Talking in fucking riddles again at this point isn't going to help the situation,” Brooks said angrily and stood up. “We have to know what the threat is and what we have to do about it.” He was a Warlock for goodness sake. He could use his powers to find out certain things. But Ms. Praton always kept him reigned in. Like she didn’t want people to know exactly what powers he had.

  It was simple. Most Warlocks could control certain things, like the weather and produce simple spells that could help people. The humans had banned the use of those spells, and had a tight rein on the magical energy that Warlocks could expend. It was one of the areas that the Drekinn monitored. The energy a Warlock sent out when he used his powers could be detected instantly.

  The reports were sent directly to the humans. Witches and Warlocks were closely monitored because of their abilities to mess with physical things. Brooks wanted to laugh, the humans never really understood what they did, or the powers they had. They looked at the outcome of a situation and thought they got it. But they didn’t. Warlocks could do all the things that the humans thought they could, but so much more. Brooks never wasted his time on using his energy to mess with simple things. ‘It’ did show up on the radar.

  No, he used his powers to help maintain the Drekinn. Brooks could see the aura of people, and also know their intentions. If someone came to him and said they were going to go to the store and buy a hamburger, he could tell if they were lying and were really going to go and meet a contact they were selling information to. It was a great trick, and one Ms. Praton had caught early on when he joined the agency. No one knew the full extent of his powers.

  “Brooks, we need to have Kade and Calli begin to prepare. I fear that my dreams have become something more than what I thought. If it's true, then we're going to lose the vote in the Senate, and the Drekinn will only be a support agency for the new one. In other words, they will be able to use our people to do their bidding. Not something I really want to happen, but I'm not able to change it right now. The only good part is, I can minimize the effect on our people, but they're not what I'm worried about. This agency that is trying to take over wants something. Something we don’t even know we have. We need to protect the Pack, and Kade and Calli need to be prepared to move quickly if things go down like I think they will. We have a week I think; things are still very unclear. We need to use that time to prepare.”

  Brooks nodded, and they began to plan.

  Chapter 6

  “Why are you calling me Kiki?” her friend asked her, and she looked around the room with an astonished look on her face.

  “Uh, that’s your name, duh,” Calli said dryly and looked around the room. “What?” she said when everyone frowned at her. “Am I gonna freakin’ lie to him? Hell, I don’t even lie and tell Cherri her hair looks great when it looks like shit, why would I lie to Kiki about his name?”

  Kade rolled his eyes and then turned back to Kiki, who was trying to speak to Cherri. “What's the last thing you remember?” he said in his Alpha’s voice, and everyone stopped what they were doing.

  Kiki frowned and looked around the room and focused in on Thomas. “He looks familiar. I'm not sure about the rest of you, and I know my name is Kristopher, and I think I was going to college for the arts, maybe. Why are you all staring at me? Where are my parents? They will tell you.”

  Cherri looked at Declan and shook her head. She had no clue what to do; it seemed he had some kind of amnesia. It could have to do with the drug, and once it was completely out of his system in the next few hours, he could remember everything. But if it was something else, they could have to wait longer until the other med made its way through his brain, rebuilding the bridges for memories and other things.

  This could really suck, thought Cherri. “Well, you legally changed your name to Kiki LaRue years ago, and you now live in an apartment with Rissa and me. You and your parents don’t really speak all that much, other than to have an argument about your lifestyle. You are part of the Pack that Kade and Calli lead. Do you remember any of that?” Cherri said.

  “NO, and why the hell did I change my name? Not speak to my parents? You have the wrong person, I'm sure; look at the records again and see if they're just written wrong,” Kiki demanded.

  Cherri looked around helplessly, and Calli stepped forward. “Cause you're a flaming gay man, and a Drag Queen, well you were a Drag Queen, but we all decided you needed to step up a little in the world since you are part of the Pack, and so now you're supposed to be the apartment manager for the Pack.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about? Flaming? Drag Queen? Well, I never!” Kiki said in a tone that matched his father's.

  Well shit, this was really gonna suck, Cherri thought.

  Calli laughed and looked at her mate who was shrugging his shoulders and trying not to laugh. Kiki was the most flamboyant gay man they had ever met. He loved to shop, get his nails and hair done with Cherri. He wore fuchsia, satin shirts and low riding jeans. Shit, his hips swayed more than the girls who actually had hips to shake.

  “Dude, you're gay. You changed your name because you liked the sound of it. I swear, I'm telling you the truth, I can get your license out and show you,” Calli said and turned around to dig in the bag the nurses brought in with him. “Ah ha, here it is, check it out,” her best friend said and handed the small, pink billfold to Kiki and watched as he pulled out things she had in there.

  “What the hell is all of this?” Kiki said and then threw them on the foot of the bed. “I hate to tell you, I'm not this Kiki person, and at no time have I been gay or been a Drag Queen. You have obviously mistaken me for someone else. Now I would like to speak to the hospital administrator about leaving.”

  Cherri looked around again and this time she stepped forward. “Kiki, uh, Kristopher, you can’t leave. Remember you're a shifter, and this is the Drekinn medical wing. The regular hospital wouldn't know what to do with you.”

  Again, Kiki frowned and said, “I want all of you out of here. You clearly have psychological issues if you are saying all these things to me. And when I have just woken up from an apparent severe accident. Shifter? What the hell are you even talking about, find your medication dear.”

  “Fuck a duck,” Kade said and looked helplessly at Declan and Cherri.

  “Right, Cherri can I speak to you for a moment? Maybe it would be best if everyone leaves, and we'll come and talk to you when we're done here,” Declan said, and the group grumbled but left the room. Cherri didn’t miss the look Thomas gave Kiki. Damn, there was something going on.

  Declan cleared his throat and then motioned for her to come into the corner with him. “We have to up the dosage. I think that maybe the other drug is delaying the pathways. Somehow we have to get them to grow before he loses his memories completely. It has been a week; the delay could already give him a certain amount of memory loss,” Declan said.

  Cherri frowned and put her hands on her hips. “I know this is all my fault, I should have known earlier.”

  Declan took her hands and brought them up to his lips. “There was no way you could have. Being allergic to any medication these days is so rare tha
t most doctors would have just allowed him to slip away. You didn’t, you kept trying to find the answer. If anything, you should be proud of yourself for finding the truth. Now, no more pity parties, we need to deal with him. Even if we do increase the dosage, it could take weeks for him to come back around.”

  “Any other suggestions?” Cherri said exasperated. She had never had a case like this. In fact, either the patient had died or been brain damaged. Never had they woke up and forgotten who they were, sexuality and all.

  “Let’s get some samples and then instruct the guards that no one is allowed in here. I think Kiki, or Kristopher, is going to be a handful; I don’t think we need to add the parents and Calli in the mix,” Declan said in his sexy country drawl, and Cherri frowned at him.

  “Fine, but don’t think just because you use that sexy voice on me that I will fall over and be the perfect mate. We have some things to discuss before we even get to the point where I will consider you my mate,” Cherri said and turned back toward Kiki and smiled. “Well, Kristopher, we need to do some tests. Until we get them done, we have to have you staying pretty still. So no excitement or visitors until I give the okay.”

  Kiki frowned but finally relented to her rules. Although he complained when she got near him with the needle, some things don’t change, she thought to herself. When they did the DNA thing to figure out if they were truly ancestors of the Chosen, Kiki had whined.

  By the time they were done, Kiki was resting quietly in the room. Cherri and Declan exited to find their group of friends hovering and guarding the door.

  “Now what?” Cherri said warily.

  “We were making sure Kiki’s parents didn’t come and try to see him now that he's awake. If they found out he was a 'he' again, they would probably bust a nut,” Calli said and looked at Cherri and then Declan. “So, you're mates?”

  Cherri flipped her friend off and walked down the corridor with her laughter following her, as well as her tall sex god of a mate. She could feel him behind her.

  Not saying a word, they entered into the elevator, and Cherri pushed the button to go back to the lab, three floors up. She heard the ding of the first floor and then Declan reached around her and pushed the stop button.

  “Hey,” Cherri said reaching for the button. Declan grabbed her hand and turned her around until she was facing him.

  “We need to get a few things straight. I realize that finding each other was a shock. But I am extremely happy that I did find you. The timing apparently sucks, but what in life ever happens when expected? Nevertheless, I will not be brushed off, ignored or sit quietly in a corner. I am your mate, and whether you want to admit it or not, I am here to stay, so get over yourself,” Declan growled and then leaned down and kissed her.

  He was demanding, at the first touch of their lips she felt the chemistry. Holy shit, she thought, and then grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. Declan picked her up so she was at his height, and Cherri wrapped her short legs around his waist. Damn, he was a good kisser too. Declan invaded her mouth without hesitation, and Cherri gladly turned the control over to him. She felt him take a few steps until she was braced against the side of the elevator.

  Then he reached one of his hands up and tangled it in her hair. Cherri thought she was glad she had just had it colored and styled. It was easily combable. Declan angled her head until he could deepen the kissed and brand her with his passion. She could feel the energy around them sizzling, and she wondered what it would be like when they actually mated. This was everything she had hoped and dreamed for as a child. The passion and hunger was exactly what her mother explained to her. She could feel the need to claim her mate becoming strong. They had to stop or their claiming would be in the elevator of the Drekinn building. Cherri refused to have that story to explain to her grandchildren. And shit, Calli and Rissa would have a field day with it.

  Cherri gently pushed back, breaking the kiss and resting her forehead against his. Both were panting and out of breath from the energetic kiss they shared.

  “Wow,” Cherri said and smiled. “Yeah, I promise not to brush you off or ignore you. But I do need to get to know you before we go any further.”

  Declan grinned and said, “You want me to date, my mate?”

  “Yep, I want a proper courting,” Cherri said in a southern voice.

  Declan laughed and set her back down on the ground and helped straighten her hair and clothes before pushing the button again so the elevator would move.

  “That’s fine, darlin',” Declan said in his sexy voice, and Cherri creamed her panties.

  When the doors opened, Rissa and Calli were standing there with their arms crossed and grinning at them. “Fuck off,” Cherri said and held her head high and marched out of the elevator and into her office.

  ***

  Declan stepped off and Calli put a hand on his arm, stopping him from following his mate. He looked down at the hand and felt the power of the Alpha female roll over him. He fought the need to bare his throat to her. He was not a part of their Pack yet, although his wolf was more than ready to accept any position they wanted to give.

  “You need to get up to speed on what the hell is going on around here. Brooks and Kade are waiting in the conference room. They will take care of explaining things,” Calli said and then waited while he looked toward the door his mate took, and the hallway where the conference room was. He had to make a choice. Damn it, it was so much easier when he was dealing with cows.

  With a large sigh, he turned and walked toward the conference room, but yelled over his shoulder as he was walking, “Tell my mate I will pick her up to go home after work.”

  “Who's home?” Rissa called out the question. When Declan paused and looked back, he saw the narrowing of both women’s eyes, and knew this was something important. Damn, he could step in it when he wanted to. “Ours, wherever she wants to live.”

  “It's with the Pack and us,” Calli said firmly.

  Declan nodded and turned back around and shook his head. He was going to have to figure out what it was with the three of them. Down the hallway, he could see the man who he was going to call Alpha standing waiting for him. As he drew closer, he could see that Kade was laughing.

  “Did you get the grilling?” Kade said.

  “Nope, more like a quick flash of fire. What the hell is it with them?” Declan said.

  “They are closer than sisters. When I mated Calli, I got them along with the deal. They have grown up together, lived together, gone to school together, hell, their freaky scary old-time Mob-like mothers are even best friends. And don’t piss off the moms; you seriously want them on your side. I have found that the mention of their moms freaks them out,” Kade said and pushed him into the room where their boss was waiting for them. “By the way, Cherri and I are related, we're now family too, awesome huh?”

  “Good to know,” Declan said quietly.

  “Hey, we have to stick together. I would bet that the way things are going, Rissa is going to find her mate, and then the Pack hierarchy will be set a little,” Kade said.

  Declan paused and looked at Kade. “Now you lost me again.”

  “Then let me explain,” Brooks said loudly and motioned both men to the table he had set out a bunch of diagrams on. Including what looked like family trees.

  “Declan, I know this is overwhelming, but you have to know all this stuff right away. We are dealing with some shit. Okay, so your ancestors were part of what were known as the New Council. It was a group of twelve Chosen children who were born under a certain zodiac. They had a Seer who predicted it all. It looks like they battled another group called the Rogues. They were hell-bent on the shifter community not coming out to the public. They wanted to use the humans as puppets for their own personal gain. It was sick really. Anyway, one of them was kidnapped and presumed dead while the others scattered in the wind in order to protect the Chosen. It wasn’t until many years later that they found each other. During that time, there were
many attempts on their lives, since the Rouges wanted to make sure they couldn’t fulfill their destiny,” Brooks said and paused making sure that Declan and Kade were listening.

  “Their destiny was to bring the shifters into the human world so that we could all live together in peace. It took them many years and cost many lives to make it happen. According to the documents, there was a huge war in what was then Europe, and the shifters and magical community prevailed and came out to the humans. For many years, we all lived in peace. Then it gets a little hazy; we believe someone has messed with the archives, which is why it took us so long to find out all this information. This was all pieced together from about a thousand articles. Anyway, my guess is that an Ulfer provoked the second war; somehow he or she has been able to control their shifting enough to appear human and now they're entrenched in the human society. We don’t know who or how, but that's what we think. As soon as there is even a rumble of a Pack forming, they will come down on you like a ton of bricks. Ms. Praton is looking into this whole destiny thing; she thinks that you all are involved.”

  Declan frowned and looked confused. “What does that have to do with me? I mean, I'm a rancher and a lab rat, how could I possibly be involved with any of this?"

  Kade stepped forward. “I can answer this one. Calli and I have discovered we're the Alphas of the Pack; our ancestors were the Alphas and the White Wolf of the other Pack. Don’t ask, we are still trying to figure out what a White Wolf does. Cherri’s ancestors were the Medical Advisors of the Pack; we also found out Cherri is related to me.”

  “But, I'm not related to anyone like that, at least no one has ever told me,” Declan said.

  “They wouldn’t, these family trees were hidden from the humans. Calli’s mother and Ms. Praton have found where many of the families had to hide their roots when the second war with the humans happened. That's when everything changed. We have records of the war. The Humans claimed that the magical community was becoming too powerful and violent. They felt like we were changing their world too much. Like having shifters in a world wouldn’t change things. But anyway, they didn’t want to give up the control they had. TheDrekinn Agency was formed right at the end of the war, in order to monitor the shifters. We could feel that something had gone on during the war that changed things; some of the shifters were more unstable than they had been. Of course, the Rogues became the Ulfer, and we began to study their DNA. We assume that the Rouges and the Ulfer have always had the partial DNA, but it's amplified now. We think during the war they were doing experiments. Everything is still unclear on what happened,” Brooks continued.