by Shen Hart
Nik lowered his eyes and looked at the girl. “I…”
Dan growled, “She’s just a human, Ark is a pack friend and healer.”
Nik stepped aside and let Ark go to Dan. He shot a glare back at Dan, but returned to guarding the girl. She was shaking and desperately trying to hold back more tears.
“Ryan, go and get our guest a blanket and a hot cup of sweet tea,” Alex said a little too sharply.
Alex’s face was set in a scowl as he closely watched Nik and the girl while Nik’s eyes flickered amber. Having such a weak little creature so close was a difficult test for a young shifter.
He knelt next to her, pulling himself under control, and offered her his hand. “I’m Nik, what’s your name?”
She swallowed and pulled herself up a little taller. “Lucy-Ann, but I much prefer Lucy.”
She didn’t take Nik’s hand, but I was distracted by Dan’s coughing and spluttering. Moss-green gloop splattered across the table. I tried not to laugh. Ark must have given him one of his healing potions. I’d never tasted anything so vile, but the elf felt they were a good way to remind people not to hurt themselves so often. It was on that principle that I wasn’t convinced they healed anything at all; he was just being a dick.
Chapter Nineteen
Dan seemed much better once Ark had finished with him, despite the fact that he spent some 10 minutes swilling his mouth out and complaining about the vile taste. The girl, Lucy, had stopped shaking, and her eyes had returned to a more normal size. Nik guarded her like a bone, but he wasn’t aggressive about it so we let it slip for the moment. We had other things to consider, such as the fact that there were more angels and a larger cult to deal with than we’d originally expected. Alex kept a close eye on Nik as he knelt before Lucy and started asking her inane questions.
“We’re going to have to use guns for this. Blades aren’t efficient enough for this problem. There are too many angels.”
He practically spat the last word. I grinned. It was good to see his distaste of the assholes.
Ryan’s ears perked up and he strolled over, attempting to hide his eagerness. “Did you say guns?”
Alex gave a small smirk. “I did.”
Ryan couldn’t hold back the grin. “Dude, did you hear that? We’re being given our own guns! This mission just got much more epic.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re supposed to be a grown man, guns aren’t toys. I will also remind you that we, as supernaturals, are apex predators. We have little need for guns. Blades are an extension of ourselves, claws if you like. We have our energies, our teeth, our strength. To rely on guns is distasteful.”
I wasn’t going to deny that his cubbish enthusiasm was a little sweet, but I still wasn’t amused at having to resort to using guns. His enthusiasm did help lift the tension and darkness in the room, though.
Ryan looked back us with that grin and said, “I’m getting a Desert Eagle.”
I glanced at Alex before we both burst out laughing. “Mhm, keep dreaming.”
He looked down before he scowled at us and walked over. “I’m not having some shitty little pop gun.”
Alex said, “You’ll have whatever you’re given and be careful and responsible with it.”
I tried not to giggle at the image of Ryan being knocked on his ass with a Desert Eagle.
Nik finally joined the conversation. “I’m much more comfortable with long guns than hand guns, but I have experience with both.”
Alex nodded. “Long guns are useful, but hand guns are necessary given the close combat situations we’ll be going into.”
A small shiver ran down my spine at the word combat. I couldn’t decide if it was of pleasure or fear. They were just humans, but there were also angels. I hadn’t tasted angel blood in far too long. Lucy’s eyes had started to go wide again. Nik went to stroke her hand, but she pulled it away. He was trying to move too quickly. Alex merely shrugged and strolled over to Dan. I sighed to myself. It seemed that I was being given that duty.
“Nik, why don’t you take Lucy into the living room. She’ll be more comfortable.”
The girl looked between us. She shifted her weight away from Nik and stood, moving closer to me, clutching the blanket tight. Nik looked away from her, his shoulders slumping a little. Cubs. They didn’t know anything about anything. The silly girl was terrified, and he was huge. It wasn’t a difficult thing to understand. He led the way to the living room, and I followed behind them. I’d have to settle things down, and I didn’t appreciate being on baby-sitting duty. She curled up in the armchair that Dan had claimed as his own. It was a good thing she hadn’t tried to claim mine. Nik looked back at me. I gestured to the sofa closest to the armchair. I approached her and knelt in front of her. She was so frail and lost.
“Lucy, that’s your name right?”
She nodded.
“I understand that this is all very scary right now, but Nik here will look after and protect you. I know he seems a little scary, but he’s unbearably soft and protective.”
A flicker of a smile crossed her lips.
“Have you dealt with shifters before?”
Given her dealings with angels, it wasn’t entirely unrealistic that she’d dealt with shifters before, and it’d make our lives a touch easier. She shook her head. It never did go the easier route, did it?
“Well, we’re a pack of shifters. This means that we’re predators and we shift into animal forms. We all have a wolf form.”
She scooted back in the chair. She was at risk of becoming one with the sofa cushion at that point. I tilted my head and took a deep breath. She was prey; I had to remain calm and think about it from her point of view.
“We brought you into our home because Nik wants to protect you, and that means we’ll keep you safe from anything else. Do you want some food or a shower or something?”
“No… thank you.”
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but we were making some progress. Nik edged forwards. I shot a look at him. She wasn’t ready for him yet. His large size was too intimidating.
“How do you feel?” I asked.
She frowned and sighed softly. “A little weird. I can almost see the edges around everything, and it feels like I’m slightly separate from reality. It’s very… odd.”
I nodded. “But you’re not in any pain or discomfort?”
“I’m a bit hungry.”
“Nik will get you a snack, then he’ll fill you in on anything you need to know. Ok?”
“Thank you.”
She offered me a small smile and uncurled a little bit. She was coming around quicker than I’d expected. Nik returned quickly with a sandwich. He offered it to her. She took the sandwich and nibbled at it. She still watched him warily but didn’t go into a full panic when he was close. Nik took my place in front of her, and I left to deal with the important things. I wasn’t in a position to want a pet, and I hoped that Nik learned to look after her properly soon. She wasn’t exactly relaxed, but she wasn’t going to try and climb the curtains or something absurd. I almost bumped into Dan as he came down the hallway back to the kitchen. He had an ornately engraved wooden box in his hands. I looked down at it and back up to him.
“This is the one thing I have kept with me over the years, my one item of sentimental value.”
I raised an eyebrow but followed him into the kitchen where he set it down carefully on the kitchen table. He lifted the lid, and I should have known it would be a gun. He took the customised 1911 .45 out of the red-velvet-lined box and showed us. I had to admit that the craftsmanship was second to none. Nik took it from him and inspected every inch of it, murmuring appreciative noises before he handed it back. I preferred a nice 9mm, myself, but there was no denying that it was a beautiful gun. I had to smile at the engravings, and took the gun to inspect them more closely. Each line was perfect, arrow straight lines and elegant curves. The sigils were art unto themselves.
“You engraved this?”
H
e preened a little, a smirk sitting upon his lips as he puffed out his chest. “Every last line.”
I saw no reason to continue stroking his ego, but I had to admit, to myself at least, that I had to respect him a little more. He slipped it away into its box and we looked at Ryan.
“So, what do you know about guns?” Alex asked.
He shrugged and tucked his hands in his pockets. “I did a bit of shooting with Nik, I’ve held a few different guns, but nothing special.”
Alex sighed softly. “What do you use, Thalia? We’ll get Ryan a 9mm to start with and see how he gets on. I’ll get a silencer for myself. Nik can start with a 9mm as well.”
It was something of a reminder of just how long we’d been apart. Things had changed a lot since those days. I sighed.
Nik called through, “I prefer an FNX .45”
Alex simply shrugged. “Looks like I’m going to find some guns, then.”
I called after him, “A pair of 9mm Glocks.”
He nodded and headed out.
Chapter Twenty
Ryan had muttered to himself about how everyone else was fine with guns for a little bit but he soon settled down. He needed to learn that he couldn’t be perfect at everything all the time. There was no harm in learning. I did have the urge to grab him by the scruff or smack him around the head for his moping, though. It grated on my nerves. I’d heard a little laughter from Nik and Lucy, so she was settling in well enough, not that I was happy about having a pet. I sat at the breakfast bar with Ryan next to me.
“How did we end up in this situation?” I said, more to myself than anything.
Ryan looked at me. “Um… well, you were created by the Sisters…”
I gave him a half smile. He still had the wrinkles around his eyes showing his confusion, though, poor thing.
I patted his knee. “I suppose I was just thinking out loud. How do you feel about this angel and human situation?”
He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Well, I don’t see why humans should be treated differently to the rest of us. It’s not our fault that they can’t use energies. They got themselves involved with the angels, but they can’t have known what they were getting into. I guess.”
“Is it going to upset you to kill them?”
“The humans? No, well, maybe. I guess I won’t know until I do it. I mean… they’re prey, they’re no different to a deer, but deer don’t talk back. Ya know?”
I did know. I’d never really struggled with taking a life, and I’d always assumed that had been part of how I was made. We were predators. It was part of what we did. That’s what I kept telling myself, anyway.
“Why did the angels kill the people you loved?” Ryan asked.
I shrugged. I didn’t want to snap at him again. “It’s what they do.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, but let it drop. I wasn’t ready to dive into the past. Yet Ryan had to keep asking. “So, what’s the deal with Lee now, then?”
I curled my lip. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to think about it.”
He looked away and mumbled a sorry. I put my hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get some food, and alcohol. Or maybe just alcohol.”
He laughed softly to himself. “You’re pretty cool, T, we’d be lost without you.”
I didn’t appreciate being called T, but it was nice to be wanted. It felt odd, but I enjoyed it. I would have enjoyed it more if I had a vodka in my hand at the time, though.
The boys had beers, and I chose to behave myself and stick to the red wine that I’d managed to find. With Lucy in the house, it didn’t seem like a great plan to get completely drunk. I hung out with Dan and Ryan and left Nik to look after her. She didn’t need a bunch of shifters crowding around her and scaring her. We established that Ryan wasn’t too much of an amateur with guns, which gave me some hope for the entire mission. I cursed the Sisters for throwing them into this. Going into a fight against four angels was something they weren’t ready for. Having them slaughter a collection of humans wasn’t going to be much fun, either. Yes, they were predators, but it was always difficult taking a fresh cub and making them a hardened warrior or assassin. Getting them past seeing the targets as people was unpleasant. I had faith that Dan wouldn’t have too much trouble, since his past had already distanced him from people, but the other two were soft. I shook my head and focused on more fun topics, like which actress had the best ass. It was good to lose myself in meaningless chatter again.
Nik made a bed up for Lucy on the largest sofa. It was easily big enough for her to comfortably sleep on. He almost went to say that he’d stay with her, but I growled softly and sent him to his own bed. I saw no good coming from encouraging that protective streak. I wrapped my arms around Dan’s ribs and helped him up the stairs to his room. Ark had only partially healed him. He was of the firm opinion that a few days of pain helped his patients learn not to be so reckless. I swore he was a sadist at heart, but he always denied it. Alex returned home just as I was curling up on my own bed. I ignored the feeling of a weight lifting when I heard his footsteps. He was still a possessive dick who needed to learn his place. At least, that’s what I told myself as I fell asleep.
We woke up late in the day. Alex did his best to avoid Lucy while Nik fussed over her. I was pleased to see that she seemed to be settling a little, at least. Alex gave Nik a bag full of clothes that were approximately the right size for her. I didn’t ask where he’d gotten them from. The idea of his stealing them amused me, though.
“Thalia, your Glocks are here. Nik, your FNX .45 was difficult to get hold of, so make sure you look after it. Ryan, you have a 9mm like mine; you’ll learn how to use it and love it like your lost child.”
Ryan nodded firmly. “Yes, sir.”
I picked up the Glocks and felt the familiar weight in my hands. It’d been a little while since I’d handled guns, but they were an unfortunately necessary part of the job. They lacked the elegance or pleasure of blades, but I saw no reason to make my life more difficult than it had to be. They were far from a common tool among supernaturals. We had other talents and gifts. Guns were unpleasant. They almost felt like admitting a weakness. The simple fact was, blades would not be good enough against a group of crazed humans and angels. Alex had apparently been busy while I slept. A set of targets had been set up in the garden.
I went to join them and begin reacquainting myself with the feel of shooting again, but Alex said, “You need to keep an eye on Lucy, try and get some information from her. You’re experienced with guns; from what I hear, the cubs need far more practice than you do.”
I scowled at him and considered fighting him on it, but I felt Lucy behind me. I hated when he was right.
I sighed heavily and put a sweet smile on my face as I turned around to face her. She was still wide-eyed and a little pale. She ran her hands over the sigils on her arms almost absent-mindedly. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of maternal instinct for the pathetic little thing. There was some strength and determination about her. She did her best to stand tall despite clearly being terrified. My smile became a little more genuine.
“You’ll be wanting a shower,” I said to her.
She simply nodded like a little lamb. I led her up into my room and felt a little torn. On the one hand it was my sanctuary, and the idea of having a human, a broken human, there was appalling. On the other, her fragility and strength was triggering my maternal instincts.
“How long were you in the cult?”
I hoped that the question would distance me a little and remind the increasingly maternal jaguar and raven that she was not mine.
I heard her breath catch in her throat, and she paused for a second before she said, “I was there at the inception. Alistair was my boss, he had me help him put it all together.”
Her voice wavered a little, but there was a coldness to her tone. I was almost impressed with her. I turned to face her and handed her a fresh towel before sending her into the bathroom. I dreaded to think what st
ate the cubs’ bathroom would be in. She might be prey, but no one deserved to be subjected to that. I tucked the guns away somewhere hidden but easy to access before I heard a shout.
“Thalia! Help!”
Images of an angel come to throttle her flashed into my mind, I ran for the bathroom to find her stood there, entirely alone, and very much naked. She was shaking and looking around herself wildly. The usual considerations of her body were pushed aside for strong, maternal, protective feelings.
“Please, I don’t know what’s going on. It’s like time keeps stopping and starting.”
I didn’t need to see her energies to feel them fracturing and very slowly pulling away from her. My maternal instincts kicked in.
I did my best to fight them, but she said, “Please. Thalia. Help me.”
Ignoring the fact that I was fully clothed, I got into the shower and held her close to me. I stroked her hair and waited under the hot water until she stopped trembling. I knew I’d regret the decision, but in that moment I saw no other choice.
“Thank you.”
I ran my hand down her arm and helped her wash her hair. She began to panic every time I stopped having physical contact with her. It took a little while, but she calmed down and managed to shower as she needed to. I bundled her up in a fluffy warm towel and sat her down on Alex’s bed. I didn’t want mine getting damp. I kept stroking her hair and found myself wondering if that would be what it felt like to have a daughter. I shoved the thought aside with a reminder that I’d never know, thanks to the Sisters.
Chapter Twenty-One
The sound of gunfire outside hadn’t done much to calm Lucy’s nerves, but I held her close and waited for her to calm herself properly. She was slowly learning to keep herself together, and while she said her vision remained unnerving, she could at least manage to talk clearly and without too much panic. Getting her dressed wasn’t as much of an ordeal as I’d envisioned. She was remarkably calm about my seeing her naked. Once she was dressed and sat comfortably back on Alex’s bed, I began asking her questions. Maternal instincts or not, she had to have some purpose to remain in our home.
