The Spymaster's Crow [Stocoma City 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Fel Fern

  Aubrey rather liked Jace, Connor’s new mate. In fact, the half-breed werewolf was one of the few friends she could talk to in the house, but Connor was still a bona fide asshole.

  Admittedly, the extra work gave her the perfect excuse not to be around Max and Dom. After last night, she wanted nothing better than to immerse herself in nothing but work. Aubrey had learned her painful lesson. It had been made clear to her neither Dom and Max wanted her.

  The last thing she wanted was to come on to Dom. Max was right. Dom had been under the sway of the full moon. It was best they forgot about what happened, but that was easier said than done. Didn’t Dom realize what a bastard he was, teasing and giving her a preview of what she could never have?

  Well. Fuck him and Max.

  “I mean after the Butcher and his men tore up Rizzo’s crew, why are we even bothering going after the Scavos wolves with a half-assed plan?”

  “We aren’t here to question the orders of our higher ups, Wilson. We’re just here to obey orders, so fucking shut up.”

  That perked Aubrey’s interest. Perhaps she didn’t waste her time sitting on a rafter for over two hours. After some of the Vivaldi lions failed in capturing Jace a month back. The lions hadn’t been bothered to hit back. Sure, there were occasional secret meetings, minor fights thrown here and there, but nothing serious.

  The sound of cars outside made Aubrey peer at the entrance of the warehouse. Four more goons in cheap suits came in, but it was the fifth hooded man who caught her interest. At first glance, she thought he was some sort of wannabe third-rate spell slinger who wanted to appear mysterious.

  On closer inspection, Aubrey realized he might not be just any third-rate hack, but the real deal. He was wearing some sort of poncho made of alternating black and gray patches, and the staff he carried was a scarred length of dark wood with odd symbols and sigils carved over in. Seeing those runes made her shiver. They looked old, ancient, and genuine.

  Unlike other shifters who were grounded on the physical plane, crows were more sensitive to the spiritual and metaphysical plane. Aubrey could sense magic much better than any average shifter, and she’d never felt anything like the mysterious stranger’s aura. It crawled all over her like tar she couldn’t get rid of.

  When he lowered his hood, Aubrey caught sight of Native American features. A thick mane of silver hair framed a surprisingly handsome face not marred by time or lines. Not a normal mortal then, was Aubrey’s first thought. She was tempted to take a closer look, but if he was some sort of sorcerer or shaman, he’d noticed her.

  As if on cue, he raised his head and looked straight at her. Aubrey froze. The man’s solid black pupils nearly swallowed all of his irises, making him appear outwardly demonic and inhuman.

  His presence, his aura, was staggering. It even silenced the two goons. The Vivaldi lions didn’t joke or play around with him. They treated him with respect, like he was something dangerous. The urge to flee, to escape the weight of that gaze overcame her, but Aubrey was paralyzed. She couldn’t even move her wings.

  Then the man shifted his gaze to the speaking goon, and Aubrey would have let out a sigh of relief if she could. Perhaps it was all her imagination. If he were a major league magic slinger as she suspected, a little crow shifter like her wouldn’t pose much of a problem to him.

  Damn. She needed to give this information to Max right away, because the Vivaldi had finally gotten around to doing something right. Dangerous was the word she’d use to describe the Vivaldi hiring a serious power-toting outsider to handle their dirty work. Any sane shifter knew well enough to stay clear of any serious magic user.

  To her disappointment, no important and usable information was divulged. All they discussed were payment plans and a meeting with one of the Vivaldi higher-ups. By the time they were tying up some discussion about money transfers, Aubrey was itching to leave. She stayed where she was, not moving an inch until the Vivaldi and the stranger had left.

  “We’ll be in touch,” one of the goons said, offering a hand the shaman didn’t shake. The goon shrugged, but despite his bravado, Aubrey could tell he was terrified of the shaman.

  Once the warehouse was empty, Aubrey was about to fly away, but something shiny caught her gaze on the floor. A quarter. The smart thing was to fly away, but sometimes shifters took after their animals, and crows liked anything shiny.

  No. I should leave. This might be a trap and Max needs this information right away. Her eye caught another coin not far away from the first. The crow inside her pushed to the surface. Curiosity got the better of her as she flew down. When she was within distance of the coin, a strange wave of energy seemed to close around her.

  Oh fuck. Dim red light glowed softly around the edges of the circle around her, trapping anything caught within in. It wasn’t a large circle, just a few meters wide, sufficient to trap two humans.

  “It has been quite some time, crow child. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you again,” a slightly accented voice said.

  The shaman appeared out of nowhere to peer down at her. Aubrey tensed. She didn’t bother to shift. As a crow she had wings, but as a human she was practically defenseless.

  She then processed the shaman’s words. Again? Had they met before?

  The shaman’s eerie eyes fastened on her. “Oh yes. We’ve met before—a very long time ago, in a memory you’ve buried and locked away deep in your mind.”

  His voice made all the feathers on her back stand. Aubrey almost panicked. He could hear her thoughts? Shit. She hadn’t heard of shamans being able to do that.

  “I am no simple shaman or magic slinger, child. Time does not touch me, and I am beyond human comprehension. You can feel it, can you not?”

  What are you?

  The shaman didn’t answer her. He only smiled, revealing rows of sharp, almost glassy ebony teeth. Aubrey tried to think. The shaman hadn’t killed her. If he were truly working for the Vivaldi, then he wouldn’t leave a spy for House Scavos alive. Also, if he was really as ancient as he claimed, then Aubrey doubted creatures like him bothered with the temptation of money or the affairs of mortals.

  She blinked away her thoughts and narrowed them to two questions. What do you want? What’s your agenda in Stocoma City?

  “My needs are simple, child. I came to this city to take back what has been stolen from me, and I have been searching for it for a long time.”

  Those eyes bore into hers, and Aubrey felt incredibly exposed and vulnerable. Those evil eyes seemed capable of easily ripping apart all the locks and bolts she placed on her heart and mind. This thing, this monster, spoke like it knew her, but she doubted she could easily forget something like him.

  Unless she really buried the memory of him along with the memories of the time before Dom and Max found her.

  Stolen from you?

  Aubrey jerked away when he reached out for her. Again, some sort of paralyzing spell rendered all the muscles in her body unable to move. She let out a squawk of protest, but his thick and scarred hand only caressed the feathers on her back. Unlike Dom’s touch, his touch felt repulsive. Intrusive. A sick feeling settled in her stomach. Aubrey could only stare up at him as an unnerving smile appeared on his thin lips.

  “That’s right, child. I’ve come back to Stocoma City for you. The wolves had been clever in hiding your scent amongst them, but it’s time you’re returned to me.”

  The hand stopped stroking her back. When he tried to finger her beak she tried snapping at him, but he only laughed when she drew a line of blood. Aubrey watched the cut heal in seconds. Even shifters didn’t heal that fast.

  “I am usually an immortal being associated with chaos and war, but I can also be a generous one. I will give you a day, child. Come to me on your own, and I will leave your wolf protectors alone. Refuse and I will come for you, leaving nothing but wreckage in my passing.”

  Then the shaman was gone. The edges of the magical containment circle ebbed away. Aubrey shivered, feeling ice-cold.
When she looked down, she saw there were no quarters on the floor. The coins were an illusion to lure her in a trap.

  If Aubrey looked deep enough in her mind, she knew she could place a name to the monster, but she was terrified. Once she looked back, she knew she wouldn’t be able to come back to the present. The memories, the fear, and the pain would consume her and drown her until there was nothing of her left.

  Not a monster, far from it. He’s something else entirely, something much worse. Spooked, Aubrey lifted her wings for flight. She couldn’t stand a second longer lingering in the warehouse.

  Chapter Three

  Hearing that Max and Dom were out in a meeting, Aubrey was relieved. She had time to gather her thoughts and decide what exactly she was going to tell the two of them. The creature said if she didn’t come willingly, there’d be hell to pay, and she didn’t doubt he would deliver his threat.

  Aubrey clenched her fists and continued her pacing inside her room. Given the room wasn’t all that big, she soon ran out of space to walk. Her room was one of the rooms located in the mansion’s servant quarters, and memories of her younger self shifting and flying out the window up to Max and Dom’s quarters came back to her.

  “Fuck. No time to be sentimental.” Aubrey headed out of her room. She needed some air to clear her thoughts.

  Some of the household staff and lower-ranking wolves she passed gave her looks, but she was used to it by now. Since her status had always been unclear from the start, most of the staff didn’t know how to treat her and neither did the werewolves. The household staff and the housebound pets of some of the higher-ranking wolves usually looked at her with disdain, while the Scavos wolves treated her like any lesser-ranking member of the household.

  It never used to bother her, but now it made her think what the hell she was still doing here when Dom and Max clearly no longer wanted or needed her.

  In the common dining room, Aubrey found the person she was looking for. “Lance, do you know where Jace is?”

  Lance was Connor’s second-in-command. Aubrey didn’t exactly trade a lot of words with the beta unless it was business-related, but she’d been talking to him more since Jace was her friend. Lance gave her an annoyed look at being interrupted from his conversation with another wolf.

  “Jace is unfortunately, not at the mansion at the moment. He’s at the hospital to have his monthly checkup. Is it something important?”

  “No.” Aubrey gritted her teeth. Damn. She forgot about Jace’s monthly checkups. If she wasn’t so busy running errands for Max, she usually accompanied him. Jace was a few months into his pregnancy now, and she couldn’t wait to see Conner and his cubs.

  She began to walk away when she felt a large hand on her shoulder.

  Aubrey whirled, pissed. The last thing she needed was to deal with some Scavos wolf who had nothing better to do than insult her or worse, make her another offer about going to a corner and having some fun. Aubrey knew her mouth was going to get her in trouble someday. Usually Dom or Max had her back, but everyone else in the house seemed to sense the pair was getting sick of her and seemed to think she was up for the taking.

  “Fuck off.”

  She cut off her next few creative sentences, seeing who it was. Connor Scavos loomed above her like a menacing shadow. Some of the other wolves nearby made some crude jokes, but she ignored them and glared at Connor. There was a reason why Connor had the nickname “The Butcher.” He was House Scavos’s bogeyman and did most of the cleanup in the family.

  “Why are you looking for Jace?”

  “Do I need to have a reason?” Aubrey bit her lip when he narrowed his eyes. Connor used to scare the shit out of her, but she’d seen the softer and somewhat human side of him a few months ago when he rescued his mate. “Look, it’s nothing important. Since you’re not with Jace for his checkup, I’m sure you have other things to do, like torture or kill someone.”

  Connor didn’t let go of her shoulder. “Jace is your friend, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah, so? Are you saying we can’t be friends?” Aubrey challenged.

  Connor’s brows furrowed and tried again. “Jace is my mate and he’s your friend. I can be your friend too, if you want.”

  Aubrey blinked a few times to register what he just said, then rolled her eyes. “Okay, Conner. What have you been sniffing lately?”

  “I’m being fucking serious here, little crow,” Connor growled.

  Noticing the discomforted expression on his face, Aubrey realized with a shock he wasn’t lying. The urge to tease him rose, to tell him how House Scavos’s greatest killing machine was asking if he could be her friend made her day, but she stuffed it back in.

  Who knew how badly Connor would take it? After working for him in the past, Aubrey came to the conclusion he was sensitive when it came to awkward emotional matters.

  She tried a more polite approach. “Look Connor, I really appreciate the offer, but it’s really nothing. I’m sure you’re busy. I’ll just find Jace another time.”

  The big dangerous lug still wasn’t moving away although she was certain he was busy. There were always enemies House Scavos needed to kill or wrangle information from. Connor crossed his massive arms, still frowning down at her.

  “It’s about Max, isn’t it?”

  “Gee, how astute of you.”

  To her surprise, he didn’t growl at her. “It’s glaringly obvious, Aubrey. Fine if you don’t want to talk to me, but I’m hearing disturbing rumors from some of wolves Max is losing interest in you. London and his pack have never been overly fond of you, but I want you to know you can always come work for me. I can never be Max, but I can offer you the same protection Max does.”

  Aubrey squinted suspiciously at him. “What’s the catch?”

  Connor shrugged. “No catch. I’m not good with games and lies like my brother, Aubrey, because I have no reason to lie. Besides, I could use a good spy on my team.”

  Something felt caught in Aubrey’s throat. Growing up fast and hard as insignificant prey in a world populated by predators taught her that everything came with a price tag. No one aside from Max and Dom had offered her such kindness.

  Max had trained her well, and she could tell when someone was lying, and Connor wasn’t lying. Connor may be a brute and he may be the best at what he did, but his blunt honesty was one of the traits she always liked about him.

  “Look,” Connor began impatiently, running a nervous hand through his messy hair.

  “I’ll consider it. Thank you, Connor,” Aubrey said, cutting him off.

  Something in her tone made him pause. Connor cleared his throat awkwardly and then oddly reached out to caress her head.

  “What are you doing?” Aubrey asked pointedly. “I’m not a dog or small child you can just pet on the head, you know.”

  “But you seem to like it when Dom does this,” Connor pointed out, sounding confused.

  “What is going on here?” a voice interrupted.

  Aubrey jumped at the sound of Max’s familiar voice. She seldom heard him speak in that curt tone of voice. Max’s anger, unlike Connor’s openly aggressive displays, was the worse kin. The cold sort and he could hold a grudge for a very long time.

  To her horror, Connor pressed her close to his large frame until her face was touching his slightly crumpled dress suit and tie. Because of her growing friendship with Jace, Aubrey’s relationship with Connor over the months had progressed to something like a relationship between a younger sibling and her annoying big brother. Max didn’t know this, of course, and automatically assumed the worse.

  “We’re just having a little friendly chat, brother.” Connor messed her hair again, his strong arms preventing escape. Her “get off me” came out as an indistinct mumble as he pressed her closer to his chest.

  “I’m not aware Aubrey has any standing obligations to you and your pack, Connor.”

  “Like I said, we’re just having a friendly chat.”

  Before Aubrey could formulate
some sort of plan, she was violently ripped away from Connor’s embrace. Max pulled her to him, and his warmth and the familiar scent of his cologne hit her like a sledgehammer.

  She wanted to inappropriately reach out, begin unbuttoning his shirt, and unveil the hard lines of his chest. It was rare that Max touched her, as if he was afraid she was fragile and would break like glass, but his hands were clutching at her so tightly now she was certain they would leave delicious bruises.

  Gods, was she pathetic.

  “I think not,” Max said coldly, holding her close, but not looking at her.

  “We’re friends, Max. Are you saying I can’t be friends with your little crow?” Connor asked in a lofty voice.

  “Friends?” Max sneered. “A butcher has no friends, brother.”

  “Neither does a spider who spends all his days spinning his webs and spying on everyone else.”

  Aubrey winced. She could practically feel Max’s contained and angry wolf threatening to rise to the surface.

  “This is damn rare. The great Spymaster nearly losing control?” Connor’s words seemed to hit a mark, because Max only gritted his teeth, his breathing harsh against her.

  “You better take care of your treasured possessions better, brother, because someday they’ll simply no longer be there.”

  “Is that a threat, Connor?” Max asked, his tone deadly calm.

  “No, I’m not dumb enough to threaten you. I’m just stating facts. Don’t forget what I’ve said, Aubrey.” After causing enough damage, Connor turned on his heels, whistling a rude tune under his breath.

  “Aubrey.” Just the sound of displeasure in Max’s voice was enough to make her flinch. He gripped her shoulders, his gaze unreadable.

  “Wait. I think you need to hear what I need to say first.”

  “I’m not in the mood for excuses, little crow,” he warned, his voice hard, low, and dangerous. His eyes, Aubrey noticed, were flickering dangerously to amber.

  “I need to talk to you about what I saw in the warehouse. You can decide what you want to do with me later on.”