“Protect me? Let me protect you. I don’t know why I want to, but I do.” Maybe it had been the story of the ten-year-old foster child, but Peter did want to give Shaun another chance. “You have some video footage that concerns you. Tell me about your concerns, Shaun. Let me help you. When did it start?”
“I heard you and Gregory talking about shifting. I hid a camera and microphone. You shift together at retreats and councils. I recorded you talking about it. I have the footage.”
“Why did you come to me about Gregory? If you believed that I was a shifter too?”
“I want his job. I want to be DA. I need your support. I still want it.”
“You’re blackmailing me to get my support of your DA run? Because you believe I’m a wolf shifter. Do I have that right?”
“If you want to look at it that way, fine.”
“What else do you want, Shaun?”
“I want to do the right thing. For me.”
“What does that mean exactly? To you?”
“I want money. I want power. I want it now.”
“How much money?”
“I want one million dollars. Tomorrow. And I want to be appointed acting interim DA by Monday morning. After Gregory is fired.”
“That’s a lot of wanting. You think money will fix you? Power will fix you?”
“I have footage. I want what I deserve.” Shaun collapsed into the seat behind his desk. He was trembling.
“Where is this so-called footage? I want to see it.”
“I’ll show you tomorrow morning. I’m very upset right now. I need to go home. I want your assurance.”
Destroy him, his bear growled.
Peter knew that with the security alerted downstairs, he’d never be able to stop Shaun with physical violence. No matter what his bear was urging. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to.
“Meet me in my office tomorrow morning at 9:30, Shaun. I’ll take care of you.”
“I knew you’d see things my way.”
Peter left Shaun’s office, nodding his head at the security guards as he passed.
What he could see was that if the city of Seattle found out their mayor was a shifter, Peter would lose everything.
Or would he?
Maybe it was time to find out how Seattle really felt about the shifters who lived among them.
9
Sunday dawned an overcast and drizzly day.
Cleo had promised to be in the office at 9:00 a.m., but she didn’t know if she’d be home again before her dinner date with Peter, so she decided on a conservative-but-sexy outfit. For her.
She wanted her outfit to say “Fuck me, but first let me do my fucking job.”
She threw on her favorite black catsuit and high-heeled booties with a silk sweater, and tried to feel excited for her date.
But she just didn’t feel great about it.
She arranged her hair into a messy bun and put on bright red lipstick. It wasn’t tricking Peter into fathering her child that bothered her. If she wanted to be honest, knowing that he was dating Julianna was what really ate at her.
Cleo had never been jealous before. It felt truly horrible, she realized as she walked to her car, like a fire was burning in the pit of her stomach. She hated it.
And, though she tried to be angry at him, instead she just felt angry at herself for caring.
She drove quickly to city hall. The parking lot was empty except for a couple of cars so for once she found a great spot by the door.
As she walked upstairs to the mayor’s office, she realized that Peter’s flirting had always meant something to her. It felt like a promise, even if it wasn’t. She wanted the mayor to be the great guy she’d always imagined him to be. Not someone who dated his staff and the police department staff and every other government agency’s staff.
Once she became pregnant, she would have to resign, she realized. Before he even knew about the baby. As soon as possible. Maybe even tomorrow.
The thought of never seeing Peter again made her feel like crying. She hadn’t realized she’d grown so attached to him, but their banter meant something to her. She’d grown to care about him.
No more. Peter was nothing to her but a sperm donor.
And tonight she would get her donation.
When Cleo walked into the office, Peter was waiting for her by the window, looking out over the city. The coffee urn was steaming and plates of croissants with butter and jam were laid out on a sideboard.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, walking to the sideboard. “And on a Sunday, no less!”
“Remind me why we need to do this today?” She took off her sweater and remembered to smile.
He shrugged and poured her a cup of coffee, adding a dollop of half-and-half, just how she liked it. How did he know?
“Honestly, Cleo. I don’t want to let too much time pass without seeing you.” He handed her the mug. “Also, if we work today, we don’t have to worry about getting here first thing in the morning, do we?”
She’d never noticed before that his eyes twinkled when he smiled and his little crow’s feet crinkled adorably.
Cleo’s heart leapt with joy. Was she falling in love with Peter? That was all she needed. Get it together, Cleo! She scolded herself.
“So you want an online survey?” She walked to the second desk in his office to wake up the computer and get started. “All departments or just the police department?”
“Great idea. Let’s do all departments. Employee satisfaction. Plus a few diversity questions.”
“Okie doke. What diversity questions?” Cleo nudged the mouse until the monitor lit up.
“I want to know how people feel about shifters.”
She looked up quickly. “Shifters? For real?”
“I know you have friends who are shifters, don’t you?”
“How did you know about that?”
“I’m mayor. Security investigates everyone I hire.”
“You had me checked out?”
“I had to. It’s protocol for all new hires. That’s when I found out about your roommates and their shifter mates.”
“So everyone here knows about shifters? Why did I think it was some huge secret?”
“There are a lot of open secrets in the city. This is just the only one you know about.” He shrugged. “It’s all part of being mayor of Seattle. My predecessor gave me a book called Secrets of Seattle when I took office. And the next mayor will get it from me when I turn over the office.”
“Secrets of Seattle? Is it an actual book?” She wanted to read it.
No. She needed to read it.
“Don’t worry about that. Just know that the time may have come when it’s important to know how citizens would react if the existence of shifters became officially known and accepted.”
“Got it.”
“Can you put that survey together and e-mail it out this morning?”
“Sure. And employee satisfaction.”
“And employee satisfaction. Yes.” He smiled.
“You’ll forgive me for being eager.” Shaun interrupted them from the doorway. What was he doing here? They both turned to look at him. “Cleo. What are you doing here?”
“Umm...I work here?” she said. “What are you doing here?”
She hated Shaun’s sniveling, arrogant manner.
“The mayor and I have an appointment. Don’t we, mayor?”
“On a Sunday?” Cleo looked from Peter to Shaun and back again.
“So...we’re not doing a survey right now?” Cleo felt annoyed. “Why am I here on a Sunday again?”
“He’s early,” Peter growled.
“Does she know?” Shaun demanded.
“You,” he ordered Shaun, “have a seat. You can wait.”
“I said: Does. She. Know.” Shaun reached his hand in his jacket pocket. Did he have a gun?
Cleo ducked behind the computer monitor. What the fuck was going on?
“Let’s go. Let’s take a walk,�
� Peter herded Shaun into the hallway. “Cleo, I’ll be back.”
Does she know what? Cleo wondered.
10
He needs to die, Peter’s bear growled.
Peter took a deep breath. He wasn’t ready to go there.
Not yet.
Settle down, he said to his bear.
They walked up the hall toward the elevators.
The mayor’s command center was a soundproof and private suite of rooms in the basement of city hall. It served as a fall-out shelter as well as a place to communicate with other government officials in case of emergency. Peter often used it for privacy.
No one would be in the basement on a Sunday. Also, he knew they would be away from the security cameras that were scattered throughout the building. The only recordings made in the command center were the ones Peter made himself.
“Where are your recordings?” Peter asked Shaun as he herded him in the elevator.
Shaun patted the pocket of his leather jacket.
“Let me see.”
Shaun pulled out a packet of several memory cards. “These are copies. The originals are safely stored with a friend. If I don’t come back tonight, my friend releases the videos on YouTube and takes the originals to the police.”
Peter assumed Shaun’s only friend was his cousin, Julianna. And she didn’t seem to even like him.
“No one is going to hurt you, Shaun. My goal is to find out why you’re so upset because you’re absolutely and completely wrong in your assumption that I’m a wolf shifter.”
Shaun glared at him. “Of course you would say that. But I caught you!”
Who threatens a shifter?
Not a smart move.
Peter pushed the elevator button for the basement.
As they descended, Peter tried to calm his bear. He knew he could safely shift and destroy Shaun once they were in the command center, but did he really want to do that?
Yes, his bear insisted. Do it.
No. He didn’t.
Peter had never felt such a distance from his bear; they were usually much more in sync. Peter knew it was dangerous to ignore him, though. His bear was likely to take over completely and shift without Peter’s consent, to resolve a dangerous situation his way. Peter would need to proceed very carefully and also hope that Shaun stopped being such an idiot.
They got off the elevator and as Peter had expected, the basement hallway was deserted. He pulled a key ring out of his pocket and unlocked the command center door.
The door opened into the mayor’s private library; bookshelves lined the walls. Peter knew the Secrets of Seattle was on the shelf with the other reference titles, hiding in plain sight, which had always worked for Peter in the past.
Things were changing now.
A door off the library led to a fully stocked kitchen and dining hall. Another door led to a residential area and a fourth door led to a weapons and communications center.
That was the door he opened for Shaun. “We can listen to the recordings in here.”
Shaun followed Peter without complaint.
Peter flipped on a laptop that was connected to a huge monitor. “Pop it in. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Okay,” Shaun said, doing as Peter had asked.
He turned on the media player. The room filled with the sound of Peter’s voice, as a grainy black and white image of him emerged on the monitor. Gregory was also in the shot.
“This weekend. Whidbey Island retreat. We’re having a shifter council,” Peter said on the video.
Gregory’s gravely voice was next. “What about?”
“Illness X. Dr. Harris has found the cure. He’s presenting his findings to all shifter communities.”
“I’ll let everyone know.”
Shaun clicked stop and looked at Peter with a shit-eating grin. “Gotcha,” he said.
Peter’s bear grumbled.
“Is that it?” Peter asked.
“What do you mean: Is that it? That’s huge! Shifter council meeting? You’re both wolf shifters.”
Peter shook his head and tried to calm his bear.
He had nothing. If Shaun took this to the media, he would be mocked and driven from office. Or would he?
If Shaun disappeared and his “friend” released the recordings on YouTube and they went viral, people might believe his accusations had merit.
Either way, the video would create a media storm that Peter just didn’t want to deal with, especially as he was trying to determine whether or not to bring the shifters of Seattle out in the open.
He needed to stop Shaun. One way or another.
Kill him, his bear growled. He felt the urge to shift coming over him. He pushed the urge down.
Not yet, he said to his bear. He would try to reason with Shaun first. He also needed to stop the release of the videos.“You need to understand that this recording is a hoax. I don’t know how, but someone is fucking with you.”
“No one even knows about this except for me,” Shaun said.
Peter looked at him sharply.
“And my friend,” Shaun added quickly, but not before Peter saw the likely truth: there was no “friend.”
“If you release this to the media, you’ll only look like an idiot. Your career will be over. Is that what you want?”
Shaun went pale and shook his head. “No.”
“What do you want?” Peter asked, with a kind, calm voice.
“I want to be Seattle’s District Attorney. Now.”
“You want Gregory to step down?”
“He’s a shifter! An animal! He can’t perform his job!”
“Gregory is the best DA this city has ever had!”
“He’s an animal…And so are you!”
Peter’s bear snarled, ready to leap. He was done being nice.
“You want money?” Peter sat back on a chair, holding his bear down. “How much did you say?”
“A million. I want it tomorrow morning. Not because I need money, I don’t. I’m a simple man. I need your assurance that you won’t hurt me. Money will give me that.”
“You want Gregory’s job. You’ll blackmail your way into it. And you think he is one who is unfit for public service?”
“Don’t forget the million dollars.”
There was no way Peter would let this happen. He considered his options.
He could destroy Shaun and track down his “friend” if one really existed. Destroy the friend too.
Or, he could let the world know that shifters existed. He could bring the shifters of Seattle into public knowledge.
He would do it. He would tell the world who and what he was. And he would start tonight, with Cleo.
But it had to be a group shifter decision. He needed to take this to Gregory.
“I need twenty-four hours. To get the money,” Peter said.
“You’ve got twelve. And don’t try anything funny, because I’ve got eyes and ears everywhere.” Shaun stood and walked to the door. He slapped his hand on it. “You gonna let me out of here now?”
Peter nodded. He knew he could always trap Shaun later, if he needed to do so.
When Peter got back upstairs to Cleo, she asked, “What was that about? Is Shaun crazy?”
He didn’t want her to worry about anything. Shaun was still a threat, but it wasn’t Cleo’s concern. He and Gregory would take care of it.
“Don’t worry about it,” Peter said. “He’s gone now.”
But in all honesty, Peter didn’t know what Shaun was capable of doing next.
11
After finishing the survey and sending it out to all city employees, Peter told Cleo that she could take the rest of the day off.
“Gee, thanks,” she teased with a grin.
“It is Sunday, after all.”
“You’re too good to me.”
She was glad things were back to normal between them. She had to just put the whole situation with Julianna out of her mind for now. She had to forget about the likelih
ood that Peter was a player. Best to not think about that.
Tonight was her one chance for a baby and she was taking it.
“I have a meeting with Gregory. I’ll pick you up afterwards for a dinner. How about 5:30? Your place?”
“Sure,” she said. “That works.”
That would give her time to take a bubble bath and prepare for tonight. She couldn’t feel her ovulation, but was excited to think that it was happening, her body getting ready to be pregnant. She imagined the baby’s little egg traveling down her fallopian tubes.
Thank you, Cleo said a little prayer to her body, sending love and acceptance.
She really was grateful for this chance to have a baby. Some women didn’t even get that, and she was lucky to have found out about it now, before it was too late.
She was even glad that Peter could be the father. She liked him. Even if he was a player.
Peter walked her out to her car. The sky was still drizzling, but it had warmed up so she didn’t care. The clouds seemed thinner, with more light pouring down through them.
“Cleo, thanks for your help today. I know I haven’t told you much about what’s been going on this weekend, but I promise I will. I’ll tell you tonight.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not like that. I don’t need to know everything.”
“There are things you need to know.”
“Okay.” She shrugged.
“Cleo, one more thing...” He gripped her arm.
“Yes?” She looked up at him.
He put his other hand on her other arm, rooting her in place.
“I never got my goodnight kiss on Friday.”
“Do you want it now?” she asked, surprised.
He nodded, very serious. “I do want it.”
She felt her heart in her throat. Get it together, Cleo!
He pulled her close and dipped his head down until his lips were on her lips. His hands slid to embrace her back, grabbing handfuls of flesh along the way, and she was pulled into the most delicious kiss of her life. Her head got so dizzy she would have fallen if Peter hadn’t been holding her up. She felt a rippling of desire spread in waves throughout her entire body. Even her toes danced in her booties.
Shifters in Seattle: Box Set Books 1 - 5 Page 18
