After a moment of thought I said, “I don’t think it was a coincidence that they attacked me last night.”
“Nor do I. Am I right that last night was your night not to shift?” he asked.
I sighed. There was no way around not telling him. I didn’t think he would use it against me anyway so I answered honestly. “Yes.”
“I don’t like this.” His face looked grim in the grey light that came through the dark-tinted windows. The clouds let very little light through this time of year.
“You don’t like it, but I’m the one they tried to kill.”
“What do you want first? Food, coffee or shoes?” he asked.
“Coffee, food, then shoes,” I replied. Closing my eyes, I tried to remember why he was off limits. I couldn’t come up with anything other than I had to work with him. This was not good…or maybe it was. My mind kept going back and forth on the issue. I was glad that he was keeping to neutral topics for now.
“I see your priorities are straight.” He got off the freeway near the mall and went through the drive-through coffee stand, followed by a fast food drive-through.
He drove toward the mall as we drank our coffee. Soon we arrived at the shoe store. “What kind of shoes do you want?”
“Well, since you asked. I want a pair of Pumas, black please. I wear size seven and a half.”
“At least you want shoes you can run around in.”
“Of course. I can go get the other shoes after you get me the Pumas.”
“Other shoes?” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“It’s a girl thing. Now scoot. My feet are cold.” I shooed him from the car.
He got out laughing.
I watched him go, enjoying the view. The young sales girl practically drooled over him. I rolled my eyes. He was definitely putting on the charm to get what he wanted. It was actually amusing to watch him. I busted out laughing when he turned his back on her and she looked him up and down. The sales girl followed him with her eyes all the way back to the car. Once he was in, he handed me the box of shoes and some socks.
“These are perfect, thank you,” I said as I put them on. I could feel his eyes on me as I admired my feet. I was starting to feel more myself. Now all I needed was clothes.
“You are most welcome. I‘m glad you approve.”
“Too bad for the girl in there. She really wanted to jump you. You know, you shouldn’t play with girls like that. It’s just mean.” I grinned at him.
He laughed again. “I wanted to get in and out of there fast.”
“I like a man that can ask for directions,” I said slyly, “but you didn’t have to tell her they were for your sister. That was a nice touch, though.”
His head snapped around to look at me. “How…?”
“I can read lips.” I laughed as he shook his head at me.
“You’re something.”
I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. We were in the mall parking lot now.
“Where to first?” he asked while he found a parking space. Since it was the holiday season, the mall was packed.
“Well, let’s see,” I said, tapping my lip. I could feel him watching me intently. I started counting off items on my fingers. “I need all the basics, but we can go to one of those stores that has everything later. I need jeans and t-shirts that actually fit me. Another pair of shoes, preferably boots… hmm… something to sleep in. Some nicer clothes, and that should do it.” I got out of the car.
Radek followed me with a bewildered look on his face. That brought a smile to mine.
“I know just the store to get most of it in,” I announced as I took off, and he had to lengthen his stride to keep up.
He spent the next hour and a half following me around the mall carrying bags. I’m not the biggest fan of shopping, especially during the holiday season, so I’m very efficient at it. It was like hunting. We had made a complete circle of the mall by the time I was done. I glanced at his watch. It had only taken us a couple of hours, which wasn’t bad considering it was so near Christmas.
“Now we need to hit one of those department stores where I can buy the other stuff. There has to be one around here somewhere,” I said.
“I know where one is.”
We crammed the bags in the trunk. I grabbed a pair of jeans, a shirt, my new jacket, and the bag from the lingerie store. That had been the most amusing part of the whole trip. He had waited near the door with a look of complete torture on his beautiful face. All the women in the store had been staring at him or glaring at me. I admit I’d lingered a bit longer than I needed to, just for the fun of it.
I know he noticed me grab the bags, but he didn’t mention anything until we got in the car. “Uh, what are you doing?”
“I’m changing out of your clothes and into something that fits me much better,” I said smugly. He snapped his head to looking straight ahead and I stifled a laugh. “What’s your problem? I’m sure you won’t see anything you haven’t seen before.” I knew I was making him uncomfortable – it was part of the fun.
“Nothing. Just hurry up,” he said, clenching his teeth.
“Maybe you’re the one that hit your head. Are you all right?” I asked innocently.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Right,” I said, “whatever.”
I changed while he drove. By the time I was finished I had on snug fitting dark blue jeans, a deep red long sleeve t-shirt with a black t-shirt over it, a black zippered hoodie and the shoes he had bought me.
“I’m done; you can look now.” I glanced out the window and noticed that it was getting darker.
Radek’s phone rang. “Hey.”
“Where are you two?” Dante asked.
“Just finishing up our shopping,” Radek replied.
I watched his face in the fading light. I enjoyed studying him.
“Shopping?” Dante’s voice went up an octave in his surprise.
“Father made me do it.” His tone had taken on a harassed quality.
“Glad to have missed that. Then you have talked to Val?”
“Yeah, the three of us are to work together and watch each other’s backs. Same old, same old. He thinks whoever is doing this might be after all three of us in an effort to get to him. Anyway, he’s sending me lists of names. Do you just want to meet us at the house? We can figure out what to do from there,” Radek said.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to meet up with you now?” Dante asked like he was hinting at something.
Radek glanced at me with an annoyed look on his face. “I’m sure. Don’t worry about me. Besides, I have the princess with me.”
I knew he did that just for effect, and I’m sorry to say that it worked. I growled at him.
“Princess?” Dante asked in amusement. “What have you two been doing?”
“She has informed me that the next time she is called Kitten, blood will flow, or something to that effect,” he said, glancing at me as we got out of the car at our next destination.
I just shook my head at him in disbelief. He was going to pay for this, but at least it was fun. I wanted to know what Dante had been trying to ask Radek without asking. I was so going to find out.
“Glad to hear the two of you are getting along so well. I had my doubts. Anyway, Val just sent me a text. He’s sending someone to meet me at the office with some pertinent information. I should be there in a minute or so,” Dante said.
“Do you know what kind of information?” Radek asked.
I just went about my shopping, keeping an ear on Radek as best I could.
“I’m not sure. He just said that what she has could help. I guess she’s an interspecies relationship specialist or something. It’s something Val wanted delivered in person, so I’m going to pick it up. I’ll meet you at the safe house.”
“We shouldn’t be much longer here. I think Natalya’s almost done,” Radek said as he followed me around the store.
I lost the conversation for a few
moments, but when I picked it back up I had to laugh.
I heard Dante ask, “Are you even listening?” It didn’t sound like the first time he’d asked, either.
“Sorry, got distracted.”
“I’m not going to ask. The other agent is here. I’ll see you at the house.” Dante hung up. He was learning from Val, I thought with a grin.
I was done with my shopping and we went to pay for my items. We were soon back in the car.
“We should probably grab dinner on our way back,” he said.
“All right.” I was getting a bit tired. This whole healing without shifting thing was not that pleasurable. It was so normal to be out shopping, though, and I really needed normal right now. It was almost like nothing was wrong. I leaned my head back against the seat and asked, “So what did I miss?”
“What did you hear?” he countered.
“Dante is getting some kind of information from someone.”
“He heard from our forensic department. The wolf that tried to kill you had an altered form of rabies.”
My eyes popped open and I looked at him. “He had what?”
“We haven’t been able to trace who created it, but someone is genetically altering animal diseases so that they can affect shifters and changelings. We’re close to vaccines though. It all started when we mapped our DNA a few years ago.”
“I had no idea they were working on typing our DNA. Other than the test that tells the humans what we are. What does that have to do with this investigation though?”
“I have no idea. It could mean something or it could mean nothing at all. That’s what I can’t figure it out. We’ve lost five agents, and almost lost you. We don’t have that many agents to begin with. It’s putting Father on edge. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that things started happening right after he was forced to Washington, D.C. It really gets under my skin.” His voice was deep with the thinly veiled anger.
“I noticed. So the wolf that attacked me had rabies. Is there any chance that we caught it? I mean, we were covered in his blood, and I had open wounds.”
“The lab checked; it wasn’t a strain that would affect weretigers. For some reason these bugs have to be engineered to a specific type of shifter or changeling. I don’t know all the ins and outs.” He paused and glanced at me before continuing, “I’m sorry that I got a little overzealous there.”
“A little? You ripped his freaking head off before we could question him.”
“I don’t need to hear it from you too. I already got an earful from Father. I just wouldn’t be able to stand it if something happened to you.” There was another pause. Then he added softly, “Now that we know that he was a diseased wolf, it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”
“True,” I agreed. I really wanted to ask him what he’d meant by the comment about something happening to me, but was a little afraid of what the answer might be.
“Dante made sure your car was brought over to the office. It should be fine there until we need it,” he said.
“Thanks,” I said, and turned to stare out the window. I had a lot to think about. It was still sinking in that I didn’t have a place to live anymore.
We stopped for food, and then headed back to the house. It was quiet when we got there.
Too quiet.
Chapter Seven
“Dante should be here.” He inhaled deeply.
I didn’t smell him either. I took the bags in and stored them in my room. As I was coming back down the stairs, I stopped before reaching the bottom. Radek was staring at his phone with a frown on his face. The fur on the back of my neck was standing on end. Something wasn’t right. He was worried.
“You know you have to press the buttons for it to work,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Dante’s not answering. Something’s wrong.”
“Do you want to go over there and check it out?” I asked. I could see the conflict play across his face. What was going on? “Why are you hesitating?”
Suddenly it dawned on me. I cursed under my breath. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“What?” He hadn’t been paying attention to me.
“It’s your night, isn’t it?” I asked.
I could literally see the internal debate going on in his head. I waited until he finally confessed. “Yes.”
“Well, that just sucks. But if you think something is wrong, we need to go check it out. Dante is my partner and if he’s in trouble I’m going to go help him.” I jumped down the last three steps to stand before him.
“I know. I just have a real bad feeling about this. You’re still injured and I’m not at full strength. If something were to happen, we might not be able to defend ourselves.” I knew what it cost him to admit that.
“Do you want me to go check it out by myself? Because I will if you don’t want to come with me.” I knew exactly what he would do.
“Like hell. You’re not going anywhere without me.”
He stormed out to his car and I followed with a knowing grin on my face. He was so predictable.
We didn’t speak as he drove to headquarters. The tension that filled the car was thick enough to cut with a plastic spoon. He tried to call Dante three more times on the way. It went to voice mail every time. His frown deepened each time. Frustration and rage were radiating off of him. It was putting me on edge. He pulled into the movie theatre parking lot that was around the corner from the office. I looked at him in question.
“We go in on foot. If something goes wrong, you get back here and drive until you can meet up with Val. Do not stop for anything but gas, do you hear me?” he said in a low voice.
“I’m not leaving you here, so forget about it,” I said, getting out and resisting the urge to slam the door shut. Stupid men and their equally stupid sense of honor, I thought.
We prowled through the parking lots until the office came into view. I could smell the others, but we were too late. Everyone was long gone. There had been two humans, a vampire, and three shifters of some sort – it was hard to tell with all the smells mixed together.
It looked like Dante had been taken. From the lack of bodies, we surmised that he’d been taken alive. I heard a growl emanate from Radek’s throat. He was one pissed off tiger. Why and how had he been taken? Where had they taken him?
I was walking around, keeping Radek in sight, when I found her on the front steps. It was a werewolf. I could smell Madon on her – she had been around him recently. She must be the agent that Val had sent. I could smell the tranquilizer in her blood. She was just coming to as I kneeled next to her.
“Are you okay?” I asked, staying just out of striking distance. I didn’t know if she would wake up cranky. Radek was stalking toward us.
“What happened?” came her groggy reply.
“I’m not sure yet. I was hoping that you would be able to help with that. I’m Natalya. What’s your name?”
“Jenna. I know you. You’re that weretiger. Madon and Carly talk about you all the time.”
“Dante is missing. Do you remember anything?” I asked quickly before a fuming Radek could come over to harass her.
“We had just come out of the building and I was hit from behind, then everything went black. That’s all I remember.” As I helped her into a sitting position, I could feel Radek’s presence behind me and knew he’d heard her.
“You didn’t see anything?” he asked. At least he was controlling his temper – I could tell it was taking some effort.
“Sorry, no sir,” she said in a small voice. Her eyes got big as she recognized who was behind me. I could smell her fear. I sent Radek a glare, hoping he would get the message to tone it down a bit more.
“Stay here for a moment. We’re going to take a look around,” Radek said, and motioned for me to come with him. I gave Jenna a smile and followed Radek.
I glanced around and noticed my car parked in front of Dante’s. I was walking toward it when I heard the metallic click. It alm
ost registered a little too late. I dropped to the ground just as my car exploded. I rolled onto my stomach and covered my head to guard it from the flying debris. The heat washed over me while flying pieces of burning metal sliced through my clothes and tore into my skin. My ears were ringing and the smoke was choking me, but I had survived with minimal injuries.
“Nat, are you okay?” Radek’s voice barely registered over the ringing in my ears. “Can’t you stay safe for a few hours?” he yelled.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said as I let him help me up. “Seriously though, why did they have to blow my car to smithereens? I mean Dante’s car is right there too. Why did it have to be mine?”
Just as I said that, there was another click, and Radek threw me back to the ground, covering my body with his massive weight. The breath was knocked from my lungs. I was having trouble breathing with all the smoke and chemicals in the air. The weretiger on my back didn’t help either.
“Are you going to get off me now?” I mumbled into the frozen ground. It was a moment before I felt the pressure ease from my body.
My ears were ringing, but I could still hear. I was a bit unsteady as he helped me to my feet.
“You know you weigh a ton,” I said, brushing the front of myself off. I could feel where I had gotten cut, but I was otherwise fine.
“I need to call Father. The police will show up soon and we don’t need to be answering questions all night.” His eyes were glowing with anger.
I could hear sirens approaching as I went over toward where Jenna was sitting in shock. Radek followed me while he waited for Val to pick up.
“What is it, son?” he asked.
“Dante’s been taken. And there were two explosions at headquarters. We have the agent you sent to meet with him, and she’s relatively unharmed. The police are on the way. Can you make a few calls? Nat and I need to get out of here.”
“I’ll need you to wait around for Madon to get there. I don’t want you leaving Jenna alone. She’s one of his. I’ll send Gregory as well. They can handle the cleanup. I’m running out of agents in that area.”
“We can sit tight for a few minutes.”
“Once Madon gets there I want you two back at the safe house. Then call me. I want to know everything.” With that he hung up.
Seizing Darkness (Fur, Fangs, and Fairies) Page 7
