Sugar, Spice, and Shifters: A Touch of Holiday Magic

by Élianne Adams

  That leap sent Cade safely onto the other building with distance to spare. She turned back to look at the ledge, her panther eyes glittering dangerously in the dimness.

  She padded away from the edge of the building toward a condensing unit, slipped behind it and shifted back into her human form with an almost imperceptible tearing and crunching sound as bones, tendons, and flesh reformed. Then she adjusted her clothing and secured her black mask.

  She snatched up the backpack before it could land on the ground and make any noise. That feat and the act of controlling the amount of noise she made when she shifted were courtesy of Uncle Ramon.

  He’d made her practice and practice, over and over again, thousands of times, until he was satisfied she could perform the tasks to his satisfaction. Those were only two of the many skills Uncle Ramon drilled into her so she could perform her jobs with ease, confidence, and most importantly, success.

  Slipping the backpack over her shoulders, she tightened the strap. She’d take the service stairs down eight flights, then enter an apartment she knew was empty. There, she’d shift again and make her way along the ledge that would take her around the building to the apartment that held the bounty.

  Nothing to it.

  She needed to not think that way. Being overconfident could be disastrous. Uncle Ramon had warned her of that repeatedly.

  Eight flights of stairs and one hallway later, she made a right turn and was in front of the vacant apartment. She slipped her lockpicking kit out of the backpack, then, with a few low ticks of the tumblers as she worked on them, the door unlocked. Glancing around, she verified there were no witnesses and opened the door.

  She entered and closed the door behind her with a soft click. Her shifter vision allowed her to see the empty room, find and unlatch the window nearest to the narrow ledge.

  Stealthily, she left the vacant apartment behind and made her way along the ledge. Her surefooted panther had no problem retaining her balance as she put paw in front of paw. Several feet later, she was at the first balcony.

  She leapt over the railing, then back onto the ledge. Ledge to balcony to ledge, she eased into the routine.

  Two corners to turn, then the third balcony she came to would be the one. Less than twenty minutes later she’d leapt onto the balcony and shifted into her human form. And even though she felt confident the luxury apartment would be empty, old habits died hard and she caught the backpack before it touched the tiled balcony floor.

  Lockpick set out, she was inside within seconds and zipping toward the room that had the control panel. Once the brass plate that hid the panel was open, she disengaged the blinking alarm.

  Then and only then did Cade pause to take a breath, after which, she let it out in a flood of relief. It never failed: no matter how many times she’d done this, each time was a rush, each time was a failure waiting to happen. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, like they always did.

  She paused, letting her sensitive shifter hearing listen for heartbeats and pulses.

  Nothing.

  The area was clear.

  Cade hustled to the bedroom and spotted the large TV that hid the safe. She grabbed the remote and flipped the button which brought the TV forward and revealed a safe in the area behind the TV.

  These manufacturers. They’d have been better off not putting everything online where it could be accessed so easily by a good hacker. Paper copies in files would have served them better in cases like this.

  First she’d need to determine the contact points on the lock.

  Thank goodness for shifter hearing.

  She peeled the mask off, because a barrier over her ears wouldn’t help, then listened for the click to determine which numbers on the dial face corresponded to the contact area left and right of the notch that allowed the lever to pass through when it was spun.

  Now for the parking position. She paid attention to the number of clicks each time the dial passed the parking position opposite the contact area.

  She zipped through the process not realizing how quickly she did it, how professionally and effortlessly, until she’d completed the last step and had all the numbers in the combination. Now it was a matter of testing out variations of those numbers until she got the right one.

  One pull on the lever on the third combination, and ta-da! She was in.

  Cade shoved cash and jewelry into her bag. Just a few seconds more, and she’d re-arm the alarm and slip out, leaving the same way she came in.

  An image entered her mind that she wished hadn’t. Isaac’s face.

  Really? He’s going to make me feel guilty?

  She pushed the image away and remembered little Ignacio’s face. Not the way he’d looked in the open casket, but the way he’d looked when he’d drawn a picture of Cade with a black panther behind her. Of course the little boy hadn’t known the significance of that picture, but he’d never know how close it struck the heart of Cade and her panther.

  She opened the door, stepped onto the balcony and pulled her mask on. Setting the heavier backpack on the floor, she shifted into her panther and seized the bag between her teeth. Almost done. Now came the trek along the ledges and balconies back to the empty apartment, then a few flights up to the rooftop, a leap across, changing her clothing, and home.

  She could taste freedom.

  TEN

  In bear form, the two men waited patiently. A shadow appeared on the wall cattycorner from Isaac and Ky.

  Isaac heard the tiniest of taps again. He synced his brother. You heard that. Tell me you didn’t.

  I did.

  A silhouette shaped like a large feline. A slight tap.

  Holy shit. Look!

  The silhouette shifted into—

  A woman. Goddammit. That’s a woman.

  There was no mistaking the curvy form clad all in black. It was all woman. What kind of cat had it been? He’d only seen the silhouette. Not a tiger, he didn’t think. Damn, it was so quick and subtle, he hadn’t caught what kind of cat she was.

  I take it the task force had no idea the cat burglar could be female?

  Not a clue. Let’s shift. I need to apprehend this criminal.

  He shifted and a second behind him, Ky shifted as well, both of them emitting the slight creaks and crunches associated with shifting.

  The woman in black who was striding across the rooftop froze. She’d heard them shift. She glanced around, her movements nervous and quick.

  “Stop. NYPD.” Isaac strode out of the shadows.

  A gasp came out of her mouth and she took off at a run, her backpack in hand. She rounded a corner a few yards ahead of him. By the time he’d turned the corner, Ky on his heels, the woman was gone and all he saw was the cat’s figure in the shadows of the building across the alley. With a flick of her tail, the feline was gone.

  Isaac grabbed the ledge, looking over the abyss of concrete below. He kept his eyes glued to the spot he’d last seen the feline.

  “Now what?” Ky asked. “Give chase?”

  Isaac grunted. “We’re fucking bears. We don’t leap. We power our way through obstacles.”

  “This isn’t a situation we can power ourselves through. Too bad you don’t have a team, or backup, or anything.”

  Isaac gave Ky a look. He didn’t need to be reminded of that. “We need a cat shifter to make the leap and give chase. Would Laken help?”

  Ky looked at him as if he’d lost it. “She’s got three legs. I’m not going to ask her to do that. What if she didn’t make the leap across? What are you thinking? You would endanger Laken’s life?”

  Guilt flushed through Isaac. I’m a dick for suggesting that.

  “No. Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “You know…” Ky scratched his head, his eyes also focused on the building on the other side. “We could use a tranq. I know how to get my hands on some.”

  “Not a bad idea.” Isaac thought about it. It might be frowned upon, as shifters didn’t like to hear about other
shifters being tranqed. But he’d take that risk.

  “Except there’s something we didn’t think of…” Ky said. “…she’s not going to let us see her again.”

  “Unless I set up irresistible bait.”

  “Sounds like you have a plan.”

  “I do.”

  “You don’t think she’ll be too spooked, after tonight?”

  “Nah. I’ll just have to make sure it’s worth her time.”

  — — —

  Shit.

  Shit. Shit.

  Cade recognized his voice. She knew it was Isaac.

  What the hell is he doing on the rooftop?

  She ran around the corner, shifted quickly, grabbed the backpack and ran toward the edge of the building, spanning the distance and landing with an impact that was off somehow. She lay on the concrete for all of a second while the burn ate at her arm. But no, she’d been sure the leap wasn’t a big deal.

  She found out just how much her jump had been off when she shifted and tried to pick up her backpack with her left hand.

  Fuck.

  Fuck. Fuck.

  Her wrist. It was so screwed. She’d hit the concrete with far too much force and at the wrong angle. It didn’t help that she’d tried to look back mid-leap and had landed awkwardly. Now, her left hand hung loosely at her side, seeping blood, a sliver of white showing through.

  Bone. Just great. Just fucking great.

  Her only option now was to shift and heal. In their animal form, shifters could heal most serious injuries. They’d go into a state similar to hibernation while their bodies repaired themselves.

  She was happy she had an arm that could heal. Laken had never stood a chance. Her sister’s entire leg had been blown off in the Middle East. Even after she’d shifted, when she had come to, there was still no leg.

  At least I’ll have an arm when it’s all said and done.

  She grabbed a bandana from the backpack and wrapped it around her arm to stop the blood from leaking everywhere, and took off for the stairs that led to the ground floor. She’d have to run, because she was sure Isaac and Ky would be following her.

  What the shit.

  Isaac was there. How the hell had he known where she’d be?

  She pushed the thought aside. She needed to get home. Immediately. She surged forward, taking the steps two at a time, the backpack slung over her right shoulder.

  When she reached the ground floor, she looked around to be sure an ambush wasn’t waiting for her.

  So far so good.

  She slipped out the back door of the apartment building and onto the empty street. Hugging walls, she shot down the block toward her parked car. Every step wrenched at the broken bone in her wrist.

  Finally, she was home. She locked the door to her bedroom in case Cari came in, then dropped the backpack on the floor, kicked it under the bed, and shifted into her panther.

  She limped to the other side of the bed, lay where she’d be out of sight of the door, and sank into oblivion.

  ELEVEN

  Cade stretched and yawned in her panther form, and noted she could put weight on her front leg. All that bore witness to last night’s injuries was a white scar near her wrist.

  She shifted into her human skin and stripped her black clothing off.

  She grabbed the dirty and bloody clothing and walked to the laundry room in just her bra and panties. She didn’t pay attention to the voices she heard in the living room. Probably Cari on the phone while watching TV.

  Cade had just put the clothes into the washer and dropped the lid when she turned around and found herself face to face with Isaac.

  Isaac!

  She bit back the squeal of surprise and shock that threatened to erupt from her throat and jumped back.

  He was looking at her with a curious and amused look on his face. Those light blue eyes saw right through her, clear to the very essence of her desire for him. Her throat worked, but she couldn’t get a sound out. Sand and sawdust gathered, blocking her words. That wasn’t the least of what he did to her. He was so damned gorgeous. That chiseled jaw, those sculpted cheekbones.

  Then she realized she was wearing nothing but a bra and panties and her throat decided to function once more.

  “Oh, God.”

  She grabbed for whatever was hanging off the wooden post that ran the length of the washroom and wrapped it around her body.

  “What the hell? What are you doing here?”

  “Sorry.”

  He didn’t look one damned bit sorry.

  Nope, not sorry at all.

  He looked hot. And sexy. And so very…

  Ugh.

  Away with that line of thought. Away with it.

  Cari walked in. She looked at Cade. “Oh.”

  Cade gave her a dirty look, like you set me up.

  Cari looked down. “I didn’t know… I’m sorry.”

  Haven’t you fucked up my life enough?

  “Why are you here?” Cade asked Isaac, her tone scalding, and at the same time battling with a primal yearning for him.

  “Lunch? Christmas shopping?” he reminded her.

  Cade found herself fuming at her sister. Damn it, Laken, this is all your fault. “I’m not ready.”

  “You weren’t answering your phone…”

  Her phone was off and lying on the nightstand by her bed.

  Oh, hell. Then she remembered the burner phone that she’d left on the rooftop. She’d left it there because she never carried anything that could be directly linked to her to the sites. If it were somehow lost or taken—she’d be screwed. It was still on the rooftop on that building. Cade wanted to growl in frustration. This sucked.

  “Could I have some privacy?”

  How can I back out of this?

  “I’ll wait for you in the living room.” He turned and walked out before Cade could come up with an out.

  Cari followed him before Cade could signal to her to stay so she could beg Cari to take her place. With a silent, sullen growl, Cade headed to her room and changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater.

  When she got to the living room, Isaac was sprawled on the sofa, head back, eyes closed, breathing softly. His unapproachable, tough guy face had lost its predatory look. His wide chest rose and fell rhythmically.

  Cade approached him, moving softly on the rug to keep from waking him. It figured he was tired, since he’d spent his night trying to hunt her down. Stopping directly in front of him, she stared at him, at the broad shoulders that tapered to what she could only guess would be a lovely vee.

  Damn. Damn. Damn.

  It had been way too long since she’d been with a man, or even thought of being with one. Her eyes and her panther feasted on the sight in front of her.

  God, I could crawl on him and straddle…

  His eyes flew open, blue diamond lasers with a golden flash in their depths.

  She flinched at the intensity of his look. Air caught at the back of her throat, and she struggled to speak. “You fell asleep. Long night?”

  “Work. You just woke up, so how about you?”

  “None of your business,” she snapped. Yeah, she was still angry about last night, about being his prey. “Where’s my sister?”

  “Said she had an errand.”

  Bullshit. Cade recognized what Carina and Laken were both doing. Damn them and their matchmaking. But Carina should know better. Carina knew he was trying to capture her.

  “Lunch or shopping first?”

  Cade was going to tell him they should pass on lunch and knock out the shopping until her stomach growled so loudly, even a human with their inferior hearing would have heard it across the room.

  “Lunch it is,” he said, and smiled.

  That smile. Those lips curving up in a way that made her heart skip a beat…

  I am so screwed. So very royally screwed.

  — — —

  Isaac followed her out of her apartment. He couldn’t resist checking out her curves. Those hips h
e wanted to put his hands on…

  The ass he’d like to…

  Fuck. I’d better quit this before I get into all sorts of trouble.

  His bear growled, but not necessarily in agreement.

  Isaac didn’t want to push his luck by suggesting a romantic venue since she’d snapped at him a few times already.

  Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today.

  He wondered what had happened to put the curvy beauty in such a bad mood.

  She suggested a place nearby.

  A few moments later, he took a ravenous bite of the sandwich he’d ordered at the deli a few blocks from her place. Then he remembered: he hadn’t had breakfast.

  On the other hand, for someone whose stomach had growled so fiercely earlier, she seemed to be interested in nothing more than picking at her food, shifting the chips around on her plate, and plucking tiny morsels of the sandwich between her fingertips before daintily placing them between her lips.

  Okay, no lie, she’s turning me on.

  He averted his gaze from her mouth because this wasn’t working. He couldn’t spend lunch turned on.

  She picked up her sandwich, brought it close to her mouth. “So, how’s your case?” She took a bite.

  He looked into her eyes. Where’s this going? Why the casual conversation now?

  “It’s a woman.”

  She gasped. Her sandwich fell to the deli paper, split apart and scattered its fixings. She looked down at the sandwich and tried to reassemble it, a messy endeavor.

  “That’s a useless cause.” The sandwich was beyond repair. “Let me order you another one,” he offered.

  “Oh, no. I’m not really very hungry.”

  He studied her face. “You sure?”

  She nodded, but her face was so pale that it made him wonder if she was sick.

  “Can I trust you?

  She coughed. “Sure.”

  “I need help.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “From me? What kind of help can a kindergarten teacher offer you? My specialties are corralling little children and trying to organize paperwork during reading time.” A forced smile curved her lips.