by A. M. Hardin
The guys all exchange glances. “How’d you figure that out?” Talon asks.
“I made it my business to know before I went to the Order,” I explain matter-of-factly. “I think Jerome might have figured out I was tailing him a few months before he found my mom’s house. I thought I had hidden my tracks pretty well, but not well enough because he ended up getting too close.”
"They're here," Kai announces.
Hunter nods then looks between Kai and me. "Don't forget to stick with her."
I glare at him. Hunter smirks as he and the rest of my guys disappear into the shadows.
"Jackass," I shoot after him.
The only answer I get is his laugh echoing through my mind. Dick.
"So you're stuck on babysitting duty, huh?" I ask Kai as we both move to watch four demons walk closer to the building.
"It's not babysitting duty," Kai chides gently. "We're just being cautious. We don't know what's going to happen tonight so everyone is teaming up."
I purse my lips, but I don't say anything. I can't argue with that, since he makes such a good freaking point.
"There's a single demon that should be showing up any minute now from the north. I think it's Jerome since he's not with this crew," Kai announces. I peek up at him and see his eyes opening.
"Why the hell are we meeting this piece of shit, boss?" One of the demons below hisses in the demonic language. Hmm. That's interesting.
From what I know not many demons use it anymore. They prefer to use English or whatever language of the countries they go to.
"Do you know what he just said?" Kai asks.
I nod but put my finger to my lips and keep quiet, wanting to hear what else is being said.
"Because even though Torn screwed up with that little half-demon, he's still rather powerful and he has information we need," the one standing in front growls.
"But this isn't Torn that we're meeting. It's one of his lackey's people. They can't possibly know anything about what Torn knows."
"It doesn't matter. Torn says we need to meet his middle man first, then he will meet up with us, personally, at an undetermined time."
And you believe him? I roll my eyes. Dumbasses. The lot of them.
Torn will most likely kill them all before he even dreams about giving them information.
The demons don't say anything else as they enter the building. I turn north and frown when I see someone walking closer.
"Guys, that's not Jerome," I warn them.
Curses echo in my head. "Do you recognize who it is?" Hunter asks, immediately.
I focus closer on the demon walking to the building, attempting to make out his face.
"I-I don't think so. I can't get a good enough view," I admit. "This doesn't make any sense. Xena's visions are never wrong."
"It could be. Visions are never one hundred percent," Parker says.
The demon is closer to the building now and once he tilts his head up and looks straight at me with a smirk on his lips I want to smack myself. Of course his douche baggy self wouldn't fucking come to a demonic meeting looking like himself. Fucker.
I forgot he could do that. Which is bad because I shouldn't have. He fucking did it at Talon's club before he showed himself and then threw me into the damn mirror.
"Uh, two things. That is Jerome. And we have been made," I announce.
"What the fuck do you mean we've been made?" Hunter demands, voice boiling in anger.
"I mean, Jerome looked right at me and smiled. He knew we would be here."
"Then, I suppose, we might as well break up this little meeting then, shall we?" War drawls, even though I can tell he's annoyed that we got made so soon.
"Mercy, Kai, you guys stay up on the roof in case one of them try to escape that way," Hunter orders.
I frown and look at Kai. "They're demons. Idiot demons at that. They aren't going to go up to get out."
Kai presses his body against mine and kisses my lips gently, slowly, but still filled with heat. "It's nothing to do with you, Baby. He just wants to make sure you stay safe and I'm inclined to agree with him."
I snarl at him. "I'm not fucking helpless."
"Hey, hey, hey," he croons in an attempt to soothe me. "We are very much aware that you aren't helpless, Mercy. That doesn't mean that we don't care. We want you safe, that's all it is, my love."
"I believe you, but at the same time, I don't," I admit, looking in his beautiful chocolate eyes, getting lost in the depths.
His eyes soften. "Mercy, why do you-"
"You guys are afraid of what I will do. You're scared I'll be at risk for turning rogue again if I fight."
Other than the slight widening of his eyes, Kai doesn't react to my words. "Baby, we're more worried about what that spell did to you, than you going rogue again. We have no way of knowing how your body or mind will even react in a fight anymore."
"So work with me!" I snap letting my anger cloud my mental tone. "Help me figure out what my limits are! Ever since I've been back we've essentially been playing house. That's not who any of us are."
Kai raises an eyebrow, amusement flashing in his eyes. "First of all, it wasn't playing house. It was giving you time to recuperate. Second of all, you enjoyed having us around all the time and you know it."
I squirm, but don't deny it. Kai's mouth kicks up into a self-satisfied smirk. Jerk.
Chapter 9
Warwick
“What’s the plan, Hunter?” I ask as I peek through a crack in the wall, watching Jerome and the four other demons stare at each other. I study Jerome closely and I can’t stop my frown. I don’t know how the hell he’s able to change his appearance but it sure as hell isn’t his own natural ability.
“I know Mercy said that we were made, but all we know is that she was made. I say we hold back and try to get what information we can from this little meeting, then we’ll strike.”
“And if that doesn’t work?” Talon asks, ever the pessimist.
“If we’re all made, we might as well just take his ass in,” Hunter announces. “Now, focus before we lose what they’re saying.”
“You’re late,” the apparent leader of the group of demons says, voice vibrating with barely restrained rage.
Jerome waves his hand dismissively. "Apologies. I ran into a few. . . snags."
"I don't give a rats ass what 'snags' you hit, Jerome. You promised me information."
Jerome chuckles. "I promised you nothing, except for my time."
The four demons hiss at him. "What do you mean by that?" The leader snarls.
"I mean, I was told to show up here and talk with you for a short while. I wasn't told to give you any kind of information. Personally, I wouldn't give you information in the first place. I'm actually kind of appalled that Torn is prepared to give you any kind of information."
"What is going on down there?" Mercy asks, most likely still perched on top of the roof with Kai.
"They're just talking, Doll," Hunter responds quickly.
"Give us a bit, Mimi," I send to her. "We'll be kicking ass and taking names any second."
"Yeah, okay," she says, her mental voice shaking with repressed laughter. An image of her biting her lip to keep the laugh restrained pops into my head and I can't help the smile that tugs at my lips.
"I want the information I was promised!" The leader hisses, clearly pissed off with Jerome.
Jerome sighs. "I'm sorry, but that just isn't happening anytime soon, Ostros."
"What is that supposed to-" Ostros, the leader, stops mid-sentence and once Jerome backs away from him a little bit I can see why. Jerome put a dagger in Ostros' temple, killing the demon instantly.
"Uh, guys," Kai says, sounding wary as shit. "What just happened?"
I curse inwardly as I watch the other demons attack Jerome together only to find a quick death, just like their leader.
"Why?" Hunter demands.
"What's going on?"
"Mercy- Shit!" Kai cuts off and anxi
ety pools deep in my gut. What does he mean? What's wrong with her?
No sooner do those thoughts flit through my mind then Mercy flies into the room with Jerome, standing directly in front of him, her head tilted to the side as she studies him like a predator studying it's prey. No. Not flying. She's just moving that fucking fast. What the hell?
"Mercy shouldn't be able to move that fast," I point out, rather unnecessarily, since everybody already knows.
"She has fangs," Talon informs us, his shock evident in his mental tone.
"She has what?!" Parker demands. "Tell me you did not just say 'fangs'."
"He said 'fangs'," I answer, ever-so-helpful.
"Ah, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," Jerome tsks. "You look a little peckish dear. And rather un-rogue-like." Jerome's lower lip pokes out a little. "How disappointing."
Mercy hisses at him, moving to circle Jerome, who is standing in the middle of the death already surrounding him, cool as a cucumber.
"She's being cautious about approaching him," I murmur, confused.
"If she's showing signs of being a newborn vampire, then yeah, that's a bit strange," Parker admits, reading the confusion in my tone. "Most don't think before they do anything. They just attack."
"I don't think it's just that," Kai says. "As soon as the smell of blood came across her senses, her eyes started changing from silver, to red, to purple, then back again."
"What?" Hunter asks.
"You look a bit like you've undergone the transition to become a vampire, Mercy dear." Jerome tilts his head, watching her as she stalks around him. "Now, that is quite the strangest thing. Half-blooded mutts can't survive that transition."
"Never said I turned into a vampire, dickhead," Mercy bites out.
"Ah, no." Jerome grins at her. "But that doesn't mean that you aren't having a very strong desire for my blood, or the blood of the demons I just killed, does it?"
Mercy doesn't answer. Instead, she attacks. Unfortunately, Jerome is ready and grabs her wrist and wraps his other hand around her throat, squeezing tight.
"Go!" Hunter shouts, allowing us to burst into action.
Before anyone can get to Jerome and Mercy, Jerome throws Mercy across the room so hard she goes through several concrete walls, making me flinch in sympathy. That has to hurt like a bitch.
"Parker! War! Get Mercy!" Hunter shouts as Talon shifts into his panther and Kai appears at the same spot Mercy came in.
Parker gets to Mercy's side before I do. By the time I get there, he's helping her sit up as she shakes her head, concrete and dust flying off of her hair.
"You okay, Mimi?" I ask, approaching her slowly, eyeing the fangs that are protruding from her mouth.
"Fine," she snaps.
"Sunshine," Parker whispers. "Look at me."
Mercy does as he says, locking her eyes on his. I peek over my shoulder and frown when I realize that Jerome is actually putting up a decent enough fight against the team. The fact that he's held out this long while fighting Hunter? That worries me a little.
"What's going on, Mercy?" Parker asks quietly.
"I don't know, but I want his blood. Or just his death would be satisfying."
"You know how we were worried that you were going to take on some of our traits?" We actually hadn’t told her about that fear, I stupidly let it slip one night when we were arguing about her wanting to train again.
"Yeah, I just figured that it was nothing," she admits softly.
"It's apparently something to be worried about," I mutter, my gaze flicking between her silver eyes.
"Alright, Mercy, breathe with me. Focus on me, and me alone. Ignore the scent of blood, ignore the noises. I need all of your focus right here," Parker says, pointing at his eyes.
A loud crash comes from behind us but I ignore it, focusing on Mercy.
Talon's cat lets out a bone chilling roar and I peek back long enough to see that he had been thrown into a wall too. Well, Jerome just pissed off the wrong cat.
Dumbass.
Mercy doubles over, crying out in pain, drawing my attention back to her. "Wha-what's going on?" She asks, panting. "My whole body hurts, almost like I'm shifting into my demon form, but this feels different." Tears slip down Mercy's cheeks as she attempts to breathe through the pain.
My eyes flick back to Talon, then Mercy again and a sinking feeling fills my gut. Oh god. What the hell did we do by bringing her back?
"Parker? Do you think she might be shifting into a panther?" I ask quietly watching as her eyes flicker from a mixture of silver and red to green cat eyes.
Parker looks up, meeting my gaze with his wide eyes. "Jesus. I-It is possible, I guess."
"Talon!" I shout, watching as Mercy's bones pop and shift while she screams in agony. The sound is like a knife to my gut.
"What?" The word is guttural with an animalistic quality as it pours through my mind.
"We might need you."
"Why?" He growls.
"Mercy's shifting. We think she's shifting into a panther, like you."
"Are you sure?" Talon asks, still sounding more animal than man.
I watch as Mercy screams one last time and then disappears in a burst of fur while she curls up on her side in the fetal position, breathing heavily. I eye the smaller panther warily. "Uh, yeah, pretty damn sure."
Parker runs his hand along her fur coat soothingly, murmuring softly to her. I feel something brush against my thigh and look down to see Talon standing there. His big cat head meets my gaze and makes a weird sweeping motion.
I frown at him. "I'm assuming you're telling me to take your place with the others and Jerome?"
Talon's head bobs then he turns his attention back to the female panther at our feet. I take one last look at Mercy before heading over to help Hunter and Kai.
Chapter 10
Mercy
My eyes drift shut as I enjoy having Parker's hands running over my side and through my fur.
Wait. Fur?
My eyelids flutter open and I try to open my mouth to talk but a weird growl sound leaves my throat instead of words. My eyes widen and a whine escapes me. What the hell is going on?
"Mercy," Talon's voice echoes in my head and I welcome the distraction from my own frantic thoughts. His voice sounds different to me. Almost like he's growling, or trying to talk as an animal.
Animal? Wait, is Talon talking to me in his panther form?
I turn my head to the side and see my large black panther trotting past War and making his way to me.
"What's going on?" I am totally not too proud to admit that I whimpered those words. I mean, I'm kind of freaking the fuck out right now. I don't know what the hell is going on and I'm suddenly growling and whining instead of actually talking. I think a freak out is allowed right now.
"Just calm down. Steady your breathing. Your heart is racing and it's not going to make it easier to shift back."
"What do you mean shift back? How did I shift? What the fuck did I even shift into?" I snap at him before a contented noise leaves my body thanks to Parker's continuous petting.
"You're a panther, Sweetheart. I need you to take deep breaths and focus on your breathing. Ignore everything else. Just focus on your breathing and when you're calm, when you're ready, shift back. The same way you'd shift back to yourself after shifting to your demon form, I imagine."
"Alright. I'll try."
"Good girl."
I do what Talon instructed and breathe, focusing on my breaths and pushing all other thoughts and noise out.
It takes about five minutes of concentration but I finally feel my bones pop and I breathe a sigh of relief. Ecstatic that I'm turning back into a human. Well, half-human.
I push through the pain of the shift, thankful that it's not as intense as it was the first time, but it's still incredibly painful.
I sit up on shaking arms and look at my guys surrounding me, vaguely noticing that the others are still fighting with Jerome. What the hell? The damn douche bag should be
dead by now, shouldn't he? The room spins as I look around.
"You guys have some explaining to do when we get home," I warn my guys, frowning when I realize there are two Talons in cat form and two Parkers. "When did you guys get twins?"
Parker's lips curl up in a smirk and the sounds of bones popping fills the air as Talon shifts back into his human form.
"First shift can be a little disorienting," Talon admits softly, a small grin on his face as he watches me.
"Nah, I'm totally fine," I announce, waving my hand awkwardly in the air, almost slapping Parker in the face.
Parker grabs my wrist and puts my hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on my palm. "Let's wait a bit before you try to announce that you're fine."
I nod slowly, suddenly very tired. "Okay."
I look over to see that Hunter, Kai, and War have finally knocked Jerome out and have him in silver cuffs.
"We got him," Hunter announces a second after what I'm seeing processes in my mind. "Let's get back."
Hunter picks up Jerome and flings him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Parker picks me up with one arm behind my back and another behind my knees. I watch as War walks towards us, once he gets within arms length, my eyes flutter shut and everything goes dark.
* * *
"I'm fine," I repeat for probably the eighty-seventh time in the last hour since I woke up.
"Maybe you should have Farrah check you out again. You know, just to be safe," mom suggests, worry clear in her tone.
I close my eyes as I rub my temples. Sighing, I look up at my mother. "Mom. I am fine. Please. Stop worrying."
My mom glares at me. "That's easy for you to say! I am your mother, Mercy Eleanor Ashby! It's my goddamn right to worry!"
I narrow my eyes at her.
"Eleanor?" War asks, a large, shit-eating grin on his face. I turn my glare to him and notice that all of my guys have some variation of a smile or are trying not to laugh at my unfortunate middle name.
"I didn't fucking pick it," I grind out before turning to my mom and pointing hard at her. "We agreed when I turned fourteen that you would not use my middle name ever again, mom!"
