by Erin R Flynn
Yeah, I had her. She was coming with her consort and leaving the rest to guard the wolves just in case.
“You were right about going by certain people with blood on me,” I greeted Brian. “I cleaned up before I got there.”
“Good, thank you.”
“Thank you for saying it.” I held up the bags, Carter carrying even more. “We brought Chinese. Axel and some others are rounding up the rest of the Triad not at the restaurant with the help of some NYPD, and we made friends.”
“Of course you did,” he chuckled. “Fill me in.”
First I went and put my influence on four of the IA his team were speaking with, and then I did. Melicent showed up right as I finished, Carter going down to clear her.
“Oh, right, I egged her into helping. She’s more powerful than me, Bri. We just have to keep eating and being fed.”
We greeted her and showed her what we were doing, Brian adding that if she wanted to find out any deep dark secrets like Alena and Eva could do, that would help us most. What they didn’t want to tell us most was normally what we needed to know most.
“You cannot do this?” she asked me, frowning.
“It’s hard when I also can see it as if I’m them then,” I explained. “I’ve also not had much time to play with it. Doing it when it’s volatile could knock me out right now, and I need to be in the game.” I waited until she nodded. “I’m holding four. How many more can you do?”
She chuckled as did her consort, Bemus. “Oh, you really do know how to push people’s buttons as I was warned. Yes, I will do six to start. I have never done it in this setting.”
“Let’s start with the lab and crime scene people so we can get going on clearing what we’re bringing in,” I suggested to Brian, glad when he agreed.
Luckily I’d brought a lot of food.
Unluckily, the four IA were dirty or at least seriously neglectful and easily pushed around, so they were going to DC with their confessions to be handled.
Luckily for Melicent her six were clean, so she got another six fast. But it also helped us to get things moving.
I waved Carter over and fed heavily from him, glad when he said he’d ride out with the crime scene team and get people here to help me. I didn’t even care if they were non-FBI. We would need serious fuel.
“Already, little sister?” Melicent teased me.
“I was shot in the neck earlier,” I drawled, gesturing to my unprofessional sweatshirt.
“And you are fine now?” she checked, waiting until I told her I was before glancing at Brian. “If she does four after that, I must do at least eight. I understand this is to help us push limits, and people to feed from are coming. She is insanely powerful for someone infected—even by our bloodline—and so young. I will follow her wise workout regimen.”
“You are not upping how many,” Brian said firmly when I opened my mouth. “You were shot and bad, Sera. You have more roundups too.”
“Fine, be the boss of me,” I grumbled, accepting another sports drink from him.
“While we are here being the power houses, I believe we should have a tasting of the best of New York,” Melicent said, excitement dancing in her eyes. “Your chefs gave me a sampling at Siren’s Kiss, and it is an exquisite menu, Sera. Truly, you have talented chefs and the finest of everything you and Simone serve. I cannot see how that menu would not do well here, but I feel we should still see what the other fine dining of New York has to offer.”
I nodded as I logged in at the computer near the table we were at. “Plus, some of the best restaurants of NYC would love the chance to have another one at a fancy resort like you guys own. I mean, people go on vacation to be pampered and splurge. I’m sure the restaurants are great, but you can always have better or something different added.”
“Yes, we could,” she agreed, amusement and a bit of pride in her eyes that I’d figured out her other reasons.
“Please get her lots of desserts,” Brian muttered to Melicent. I had a hard time not laughing. He loved to watch me eat nummies, as I took it seriously and seriously enjoyed it.
“Ice cream, please,” I agreed as I grabbed my bag and pulled out my tablet. “Now that I’m not lactose intolerant, I want to explore all the ice cream they boast of here. Oh, and donuts. Cake. Get lots of cake.”
“She needs a shit ton of fuel,” Brian chuckled.
I was going to remind him I’d been shot, but he was upset by that, and I didn’t blame him. Instead, we got to work and more work.
Most of the non-human FBI office was clean. A few dirty shifters we’d already sent off, but mostly it was the dirty division chief vampire who blocked any good from happening. So we were in a better position there than I would have guessed except they hadn’t been trained and we had a whole class of newbies being trained. That would be fun for later, but right then, we had an influx of help coming.
And over ten human FBI ready to head to DC. They had a bus, and several of the non-human SAiCs were going to drive it to DC and stay for a few weeks to get some training to tide them over until we could get them trained for real. Done and done.
Melicent waved her magic wand that was powered with power and influence and having the last name Dorcus, and restaurants and chefs were tripping over themselves to bring us samplings. Several pushed for us to come there, but she easily explained she was visiting her sister while she did good for the FBI, but if they weren’t interested in her attentions, she could call someone else.
Apparently she knew how to push buttons too.
When a bunch of the fairies showed up, I had eyes for only one, realizing I’d waited too long to feed with the power I was using. He seemed to understand and took my hand and let me lead him to the bathroom where we had some awesome, down and dirty sex. He banged me on the sinks as I fed and fed some more, taking way more than I probably should have, but he didn’t complain. No, he begged for more.
“I would visit you at work every day with lunch if you allowed it,” Jonik groaned when we were done. “Dear gods, I’m exhausted, and all I want is more of you.”
“Thanks for charging me up,” I chuckled, kissing him without feeding, but the kiss promised a lot more fun and soon. It was the full moon after all.
“That good?” Melicent teased me as I rejoined her and Jonik didn’t yet.
I shrugged and accepted the container she offered me. “Having hot sex with a fairy is something every woman should try. It’s… There aren’t words. I get why the guys I’ve been with like me being able to see things. The right fairy is like that. They feel what you want and need before you even know it. It’s amazing.”
“I have not had such experiences with fairies,” she muttered, Bemus nodding.
“Dain says most would know what you want and not give it without a cost, holding it over you and being mean to get what they want. He’s not like that. Apparently Jonik isn’t either. If you’re with one not like that, it’s very, very worth it.”
“Interesting. I would have your Jonik recommend one for me as I need to feed as well,” she admitted, eyeing over the fairies off to the side like her next meal. I couldn’t judge because it sort of felt like that around the full moon and we were using power at a crazy rate.
Jonik ended up recommending three, and my older sister took all three and her consort to the bathroom after she finished sampling everything from Momofuku Ko that was sent. I saw she made some notes, and I paid attention to how awesome the food was too, putting a few things on my tablet for Simone later.
Everything was ridiculously good, and I wanted more of the ramen, pouting when it was gone, but I left the medium rare steak for Brian who found me seriously amusing… As did the others. Axel walked in to find me handing over the steak because it was too bloody and thought I was kidding.
I wasn’t.
I fed from him and an array of other fairies as food arrived from Gabriel Kreuther, and I couldn’t get over the crazy amount they had for a sampling for two. Melicent really had
some power. There was even a fancy, fancy caviar spread they had wanted to set up for us but couldn’t come up with a lock down. One of the fairies had promised they knew how to set it up the right way and laid out a spread.
“This has spice,” I announced, putting it off to the side for whoever.
“Just any spice?” one of Brian’s guys teased me, and I flicked him off, which amused everyone.
Melicent came back and took charge, splitting it up and handling some order for courses. She gave me a look that she wasn’t sated, and I frowned. I reached over and got enough images to figure it out.
“Don’t be boss for a moment,” I suggested under my breath. “It’s not about power when you’re having sex. They can’t spoil you if you’re telling them what to do and when. Jonik knew what we were going for and did everything right and how I needed it.”
“Fine, I will try again after they recharge,” she agreed after a moment. She smirked as she cut into a snapper dish that smelled heavenly. “Though I doubt they would have any complaints if I took charge again.”
I nodded. “Yeah, Dain loves it. I’m not saying I’m submissive in bed or just let anyone do whatever to me. All I’m saying is it’s nice now and again to not be in charge and be ravaged. Variety and all of that.” I might have said more, but someone fought my power and made me a bit lightheaded. I stood and went over the interview rooms until I found who I wanted. “You’re not human.”
“Yes, I am,” the guy argued.
“The fuck you are,” I growled. “I don’t know what you are, but you’re not human.”
“I don’t know either,” Axel muttered from behind me. “He smells magic.”
“Brownie,” Jonik informed us. “You are meeting your first brownie.”
The guy nodded. “Yeah, fine, I’m a brownie. I would have gone to the other office when the queen declared everyone of the FBI come out as you were handling everything, but that office was dirty, and there’s dirt at this office, so who did I tell and not land in more trouble?”
“Fine, we’ll handle that later, and I’m not mad, but don’t fight my power and just answer the questions,” I grumbled. “We’re not on a witch hunt. As you said, there’s actual dirt here. We can transfer you to the non-human division now that it’s clean. Hell, we could use your training.”
“I’d like that,” he sighed, relief filling his eyes. “I’d really like that and to be safe.”
I knew the feeling.
When his interview was over, I had someone pull me his file, and I was seriously impressed with what I found. According to the human information—meaning I didn’t really know his age—he was a bit older than me and did well at Quantico. He took additional training when offered, not just the updates, and had an impressive closure rate, focusing mainly on thefts.
Made sense since brownies’ magic was in perception. It was impressive that instead of stealing, this one was catching them. And he was seriously clean. He knew more than most of the clean ones, but who would he have told if IA was dirty? And he knew about it how? That was one slippery slope.
“What are you thinking?” Brian asked me as he took a break and had something to eat.
“That I found the new division chief of the non-human branch here. I was thinking we should promote Cooper, but this guy might be better. His file says he’s your age and has an impressive resume. He just made SAiC two years ago, but I would guess that was because of the dirt here and not him.”
“I would agree,” he muttered as he looked over his file. “You were thinking Cooper because he could take the coven here too? I honestly would have thought Harris would be your first choice.”
I shook my head. “Harris is great, and he’s learning at a crazy rate, but he’s younger than I am, and we’re not talking a small area. I would have him be division chief of somewhere smaller like Memphis in a heartbeat. Cooper has more experience from his time in the military and gets the bull of the red tape better. I didn’t think about the coven situation. I think that depends on who’s left not dirty to take over there.”
I moaned as I bit into a peach pistachio crumble, and I had a feeling people believed Brian about my eating desserts then as people started having suggestions for someone to pick up food from. Goofs.
“We should move on the Russian mob next,” Eugene suggested. “Word has gotten out that the pack has been taken and not much else is known. People will start to scatter.”
I snorted. “Not the Russian mob. They’re too used to being untouchable.”
“There’s one of the best bakeries in New York right near the location.”
“No, she’s not allowed in bakeries,” Brian snickered, letting out a full laugh when I pouted. “Not since you’re a wolf, Sera. You almost bought out Jarosch’s last time you were there.”
“It was the full moon,” I defended, rolling my eyes when he laughed harder. Yes, fine, it was the full moon today too, so that didn’t help my case.
“They’ve found a lot of good information and called in more interrogators,” Eugene pushed, and I got the feeling there was more to this, guessing the council wanted as little blow back on the wolves as possible.
“Call the others and warn them. I don’t know this hunt will be any more interesting, but we can call Sands after we secure everyone.” I glanced up at Brian. “How is everything going with the Triad spots?”
“Good. They’re getting a shit ton of everything.” He reached over and went through a few pages before handing me one. “Here’s the warrant. I can’t get over how fast you get them.”
“Because we have confessions,” I reminded him. “Plus, it’s easier when they slap the Shifter Council sticker on everything so it’s not a ton of fallout on them later.” I hurried to inhale the rest of my food before announcing we were heading out.
“You’re not worried to leave us alone?” Melicent teased, giving Brian a heated look.
“No, because you wouldn’t hurt me like that, and I know he wouldn’t.” I did lean in and kiss Brian though for all of them to see. “I won’t get shot.”
“Always a good goal,” he drawled. I shrugged. That was the best I had at the moment.
Eugene had another goal in getting me away from the others, dragging me behind one of the SUVs we were using in the parking garage. He kissed me and I fed, but then he kept kissing me, and as much as my wolf wanted him and to play, I eased down.
“What have I done?” he whispered as he nuzzled my neck. “What did I do, Sera? Last I saw you, you seemed to want me as much as I wanted you. Now it’s just me and you’re backing away. Yes, I saw you that day and was interested, listened when I heard your name, but I wasn’t stalking you and taking pictures. Please tell me what’s going on. Tell me what the fairy meant last night.”
I sighed, leaning my head back against the vehicle. “Luca is an elf I saved from some shit, and he’s like you, or the situation reminds me of that. He saw me dancing in Vegas and having fun, drinking and playing, and said he fell in love with me. He was all promises, and yeah, we had hot sex, and he wanted more, but I wanted time to know him, maybe get more off the plate. All those promises and declarations and he got interested in a panther.
“I told him to go ahead and play, do whatever, and they’re together. Sure, he’s still mine and whatever, but he’s hers. He loved what he saw, but when he got to know me better, had to give me some space, he moved on. That’s what worries me about what you said. I’m waiting for the same. I’m sorry, I am.”
“That sounds like a kid who had his first puppy love and didn’t know what to do,” he defended. “And I didn’t see you laughing and playing and put you up on a pedestal, Sera. I see your faults, and still I want you. I saw you kicking the ass of FBI newbs and wolves and thought we needed more female shifters like you, more shifter leaders like you.
“Yes, I wanted you. Fuck, my wolf wanted to push you over the nearest desk and fuck you until neither of us could walk. I still want that. But this is more than just lust. I don
’t know if it’s love, I don’t think it is yet. I don’t know you well enough for that, but yeah, I’m totally hooked on you. If you’re leery, I get that, and I will be patient. I just needed to know what changed.”
“Yeah, sorry. I meant to talk to you but, um, I’m not good with emotional or relationship stuff, so I probably never would have if Jonik hadn’t busted me.”
“Which is probably why he did it,” he murmured, kissing along my neck to my ear. “I’m not Luca. I met him, remember? I like the kid, but he’s young and had a shit childhood of craziness. It’s his first time really being free, and it’s overwhelmed him. I’ve been on my own a long time. I’m centuries old, and I know what I want.”
I nodded and kissed him again, too scared to ask what he wanted.
Because I was pretty sure his answer was me and a life together, and I wasn’t up for that. I still wanted easy and fun and not anymore chains and being tied down. The question became if he would really stick it out through that, but only time would tell.
9
Brian ended up coming with and leaving his teams to work with the NY division chief when I heard what the Russian mafia location was. It was a bath house. Like the stereotypical Russian mob movie shtick of a bunch of hairy, heavy guys sitting in too tiny towels taking a steam and talking business. The whole thing was just a plethora of good stories, and I couldn’t have him miss it.
Besides, we’d cleared over a hundred and something good agents to get back to work in the office so he could take a break.
“You lead, I’ll follow,” he assured me as he flipped his hat backwards and checked his guns.
“You just want to check out my ass,” I accused him, smiling when he snorted. “It’s so rare we’re on a bust together and you’re not slapping cuffs on me.”
“I do miss those days,” he teased me, giving me an impish grin. He tossed something over that I caught. “You’re going to die in there with a sweatshirt.”
