by Alisa Woods
Officer Grant’s frown just deepened. “I don’t like it.”
“But this is great! Just what I need to keep from—”
He held up a finger to stop her while pulling out his own phone. “Don’t reply. Don’t do anything. Let me check this out.”
She bit her lip while he made a call, excitement and tension taking turns pummeling her stomach. He was talking quickly with someone on the other line. The frown just grew deeper, and when he got off the phone, he hesitated before turning to her.
“Apparently, this is legit. The mayor himself has approved this contact. Says something about it being good for the city.” He frowned. “I still don’t like it.”
“Yes!” She threw her arms up in the air in victory.
That drew a small smile onto Officer Grant’s face. “All right, all right. Pack your cameras or whatever. I’ll set up the meet. Make sure we’re not taking any stupid chances. I don’t care if it’s the mayor’s illegitimate child holding him ransom, I’m not risking your safety in any way with this.”
His protectiveness flushed even more happiness through her, chasing after the glee that was already running circles through her body.
“I’ll get my stuff together.” She skipped off to the bedroom.
It wasn’t until he was out of sight that Terra realized this was the first time she’d seen Officer Grant smile.
Kaden didn’t like this at all.
He and Terra were in the car heading to downtown. Apparently this meetup had been approved all the way up the chain of command to the mayor, so it wasn’t like Kaden had an option to say no. But every fiber of his being was screaming no fucking way! There was something seriously off about taking someone who was in protective custody out of protective custody and driving them to the middle of downtown to meet a complete stranger—even if that stranger was some kind of personal friend of the mayor. Kaden was savvy enough to know how things worked, especially in the SPD—the mayor’s “personal friend” was probably a political donor. Or someone he owed a favor. Or someone’s cousin’s brother’s next-door-neighbor who had something on the mayor himself. It was political bullshit. And there were way too many ways that could get Terra killed. He just couldn’t control everything once they stepped outside the safehouse door.
But this decision wasn’t up to him.
Terra beamed in the passenger seat next to him. He couldn’t deny the change in her now that she was outside and working. She’d had her camera glued to her face almost the entire drive, snapping up shots of… something. He wasn’t quite sure what, but she had changed lenses a couple of times and swapped out the memory card at least twice. He had to admit he liked the smile on her face.
If only this weren’t so stupid-dangerous.
She seemed totally unconcerned… at least at the moment. The girl was maddening. Angry as fuck one minute, despondent with those big black eyes the next. It didn’t really matter what end of the emotional spectrum she was on—all of it triggered a huge need in him to protect her. It was his job, of course, but it was more than that. Somehow she had sunk under his skin, and protecting her had become personal. Not the kind of personal where he was tearing off her clothes and exploring her body with his—he kept having to remind himself that wasn’t on the menu—but when she had that lost look in her eyes, all he wanted to do was kiss it away.
He pulled the sedan into an underground parking garage. Terra put her camera away, tucking it into the black bag resting on the seat. Her smile dimmed as they slid into the darkness. Kaden circled around until he could find a spot that was close to both the elevator and the public exit. He wanted to have a lot of options for an easy retreat back to the car.
He put it in park and turned to her. “All right, let’s get this straight. We’re going in, we’re talking to this art collector person, and then we’re leaving. No dawdling. No hanging out any longer than we need to.”
“Understood.” Although the readiness with which she agreed unsettled him. He expected more push back.
“I mean it, Terra.” He had to hold in his frustration. “My job here is to keep you safe. To do that, you have to do what I say.”
She lifted her camera and pointed it at him, snapping a few shots of his mouth wide open because he couldn’t figure out what the hell she was doing. The impish grin on her face was almost worth the shock punching holes through his brain. Then she tucked the camera away and smiled in a way that blasted the thoughts straight out of his head.
Jesus, he was in trouble with this girl.
“In and out,” she said around her smile. “That’s all. Promise.”
He sighed and gave her a short nod. They climbed out of the car, and before they even hit the street, she had her camera out again.
This section of downtown was pretty upscale—glitzy stores selling overpriced handbags, jewelry showcases fit for the Princess of Monaco, and several cafés with the kind of healthy food that Seattle hipsters liked to eat. The art gallery was tucked between a coffeehouse and a bookstore, only a block down from the parking garage.
Terra stowed her camera, seeming to find less of interest on the streets now. Or maybe she was just getting ready to meet the gallery owner.
Kaden held the door for her. The wide glass storefront let in all kinds of natural light, and the paintings and photographs on display were printed on oversized canvases and mounted on partitions scattered haphazardly around the open floor of the gallery. It was like a maze that forced you to wind past all the different types of art, each with their own explanatory note card. Kaden knew absolutely nothing about painting or photography, and frankly, he had no opinion about any of the actual works, but the gallery itself was a security nightmare. There could be a hundred hate-group bombers hiding behind the partitions, and he would never see them until it was too late.
He stuck close to Terra’s side, his hand hovering near the small of her back but not touching. His hand itched to bridge that final three inches, but she didn’t seem to even notice his nearness. She just strode across the gallery floor, sporting a wide smile for the older woman in back who was hurrying toward them. The gallery owner was dressed all in black, covering every square inch of her stick-thin body, all the way up to the shockingly purple scarf wound around her neck. Her giant, double-hoop earrings tinkled as she embraced Terra.
The hug went on forever. “Oh my God, Terra, I’ve been so worried and horrified by all these events.” The woman’s face was devoid of makeup, and her horrified expression was made more severe by the tightly-pulled-back bun in her hair and her squeezed-shut eyes. “These videos are an abomination! And now…” She pulled back and held Terra’s cheeks in her hands. “And now, my child, they are after you! How can you even endure it?”
Kaden had to hold in his growl. This woman was seriously not helping with the over-the-top drama about the threats to Terra. The videos themselves were bad enough.
Terra hugged the woman again, squeezing her hard. “It’s okay, Sally, I promise. I’m fine.” She drew back and gestured to Kaden behind her. “See? I’ve got my own personal bodyguard.”
Sally eyed him, head to toe. “Yes, you do.” It was more than a little creepy, being checked out by a woman three times his age. She was older than his mother, and his mother may have been many things, but she didn’t chase after younger guys. Although, truth be told, he hadn’t talked to his mother in so long, he honestly didn’t know what she did anymore. He left that life behind when he refused to get swept up in the gangs.
“This is Officer Kaden Grant,” Terra said. “He’s taking good care of me.”
“Well, I’m so pleased to hear that.” Sally stepped forward and extended her hand. “Terra is a jewel, a rare talent, and you absolutely must do everything you can to protect her.” The creepiness of before was lessened by her obviously genuine concern for Terra.
At least they shared that. “The best way I can protect her is to minimize the amount of time we’re here today.” Kaden tipped his head to Sally.
“No offense, Ma’am.”
“None taken.” But she dropped his hand and stepped back. “But of course we should transact our business quickly.” She turned to Terra. “Your new patron is awaiting you in the back. Follow me.” Then she whisked away, her ballet-slippered feet silent on the concrete flooring. She quickly disappeared around a partition, heading through the maze toward the back.
Kaden stuck close to Terra again as they followed after.
Terra tipped her head back and whispered, “Please excuse Sally—I think she hits on every man who walks through the door.”
That forced a grin on his face. “Is that what she was doing?”
“Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you didn’t notice her checking you out.” Terry gave him a small scowl that had his body reacting far too much.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Terra rolled her eyes, but they had to stop speaking because they had reached the back. Sally ushered them through a white door that blended seamlessly into the wall. On the other side was the storage part of the gallery with wrapped paintings and stacked boxes lining the walls of a cavernous warehouse. A man stood a dozen feet away in a trim, tailored suit—Kaden immediately pegged him for some kind of money. Mid-30s, well-muscled but lean, piercing blue eyes and dark hair—and the kind that seemed used to getting the things he wanted.
Kaden instantly disliked him.
Sally introduced him. “Terra, this is Julius McGovern. He comes highly recommended by the mayor. It seems they share quite an appreciation for your work.”
Julius smiled, and his eyes raked over Terra in a way that set Kaden’s teeth on edge. Then the man crossed the concrete floor and swept Terra’s hands into his own. His gaze roamed her face like it was a piece of art he was inspecting, then he leaned in and kissed her quickly, once on each cheek.
Kaden had to stop his immediate impulse, which was to throw the guy across the room. His violent need to keep this asshole from touching Terra was so strong it shocked him—and that surprise held him in place more than anything else.
Terra seemed startled as well. Just as Kaden was about to shut that shit down, Julius spoke up. “Please forgive me, my dear Terra.” His smile was oily and pretentious. “I’m a little awestruck by your beauty, and your art has already entered my heart and rendered me senseless.”
Terra seemed to relax, but that bullshit just set Kaden even more on edge. Was this how they talked in the art world, for fuck’s sake? It sounded borderline stalker to him, but what did he know about art collectors? Maybe he was just a normal fan. Kaden took his cue from Terra, who seemed to glow under the man’s praise.
“I don’t quite know what to say to that,” she stumbled. And Kaden had to admit the blush on her pale cheeks was more than a little attractive.
Julius seemed to notice too, and Kaden practically growled out loud when the man lifted his hand to her cheek to lightly stroke the blush there. “What a treasure you are,” he said softly. Thankfully, he backed off after that, dropping Terra’s hands and opening a little space between them.
Kaden’s rage response ratcheted down a notch. Fuck. Either he was reading this all wrong or his hair-trigger protective instinct with Terra had a reason for wanting to rip the guy’s head off. Either way, he was glad Julius was backing the hell off.
“Obviously, I’m a tremendous fan of your work.” He flicked a look to Kaden but seemed to dismiss his presence as irrelevant and turned back to Terra. “And I have a proposal for you, my dear, if you’d be so kind as to hear me out. “
“Of course.” Excitement filled Terra’s voice. “I’m already grateful just to have this excuse to get out and discuss art again. You have no idea how much of a relief it is.”
Julius clapped his hands together with delight. “Even better!” He leaned forward and dropped his voice. “I’ve been thinking that this whole nonsense with the videos and the Wolf Hunter must be setting you terribly on edge. And I thought to myself, Julius, what can you do to help this poor young woman in this terrible situation? And the answer came to me in a flash of insight.” He snapped his fingers in the air. “I hope you’ll indulge me for a moment while I explain.”
Terra nodded eagerly. “I’m very intrigued.”
Julius gestured vaguely to the wrapped-up artwork around them. “Your previous work is astonishing and brilliant—you shine a light on the darker side of Seattle and bring out this tremendous vibrancy. Even those of us who know and love the city already have had our understanding deepened by it, but for those outside of Seattle, you’ve created an image for the city, a beating heart of humanity, that it didn’t have before. It’s a sign of the depth of your talent that you’ve been able to capture the imagination of so many. But now, with this new revelation of the shifters among us… and all the rampant hate and prejudice that has flooded into the public sphere… I can’t help thinking that you, especially as a shifter artist, are uniquely positioned to explore that new aspect of our community.”
Terra’s dark eyes lit up. “How do you mean?”
Julius beckoned her with a single crooked finger, and she eased closer. Kaden’s alarm levels went up again when the man dropped a hand on her shoulder.
“I would like to commission some work from you,” he said.
Kaden had to hold in his growl. “What sort of work?”
All three of them—Sally, the gallery owner, Julius, the sleazy art patron, and Terra—whipped startled looks to him, as if he wasn’t expected to speak during this entire enterprise. Of course. He was just the hired muscle. But dammit, he was here to make sure she stayed safe, and Julius seemed like trouble waiting to happen. It wasn’t simply because every time Julius touched her, Kaden wanted to flatten his pretentious face.
“Well…” Julius arched an eyebrow at Kaden, but then quickly directed his gaze back to Terra. “I would like you to create a series of works. It would be something like “The People of Seattle.” Only instead of photographing humans, in these works, you’ll be examining shifters—but not in their human forms.”
Terra frowned. “You mean photographing shifters as wolves?”
“Exactly!” Julius shook his finger at her. “I’m very sensitive to the fact that shifters do not want to be outed right now. You are suffering yourself from the fact that everyone knows you are not only an artist, but also a wolf. But don’t you see how that makes you the perfect artist to create this piece? There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of other ordinary people—the kind you already feature in your work—who are secretly shifters. I have no interest in exposing them, but if you could photograph them in their shifter form and speak to how these wolves are actually people…”
Terra’s whole body enlivened. “Yes! The very title—People of Seattle—would humanize them. It would be the contrast between the title and the image—human and wolf—that would give it life. And if a story were attached to it, the story of their lives…” She drew in a sharp breath that was excitement personified. “It would drive home their humanity.”
Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes glittered, and a smile quirked around her mouth. If this was what Terra’s art did to her… well, he liked it. A lot. She was already beautiful, and this made her come alive in a way that was singing to him deep inside.
Which only made him want to shove Julius away from her even more.
“It’s brilliant!” Sally declared, interjecting for the first time. “Absolutely brilliant! Terra, my love, you must let me exhibit this the moment you are finished. Others will be clamoring for it, but please, I beg of you, let me be the first.”
Terra’s smile was lighting up the entire warehouse. “Of course. I’d be honored.” To Julius, she said, “I’m in love with this idea, but it would require…” She looked over her shoulder at Kaden, doubt clouding her eyes. “It would require me getting outside, among the shifters. In the city.”
Kaden was already backtracking on his assessment of this. He shook his head. No fucking way. “Terra—”
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br /> “Of course,” Julius interrupted him. “Your safety would be paramount. At all times. That is what your bodyguard is for, is he not?”
The sharp need to punch Julius in the face was slicing through him. Kaden barely held back. “I am not a bodyguard—”
“Or,” Julius cut him off again. “Maybe this level of protection is insufficient.” He gestured vaguely at Kaden but directed his words to Terra. “I’m more than happy to provide you with whatever security you need, my dear. Just let me know. If you need a battalion of armed guards, you shall have it!”
“No!” Kaden and Terra both said at the same time. She gave him a look of puzzlement, then turned back to Julius. “That won’t be necessary. Besides, my subjects become uncomfortable when there’s more than just me and my camera. I need them to lose themselves in their environment and their situation in order to open up to me and really reveal their inner light. I can’t do that with a battalion lingering in the background.” She frowned at Kaden. “Even one guard will be problematic, but I’m sure that Officer Grant is more than capable of ensuring my safety.”
A warm spread through his chest to hear those words from her lips, and he had his own reasons for not wanting additional security—namely, that he didn’t trust anyone else, including the other people in this very room.
“Of course,” Julius said, and he didn’t seem too disappointed. “I’ll leave it to your discretion about the best way to create your art. But I have to say, I’m tremendously excited to see what you do with this.”
Terra seemed to struggle for words for a moment… then she threw her arms around Julius’s neck and hugged him. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Thank you so much for this.”
Kaden gritted his teeth as Julius’s hands got a little too friendly with Terra’s back while returning the hug, but they broke apart before Kaden could object. Or punch something.
Fuck, he was so messed up around this. Around her.
