by Ezra Dawn
I’m not sure where my cold heartedness comes from but I do know I tend to be on the borderline of evil when I use that side of me. Especially when it comes to work. I own every kind of weapon known to man. I’ve been trained in the art of torture. I know every form of martial arts out there and it doesn’t take me long to get information out of someone. The only thing that factors into it is what mood I’m in. I can torture someone slowly and get information or I can go the quick route and scare the shit out of them to get what I need.
Bottom line is, most of the time I get what I need and still have to kill them anyways. It’s just part of the job but the bad part is depending on my mood I actually enjoy it. Which says something about me. I’m a seriously twisted and fucked up individual. Most paranormals refer to the Paranormal Council as the equivalent to the human mafia and they’re probably right. We do things just like they do. Sure there’s trials and stuff but the things that come to us are usually so bad the sentence ends in death.
We’re usually the last ones called. No one wants to involve the paranormal council or the fixers if they can avoid it. If we get involved things usually have escalated to the point where it almost always ends in blood. There are times where a fixer is called in to do the interrogation because the suspect won’t talk no matter what they’ve tried on said suspect. Since some paranormals have laws against their own kind torturing for interrogation they bring in someone from the paranormal council to handle it. That way no one is breaking any laws and no one else needs to get arrested or killed.
I’ve had a few jobs like that but most of the time I’m rounding up die hard rogues, interrogating suspects for the council, investigating cross-species smuggling rings, or just flat out assassinating people because they’ve done some horrible shit. You name it I’ve probably done it. Like today’s job for instance, I grabbed a shifter from a back alley when he got off work. He’s sedated so he wouldn’t struggle and now I’m waiting for it to wear off.
I got his file two days ago. The shifter council sent the case to us because they didn’t have any evidence on the guy and had to drop the charges. The pack he’s from refused to pursue it any farther after that. He’s not exactly a rogue but he’s just as despicable. Kevin Wright is a rapist piece of shit. First it was his wife who he beat to keep silent then it was his two teenage daughters and after that three other women from his home pack.
Once the alpha found out, he interrogated Kevin but didn’t get anything out of the man. Even Alpha power didn’t work which isn’t normal. With no evidence besides the history of physical abuse with the wife, the Shifter Council couldn’t really do anything but let him go with a fine and a mark on his record that meant they’d be watching him. There isn’t exactly a law against abuse among shifters. Except between fated mates and in certain packs, prides, and flocks etcetera.
So, the Shifter Council sent the case to us with the stipulation “Find out why Alpha power doesn’t work.” The case was given to me and now here we are. I’ve dressed in my usual attire for this. Black cargo pants, a black tank top, black combat boots, and black leather gloves. Black is always best. You can’t see any blood that way. I’ve slicked my hair back so it won’t fall into my face and laid all my tools out on the table behind me.
I’m currently using the storeroom in an abandoned building. I’ve covered the floor in plastic along with the walls just in case and Kevin is in the center of the room zip tied to a chair. I coated the zip ties in a mix of wolfsbane and pure silver so, he won’t be going anywhere. It’ll burn like a bitch once he finally wakes up. Wow, I totally sound like a serial killer. Oh, looks like we have movement. Showtime.
He looks around slowly taking in his captive state and the location, “What the? Where am I?” His gaze lands on me. “Who the fuck are you?”
I laugh and say “I’m the one who’ll be asking the questions here Kevin.”
He glares at me and tries to pull out of the zip ties but yelps instead “How do you know my name?”
“Tsk, tsk. I told you. I’ll ask the questions. Those ties are coated in a mix of wolfsbane and silver so, I wouldn’t squirm too much if I were you.”
His eyes widen and he says “You’re crazy.”
I nod while scanning the rows of knives I have laid out. “Indeed, but not as crazy as you. Now tell me, how is it that Alpha power doesn’t work on you?” I pick one up and test the tip.
“I’m not telling you shit!”
I grin like a madman and say “Wrong answer,” then I spin around and throw the knife I was holding, lodging it right in his left foot.
He screams. I circle him and say “Oh, I’m sorry did that hurt? Care to answer my question now?”
He spits at me but I dodge it. “Fuck you.”
I laugh. “No thanks. I prefer my men with a lot more man and a lot less weasel.”
He glares at me and says “You’re a fucking faggot?”
I roundhouse kick him in the face so hard he spits blood and a few teeth. “I really don’t like that word.” I crouch down so we’re eye level and say “Now, be a good boy and tell me why Alpha power doesn’t work on you.”
He smiles a bloody smile and says “Never.”
I give him the coldest smile I possibly can. “Never say never.”
I pull out a few more of the knives that I have hidden at my back and lodge one in his other foot, and both his thighs. I grab the left one in his foot and slowly twist. He’s screaming bloody murder but I’ve barely gotten started. “You want to tell me everything now? Huh? I haven’t even begun yet. This is only the tip of the iceberg.”
“I refuse.”
I shrug. “Guess it’s time you start losing body parts then isn’t it. So, where should I start hmm?” I hold another knife in my right hand pointed at his left “Here?” I move it lower and point it at his crotch “Or maybe here?”
His eyes widen and he says “Okay! Okay! I’ll talk just, please don’t cut anything off.”
I stand so that I can lean against the table that has all of my tools on it. “So talk.”
“Alpha power doesn’t work on me because I asked a warlock to use a spell to conceal my Alpha status so I could stay in my pack. In my pack, Alphas are expected to start their own packs but I didn’t want to. Alpha power doesn’t work on other Alphas.”
I scan the table over my shoulder and say “And the girls? Why did you do it?”
He shrugs or tries to. “They needed to be taught a lesson. Walking around dressed like whores trying to lure men. They deserved it. So, are you going to let me go now?”
I nod and slowly reach behind me to grab what I was looking for. “Yeah, I’ll let you go. Straight to hell.” I whip out the gun I had behind my back and fire two bullets before he can even blink. One straight through his heart and the other right between his eyes. I sigh as the blood starts pooling on the plastic. Good thing I covered the walls too. I pull out my phone and call my handler Valik. He’s the one who gives me assignments and sends out the cleanup crew when I need one. Which is usually often.
He finally answers on the third ring. “Lykos, I’ve been waiting to hear from you.”
I laugh. “Ugh huh sure. Why’d it take you so long to answer the phone then?”
“Umm...”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I need a cleanup crew sent to my location. The case has been handled. I’ll send you all of the details through email once I get back to my hotel room.”
He chuckles. “You’re the same as always. I have another assignment that just came across the desk if you want it.”
I smile. “Sure, send me the details and I’ll get on it once I’ve finished everything here.”
“They’ll be in your email waiting for you. The cleanup crew should be heading your way. ETA is twenty minutes.”
“That’s fine. I’ll have all my shit packed up and out of their way by the time they get here.” “Sounds good. Call me when you’ve finished the next assignment.” I hang up the phone instead of rep
lying then get to work packing up my tools. I remove the knives from Kevin’s corpse and wipe them down before putting them in their case.
Once I finish packing everything into the bag, I grab the two sets of black doctor booties I brought with me. They’re thin so I always double up. It was super hard to find them in black too but I did. I don’t want to track any bloody footprints through the building. It means more work for the cleanup crew and there’s a higher risk of someone noticing and suspecting something. So, I’m extremely cautious.
The last thing I need is to end up in a human prison. Not that the council would allow that to happen. There are shifters and other paranormals on all the police forces for that specific reason. To keep us out of human jail cells that way none of us freak the fuck out and expose us all. No one needs that shit.
Especially, with the way some of these humans are nowadays, we’d have an all-out war on our hands. They fear what they don’t understand and therefore they attack it. It was the same with LGBTQ people. Many of them are humans, their own kind and they still treated them like scum. Things have changed now of course but humans can be assholes. Most of them anyways.
Some of them aren’t that bad. I’ve met a few who knew about the paranormal world because of their mates. Those who don’t know will never understand that there’s a whole world they know nothing about. Jesus, what is taking the cleanup crew so long? They should have been here by now. I check the time on my phone again. It’s been half an hour.
Just when I’m about to call Valik again they finally pull up. The driver jumps out and I growl “You’re late.” He jumps like a scared cat and immediately apologizes.
“I’m so sorry. There was a construction detour. We got delayed.”
I sigh. “It’s fine. He’s in a storeroom on the third floor. Just follow the scent of blood and you’ll find it. I hope you aren’t squeamish.”
I jump into my SUV and crank it before he can say anything else. I put on my sunglasses and turn up the radio so I can hear it over the air conditioner. Even though I have heightened hearing I still like my music pretty loud and I can normally hear it just fine over the air conditioner but sometimes, I just feel like jamming. People look at me funny sometimes because I’m a contradiction. I ride with the air conditioner on but the window is down usually. Unless it’s way too hot outside then I leave the window up. It’s also funny to see their faces when they catch me singing to some of my favorite songs. I tend to rock the fuck out.
Once I get to my hotel I pull into a parking space instead of letting the valet do it for me. I grab the duffel bag off the back seat and put it on the passenger seat. I open the bag, pull out the clothes inside, and lay them beside the bag. I strip out of the clothes I’m wearing, including the boots and stuff them into the bag then change into the outfit on the seat. It takes some maneuvering to pull the jeans on while in the driver seat but I manage. I pull on my converse from the passenger floorboard then I hop out and lock the doors.
When I get to my hotel room I check my email then send all the details from today to Valik. I voice recorded it like I always do with an interrogation so I send him that file as well. Once I’ve done that, I head to the shower to get cleaned up before ordering room service for dinner. I’ll check out of the hotel in the morning and get started on the next case. Just like I always do.
Chapter Three
Declan
After having that conversation with my dad during my fishing trip I took a week to prepare myself for the inevitable. I needed to go over my choices for a mate before I started wooing them. I have a couple males and a couple females that I’ve selected. If I have to choose a bond mate then I want to choose someone I’ll definitely be happy with so, I’ve included shifters of both sexes from the pack that I found appealing.
I have a date today with each of them. I figured I’d handle it kind of like speed dating but with a bit more time. I’d sit down with each of them and they’d talk about themselves and why they think they would make a good mate. We’ll do it in a pack restaurant so that I can see if they check out any other men while in my presence just to rule out the cheating option and if I decide on one of them great, if not then I’ll have to look elsewhere.
I’m sitting at my breakfast nook stewing over my options and drinking coffee when Crispin comes barging in. “Dude, knock much?”
Crispin flips me off and says “Have you seen this?”
He lays a shifter newspaper in front of me and I stare at it “What am I looking at here?”
He looks at it and says “Oh, wrong page.” He flips through to page three and lays it in front of me. “Here. Council news. Read it.”
I skim through it not getting what he’s talking about. “What? I don’t see what’s so important.”
He points at a picture with an article. “It’s an Obit for Kevin Wright. That wolf we heard about from a pack three states over who raped all those women. You know the one the Shifter Council couldn’t do anything about.”
I read over it again “So it is. The guy died huh. I guess that’s some form of justice. All the women he raped won’t have to worry anymore.”
Crispin says “But, that’s just it. He didn’t just up and die.”
I sigh. “What are you talking about Crispin?”
“You haven’t heard about it? Seriously? What, are you living under a rock? The Paranormal Council had him dealt with if you know what I mean. Someone said they saw him get grabbed by a guy dressed all in black from the alley outside of his place of work. Dude stuck a syringe in his neck to knock him out and dragged him off. They didn’t see what he looked like though.”
My mouth drops open in shock. “Holy shit, they actually do that. I thought it was just a myth created to put fear into the heart of paranormals. You know, so they don’t fuck up and get on their radar.”
Crispin shakes his head and says “Nope, it’s true.”
“Dude that’s fucking awesome. I always said they were like the mafia. Holy shit, I was right! They totally whacked this guy because of what he did.”
Crispin laughs and says “You’re insane.”
I shrug. “I think it’s cool that we have our own version of the mob looking out for us. You know how it is, in those old movies they aren’t bad people they just do bad things. But, the Paranormal Council doing things the way they do is kind of like vigilante justice.”
“You could be right but, can you imagine how lonely it must be for these guys? No one knows who they are, where they’re located or what kind of paranormals they are. Nobody has seen their faces except for the paranormal leaders that hire them sometimes and those guys are sworn to secrecy. It’s a bitter life of solitude. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
I nod and say “Yeah, you’re right.” I look at the time and jump out of my seat. “Oh shit, I’m going to be late. I have four dates to sit through and I still haven’t gotten dressed yet.” I run towards my bedroom quickly stripping off my clothes and jumping into the shower so that I don’t smell like a total bum when I get there. Once I’m finished I hurriedly get dressed and run out the house toward my truck but I feel a sudden breeze. I look down and say “Shit, no pants.” My neighbors are laughing at me so I just smile and wave, naked as a jaybird from the waist down.
I walk back inside, put on a pair of pants then turn around and walk back out. I climb into my truck and head to the restaurant. My first date of the day has already arrived by the time I get there. I take a seat across from him and say “Sorry I’m late. I ran out of the house without pants on and had to go back.”
He snorts and bursts into laughter. “I just got here myself but you sound like you’ve had one crazy morning.”
I nod and say “I have. So, here’s how this is going to work, I have more than one person I’m looking at for a possible mate and I’ve decided to get the preliminary part over with all at once. You have one hour to tell me as much of yourself as you can and why you think you would make a suitable mate. Starting now.�
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He launches into this super long list of his likes and dislikes what he does for a living etcetera. By the time he finally gets to why he would be a suitable mate I’m so bored that I tune out most of it. I thank him for his time tell him that I’ll let him know my decision after I’ve met everyone else. The rest of the day goes exactly the same. I’m not sure what it is I’m looking for exactly but, the people I’d chosen thinking one of them was sure to be the perfect bond mate were nothing of the sort.
I didn’t like a single one. I didn’t even want to sleep with them. Which is saying something considering my status as a total slut. I pay for the bill I racked up drinking so many sodas all day while I met with four different people then I walk outside to my truck. I left my phone in the dash so I wouldn’t be interrupted. I check it and find a voicemail and missed call from my dad.
I press the button to listen to the voicemail. “We’re having issues with the Coal Springs wolves again. The enforcers handled the trespassers but we could be looking at another pack war if something isn’t done soon. I might have to arrange another sit down with Bastille the Alpha over there, get this straightened out before the fragile truce we have with them goes right down the shitter.” After deleting the voicemail a crazy idea pops into my head. Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m in the truck and driving towards Coal Springs.
I pull up to the border of their pack lands and get stopped by three wolves. One shifts and comes to the window. “State your business here outsider.”
I hold my hands up in a friendly gesture so that I don’t provoke anyone. “My name is Declan Devine. Oldest son of Joseph Devine the Alpha of Asphalt Bay. I come in peace. I wish to speak to Alpha Bastille.”
The guy laughs and says “You’ve got balls coming here. We’ll take you to the Alpha. Just follow us and try not to run over anyone.” He shifts and leads the way forward. I follow him in the truck. Going slowly so I don’t run over him or his friends.
