by J. Kearston
“You’re coming to the party next month, correct?” He puts his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels and giving me a self-assured grin.
Mentally, I punch him in the face, but externally I just continue to smile despite the pain in my cheeks. “Wouldn’t miss it. If you’ll excuse me, I need to be getting back.”
I turn to leave, but he falls into step beside me and takes some of my bags without preamble. “I’ll walk with you. Never know what sort of trouble a little thing like yourself will run into.”
Gritting my teeth, I struggle to keep the annoyance out of my voice. “Such a gentleman. But I’d hate to be a burden.”
He winks at me and I fight the urge to vomit all over his expensive shoes. “You’re such a sweet girl, Corinna. You need a man looking out for you so no one takes advantage of that.”
Can I kill him now if I claim it was self-defense?
Ultimately I bite my tongue, because it will get me nowhere, not with him. I’ve learned well over the years that I need to pick my battles, and sometimes the quickest way to get rid of someone is to humor them.
We reach my door and I stop just short of unlocking it, extending a hand to take my bags back. “You were so kind to walk me home, but Father would have my head if I entertained without him.”
I weave my coy, obedient daughter act well, as I always remember to in Jax’s presence. I’m not under any illusions that he reports everything back to his father, which in turn spreads to mine. I swear, men gossip more than they accuse women of.
He frowns, but quickly schools his features. “I’ll see you at the party then?”
Even though the thought of attending another pretentious event full of fake people makes me want to drive an icepick into my brain, I timidly smile back and nod before punching the code into the door and slamming it shut behind me.
As if things weren’t bad enough, I see the cleaning cart stationed in the living room and curse, flying up the stairs to my room. A matronly woman is coming out of my closet as I enter and I freeze, paralyzed with nerves until she tips her head to me and continues on to the bathroom.
Eyes darting around the room, I set my bags on my desk. She hasn’t touched the bed yet and I quickly yank the sheets off, stuffing them in the bottom of her laundry hamper so that I won’t have to pray Dad doesn’t see them in the garbage and find out I lied.
I’m making the bed by the time the woman comes out and she gives me a happy smile, tipping her head in approval. I try to keep the house in decent shape so they don’t have to do much more than run a vacuum or mop, and we’ve developed a silent sort of mutual respect over the years.
I learned early on not to strike up a conversation, because if Dad found the ‘help’ busy talking instead of working, they’d be fired on the spot. I don’t want the guilt of making someone’s already difficult life worse on my head, so I keep to myself.
It’s better that way, since every person I’ve met wears a mask around me. His money taints everything it touches until it all becomes so meaningless, the Harlow name making everyone trip over themselves in an attempt to garner favor. Or fear; usually a little of both. I can’t breathe under his heavy influence, but everyone envies my gilded cage.
When the coast is finally clear and I triple check the house is empty, I return to the room to find my resident feline curled up on my bed, making himself at home.
“You either have a death wish or you’re an idiot.”
He blinks up at me before stretching out, rubbing himself all over the new bedding. My anger drains away as he ends up upside down at the foot of the bed, head lolling off and big, golden eyes pleading.
I sigh with a small smile, shaking my head and opening up the containers of food. “Best I could do was a burger, so take it or leave it.”
I’ve barely even set the container on the bed next to him before he tears into it. The silence is comfortable for a long time as I clean up and dispose of the evidence, coming back to find him limping out of my closet. When it’s clear he’s struggling, but going to try to leap up again, I slide to the floor beside him instead so he doesn’t feel pressured.
He lies down beside me, close enough that I could run my fingers through his fur if I wanted, and closes his eyes. “I’m sorry, you know,” I finally whisper, resting the back of my head against the footboard. “That people are so cruel. I’d like to say it’s not all of us, but we both know there’s far more bad than good right now. It’s not fair, we can’t help who we’re born to. I just,” I sigh, not even sure what I’m really trying to say. “Wish I could do more than a band aid and a burger.”
We sit in amicable silence for the better part of the afternoon, and I only realize I dozed off when I hear footsteps in the hall right outside of my door.
“Shit! Get under the bed!” I physically shove him and am just adjusting the blanket back in place when my Dad opens the door. “Found it!” I feign putting my earring back in, getting to my feet and smoothing out my dress.
He shakes his head, amused. “You’re a strange one, Rin. Always have been.”
My stomach sinks, dreading whatever he came to say. He only uses the nickname I prefer when he’s trying to butter me up for something or deliver bad news. I wait for him to clue me in patiently, since rushing him won’t do any good. Carson Harlow speaks when he’s ready and not a moment sooner.
“There’s something we need to discuss.” He sits on the edge of the bed and pats the spot beside him. Reluctantly, I sit, tucking my hands under my thighs to keep my nerves hidden. “Despite what you may think, I know you aren’t my little girl anymore, Rin.”
I tilt my head to the side, twisting to face him and tucking a leg beneath me. “Okay?”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “But this world is no place for a girl on her own, far too dangerous. So, I’ve set everything up for you to be taken care of.”
“What do you mean?”
There’s a small pause before he speaks, and with the words, a part of me dies a swift death. “You’re to marry Jax Caswell. It will be announced at his birthday party in a few weeks to the public, but I’ve already settled the arrangements with his father.”
My stomach roils. “You can’t do that! I’m a person, not some thing that can just be given away!” My face heats as anger surges through me. “You don’t get to just decide who I marry without even talking to me about it!”
“I can and I have,” he retorts coolly. “You live on my dime, Corinna, and wouldn’t survive on your own. With as little control as you have, it just cements that fact. I promised your mother I would take care of you and this will ensure you’re provided for long after I’m gone.”
“I’d rather take my chances on the streets than be forced to endure that pretentious asshole grunting over me,” I snap, incensed.
The backhand comes so quickly I never saw him move, just feel the explosion of pain. Sprawled on the floor, I press my hand to my throbbing cheek, my fingers coming away wet from blood where his ring cut into it. Tears blur my vision as I choke on my arguments, stunned into silence.
He’s always been stern, but he’s never hit me before. Not even after Mom died and a part of him went with her, when more of a wall was erected between us. The shock of it hurts more than the actual blow, even more so when he doesn’t look in the slightest bit repentant.
He gets to his feet, glaring down at me. “Clean yourself up, we’re having company for dinner.” Without another word, he strides out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Soft fur brushes against me, butting my hand away from my face. His tongue darts out to lick the wound, rough enough I’m half convinced he’s trying to sand off another layer of skin. Everything I’ve ever been taught should have me scrambling away screaming in fear, but as he curls up against me, I find myself leaning into the simplistic comfort he’s offering. His chest rumbles, vibrating against me in a weirdly soothing way.
Tentatively, I brush my fingers over his fur, careful of
his injuries. “You best get better quick,” I warn him, tears slipping down my face at the hopelessness of the situation. “Because if there’s anyone that hates shifters more than my father, it’s Jax.”
Three
Rin
The days turned into weeks in a nauseating blur, and my stowaway’s wounds are nearly healed. I find it harder and harder to keep a smile plastered on my face, but I try for his sake as much as my own. I know that I’ve been incredibly lucky at keeping him hidden for now, but as dinners have turned into wedding planning affairs and I’m forced to endure Jax’s smug, leering looks several evenings a week, the nights are the only thing I have to look forward to anymore.
It’s easy to forget that he’s a person, one that I know next to nothing about. The easy, quiet company is something I’ve never had before and quickly have become spoiled by, and to know that last joy is about to be taken from me as well? It’s hard to drag myself out of bed in the morning.
Once more I approached my father, far more rationally to try and make him see reason, but Carson Harlow is not a man that likes his authority to be challenged. I left his office with a collection of bruises, grateful he stopped short of breaking any bones, and hating myself for feeling like I needed to be happy I could still walk.
When not a single soul commented on the shape I was in that night, pretended like it was a regular Tuesday and carried on joking around while stuffing their faces? Hatred like I’ve never known before started to eat away at my battered insides.
“I grabbed you some clothes, but I’m completely guessing on size here,” I warn him, pulling the sweat pants and t-shirt out of the bag. “You’ll have to move quickly. The sun will be up shortly, and if anyone catches you climbing out of my window we’re screwed. I’m sure you’ll have to deal with some issues in the crowd, but it’s probably better than waiting for nightfall. People feel like they can get away with anything when there’s less eyes on them, and if the police catch you out at night they’ll assume you’re causing trouble.” I bite my lip, suddenly incredibly nervous as I set the clothes on the bathroom counter and pull the door shut behind me to give him some privacy.
Leaving it open just a crack so he can still hear me, I turn my back on the door and continue rambling to try to assuage my nerves. “I want to thank you though, before you leave.” I shut my eyes, sighing. “Because honestly, it’s been really nice not being alone right now.”
I jump as something brushes against my leg, eyes flying open to see him rubbing against my leg; still very clearly an ocelot and not the man he should be.
“What are you doing? You need to get out of here!” He sits back on his haunches and gives me those familiar wide, sad eyes. My stomach flips, and I’m not sure if it’s from fear or relief. “You can’t shift back?”
His tongue darts out and I swipe a hand down my face, trying to understand. “I thought as soon as you were healed enough you could?” he nods his head and I huff, crossing the room and tearing books off of my shelf. As I rapidly skim through them, I pray that one of them will have the answer, despite knowing in my heart that it’s futile. The books that the cities stock aren’t so much angled towards caring for your stray shifter as they are understanding the quickest way to put them down, listing their strengths and weaknesses.
Nearly shrieking in frustration, I swipe a notebook from my desk and a pen, poking his mouth with the end and glaring. “Oh no, I’ve seen this movie before, and that mermaid could have totally written out her name and saved everyone the trouble. Hands or no, I need some answers here, so it’s this or charades. Get to scribbling, kitty.”
His teeth gently clamp around the pen with a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth that I refuse to find endearing. Awkwardly, he starts jerking his head around to scrawl something before dropping the spit covered pen on the paper.
I brush the drool away, wiping my hand on his fur and lift the notebook, only to pin him with a droll look. “Seriously? What the hell is this shit? It looks like a mutated rabbit.”
He sneezes and shakes his out before I jam the pen back in his mouth and open to a new page, repeating the process until he finally ends up with something resembling a single word.
Mages.
Fuck.
All mages have some offensive and defensive abilities, but there are those devoted to pushing themselves to their breaking point to increase their power. I have no clue what use they could have of a shifter, but whatever it is can’t be good.
“How’s that even possible?” I breathe, horrified. “So you can’t shift back until…what? Whatever they did wears off or we blackmail one into helping?” My voice is borderline shrill and I take several deep breaths to calm myself down.
“Okay, so we need a new plan.” I start pacing the room, running a hand over my head and through my dark hair. “You can’t try and get out of the city like this on your own; there are strict rules on shifting inside city limits and you’re bound to get caught.”
My heart starts hammering away and I start to accept that I’m more thrilled at the prospect than I should be. But really, it’s the perfect excuse to latch onto, that last thing I was unconsciously waiting for to push me past my fear and into acting.
I crouch down, looking him in the eyes. “We’ll go together, just you and me. I’ll get you out of the city and back to your pack, and you can return the favor by letting me hide in your closet this time to escape a shitty marriage. Deal?”
He steps closer, nuzzling into my neck and rubbing against me. “Maybe they’ll have an idea how to fix you, or help me kidnap a mage.” He gives me an unamused look that has me flicking his leg as I get to my feet. “Excuse you, but I can be threatening if I want to be. Maybe I won’t even wait for the extra muscle just to prove a point.”
At that he starts freaking the fuck out, biting onto my pant leg and whining low in his throat. “Hey, hey, hey, I was kidding, relax.” I bend back down to stroke his neck. “I’m not dumb enough to try and smuggle two bodies out of the city in my trunk on my own.”
Striding into the closet, I start a mental checklist of what I’ll need to prepare over the next few days. Thankfully the party this weekend is just an announcement, but just the thought of going already has me sick to my stomach.
Shuddering, I grab a few things that I doubt anyone would look at me twice in. If I’m going to run, I’m going to need to blend in, and silk dresses will just put a bigger target on my back than there already will be the further we get from the penthouse district. Flaunting wealth is just asking for even more trouble when I’ve already got enough that I’m struggling with.
“I’m going to need a backpack, I imagine,” I mutter, looking at my suitcase in dismay. “No one is going to buy into the idea I’m going on vacation to the fringes.” I toss a look over my shoulder, my feline shadow only a few steps behind me.
“I should probably figure out your name now that we’re taking our relationship to the next level, shouldn’t I?” He cocks his head and I bite the inside of my cheek. “I meant since we’ll be sticking together for a little longer, don’t make it weird.” I swear, by the glint in his eye, he’s getting a huge kick out of me making a bumbling idiot of myself.
“Ollie? Charlie? Toby?” I start tossing out there to change the subject. His nose furrows and I chuckle quietly. “Okay, something more majestic, befitting of such a pretty kitty. No one is going to name something like you Dave.”
Reaching over, I scratch under his chin and he melts against me. “Not sure I’d know what to do with myself if you suddenly shifted back,” I admit, so accustomed to the playful animal that’s so easy to be around. “Are you this needy as a person too?”
He licks my wrist, his tongue as rough as sandpaper, as I mull it over. Eventually, we go back to his pitiful attempts at writing, because otherwise we’ll be here all day.
“Osiris?”
He blinks several times, surprised that I managed to decipher his chicken scratch before licking me again and I gr
in. “I like that. But full disclosure, that defaults you to Ozzy as a nickname and I won’t take no for an answer.”
I scratch once more behind his ears before getting ready for the day. There’s a million things to do, and even more that could go wrong, but I have to try. I’m fortunate enough to be able to just buy what I need now, but the second I start running, I’ll have to adapt quickly.
Money comes with chains, and when it’s acquired in blood like ours, those chains get heavier. Twenty-three or thirty; as long as I carry the Harlow name, I’ll never be free. So as soon as I escape, that will be the first thing to go. New life, new name, new me.
Now to just hope I’ll live long enough to see it.
Four
Osiris
I’m so gods damned useless!
I restrain myself from lashing out only because I don’t want to put her more at risk than I already am. If there were claw marks throughout her room, there’d be no lying her way out of it. The fact she hasn’t been caught hiding me is impressive enough; this isn’t the time to be careless and let my rage get the better of me.
She left under the guise of last minute dress shopping for the party tonight, but she’s using the opportunity to get a car lined up for our escape from this hellhole.
Rin, my mate, despite the fact that she’s very clearly human.
It was that pull that led me here when I escaped the mages that night, the scent of her skin calling me closer despite the fact I should have tried to make it under the fence and back home. If it wasn’t for my desperation, I never would have risked coming here, knowing full well how dangerous it could be. But if I didn’t come, someone else would have to, and I had nothing to lose but my pride.
