by J. C. Diem
“You should have seen him when I almost turned into a werewolf,” I joked.
“What?” Her mouth dropped open in shock and all thoughts of self-pity were gone. “How? When? Why? The full moon is still weeks away.”
“It happened when I saw you naked and covered in bite marks,” I said. The wounds had been superficial and hadn’t been deep enough to leave a scar. “I lost control of my temper and I started to turn.”
“How did you stop the transformation?”
“Mark shot me in the leg,” I said with an unhappy frown and rubbed the bloody hole in my jeans.
“This is huge,” she decided and slid off the bed. “You should call the guys back here. We need to talk about this.”
Glad to see her back in action already, I left her to search for a pair of shoes and headed downstairs. I took out my cell phone as I switched the coffee machine on.
“Is Kala alright?” Mark asked as soon as he answered his phone.
“Yes, thankfully. Her, uh, captivity wasn’t quite as bad as we thought,” I said as delicately as possible.
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” he replied with a small sigh. “We’ll be there in five minutes.”
Kala had made some effort to brush her hair and to put on makeup by the time the others returned.
“What did you mean when you said Kala’s captivity wasn’t as bad as we thought?” Flynn asked when we gathered in the living room.
“She’s never been with the feline equivalent of an alpha before,” I explained. “Apparently, the sex is addictive.” Kala looked down at the carpet and sighed deeply.
“For the love of…” Reece cut off what he’d been about to say. “Are you saying you enjoyed what that life-sized Ken doll did to you?”
“I loved every second of it,” she admitted without raising her eyes. Our bond didn’t allow us to read each other’s minds very clearly, but I could pick up on some of her feelings. She wasn’t ashamed of her enjoyment, but of something entirely different.
“You couldn’t have stopped him from taking over your mind,” I told her. “Rexes apparently have power over all feline shifters, especially ones that are turned rather than pure born.”
“That was what made me so angry,” she said. “He didn’t need to force me into his bed. I’d have gone willingly if he’d just asked.”
“But would you have stayed with him?” Mark asked shrewdly.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “The sex was pretty mind blowing, but I wouldn’t want to be passed on to his lackeys when he grew tired of me.”
“Wasn’t sleeping with a bunch of attractive men your ultimate fantasy?” Reece asked dryly.
“Yeah, but only if it was by my choice. No one wants to be used like that,” she grimaced. “Not even me.”
Flynn slid his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in for a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re back with us, Kala. If you ever feel the need to go back and kick the Ken doll in the nuts, just say the word.”
She sniggered and elbowed him playfully. “Thanks, bro.”
Satisfied that the crisis had been weathered, Mark changed the topic. “We need to discuss what nearly happened to Lexi.”
Everyone’s attention went to me and I shifted beneath the weight of their stares. I cradled my coffee in both hands, but it did nothing to warm me. Zeus lay with his head on my feet, watching me adoringly. In his eyes, I could do no wrong. To everyone else, I’d nearly done the unthinkable.
Reece directed a question at our boss. “What’s your theory?”
“I don’t have one.” The admission shocked us all. “As far as I’m aware, this is unprecedented. There are no records of a shifter ever being able to turn when it wasn’t a full moon before.”
“What does this mean?” Kala asked. She and Flynn were huddled together on the couch. Mark and Reece sat on the other one. I was sitting in the only armchair. Only Zeus was brave enough to stay near me.
“Maybe it has something to do with the taint in Lexi’s system,” Reece suggested. “She’s supposedly being torn between remaining a wolf and turning into a vampire. That could be messing with her ability to shift.”
Mark avoided my eyes as he shrugged. I wondered if he was thinking about my ability to raise zombies and the impact that might eventually have on me. “It’s possible. There’s never been anyone like Lexi before. Only time will tell what abilities she’ll gain.”
“You’re infected with vampire cooties, too,” Kala pointed out to Reece. “Can you change at will like Lexi?”
“Believe me, he wouldn’t want to,” I said and shivered hard enough to make Zeus look up at me in concern.
“Why not?” Mark asked.
“Because it hurts. It hurts a lot more than when we shift during the full moon.”
Flynn asked the question that was on everyone’s mind. “Why?”
“Because it’s unnatural,” Reece responded. “We’re not supposed to shift outside of the normal cycle of the moon.”
I flinched at being called unnatural, even though it was an apt description.
“I still can’t believe you shot her,” Kala said to Mark.
He looked pained. “It was the only thing I could think of to stop the change.”
“It’s okay,” I told him. “It was the right thing to do.”
Flynn spoke up next. “As long as Lexi can stay in control of her temper, this shouldn’t have much of an impact on us.”
I sent him a grateful smile. “Unless one of us is kidnapped and held against our will again, I don’t think I’ll descend into another rage like that.”
Reece chuckled, which sent a flare of heat through me. “You punched the Ken doll so hard that you broke his jaw.”
“Good,” I said in satisfaction. “That’ll make him think twice about holding anyone against their will.”
Kala sighed again and it sounded wistful. I resolved to keep an eye on her at night to make sure she didn’t sneak out and return to the pride. That reminded me that I had some information that might distract her from her woes.
“When are you going to call McSweeny and set up a date with her?” I asked Flynn casually.
Turning red, he sent me a fulminating look as Kala rounded on him. “Oh my God! You’re finally going to get laid!”
“I’m not a virgin,” he said in exasperation.
Her expression turned sly. “So you say. Maybe I’ll have a private chat with McSweeny after your date and see how you shape up in bed.”
Turning to our boss, Flynn appealed to him. “Mark!”
“Stop teasing Flynn, Kala,” he said in a long suffering tone that made me snigger. She and Flynn looked nothing alike, but they acted like siblings. My amusement died when I saw Reece’s expression. I picked up on his longing for a true family rather than our pretend one. He’d chosen to stay with us for now, but he’d told his mother that he would think about joining her pack. He had obligations to us both. Whatever his final decision was, someone was going to lose out.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty
“I’m starving,” Kala declared and stood. “Does anyone else want a snack?”
“Didn’t they feed you in the club?” Flynn asked sourly.
“Not that I remember. Cole and I were too busy doing it to think about food,” she smirked on her way to the door. It was a relief that she could joke about her brief captivity, but I wasn’t going to be able to let it go that easily. At least the rex hadn’t marked her and bound her to him permanently. If he had, we wouldn’t have been able to rescue her from him quite so easily.
Reminded of Gareth’s plan to make me his mate, I scowled. Kala sensed my anger stirring when she returned a few moments later with a plate full of cookies and took action. “Heads up, Lexi,” she called and tossed a cookie to me. Before I could even think about catching it, Zeus lurched up and snagged it out of the air.
“Hey!” I complained. “That was mine!”
Kala laughed so hard that tears ran
down her face. Flynn grabbed the plate from her before she could accidentally drop the snacks on the floor. Grinning, he carried the plate over to me so I could take a couple. Zeus licked his chops and eyed them.
“At least he doesn’t discriminate,” Reece said with a smile. “He steals food from all of us.”
“That was priceless,” Kala said, wiping away her tears with her sleeve and leaving streaks of mascara beneath her eyes.
“You’re a mess,” Mark observed then crooked his finger at her. “Come here.” She sat beside him and patiently endured him using his hankie to wipe the makeup away.
“Did you figure out how many ghouls we’re facing?” Flynn asked. We’d all taken some cookies and he cradled the plate protectively on his lap. He kept an eye on Zeus to make sure he wasn’t going to try to filch the food.
“There could be as many as two hundred,” Mark replied. “They seem to be living in small pockets beneath each of the four cemeteries.”
“Ghouls don’t normally take bodies from funeral parlors, do they?” Kala asked with her mouth full. Crumbs fell and Zeus was there to hoover them up. Mark shook his head. “Then how do they usually get their food? Do they dig them up right after they’ve been buried? Surely someone would have noticed that the graves have been disturbed.”
“I think I can answer that,” I offered. “You know how zombies can move through the ground so easily?” She nodded. “Ghouls can do that, too. My guess would be that they get at the coffins from beneath and take the bodies out that way.”
“You’re right,” Mark confirmed. He fished in his jacket and pulled out his tablet. Scrolling through the files he’d stored on there, he handed it to Kala. She looked at the image on display before tossing the tablet to me. A coffin had been exhumed and then photographed. The bottom had been torn out and the body was missing.
“We never suspected that ghouls had the ability to move beneath the ground like zombies,” Mark said when I handed the tablet back to him. “They must be more alike than we’d guessed.”
“But they aren’t undead,” Kala said in confusion. “How is it that they have anything in common with zombies?”
“I think they have a touch of death magic,” I said. “I can sense them the same way I can other undead.”
“Ugh,” she said and shuddered hard. “I haven’t even seen one yet and I already don’t like them.”
“We’ve never hunted ghouls before,” Reece said. “How dangerous are they?”
“Very,” Mark replied seriously. “They’re fast, strong and cunning. Our only advantages are that they won’t be as alert during the day and they’ll flee rather than face us. They’ll attack when they’re cornered.”
“They’re starving and desperate for food,” I added bleakly. “If they get you alone, they’ll try to bite through your arteries so you bleed to death quickly. They don’t bother to wait for their food to rot before eating it anymore.”
“We’ll target the smallest group first,” Mark decided. “We’ll need heavier fire power than just a few handguns.”
“How soon can you have them delivered?” Reece asked.
“It shouldn’t take too long. I’ll make the call now.” Mark headed outside so he could speak to his contact in private. It sucked that we didn’t have a high enough clearance to know who he dealt with. It was part of the job and I was getting used to being kept in the dark.
Kala was teasing Zeus with a cookie when Mark returned. Her attention wavered for only a moment, but that was long enough for his mouth to close over her entire hand. “Eww, that’s disgusting!” she complained and drew her hand back, minus the cookie. “He slobbered all over me!”
Pleased with himself, Zeus chewed the cookie then ambled over and collapsed on the floor beside me. “You’re going to get fat,” I told him and he sent me an affronted stare. “No dry food for you tonight.”
With her face screwed up in disgust, Kala rushed off to wash her hands. She returned, shot an evil glare at Zeus then plonked down on the couch. “Did you score us some weapons?” she asked Mark.
Still smiling a little at the smooth theft of her cookie, he nodded. “They’ll be delivered by lunchtime tomorrow.”
“I guess this means we get to sit around doing nothing until then,” Kala said. She switched on the TV and surfed through the channels. “We have a major problem here,” she complained. “There’s no cable.”
We all turned to Mark and he shook his head. “How will you ever survive?” he said with heavy sarcasm.
“I’m going for a walk,” she sulked.
“I’d rather you stayed here.” His tone was mild, but his authority was unquestionable. We knew why he didn’t want her wandering around in a city full of werecats. “You can watch movies on my laptop if you really can’t go without.”
“You’re the best,” she beamed happily. Her sudden mood swings were enough to make me dizzy sometimes.
Bored with the idea of scrunching together on the couch so we could watch movies on Mark’s computer, I headed up to our bedroom. I had enough files stored on my laptop to keep me entertained for weeks.
Scrolling through the files, I picked one at random. I was pleased to see that it had come from the journal of our agency’s forefather. Thomas the priest had kept extensive and detailed records of all the monsters that he’d encountered. This one was no different. Either there had been a lot more supernatural creatures four hundred years ago, or they’d become far better at hiding from humans.
Plumping the pillows behind my back, I sat with the computer on my lap and began to read. The journal had been translated from ye olde English into more modern language, presumably to make it easier for PIA agents to read. After the first few sentences, it almost felt like I was living the experience myself.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-One
Word filtered to Thomas that strange winged creatures were snatching sheep from farms far to the north of London. Intrigued, he decided to investigate for himself rather than sending someone else to look into it. He’d gathered a small team of people to help him hunt monsters by now.
Harold, his best friend and usual partner on these types of missions, agreed to accompany him. The pair bought some supplies then ventured to the remote area on horseback. Harold left his favorite bloodhound behind this time. He was afraid that she would be mistaken for a sheep and that she might fall victim to one of the creatures.
It took them several weeks to travel to their destination and they lived roughly for the most part. Their beds each night were more often than not a makeshift camp beside the road. Occasionally, they found an inn to sleep in.
When they finally reached a small village near where the sheep were being taken, they were greeted with hostility and suspicion. Paying for a room in the only inn, Thomas and Harold listened to the frightened whispers of the townsfolk as they ate a late dinner. One of the patrons had consumed a little too much ale and consequently spoke a little too freely.
“We all know what’s stealing our livestock,” he slurred. “They’re harpies!” He shuddered and his ale slopped over onto the table. It splashed one of his equally drunk companions who was vainly trying to shush him.
Exchanging glances, Thomas and Harold finished their meals quickly then stood and approached the table where the man and his cronies sat. “Would you gentlemen mind if we joined you?” Thomas asked politely.
“Who are you?” the drunken old man asked suspiciously. “What do you want?”
“I am a priest,” he replied. “Although I rarely have the time to preach the glories of God these days.”
“Really?” the old man said sardonically. “What do you do instead? Bother innocent folk who are just trying to have a quiet drink?”
“We hunt monsters,” Harold said in his usual blunt fashion. “We heard something has been stealing your sheep and we’ve come to stop them.”
“Did you hear that? They’re monster hunters,” the old man said to his friends and they all l
aughed in derision. “I suppose you expect us to pay you handsomely for hunting down these creatures?” he sneered.
“We do not require payment, my good man,” Thomas replied. “Merely ridding the world of evil is reward enough for us.”
The patron stared into his eyes and sobered. “You’re not jesting, are you?”
“Indeed not. If you point us in the right direction, we’ll begin hunting the harpies in the morning.”
“You’re either very brave, or very foolish,” the old man decided. “My name is Warren.” He introduced the others at the table and Thomas reciprocated. “We’ll offer you what assistance we can if you insist on trying to hunt them.”
“Are you certain its harpies that are taking your sheep?” Harold asked. For him, it was about as diplomatic as he could get. “What proof do you have?”
Warren swayed on his seat as he reached inside his jacket. He pulled out a feather that was as long as his arm. “How is this for proof? Does this look like the feather of any bird you’ve ever seen before?”
Thomas took the feather and examined it in detail. He could tell straight away that it was genuine. It was dull brown in the middle, but the color darkened to black at the edges. It smelled musty and decidedly unpleasant.
He handed the feather to Harold, who also looked at it closely. “Imagine roasting one of these things for dinner,” he said with a grin. “There’d be enough to feed an entire village for a week.”
The townsfolk shuddered and crossed themselves in superstitious dread. “Don’t make light about something you know nothing about,” Warren warned him darkly. “It isn’t just sheep that these monsters have taken. Old Lady Birmingham went missing from her farm a week ago and she hasn’t been seen since.”
Thomas felt queasy at the thought of eating something that had possibly dined on human flesh. It was fundamentally wrong on every level. Harold turned an interesting shade of green and handed the feather back.
