The Sigma Menace Collection

by Marie Johnston

  Bennett sat across from her, next to his commander. She glanced back at the massive male behind her. He wasn’t as tall as Bennett, but was built like a brick outhouse. Although his eyes and hair were black, silver gleamed through them. No wonder they called him Mercury.

  “So the human in the next room is your mate?” she asked. Now that she was closer, she could sense way more than the tie between the two.

  Mercury’s gaze flicked to the two-way glass and warmed with affection. “She is.”

  “Oh. Congratulations on the little one.”

  Surprise that she sensed the baby also flared through Mercury’s eyes, but he sensed the honesty in her words and nodded his thanks.

  “Why do you smell like a human when you’re a hybrid, Spencer?” The commander was done with small talk.

  “I am human.” The males remained still. “My mom’s human, my dad’s a true hybrid. Our theory is that one species is dominant at a time.”

  “But you drink blood and change into a wolf,” Bennett pointed out.

  “Right. I rarely change, because we’ve found that increases the shifter scent I give off.”

  The males’ gazes flitted around to each other. “That would explain why Kaitlyn passed off as human for so long,” Bennett muttered. “What about the vampire part of you?”

  “We figured that with the other two species, I don’t have all of the vampire urges. I need a small maintenance dose of blood, and bovine blood has proven adequate. If I’m in the sun a lot, then I need more blood, because I am still part vampire and the sun will do more damage to me.”

  “So you choose a profession that consists primarily of working in the sunlight?” Mercury sounded like he couldn’t decide if she was incredibly dumb or incredibly clever.

  She shrugged. “We learned to live off the land, and it will provide an income while I can remain relatively isolated.”

  “Tell us about your grandparents. How did they conceive your dad?” This question from the commander.

  She resisted the urge to go into the birds and bees story. Something told her this shifter would not find the humor.

  “They were a real couple in love. Mated naturally and all. My shifter grandpa was my vampire grandma’s true mate and she was his shifter mate. They hid themselves from both species when they fell in love, each worried the other would be destroyed. When my dad was conceived, they were too afraid to confide in anyone. Afraid either government would take my dad and study him.”

  “Did they have any more kids?”

  Spencer thought for a bit. It felt weird to talk about her family at all, after living in secrecy her whole life. The sad fact was that her grandparents and aunt couldn’t be hurt anymore.

  “One, my aunt. She was quite a bit younger than my dad. Sigma killed her and my grandparents. She was only eighteen. It happened when I was twelve.” Her voice almost cracked. The pain was still there, finding out her beloved grandma and grandpa, and her vivacious Aunt Alli were gone, slaughtered beyond recognition. “We had lived in secrecy until then, but after that, we went on the run.”

  “Do you know why they were killed?” The commander didn’t overwhelm her with questions. There was a hint of compassion in his voice.

  Nodding, Spencer’s guilt welled up. “Because of me. My parents managed to capture one of the Agents hunting us and interrogated her.” Spencer’s lips curled into a shaky smile despite the morbid topic. “My mom really liked Aunt Alli and showed no mercy. She managed to extract the few details the Agent knew—they were after a young female hybrid.” Her family was destroyed because of Spencer. It was a lot of responsibility to grow up under.

  “Why not your aunt?”

  “It’s weird. They didn’t realize we were related. My dad’s got my grandma’s fair features, while my aunt got her looks from my grandpa. Their information just told them that my grandparents would lead them to me, and Aunt Alli was collateral damage. They think my dad was a full shifter and had me with a vampire before he met my mother.” Spencer fiddled with her fingers. No tears welled up after all these years, but the topic was still devastating. “They beheaded Grandma, who smelled like a shifter since she only fed off Grandpa. Then they burned them all.”

  “Where are your parents now?”

  “Dunno.” At the disbelieving look, she continued, “My parents trained me and Ronnie, and when we each turned eighteen, they gave us money and false documents, and we went our separate ways. I check in periodically with a burner phone.”

  “Ronnie?” Bennett asked. “Is that his real name? And what’s your real name?”

  “My name is real, to throw people off. They expect me to be a guy. Yes, Ronnie must’ve have kept his first name and changed his last, to draw attention to him instead of me by making it look like he was hiding. He’s younger than me, so he’s lived most of his life trying to protect me.” All her family at risk because she dared to be born. No kid should have to go through that.

  “Sigma’s story is bullshit, Ronnie was right.” Bennett turned to his commander. “I mean look at her. She’s not going to bring down both species. No offense, Spencer.” She waved it off, totally agreeing with him. “Sure she can blend with humans, has some of our strengths, but as far as a dominant new paranormal species? Nah.”

  The commander rubbed his neck thoughtfully. “She might represent a threat to both vampire and shifter councils. A hybrid species that neither can completely control and might even make them have to cooperate, I could see if one of those entities wanted her dead.”

  Spencer’s stomach bottomed out. She was in more danger than she thought.

  “But,” he continued, “many of us would be boosted by the widening mating pool and the chance to decrease the war between vampires and shifters. Much of the younger generation of both species wish to live in peace.”

  “So,” Mercury posed the question, “why would Sigma want her dead?”

  All three males turned their heads back to her.

  “Parrish said it was her they were looking for, but they had the wrong girl. Spencer’s not pure enough.”

  “The fuck you say?” Mercury’s words tilted the corner of her mouth. These males had some foul language, but she was warming to them rapidly.

  “We’ve been on this planet for millennia. Shifters have been mating humans for centuries. Vampires haven’t mated with different species…that we know of, but it wouldn’t be a terrible stretch to assume there are more hybrids than just Spencer and her family.” The commander said it so matter-of-factly, not much must ruffle his feathers. “We need to have a long talk with Parrish. He must be referring to her human blood.”

  “You threaten somebody.” Bennett directed his statement to her.

  “Besides you?” She was poking the bear, but he couldn’t do what he did to her body last night and then treat her like a suspect this morning. And she was hungry, darn it!

  “A few more questions and then we’ll eat.” Commander Fitzsimmons heard her stomach growl, too.

  She was embarrassed, but she was starving for real food now since her blood hunger was cured last night. “All right. Let’s finish up then. I’m famished and I’ve got a lot of planting to get in.”

  “You can’t go back to your house, Spencer.”

  “Sigma only thinks it’s the Guardians who keep intercepting their Agents. But it doesn’t matter, I need to get the planting done today. The next few days are going to be dreary and rainy, then I’ll need to tend to my mushrooms.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Bennett said it with a tone of finality.

  “It is dangerous,” she agreed, “but I’m not running and hiding anymore. That’s not a life. Bennett, I appreciate your help, but I can see your past leaves you fearing a future with me. If you can’t commit completely, we’re done. I don’t want to mate you until your heart’s in it.” Not true, she’d love to have his body at her disposal. But she’d want more and there was the rub.

  “That’s not true.” Everyone in the room ra
ised an eyebrow at Bennett. “Mostly. Fuck. It’s still new and a shock, and yeah, mating hasn’t been a good experience for me. There’s been three attempts on your life since we met, so we need to focus on that first and find out the real reason why they want you.”

  “Fine. I need to protect my livelihood. I sunk my money into that land and only have enough to get by on for so long.”

  “Fine.” Bennett echoed her word, but threw in more attitude. “Then you’ll stay at my place, and I’ll help you during the day.”

  Her belly heated at the thought, and wasn’t that inconvenient. Sitting in a room, getting hot and bothered over having sleepovers with Bennett, and all three males in the room would notice.

  “Before we start searching for answers, there’s one more issue we need to take care of.” The ominous tone of the commander didn’t bode well. “Your brother.”

  Spencer frowned. “What about him? I’d love to get him out, but he’s safe in the psych ward, right?” At least until she could figure out how to talk to him without getting each of them killed.

  “You’d leave your brother there?” Mercury sounded incredulous.

  “Of course I don’t want him there, but I’d rather have him safe while we’re figuring this out. The key to our hiding is to not know where each other is, so it can’t be used against any of us. It’s safer for him to not know I’m living here, too.” Her brows furrowed. How did they end up in the same area? “Plus, you don’t know Ronnie. If he didn’t want to be there, he wouldn’t be.”

  The commander pinned her with a hard look. “Yet, now he’s at a disadvantage. He thinks he’s staying in there to protect you. Sigma knows exactly where he’s at and how to get to him.” He paused to let those words sink in, but she still didn’t understand. Sigma already knew Ronnie was in there. “Your brother doesn’t know you’re here, right?”

  Oh snap! Spencer sucked in a breath. “They could use him against me! And he’d just sit and wait until they abducted him, thinking there was no way they could use him to find me.” But they could use him to get to her. She’d jump into Sigma’s arms in a heartbeat if it would save her brother. He’d already gone through enough for her.

  Bennett cut his hand through his hair, the ruffled style no longer so manicured. “Looks like we need to bust out Ronnie Newton.”

  Chapter 9

  “What’d you mean she’s living in West Creek?” Ronnie Newton, a.k.a. Ronnie King, spewed in disbelief. He was in the same gunmetal gray scrubs as their last visit, his hair sticking up in several directions.

  “Hell of a coincidence, now let’s go.” Jace’s voice was strained. After they achieved access to Ronnie several months ago, security had gotten tighter. Thankfully, Jace’s powers had gotten stronger, but influencing his way past administration and the nurses had been taxing, and they still had the hardest part coming up.

  “I’m mean, I knew she was close, but not actually living here. How did Sigma find her?”

  “Not the time Ronnie. We need to go.” Bennett was dressed in black slacks and a white lab coat in an attempt to make Jace’s persuasions easier to buy.

  Jace himself was dressed in scrubs, but both Guardians were strapped down with various weapons under their clothing. Surely recruits, or Agents, surveilled Ronnie and the hospital, especially after their last visit.

  “Oh look! She drank from you.” Ronnie squinted at Bennett’s neck. “No wonder she was drawn to the area. I mean, the voices said you’d be the one who could find her, but I didn’t realize…”

  “What voices?” Oh great. The last time they talked, Bennett could’ve sworn the young male was putting on a show, but hearing voices set him firmly on the crazy train. “Never mind, we’ll talk later. Let’s go.”

  Gesturing to Jace to lead the way, using his voice and pale eyes to circumvent any trouble, the three males made it all the way to the ground floor, heading toward a lesser used exit closer to where Mercury sat in the Denali.

  A burly security guard and a male in a suit came out of a side hallway, blocking their exit.

  “This is gonna be good,” Ronnie clapped his hands together and giggled. The kid was insane.

  Jace spoke, his voice developed a vibrating timbre. “You need to move and let us keep going.”

  The men stayed where they were, the three males aimed for the door. Bennett’s mind calculated how long it would take to neutralize the threat (only seconds), where the security camera feed went so they could tamper with it, and how many other Sigma plants were in the hospital when Ronnie stopped short. Bennett pulled up behind him, Jace halted as well, waiting to take on the two men.

  Ronnie held up his hands. “Guys, allow me.” He moved his hands around in a flurry, he fingers waggling, drawing the attention of the guard and the suit. They frowned, tensing, waiting for Ronnie to run. “Guess how many fingers I’m holding up?”

  Ronnie whipped each hand up in the air, fingers spread. The men didn’t move. At all. Almost like they were statues.

  “What the fuck?” Jace’s deep voice spoke the words running through Bennett’s head.

  “It’s my thing.” Ronnie shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “We’d better get going, yo. We’ve only got another minute or two.”

  Circling around the frozen men, they exited into the sunshine. They had talked with Spencer only that morning. The commander agreed to help Spencer in her garden so Jace and Bennett could snatch Ronnie in broad daylight, hopefully before Sigma set their sights on him after another failed attempt at grabbing his sister.

  Loading Ronnie into the SUV, Bennett remembered that Spencer had said he could leave the hospital when he wanted to. What a handy talent, freezing people. Handier than talking to animals, Bennett thought bitterly. Although talking to animals was pretty damn handy back when horses were the main mode of transport. The mighty creatures weren’t too willing to have a creature that smelled like wolf hopping onto their backs. Bennett had been crucial to the team just for his talent back then.

  After Abigail had almost destroyed them, until cars had become more prevalent, Bennett worked hard to assure his team didn’t make a mistake by saving him. He became second in command after his talent was no longer in as much demand and dedicated his days to the safety of his species. It was working fine until darkness crowded his mind, refusing to be driven away by fighting or sex.

  He hadn’t thought about the darkness since the night he had Spencer in his arms in her truck. It hadn’t bothered him since she was in his life on a daily basis. Hell, even that one orgasm that wasn’t even inside her tight, willing body would’ve held him over for months, just because it was from her. It would’ve held him over, if he hadn’t spent each day and night with her, but even during those days in a haze of lust, the darkness hadn’t bothered him. Her scent called to him, her oppositional attitude made him want to kiss her into compliance. Her ass bent over while planting made him yearn to strip her down and make her his in every way possible. She was under his skin and he didn’t want to face it.

  “It’s not your fault.” Ronnie spoke up from the back where he sat with Jace. If the kid tried to run, or jump, or attack, they’d stop him.

  “Who the fuck are you talking to?” Jace grumbled.

  “Benji.” Bennett tensed as his old nickname came out of Ronnie’s mouth. “The voice in my head said Abigail wasn’t your fault. The Sweet Mother thought you needed gentleness and innocence for balance. She was right, but she will not be wrong again.”

  Bennett’s breath stalled like he was suffocating. Focus on the mission and ignore the ravings of a madman, became his mantra.

  “Voices?” Mercury grunted. “You really crazy?”

  “Nope,” Ronnie said, his face pressed up to the window. “The voices are real, they aren’t mine, and they guide me.”

  “And they’re from who?” Jace asked.

  Ronnie swiveled his head to gaze at the shaved-head Guardian. “Dunno. One’s a woman. She’s been in my head all my life. The other’
s a dude, on the young side. His voice is pretty recent.”

  “Do they give you real-time advice, or is it random FYI for you to file away?” Mercury eyeballed Ronnie in the mirror, fascinated with the young male—another shifter that said random shit.

  “Whatever they feel like.” Ronnie was back to staring at the passing scenery. Poor bastard had been in a padded room for months, no wonder he was like a puppy wanting to hang his head out of the window.

  “What other talents do you have?” Jace asked. Bennett was glad the other Guardian was on top of it, asking pertinent questions and getting answers that would either save them or prevent them from being destroyed. “Cuz that freezing people is some cool shit.”

  “Thanks,” Ronnie said absently. “Just that. And my voices.”

  Great. Voices.

  Agent X pulled down the barely there skirt of her dress. At least she didn’t have to find her panties. Her mission tonight had called for going commando. As Demetrius, one of the vampire leaders of Sigma’s Freemont chapter, zipped his pants, she leaned back against the tiled wall of the club’s private bathroom and crossed her arms. Her center still thrummed from Demetrius’ pounding, and she needed to give the bite marks on her neck time to heal before walking out in public.

  “Your information was lacking,” she informed the tall vampire, who gave her a smug smirk.

  “Now love, do we need to barter for more thorough information?” He bared his fangs and eyed her long, bare legs sticking out of the dress.

  There were worse ways to get information regarding her personal vendetta, and worse people to bang while getting it. Although she and Demetrius had settled into a friends with benefits type scenario, she would’ve preferred just friends. She would’ve preferred not to have to use her body with any male other than her mate. She would’ve preferred not to have had her family slaughtered and become enslaved by a mad woman leading an evil organization. But alas, life sucked.