by Tl Reeve
“Must suck for you,” Shax replied with a smug smirk.
Bay winced, and Rafe could tell Shax’s words stung. He cut his gaze to Gabriel who shook his head as he put the warm bottle to Halo’s lips. “You work with orphans, right?”
Bay stared a hole in Shax before he glanced at Rafe. “Yeah.”
“And you think you can help us?”
Bay shrugged. “Sure. Whatever.”
“Natalie, why don’t you and Shax head back to our old room, and I’ll get Halo ready for the day? We’ll figure out where Bay is going to stay later.”
She nodded. “Sure. Come on, Shax.”
Shax stared down Bay before leaving the room behind Natalie. The kid whistled when the door closed, leaving him with Rafe and Gabriel. The kid put up a front. He acted like nothing bothered him, when, on the contrary, it did. That knock from Shax hurt him, and Rafe couldn’t imagine what it must have been like living in the shadow of his siblings.
“Wow, that was intense,” Bay said, throwing himself in a chair.
“What happened?” Gabriel came over and sat beside his brother.
“I promised I wouldn’t say anything,” Bay replied. “I won’t betray that. You gotta believe me, though. I only meant to surprise you guys.”
“Shax is an asshole, too,” Rafe relented, pushing off the wall. “If you interrupted what I think you did, well, you should be glad you’re still alive.”
“I know, right?” His light-green eyes sparkled with mischief. “Anyway, I did come to help you all out. I’m a good tracker. In the last four years, I have found fifteen kids. With my partner, Utah, we’re the best of the best.”
“Why didn’t Utah come with you?” Gabriel prodded.
Bay rolled his shoulders. “Raquel is pregnant. He wants to stay close to home.”
The shocking realization hit Rafe. Every one of Bay’s friends were either mated or having kids. The only people he had left, were his siblings. He wondered if Gabriel saw it. Saw the desperation in the kid’s eyes to just find a spot where he could belong.
“Congrats to them.” Rafe looked to Gabriel. “We should get ready. The other cases won’t get solved on their own.”
“Right. I’ll grab a shower after you, and we’ll head out,” Gabriel said.
Rafe tapped Bay on the shoulder. “Welcome to the team, pup.”
Halfway to upstate New York, they stopped at a little diner to grab some dinner and stretch their legs. Natalie refused to talk to anyone, which wasn’t like her. When Gabriel finished eating, he excused himself and went in search of his sister. He found her outside, near a small stream behind the restaurant. The whole time they drove, he’d second guessed claiming Halo. He’d left a shit-load of her care to his sister, and like the good-natured person she’d always been, she took it in stride and didn’t complain.
“I’ve been a complete and utter jerk to you,” he said, sitting down beside Natalie.
She swiped her eyes. “No. It’s not you.”
“Bay?”
She shook her head again. “It’s not his fault. We’ve always brought him into our lives because we didn’t want him to feel different.”
True. They had. Being as they were so close in age, having him tag along was second nature. Now, since they were older, they’d gone their own way where Bay was concerned, even though he lived with them. “His heart is in the right place. He’s got horrible timing, though.”
She nodded.
“Nat... Are you sure you want to come with us? You can go home and not have to deal with the bullshit. I can do this job.”
“I want to stay,” she said. “We both know Shax is my mate. I can’t leave him.”
“You could, though.”
She shook her head. “We owe this to Aurin and Bain. Both of us. They were our friends. If we can solve these lingering cases, think of how much good work we’ll put back out into the world. At least Bain and Aurin’s families know what happened, there are others who may never know if we don’t help.”
Gabriel hated to agree with her, but she’d been right. “Okay. So, what are you going to do about Shax?”
She laughed. “Mate him. Duh. He’s mine, and I’m his. You’re not going to one up me here.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Fine. I guess we can have the big asshole in our family.”
“Just think, uncle Kalkin will have someone else he can enjoy having pissing contests with.” She giggled.
“Oh, man. I don’t want to be at that first family dinner.”
“Can you imagine?” She continued to laugh. “Our family will never be the same.”
“No, it won’t.”
“I love you, big brother.” Natalie hugged him.
“Love you, too, Nat.” The sound of crunching dead leaves, drew Gabriel’s attention. “We’ve been found.”
“Shit,” Natalie whispered.
Gabriel laughed. “What’s up, Rafe.”
“I hate to interrupt,” Rafe murmured. “But, it’s time to go. We still have about two hours to our first destination.”
“Right.” Gabriel helped Natalie up.
Natalie grinned up at Rafe as she passed him, heading for their waiting SUVs. She appeared a bit more relaxed, but still tired. When she was a good distance away, he closed the distance between him and Gabriel. “Hey.”
Gabriel stepped up to him. “Hey, yourself.”
“You guys going to be okay?” Rafe placed a kiss to Gabriel’s lips.
“We’re going to be fine. You guys, on the other hand.” He shrugged then laughed. “Be glad you have time to get used to being in the Raferty family. The first dinner is going to be hell on wheels.”
“Oh, yeah?” Rafe wrapped his arms around Gabriel.
“Yep.” He placed his cheek to his mate’s chest.
“So, you’re inviting me home then?” Rafe tipped his chin up for another kiss.
“I guess I am, mate.”
Acceptance, love, and arousal swirled in Rafe’s blue eyes. “I accept. I figure when we’re done, it’ll be about time I get to meet them, anyway. Halo will probably be old enough, too.”
“Then you’ll both be in for a surprise,” Gabriel said.
Rafe chuckled. “I already have the best two best surprises in my life now.”
“Yeah, so do I.” Gabriel stared up at Rafe. “I love you.”
A brilliant smile split Rafe’s lips. “I love you too, mate.”
A horn honked from one of the vehicles, and Gabriel laughed. “I guess it’s time to go.”
“And just when this was getting good, too.” Rafe took his hand. “Oh, well, you can make it up to me later.”
A warmth settled within Gabriel, and he nodded. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
THE END
Also By
Welcome to our Window Rock Universe
Apache County Shifters
http://www.apachecountyshifters.com/
Kalkin: Apache County Shifters
Twins (free read): Apache County Shifters
Caden: Apache County Shifters
Teacher (Free read): Apache County Shifters
Rapier: Apache County Shifters
TSU Series
https://turnskin-university.blogspot.com/
Unrequited Mate: TSU
Sorority Row: TSU
Bearing It All: TSU
TSU After Dark
https://tsuafterdark.blogspot.com/
Radio Sass
Revelations (BTS Halloween)
Lupercalia (BTS Valentine’s Day)
Martyrs (BTS Ruined)
Psychic Retrieval Agency
https://psychicretrievalagency.blogspot.com/
Midnight (BAD Bad Alpha Dad)
Fallen Protector (BAD Bad Alpha Dad)
Leaving the Past Behind
https://windowrockorphanage.blogspot.com/
Unbreakable
Entrapped
Lost and Secrets
Black Ops: Project R.O.O.T (Running Out of Time
)
https://blackopsprojectroot.blogspot.com/
Rule Breaker
Extracting Mateo
Coming Soon
Mating Their Witch – Salem Wolves
Misfits – Psychic Retrieval Agency
Silence Isn’t Golden – TSU/PDA
Shattered – Leaving the Past Behind
Blackmail – Leaving the Past Behind (Novella)
Jaqueline’s Quest – Black Ops: Project R.O.O.T
About the Authors
TL Reeve, a bestselling, multi-published author was born out of a love of family and a bond that became unbreakable. Living in Alabama, TL misses Los Angeles, and will one day return to the beaches of Southern California. When not writing something hot and sexy, TL can be found curled up with a good book or working on homework with a cute little pixie.
You can sign up for her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/bv07fn or join TL’s and Michele’s group: www.facebook.come/groups/RandRravingreaders
Michele Ryan is an author with Decadent Publishing, After Glows Publishing, and now Twisted Erotica Publishing. Michele embraced her creative passion and co-authored several books with fellow author and best friend TL Reeve. Michele has also published two solo novellas.
Michele is a lifelong resident of the state of New Jersey, along with her husband and three children, whom she refers to as her hobbits. When Michele is not plotting or writing, she can be found either volunteering at her children’s school or reading.
Check out this sneak peek at Midnight
Chapter One
Midnight
Another raven, another case closed. I stood back from the marker board I’d assembled next to the door of my shitty apartment and stared at the stamp I’d just placed there. Well, the place isn’t so shitty. I mean, on a scale of one to ten, I’d say it’s a six. I’m in the middle of a bum-fucked desert—sand everywhere—nothing but Joshua trees, yucca plants to keep me company, and a bar I chose to stay out of, due to Window Rock’s notorious reputation, I had to deduct points.
I didn’t grow up here. I was raised in the northeast, near Baltimore. My parents were Edgar Allan Poe fanatics and believed they shared some weird kinship to him because my father shared his name, we’re raven-shifters and my mother’s great-grandmother’s middle name had been sweet Lenore—minus the sweet part. Every Halloween, my dad would shift and sit on the railing of our porch and screech out Nevermore in this hideously macabre tone, scaring the shit out of the neighbor kids. More than a few times, parents complained about the animatronic bird who frightened their poor Jimmy, days later.
Instead of my father being contrite about the incidences, he started planning right away for the next year, and what he'd do to terrorize the community. At one point, my parents also tried to buy the notorious Poe house, even though it's a museum. They wanted to host parties there all year round. Of course, it fell through, but you get the picture. There's not a sane bone in their bodies. I suppose, there isn't a sane one in mine either.
When I grew older, their shenanigans became too much for me. I love my parents to death. I’d take a bullet for both of them to make sure they lived, however, a guy could only be kissed so many times by his mom on the cheek while his friends were present. After the last time, I started looking for a job, someplace where I could find myself and give myself, and my parents, some room. Why I chose the middle of nowhere, in some dirt-water town, I don’t know, but the job was too much to resist.
The advertisement I’d seen at the local community college sounded intriguing. Join an elite squad of highly trained humans and shifters... blah, blah, blah. The rest, what hadn’t been said on paper, went deeper. Go places no one else can. Below the initial paragraph explaining, vaguely, who they were, was a list of jobs. Trackers, hunters, skilled marksmen, computer hackers aka: IT professionals, and grunts.
I had skills. I could hunt with the best of them, and since ravens were known for their scavenger skills, I could take nothing and make it into something. I was quick on my feet, too. I made several phone calls that day. I needed to know this new start-up agency was legit. After the third confirmation from a man named Rapier Dryer, I decided to take the test and see if I’d be a fit for the job.
That had been three years ago.
I never looked back. I might bitch about where I live, but I liked it out here. I also hated it. In the last three years, I learned just how depraved people could be to one another. On my first case with my new friends Mane and Crow, we found a little girl chained to a post in the middle of a room. The only thing she wore had been a three-inch thick black leather collar. She had a small waste bucket in the corner that I doubted the chain reached, and a teddy bear. She stunk to high heaven and on top of everything else, she was half feral. The little she-kitten had been taken from her pride in South America and brought to the states to experiment on.
The kitten had telepathic abilities, and the Paranormal Bounty Hunters wanted her. Twenty-five years ago, the PBH had been shut down after a rogue handler and his agent/lover left a trail of destruction in their wake. They killed a senator's son, chased two women to Window Rock and created twins with a shifter to try and make a super race of beings. The two women who showed up in Window Rock were the mates to Kalkin and Caden Raferty and ran the orphanage where Mane, Crow, and I brought the children we rescued. The twins were also mated now. Both had children of their own and worked within the community of Window Rock. Their shifter father was also a member of the sheriff's department.
Like I told my mom the last time I talked to her, I’d never find a more rewarding job than working for the Psychic Retrieval Agency—PRA for short. Not only did I free kids from a life of torture and sadness, I got to watch them change and come out of their self-imposed hells. Of the forty-five children we’d saved so far, fifteen of them were placed with families within the community. The others were either waiting on a judge to emancipate them, or, Maria—one of the intake workers for the orphanage—would try to track down all known next of kin for the kids, so they could be reunited with their biological families. And, each of those families were given the opportunity to join us in the desert. See, Window Rock and Apache County have become a stronghold. No one, and I mean no one, from PBH is allowed inside our county. The deal Kalkin struck with the then leader of PBH had been reinforced by the then Senator Winters, before he too became a mate and retired from the senate...
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I reached for it. This last mission had taken two weeks. I was dead tired and could use about a month, if not a year’s, worth of sleep. The little boy was with Danielle being assessed for how serious his injuries were. If they were too bad, she’d have to send him to the hospital for care, which meant I’d have to go with him to protect him.
Kalkin’s ugly mug filled the screen of my phone, and I groaned. He didn’t have to tell me I was going back to work, I already knew it as I slid my thumb across the screen to answer it. “Parker not improving?” I didn’t even lead out with pleasantries, didn’t have to with the alpha. It was small talk, and he didn’t have time for it. Nor the temperament.
“He’s doing just fine. I think the pup has taken to Danielle. She is a magnet for strays.” I could hear the familial affection in his voice.
“What’s one more Raferty right?” I’d heard all of the elder Raferty men say it a time or two over the years.
“Exactly,” Kalkin answered. “Look, kid, I know you just got home, but I have a priority case I need you for. It can’t be anyone else but you.”
I hated when he called me kid, and I hated when he said only I could do a job. All of us were uniquely capable of doing the job, Kalkin just enjoyed giving me the shit jobs. I kind of thought he got off on it. “Are you sure you can’t get anyone else to do it?”
“I would if I could,” Kalkin replied. “I’ve emailed you the file on the girl. Her name is Haley, and she is a raven shifter like you.”
Color me shocked. I stood there not sure what to say. “You�
��re sure?”
“She’s been in the human foster care system for sixteen years. We needed her here yesterday. Jerome has made allowances for you to use the agency jet to reach her. You have twelve hours to sleep and pack up. The plane takes off at 0500 hours.”
A Raven shifter? I’d been stuck on the thought of another like me, out there without her family. Now, don’t think I went all mushy, I didn’t. I’d never heard of a familial conspiracy—don’t laugh, I know it’s a fucked-up name for what we’re called—not caring for one of their own. “0500,” I stated, still confused by my mission.
“Sleep, read over the information, and have your ass on the plane. Same protocol as always. You’ll have access to all the safe houses; a car will be waiting at the airstrip for you, and if you need them a field operative will be available to assist you.”
Kalkin didn’t even say goodbye, he hung up on me. Typical. Asshole. I went over to where I'd placed my laptop bag and grabbed it. Taking it, a bottle of Jack, and the dinner I'd picked up from the diner in town, I made my way to my room. If Kalkin said I had twelve hours to sleep and make it to the plane, I had more like ten. Might as well eat and research this raven kid. I placed my laptop on the small desk in my room along with my food before sitting.
My stomach gave an appreciative growl as I popped open the to-go box. My mouth watered. I ate a few fries while I waited for my laptop to boot up then poured myself a glass of whiskey. I earned it. Don’t judge.
After I scarfed the majority of my burger, I checked my email. I don't know what I expected in terms of information on Haley. However, I did curse under my breath at the code name given to her: Nevermore. Jerome Blackhorn, one of the co-owners of PRA and Kalkin Raferty were sick individuals, I’d give them that much.
Usually, when I received a file, I had a little more than three pages to go off of, and one of them wasn’t a report card, yet, I stared at it. The girl was bright. Straight A’s. She did have a temper, though, and that’s where things got a little hairy. Besides being a raven shifter like me, she also had the ability to control fire–pyrokinesis. Seems in the last few months, she’d used those abilities, putting herself out in the open.
