He paused. “I could try and be there to drive him and Corey home every day, but my job isn’t exactly a nine to five. I work weird hours and if I’m on a case, I might not be able to get away to drive him home.”
“A case?” Kaida said.
“I’m a detective with the fifty-third precinct,” Bren replied.
“Tyler doesn’t strike me as the type who likes to be babysat anyway,” Kaida said.
He snorted. “Yeah, he isn’t. He’s scared but he’ll also be pissed about being watched like a child. I don’t blame him. Those pricks are the ones who deserve to be punished, yet he’ll be the one being punished. He deserves to live a normal life, and to not have to worry about being beat up because of who he loves.”
His hands were rolled into tight fists and he slammed them on his own thighs in frustration. “He’s a good kid, always sees the good in people, and I hate that he’s learning the truth about them.”
“Humans suck.” There was no malice in her voice, only a weary resignation.
“Yeah, we really do.”
“I might know someone who can help you,” she said.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes.” The sun was low in the horizon and he watched the dying light flash in her eyes. “I have a friend who owns a private security company. They provide personal security for paranormals mostly, but I know they provide their services to humans too. I’ll give Bishop a call tomorrow and -”
He started to laugh, and she frowned at him. “What’s so funny?”
“You’re talking about Bishop King, aren’t you?”
She jerked all over. “Yes. Do you know him?”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t say anything else and she raised one perfect eyebrow at him. “How do you know him, human?”
“His girlfriend had some trouble with a guy a while back. The guy murdered Ava’s friend and was stalking her, and I was assigned to the case. We never did find him, and the case has gone cold, but I’ve had some interactions with Bishop and Ava on and off since then.”
“What kind of interactions?” she asked.
“Social stuff, mostly.”
If a person referred to saving the giant grizzly shifter from another grizzly about to rip his head off and then helping him and his friends rescue a phoenix shifter from a mad scientist as ‘social stuff’, then yeah, it was totally social.
“Human?”
He glanced at Kaida. “Sorry, what?”
“I said if you know Bishop then you know he can help. You should call him.”
“Yeah, maybe I will.”
The grizzly shifter wouldn’t be happy to hear from him, he still believed that Bren had a thing for Ava, but Bren would do whatever he had to, to keep Tyler safe.
“It’s a good idea,” he said. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
They watched in silence as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.
Chapter Three
“You should have told me, Corey.” Tyler squeezed Corey’s hand as he sat next to him on the couch.
The shifter started to sit up and Gram appeared. “Oh no you don’t, fox shifter. You need to stay still. Nothing’s broken, but your ribs are bruised badly and you’re lucky you don’t have a concussion.”
Corey touched the side of his face gingerly. There was dark bruising rising on his tanned skin and his cheek and jaw had swelled to twice their size.
Gram draped warm, steaming cloths across his ribs before pressing another one against his jaw. Corey’s nose wrinkled, and Gram laughed. “Ayuh, I know. It stinks but it’ll help. Trust me.”
Tyler frowned when Gram reached to touch Corey’s forehead and the boy sniffed at her hand. A weird look crossed his face and his eyes widened as he looked at Gram.
“There, there,” Gram said, “old Gram ain’t going to hurt you. Don’t you worry now, boy.”
Corey stared nervously at her as she rested her hand on his forehead for a moment. She winked at him and went back to the stove.
“Why – why did you bring me to them?” Corey whispered.
“I didn’t bring you to them. The woman, Kaida, showed up and saved us. She beat the hell out of Jeff and the others. You were unconscious and in your fox form, and she said she knew someone who could help you. I didn’t know what else to do,” Tyler said.
He glanced at Gram before squeezing Corey’s hand again. “Why are you frightened of her?”
“I’m not.” Corey licked his lips.
“You are. Do bear shifters and fox shifters not, uh, get along normally?” Tyler asked.
“Bear shifters?” Corey hesitated and then gave Tyler a weak smile. “Fox shifters are, um, cautious around other shifters, that’s all. We’re not as big as some of them, you know?”
“You should have told me you were a paranormal,” Tyler said.
“I don’t tell anyone, Ty,” Corey replied. “Not even my foster parents know.”
“Why do you keep it a secret? Most humans don’t care. They’re not -”
Corey shook his head. “You, more than anyone, know that isn’t true.”
“I’m not like my dad,” Tyler said. “Why would you ever think that I was?”
“I know you’re not,” Corey said. “But you’re naïve about paranormals and humans. There are humans who aren’t frightened of us, who think we deserve to be treated as equals, but there are plenty of people like your dad who think we should be locked away.”
“He doesn’t think you should be locked away,” Tyler protested. “He just….”
He couldn’t get the words out. He knew exactly what his father wanted.
Corey sighed. “He hates the paranormals. What do you think he would say if he knew his son was dating one?”
“I’m nothing like my father,” Tyler repeated miserably.
“I know.” Corey smiled at him. “But I thought it would be better if you didn’t know. You already have to keep secrets from him, I didn’t want to add another to the list.”
“I love you, Corey.” Tyler said.
“I love you too,” Corey said. The door to the cabin opened and Bren and Kaida walked in.
“Hi, Corey. How are you feeling?” Bren asked.
“Hey, Bren. I’m okay.” Corey’s gaze slid to Kaida.
“This is Kaida,” Tyler said. “She saved you.”
Bren was studying first Corey and then Kaida, a thoughtful and considering look on his face. Tyler could sense the tension radiating from both Corey and Kaida. Corey was squeezing his hand so hard that his fingers were going numb.
“She saved you,” he repeated.
“Thank you.” Corey looked away.
Kaida turned to Gram. “Can we move him? We should probably get him home before his family starts to worry.”
“Nope.” Gram shook her head. “He really shouldn’t go anywhere for a few days.”
“He can’t stay here, Gram,” Kaida said.
“We don’t have much choice, mostoirín,” Gram said.
“His family won’t allow him to stay with strangers,” Kaida replied.
“They don’t care,” Tyler said. “They’re his foster folks and they don’t give a shit about him.”
“I can’t stay here.” Corey said with growing alarm. “I’ll be fine. Help me up.” He started to sit up and groaned in pain before grabbing at his side and falling back to the couch.
Gram frowned at him in disapproval. “I told you not to move, fox shifter.”
Tyler stroked his arm. “It’s only for a day or two, Corey and then you can come stay at my house.”
Corey laughed weakly. “Yeah, like that wouldn’t make your dad suspicious at all.”
“I’ll come by tomorrow morning, okay?” Tyler smiled at him. “Bren, you have the weekend off, right?”
His brother nodded and Tyler said, “Will you bring me out here?”
“Sure, if it’s okay with Kaida and her grandmother.”
“Tyler, don’t leave me here alone,�
� Corey said.
“They won’t hurt you. In fact, Kaida has offered to teach us how to fight so next time Jeff and his asshole buddies attack us, we can defend ourselves,” Tyler said.
Corey stared at him in disbelief and Tyler said, “What? What’s wrong?”
“All right, time for the fox shifter to get some rest,” Gram said before Corey could reply. She patted Tyler’s arm. “Don’t worry. Your boyfriend will be fine with us. You come by tomorrow morning and you can spend the day with us.”
“Gram…” Kaida sighed.
Gram ignored her and patted Tyler’s arm again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, boy. All right?”
“Okay.” Tyler leaned forward and kissed Corey’s mouth. “I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Corey was still staring at Kaida with fear in his eyes and Tyler looked uncertainly at Bren. “Maybe I should stay with him just -”
“No,” Kaida said impatiently. “The fox shifter will be fine. You can come by in the morning.”
“But I -”
“Enough, Tyler,” Bren said. “We’ve imposed on Kaida and her family enough. It’s time to go.”
“Right.” Tyler kissed Corey again before resting his forehead against the smaller boy’s. “It’ll be okay, Corey. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
* * *
Kaida stirred the soup on the stove before tasting it. She stirred it again, then turned to look at the fox shifter who was still lying on the couch. Gram had left half an hour ago and the boy hadn’t said a word since she’d left.
“The soup will be ready in a few more minutes.”
He didn’t reply.
“Are you hungry?” Kaida asked.
“Not really,” he said.
“You should try and eat.” She frowned at him and could immediately smell his fear rolling off of him in waves. “You do not need to be afraid, little fox. I promise I will not harm you.”
She’d hoped that Corey wouldn’t figure out what they were, but she should have known better. Foxes were well known for their sense of smell and the way he had looked at her and Gram suggested he at least had an idea.
It was confirmed when he said, “Your kind is supposed to be extinct.”
“And how do you know what my kind is?” she asked.
“You smell like smoke and… flame,” he said. “One of the foster homes I was staying in, they had a children’s book about you. You smell like smoke, it said.”
She didn’t reply and he said timidly, “You’re a dragon. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, little fox. We are dragons.”
“Holy shit,” he said. “Holy shit.”
There was excitement under his fear now. She needed to impress upon him how important it was to keep this to himself. She believed that Cadmus would let the fox shifter live – if she hadn’t, she would never have brought him here – but if the kid didn’t realize how important it was to keep their clan’s existence a secret and Cadmus picked up on that…
“How many are in your clan?” he asked.
“Twenty-five, but there will be a hatchling born soon.”
She spooned some soup into a bowl and helped Corey sit up before handing him the bowl. He sniffed it gingerly and she heard his stomach rumble
Kaida smiled briefly. “Eat, little fox. The sooner you regain your strength, the sooner you’ll be able to leave.”
“Right.” He ate some of the soup as Kaida sat down in the armchair. “Did you tell Tyler you were a bear shifter?”
She shook her head. “I did not.”
“He thinks you are.”
“That’s better for him. In fact,” she leaned forward and stared directly at the teenager, “if you tell Tyler what we really are, it will not end well.”
“What do you mean?” Corey whispered.
“We will burn you to a crisp, little fox. You, your boyfriend, and his brother.”
“I…what?” Corey’s face had turned white and she hated that she was scaring him, but she had no choice.
“No one can know of our existence. I brought you here because I feared you had a serious head injury and my grandmother is a healer. But, by doing so, I have revealed a secret you were never meant to know. In the morning, you will go before the council of elders. They will decide your fate.”
“My fate?” Corey held the bowl of soup in a tight grip.
“If you can convince the council that you will not reveal our existence, they will allow you to live. If they believe, even a little, that you won’t keep our secret…”
She inhaled and then allowed a small plume of smoke to escape when she exhaled. Corey’s eyes widened and in a quivering voice said, “They’ll kill me.”
“Yes, little fox, they will.”
He’d lost so much colour now, he was practically transparent. He stared at the bowl of soup in his hand before setting it on the coffee table. “I won’t say anything,” he said. “Not to Tyler, not to anyone. I promise.”
“I know,” Kaida said. “Be very clear on that point when you meet with the council in the morning.”
“I-I will.” His voice was quivering again, and she leaned forward and rested one hand on his shoulder. He flinched but she only squeezed lightly.
“Get some more rest, little fox. Do not worry about tomorrow. If you truly mean what you say about keeping our secret, the elders will see that.”
When he curled up on the couch, she drew the blanket over him before taking his bowl to the counter. She rubbed at her forehead, feeling nauseous and a little like a monster. What kind of shifter told a child he would die?
It’s for his own good.
Yes, it was. And, she took a deep breath, Cadmus would let him live. He would never harm a child. The other elders in the council might argue but Cadmus was the high elder. They would bend to his will.
She stood in the kitchen and ate a bowl of soup before washing the dishes and putting the leftovers in the fridge. By the time she was finished, Corey was sleeping again on the couch.
There was a knock on the door, and she hurried to open it before Corey woke. She groaned inwardly at the shifter standing on her front porch. He was over six feet tall with broad shoulders. His shoulder length dark red hair had streaks of green throughout it, and there were flecks of emerald in his golden eyes.
“Good evening, Drago.”
He peered around her at the fox shifter sleeping on the couch before snorting in disgust. “The council wants to see you.”
“Yes, I imagine they do.” She threw her cloak over her shoulders and followed the red-headed dragon into the darkness.
* * *
Bren stepped into the foyer of his apartment building. He usually took the stairs but, bone tired and ready for a hot shower and cold beer, he took the elevator up to his apartment. He’d just slid the key into the lock when the door across the hallway swung open.
“Bren!”
He groaned inwardly. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his neighbour, he was just really fucking tired and in no mood for small talk. Pasting a smile on his face, he turned around. “Hey, Helen.”
Helen eyed him up and down, her light blue eyes studying his before a frown crossed her wrinkled face. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks.”
The old woman hobbled forward. One hand carried a foil covered plate, the other held her elaborately carved cane. The cane banged rhythmically against the floor. “Bad night at work?”
“No, I was off today. There was a bit of trouble with Tyler.”
Her eyebrows rose in alarm. “Ty? Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s having some problems with a few kids at school.”
Helen thumped a little closer. “You tell Ty to come see me if he needs a little spell to put those assholes in their place.”
How bad was it that Bren was actually considering whether the old woman’s offer could be a viable solution?
He smiled at her. “That’s kind of you to offer, but there’s some pretty firm no shifting, spell u
sing, or blood sucking rules at Tyler’s school.”
“Humans and their rules.” Helen snorted and glanced behind her at her apartment. “Why don’t you come in for a visit. Elora is finishing up her shower, but the two of you can have a few beers and… visit.”
“Thanks, but I’ll take a rain check. It’s been a long day.”
A scowl flitted across her face before she shoved the foil-covered plate at him. “All right then. Take these muffins. They’re banana – you’re favourite. I baked them especially for you.”
He took the muffins. “Thank you, Helen.”
“Make sure you eat one tonight,” she said, “you’re looking a bit thin.”
“I will. Thanks again. Good night.”
“Night.”
He stepped into his apartment, closing the door behind him. He rubbed at his forehead and walked into the kitchen, flicking on the light. He peeled off the foil from the plate and stared at the two banana muffins on the plate before opening the garbage can and dumping them in.
He set the plate on the counter and grabbed a beer from the fridge, twisting off the top and pitching the cap into the garbage before taking a long drink. He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes. Immediately, Kaida’s face popped into his mind - her pale skin, the full curve of her bottom lip and those oddly appealing golden-coloured eyes with their blue flecks. Where did someone get contacts like that? Online, maybe?
He wondered what the real colour of her eyes were. Not that it mattered, she’d be sexy as hell no matter what colour her eyes were. Just the sound of her voice had made it difficult for him to concentrate. Low and raspy with a slight accent that he couldn’t place. How would she sound when he had his face buried between her legs?
What the fuck, man? Since when did you start imagining going down on a woman you just met?
Since now, apparently. But could you blame him? Kaida pushed all of his buttons and he was definitely looking forward to seeing her again tomorrow. His dick twitched, and he reached down and adjusted himself roughly.
His brother was in trouble, was now really the time for getting his rocks off over a weirdly hot bear shifter who lived in the middle of the damn woods? He needed to be figuring out how to keep Tyler and Corey safe, not wondering what Kaida’s body looked like under that cloak or how her pussy would taste.
The Dragon's Mate (Shifters Series Book 7) Page 3
