by Fatima Fayez
"I'm going to miss working for the best boss ever."
He smiled at my words.
I wished Javier a goodbye and walked out of his office. I left the bounty office feeling more than a little drained. It had been more emotional than I’d expected. And it felt strange that I would no longer be walking down that hallway to ask for the latest bounties. That part of my life was over.
I was lost in my thoughts when someone walked up behind me. I moved to the side so they could pass, but they kept pace with me. I glanced at the man and stumbled. He reached out a hand and steadied me. I halted in place. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
Diego scowled down at me. He still had that lock of hair falling across his forehead. I resisted the urge to brush it away. He'd probably bite my hand off if I did anyways. "I warned you about coming after my shifters."
"I didn't." I had been around vampires.
"Then why was your scent all over my castle?"
"You must be mistaken."
"You're questioning my sense of smell?" His voice could have frozen water. It was a grave insult to say that to a shifter. An insult that someone could be challenged over.
I closed my eyes and counted to five. I opened them again. "I'm just saying you must be mistaken."
"Are you that eager to start the challenge? You know you won't be walking away from that, right?"
Without the bounty assignments and assassinations, life was bound to get boring. A challenge with the Enforcer sounded like the most interesting thing that could happen in my near future. I grinned at Diego. "Actually, I can't wait."
The leader of the dragon shifters blinked at me. "You must be insane. There's no other explanation for it."
"You can't use that excuse to get out of the challenge. I'm still doing it," I warned him with a growing smile.
He shook his head. "Crazier than a bat."
I started walking and gave him a sideways glance as he picked up the pace beside me. "Where are you going?" I asked him.
"To the Alliance. I need to tell them that there's a crazy witch on the loose who needs to be locked up. She's a danger to the community."
I laughed. "They already know."
"It's going to be a long two years," he said.
"Yes, but it's better than jail. I—" I halted mid-stride, turning to him in shock. "Wait, how did you know that?"
The dragon shifter kept walking.
I jogged to catch up with him. "How did you know that?" I asked when I caught up with him.
Diego shot me a sideways look. "It was the best solution to the problem."
I gaped at him. He had orchestrated this. All of this. It explained why Leon had caved in to my demands so easily. Leon was under Diego's orders. I thought the Alliance shifters didn't fall under the leader of the shifters, but it appeared I was wrong. Very wrong. Leon ultimately reported to Diego. As if seeing the missing pieces fall into place in my mind, Diego smiled smugly. "With my shifters keeping an eye on you, you won't be running around the city killing any more of them."
Fire and brimstone.
“But—” I paused with a frown. “Didn’t Leon mention the self-defense clause?”
His smug smile disappeared. Thunder appeared on his brow.
I gave him a wink before I turned and strolled away from the pissed-off shifter. Hidden from Diego’s view, I allowed a wide grin to spread across my face. It was going to be an interesting two years.
THE END…FOR NOW…
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