“Your brother loves humans, huh?” Her smile faded as she stared at him. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Your eyes are glowing, like they do when you’re upset or stressed. Am I right?” She not only understood him well, but knew way more than she should about shifters. He had bloody revealed too much, putting his kind—and her—in danger. “Why doesn’t your brother like humans?” Why did she want to know when she kept insisting this was only casual? “Rex?”
“Because humans killed our dad.” His voice was bitter even to his own ears. “He had let out his wolf and was running in the forest when the hunters got him. Didn’t stop shooting until he fell.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she sat on the bed, head in her hands. “I had no idea.”
He had not wanted to upset her, but it touched him that she cared. “You weren’t to know, Leanne.”
“But the number of times I’ve talked about the threat shifters might be to humans. Why didn’t you tell me?” Because I have no idea of where I stand with you. She looked up at him, eyes shining with emotion. “I’m not surprised your brother hates us.” Hate was a strong word, but how else could he describe Tyr’s feelings? His own brother could not stand her kind, so why was he being a fucking idiot and even going there? “If anything, this only confirms we can’t get too attached.” Her lips trembled. “It’s not just about us. With the authorities getting involved, who knows what will happen?”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” he told her. The threat of a possible confrontation between humans and shifters was causing him sleepless nights, but he did not want her worrying.
“You don’t get it,” she said, looking as if she might cry. “What if the government finds out about shapeshifters? What if something happens to you?”
Regardless of what she said, it was obvious her feelings went beyond the casual, and he had to try to be satisfied with that—because no matter how much she cared for him, it did not mean she would ever get past what he was. Or stand by him if her kind did go after shifters. He took her by the shoulders, gently pulling so she stood. He kept his voice soft. “Let’s not worry about what might happen tomorrow.” He should not have brought the subject up. “Forget what I said about meeting each other’s families. Stupid idea. Let’s enjoy what we have now.”
She was uncertain. “Are you sure, because that’s not what you were saying a bit ago. This is all so bloody confusing!”
“I’ve just been a little stressed, wasn’t thinking straight.” Anything to see her smile again. “Leanne, I honestly don’t know why I mentioned all that. I’m happy with the way things are.” He forced a grin to his face. “Things are going great between us, aren’t they?” She also smiled, letting go of the bed sheet and coming into his arms. When she moaned, giving him a needy kiss, his control crumbled. He ran his palms over her curvy body, so soft and inviting. Grabbing her ass, he relished the feel of it filling his hands as he buried his face in her breasts. Work would wait. But as he pushed her back onto the bed his mobile rang, the one he had to answer. “I have to take this,” he growled.
Cursing under his breath, he answered the call. “GCB has put together a Special Response Team to deal with new developments,” said the voice on the other side, “A member had to drop out and you’ve been nominated to join in her place. Location 472. In two hours.” And then there was a dead tone.
He turned to look at Leanne, laid naked across the bed, eyes bright. “I’m sorry—”
She sat up, wrapping the bed sheet around her again. “You have to go?”
Damn, if only he did not. “It’s an important meeting. I can’t miss it.”
“I understand.” She stood to kiss him. “Call me later?”
“Soon,” he promised. He gave her a deep kiss, inhaling her essence as if he could enclose some of her inside him, to keep him going until the next time he saw her. When he stepped back, his beast struggled to come forward, resisting his intention of leaving her.
Leanne … his mate. But it was the last thing she wanted.
TWO HOURS LATER HE WAS in central London, outside the tall building where the meeting was to take place. He placed his palm on the glass plate at the side of the reinforced doors. As red lights buzzed around his fingers, he fixed his gaze on the green beam above the plate, a mild heaviness in his head the only indication his retinae were being scanned. The doors opened for a few seconds, just long enough to allow him entry. Six burly and good-looking security guards waited inside the large reception area, tall and muscular. A wolf, two bears, and a tiger … His sense of smell could not work out what the remaining two were, so he guessed them to be a mix of at least two different shifter species. The tiger had his eyes on the LED screen above the reception desk, which displayed Rex’s image, information about his wolf form and human designation; along with other details such as age and political affiliations. Two smiling receptionists awaited his arrival at the desk, and one of them, a feline of some kind, asked him to follow her. As she walked ahead of him, her hips moved as if a tail was attached even to her human form. Any other time he would ask for her number, but these days only Leanne occupied his mind.
The receptionist stopped at another set of doors where he was scanned again before being allowed entry. Despite the many times he had been here, he had to go through the same procedure, and was glad to see the high level of security being maintained. It was only a few years ago that the British intelligence service investigated the global communications company that leased the whole building and operated under such tight security. The government agency could not track any suspicious activities in the organization and apart from the odd request for an inspection or a report on its financial affairs, it was left alone. Yet the security personnel throughout the building remained on high alert. For occasions when humans did visit the premises there was a sensor at the main entrance that activated an automatic system—switching the building’s settings so that the environment, including the LED screens, adjusted to allow for human presence. No chance of the GCB London headquarters being infiltrated anytime soon. He followed the receptionist into the large office, which looked like any other open-plan job with over a hundred workers busy at laptops, each an expert in their communications position. And a beast.
They both did not pause, walking through the open-plan office and entering a corridor, at the end of which the receptionist opened the door to a large conference hall. Designer lighting gave the effect of natural sunlight, bringing some calm to the corporate environment of the room, and a long table dominated the middle. Around thirty shifters sat at one end of the table, designed to seat over a hundred, an electronic communication device facing each member. Xia, that no-nonsense leopard with a high-up position in the British intelligence service, was at the head of the table, which meant she would chair the meeting today.
He nodded at Hina, a wise old fox whose opinion he respected. As humans hunted down his species for sport, the fox was one of those who continued to push for harmony. Junaid, a black jaguar and good friend, smiled in acknowledgment as Rex sat down. As luck would have it, he ended up opposite Klahan, a tiger from Thailand whose dislike for humans turned to hate after his tigress mate was captured and used as a tourist attraction in Bangkok. Unable to shift to human form, she eventually died from the trauma. It was just as well Rex had scrubbed himself down in the shower before coming here. There was no way the tiger would get the whiff of a human female off him.
Klahan’s smile was far from friendly. “Glad you could make it.”
“I got the message two hours ago,” Rex replied.
“Sorry. Forgot you were only the backup.”
“Thank you all for coming,” Xia interjected. Like the rest of the beasts in the hall, she was in human form, her olive skin forming a striking combination with that dark blond hair. But unlike the other shifters, she had pure human blood in her. Her mother was a shapeshifting leopard and father human. After all thes
e years they were both making the relationship work, so it was not impossible for Leanne and him … was it?
Xia’s eyes flitted around the hall, so dark they could be black. She swiped the screen of her device. “I am afraid the news is not great.” Rex checked the device in front of him, frowning at the notes she had highlighted. “You’ve heard the rumors that the government is taking the reports about shapeshifters seriously.” She cleared her throat. “I can confirm the intelligence and security services are working together on a joint investigation as we speak, the details of which even I do not have access to.”
“It was bound tae happen sooner or later.” The selkie, dressed in a tailored two-piece, spoke in a Scottish accent, his hand resting on the locked briefcase he had placed on the table in front of him. He was a seal who took human form while on land, and Rex was willing to bet the briefcase contained his shed sealskin. “What with th’ stories that have bin spreading about us for a long time now.”
Yes, shapeshifters had always been there, in the myths and legends of different human cultures, but never taken seriously before. Rex leaned forward. “Any way to stop the investigation?” The leopard was clever, she must have considered something.
Xia shook her head. “If we try to interfere, we will draw more attention to ourselves.” She glanced around the table, at nobody in particular. “It is up to us to be careful. If we do not give them the evidence, they will not find it. So GCB has decided we should learn to exert greater control over our beasts. From now on, we only shift when absolutely necessary.”
“You’re going to end up with a lot of angry shifters.” said Rex, and the lioness next to him nodded. If they did not change to their full beast forms regularly they suffered, emotionally and physically.
“We will have to manage our tempers somehow.” Xia’s voice was firm. “Government surveillance is increasing, and this is a skill we have to learn to survive. It will get easier with time.”
Klahan snorted. “Easy for you to say when you’ve got no idea of the agony it causes. You’re a half-breed”—a flicker in Xia’s dark eyes was her only response to his insult—“and you don’t have to shift as often as we do.”
“This new regulation is not my doing,” Xia replied. “GCB’s Key Members took an executive decision and asked me to relay it at this meeting.”
“It is nae a fair law,” said the selkie. “Why are we always livin’ in fear of humans, anyway? Do you have any idea how difficult it is for us selkies? We’re havin’ a heart attack each time we take a feckin’ emergency flight and have to carry our sealskin in our luggage, in case it gets confiscated.” He inhaled, deep. “Tae be honest, many beasts are angry.” Several members murmured in agreement.
“I understand your concerns,” Xia responded, “But the decision is made. Full information will be provided by the end of today, and it will be up to each area Representative to monitor local shifters and ensure the new regulation is followed.” Fucking great. She raised her voice, speaking over the voices of protest rising around the table. “I appreciate some may find this period particularly difficult. Support groups and therapy centers will be set up worldwide for beasts who need them.” She tapped on her device. “Sending each of you local details now.”
A notification popped up on Rex’s device with instructions on the safest places and times to shift for the London-based shifters, along with locations of where the local support and therapy centers would be.
“A bloody waste of resources.” Klahan frowned at the information in front of him. “Those fuckers will reach us, no matter what.”
Rex would have liked to differ, but human agencies were more advanced than they made themselves out to be. Eventually, some government agency would figure out there were shapeshifting beasts living among humans, not only in England but worldwide. And then it was only a matter of time before medical tests took place on a global scale.
“You are right, eventually the authorities will reach us,” said Xia. “But better if it happens later, giving us more time to prepare. And that brings us to the reason this meeting was called. We need to agree on what to do if we are discovered. Negotiate for peace? Or attack?”
God damn it. Had things really got to this point?
“There’s only one way to prepare for the bastards.” Klahan’s eyes glowed white, fangs pressing forward over his lower lip.
Hina shook his head. “We should aim to avoid conflict.”
“Fuck this obsession of avoiding war.” The tiger’s gaze was on Rex. “GCB has already set us back by blocking the use of telepathy.”
Not that again. “The last thing anyone wanted was to block our abilities,” Rex told him. “And it wouldn’t have come to this if shifters had followed the regulation introduced decades ago and only used telepathy during emergencies.” For fuck’s sake, some beasts were caught using the ability to order pizza. “We all know the Council did its best”—even introducing worldwide programs to train beasts to control their ability—“but if shifters did not comply, what could it do? Wait until human technologies picked up on our communication signals?”
“The Great Wolf,” said Klahan, “Who remains on friendly terms with our enemies and gives them jobs in his company, even after they killed his father.” Why the fuck was he bringing that up? It was bad enough having Tyr provoke him about the subject. “What else can we expect from a coward?” Rex’s claws grew, his head becoming heavy and fangs on the verge of pushing through. I have to control my beast. He kept his hands under the table and out of sight while his claws retracted. No matter what, he had to keep a clear mind during this meeting. “Our beasts are strong,” the tiger argued, “And many of us angry. Those wimps would be no match for us.” Snarls joined his voice, backing him.
“That is where you are wrong.” Xia said, “Humans have advanced technologies that we are not even aware of. Our beasts may not be a match for them. Not yet.”
“Bullshit! And how do we even know you’re not on their side?” Klahan was being a first-class bastard. Xia had put herself at risk countless times to get classified information to the shifters.
“Xia does not need to prove her loyalty,” Hina told him. “And remember, if we do not avoid conflict many lives will be destroyed, on both sides. I have lost loved ones too, but going on a rampage against all humans for the actions of a few would be even crazier than what they did.”
“But that is exactly what they would do.” Junaid? His friend was usually one of the more reasonable shifters but right now there was a faint white glow in his eyes, a striking contrast with his dark skin. “The jaguars do not want conflict either, but we have to be realistic. Humans are fearful creatures and this makes them act irrationally. The day they discover us, they will kill indiscriminately. And that would be the fate of the lucky ones. The caged ones would be tortured in the name of experiments.”
Rex looked his friend in the eye, voice quiet and controlled. “If there’s a chance for unity, shouldn’t we take it?”
Junaid paused, with the thoughtfulness as much a part of his nature as his beast. “And if the chance does not pay off, my friend? It would mean we have lost valuable time.”
Rex may have agreed with the jaguar once. But now, if war broke out, what about Leanne? For the first time, he was torn between duty and his personal feelings. “But if it does pay off, it might mean peace,” he said, “Is it so impossible, that we could co-exist with their kind?” He hoped not … Because the alternative was death. A lot of it.
“Why such sympathy for humans?” asked Klahan. “The only species on our planet that kills for spite and pleasure, rarely for survival.”
The striking lady sat next to Junaid leaned forward, her deep-set almond eyes burning red. She was a naga, shifter snake, from India; who he had met at previous Council meetings. When she spoke, a faint glimpse of scales appeared over her smooth brown skin, fading away just as instantly. “They do not deserve our mercy. Do you know how many of our naga are taken by these people and ke
pt captive, for the sake of entertainment?” She took a tissue from her bag, wiping away the poison that had dripped from her mouth to her chin. Who have you lost? “What about those who steal snake venom to use as medicine, while they destroy us?” When she breathed out, it was with a hiss. “And the holy men who hunt naga for our magic, our knowledge of hidden treasures?”
“Humans are a fucking destructive species, destroying our environment and its inhabitants,” Klahan added, “This planet is better off without them.”
“Not all of them are the same.” Rex struggled to control himself at the thought of a beast like Klahan going after Leanne. “There are influential people who would negotiate with us. Aggression can be avoided.”
“Like hell it can.” The tiger stared at him. “We have species among us that can turn humans, through a bite. That’s the best solution. We turn as many of the fuckers as we can and increase our ranks—”
“Klahan!” Xia slammed her hand on the table. “You are being provocative, and it is not helping this discussion.” Her eyes flashed white. “Changing humans, forced or otherwise, is banned.”
Klahan snarled. “Why doesn’t the fucking Council just throw us to our enemies and beg them to hunt us down?”
There was a warning glow in Xia’s gaze, which the tiger would heed if he was not so up his own ass. “GCB makes decisions geared toward harmony on this planet, to the extent it can be maintained.” When she narrowed her eyes, the light in them remained strong. “It is the reason we have managed to live among humans for centuries. And as far as your disgusting proposal is concerned, any interaction with other species needs to be ethical. Even if forced changing was allowed, you think humans would not notice if their kind suddenly disappeared in large numbers? It would be the surefire way to bring their full force upon us.”
The Wolf's Bride (Shifters Unleashed Book 1) Page 10