That Girl is Poison

by Milly Taiden

  “My pleasure.” Raveena waved to them as she headed for the door.

  After Raveena left, Mara picked up the clothes, folded them, and set them in a pile on the coffee table. Now all she needed was a long soak in a hot bath, and she would be good to go. The guys planned on going to a meeting, so she would have plenty of time.

  “I hate leaving you here by yourself.” Xeon pulled her into his arms.

  “I’m an adult, remember? I’ll be fine.” She pressed her lips against his, trying to reassure him. “Everything will be fine.”

  “If you get bored, call Raveena,” Kyro suggested and pulled her from Xeon’s arms into his own. He claimed her mouth, teasing her lips with his tongue. She parted her lips, inviting him in.

  “Come on, Kyro. We have a meeting to hold.” Xeon pulled Kyro away. “We’ll be back in a few hours. Then we’ll have all the time we want to romance you.”

  “You boys need to learn to share your toys.” She arched a brow at them.

  “Hey, I shared. I shared a lot last night,” Xeon said with a smirk.

  “Yes you did. Maybe next time you can join us instead of sitting in the corner like you’re in time out,” Mara said to Xeon.

  “No one puts me in time out. I just thought it was what you needed at the time.” Xeon kissed her once more before heading out the door with Kyro in tow.

  Mara watched them leave but hated seeing them go. She loved spending time with them. Though she’d only known them a short time, she felt like she’d known them forever.

  Because they’re our mates, her panther said from within.

  “I still have much to learn,” she mumbled under her breath.

  I teach, her panther replied.

  I’ll teach you more, her vampire side informed her. At least that was the voice she associated the vampire with.

  Suddenly, Mara heard a laugh coming from within her she had not recognized.

  “Great, something else to look forward to.” Mara grabbed the jeans, shirt, and little pink bag off the coffee table.

  She went into the master bathroom, closed the door, and set her clothes on the counter by the sink. The little pink bag called her name, so she peeked inside. There were three matching bra and panty sets. One by one, she pulled them out. The sets were alike, but different colors. One emerald green set matched the T-shirt she’d picked out. The others were black and white.

  The bra fit smaller than she normally wore, but it should work just fine. Maybe a little lift wouldn’t be too bad. She placed the black set on top of her clothes. The green one would be for another night with the guys. After Mara turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, she put in the plug and waited for the tub to fill. Piece by piece, she pulled her clothes off and dropped them into the dirty clothes hamper.

  When the tub was filled, she turned off the water. She eased her foot in, slowly allowing her body to adjust to the temperature. She submerged her body, laid her head against the tub, and relaxed.

  No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t completely relax. The voices that swirled around in her head were starting to aggravate her. More and more seem to be clouding her brain each day, fighting for their chance to be heard. It gave her a headache. Would it ever be enough? When could she draw the line and say no more? In truth, she couldn’t. The doctor had completely screwed her up, no telling what else stirred inside.

  Chapter Twelve

  Xeon drove to the house, where they were going to meet with the other alphas. While not a common occurrence for the packs to meet, it did happen. They usually took care of their own with no interference from others. With the missing shifters coming from different packs, the time had come for him to bring everyone together.

  They were the first to arrive at the meeting house. It would be rude if the host showed up late. When they got inside, Kyro started a pot of coffee. Xeon was grateful since their morning had been cut short by Raveena’s arrival. Just as Xeon poured his cup of java, a vehicle pulled up outside. The gravel crunching under the tires alerted them to the arrival. Xeon set his cup down and walked to the door to greet their first guest. A blue F-350 pulled up next to Xeon’s SUV. Members of the bear clan filed out of the truck.

  “Raul, glad you made it. I was afraid the new bear on campus would have your hands tied.” Xeon greeted Raul with a handshake. “How is your new ward?”

  “In and out of consciousness. There are still drugs in Zeke’s system. Melonie said it may take a couple of days before his body works them completely out. She’s running all the tests she can, but the results may take some time,” Raul told them.

  Jonah and Vlan stepped up to Xeon and shook his hand. “Vlan wants to keep guard while we’re inside. He insists we’re sitting ducks.” Raul nodded over to Vlan.

  “Just want to keep everyone safe.” Vlan crossed his arms over his massive chest.

  “That’s fine by me.” Xeon shrugged. “Our security will alert us if anyone comes on the land that shouldn’t be here. I don’t expect any trouble.”

  Vlan nodded and stood by the front door. If he insisted on guarding, Xeon would not stand in his way. Raul and Jonah followed Xeon inside. He led them to the fresh pot of coffee.

  “Coffee?” Xeon pulled two mugs from the cabinet in the small kitchen.

  “Sure,” they said in unison and took the mugs.

  Xeon grabbed his cup from the table and took a sip. More tires crunched on the gravel. Two vehicles had pulled up. After another quick sip, he excused himself to greet his new guests. Kyro stayed behind with the bears while Xeon walked outside. He made it out the door in time to see Ryder getting out of the driver’s side of his truck. The passenger door opened, and Kale, one of the pack elders, climbed out. A red car had pulled in on the other side of Ryder’s truck.

  “Ryder, I didn’t know you were coming today. Your sister just left the house.”

  “Yeah, Raveena said she would take some clothes over to Mara.” Ryder shook his hand. “As for being here, someone needs to make sure doctor psycho doesn’t bust into your party.”

  “Looks like Vlan beat you to it. Feel free to stand guard with him if you want.” Xeon waved his hand toward Vlan. He stood silently by the door with his arms crossed, gun strapped to his hip.

  “He’s good company.” Ryder strolled over to Vlan, shook his hand, and stood on the other side of the door.

  “Kale, thanks for coming.” Xeon turned to the older man walking up to the door.

  “This is your rodeo. I’m just making sure all the bulls stay in the pen.”

  “I might be opening the pen.” Xeon knew what would happen when everyone learned of Dr. Phenix’s involvement. Especially when everyone found out about Zeke. Now, they had two people Dr. Phenix had screwed up.

  “I hope you get this bastard. If not, we could lose all those shifters... if they’re even alive.” Kale grimaced.

  “They are, and we’ll find them,” Xeon assured him.

  “I hope so.” Kale clapped him on the back and walked into the meeting house just as the fox skulk's alpha came around his vehicles' front.

  “Ethan, glad you’re here.”

  “From what I understand, you have information about one of my own. I couldn’t miss this.” Ethan shook his hand. “Do you know where Zeke is?”

  “I do. We’ll discuss everything inside.” Xeon led Ethan to the door. “There’s fresh coffee in there. Grab yourself a cup.”

  “I’ll do that. Who are we still waiting on?” Ethan asked, lazily walking to the door.

  “Just Lionel and Jacen.” Xeon glanced at the time on his phone. “I imagine they’ll be along shortly.”

  Before Ethan even made it inside, another truck pulled up. Xeon recognized the black Dodge Ram. The lion pack alpha had arrived. A car pulled up next to it when the truck door opened.

  “I hope I didn’t miss anything,” Lionel said, getting out of his truck.

  “We wouldn’t start without you,” Xeon told him and waved at Jacen when he got out of the car.
“Jacen, I thought you weren’t going to show.” Xeon shook Jacen’s hand, and together they walked with Lionel to the front door. “Let’s get this thing started, shall we?”

  “I have to admit, it surprised me that you called this meeting. I figured you would go about everything yourself,” Lionel mentioned when they arrived at the door.

  “The thought crossed my mind,” Xeon admitted and opened the door. “But this involves everyone. Things are changing, and everyone needs to know.”

  “Then, I’m looking forward to what you have to say.” Lionel followed him in just as another vehicle pulled up. “Were you expecting anyone else?”

  “I’m not sure,” Xeon squinted to see who drove the teal convertible. “The only one left is Xavier. Though, I didn’t think he would show due to the whole daylight thing.”

  “You invited a vampire?” Lionel raised a brow.

  “I’ll explain inside. Get some coffee. I’ll be in there in a minute.” Xeon turned and walked back outside.

  “More company?” Ryder asked, looking at the car that just pulled up.

  Vlan had a hand on his gun and stood in front of Xeon.

  “Stand down, Vlan. Let’s see who it is first.” Xeon put a hand on Vlan’s shoulder and stepped around him.

  When the car pulled to a stop in front of them, a human stepped out. Xeon didn’t immediately recognize him, though he looked familiar. His shaggy brown hair hung down in his face, blocking his eyes. He got out of the car and walked straight up to Xeon.

  “Xeon Pearse?” The man spoke with confidence most humans didn’t have around shifters.

  “I am, and you are?”

  “Devon Brock. I’m here as Xavier’s proxy since the meeting is held with no parking garage for cover. Xavier won’t be able to attend. Though, I assure you it is of great importance that he be kept in the loop.”

  “Okay, then let’s go in.” Xeon escorted Devon inside.

  Everyone gathered around the meeting table. Another pot of coffee brewed in the kitchen. The fresh aroma permeated the room. Xeon walked into the kitchen to grab his cup of coffee. He took a sip. He hadn’t expected the liquid to be cold.

  “Damn.” He poured the cold coffee down the sink. After he poured a fresh cup, he joined the others in the meeting room. “Thank you everyone for coming.”

  Xeon gave them the rundown on the last couple of days. Everyone soaked in the information. Everyone except Ethan, the alpha of the fox skulk. The moment Xeon mentioned Zeke, Ethan changed.

  “You have Zeke?” Ethan had jumped up from his chair, leaning on the table. “I demand you release him to me. We take care of our own.”

  “As do we,” Raul stated.

  “Ethan, you need to understand...” Xeon sighed. “You remember him as a fox, but he’s not that anymore. Now, he’s a bear. He belongs with Raul.”

  “Like hell he does. He’s my nephew. We’re his family, not them.” Ethan raised his voice more.

  “What the hell would you do when Zeke rages? Do you think a fox can overpower a Kodiak?” Raul asked Ethan.

  “We’ll do what we have to do,” Ethan assured them. His eyes narrowed on Raul.

  “Ethan, it took four of my biggest wolves, including myself, to take Zeke down in his bear form.” Xeon hated to admit that the enraged bear overpowered them.

  “That’s you. Zeke will listen to me.”

  “Not when he’s drugged out of his mind. He won’t listen to anyone,” Kyro interjected. “You didn’t see him.”

  “That’s right, I haven’t.” Ethan shook his head, his anger turning his face red. “You need to let me see him.”

  “I have no problem with you coming over and visiting him. I just don’t think you should take him back to your place until he’s conscious and calm. Melonie is our resident doctor. She’s looking after him and running tests to find out what is going on with him,” Raul replied.

  “I still want to see him.” Ethan’s frustration became palpable.

  “We’ll go straight there after the meeting then,” Raul answered.

  “Fine.” Ethan ran his hands through his red hair. No doubt trying to calm himself.

  “We know Dr. Phenix is taking the shifters and changing their DNA. I thought when we did the search at the hospital, we would nail him then. Sadly, neither he nor our people were found. They were there though; I smelled where they’d been hours before,” Xeon recalled.

  “If you know Dr. Phenix is behind this, then we should go get him. He’ll lead us to the others,” Lionel suggested to the group.

  “I’m leaning toward that. There’s only one problem. He hasn’t been to work since the search. I called to check. We don’t know where he is,” Xeon told them.

  “What about his house?” Jacen spoke up. “Let’s go there.”

  “Brody is out there now, watching the house. Hunter will be relieving him later this evening. We have another guy stationed at the hospital,” Kyro added.

  “One of my men will take a shift,” Lionel offered.

  “Mine too,” Jacen agreed.

  “Hell, I can spare a man or two. Especially if it means catching this bastard,” Raul said.

  “Kyro will give you the addresses and you men can sort out a schedule. Thank you.” Xeon nodded to Kyro. “I’m not holding much luck on it. He hasn’t been home yet.”

  “Xavier can send in one of the vampires once darkness falls. The vamps can pinpoint the location of a mouse. If he’s hiding out there, the vampires will find him.” Devon assured him.

  “All right then. Kyro, add the address to the warehouse. Now that we have more men on this, we can add surveillance there too.” Xeon ordered. Maybe with the extra manpower, they would get lucky.

  Kale’s phone rang, stifling their conversation. They continued their talk with minor chatter while Kale stepped outside. It wouldn’t hurt to pause everything for a minute.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A bath wasn’t helping like Mara thought it would. The time that passed only brought more questions. Her head pounded, the more the voices spoke. The voices were jumbled together, making it hard to tell what they were saying. She just wanted a little silence.

  The only person that could answer her questions was Dr. Phenix. Too bad she didn’t have him strapped to a table. She would take a scalpel to him until he told her what he did to her and where the others were. Her dark thoughts scared her. The things she would be willing to do to find the others.

  Maybe talking to the bear shifter they brought in she could get some answers. Zeke would know more about what the doctor did to them. She just had to get to him. Too bad she didn’t have a car. Xeon and Kyro would not allow her to go, so there was no point in asking them to take her.

  She pulled the plug, letting the water drain from the tub. The towel by the sink was just out of reach. Water dripped from her body, landing on the mat and the floor beneath her. She quickly grabbed the towel before the water pooled on the floor. The large soft material that she loved, covered down to her knees.

  After drying off, she got dressed and went into the living room. Raveena had said to let her know if she needed anything. She needed a ride. Mara searched for a phone. There were phone jacks in the house, just not a phone connected. Did anyone use landlines anymore?

  After looking in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, she almost gave up. The last door down the hall was slightly ajar. A large wooden desk sat in the center of the room. She opened the door to look around the room. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books and the occasional trinket.

  “Finally.” She grabbed the cordless phone from its stand.

  Pressing the power button, she checked for a dial tone. The ancient tone buzzed in her ear. She dialed Raveena’s number from the slip of paper with the woman’s number on it. Raveena’s voice sounded uplifting and cheery. Mara welcomed the lightened mood. When she hung up, she went back to the bathroom to brush her hair. She would kill for a scrunchie to pull her long mane off her neck. She settled
for just brushing it back and twisting it into a makeshift braid.

  It’d be nice to go home and get some of her things. No way would she go there until Dr. Phenix was caught. It would be too risky. She missed her shampoo. It’s the little things that you missed most. With a sigh, she left the bathroom. A knock sounded loud on the front door, and she knew it had to be Raveena. She hurried to the front door to unlock it.

  “Hi!” Raveena walked in. “I didn’t expect a call this soon. What’s up?”

  “I wondered if you would take me somewhere?”

  “You’re the alpha’s mate. I’ll take you anywhere you need.” Raveena smiled. “Where do you want to go?”

  “I need to go to the bear’s compound to talk to the shifter they brought in last night. It’s important.” Mara wrote a quick note and slipped it under a magnet on the refrigerator.

  “I have a few friends over there. I should be able to get us in with no problems.” Raveena nodded. “Are you ready now?”

  “Yes, I’m all set.” She didn’t have a purse or phone to take.

  Mara followed Raveena out and locked the door behind her. She hoped to be back before the guys got out of their meeting. They would understand why she wanted to go. They may not like it, but they would understand, nonetheless.

  Raveena’s silver Altima waited in the driveway. Mara missed the luxury of jumping in her own car and going when she wanted. Once they were in the car, Raveena pulled out of the driveway. They’d been riding for fifteen minutes when Mara looked at the time on the dash.

  “How long does it take to get there?” Mara asked. Her chances of being done before Xeon and Kyro were getting slim.

  “It’s about an hour away. They’re on the other side of the city, out in the country.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get you there.” Raveena pressed the accelerator to speed up.

  “I just want to get there in one piece,” Mara commented, looking at the speedometer.

  Raveena laughed at her reaction. She didn’t mind the speed, but she hadn’t ridden with Raveena to know what type of driver she was. Apparently, she liked it fast. Up ahead, a car sat in a small cut down on the side of the road.