A Shifter's Revenge

by Raven Steele

  I glanced down. The pendant had fallen to the top of the crack between my breasts. Captain Crunch dotted my doused shirt.

  “I am so sorry! I am such a klutz.” She grabbed some paper towels and blotted at the mess.

  I grinned at her. “You just wanted to touch my boobs.”

  She smiled in return. “You got me.”

  She grabbed the necklace and held it up to her eyes. “Shoot. I think I broke the clasp.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.”

  “I promise I’ll fix it,” she vowed, slipping it into her pocket.

  I held out my hand. “Seriously. Don’t feel bad. I can just buy a new chain. I’m getting paid by the pack now, so I can afford it.”

  “I’ll buy it.” She threw away the towels, not giving up the necklace. “I broke it, I’ll replace it.”

  “Alright.” My shirt clung to me, sticky and cold. “But don’t take too long, or I might not find my fulfillment.” I winked at her and a flush spread up her face. Jeez, it was just a mistake. “It’s okay, Lynx. Really. It was my fault, too.”

  Samira appeared in the doorway. “I’m leaving.”

  “Without me?” I asked.

  She stared at me.

  “I need to change my shirt.” I shoved cake into my mouth while I ran to my room to change. By the time I returned downstairs, Lynx had just finished cleaning the rest of her mess. “Let’s go meet with some vampires. Do you want to come, Lynx?”

  Samira’s head snapped my direction at the suggestion.

  Lynx laughed nervously. “No, thanks. You guys go do the superhero stuff. I’m good here.”

  Samira opened the back door. “We will take my car.”

  I scowled. “No way, I’ll just get it dirty somehow. Besides, I already texted Roma.” My phone pinged, right on time. It was like Roma knew we were talking about her. “She just pulled up.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I like her, and I think she might be able to help us one day.” I walked toward the front door. “It’s good to have a powerful witch on our side.”

  “Is she?” Samira followed close behind me. The fact that she didn’t argue about taking her fancy car meant she was intrigued.

  “I think so, but that’s what I want help figuring out. I think there’s more to her than we know.” I kept my voice low, striding down the front walkway. When Roma waved out the front car window, I waved back.

  Instead of getting in front, I slid in back with Samira.

  If Roma was nervous having a vampire in the car, she didn’t show it. Samira hadn’t had many interactions with Roma, but you’d never know it with the easy, affable way Roma acted. She kept the conversation with Samira surprisingly simple and even went as far as offering Samira blood.

  “You keep blood with you?” Samira asked, mildly amused.

  “In a town like Rouen, it’s best to be prepared. Blood can be traded for many things.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “My life, for starters.”

  I think Samira smiled at that, or maybe she was flinching at the fly that wouldn’t stop buzzing near our faces.

  Not long after, Roma pulled up to the address Mateo had given Samira. It was on the older side of town where businesses were obviously struggling to stay afloat. The one we wanted was called, “Chuck’s Butchery.”

  “I’ll wait here,” Roma called as we exited the vehicle.

  When we were a safe distance away, Samira said to me, her voice low, “She does have power.”

  I elbowed her. “See? I told you.”

  “Don’t touch me.”

  “Sure thing, Sammie.” I opened the door to the butcher shop. A strong aroma of cow’s blood struck my senses. Not entirely unpleasant, but it appealed to my wolf more than it did me.

  Samira walked through the small darkened lobby meant for customers picking up their meat and passed a door. I followed her down a long hallway, noting the sudden temperature drop. At the end of the hall, she opened another door and moved into a large room that looked more like a huge refrigerator with white walls, frost clinging to their sides. Slabs of meat hung from hooks on the ceiling. Florescent lights illuminated the large space.

  “Why are we meeting here?” I shivered and not because it was cold.

  Samira had stopped in the center of the room next to the bottom half of a pig.

  “It’s well insulated and it smells. Easy to hide shifters and vampires,” Samira answered. “Is Luke meeting us here?”

  I checked my phone. “He never responded, so I guess not.”

  “That’s too bad,” a deep, smooth voice said.

  My body betrayed me and melted at the familiar sound.

  Angel.

  Chapter 9

  Mateo appeared behind Angel and came to stand in front of Samira. Instant tension between them swelled within the room. Only an intense, shared past could cause that. I don’t know how I missed it before.

  “Thank you for coming.” His words were for both of us, but his eyes were only for Samira.

  She averted her gaze. “You said it was important.”

  “It is.”

  Angel hadn’t stopped staring at me. I maintained eye contact for as long as I could before finally looking away when it became too weird. Angel didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable.

  “We have a problem with Scorpion’s Breath,” Mateo finally began, after he got an eyeful of Samira.

  “Your problem, not ours,” Samira said.

  His brows drew together, but not in anger, more of frustration. “I know, and I’ve tried hard not to involve you, but it could become your problem. After Dominic’s death—” He kept his gaze away from me. “—we had to look for other distribution means. So far, we haven’t had any luck.”

  “Again,” Samira said, “your problem. You should know how I feel about selling drugs to humans.”

  My eyebrows lifted, and I met Angel's gaze. He seemed surprised by the comment, too. These two definitely had a past.

  “Regardless of our differences,” Mateo answered, his voice laced with sudden malice, “I thought it would be expedient for you to know we had a large pallet of Scorpion’s Breath stolen from us a week ago. Some of the men from our crew are also missing. We questioned everyone and firmly believe it wasn’t one of ours.”

  “You could have texted me this information.” Samira’s face didn’t betray any emotion.

  “Now that we know what Dominic really wanted the drug for, we are concerned of it falling into the wrong hands again. We do not want supernaturals harmed.” His wide eyes bled desperation.

  “Here’s an idea,” I said. “How about you just destroy the drugs altogether? It’s been more trouble than it’s worth.”

  Mateo glared at me, which coming from a centuries-old vampire, was a sight to behold. I had to fight the instinct to cower.

  “I cannot abandon my work. Within a few years’ time, if my drug does what it’s supposed to do, supernaturals could be in a position to rule over humans peacefully.”

  I glanced at Samira, then back to Mateo, stunned. “You’re with the Principes Noctis?”

  “No,” Mateo said quickly. “We are not with them. Our way is different. Our way is peaceful. We will not take over humans by force.”

  Samira’s fingers curled into fists. “You may not be taking them over physically, but you will be mentally. There could not be a worse fate. I wish you wouldn’t do this.”

  His hands mirrored hers. “Could I have a minute alone with you?” His gaze shifted to me, giving me a pointed look.

  “Oh, I guess that’s my cue. Sure, I’ll leave, even though I was just starting to get comfortable having the ass end of a pig next to me.” I huffed, rolling my eyes as I left the room. I headed back into the hallway, not realizing Angel was behind me until we reached the dark lobby. He swiped the hair away from my neck, and I felt his hot breath against my flesh.

  “You smell so good,” he whispered, giving me chills,
the good kind, across my skin.

  I took a step away so that I couldn’t feel him at my back. “Don’t do that.”

  “But you enjoy my touch.”

  “I don’t.” I couldn’t look him in the eyes.

  He collapsed the space between us so fast, I gasped. “Look at me.”

  I reluctantly stared up into his dark green eyes. They drew me in and made me want to melt into him.

  “Don’t ever lie to me.”

  I gulped at the fierceness of his words. I tried to take a step away, put some space between us, but my legs wouldn’t move. “Are you always this intense or just with me?”

  He cocked his head to the side in confusion. “You are special. A rarity among supernaturals. Surely you know this?”

  I kept my expression even and chose my next words carefully. “And what is it you do with rare things?”

  The lines between his brows deepened. “I protect them much like I would a priceless Van Gogh painting. In the wrong hands, you could be a terrible weapon.”

  “Are you saying your hands are the right ones?”

  “My hands know how to treat precious things.” He moved his hand up slowly toward my face, as if not to startle me. His fingers traced my cheekbone. “I take great care of rare jewels.”

  “I’m with Luke,” I blurted. I needed him to know this. Or maybe I just needed to remind myself. Even though Luke wasn’t talking to me at the moment. But that was a whole other issue altogether, and not relevant right now. Shut up, I told my brain.

  He lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment. “I understand you’d prefer to be with your own kind, but sometimes it’s the forbidden fruit that tastes the sweetest.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling the tension between us heighten. I imagined the way he might handle fruit, with just as much gentleness, or roughness, as it would require. His pupils dilated, as if he could read my thoughts.

  I finally gathered enough strength to step away from him. Angel didn’t react, but his eyes stared intently into mine. I inhaled a shaky breath. “One of these days, I’m going to take you out, as friends, and get you drunk. I’d love to see that mask of refinement fall away.” I smiled at the thought. “I’ll teach you some swear words and, hell, maybe we’ll go toilet papering. Is that still a thing?”

  “Toilet papering?”

  I ignored him and motioned my head back toward the meat room. “Hey, so what’s with Samira and Mateo? How do they know each other?”

  Angel straightened and seemed to let go of some of his attention on me. “I don’t know much. Mateo doesn’t like to talk about it, but every decade or so, I hear him speak of her. There’s a great fondness in his voice when he does.”

  “When did they meet?”

  “Fourteenth century, I believe.”

  “Holy shit.” I couldn’t wrap my mind around vampires’ lifespans sometimes.

  “They parted about five decades before I met Mateo. It was a time when vampires still lived in great covens, their maker at the head of the house.”

  “I’ve never thought about her maker before. What was he like to create something as badass as Samira?”

  His expression darkened. “Korin is not someone you want to meet. He is the only being on this earth Mateo is afraid of.”

  “Where is this Korin?”

  “Far away from here, and we should hope it stays that way. For all our sakes.” Angel cocked his head. “Mateo is calling us back.”

  I moved to walk through the door, but he blocked me. “If you desire Luke, I will respect your wishes. And I agree he is good for you. He will teach you to trust again. So I will not fight him for you. For now. But know that I will protect you, with my very life, if necessary.”

  The lump in my throat was so thick, I couldn’t breathe. I looked up into his eyes. “I don’t deserve you. Your friendship means a lot to me.”

  I’m with Luke, I’m with Luke. I repeated the words over and over in my mind.

  His eyes darkened and his hand moved so suddenly, I didn’t notice it until it was already clasped behind my neck, pulling me up to him. With a fire in his eyes that burned right through me, he kissed me. It was possessive and demanding, and if he hadn’t been holding me up, it would’ve brought me to my knees.

  He didn’t care that I was with Luke right now. I belonged to him.

  Before I could push him back, he let me go. Smirking, he wiped his fingers over his lips and strode away.

  I stared stupidly after him as he disappeared into the back room where Mateo and Samira waited for us to return. What just happened? It wasn’t just the kiss that had surprised me, but something else. A rush of familiarity, strong yet elusive, had touched my soul so quickly, I might’ve questioned if it really happened. But I couldn’t deny the way my body and mind felt as if it had been kissed by time itself.

  Holding a shaky hand to my heart, I breathed in slow and steady. Whatever had just transpired, I couldn’t entertain it. I wanted Luke and always would.

  I returned to the cold meat room determined to stay focused. I couldn’t let Angel get to me. Not now. Not ever.

  Samira and Mateo stood with plenty of distance between them. The tension was still there, but it had changed from anger to…was that sexual tension? I met Samira’s gaze, but she averted her gaze. Yeah, I know you want him, Sammie. I suppressed a laugh and asked, “So what’s the word?”

  “For now, we will put our operation on hold, but just until we find out who is stealing from us. Whoever is doing it can’t have good motives. I fear they may want to continue Dominic’s work.”

  “Who would want to do that?” Angel asked. He was no longer staring at me. Good.

  Having already thought about this, I said, “It could be one of Dominic’s fans within the pack. Someone like Heather who also saw what he was doing. I wouldn’t put something like this past her, but,” I hesitated, “she’s not too bright, so I think she’d have to have a partner.”

  “What about Lilith, Dominic’s lover?” Samira asked.

  I shook my head. “Definitely not smart enough, but she’s probably powerful enough to get the drugs out of your facility without anyone knowing.”

  “What if she had help from the other Morgans?”

  Samira and I looked at each other. I said, “Maybe the other sisters, but not Cassandra’s daughter.”

  “Agreed,” Samira added.

  “There’s someone else it could be.” I looked at each of them. “The Linchen Pack. Luke and I visited them a week ago. Apparently, they’d been working with Dominic for some time in secret. They don’t look like a super sophisticated outfit, but I wasn’t there for very long.”

  “Were you careful?” Angel said in a possessive way that made both Samira and Mateo turn to him.

  “Everything went as expected.” Except for the part where we found out Luke’s brother was dead. Oh, and showing my Komira eyes.

  “This is a good list to start with,” Mateo said. “There may be others, but these are the obvious suspects. Let’s investigate each of them, but if possible, I don’t want anyone to do it alone. I have a strong feeling there is someone extremely powerful behind all of this. We need to be careful.”

  I nodded, taking his advice seriously. If Mateo was worried, then I had a reason to be also.

  “I’ll take the Morgans,” Samira said. “I have connections there I can take advantage of.”

  Other than Lynx, how did she know them? Or maybe she didn’t, but didn’t want me near Cassandra, afraid she might put the whammy on me again.

  “I can help,” Mateo added. “Winter owes me a favor.”

  “Winter?” I asked. The name sounded familiar.

  “One of the three sisters,” Samira clarified. “She doesn’t leave the house much.”

  “I’ll take Heather then,” I said. “That one should be fairly easy. I’ll also return to the Linchen Pack, since I already know a little bit about them. Enough to be able to spy on them pretty easily.”


  Angel shifted his weight toward me. “I’ll go with you.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll text Luke.” I removed my cell phone from my pocket.

  “That’s not a good idea,” Samira warned.

  I touched the phone to my forehead. “Riiiight. He’ll probably kill them all.”

  “Why would he do that?” Angel asked.

  “It’s a long story. They killed his brother.” I paused. “I guess it wasn’t that long.”

  “Then we will go together.” Angel rested his hand on the small of my back and turned to Mateo. “When?”

  “I’d like this to happen as soon as possible,” Mateo said. “It’s clear to me that someone is trying to continue Dominic’s work. Speaking of, how are the supernaturals Dominic drugged?”

  Samira dropped her shoulders a fraction of an inch. “Vincent is caring for them the best he can without holy water. They are still in a highly suggestive state. One wrong order from someone, and they could go on a killing spree.”

  “Dominic’s plan all along, I’m sure.” Mateo drew his eyebrows together. “I have men trying to get into the Vatican to retrieve more holy water, but it will take time. I hate that something I created is hurting my kind. It was not my intention.”

  I stared at Angel. He had given me the drug.

  “Do not look at me like that,” he said. “You wanted it. There is a big difference between someone asking for it and it being forced upon them.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but the memory of me grabbing the vial and tossing its contents down my throat was enough of a reminder that he was right. I closed my mouth, still thinking of the way it burned my throat. The way I had felt so invincible.

  Mateo moved towards the door. “I may not be a saint, but I’m not a devil either. Scorpion’s Breath has its purpose and will serve us well in the right hands.”

  Samira turned away from him. Clearly, she didn’t agree.

  “It’s almost midnight,” Mateo said without looking at a clock. “Plenty of time to get some work done tonight. Samira, you are with me.”

  She looked back at him, and even though her face was expressionless, the pain etched in her eyes spoke volumes.