Chained

by Kim Fielding

  “You’re mine,” Edge whispered.

  “If you want me. I’m not exactly in mint-in-box shape.”

  Although Edge didn’t understand that reference, he got the general idea—and he was certain of his feelings on the matter. “I want you. Please.”

  Terry looked spent but his smile stretched wide. “Good. Just… wait a little.” His voice was fading. “I’ll be better soon.”

  Edge looked into his eyes and saw no shallow mirror reflection. Terry’s usual glowing sparks of life were a little dim, but they were still there, along with all their usual warmth. Edge brought Terry’s hand to his lips and kissed the battered fingers. “Rest. Heal. Soon we’ll dance.”

  “A deal.” Terry whispered as he fell asleep, still smiling, still held by Edge.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lips curled in a dreamy smile, Edge leaned back against Terry, who leaned in turn against the trunk of a sequoia. It was amazing how soft and unguarded Edge could look in moments like this. Terry loved that about him, just as he loved when Edge looked strong and intense. Hell, he loved Edge however he looked—even when he was overtired and rumpled and sweaty.

  Right now it was the grove of sequoias that seemed to be making Edge so happy. The trees towered over everything, unbelievably huge and so utterly alive. Edge had been going crazy over the scents since they’d first arrived, and he also loved the noisy birds and darting squirrels and the feel of the soft forest floor beneath his feet, which he generally kept bare.

  Terry nuzzled the back of Edge’s neck where the collar had once hung. The unfettered skin tasted salty and delicious as Terry licked it. “Do you want to shift? I’ll carry your clothes for you.”

  “Later. I want to do this with you as men. It’s better.”

  Terry, who agreed, held him a little more tightly. Then he hummed a new favorite song in Edge’s ear. It was about breaking free of chains, which resonated with them both. He and Edge swayed together under the forest canopy. God, dancing with Edge—even when they weren’t moving their feet—was as amazing as making love together.

  A raven croaked at them from overhead, maybe enjoying the little spectacle.

  But then Edge tensed, and a moment later Townsend stepped out from behind a massive trunk. He wore his usual suit and hat and wasn’t even out of breath.

  Not surprised, Terry continued to hold Edge.

  “You boys haven’t been easy to track down,” Townsend said mildly. He glanced up at the raven and gave it a small wave. It called softly to him before flapping away.

  “But yet you’ve managed,” Terry said.

  Almost as soon as the doctors released Terry from the clinic, he and Edge had hopped into the IROC-Z and zoomed away. They’d spent the past eight months wandering the country, stopping anywhere that intrigued them, living off Terry’s savings. They called Edge’s brothers now and then to check in. The Bureau had given Holt and Duke enough of Whitaker’s money to get by. Holt was studying hard, hoping to earn a high school diploma and maybe even go to college. Duke had fallen for one of the nurses and moved in with her and her collection of rescued mutts. Both brothers sounded content. Terry and Edge had returned to California just a few days ago and planned to visit them.

  “Have you been enjoying your adventures?” Townsend asked.

  Terry squinted in annoyance. “What do you want?”

  “Well, to begin with, I owe both of you a commendation. You eliminated a very nasty man—as well as the creature who gave him power.” He huffed. “My informants should have known better than to ignore her just because she was female.”

  “Was she really the devil? Like… Satan? The Princess of Darkness?” Although Terry had a lot of questions about what had happened, he and Edge hadn’t stuck around long enough to ask them. Now seemed as good a time as any.

  Townsend spread his hands. “In a matter of speaking. It’s complicated. Let’s just say she was an earthly manifestation of one aspect of the being you’re referring to.”

  “But the devil can’t really be killed, can it? I mean, at least not so easily.”

  “No, of course not. But the manifestation can be destroyed, and it was. Think of it… oh, think of it as a fast food outlet.”

  Terry blinked. “The devil is McDonalds?”

  “Of course not, my boy. This is an analogy. If someone were to set the local burger outlet on fire, the place would burn down. The corporation itself would still exist. You might be able to go to the next town over and get your burgers. But this one would be gone. And although it could be rebuilt, doing so would take time, effort, and expense, and chances are the new building wouldn’t be exactly like the old.”

  Still in Terry’s arms, Edge barked a laugh. “My brothers burned down an evil McDonalds.”

  “Precisely.”

  “Good.”

  Terry agreed. He didn’t mourn Ms. Stroman any more than he did Whitaker.

  Townsend came slightly closer, then stopped to touch some lichen on a tree. “This is a good place. Old places have power.” He shrugged. “But I prefer the city myself. It hums in my veins.”

  “Well, you can head there now, then.” Terry knew he was being rude. “You’ve commended us.”

  “I have. But I also came to make you an offer. Both of you.”

  Again Edge tensed, and he uttered a little growl that Townsend might not have heard. Terry wanted to growl as well. “That offer from Whitaker didn’t work out well.”

  “Mine comes with better terms and no coercion. Terry, I’d like to persuade you to return to your position at the Bureau. You’re a fine agent, and I’d hate to lose you. And Edge, I’m hoping you’ll join us as well. I believe you’d make an excellent partner to Terry—professionally as well as personally.”

  Edge stepped out of Terry’s arms and turned to look at him, wide-eyed. “Join the Bureau?” He seemed shocked but not at all upset by the idea.

  But Terry shook his head. “I can’t go back.”

  “Why not?” Townsend asked. “Surely your injuries are healed by now. You’re fit enough to be tromping around in these woods.”

  “I don’t have a soul.”

  Townsend gaped at him. “Pardon me?”

  “I sold it, remember?” Terry forced the words out through gritted teeth. “I told Agent Warren I signed the fucking contract.”

  For possibly the first time in his life, Townsend appeared chagrined. “I apologize. I should have debriefed you myself, but I was… tied up with other concerns.”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “It does in fact matter, my boy. If I’d been there instead of Warren, I could have told you that you still possess your soul. He didn’t know that.”

  Edge clutched Terry’s arm—hard—which was good because Terry was beginning to feel a little dizzy. “I signed the contract. So did Whitaker and Stroman. The paper went poof. And I felt it here.” He patted the lower part of his chest.

  “Terry, do you love Edge?”

  “Of course I do!”

  “How could you love him if you didn’t have a soul?”

  Terry had given that very issue a lot of thought but hadn’t come up with a satisfactory answer. Love, souls… these things were too complicated to understand. “I don’t know,” he admitted.

  “You couldn’t. A soulless creature cannot love.”

  “But….”

  Edge moved closer and now had both hands on Terry’s shoulders. Grounding him.

  “The pill,” Townsend said.

  Terry squinted at him, bewildered. “Pill?”

  “The one I instructed you to swallow right before meeting with Whitaker. It’s an extremely strong medicine, but short-lived. And expensive! That pill cost more than your annual salary. Also, I couldn’t tell you what it would do, because if you’d known, I’m not sure you’re a good enough actor to have reacted naturally to Whitaker. I’m aware you prefer to enter your assignments somewhat raw as well, and—”

  “What did the pill do?” Terry mana
ged a growl as good as Edge’s.

  “It’s a sort of antidote. Nullifies most magic. In this case, it blocked the spell that would have taken your soul. That’s what you felt.”

  Terry wanted to sit down, but there were no rocks or fallen logs nearby, and the ground felt too far away. He leaned against Edge instead. And Edge supported him.

  “The spell?”

  Townsend huffed as if annoyed. “A contract like that has two things that make it valid and bind the parties. One is the law. Under that aspect, you’re free because the law won’t enforce a contract signed under duress. Plus, of course, the other party never delivered what she promised. So—legally null and void. Normally, however, the… enchantment would also have applied binding force. The being you call the devil is good with those kinds of details. But in this particular case, the enchantment was nullified by our own spell. And therefore you still own your soul.” He brushed his palms together.

  Terry stood there, letting the words sink in. He didn’t fully comprehend what Townsend was talking about. But the part about love—that made sense. And Terry had no doubts at all about his love for Edge. Plus he’d spent the past eight months sneaking nervous looks at his reflection, and his eyes had always looked perfectly normal. “Edge, do I—”

  “You’re complete.” It was said with complete conviction—and a generous dash of joy. “I thought maybe.... But I couldn’t see how.”

  Complete. Holy shit. Terry still had a soul. He whooped with happiness, startling a squirrel and making Edge laugh. Then they embraced fiercely, with all the promise of a real future together.

  “Gentlemen?” Townsend had waited a few minutes for them to celebrate, but now he looked impatient. “I think I’ve had my fill of the outdoors for today. My offer?”

  Edge was watching Terry carefully. “What do you want, babe?” Terry asked. He realized in that moment that he hoped for a particular answer. He’d never force it, never ask Edge to do anything he didn’t want to do. But the truth was, Terry missed the Bureau. Sure, quite a few parts of it were fucked up, but it was still the best job in the world. And together with Edge, what couldn’t they accomplish?

  “I want you to say yes.” Edge was smiling, his eyes dancing with excitement. He’d been needing a purpose, Terry suspected, and here it was.

  Terry grabbed Edge’s hand and held it fast. Then he looked at Townsend. “We need to talk about it first. But… yeah. Maybe.”

  Townsend took off his hat, brushed it off, and replaced it. “Good. I have an assignment waiting for you.”

  “What?”

  “I hear someone’s been breeding dog shifters, treating them like shit, and selling them like dumb beasts. I’d like to bring them to justice.” Townsend’s smile was somehow both merry and feral.

  Hell, so was Terry’s. “I’d like that assignment very much.” Edge squeezed his hand in agreement.

  “Good. I’ll see you boys at HQ.” Townsend stepped behind a tree. When Terry and Edge ran over to look, there was no sign of him.

  Edge raised his eyebrows at Terry. “Is HQ far away?” His grasp of geography still wasn’t great.

  “About three hundred and fifty miles, give or take.”

  “And we rented that nice cabin with the big bed and the hot tub. And the big-ass stereo system.”

  Terry pulled him into an embrace. “Hike now. Dancing, hot tubbing, and making love after. The best job in the world can wait until tomorrow.”

  Edge gave him a hard, demanding kiss. Then, laughing joyfully, Edge pulled away and took off down the path at a sprint. Terry gave a delighted yell and rushed to join him.

  Kim Fielding is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. A Lambda Award finalist and two-time Foreword INDIE finalist, she has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full time. She also dreams of having two daughters who fully appreciate her, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

  Kim can be found on her blog: http://kfieldingwrites.com/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

  and Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

  Her e-mail is kim@kfieldingwrites.com

  For a complete listing of Kim’s titles, visit her website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/kim-fieldings-books/

  All proceeds from the sale of this book go to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières.

  THE BUREAU OF TRANS-SPECIES AFFAIRS

  For many years the United States government has been aware that Homo sapiens is not the only sentient species inhabiting the country. Some other species were native to the continent, while others immigrated along with humans. Early on, these nonhuman species (NHS) were largely ignored when they lived peacefully within human communities. At other times they were deemed a threat and local efforts were made to eradicate them. The federal government was not involved in these early efforts.

  During the Civil War, both the Union and Confederate armies recruited members of the NHS, with varying degrees of success.

  By the early 20th century, some local law enforcement agencies expressed frustration with their inability to deal effectively with the special needs of NHS. Localized incidents of mass violence occurred in several locations, most notably the Omaha Zombie Epidemic of 1908, the Manchester (New Hampshire) Melusine Drownings of 1911, and the Eugene (Oregon) Sasquatch Riots of 1915.

  In response to these incidents, as well as a heightened desire for increased federal control, President Wilson created a new federal agency in 1919 called the Bureau of Trans-Species Affairs. The mission of this agency was to communicate with NHS, to control them, to investigate reported dangerous actions committed by them, and to bring them to justice or eliminate them when necessary. Since then, the Bureau has been quietly active throughout the United States. Its jurisdiction has expanded to include humans who engage in magical or paranormal activities.

  Over the decades, a great many dramas have unfolded among the people who work for the Bureau. The Bureau stories are a collection of these tales. Each involves different protagonists and is set in a different era, yet all focus on the adventures and struggles of the Bureau's agents. These novellas can be read in any order.

  ***The Bureau of Trans-Species Affairs: Strength, Intelligence, Honor***

  All proceeds from the sale of these stories are donated to Doctors Without Borders.

  Book One: Corruption

  Book Two: Clay White

  Book Three: Creature

  Volume One (Compilation of Books One through Three)

  Book Four: Chained

  Book Five: Conviction (coming in late 2019)