"You have no idea who, or what you're dealing with," he said.
"Why don't you enlighten me?" I leaned back against the wall. "I have nowhere else to go at the moment."
"Someone wants shifters dead," he stated.
"Only since the dawn of time," I replied, unmoved. "You're one of them."
His left eyebrow twitched upward. "In fact, I'm not. I thought you might be. That man who tried to steal your bike, he was a shifter. Then he exploded."
"You think I would blow up my own bike to kill a shifter?" I asked. "I would make a loony gesture with my hand, but my arms are a little tied up." I jerked one to the side and bit back a growl.
"Someone did," he said calmly. "They either wanted to kill him, or you. They knew what he was. They've been chasing him for a while now."
"They? Who are they?" If I could trust a word he said, I might get some answers myself.
"Have you heard of an organisation called Zeta?"
I shook my head slowly. "Nope. Should I?"
"If you want to stay alive, you should," he replied. "They've been capturing paranormals and experimenting on them for a long time."
"Newsflash," I said wearily. I was just about over all of this. "I'm not a witch."
"Oh, I know, or the gas wouldn't have worked with you." He lowered his hands to his lap. "That's how I know you're a shifter. Zeta designed the gas."
"And you have it how?" I asked. "You're working for them?"
A flash of anger crossed his face. "No, I certainly am not. As I said, they want shifters dead. They can't siphon the ability to shift, so they just want to kill us all."
"Interesting," I said with a nod. "You said us."
He hesitated. "Indeed I did."
"So, what are you and why do your eyes glow?" I cocked my head at him, daring him to answer.
He sighed. "They glow because I'm a hybrid. Part shifter, part wizard."
"Ah." I nodded. "That explains why you're all pissed off all the time. Identity crisis."
His eyebrow twitched again and he smiled. "I'm not pissed off all the time. His smile faded. "Just when people kill paranormals. So, now you understand, will you tell me what you are?"
"Why should I believe a word you say?" I asked. "You still gassed me and I'm tied up. None of that suggests you want to be friends."
"If I release you, can I trust you?" he asked.
I almost laughed in his face. After what he did to me, he was worried about trust?
He held up a hand before I could reply. "I understand why you think I have this backwards. I learnt to be careful. Maybe too much so." He didn't look even a little sorry.
"You've very sure you won't get fired for this, aren't you?" I asked.
He flashed white teeth at me and started to untie my legs. "I have friends in high places."
"Police corruption is alive and well," I muttered.
He tossed the rope aside and I wiggled my toes.
"It's not about corruption," he said, "it's about staying alive. Something I plan on doing for a long time to come."
"Me too." I watched him closely. He stepped closer to my hands. "So what's so special about these cuffs that you're sure a shifter can't shift with them on?"
"Try it." He pulled a key out of his pocket and tossed it from hand to hand.
I was curious, but I didn't trust him with what I really was. I bit my lip and asked, "What would you have done if you caught that guy? The one who tried to steal my bike, I mean. He was committing theft."
"We have a place for felons who can shift," he replied easily. "Somewhere they're safe, and the public is safe from them. Why?"
I averted my eyes and shrugged. "No reason. Just curious."
"Right." He held the key in one hand and slid it into the lock on the right cuff, then the left. While I shook out my wrists, he stepped back over to the door.
"I have some things to do, I'll be back later." Before I could argue, or even grasp his meaning, he slipped out the door and locked it behind him.
"Hey!" I leapt up off the bed and almost fell. My legs buckled under me. My head spun. Clearly I wasn't over the effect of the godsdamned gas. "Come back here and let me out."
I heard footsteps move away from me.
"Bastard!" I yelled through the door.
I tried the knob, but it didn't move. The door was too solid to kick in. There was only one option—the ceiling vent.
I dragged the stool over, underneath it and climbed onto it. It wobbled, but stayed more or less put. I pressed my palms to the vent and pushed. It moved with a little effort, so I slid it aside. The shaft it exposed was dark and narrow. I would never fit inside, at least in human form.
I glanced toward the door. I had two choices, stay here and wait, or shift.
If I stayed here, it meant I believed what he told me, in spite of what he'd done. In spite of what Johnny and Rob said. In spite of the fact he gave me the creeps.
If I left, I risked him seeing me, but that was a risk I had to take. I cursed softly. I liked these boots.
I liked living even better though.
I stripped and left my clothes in a pile on the floor, then shifted and leapt onto the stool. The leap into the vent was high, but no big deal for a cat.
I froze when the door opened almost directly underneath me, then took off down the shaft at a run.
Seven
I heard a mutter which might have been a curse. I wasn't going to stick around to find out. My immediate priority was to find a bend and skid around it before he looked up into the vent.
I stopped to glance back. Nothing followed me around the bend. At least not yet.
I kept moving, but I walked now. Nasty surprises might jump out at me and I had to be ready, not rushing about, out of breath. The problem was, I had no idea where I was, or where the way out might be. I could wander around in a big circle, only to end up back in the same room.
The vent, I reasoned, had to come out somewhere.
I sniffed the air and tried to hold back a sneeze. Whatever this vent was for, it hadn't been used for a long time. Maybe they didn't bother to heat the place.
Although, it could be used for—
Shit.
I quickened my pace. Wherever I was headed, I had to get there before Nott put gas in the shafts. It would take longer than the back of the car, but it would have me out cold soon enough.
I turned another bend. Daylight slanted through another vent. I broke into a lope and pulled up just before I ran into it, face first.
Outside, rundown buildings, the cop car. No people, at least that I could see.
I pushed against the vent. It didn't budge. I pressed harder. It moved a little, but not enough.
I hissed at it.
That did nothing, but I felt better.
I took a few steps back and ran at the vent with everything I had.
Finally, it gave way and I fell out of the side of the building. The fall wasn't far, but I twisted in mid-air to land on all four paws.
I streaked away from the building and into the shade of the one beside it.
A door behind me clanged open. A glance over my shoulder and saw Nott, his hand raised. Magic danced on his palm.
Fuck.
I had no doubt he would blast me first and ask questions later.
"Marion," he called out, "I know you're out here. I don't want to hurt you."
Yeah, right. I slunk into the doorway and hunkered down until his footsteps got closer.
Judging by the position of the sun, night was still hours away. Of course it was. Darkness was a good friend of the black cat. Daylight, not so much, but I could make do.
I crept out of the doorway and stuck to the shadows.
"I meant what I said." He sounded closer now. "I'm not the enemy. Come back inside and we can talk. I'm not a bad person, I swear."
He could swear like a pirate and I still wouldn't trust him.
I rounded the corner of the building and found myself on a narrow street.
A few cars were parked in front of businesses, but only a couple of people walked by. None gave me a second look.
Several of the businesses were closed and boarded up. Many had "for rent" signs in the window. Most looked as though they hadn't been occupied for quite some time.
Not a prosperous part of the city then. Big surprise.
"Hey, kitty kitty," a voice spoke from behind one of the parked cars.
I almost jumped out of my skin.
"Need a ride out of here?" Rob cocked his head at me.
I waved my tail in the air. He shouldn't have followed me. Had he followed me? Maybe he was in on this after all. I sensed that wasn't the case.
"Meow," I replied.
"Since I don't speak cat, I'll take that as a yes." He opened the car door and gestured for me to jump inside.
I leapt up and hid in the foot well.
Just as the door clunked shut, Nott called out, "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, Detective, what a surprise," Rob said. "I was just in the neighbourhood. I thought I might rent out one of these lovely shops here. Can you recommend the area? It looks a little run down to me."
"It's not the place to buy if you want to make money," Nott replied.
"Oh, who said anything about making money?" Rob asked with a laugh. "I suppose I shouldn't say that to a cop, it might sound suspicious. Speaking of suspicious, what are you doing here?"
"That's none of your business," Nott snapped. "Have you seen a…"
The way his voice trailed told me he had no idea what I was. I let out a soft sigh of relief and proceeded to burrow my way under a blanket which Rob must keep here for occasions like this.
"A what, Detective?" Rob asked lightly. "I've seen all sorts of strange things today. You might have to be more specific."
"That woman whose bike exploded," Nott said tightly. "I gave her a ride to the station and she gave us the slip."
"Oh," Rob replied. "Is she dangerous?" He sounded more amused than concerned.
"Potentially," Nott replied. "Running would suggest guilt, wouldn't it?" He sounded as if he thought I was close by, but had no idea where. Or perhaps he suspected, but couldn't act on it. I couldn't guess why that might be. Unless he knew Rob was a shifter and didn't want to mess with him.
That made me wonder if I should run now, while I had the chance. At the moment, I couldn't do that without the risk of being seen.
"It might," Rob agreed. "Unless she was running from something. Or someone."
I doubted the inflection was lost on Nott.
Rob cleared his throat. "Anyway, I should be going. Now I know to avoid the neighbourhood, I think I'll do just that. Thank you for the tip."
Nott grunted something and footsteps headed away from the car.
"The coast is clear, little pussy." The opposite door opened and the car shifted with his weight as he sat. The door clunked shut.
I shifted slowly and carefully, so the blanket was draped over me. I pushed it off my head, tucked it tighter around my shoulders, and slid up onto the seat. I glanced outside, but saw no sign of Nott.
"Ah, the upside to shifting," Rob smiled. "Having to leave clothes behind." He eyed me as though he could see right through the blanket.
My silly heart fluttered. "Perfectly good clothes," I grumbled.
"Clothes are overrated." He started the car and pulled away from the side of the road.
"And yet, there you are, wearing some," I pointed out.
He glanced over to me and grinned. "I can fix that if you like."
I would like, but not while Nott was still close by. "How about you keep your eyes on the road?" I suggested.
"All right, I'll do that. For now." He drove in silence for a few moments before he spoke again.
"Do you want to talk about it? What Nott did to you, I mean. Do I need to take you to a hospital?"
"No," I replied a little too quickly. I took a breath. "He didn't do anything to me, apart from knocking me out cold. He said some things, but that was all."
"Oh? What sort of things?"
I hesitated, then told him what Nott had said about Zeta.
"Was that true?" I asked. I looked at him sidelong.
"Most of it," Rob replied. "Zeta wants to kill all the shifters. They siphon magic from people and leave a shell. They take it from babies and leave them unaware they ever had it. I've heard they always know something is missing, but not what."
He sighed deeply. "If they could find a way to take the ability to shift and use it to their advantage, they would."
I made a rude noise. I had heard some strange things over the years. This was terrible, but not shocking. "So, what side is Nott on?"
Rob shrugged. "His, I suppose. I don't know what his agenda is, but I wouldn't trust him as far as I could spit him while I'm in bird form."
That drew a chuckle from me. In bird form, he wouldn't fit more than a fly in his beak. Maybe two of them. That led me to another question.
"What is he exactly? He said he couldn't quite shift, but he wasn't fully human either. I know he has magic."
The corner of Rob's eyes crinkled when he frowned. "That's all I know about him as well. Rumour has it he's part snake shifter. Some would say that explains a lot, but I like snakes."
"Me too." Snake would fit with what I saw. If he couldn't shift fully, I would count myself lucky. He could have followed me through the vent and into the shaft. Depending on the kind of snake, he might have swallowed me whole.
That would suck.
Until I clawed my way back out, and I would, I had no doubt. Things would get messy.
"He had magic on his hand," I said slowly. "Any idea what he can do with it?"
"I know he can't use it to track cats," Rob said with a smile.
"No shit." I snorted. "Lucky for me. I guess he can't track little birdies, either."
"Not unless he's following us and I can't see him." Rob shrugged.
I swivelled around in my seat and looked back at the road behind us. All I saw was a handful of cars. No snakes, nothing which looked out of place. That in itself might be suspicious.
I turned back around. "Where are we going anyway?" I probably should have asked that before now.
"Nott probably has someone watching your place," he said. "So I'll take you to mine. Well, it's more of a hideout than anything."
"Why am I not surprised you have a hideout?" I asked.
He chuckled. "Because I'm obviously intelligent, as well as good looking?"
"Interesting theory," I replied dryly. "I'll have to get back to you on that one."
"Ouch," he said playfully. "The cat has—"
"Don't say it," I warned.
"What?" He glanced toward me and gave me a look of pure innocence. "I was going to say you have bite."
"Uh-ha." I nodded. "Sure you were."
"What's wrong with having claws anyway?" He accelerated through an orange traffic light and took a left turn a little too fast.
"Shouldn't we be trying to be inconspicuous?" I asked.
"Probably. You didn't answer my question." His eyebrows quirked.
"It's a cliche," I replied. "I hate cliches."
"Ah. So no pussy remarks?"
"Only if you want bird brain comebacks."
He looked thoughtful. "I'd prefer to skip those."
"All right then. Why a bird?" I asked. "I mean, I've never met a bird shifter before. Not that I knew of anyway." Shifters didn't tend to go around advertising what they were, so my lack of knowledge wasn't an indication of much.
"It is what I am," he replied. "Better a robin than a chicken."
"Is Rob your real name then?" I asked.
He flashed me a grin and pulled into an alley behind a building without answering.
"Mystery man, huh?" I asked. "Excuse me if that doesn't make it easier to trust you."
"You will," he said with a cocky smile. "Come on, let's get inside before anyone sees you. People will remember seeing a pretty girl wrapped i
n a blanket."
I didn't know about being pretty, but the last bit was right. Blankets weren't normal attire, at least not here in Sydney.
I drew it tighter around me and followed him inside.
Eight
What he described as a lair was actually cosy. The room I first stepped into contained a table and some chairs, a pair of couches, a TV, and a pool table.
"Man cave?" I guessed.
He shrugged. "Men, women, non-binary, everyone is welcome here." He gestured vaguely. "There are bedrooms down the back. I'll find you a change of clothes. Unless you'd prefer I don't." He smiled and swept his eyes down my body.
I hesitated. My eyes locked onto his and I licked my lips.
The next thing I knew, he closed the gap between us and pressed his mouth down hard on mine. His tongue insisted on entry into my mouth.
I gave it and sucked hard on his tongue while I kissed him back. The blanket fell in a forgotten heap at my feet as I put my arms around his neck.
His hands slid down my body and cupped my ass. He pulled me closer until I felt his erection under his jeans. He squeezed my ass cheeks and lifted me so my legs went around his waist.
"I want you," he murmured against my lips.
"I want you too," I said as he pressed my back to the wall. I slid my hands under his t-shirt and worked it up his body. I tugged it over his head and tossed it aside.
He kept one hand on me, while the other ran lightly over my breast. His thumb brushed my nipple and I bit back a moan.
"That's a beautiful sound," he whispered into my ear. "I'd like to hear that again, but louder." He leaned down to run his tongue over my nipple.
I moaned again and he smiled.
"That's the way." He cupped my ass again and carried me from the wall to a room in the back of the lair. He kicked the door shut and carried me over to the bed.
"Now, let's see how loud you can moan." He reached over to a drawer beside the bed and came back with a purple vibrator, of all things. He clicked a button on the end, as if he knew exactly what he was doing and it started to buzz lightly.
He brought it over near my breast and stopped. He cocked his head. "Hmmm, where to start?"
Wicked Souls: A Limited Edition Reverse Harem Romance Collection Page 65