Animal Attraction

by Patricia Rosemoor

  “You’re in an odd mood,” Nik said.

  “I have a lot on my mind.”

  “You mean about the baby.”

  Having no idea of how Nik would react to the idea, Nuala plunged right in. “I’ve been considering getting a place of my own.”

  “Moving out?”

  His eyes narrowed on her. Not wanting him to read her, to know Ethan had made her consider it even more seriously, she kept her thoughts at bay. Nik was the worrier of the family. He was always looking for the negative rather than the positive. No doubt his precognitive ability was to blame. When he had one of his troubling visions, he tended to keep to himself. Even to disappear for days at a time.

  Nik asked, “Does Pop know you’re thinking of leaving?”

  “I haven’t told anyone. I-I wanted to talk to you first.”

  Settling back in the booth, he appeared torn. “I don’t like it, but, on the other hand, I want my niece to be safe. Not everyone down here is willing to accept a baby half-breed.”

  “Don’t call her that!”

  It reminded her of the way Nik had begun treating Luc disrespectfully so many years ago. As children, the half brothers had been inseparable. But Luc’s mother was the love of Pop’s life, and he hadn’t been able to hide the fact that their son Luc had a special place in his heart. That hadn’t sat well with teenage Nik, the oldest sibling, and when in anger he’d called Luc a half breed, with a wave of his hand Pop had sent Nik flying across the room, forbidding him to ever call Luc that again. Things had never been the same between the brothers.

  “You prefer hybrid?” Nik asked.

  “I don’t know what I prefer. That’s just it. I need to sort things out. Need to give my daughter the chance to experience things you and I never did. Things her father took for granted. That’s what Shade would want.”

  Nik’s visage tightened. Nuala was afraid he might say something against the human she’d loved for such a short time—they’d only had a few weeks together before Shade had been shot and killed—but thankfully her brother held his tongue for once.

  “You’re going to stop working here?” he asked.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Then you’ll bring the baby with you to The Ark? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose in keeping her safe?”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Nuala admitted. “I could hire a nanny.”

  “A human nanny?”

  Well, if she was living in the human world… “Um, maybe.”

  “What about when Maeve starts discovering her powers?”

  That hadn’t even occurred to her. Could she stop her child from doing what came naturally? “I have a lot to think about.”

  “Yes, think about it. About all the ramifications if you make this move.”

  “Like what? That Pop will disown me?” Their mother would, of course, hate the idea, but Nuala didn’t care about the opinion of a woman who had never shown one ounce of real affection for her children. Her own daughter would never know that pain.

  “I can’t speak for Pop.”

  “You can speak for yourself, Nik.”

  She saw rather than heard the thoughts going through his head. She didn’t need to read his mind to know he didn’t approve of her leaving The Ark even if it was in her daughter’s best interests. His expression told her more than made her comfortable.

  Rising, she said, “I need to get out of here, to get some air.”

  “I have work to do.”

  “Of course you do.”

  She turned away, but when he grabbed her wrist, she came to an abrupt stop. “What now, Nik?”

  “I know this is tough on you, Nuala. Whatever you decide, I’ll back you.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “Thank you.” Her brother could be a real demon at times, but he still had a heart. Before she could step closer to kiss his cheek, they were interrupted by his whirlwind new assistant manager, Louis Morel, a distant cousin on their mother’s side.

  “Hey, Nik, there you are! We have a situation!”

  Though he was a stocky man who looked like he should be able to handle situations himself, Morel always seemed to be in crisis mode. His short dark hair stood in messy spikes and his round face was slicked with a sheen of sweat.

  Nik let go of Nuala’s arm and slid out of the booth. “What kind of situation?”

  “An argument in one of the private gambling rooms. Max Haider is in the middle of this mess. I tried to take care of it, but things accelerated into a physical standoff.”

  Nuala could only imagine the mess Morel hadn’t been able to control. Haider was a lion shifter, the toughest and most aggressive and meanest of his kind. He and Pop had some kind of private war going on ever since Haider had arrived. Of course, he’d said it had been his choice to leave his clan, that he’d been looking for something better, but she wondered. Nuala didn’t know why, but Pop had threatened to oust Haider from The Company and, of course, from The Ark itself. Maybe his own clan had ousted him, as well.

  Following their cousin out of the bar, Nik glanced back at Nuala. “Keep me in the loop.”

  “Of course.”

  The reminder of their conversation brought her to the gravity of her own situation as she headed back into the casino. The thought of being around Shade’s things, of having access to his life before her, put Nuala in an odd mood. Their short time together had been impacted by his investigation of the casino and the deaths associated with the shifter fights. She knew little of Shade’s personal past or of his dreams for the future. Thinking about discovering all that made her realize her relationship with Shade had been hot and intense but without the kind of substance time could have given them. Something that also might have burned out quickly if he had lived. How could she say without knowing him better?

  Their love seemed just a bit farther from her reach than it had when she’d woken up that morning.

  But this wasn’t about her. It was about the child she was carrying. What was best for Maeve. Shade would always be her father.

  Before she made any decisions, she needed to talk to Luc. Having been raised in the human world, Luc would have a totally different perspective than Nik. And since Shade’s sister was now his woman, he no doubt already knew about Skye’s suggestion that she move into the two-flat. That would probably make him happy.

  As it would Ethan Grainger.

  Not that she cared about his opinion.

  Only… Shade would.

  Ethan’s saying Shade had been like a brother to him had almost broken her resolve to dislike him. That and the way he’d kept looking at her, making her pulse surge. She focused on that for a moment. Damn hormones! Or maybe it was more complicated than that. Maybe the soul she was currently using was opening her to needing more pleasure.

  She almost made it out of the casino when the security guard at the door gave her an SOS: Your whale just arrived.

  The guard was pointing to her, and she immediately had the attention of a man whose looks alone could probably win him an election. Well-built, dressed impeccably, probably in his mid-thirties. Once upon a time, she might have been attracted to him. Her tastes had changed. She preferred a more rugged type. A cop type like Shade.

  Shaking off a sudden uncalled for image of Ethan in her mind, she manufactured a welcoming smile that would win this man over. “Alderman, so glad you could make it.”

  She offered her hand and he held it a moment too long. “Nuala, just as beautiful as your father said you were. I’m looking forward to a personal look at the casino’s private areas.”

  He was grinning back at her, but the smile was as empty as his eyes. Typical of a human who no longer had a soul. But how could that be when she’d never seen him in the casino before?

  “This is your first invitation to the lower deck?” Humans wouldn’t even know the cloaked level existed without Pop’s invite.

  “I’ve been here before, more than once, actually. I heard you were indisposed at the tim
e.”

  She had been indisposed for several weeks after losing Shade and realizing she was pregnant. The goings on in the casino hadn’t interested her considering she’d had morning sickness most of the day, so if anyone had mentioned the man before, it had gone right past her. But why had Pop scheduled her to show him around? He must want something more from the man. Without knowing what, she was at a loss as to how to finesse him.

  “Well, then, if this isn’t your first time,” she said, “what is it you need from me?”

  “I pretty much stuck to gambling before. I’m ready for some new experiences. I was told you could provide them.”

  “I would be happy to give you the grand tour.”

  “Perfect. I’m anxious to find out what opportunities exist in every corner of this deck. And on the hidden ones below.”

  No doubt he would take every opportunity to indulge himself until he realized that he would get no gratification now that he’d given up his soul, the very thing humans weren’t prepared for. Without a soul, there was no true pleasure in food, drink, sex or any other favored activity. The days passed, one after the other, in a gray, boring cloud.

  “Right this way.” Nuala started off toward Awaken, a club sure to arouse his interest. He would learn soon enough that his interest would be futile.

  But her mind was already wandering back to the idea of moving out of The Ark and into Shade’s flat. If she did so, once the baby was born, would she still be able to do a job she had never warmed to just to please her father?

  Chapter Four

  Having caught up to Luc Lazare at his high-rise apartment, which had a direct view of the lake and The Ark below, Ethan hadn’t wasted any time in bringing up the new murder. Luc examined the photographs on Ethan’s cell while Ethan wandered outside to get a better look at the surroundings. He could see why The Ark’s head of security chose this apartment. He had a direct view of the casino and the early bettors who were already streaming inside. The morning sun seared him, while the lake wafted him with a cool breeze. Man, this was the life, if one not available on a cop’s salary.

  Luc joined Ethan on the terrace and handed him his phone. “Yeah, I recognize the alderman.”

  “Now if only you could recognize the hunk of fur we found. No doubt the autopsy’s gonna raise questions.” Which worried Ethan. “What happens if the DNA is something no one has ever seen?”

  “Pop might be able to do something about that if given a warning.”

  Cezar was proficient in using some kind of magic to cover up crimes. “He had a casino chip in his pocket from The Ark. How do I know your old man’s not in on the murder?”

  “So he was a gambler.” Luc shrugged. “Pop may do a lot of things you wouldn’t approve of, but murder isn’t in his cache of activities.”

  Not exactly true. Shade’s murderer had died at Cezar’s prompting if not by his own hands. Not that bringing it up with the favorite son would do Ethan any good here.

  “Any idea of who might be into something shady concerning humans?” he asked instead.

  “No, haven’t heard a word about something going on around the casino, but I’m on it. My security team, too, as soon as I check in at The Ark.”

  In Ethan’s opinion, Luc being in charge of security for the casino was a double-edged sword. He just had to believe the moral human part of the man was stronger than the corrupt Kindred side.

  “I need to get back to the office, to see what the team might have unearthed.” Ethan looked to the door but didn’t make a move. Thinking about Nuala again, he turned his gaze back to Luc and realized the man’s resemblance to his sister was indisputable despite the eyes, a pale gray to Nuala’s intense blue. Just thinking about her eyes made Ethan sweat a little, but he pulled himself together. “Before I go, though, I wanted to talk to you about your sister and the baby. About them possibly moving into Shade’s old apartment.”

  “I’m for it. That way I would see more of them since I spend what time I can with Skye, usually at her place. And it would be safer for Maeve. From experience, I know most Kindred don’t like or trust half breeds, and I want my niece protected.”

  “Have you talked to your sister about it?”

  “Not yet. I was giving her some time to think about it. Nuala has a mind of her own.”

  “I’m all too aware,” Ethan agreed, remembering how he felt out of control those last moments with her. “A mind that somehow influenced me to leave The Ark when she didn’t want to discuss the situation anymore.”

  Luc laughed. “She’s very adept at influencing people.”

  “So that is a Kindred thing.” While it didn’t exactly surprise him, it did piss him off. He didn’t like being manipulated. “How can I fight it?”

  “Not sure, because the influence thing doesn’t work on me,” Luc said. “Maybe if you had some personal effect of hers. Something significant you could keep on you at all times.”

  “That would work?”

  “I don’t deal in magic myself, but from what I’ve seen, personal tokens can be very powerful.”

  “Something to think about.” Not that Ethan wanted anything to do with the kind of magic involved. That he even knew as much as he did about the Kindred was a burden he could do without. But since he didn’t have a choice… He intended to carry through with his promise to Shade, and as it was, Nuala could thwart his best efforts. Only he hadn’t a clue as to what he could get his hands on that belonged to her. How would he even know what to look for? Or where to look for it?

  “Any clues as to the nature of the token that would work best?”

  Luc shrugged. “I would say something that has meaning to her. Sorry I can’t be more specific.”

  “I appreciate you trying to help.” Now he started across the room. “I’ve been gone long enough. I’d better get back to the office and see where we’re at with this murder.”

  Luc walked with him to the door. “I’ll put out feelers about who might have had a problem with Alderman Booker. And I’ll have that talk with my sister.” Luc added, “The more I think about it, the more her moving into Shade’s old apartment makes sense.”

  Which gave Ethan an idea.

  If Nuala had spent time in the apartment with Shade, chances were she had left something of hers there.

  *

  Ethan couldn’t get Nuala out of his head. She haunted him, taunted him in his thoughts, and it wasn’t right. After all, she was Shade’s woman. Well, had been. Still…

  He had to remind himself she was Kindred. He didn’t like Kindred or the operation they were running at The Ark. Nuala was no innocent. She worked in the casino, charming the whales for her father. Now Cezar Lazare had some kind of control over people in high places. To what end?

  Apparently Ethan needed some kind of protection from her. More than one kind of protection. He went over it in his mind as he drove. First, he had to stop thinking of her as a woman, one with high breasts and a tiny waist—well, when she wasn’t pregnant, she had one—and a sweet ass. Right, he had to forget about all that. If Shade had been like a brother to him, maybe he could think of Nuala as a sister. Oh, yeah, that was going to work. Kindred or not, she was all tempting woman. He would find a way to manage his thoughts about her. Somehow. Second, he had to keep her from manipulating him. Or reading his thoughts. If she knew the real reason for his guilty conscience, she would have nothing to do with him, and then he couldn’t keep his promise to Shade. So he had to find some token that could stop Nuala from controlling him… one that had some personal meaning for her. Hmm, but like what? For the moment, he was stymied. Maybe Skye would be able to help him there.

  On the way back to the Area North offices, he called Skye at Petopia, the pet supply store she co-owned, and asked if he could stop by her place that evening. He told her about Nuala’s using Kindred influence on him and about his conversation with Luc about getting some kind of personal token to stop her. He assumed there must be something Nuala left in the apartment. Skye told h
im that he could drop by after six. He’d be there, all right. And if luck had it, that token would jump up and bite him.

  Entering the lot, he spotted his partner’s motorcycle and wondered if Isabeau had made any headway in the investigation. Certain she would ask him about his field trip, he parked, and by the time he entered the office, he searched for information on his cell and sorted out a story he hoped would satisfy her.

  Several detectives sat at their desks, working at their computers, while a few others were making calls. Isabeau was nowhere in sight.

  A seasoned detective with the gray hairs to prove it, Jim Conti looked up from his computer screen. “I heard you caught the Booker murder. Mayor Kwan is about to make the announcement.”

  “The press is going to have a field day.”

  “Yeah, and you don’t bring this one in, your ass is in a sling.”

  Ethan hadn’t wanted to think too closely on that part. “Hey, Conti, have you seen DeClercq?”

  “She was there a minute ago. Maybe she’s in the coffee room.”

  “Thanks.”

  Not about to go searching for her, Ethan sat at his desk and opened his work emails. Nothing urgent. Well, other than a dead alderman. This case was going to be his life until it was solved. He was wondering if it was too soon to check on the autopsy when he glanced up to see Isabeau stalking toward him.

  “About time you got back.” She stopped at his desk and glared down at him.

  “What’s got you riled up?” he asked.

  “I’ve been cooling my heels, waiting for you.”

  Wow, that was an aggressive response, something he wouldn’t have expected from a newbie to the department, no matter that she’d had a couple of years of experience on the job in Milwaukee. Rather than responding in kind, he simply asked, “No leads?”

  “You were right identifying the alderman. And, yes, I have leads. I already followed up on them.”

  “And?” Ethan asked.

  “I have a witness.”

  “To the murder?”