He looked at her then, and the look in his eyes caused Melanie to squirm uncomfortably. She couldn't quite describe the look on his face, but she could tell with absolute certainty that it was not a good look. “Did any of those men happen to see you?” he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I don't know. I felt as if the distance should have been enough that no normal person would have been able to see me. However, I will say that for the briefest instant it felt as if my eyes met the gaze of their leader. I couldn't make out his features very well, but I can tell you that he has one terrifying aura. Locking eyes with him felt like finding being in the sights of a very hungry predator. The moment only lasted a few seconds and then they were leaving,” she finished shortly, eyebrow raised as she looked toward Manu. “Does that sound normal to you?”
Manu shook his head gently, his hair swaying back and forth with the motion. “I am afraid that I have been staked out by the Enforcers, personally, so I can't tell you what their usual tactics are. However, I will tell you that the treatment you received today is not new behavior for them. They usually start by bugging the phones of a place, and then they work on trying to infiltrate the place with a field agent. It is a lot easier to be able to find your targets if you have someone on the inside, after all.”
“You mean anyone could be an Enforcer and we'd have no way of telling them apart from the rest of our allies,” Melanie said, a small sense of foreboding creeping up on her as a thought crossed her mind. “How do we know that none of the people working here are with the Enforcers?”
“Calm down,” Manu snapped shortly. He cleared his throat and then, speaking more kindly this time, he continued. “We make sure we vet every single applicant that comes through this place thoroughly. We check their history, known affiliates, the whole shebang. No one is able to keep secrets from us for long, and even if someone does manage to play us for a little while, we always weed them out in the end.”
“How do you manage to do that? You can't possibly know when someone is lying, all the time,” she said matter of factly. “We don't have lie detector technology that does that yet.”
“Who needs a lie detector when you have animal instinct? There isn't a thing alive that can fool that,” he claimed proudly, his chest slightly puffed out. “Besides, people always have ‘a tell’ that will give away if they are lying or not.”
“Like what?” Melanie asked, his words sparking curiosity within her. She knew that there were some telltale signs such as a person who looked away while talking or whose mouth or eyes twitched, but she wanted to know what sort of things he had learned over his years.
“Their body language is another thing that will usually betray them. Constantly twitching or tapping a foot or twiddling thumbs could also be a sign that they are hiding something, since those are normally visual cues associated with agitation. However, pay close attention to their smell. People who are nervous about something tend to sweat, which releases a very telltale pheromone into the air,” he tapped his nose poignantly. “The eyes can be tricked and misled, but the nose will never lie. It is very hard to fake a scent.”
Melanie smiled and nodded along to his words, making a mental note, for later. It all seemed straightforward enough. Her smile faded, however, as the thought that had been nagging in the back of her mind managed to spring to the front once more.
“Manu, do you think there is a possibility that I will ever be able to return to the outside world again and lead a normal life?”
He was quiet for a while, the tip of his pointer finger tapping silently against the tabletop. The look on his face was one of someone who was carefully trying to select their words before speaking. He gazed away from her a moment, his expression turning distant and wistful for a brief instant.
“I don't know, Melanie. I simply don't know if we will ever be able to live a normal life again. The joy of the old days was that people simply didn't believe we existed. They thought we were just fairy tales—scary stories that parents could tell their children to make them behave and not wander where they could get hurt or killed. The fact that we were dismissed as myth meant that we could live normal lives,” he said, lacing his hands together in front of him.
“So, now that we have been exposed?” Melanie prodded, not quite content with the way he had left that last statement hanging.
“I'm afraid our days of being able to live normal lives are over. Even if the current president is replaced and his successor undoes the damage that his predecessor has caused, I fear that it will not prove to be enough. Especially because of, if you’ll excuse me, your Uncle Brian. His book has proven to be far more powerful in the hands of our enemies than we had previously thought. People now know the signs that give us away, and that is not something that is going to disappear from the memories of citizens any time soon. Maybe in time, we could work to return to the coexistence that we used to have, but there will always be groups of people who will fear and hate us simply for what we are,” he replied morosely. The large man looked somewhat deflated.
That wasn't exactly the pep talk I was hoping for.
“Well, things don't seem so bad here. All this talk has gotten way too depressing, so let's lighten the mood a little bit. Why don't you tell me a little about you? Where are you from? Do you have any relatives nearby?” Melanie did her best to give a convincing smile, and she was relieved to see a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth.
“I can't say that I have the most exciting background,” he began, obviously not used to talking about himself. “I grew up the only child of two middle-class parents. I attended a normal public school like everyone else. I was decently popular, and my grades weren't anything to sniff at either. All in all, I was rather content with things.”
“What changed?”
He tried to smile, but it came across as more of a sneer. “Someone tried to rob my parents, one night, when they were coming home from a concert and my father ended up shifting to protect my mother. A witness saw it and reported it to the police, and we were forced to relocate. I spent the last years of my high school career in a place where I didn't know anyone and nobody seemed to care if I succeeded or failed. Needless to say, my grades and my attitude slipped a little in those days. I spent a lot more time cutting class and avoiding people, preferring to lay up on the roof and watch the clouds.”
Melanie listened silently, simply nodding along to his words but not interrupting. It was a story that she had heard all too often from her other shifter friends, about growing up. They were living perfectly normal lives one day, and then the next day they were being treated as monsters and forced to relocate. She felt terrible for Manu, knowing all too well the kind of loneliness that such a situation could cause. He laughed suddenly, causing her to return her attention to his face.
“Sorry,” he chuckled, his hand rubbing over the stubble on his chin. “I just thought it was kind of funny. I've been blessed with a gift that most people have only ever dreamed of having, yet I am dissatisfied because I feel as if I was given the wrong animal form.”
“What do you mean by that?” Melanie wasn't entirely following his line of thought, and her eyebrow arched in confusion.
“When I gazed up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by or the birds float past on a breeze, I would be filled with a pang of longing. How much easier life would be, I thought, if only I could take wing and fly away with them? Every time something happened in a place that I didn't like, I could just go somewhere new. I could spend my free time soaring in the skies, and not constantly worn down by the stresses that relentlessly assault my mind,” he said, a hint of sadness entering his voice.
Melanie felt her wolf side whimper, and she didn't realize that tears were streaming down her face until Manu leaned forward and gently wiped her cheeks with a clean napkin. She blushed gently and lightly plucked the napkin from his hand, finishing dabbing her own tears away. “I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying right now,” she admitted sof
tly.
“You have gone through a lot today. It is probably just your body catching up. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” he said softly, the kindness in his voice making her heart quiver. She saw the look of understanding in his eyes and appreciated it when he didn't try to continue the conversation.
“Thank you, Manu. I know you have been doing your best to make things as easy on me as you can, and I want you to know that I appreciate it,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him without realizing it.
They spent the rest of their time with Manu filling her in about life at headquarters and what she could expect to happen in the coming days. He mentioned orientation, but she still had no idea exactly what that entailed. He didn't seem to want to tell her exactly what orientation involved, but she figured it must not be something overtly painful if every person living at headquarters had undergone it at some point or other. When they were done eating, Manu led her to the living quarters and helped her get into her room. Once she was settled in, he bid her farewell and told her he would be back for her later that night.
Chapter Six
When Manu returned to her room, three hours later, he was greeted with the sight of Melanie dressed in a pure white silk dress trimmed with lace. She had used the map to make her way back to the mall area they had visited before, and had stopped in front of a store that had a multitude of dresses prominently displayed in the windows. The white one had caught her eye and the words of Selena and Manu about needing to replace her clothing returned to her mind. It wouldn't hurt to have some spare clothes and if that orientation thing they keep talking about is a formal occasion then I don't want to show up under-dressed.
The shopkeeper told her that he believed she was going to turn a lot of heads when she wore the dress. He was an immensely helpful, if rather effeminate young man, who immediately offered a variety of different garments for her to try on. It had almost felt like one of those dressing room montages that she had seen countless times in movies. She felt almost guilty as she watched all the clothes being rung up, but when she saw the final price her guilt lessened.
“How do I look?” Melanie's fingers were tangled in the fabric of the dress, pressing it nervously as she waited for Manu's response. She wasn't sure why, but she badly wanted his approval. Maybe it was a classic case of a woman falling for the man who had saved her, but regardless of the reason, she couldn't help but feel a small surge of pride in the way his eyes seemed glued to her.
“Manu,” she said, snapping her fingers in front of him. “I asked how I look.”
He blinked and shook his head slowly, raising his hand to his mouth as he cleared his throat in embarrassment. “Sorry, I was lost for words for a moment. I didn't realize you had gone out clothes shopping. What's the occasion?”
“Are these not the kind of clothes that people usually wear to orientation?” she asked, looking at herself in the mirror and feeling slightly foolish. “I assumed it was some kind of dressy party type deal.”
“I like your thinking, but I am sorry to say it is a tad more mundane than that,” he said, his tone coming across almost apologetic. “While I know I said we have had a little warning about your arrival, we've not had nearly as much time as we would have liked. Your orientation is going to consist of you meeting some of the higher-ups, getting your job assignment, and getting your identification credentials in order. Some friends of mine and I would like to do something to celebrate your arrival here, but it will take a few weeks for me to be able to put it together the way I would like. Can you be patient enough for that?”
Melanie ran a hand through her hair shyly, fidgeting with it the way she used to when she was younger. It was one of those nervous habits that she had never managed to outgrow, no matter how much older she got. “I guess that's okay. I feel kind of silly for being so dressed up now, though.”
“Don't be. You bought some new clothes and wanted to wear them. No one could guilt-trip you for that,” he said, taking a look over at the mirror that stood on top of the mahogany dresser in the corner of the room. “I admit, I would be sad to have to make you change out of it after you went through the effort of dressing up. We'll just say you wanted to make a good first impression on everyone.”
She beamed happily at that, nodding excitedly as she made her way to the bathroom to put on a little makeup. Nothing overtly fancy, she decided. A little blush, maybe some mascara and lipstick, but certainly no more than that. She could see Manu watching her, his eyes slightly distant. She had stirred faintly of memories of his sister, from when he was younger, and a wave of melancholy rolled through him at the thought.
Has it really been five years since she's been gone?
“Manu, do you think this will be good enough?” Melanie strode back out of the bathroom, her face looking slightly like one of those old-fashioned Chinese porcelain dolls. Paired with her dress, she looked like a celebrity about to make her first appearance at an awards’ ceremony. Manu found his eyes slowly checking her out despite himself, and his gaze lingered at her perky C-cup breasts just a bit longer than was probably appropriate. His look must have not been lost on Melanie, as a small giggle escaped her lips before she asked, “See something you like?”
He chose not to respond to that, making it seem as if he was preoccupied with checking something on his phone. She giggled harder at that, but didn't push the issue, walking past him so she could pick up her purse and sling the strap over her arm. She came to stand beside him, catching a glimpse of a text message, before he hastily locked his phone, the screen going dark. Melanie's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, but she chose not to comment on it for now.
“Are we going to head out, Manu?”
“Yes, let’s get going,” he said hurriedly, grateful for an excuse to change the subject. “I am sure that Selena and the higher-ups are anxious to meet you properly. We haven't ever had one of our members fight to get someone into our ranks as much as Barnaby fought for you.”
Melanie wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but chose to keep her mouth closed for now. If she asked too many questions, at the beginning, she feared Manu would grow suspicious of her and assume she was some kind of spy. She didn't want to put herself in a position where her rescuers could become hostile towards her, nor did she want to create any kind of distance between herself and Manu. Her inner wolf let out a small whimper. Melanie cleared her throat and a small sound managed to escape from her.
“Lead the way.”
Manu led her through a series of hallways to the glass elevators that waited directly next to the staircases. They stepped in and Manu reached over, tapping the button for the fifth floor. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall of the elevator as the doors closed. The lift smelled strongly of a mixture of vanilla and lavender, the floral and distinct scents helping to calm Melanie's nerves. The scents reminded her of days sitting with her mother, helping to make candles, and the bottles of scented oils that they used to infuse the wax with pleasant aromas scattered all across the dining room table. Those had been happier, simpler times.
When they arrived at the room where the orientation was to take place, Manu seemed to be quite eager for her to open the door ahead of him. He went out of his way to stay behind her, watching as she pushed open the door to reveal a large group of people.
“Surprise!” they called out in unison, and the sheer volume and the unexpectedness of their presence caused Melanie to jump slightly.
“Manu, you prick!” Melanie shouted, turning on him and smacking him in his chest gently. “You told me you guys weren't going to do anything like this for a couple weeks.”
“What better way to get you to let down your guard?” He chuckled as he rubbed the spot where she had struck him gently. She was, surprisingly, a lot stronger than he had originally assumed she would be. It was a refreshing change of pace—most of the other women here at headquarters would not have dared to do such a thing to him, even in jest.
“You ar
e such a little firecracker.”
“If you ever do something like this again, you will find out just how explosive my temper can get,” she said, turning her gaze to the other occupants of the room and doing her best to put a wide smile on her face. “Thank you so much, everyone. This is really too kind.”
She moved toward the center of the room and took a seat at one of the many chairs that surrounded the massive wooden table that occupied that space. The other attendees moved to take their seats one by one, Selena being the last person to approach the table. When she cleared her throat, silence fell across the whole room, where gentle murmuring and quiet conversation had been before. All heads in the room seemed to turn in her direction as one, and Melanie found herself feeling quite impressed at the mastery the woman had over the members of the Society.
“Thank you for coming, everyone. We are here to celebrate the addition of another member of our family today. Another comrade who will take up arms with us against the unfair society that the Usurper-In-Chief has worked so hard to build. One day, we will manage to undo the damage that bigoted fool has created, and will work to repair the divide that has been created between shifters and humans,” she began, her voice carrying clearly across the room despite how softly she was speaking. “She was discovered by our Vice-President, Barnaby, and it was upon his recommendation and request that we brought her here.”
“What makes her so special?” asked a blonde-haired gentleman in his mid-thirties, whose eyes were concealed by a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses. He was dressed in a full denim outfit, complete with a vest whose sleeves had apparently been ripped off, and the top of his head was covered by an American flag bandanna.
Alpha Shifter Standalone Collection Page 10