by K. N. Banet
I started heading for a nurse’s desk, hoping one of them could start my check-out process. Heath followed me and stayed quiet. I had my check-out papers thirty minutes later and was able to convince everyone I didn’t need a wheelchair.
“Let’s get back home,” I said softly, sitting down in not-Heath’s truck. “Landon gave you his truck?”
“Yeah. Mine went to the cleaners.” He sighed. “I’m sorry about him.”
“Do you know what’s going on with the pack?”
“I know the…testimonies I’ve been keeping from last year, but I don’t follow werewolf politics as much since Russia. I was pretty much shut out after that incident when they realized you leaned on me for information to help save your family. Saving a human family isn’t something they punish people for, obviously, but they didn’t like us getting involved. Though they were happy we shut down the Russian pack.”
“So, a slap on the wrist punishment for helping me by cutting you out of their little ring of intel.”
“Pretty much,” he confirmed. “Now, let’s get back to what we were doing. Finding the people who tried to kill you is more pressing than the minor dramas I deal with from others of my species.”
“For now,” I said, coughing innocently.
He chuckled and shook his head.
“Don’t bring that sort of bad luck on us,” he ordered, starting the truck. “We’ve got enough problems.”
24
Chapter Twenty-Four
When we got back to Jacksonville, we stopped at the bar to check on Oliver. He ran out to the truck and looked me over.
“I’m fine. It was a relatively clean hit, not too much internal damage. I’ll be sore for a week or so, but the more I Change, the faster it will heal. No bones, so that makes this a little easier.” I patted his hand where he had placed it on my arm in the window.
“Okay. Okay. I know no one told your family. They haven’t tried to get in touch, either. You might want to—”
“I didn’t want them told and won’t be telling them yet because they would show up. I have everyone I need to handle this and don’t need to risk my family’s identities getting into the hands of the BSA, and potentially whoever leaked my information to these assholes. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m not going to give them up just to feel better. I have two werewolves, Dirk, and two BSA agents…probably. I need to have a long talk with the agents. We can’t stay.”
“I have Kick Shot, and I’ll fend off your family if they try to get in touch here,” Oliver promised with a strong nod.
“Thank you. I just wanted to make sure you were safe, and so you could see me alive and kicking. I’ve been injured much worse.” I grinned, trying to play it cool as if I had this all under control. I obviously didn’t, but I had to try.
“Of course you have,” he said, chuckling awkwardly. “Um…stay safe.”
“I can’t make that promise, but I promise to get these guys out of my territory, so we can get back to normal.”
“I like that.” He stepped away from the truck and waved. Heath took that as a sign we could go and gently hit the gas. I watched Oliver in the side mirror until I couldn’t see him anymore.
“He’s a good young man. Would make a terrible werewolf,” Heath said with a small laugh.
“Do you judge everyone by if they would make a good werewolf?” I asked. I didn’t do it as a werecat. For my kind, Changing someone was a special relationship, not one we did commonly, if ever, for many werecats.
“As an Alpha werewolf, I had to. Judge wrong and you would probably end up with a werewolf who couldn’t handle it and hit the Last Change quickly or just die during the Change. Or wasn’t the right fit for the pack. Or someone who, with sudden power, becomes a murderer and a maneater. We have to pay attention to these things.”
“Have you ever met someone and knew right away they would make a great wolf?”
“Yes.”
“Hasan said when he met me, he knew I would be a good werecat.” I sank further in my seat, ignoring the throb of the hole in my side. “It’s not normal for werecats to Change an adult stranger, though.”
“I’ve Changed strangers. I was asked by other packs to handle a specific person because the Alpha was unsure of it doing it himself. I’ve asked other Alphas to do a number of people in whatever pack I’m leading as well. We’re not attached to people we Change. They become part of the pack, not part of the family.”
He drove us to his home. Dirk’s truck was in the driveway first, with the BSA SUV next to him.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” I said softly. I was the one who texted Special Agent Collins and told him to meet us. I was the one with the plan to bring these agents in, work with them, and help them understand what was really at stake.
I had to trust two total strangers, who might be the very people creating the threat on my life.
“There’s not much of a choice unless you want to call your family,” he reminded me as we parked behind Dirk. “And we know where that leads.”
“Yeah.” I undid my seatbelt and gingerly slid out of the truck to keep from disturbing my healing side too much. He jogged to get to the door before me, holding it open. Dirk was just on the other side.
“Don’t. Die. Remember that?” His glare was one I had seen before—every time I pissed him off by hovering and trying to get in his business.
“I didn’t, but thanks for worrying about me,” I said with a smile. “Don’t hover. I’m alive, and I’m here.”
The chain he fired off of what I assumed were curses in German was impressive. He stormed away, and both BSA agents had to jump out of his way as he went into the kitchen. Pouring drinks for everyone, Landon looked up in time to stop Dirk from bumping into him and pointed to the drinks.
“Have one and calm down,” he growled. “You’re bothering our guests more than I am, and you’re the human.”
Behind me, watching the little scene unfold, Heath locked the front door.
“He’s fine. This has been a stressful day,” Collins said with a tight smile, then turned toward me, his eyes big. “So, you heal like werewolves.”
“Yeah. I’m not one-hundred percent, but I’m functioning.” I walked toward Landon and Dirk, letting Heath decide where he wanted to be. Landon pushed a drink slowly across the counter to me. Once it was in hand, I found a seat at their dining table. “Where’s Carey?” I asked softly.
“It’s nearly midnight…” Landon shifted on his feet. “I gave her some melatonin to help her sleep a couple hours ago. Once we knew you two were on your way back, she felt better.”
“Damn it,” Heath grumbled. “You know I don’t like—”
“She asked. She knew she couldn’t see Jacky until tomorrow, and she didn’t want to toss and turn all night. It was half a gummy,” Landon growled. “You weren’t here, Father. I handled it.”
“Thank you,” Heath finally whispered, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Now, onto the important business.”
“You asked us to be here,” Special Agent Miller said, slowly walking to the dining room table. “I’m sorry for what happened this morning. The fact you’re out of the hospital only twelve hours later…”
“Normally, if a moon cursed can Change, we heal faster. We just need to be awake. I’ll be fine in a couple of weeks at the most.”
“But we did the right thing by airlifting you out, right?” Miller sat down, not next to me, but close enough to show he wasn’t scared. He was worried about my health, which put points in his favor.
“She would have bled out otherwise,” Heath said. “With silver in us, we can’t Change. Werecats have those same weaknesses as werewolves. We’re the same curse.”
“Just different forms,” I confirmed, nodding slowly as Special Agent Collins sat down. Landon brought the other drinks to the table before finding his seat beside his father. Dirk was last, sitting between me and Miller. “Some other important quirks. We’ll get to that. I need to a
sk you two to work with me right now. No reporting back to your superiors about what I tell you, no telling anyone what I tell you. We’re both after the people trying to kill me. I don’t know who told about me, but the information needs to stop moving. Have either of you told your superiors I was attacked?”
“Only the first time and that we intended to resolve this matter, so we can properly talk to you. We never intended to introduce a threat on your life,” Collins explained. “But not about the second attack. Once that happened, we realized we needed to go dark and figure this out. The leak…might be the BSA.”
He’s super upset about that.
“Yeah, well…I’m going to tell you two some of what you want to know about werecats. In return, you will keep it to yourself, and we catch these guys. There’s a lot at stake here. Not just my life, but everyone here. You…you put us in a difficult position the moment you showed up.” I looked at Heath, hoping he would step in.
“We need your resources as much as you need our cooperation,” Heath said, putting it into words better than I could. “Jacky is willing to begin giving you information about werecats, but in return, you have to acknowledge this isn’t information for the BSA, yet. This information is to help you understand we need to be careful.”
“And a somewhat thank you for saving my life,” I added.
“We went dark. Whatever you tell us is between us,” Special Agent Miller said, leaning to put his elbows on the table. “Right?” He glanced at Collins, who nodded.
“I think we’re in extenuating circumstances. Where do we start? What do my partner and I need to know that could help us find these people?”
“Let’s back it up. There’re some things you need to know going forward that will help keep everyone here safe,” I said softly. “You…have evidence there’s some form of relationship between Heath and me. We need that deleted before we work with you further. Every trace of it has to go. If you can’t do that, we can’t work together.”
“Why?” Collins crossed his arms, frowning deeply. “Don’t misunderstand the question, please. I’m just trying to understand what we’ve stumbled upon. Obviously, it’s a touchy subject.”
Touchy was an understatement, but I wondered if he was being purposefully careful. Heath had attacked Miller in the hospital for not being tactful about the information.
“Werecats and werewolves are cousins, in a sense, but we’re not allies or friends,” Heath explained, sighing heavily. “In fact, for much of history, our two species have gone to war against each other, with the last leading to wide-reaching changes among supernaturals all over the world. There’s still animosity between our kinds. Jacky and I are the exception, not the rule, of how our kinds work. In fact, there are many werecats and werewolves who would prefer Jacky and I never worked together again. They certainly don’t know we’re in any sort of personal relationship beyond occasional allies. We need to keep it that way. If we can’t, you’re putting the lives of everyone in this house at risk.”
I thought about Zuri, who promised to have my back if our relationship got out. I thought about her new lover and the surprise of a baby on the way for her.
“Why…” Miller looked between Heath and me, seeming surprised. “Why have the relationship?”
“That’s not your business,” I said stiffly.
Because I’ll be damned if I let the world tell me what I feel is wrong.
“Why not have it?” Landon snapped. “Their relationship isn’t the business of anyone but them, and they’re asking you to respect that. Respect it.”
Having been on the end of one of Landon’s glares, I felt almost bad for the agents.
“We’ll delete it,” Collins said softly. “No reason for us to keep it.” There was no lie in his scent, no deception that could be traced, but I could see from the look on his face, he was thinking about something. Miller’s fear was clear. Landon was an intense man. “Why did you let us go to the werewolves to verify your identity?”
“Who else would you go to? They know who I am. Heath and I have been pulled into a lot of situations since we met, starting with me protecting his daughter during the coup.”
“How does someone your age get to be in such a position of power?”
“That’s complicated and will never be something we discuss.” I leaned back in my seat. “What else? Should we go over the differences between werewolves and werecats?”
“If you’re willing to. We don’t need your information to help you find who is trying to kill you. We’re grateful for the display of trust and thank you for telling us about the delicate situation of your relationship. We’re willing to protect your privacy in that manner, but we don’t need you to tell us too much. Seeing you get shot tells us a lot. Tells us we know a lot more than we thought we knew. We know werewolves are weak to silver, it’s toxic in their bloodstream, and it’s the same for you. We know you Change people with a bite, and the curse might kill someone in the process of them becoming a werewolf or a werecat. I presume it depends on the one who bites the individual. We knew you Changed during a full moon, so we already had some idea of there being a connection. Am I correct so far, thanks to that connection?” Collins wasn’t making notes or looking at a reference. I could tell he had a fascination with supernaturals, but he didn’t want to be one. He just enjoyed that there was something new and interesting at the same table as him. That must have been the thing that took him to the BSA for a job.
He might be by the book, but he’s interested.
I nodded, then waved for him to continue.
“Then we can also assume, like Heath, you’re living outside the community, but it’s not normal?”
“No,” I corrected. “Werecats live alone. That’s the way we are.”
“Ah.” He frowned. “Isn’t that dangerous? If you’re enemies with werewolves, wouldn’t you want numbers to match them?”
I shrugged. “That’s for later.” I gave them a look, daring them to test me on it.
25
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Then it’s for later.” Miller didn’t make any attempt to disagree. Whatever bit of hostility he had for me when we met was gone.
Maybe it’s because I got shot, and it’s probably their fault.
“We can tolerate that.” Collins was more eager to continue talking than his partner. “We just want there to be open communication going forward. If the BSA needs to know anything, we need to trust you to let us know.” He nodded to Miller, who picked up the briefcase he had at his feet. “We want to update you before going further. Before this incident, I was planning to tell you we were willing to agree to your terms. You as our liaison with other werecats in the future, keeping your identity and theirs private unless there is a case when exposure is necessary.”
“What about the Werewolf Disclosure Agreement?” Heath asked. “Werewolves are required to verify our identity to the public when we own a business. Jacky owns Kick Shot.”
“That is werewolf-specific, and it’s from the fact your packs would be considered parts of the economy with dozens of werewolf employees. Witches don’t follow the disclosure agreement, either. It’s not a hard sell to give werecats the same exception, as long as Jacky pays her taxes,” Collins said as Miller opened the briefcase and took out a sheet of paper. “This is all tentative, mind you. We’re not done negotiating, and this isn’t finalized. This is a preliminary write up, but in light of the first attack on you, our superiors wanted to make sure you understood we’re negotiating in good faith and want to make this work. Even if we don’t get everything we want, having someone we can talk to from any supernatural species is better than not having anyone.”
I took the paper offered to me—simple bullet points.
“That’s going to piss off werewolves,” I murmured, looking at Heath, who only nodded.
“That’s something you worry about?” Miller put the briefcase back on the floor.
“It’s something I have to worry about but n
ot do anything about.” I liked what I saw in the tentative agreement. It was simple. I would provide the BSA with information concerning the basics of werecats, something to help them expand their knowledge base. I would also let them know if there were any werecat-related incidents in the US. I would be accountable for any of the incidents if humans were killed. I would be expected to report conflicts that may endanger the United States or its citizens.
In return, werecats would get their privacy unless public disclosure was necessary and would be free of the Disclosure Agreement. We would be given a seat at the table for all negotiations for future supernatural legislation, just like the NAWC. We’d be granted protections similar to the werewolves and witches in the cases when a human or human organization attacked us. There were even anti-discrimination laws about supernaturals.
And finally, the BSA would confirm the existence of werecats using my photos, but no videos with my identifying features. This was going to be a press conference on national television.
Unavoidable, I guess. If they’re making deals with a new species and pass laws, they need to admit the species exists. As long as they don’t say my name or try to find other werecats, we’ll have to make due.
“What terms would force us into the open? Wrong way to phrase that...What would force me to tell people I’m a werecat?” I asked softly, not finding anything written about it. “And this is all contingent on whether the BSA is the leak or not.”
“If the BSA is the leak, we’ll adjust course, but I’m positive the BSA isn’t the leak. We don’t leak.”
Special Agent Collins was so damn sure, I wanted to believe him, but damn, it was hard. It was a massive government organization. There was no way they didn’t have someone in their ranks willing to out a supernatural to get her killed before a deal could be finalized. As long as the deal wasn’t finalized, secrecy was the only protection for a supernatural.