“Not exactly?” Rachel lifted one brow.
Chris sighed, then looked her in the eyes. He looked like he was about to confess to something horrible, maybe even murdering Ricky. “I'm a werewolf.”
Rachel frowned. Why was being a werewolf such a confession? “Is there a reason that would be a problem?”
“There's a bit of contention between the were-wolves and the wolf shifters.” A wry smile curved his lips. “We don't generally get along, and I'm never sure if someone new, especially a shifter, is going to side with the wolves.”
“And which is Emily?”
“She's a werewolf, of course. If she were a wolf shifter, her disappearance would be their problem.”
“So, do you look for all the missing werewolves?”
“I'm still settling into my position, but I think normally I would send someone out to look for them. The reason I'm looking for her is who she is. She's the daughter of my father's lover.”
“That's a strange way to put it.” Rachel frowned, wondering why he would phrase it like that.
“Things are odd in my Fraction. That's all I can say.”
“Emily isn't your father's daughter?”
“No, she was about five when my father met Tiffany.”
“But he helped raise her, I assume?” The whole thing was odd to Rachel whose parents had been mated, only being with each other her entire life. Do werewolves not have mates?
“He did. She was raised much like a little sister to me, though younger and very annoying.” A slight scowl marred his forehead, and Rachel understood what he meant. When she had been younger, be-fore her parents had passed away, she'd thought Ricky was annoying. Hell, she still did sometimes.
“I understand the irritating younger sibling thing.” Rachel waved the photo still in her hand. “So, you're searching for her to help your dad?”
“No,” Chris shook his head. “I'm looking for her because Dad can't. He's dead. He was killed in a fight last year.”
“I'm so sorry.” Rachel felt bad immediately. She remembered how hard it had been to lose her parents and hated having to remind anyone, especially Chris for some reason, of pain that strong. She laid one hand on his in sympathy. “I know it's hard losing your parents.” Her eyes went wide as a bolt of heat shot through her. Her gaze shot up to his face, wondering if he'd felt it too. His brows lifted as he looked down at her in surprise.
“Well, that was different.” Chris glanced around the room then back to her. “I'd like to get to know you a little better, if only because of that.” He glanced down at where her hand still rested on his. “But I need to mingle, ask a few more people if they've seen Emily.”
“It sounds like we may be able to help each other, at least in our respective searches.” She tried to ignore the tingling sensation that still ran through her body, remembering belatedly to pull her hand away. “How about we meet for coffee? Is tomorrow okay for you?”
“Coffee sounds good. What time do you have in mind?”
“I usually come up for coffee about seven, if that’s not too early for you. Or we can do some-thing later if that’s easier?”
“How about breakfast instead of coffee? Seven is great. I assume you want something upstairs?”
“It's easiest for me, then I don't have far to go to get to work. But I can talk to Teya and come in later if you'd rather go somewhere else, she would understand.”
“No, here is fine. How's the buffet?”
“It's one of my favorites in-house. A good selection so you can have whatever you're in the mood for.”
“Sounds good. I'll see you there at seven tomorrow morning.”
“I'll see you then.”
Chris moved on to another group of guests, which happened to be a couple of vampires. Rachel wasn't fond of the vampires and wished she didn't have to deal with them, but she knew Teya had been right to invite them. Not inviting them would have been a slight and would cause even more fric-tion between the Fractions than there already was. Reluctant to walk away from Chris, Rachel turned and went in search of someone she hadn't already asked about Ricky.
2
Chris kept an eye on Rachel, always aware of where she was as he continued to move from group to group at the party, meeting the people he didn't yet know and asking everyone if they'd seen Emily. There was one man though, that he just couldn't forget as he moved away. There was something about him that kept drawing Chris's eye. The girl he understood, she turned him on in ways he'd never experienced before. On top of the attraction, the instant Chris saw her, his wolf informed him that she would belong to him. Chris was a little more willing to let her have a choice. A little. Chris wanted to see if they could get along before he committed to her or her to the life he led. The last thing he wanted was for his child to be raised by a single fa-ther like he had been until his father had met Tiffa-ny, but by then, Chris had been well into his teens.
Glancing back at her, Chris noticed the golden red dragon mask she wore, and he watched how the staff took orders from her, realizing how appropri-ate it all seemed. What better costume than your other form? He'd have to get to know at least a little before he could guess how she might respond to him informing her that she was his mate.
Unnervingly, his gaze skipped back to the man. He'd been told the man was the leader of the wolf shifters and despite the natural animosity between the two Fractions, Chris didn't think that was what he was sensing. There was something about him. Chris couldn't put his finger on it, but that didn't make the odd sensation go away. He tried to push the other man out of his mind as he continued asking guests about Emily. Emily had been gone too long, and he had to find her.
3
Rachel woke early the next morning after spending most the night dreaming about the stranger looking for Emily. No, his name is Chris her dragon reminded her. Rachel wondered briefly why her dragon cared; she rarely took interest in who Rachel talked to, unless it had something to do with dragon business.
Four A.M. was two hours earlier than she normally got up, but sleep eluded her, and she couldn't stand to toss and turn any longer. With a sigh, she pushed out of bed and staggered through the dark-ness to the bathroom.
Taking a shower made a world of difference. The lack of sleep clouding her mind like a heavy fog started to lift. A cup of coffee from the small in apartment kitchen did even more. It cleared the last of the cobwebs from her mind. By six thirty, she was dressed and ready to face the day. Making sure Ricky’s photo she was showing everyone was in her bag, she glanced around her apartment trying to figure out why she felt like she was forgetting some-thing. After checking her bag again, making sure she had her phone and everything she would need for the day, she gave up and left the apartment.
In the hallway, she ran into one of the three other people who shared her floor, Neo. Neo was her boss's brother; he also managed the restaurants that were a part of the MesoAmerican resort.
“Good morning, Rachel,” Neo said. “You're looking nice today, and you're out and about early. What's up?” Neo had a happy, ready to take on the world attitude that was more than a little infectious.
“I'm meeting someone for breakfast this morning.”
“Oh? Is it someone I know?”
“I don't know.” Rachel tilted her head to one side as she watched him a moment. “I really don't know him all that well, I met him last night. He was looking for a missing person, too. His name is Chris.”
“Chris, missing person,” his brow furrowed, “he's looking for a girl, isn't he?”
“Yes. I'm pretty sure the girl he's looking for is Ricky's girlfriend. I'm hoping maybe we can share information and find them, hopefully alive.”
“I remember seeing him last night, and I think I've met him before, but I'm not sure. I see so many faces; I can't possibly remember them all.” Neo gave her an apologetic smile.
“Nobody expects you to remember them all.” Rachel hit the button to call the elevator. “It would be a miracle if you remembered every face y
ou ever saw, there has to have been millions of them.”
“Over the years? I'm sure there has been, literal-ly,” he laughed. Rachel knew what he was saying, she had seen thousands of faces in her hundred years, while Neo had more than twenty-five times that.
“What’s on your agenda for today?” The elevator door opened and they stepped on.
“Just another day. I’ve got a couple of deliveries due, but that’s about it.” He hit the button for the main floor. They were quiet for the short ride and when the door opened, Neo stepped out. “Have a good day.”
“You too.” She watched a moment as he walked away then turned and headed to her meeting.
4
Chris arrived at the MesoAmerican fifteen minutes early. Tardiness was one of his pet peeves, and he avoided being late whenever he could. A side effect was that often, he was early to pretty much everything. He was all right with that. Better early than late was how he felt. Chris stopped just inside the door to get his bearings. He'd not visited any of the dining establishments in this casino be-fore, so he wasn't certain which direction to take. Scanning the place, he found a sign hanging from the ceiling with arrows pointing toward different restaurants as well as some other areas of the casino. Chris followed the signs until he spotted the buffet where the small, beautiful woman from the night before had agreed to meet him. Rachel. That was the name she'd given him.
He empathized with her. Chris was looking for Emily because she was the daughter of his father's mate. With his father and hers gone, Chris was the only one left to look out for her. Chris had discovered she was dating a dragon, someone with ties to the Fraction's leader, but he wasn't convinced it was the Ricky that Rachel was looking for. Either way, it was worth taking the time to talk with her and see if he could get a better idea, or figure it out for certain. Besides With how drawn he felt to her, and the way his wolf insisted she was theirs, it would be a good way to let her get to know him.
Chris stopped in front of the buffet and looked around, wondering how long he would have to wait before she arrived.
“Chris.” Hearing his name, he turned to find Rachel inside the bright orange and gold restaurant. Rachel caught the cashier's eye. “He's with me,” she said as she beckoned him through the line. The cashier waved him through, and he met the tiny woman on the far side of the registers. Without the mask she'd been wearing the night before, he got his first real look at her face, she was breathtaking. Rachel wore a suit in a dark red, which made her skin look amazing. His hand ached to reach up and run his thumb across her cheek. Her hair was pulled up behind her head and secured with something he couldn't see, but the size of the knot made him sure her hair was long.
“I didn't mean for you to buy my meal.” Chris didn't like the idea of her paying his way.
“It's not a problem.” Rachel turned and wove be-tween tables with practiced ease. “I have us a table back here. It will be quiet in this corner for a little while yet so we can talk without worry of being disturbed or overheard. I wasn't sure when you would be here, so I just ordered water for you to start. We can ask the waitress for fresh coffee, or whatever you want to drink.”
“That's fine, but I was serious. I don't want you to pay for my meal.”
“Chris, it's not a problem because I don't pay for meals. Everyone here knows me, and I eat for free.”
“Is it that way for your entire Fraction?”
“Not all, no, but it is for those of us who manage some part of the resort or Fraction.”
“And which do you do?”
“Excuse me?”
“Which do you manage? Some part of the resort or the Fraction?”
“Oh. No, my official title is Administrative Assistant, but that's mostly because we've not bothered to change the title over the years. I'm Teya's assistant. I help her run the Fraction, as well as the clan.”
“Impressive.” Chris looked at the tiny woman with a little more interest. While she didn't run her Fraction officially, he knew from experience within his own Fraction that she probably did as much, or more, work than the Fraction leader did.
“How is everything?” a young, human girl asked, Chris could tell she wasn't a shifter by her scent as she approached their table. “Can I get you some-thing to drink?”
“A cup of coffee would be great.” Chris smiled at her but wished she'd go away again. Assistant to the clan and Fraction leader could be the tie to the power structure Emily had bragged about. Maybe this girl's brother was the one Emily had been seeing after all. Finally, something in the way of a lead.
“Would you like to get something to eat?” Rachel motioned to the series of buffet bars around the room once the waitress walked away.
“Sure.” There really was no rush, and he could at least pretend to be polite and let her eat while they talked. They both got up and went to get their own plates.
Chris returned to the table to find Rachel still gone. He sat and started eating, happy to find that his coffee had been delivered while they were gone.
“Did you find everything you were looking for?” Rachel's voice came from behind him a couple minutes later. Chris had to swallow before he could answer.
“Yes. You have quite a selection here.” He watched as she took her seat and started on her own plate, somehow unable to look away.
“Tell me what you know about Emily.” Rachel glanced at him between bites.
“I knew her when she was a kid, but I haven't seen her much recently.” Chris lifted one shoulder, not sure what else to tell her.
“And she disappeared when?”
“I'm not sure exactly. She's a were, like me. We're kind of loners when we can be, so there's no one who can tell me exactly when she disappeared.” Rachel watched him for a few seconds then nodded slowly.
“We don't have anything like a were-dragon, we all shift at will, once we learn to control it, that is.”
“We shift at will too, but we also have to shift at the full moon, which is something unique to weres. In addition, weres have a third form, an in between form that many see as monstrous. I’ll admit... it’s not pretty.” Chris took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. “She apparently had been seeing some dragon, possibly your brother, for a few weeks, but no one can tell me anything solid about him. No one in our Fraction ever met him. All I have to go on is the rumor that he had ties to your Fraction's power structure. From what you've said, it does point to your brother.”
“It could be.” She was quiet for a moment. “But Ricky's not the only male in the clan with those, or similar, ties. Do you mind if I have someone else come see if they know her? Do you have the photo with you?”
“I have it.” He dug the picture from his pocket and set it on the table. “And please, ask anyone you think might be able to help.”
Rachel took out her phone, hit the screen several times, then laid it on the table next to her plate. “I sent Neo a message. He shouldn't be long; he's just over at the cafe this morning.”
“Neo?”
“Yes, he's my boss's brother. Neo manages all the restaurants in the resort. He had a delivery this morning; I met him coming up in the elevator.”
“All right.”
“You said you don't know much about her.” Rachel set her fork down after a second. “Then how did you get to be the one searching for her.”
Chris made a face. “When I was a teenager, my father hooked up with her mother. They were to-gether for years, until he passed away last year. You've got a younger brother, you know how it is to have them tagging around copying your every move or tattling on you? She was mine. It wasn't so bad at first, when she was little and cute, but by the time I was seventeen, eighteen, it was a real pain.” Chris gave her a wry smile and went back to eating.
Her phone chirped, and she picked it up. “Neo said he's busy now, but he'll be here in about ten minutes.” Rachel set the phone aside and picked up her fork. “Once he looks at the picture, we may have a better idea whether
it's Ricky she was seeing.” She picked up the photo and looked at it again. “I really do think it is. I'm almost certain I met her about six weeks ago.”
“You met her?” Chris's breath caught as his gaze swung back to her, somehow he'd missed that Rachel had met Emily. “You didn't say you met her. Or did you and I missed it?”
“I'm not one hundred percent certain I did. The face is familiar, and I knew her name was Emily, but I can't be certain why I knew it.” Rachel glanced up at him. “Have you sent out missing fliers to the different Fractions asking for information? Possibly sending them to the normals’ police force too?”
“No, I was hoping to avoid it. But it looks like it's going to be my best option. Normally I'd say it's Fraction business, but if there's a werewolf and a dragon missing, who else might be missing? Ours are likely tied to each other, even if only because they were seeing each other. But what if they were-n't dating? Could they still be connected?” Chris took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He was more than a little frustrated but felt he couldn't just let it go because his father had made him promise to look after Emily.
Guilt haunted Chris because he'd been so busy lately he'd not kept track of what she was doing, and he had no idea where to start, so he was looking everywhere and not seeming to get very far. At least until now, but he suspected it was luck that had gotten him this far. It would take work to get any further. “I'm really at a loss as to where to go from here.”
“Well, let's see what Neo has to say, then we’ll talk about it in more detail. I'm going to go get a little more food, if you don't mind?”
“No, go ahead.” Chris pushed away his empty plate and considered it for a second or two before going back and getting a little more himself. After they returned to the table, the waitress came and topped off his coffee, asking if they needed any-thing else before leaving again. They ate in comfort-able silence for several minutes.
“Okay, enough about Emily and your brother for a few minutes. Tell me a little about yourself.” Chris slathered butter onto a biscuit and watched her, waiting.
The Dragon Chronicles_City of Sin Page 10