by Dana Archer
“Are you requesting a reassignment, then?” Ella sits back without taking the paper. “I was under the impression you and Rick work well together. If not, I could pair him with Colin, because the situation with Sam is a done deal, and you could work with Lyla full-time. She did say she’d appreciate the extra muscle in the lab moving bodies around.”
“No.” I drop the loose paper onto the open envelope. Abandoning Rick doesn’t sit any better with me than when Kade offered to be his partner. Being with Lyla all the time doesn’t either. It’d be too easy to form an addiction to the woman. “Where is Lyla? I’ll set up some kind of an arrangement with her that doesn’t interfere with my partnership with Rick.”
“Not sure.” Ella smiles. “Try texting her.”
I turn away without telling her my texts to Lyla have gone unanswered. Hopefully, Sam will offer up the details of where her sister’s gone. Otherwise, Lyla will get a surprise when she finds me waiting in her bedroom for her tonight.
Eleven
Lyla
With a warm cup of coffee between my hands, I approach the huddled form between the dumpster and a shopping cart stuffed with garbage bags. “Hey, Harry. Do you have time for an old friend?”
Harry grabs on to the shopping cart as if I’m going to snatch it and run off.
I pause a few feet away and hold out the mug. “I saw you sitting here and bought you a coffee. You look cold.”
Harry smiles. “Nah, Miss Lyla, you know I don’t get cold.”
As a shifter, even a beta single shifter who’s nearing the end of his life, Harry can regulate his body temperature. Unlike his immortal Royal counterparts, mortal single shifters have to eat to rebuild their energy reserves if they expend any to warm their core temperatures. I laugh instead of reminding Harry of this fact. We both know it. “You’re right, but you still enjoy a good cup of coffee, don’t you?”
“That I do.” He pushes to his feet and rolls the shopping cart behind him. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” I pass over the coffee, keeping space between us. Harry’s body language doesn’t invite me closer. As a human used to shifters, I know to respect that. Even as an elderly beta, Harry’s significantly stronger than me.
Harry wraps his hands around the steaming waxed paper cup and brings it to his nose, inhaling deeply before drinking. “Thank you, Miss Lyla. I’m sorry I don’t have anything to give you in return.”
“How about some information?” I can’t pass up the opportunity. With two dead bodies in the coolers in my lab, I’m desperate for a lead.
Harry studies me over the top of his coffee. “What kind?”
“I’ve been hearing about a newcomer to the city. Or maybe newcomers. I’m not sure. Anyway…do you know anything about them? I hear they’re either like you or Bryon.”
“There’s nobody new in the city.” Harry frowns. “Some people come. Some people go. Some people die, but there’s nobody new.”
“But what about—”
“Thank you for the coffee, Miss Lyla.” Harry grabs the handle of the cart and pulls it behind him as he walks away from me.
Fighting a frustrated growl, I head back to where my new partner is watching protectively from the bus stop across the street, but each step I take builds frustration within my muscles and leaves me on edge. Another day of visiting my old stomping grounds has left me with nothing but memories I’d rather not revisit. No sightings of Izzy. And no leads on the murdered shifters’ case. Not even bringing a “fully trained” Shifter Affairs agent along has helped. I’m no closer to solving this case than I was the night desperation sent me out into an ice storm to find Bryon.
“They’re afraid.” Colin sits on the bus stop bench next to me. “Whoever these newcomers are, they’ve effectively asserted their dominance over the other residents here.”
Including Bryon. Though, honestly, his indifference to everyone and everything may have more to do with it than fear. He’s a classic example of a lost soul, existing but not living. To think he’ll go on like that long after I’m dead is beyond sad. “At least we haven’t discovered any more bodies.”
“You know you’ve just screwed us, right?” Colin cuts me a sideways look. “Now it’s only a matter of time until we get another call.”
“It’s only been a matter of time all along.” Hunching over, I rub the heels of my palms over my eyes. The night of tossing and turning while Uri’s lingering scent messed with my head has officially caught up with me. I’m exhausted. “Our killers are likely in the process of whipping up an altered batch of Elixir to try out. It all depends on how long it takes them to pick their next guinea pig.”
“Unless, they’ve already perfected their enhancements.” Colin turns to look at me. “Then we’ll be dealing with a new addicting drug in the streets instead of deaths.”
Part of me would rather it be that. At least addicts would still be alive to save. Of course, few addicts want to be saved any more than Bryon wants a purpose. Then they’d have to admit they have a problem. “I guess we’ll find out.”
“Yeah.” Colin checks his watch, then glances down the road. “Bus should be picking up any minute. When we get to Hooker’s Lane, I need to text Sam to make sure she got home safe.”
“I didn’t expect you to volunteer to be my partner.” I wanted to officially coerce Uri into spending more time with me. After last night, I have to find out why we feel so good together. If that means I need to play dirty, so be it. I never pretended to be a good girl.
“You did me a favor. Sam and I have been together too long. The rumors about us being involved are making our working relationship difficult. It’s time to cut ties and move on.” Colin stands and shoves his hands in his pockets. “And dumping Sam for you is something she’ll be okay with. She wants you safe. Besides, Sam doesn’t need me anymore. She’s got a new partner. This just gives Sam the excuse to let me go without feeling guilty.”
I move behind Colin and rest my hand on his shoulder. “Sam’s in love with you, isn’t she?”
Colin shrugs as the bus turns the corner. “Sam’s not my true mate. I wish she was, but she’s not.”
“And that means you can’t love her?”
“I do love her.” Colin steps out of the bus stop enclosure at the same time as a huge oversized pickup cuts off the bus. “But what I feel isn’t enough to ignore my obligations. The alpha leader’s role is waiting for me.”
In order to claim his place as leader of his family, he needs a shifter female to make a baby with. Humans and shifters can’t reproduce together. “Can’t you and Sam adopt? Or use a surrogate or something?”
“You’re missing the point.” Colin faces me as the pickup pulls up next to the curb. “Sam’s not my true mate. No amount of wishing will change that for me or my jaguar.”
The truck’s passenger window rolls down, and a familiar voice reaches me. “Get in, Lyla.”
I glance from Colin’s raised brow to Uri’s pissed-off expression and fight to hide my smile. Apparently, Uri learned about my reassignment and new duties. Or else me ignoring his texts—eleven of them since breakfast—finally pushed him over the edge. Either way, it’s time to bait my Royal into spending more time with me and telling me what this connection we share actually means.
“Hey, Uriel.” I flash a smile to counter Uri’s scowl at the use of his given name. “What are you doing down here?”
“No games. Get in.”
Uri’s tone carries a command I feel in my bones. I lock my knees to stop from going to him and force myself to shake my head. “Can’t. Colin and I were just about to take the bus downtown. We’re following up on a witness.”
“Get in, Lyla.”
“Sorry but I—”
Uri throws the truck into Park as somebody honks and curses something about double-parking jerks. “Then I’ll throw you over my shoulder and—”
“Go ahead, Lyla.” Colin cuts Uri off. “Weeknights are slow on the streets anyway. We’ll have better lu
ck finding our witness another night.”
I look from where Uri’s standing next to the open door of his truck to Colin, who’s staring at his smart watch. Earlier, Colin thought we’d have a better chance at finding Izzy on a weeknight as she’s usually one of the first to book clients. Something must’ve happened to change his mind. Or someone. “Is Sam okay?”
A sharp nod answers me. He taps the watch display, then runs his hand over his head. “She says so, but she’s not coming home tonight. That’s not like her. I want to find out why. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all.” And this couldn’t have worked out better if I planned it. “As long as Uri will help me look down on Hooker’s Lane for our witness.”
“Of course.” Uri climbs into the truck, then reaches across and opens the passenger door. “Now get in.”
With my hands trembling and anticipation racing my heart, I step onto the running board and hop onto the leather seat. Uri pulls out before I get my seat belt on and steps on the gas pedal, pushing the speed limit but not going over.
“What kind of stuff do you think you’re pulling?” On edge, harsh, with an animalistic growl, Uri’s question booms in the confines of the truck cab.
With the back of my hand over my mouth to hide my smile at the evidence that I’ve triggered my Royal’s instincts, I clear my throat. “What stuff are you talking about?”
Uri glances at me before focusing on the road. He scowls, likely reading my amusement despite my attempt at hiding it. “Changing your assignment with Shifter Affairs. There is absolutely no reason for you to work as a field agent. Your skills are specialized and in great demand. You can’t possibly tell me you have so much free time that you’re bored.”
“No, not bored. I’m dedicated.” I focus on our surroundings and the few remaining dirty snow piles that have yet to melt, not the grumpy shifter who’s turning out to be my hardest conquest. “I want to stop the ones who are killing homeless shifters and getting desperate humans addicted to Elixir or variations of Elixir.”
“The details you’ve uncovered will help us. Focus on finding more information about this new drug mix. Rick and I will follow any leads to close out this case.”
“And have you found anything helpful?” I wait a moment, but Uri’s deepening scowl is his only response. “When I talked to Rick earlier today, he mentioned it was slow going because he was working solo.”
“I have responsibilities outside of my work with Shifter Affairs. Today, those responsibilities took center stage. I’ll make it up to Rick tomorrow. Honestly, he shouldn’t have gone out without me. He’s stubborn, though.”
“That’s why you didn’t want to mentor me, isn’t it? You’re too busy.” And after meeting Ezra, I have a better understanding of what those obligations are. The only question left is why Uri went on to claim me as his beloved human if he’s so strapped for time.
“What I wanted matters little. I’ve accepted my responsibilities where you’re concerned. I thought I made that clear last night.” Uri’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, leaving his knuckles white. “You will be protected while under my watch, even if I have to save you from yourself.”
“Being your beloved human is an honor. Colin told me that. He said you’d kill for me.” I slide my gaze to Uri. “Or die in my place if it comes to it.”
“He’s right. I will do anything to keep you safe, and the scent I added to your body gives me the right to do so in the eyes of your government and mine. My claim also acts as a deterrent to those who might think to harm you. I have a reputation among my kind. Even if I didn’t, only a fool would mess with a Royal’s beloved human.”
“It’s ownership.”
Uri slows, then stops at the red light. “It can be viewed that way, yes. In fact, I think I used that word yesterday or maybe at least property. Either way, you’re mine in a very literal sense. I thought I made that clear.”
Dropping my head against the headrest, I glance out the side window. “Ownership, no matter how special and sacred it is to shifters, is not healthy.”
“That’s not how most beloved humans feel. Most recognize it as an incredible honor. Give it some time. You’ll see why they feel that way.”
On a long sigh, I make peace with the fact I have no choice but to share Sam’s abuse. Or how it could have been me locked in that cage. And why I’m so confused about craving to be Uri’s possession. It makes me a hypocrite. Or just seriously messed up in the head. Either way, Uri needs to know what he’s signed on for—guarding a hot mess for the next few decades.
“When I was twelve, my mother planned to give me to her dealer to cover the debt she’d amassed. Sam went in my place.” I press a balled fist against my chest, but the ache doesn’t go away. I drop my hand and breathe through the anxiety before it has a chance to choke my voice with tears. “Months later, Shifter Affairs got a tip about a naked human being kept in a cage. They brought in a special task force from Delaware that Colin was part of. He’s the one who freed her, and he’s been by her side ever since.”
The trembling in my hands betrays my emotions even if my voice doesn’t. I splay my fingers on my thighs and let my lashes drift lower. Blocking out the sight of my shaking doesn’t calm me. The silence in the truck’s cab amplifies my rough breathing and intensifies my emotions. Uri’s not saying anything to soothe me. He’s not encouraging me to talk more either. The words need to be spoken, though. For his sake and mine.
While I don’t think Uri would ever abuse me or lock me in a cage, some fears run deep, even though I think I might like the idea of belonging to Uri. I honestly don’t know if one day, I might snap. Uri should at least know why.
“Bryon led Shifter Affairs to where Sam was being kept, but the original tip came from a neighborhood friend. My best girlfriend, actually. We were inseparable, but after Sam disappeared, she started acting funny. Skittish, you know?”
I shake my head, not actually waiting for Uri to answer or caring that my voice is cracking. I’ve got to get this out before I start bawling. “I didn’t know she was a shifter. I didn’t know my mom’s dealer was one either. Not until a Shifter Affairs agent showed up at my mom’s place with a shifter version of Child Protective Services. They took me out of there, arrested my mom, reunited me with Sam, and changed my life, allowing me to enroll in a fast-track medical program while Sam went on to train with Shifter Affairs.”
Uri’s hand settles over mine, warming me when I didn’t realize I was chilled in the heated cab. “And your friend?”
Still no sympathy, but really, what does saying “I’m sorry” actually do? Uri’s not the one who failed my sister or me. I’m not sure anybody did other than my mom. Even then, she had issues that led her to make choices most people wouldn’t. Over the two decades I’ve avoided speaking to my mom, I haven’t decided how I actually feel about her and what she did to us.
“Izzy, short for Isadora. Her birth name is Gomez, but it’s not her shifter family name. She’s adopted and a few years past maturity.” Sniffling, I rub my forearm over my eyes, but the wool jacket only manages to irritate them more. The tears sting.
“What variety of shifter?”
“Feline. A Royal.”
“What pride?”
The interest in Uri’s voice sends a sharp pain across my cheeks and down my neck. I work my jaw loose, cracking it, and fold my arms over my chest.
Jealousy is not a pretty emotion. Darn if I can stop it. I study the green light in front of us and work on getting the dark envy under control. I have no right to feel it, at least according to Uri. He’d be all too happy to keep our relationship limited to work. Yesterday was all about healing me, not arousing me. He told me that.
The blaring of a horn registers. The light is green, but Uri’s not driving. His focus is on me. I can feel his stare as if his look alone is enough to rip the information from me.
“What pride, Lyla?” The demand is stronger, incessant.
My shoulders slum
p. The green light turns yellow, then red. “Don’t know. Maybe Shifter Affairs or Bryon does, but I don’t. We’re not best friends anymore. I didn’t even know she was working the streets again until this week. Izzy dropped off the grid after Sam was rescued. We assumed she’d been picked up or took off. Happens sometimes, you know?”
“Yes, I know.”
The frustration in his voice draws my gaze to him. With his hand at the top of the steering wheel and his focus straight ahead, the hard angle to his jaw and the tensing in his body is easy to see.
The light turns green again. Somebody lays on their horn, and the long-drawn-out whine breaks through whatever emotion or memory gripped him. Uri flexes his fingers and pulls out.
“Somebody you cared for disappeared, didn’t they?” That’s my only guess.
Uri scans both sides of the road, then flicks on the turn signal. He pulls down a side street and maneuvers the massive truck into a tight spot. He turns off the vehicle, and the ticking of the diesel engine lends an ominous feeling to this moment.
“Uri?” After a moment of him staring out the windshield in silence, I unbuckle and turn in my seat. He may not have offered me any sympathy, but the need to comfort him is unbearable. I settle my fingertips on his firm forearm. “What happened?”
“What happened to your sister hurt you.” Not a question. Not a statement either. It’s almost as if Uri’s pondering whether his idea is accurate or not. “It could’ve been you in that cage.”
Chin tucked, I wrestle with my thoughts. I made my point with my little walk down memory lane, but the knowledge doesn’t ease the emotional baggage I’ve unleashed. “Yes. I love Sam. She’s only four years older than me but acted more like a mother than my mom did. Sam was the one who made sure I brushed my teeth before bed and did my homework.”
“Where was your mother?”
I glance at Uri, but he’s not looking at me. The growl in his voice hints at his opinion of my mom, however. “Depended on the day. Usually she was either drunk, passed out, high, or too depressed to get out of bed.”