by Tina Moss
The lines on his forehead scrunched together. His words faltered. A deep sigh ripped from his abdomen. “After you used your power, I knew I had to hide you. Your mother warned me. I promised her—”
She gasped. “Mom? What did you promise her?”
“It was a long time ago.”
Not once had he initiated a conversation about her mother. All of the times she’d asked, all of the questions, she’d had to beg and plead for answers. He’d given her scraps. “Tell me.” She wouldn’t let him get away with half-truths now. “Please.”
Another painful sigh shook him from head to toe. His eyes grew glassy. “When you were born, it was a difficult birth. Your mother labored for hours. The doctors told us you wouldn’t survive, but your mother knew she could save you.” He fell to a half-seated position atop his desk. The strength drained from his body like a deflated balloon. “She passed on her powers to you. Then, her health started to fail, her organs giving out one by one. The doctors couldn’t understand it. She told me her essence and the link to her family would live in you.” Small beads of moisture coated his brow. Two teardrops fell from his eyes. “I didn’t know what that meant, but I tried to stop her. I pleaded with her to take it back, to let you die instead.”
Sera’s eyes widened at the admission, but she remained quiet. Her heart squeezed so tight. She couldn’t breathe.
Her father’s voice rose in a passionate outburst. His fist clenched in the air. “It was wrong, but I loved her so much. I didn’t want to lose her.” He dropped his fist into his lap. “She chose you as she should. As I should have. Then, she made me promise if you ever used your powers to hide you. To make sure no one discovered you, because if the wrong people found out, you wouldn’t be safe.”
She took a step closer. “Safe from what?”
“Your mother didn’t say. She only made me promise.” More tears sprang forth and dried on his cheeks. He looked at her with so much pain in his face. It sent chills across her skin as she struggled for air. His words whispered between them. “Oh, Sera, I’m so sorry. I blamed you for her death. I couldn’t even hold you in the beginning, but then you needed me. You were only a baby and I knew I’d been a fool.” He dropped his head and stared at the floor. “After you used your powers with that idiot boy, I was terrified of losing you too. I knew I had to get you away. I had to bury the report. It’s why I sent you to boarding school, had you change your last name to your mother’s, and encouraged you to go away to college.” He sunk lower. His back bowed. “It’s why I kept my distance. I thought if no one could connect your old life to your new one, then you’d be safe.”
“Why couldn’t you tell me?” She reached a tentative hand toward him. Her fingertips grazed his arm. “Why did you make me believe you hated me?”
With infinite slowness he raised his head, stared at her face, and wrapped his hand around her palm. “I never hated you, sweetheart. I was afraid for you. I love you more than anything.”
She jerked her hand back and held it against her chest. “You’ve treated me like a stranger all of these years. Every time I reached out to you. Every time I wanted to come home. You always pushed me away.”
“I had to honey.” His voice whispered lower, rougher. “I thought I was keeping you safe. It killed me not to tell you why.”
“Not even at my college graduation?” Tremors ran through her chest. A hollow ache in her heart.
“I was there.” He kept his gaze locked with hers. “I had to make sure I changed planes and lost possible trails. The same way I had your calls routed to disposable cell phones over the years.” A hint of the man she remembered, the former police chief emerged. She even detected a hint of his old cologne—earthy, sandalwood mixed with fresh cut grass. The scent reminded her of happier days, childhood. His spine straightened. “I couldn’t take chances, but I had to see you walk across that stage. I stood in the back row. I was so proud.”
She didn’t know how to respond. He’d been there. Her chest constricted, a spring about to burst.
Easy, pet. Don’t want to pop a blood vessel. Guy’s taunts sobered her.
“I’ve lived with a voice in my head for years. Never knowing if I should just check myself into a psych ward or what.” She bit her lip. “Now, you’re telling me you knew I had some link to my family, to mom, and you wouldn’t tell me?”
Her father’s body sagged once more. His hand waved helplessly. “I wanted you to have a normal life, not be worried about all this supernatural nonsense.”
Her temper flared. “It’s not nonsense! It’s who I am. It’s who mom was. She might have wanted me safe, but she would have wanted me to know the truth too.”
“Maybe.” His hand dropped. “It hardly matters anymore. I made a mistake running for office. I wanted to do things right.” He inclined his head at the nameplate on the desk—Senator Reginald Marsh. “But the political arena is a nightmare. Cutthroats everywhere, every facet of my life unveiled. Once I discovered your file had been unsealed, I knew I had to tell you the truth. I tried. I sent a recommendation to the PCD, so they’d discover the truth and protect you. I called you. I left messages.”
She coughed. “And you wonder why I wouldn’t talk to you?”
Bitterness coated his answer. “We’ve spoken a handful of times. I thought you’d take my call when I told you it was important.”
“Yeah, well, a lot of things have been important to me over the years, but you never seemed to bother.” She took a breath. “I wish you would have told me about coming to graduation.”
Silence reigned for two heartbeats, before he said, “I know.”
“Look, this is pointless. I get it, okay, I do. But we’re not going to magically come back together.” She pulled at loose strands of her hair. “Hell, it’s not even about us now. People are losing their lives, and whoever unsealed my file is a part of it.” She eyed the door. “I’m going to let Talon in now. He’s a PCD agent. I need you to tell him everything you know.”
“Sera, I’ll do whatever I can to make amends.”
“Good.” Walking to the door, she didn’t look at her father. She circled the knob. “It’s a start.”
Chapter Eighteen
Senator Reginald Marsh’s Office, Calgary, Alberta
“Talon, you can come in now.” Sera opened the door for him. Heaviness coated her like a second skin, dragging her down. A thick knot formed in his throat. Hearing her pour out her pain, recounting that nightmare memory to her father, ate at him. He craved to hold her, comfort her. He’d been an ass for pushing her away, no matter the reasons, especially when she needed someone in her corner.
Make it up to her, then. Could he? Talon rested a firm hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. She gave him a grateful half smile he didn’t deserve. It nearly undid him. He had to look away or he’d pull her into his arms and never let go. You can’t afford that. The old demons whispered in his mind. He shook his head. No time for it.
He shot Sera a weak grin in return, then spun and lanced her father with a lethal stare. Yellow bled into his irises. He could feel the color change as the wolf called to him. He kept his voice even. “Senator Marsh, we received an official recommendation for Sera to be added to our recruitment list from this office, from you.” He dropped his hand from her shoulder and stepped forward. The room shrank as his energy flared outward. “You wanted us to find her, but it wasn’t to recruit her. Was it?”
To his credit, the old bastard didn’t flinch. In fact, his knuckles turned white as he fisted them at his sides. “I assumed the PCD could handle protection of one young woman.”
The smirk that played along his lips shifted close to a predatory snarl. “Senator, I’m in no mood for games. My people have been trying to hunt down killers, the same criminals who may very well be after your daughter.” This time a growl escaped him. “We know the person in charge of these bastards is blackmailing you. Tell us who he is so we can end this.”
“I don’t know what you’re tal
king about.” A fine sheen of sweat broke across the senator’s forehead.
Sera stirred at his side. “You said you sent them information on me to protect me, right? Well, who were you protecting me from?”
“I’m a political figure, Sera.” The senator wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “I receive threats all the time, but,” he grunted like a wild hog, “a few days ago, I opened an envelope to see your old police record sitting inside. The only thing besides the file was a small slip of paper with a phone number on it.”
“And when you called that number?” Talon’s patience rested on a fine edge. The shifter energy swam in his blood.
“The voice on the line was camouflaged.” The old bastard chewed on the words like acid in his mouth. “I’ve had my people on it since. They’ve hit nothing but dead-ends.”
Talon crossed his arms over his chest. “What did the caller want?”
“Simple really. I consent to put some of his people into positions of power, and he—”
“Or she,” Sera interrupted. Talon turned to her at the same time as the senator. Both men looked at her as if she’d grown horns. “What? You said the voice was garbled, so we don’t know. Could be he or she.”
Talon grinned. She’d make a hell of an agent. Pride in his— whoa, whoa not his. Cool it with that. He gave her a brisk nod. “Good point.”
“Yes, well...” Senator Marsh rested on the edge of the desk, looking older than his mere fiftyish years. “He, or she, agreed if I helped him place twelve of his people into various positions in the government, your file would remain sealed.”
“I take it you agreed then,” Talon said.
The fire that radiated from the senator’s countenance had Talon wondering if Sera truly inherited her flammable abilities from her mother’s side. He sure looked ready to combust. “Agent, I am not accustomed to caving to threats.” His eyes softened, however, as they shifted to Sera. “Especially not when they concern my family.”
“How about the names of the twelve potentials, got them?” The temperature in the room spiked another ten degrees. Talon pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I refused to play his games.” The old bastard flicked his wrist and stalked to the window. Unlocking it from the base, he cracked it an inch. Sighing, he turned back to them. “The NUA government does not negotiate with criminals.”
“So, you have nothing.” He shook his head and snorted. “The blackmailer fails in his agenda and decides to up the stakes.” He dragged a roughened hand through his hair. “Perfect.”
“What are you talking about?” Sera squeezed his arm. A cool evening breeze blew in from the cracked window. The fading light meant they’d overstayed this little reunion.
Talon nodded to her. “Let’s discuss it in the car.” He extended his hand. “Senator, thank you for your time.”
The senator shrunk as if he’d been struck. “You’re leaving so soon.” He ignored Talon’s olive branch and stared at Sera. Pain etched along the creases under his eyes.
“Yeah,” she said, the single word broken in two.
Talon hurried them along, pulling her to the entryway. “And Senator the next time your daughter’s life is threatened, perhaps you’ll report it instead of sending us a recommendation letter.”
A young man’s swiftness blanketed the old bastard’s steps as he crossed the room. With chin raised in defiance, he puffed up to his full height. Unable to meet Talon at eye level, he still managed to sear him with an icy glare. “Agent, understand this. I’d already been a police chief for over a decade when you were no more than a punk rookie.” He jabbed a finger into Talon’s chest. “I’ve solved more cases in one year than you’ve seen in your entire career. And I didn’t get to sit in a senator’s chair because I’m a fool.” He’d swear SUB energy flared from Sera’s very human father. “So don’t presume to lecture me on my daughter’s safety.”
The thin thread of patience Talon had been working with snapped. Apparently, Sera felt the same. She grabbed Talon by the arm and motioned for him to make his exit. Go, she mouthed before rallying on the senator. He stopped outside the door and waited for her, watching the scene unfold. His shifter energy spiked to the extreme, tingling under his skin.
Sera’s words stabbed the air as sharp as knives. She narrowed her eyes at her father. “Look here. You don’t know shit about me. Not anymore. Not after eight years. So don’t presume to know what’s best for me—or my safety.”
“Sera, I,” a low sob broke from the senator, “I just want what’s best for you. I want you to be happy.”
“Happy? Happy? I lose my father, my home, everything.” She swatted the air. “Happy? Give me a break.”
“I didn’t know how it hurt you.” He backed toward the desk, bowing at the waist so that he hunched over.
“Now, you do.” Tears welled in her eyes and it took every ounce of Talon’s strength not to go to her. She spun away, her footfalls landing heavy over the linoleum floor.
“Sera, please,” her father cried. His voice sounded so small.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” A sniffle escaped her. “It’s too much right now. Maybe...maybe another time.” She closed the door. It squeaked open again as she retreated down the hall. But she didn’t look back.
Talon jogged to catch up to her. She kept going straight through the lobby and out to the car without slowing. The passenger door shot open and closed fast. He jumped into the driver’s side and gripped the wheel. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“Why’s that not a surprise?” Her feet hit the dashboard, the boot heels denting the plastic.
“I’m here, Sera.” He reached across the divide between them and massaged the nape of her neck.
She angled away from his grip. “Are you, Talon?” Her tone held a sharp bite to it, not loud, but hard as stone. “Because this morning you made it pretty damn clear the only person you care about is yourself.”
The wind picked up stronger than before, batting the truck. Talon imagined it shattering the windows, the glass shards stabbing him in the chest. Her words had that effect. “You think I don’t care about anyone?” He struggled to keep calm. His muscles tensed under the shifter buzz. “I have my team to worry about, victims to seek justice for, a slew of people rely on me. And you think I don’t care?”
“You’re right,” she spat. “I forgot. When it comes to work, you’re all in. No problem. It’s just every other part of life you can’t deal with.”
“My work is about saving lives, Sera. Your life for a start.” He fisted the driver’s side headrest. “What would you have me do, huh?”
“Maybe show some damn emotion.” She fidgeted in the seat, putting her legs under her and rising to stare him in the eye. “You sleep with me how many times last night? I tell you about one of the most nightmarish moments of my life...” Her bottom lip quivered a touch, and damn if he didn’t want to run his thumb across it. He held back the urge. She frowned. “I don’t have casual one night stands. I thought I made that pretty obvious.”
“Wait.” He held up his hands and sucked in a breath. “You think I see you as a one night stand?”
“Well, you sure as hell don’t want more from me.”
“Sera, do you have any idea how badly I want to hold you right now?” He let his hand drop to her headrest, inches from her cheek. “When you were talking to your father, I wanted to go in there and kick his ass just because he’d hurt you. After you let me in, I nearly shifted from the frustration. I wanted to hold you so much.”
“Why didn’t you?” Her shoulders shook.
He stared out the window and watched the wind toss leaves around the hood. Her question haunted him. He searched his mind, looking for the answer. If she could share such a painful memory with him, then he could at least give her a reason for his...less than admirable behavior. Okay, fine he’d been a Grade-A jackass. But why?
“I...” He paused. The memories from his childhood burned through him like hot coals. He didn�
�t have the stomach for them. “I don’t know.”
She sighed. “I think you do.” Shadows danced behind her eyes. “We all have our demons Talon. What’re yours?” She rested her head against the seat. “I can take quite a lot. I faced my father for the first time in eight years this afternoon. I handled you humiliating me this morning—”
“I didn’t mean to.” He cupped her cheek.
She didn’t push him away. “I know, but you did. I think I deserve to know why.” The seconds ticked by, but he still couldn’t find the real reason underneath the excuses. She guided his hand away from her cheek. “You told me I was a distraction. That you couldn’t get close to anyone.” She sat taller and raised her head again. “Who taught you to be so cold?”
“I’m not...I need to...My job...Hell.” He cleared his throat. The truth stared him in the face, those awful memories. He’d never spoken it aloud before. He’d have to now. He would...for her. The nightmare spun in his head, until the words tore from him.
“Shh, baby. Stay quiet. Just stay in here. Don’t move.” His mother implored, her voice breaking on unshed tears.
“Okay, mama. I promise.” Talon crouched in the corner beside his bed. His muscles ached as long minutes of silence stiffened his resolve. He would not move. He would not scream. Mama told him not too.
A crash shook the house as his father slammed the front door.
“What the hell is this, Lily?” The thick booming bass of his father’s shouts sent shivers through Talon’s blood. “Why do I smell a man in here?”
“Steven came by. Only Steven to see about the academy for Talon.”
“I don’t need that government lackey turning my son’s head. PCD! What the hell is that anyway?” Heavy steps echoed over the floor. “Some mumbo jumbo. Shifters can take care of their own. He’ll go into the military like his father. I’ll teach him about doing the right thing.”