Of Scions and Men

by Courtney Sloan

  I quickened my pace. “Let me get the door for you.” I opened it for her with one hand and took one of the teetering cups with the other. “What are you doing up here? I thought you were working with us down below.”

  She glanced at me and blew one winding curl of a dark ringlet from her eyes, giving me a weak smile. “I think I’m being punished for botching up a drink order. I’ve been made the liaison assistant to the pack during the current, ongoing, cross-agency investigation.” She sounded like she was reciting someone’s line.

  “Yep, you’re in the doghouse.”

  “Any advice?”

  “Do your work, and keep your head down. They’ll find someone else to pick on soon. I mean we got like, what, four of you guys? Someone else has got to screw up eventually.”

  She sighed. “Thanks.”

  I wanted to advise her on so many things, but I didn’t know her story. I wasn’t about to make the same mistake and put in my two cents where it wasn’t wanted. Everyone who butted into my life pissed me off on a daily basis.

  Handing her the cup once she’d set down the files, I asked, “Is Lieutenant Rigel around?”

  “The alpha of the Michigan Peek Pack?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “He’s in the back offices overseeing a… personnel issue.”

  “Thanks. Let me know if you ever need someone to talk to.” It wasn’t interfering if she asked me, right?

  “Um, okay.” She hurried off to some of the side areas. I narrowed my eyes as several of the guys paid too much interest to her retreating backside.

  Finding the rear offices, I learned why she’d given pause to the “personnel” problem. All the desk and office supplies had been stripped from what had probably been a large conference room. Gym mats lined the office, wall-to-wall. Both men and women sat around the far edges.

  Rigel stood at the far end with his arms crossed, watching two men circle each other in the center, teeth bared in silence. Without removing his deep brown eyes from the duo, he called out, “Take your shoes off if you’re coming in. If not, wait in the far office, and I’ll be there shortly.”

  Silently, I removed my shoes and entered their space, making sure to keep to the wall and not interfere with the match in the middle.

  “Sparring?” I asked.

  “Challenge,” he responded with a growl.

  I looked at the men in a new light. “I didn’t think this actually happened.”

  “On occasion. Generally, our instincts make sure everyone is in their most comfortable spot in the pack, but people change over time. Then there’s… this.” He motioned to the fight as one of the men stopped circling and moved with a series of blinding axe kicks toward the opponent’s neck. “Without a way to officially settle it, people would die.”

  “Are they going to kill each other?”

  He stood perfectly still as they exchanged attacks and blocks. Stress lines formed lines on his jaw. “One can tap out. The other can accept it.”

  I flinched. “What are they fighting for?”

  “The fourth and fifth positions in the pack.”

  I was mesmerized. They fought with such grace and ferocity. I’d never seen werewolves fight like this. “Why don’t they do it in their wolf forms since this is more of a wolf thing?”

  “Teeth and claws tend to lead to death and dismemberment. Doesn’t exactly improve the well-being of a pack.”

  In a matter of moments, it was over. The older of the two flipped his challenger onto his back and put a heel in his throat. Gasping for air, the younger one slammed his hand onto the mat three times in rapid succession.

  Rigel stepped onto the mat. “Gregory has offered surrender. Do you accept, James?”

  “Yes.”

  The others sitting around the mats applauded and cheered as James released Gregory from his hold. The older wolf helped the younger up. Both smiled and nodded to each other, though Gregory held his neck tenderly. Everyone but Rigel converged together.

  He smiled at his pack. “Go clean up and fill out the paperwork for downstairs. We’ll all celebrate after the run tonight.” He strode back to me.

  “Paperwork?” I asked.

  “We’re a government-backed pack. Even our challenges have red tape, but the Basement knows they’re necessary.” He stopped and smiled, showing very white, straight teeth. “Not that they could stop us if they wanted to.”

  A younger man ambled up and handed Rigel two bottles of water.

  Rigel offered one to me. “What can I do for you tonight?”

  I took a long swig of the water, realizing how long it had been since I’d last eaten. “Lieutenant…”

  “Paul.”

  I nodded. “Information, Paul–last night’s crime scene. Your pack was going to dig deeper. Find anything?”

  He watched me from his periphery as he oversaw his people cleaning up from the fight. “You.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “We spent a lot of time sorting through scents. Like fingerprints, we have to sort through who belongs there and who doesn’t. It’s not an exact or easy science. But after a time, we found unusual scents around the house and in the crowd. We tracked them to between one of the houses and a construction site. There we found blood.” He showed his teeth again for a second. It was an expression that belonged on a longer muzzle rather than a human face. “Fresh blood. A lot of it yours.” He bit off the last word as if it tasted bad in his mouth. Then he waited without moving a muscle. Staring.

  My skin began to crawl under his scrutiny. His displeasure was written all over him. I wasn’t sure if it was suspicion or anger.

  “Yeah, I saw a couple of people who didn’t belong. They ran. I pursued. We fought,” I said.

  “How many?”

  “Two.” I shifted, not liking the turn this conversation had taken. His accusation was thinly veiled. “Look, I didn’t know anything before I got there. When I did, I had to act fast.”

  “And you didn’t think an entire pack could have been useful in stopping them?”

  I stopped the words out of my mouth. Dammit, a backing of teeth and fur could have changed the fight entirely. I bowed my head a bit. “I’m sorry. I guess I should have told the crazed vampires to hold on for a second while I called a phone number I didn’t have.”

  The intensity of his gaze–the strength as an alpha–resonated in the energy around us, and everyone nearby stopped to listen. “You knew we were close by. Yelling loudly enough would have pulled us all down on them. You could have ended this.”

  He was right. The pack was all around and had better hearing than humans. I could have sent Lyle to find them instead of getting battered by vamps. There was a lot I could have done differently. But this wasn’t my area. I usually worked alone or with Lyle.

  I peered down at my feet and bit my lower lip. “You’re right. I didn’t think of it. I don’t have a pack. It’s just me and my partner. That’s it. Not all of us are lucky to have a huge group of sharp teeth who come at the snap of a finger. Look, I came to see about sharing intel and working together. I didn’t come to be second guessed and dressed down.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  His tone surprised me. There was guilt there.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Rapid healing is part and parcel, though, especially when Devon gets to me fast.”

  He drew his eyes tight and breathed deep. “Did you apprehend them?”

  I shook my head. “No. They still have Hannah. I did figure out they are South American, but they fight dirty.”

  He sighed and leaned against the wall. There must have been some signal to the others because they all moved and left the conference gym, closing the door behind them.

  He glanced at me askance, a sheepish grimace on his face. “Things have been tense. I don’t like being kept out of things that concern my pack. I don’t like people getting hurt on my watch.” He scratched his cheek. “South American? How the hell… How did they get up here? And why?”

>   Careful how you answer him. Devon’s voice let me know he was right up with the conversation.

  Well, nice to hear from you again.

  Certain shifters, such as wolves and horses, will feel a lie, he continued.

  I know. I’ve seen him in action.

  “A question I’d very much like to put to them with a healthy side effect of pain,” I replied to Rigel.

  He smiled then shook his head. “Unfortunately, your blood muddled their retreating scents. We followed several trails in different directions, but vampire movements make tracking difficult. The only one we could follow to its end was the path to your partner’s home.” His eyes flicked to watch his people on the other side of the window. “I left that out of the report.”

  “They’ve had her for too long already, and we’re no closer to their hideout.”

  “We’re going back out tonight to scout for their particular strange, smoky scent. It was laced with something vaguely antiseptic-like. We’ll find them.” He straightened up and held out a hand to me. “Your phone.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

  “Give me your phone. I want to put my number into it.”

  I reached into my pocket and got the device out, holding it back from him just a second longer. “You really are used to just being obeyed, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” he said as he took the phone and began pressing buttons. “Comes with the responsibilities.” His pocket began buzzing. He’d called his phone, so he had my number now, too.

  I snatched my cell back from him without asking. “Don’t get too used to it, Fido. I’m not good at orders.”

  He smiled and opened the door for me. “So I’ve heard. Please call if you find anything. If nothing else, call me before sunrise. We can share notes.”

  “I’ll call you to make sure you update me.” I was egging him on, and it was nice to see the wave of shock pass over his face and retreat into a smile.

  “I look forward to it.”

  I concentrated on not glancing back as I withdrew through the offices and groupings of the pack. Just before I got to the reception area, a guy with a smug smile–that made me want to put him in a headlock just for good measure–stepped in front of me, blocking my exit.

  He glared down at me, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest. I thought about going around him, but knowing he’d step in my way, I decided I didn’t want to put on a playground display for the pack’s amusement.

  I met his eyes in a dead stare.

  May be trouble. Open up, Devon.

  Please don’t start a fight at headquarters, again.

  Devon obliged and power rushed into me.

  The wolf responded by shifting just slightly until I pulled an aura of authority around me.

  “Can I help you?” I snapped, though I was trying to go for uncaring.

  He regained his confidence, though I noted he’d moved back. “Tell that jay boy of yours his secret’s out now.”

  It took me a few moments to shift gears. He was talking about Lyle. He was threatening my partner in the heart of the DEC?

  I took another step toward him. “If you have a problem with Lyle, why don’t you and I step outside and discuss it loudly.”

  The man exuded a growl more accustomed to a canine throat, but impressive none the less. I returned a sneer of my own and shifted to a fighting stance.

  “Henry, enough!” Paul’s voice bellowed through the building. Every face, including the mutt standing in front of me, snapped up. “Conference room.”

  Henry stared down at me again.

  “Now.” Rigel’s voice boomed.

  Without a word, Henry stepped around me and trotted back into the offices.

  “Rowan, are you–” Rigel began.

  “I’m fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  Without a glance back, I stepped through reception and past Grace. who stared at me with her mouth open.

  Can’t take you anywhere, can I, cherie? He seems quite protective.

  It’s the nature of an alpha.

  Or so Lyle had told me. He needed to know one of the local packs had a problem with him. Was it the strays he was taking in? What had he gotten himself in to?

  Come back to my place. We need a plan of attack. Devon’s thoughts were a balm after all the wolf testosterone. They pulled my mind free of worry for my best friend and into focus. We needed to get to the Brazilians tonight, or Hannah was not going to make it.

  fter coaxing Will from his room and getting him to eat a bit with Marie, I joined the others in the study. Though the walls were full of maps and pictures, we still were no closer to finding out where the South Americans were in the city and how they were staying hidden from the ghost net.

  I put my head down on the desk next to the class papers of our victim, Reagan. Frustrated, I fingered the work she’d spent so long working on. Hours of research and writing. I’d promised to take down the perps for her, and now they had another girl, and here I sat. Safe behind Devon’s walls and guards.

  I sat up and scanned the other stacks of intel and the city map. I picked up Reagan’s papers and leafed through them. Ley Line Theory. Vampire Lore. Societal Shifts since the Reclamations in the US vs. Europe. This girl had studied. Maybe they hadn’t.

  I glanced at my teammates. “What if the vamps don’t know what they are doing at all? What if they’re just experimenting? Trial and error? Enough screw ups, and they decided to risk it and move up to tougher prey. They hoped Reagan and then Hannah would have learned more in the books. They’re searching for answers.”

  Devon stood beside me and took the papers. “Hence the movement in social and educational station, but we know who they have now. The question is: where is she? Not why they have her.”

  I approached the map and searched locations. “If they don’t know the answers, maybe they are hiding where they can do research. An old hospital or library.”

  Nadia raised her head from where she cradled it on the arm of the chair. “Ever since the bombings and the purge, spirits are all over such locations. If you trust this Masterson and his information, wouldn’t he have noticed an exodus of spirits from locations off that kind?”

  “Maybe…”

  The doorbell rang. We all stared at the study door.

  “Devon, are you expecting someone?” Nadia asked.

  “No.”

  “I’ll get it,” Lyle offered.

  I shot my glance toward my best friend, my heartbeat racing. I had hoped to talk to him later about the jerk wolf at the DEC, but they could show up any time. He needed to know now.

  I rushed after him, closing the door to the study behind me for a semblance of privacy. “Lyle, a member of the pack threatened you today. Does anyone know you’re here?”

  Lyle stared at me, his lips parted. “Threatened me?”

  “Yeah, he got all puffed up and told me to tell you”–I added a bit of drama in my voice to show my annoyance–”‘we know.’”

  Lyle visibly paled. Not the effect I was going for.

  I placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Lyle, if you’re in trouble, you have to tell me. What can I do?”

  He smiled, but it didn’t reach more than his lips. His arm was like stone under my hand; it was so tight. “Just some over-inflated mutt, Ro. I’ve got it. They wouldn’t come here, though.”

  “You need to be more careful. Let me help. We’re partners. That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Ro, I’ll be fine. Really. Don’t let one person get you so riled up.”

  What could Lyle be into? He was the good one. He played by the rules and covered my ass all the time while I took the reckless, almost illegal, chances.

  Then it hit me: “Are those stuck up, backward, wannabe, rabid mongrels giving you trouble with whom you choose to date?”

  He sighed and took a few steps back. Defeat showed in his slouched shoulders. Lyle never slouched. I’d kill them.

  “What right do they have to tell you who you
can and can’t date?” My voice rose. “God, are they from the freaking Stone Age?”

  Lyle met my eyes with a leveled glare. His shined with tears. It killed me.

  “Rowan, you have to understand something about shifter society–”

  A knock on the wall at the end of the hallway interrupted him. Shahid stuck his head around the corner. “Rowan, there’s a courier here with a delivery for only you or Devon.”

  “All right, thanks, Shahid.” I turned my attention back to my best friend. “This isn’t over, Lyle. We are going to continue this conversation later.”

  Pushing open the study’s door again, we gathered the troops and all moved to the foyer together.

  “I’m going to sweep the perimeter to check for any surprises,” Lyle announced, back to his professional nature. He shed his humanity and took to the air, toward the kitchen’s back door.

  I’ll answer it, I thought to Devon.

  I’ll cover the side.

  Everyone moved into position. I yanked open the door.

  A pale-skinned individual with a horse-shaped face stood outside, holding out a glass-and-gold cylinder. “For Master Shuvalov,” he mumbled.

  I took the cylinder with a nod. “Thank you.”

  The courier lingered at the doorway.

  I squinted at him. “Anything else?”

  “I’m to await an answer.”

  I sighed. “Fine.”

  Closing the door in his face, I inspected the object. Its glass was obscured, frosted from the inside. A depression on the end bore a symbol, indicating a fingerprint was needed to open it. I lay my thumb into the depression and was greeted with a tiny, red, blinking LED light.

  “It’s for me,” Devon said, sliding to my side with preternatural grace and taking the cylinder. His thumb produced a green light and a chime, and the cylinder slid open. He fished a scrolled paper out and handed the empty cylinder back to me.