by Missy Jane
Andor stood the moment I was done and took both our plates to the sink. I was so surprised I think my jaw actually dropped. I clamped it shut and watched him wash our dishes in wonder. No, I’d never had a man wash dishes for me, much less a shifter who had been severely wounded less than twelve hours before. He dried his hands and turned back to face me, I raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh.
“What?” he asked.
“You washed my dishes.”
“You cooked, it only seemed fair.”
“Tell that to every other male on the planet.”
He grinned and shook his head.
“Somehow, I don’t think it would go over any better than my voting against revealing our nature. I’m just not an influential man,” he said with a bitter laugh.
“Still sore about the vote, eh?”
“You have no idea,” he mumbled, as he walked back to the table and sat.
“Who would want to have you killed enough to send eight shifters after you?”
He seemed to think about it for a moment, and I wondered if maybe it was a long list.
“I don’t know. I was assured no one knows I’m speaking to you, and my cover story back home is solid. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to believe I’m working for the government unless this particular investigation has been revealed.”
“What is the likelihood of that?”
“Almost nil. There are only two of us involved on my end and she would have told no one. Have you discussed this with anyone here?”
I gave him the look of shocked anger he deserved, trying not to notice the ridiculous flare of jealousy at the mention of a “she”.
“Andor, stop and think. What would my sudden partnership with you do for my career?”
“I didn’t mean to ask if you’d announced it at a meeting on the wall, Alexia. But your comrades, your friends or boyfriend… Did you mention me to anyone at all?”
I took a deep breath and looked away, feeling a blush creep up my neck. I wondered if I detected a change in his voice on the word boyfriend, and fought the urge to roll my eyes at the insane thought.
“I have none of the above and I told no one. I don’t tend to speak to anyone outside of work and then it’s only about work,” I said through gritted teeth.
To his credit he remained silent, and when I looked back at him his expression was not judgmental, just thoughtful. It made me feel a little better.
“Well, perhaps I have been compromised,” he said after a moment’s hesitation.
“And how are you going to find out?”
He gave a fierce, predatory smile that made me suppress a shiver.
“I shall have to speak with the only person who could have done it.”
I was suddenly very glad not to be “she”, and no longer jealous at all.
Chapter Seven
Andor walked with me away from my building and toward the wall that evening in one of my husband’s old shirts. I tried not to notice how well it fit.
“I have something to show you. Come with me to the checkpoint,” he said.
“Are you insane?”
“I know you don’t trust me, Alexia, but try to this once. You don’t have to walk beside me, but stay close enough to hear me.”
I mumbled something negative as he quickened his pace to lead me toward the wall. He slipped his hand in his jacket and pulled out a band for his hair. He secured it in a tight ponytail at the nape of his neck and strode forward to the checkpoint. I watched as the two guards on duty, Tony and Brian, readied for his approach.
“Good evening, gentlemen. I’m a businessman from Circe returning home for the night,” Andor said pleasantly.
I watched Brian and Tony carefully, my entire body rigid in anticipation of trouble. Neither one of them appeared to see anything out of the ordinary about Andor. Tony checked his ID and Brian watched Andor place his finger in the DNA scanner. I waited, holding my breath with one hand on my holstered gun.
“Okay, Mr. Olson, you’ve been cleared to return to Circe,” Brian said calmly.
I remembered to breathe.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” Andor replied.
He walked through the checkpoint then turned and looked at me. Brian and Tony had already returned to whatever conversation Andor had interrupted and didn’t see the wink he gave me over their shoulders. I tried not to think about my racing heart as I let go of my gun and went to my post. Only once I was well away did I begin to consider exactly who I would’ve pulled my gun on if there’d been trouble…and I wasn’t sure I liked my answer.
Twenty minutes later I was strolling through the dark corner near Drake Street, flashlight in hand but turned off, when I heard a sound and froze.
“Alexia, how many times are you going to draw your weapon on me before it loses its appeal?” Andor asked with a laugh.
I frowned, uncertain if he saw it or not, and holstered my gun.
“If you would quit showing up unannounced it wouldn’t be an issue.”
“My sincerest apologies.”
“You must want someone to know I’m speaking to you to keep showing up like this, and here of all places.”
“I assure you no one can see me. Not even the one who watches you all the time with his binoculars.”
“What?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“I believe you mean ‘who’ and I think his name is Lucian.”
“The jerk! What do you mean they can’t see you? And how in the hell did you get through the checkpoint so easily?”
“I simply placed the suggestion in their mind that I was an ordinary human, and they believed what their brains told their eyes to see,” he explained, as if it was the most rational thing in the world.
My jaw dropped and I stared at him.
“Look casual, Alexia, I can hear Lucian’s curiosity from here. He is wondering what has you riled up and believes you have begun to speak to yourself.”
“The stupid son of a—”
“Lex?”
I swung around, stepping in front of Andor without a conscious thought.
“Yeah, Lance, what’s up?” I asked calmly.
He approached slowly, glancing over my shoulder for a second without appearing to actually see anything. I knew he should be able to easily see Andor’s six-four frame behind my five-eight one. He had a frown of confusion on his face.
“Were you talking to someone?” he asked.
“Nope, just ranting out loud. I only like to have deep conversations with people of great intelligence, so I talk to myself a lot.”
It took him a second to get the joke, but then he smirked.
“Yeah, whatever. Lucian said you were acting kinda funny and I told him I’d check on you.”
“How in the hell would he know? Isn’t he in tower five tonight?”
“Yeah, he is. Which means he’s got a great view of you in this sector.”
I thought it over for a moment while Lance watched the street below us. I didn’t know much about Lucian. We never patrolled together and I rarely saw him in passing. I couldn’t imagine being the object of anyone’s obsessions. I mentally shook my head and glanced over at Lance. I was conscious of Andor beside me and realized I should take advantage of this situation.
“Hey, I saw you over at Castor Labs the other day. What’s wrong, military girls aren’t doing it for you anymore?” I asked with a smirk.
Lance looked up and I saw surprise and the hint of something else on his face before he smothered it with a grin.
“Well, you know how it is, Lex. Been there, done that. Since you won’t give me the time of day I guess I gotta get it somewhere else.”
I almost laughed, but froze at the low growl emanating from beside me.
“What the hell is that?” Lance asked and it took all of my restraint not to elbow Andor in the ribs to shut him up.
“What?” I asked, looking around in mock confusion.
Lance looked past me for a moment then at me, studyi
ng my face with a frown. He shook his head and turned away.
“Nothing. I thought I heard something.”
I remained silent, wondering what in the hell was wrong with Andor. I opened my mouth to question Lance again, but his radio crackled and we both stilled for a report.
“Ulrick, you’re out of your zone.”
We both frowned at the sound of Lucian’s voice and Lance shook his head. He voiced a response but made no move to leave my side.
“Lance, how long has Lucian been watching me?” I asked quietly.
Something in my voice must have sounded off if the look Lance gave me was any indication. He seemed almost concerned for a moment. But he turned away and I thought he might not answer.
“I don’t know, Lex, but the last girl he took this much interest in learned the hard way he doesn’t like to be ignored.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I was getting pissed, and didn’t try to hide it.
“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just saying… I mean… Hell! Does the name Victoria Glass mean anything to you?” he asked with a sigh.
I froze and stared at him in disbelief.
“You can’t tell me he did that and got away with it,” I nearly whispered.
He drew a deep breath and let it out, then looked back at me.
“It was never proven, and she sure as hell couldn’t say, but there were only a couple of guys who were interested in her. They all had solid alibis for that night, all but him.”
I placed my hand on my short sword for comfort and fought the urge to look in the direction of tower five, which was nearly a mile away.
“Just watch your ass, Lex. Whether it was him or not, there’s something a little off about him. All I know is he’s been watching you for a while now and he’s been asking me about you a lot lately. If he ever does approach you… I don’t know. Just watch your ass.”
He abruptly turned around and stalked off.
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” said a voice behind me.
I shivered as Andor’s warm breath brushed over the back of my neck.
“Take at least three steps back, now,” I said through gritted teeth.
He laughed, and the sound came from a little further away.
“Don’t fret, Alexia, I merely wished to be available should you have need of my protection.”
I turned around, one hand on the hilt of my sword, the other on my gun.
“Believe me, Andor, I’ll never need protection from another human.”
“Not even the one who is even now watching over you from across the way?”
“I’m not worried about Lucian,” I said, the slight tremor in my voice belying my bravery.
Andor was silent for a moment, and I looked over to find him watching me.
“I know of Victoria Glass. I saw photographs of the remains. If it’s even possible he is the man responsible, you should certainly take heed. Some men don’t have to possess the DNA to become animals.”
I swallowed hard and looked away, over the red zone and the various species roaming the streets uncaring. In the past few days the lines between human and animal had begun to blur, and Andor was not the cause for it. Suddenly, the humans around me were revealing themselves as vicious beasts while the shifter in my midst was polite and civilized. He wanted to protect me from a human male, a man who may or may not have committed one of the most violent and brutal rapes and murders since the war. A fellow soldier, a brother in arms, who could be one of my greatest threats. What had my world become when I wanted a shifter to remain by my side through the night, so I wouldn’t have to worry when my rounds led me to tower five? A very uncomfortable and fucked-up world indeed.
“I know how to handle human men, Andor. I’ll remember your warning, but there is no need to worry about me,” I said, trying to convince myself as well as him. He didn’t reply, but I could almost hear him thinking about the situation. “How is it you know of Victoria Glass?”
“As I said, I work for my government. The information was forwarded to us from your officials when the case remained open for several months. In fact, it is still an open case. We’re to keep an eye out for the possibility of a serial killer who fits the M.O.”
“I haven’t heard of any other body being found in the condition she was since the treaty,” I replied.
“True. Either he is no serial killer, or he likes to take his time and pick out his victims carefully. We must hope you are not to be the next.”
“Gee whiz, Andor, thanks. You know how to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside don’t you?”
“I don’t wish to instill warm feelings where he is concerned, Alexia. I wish for you to be on your guard.”
“Don’t worry. If there is even the chance he has his sights on me I’ll definitely be on guard.”
“I hope so.”
Andor didn’t stay with me through the night, but he suggested I have someone else head toward tower five. Even if I could come up with a decent excuse, I wouldn’t do it. I’m not a coward and besides, Lucian wasn’t supposed to leave the tower during his shift. I tried not to think about him as I approached the tower around 0500 hours. My skin was crawling as I walked as nonchalantly as possible under the thick glass window towering twenty feet above me. I had my gun in my hand, not giving a damn how it looked. My personal safety was more of a concern than everyone thinking I might be gun happy. I passed the tower door and began to breathe normally again, until I heard the door swing open.
“Alexia.”
I stopped walking and readied my weapon before turning around to face him, holding the gun against my thigh.
“Hey, Lucian, what’s up?” I asked with a steady voice.
“Not much,” he replied as he steadily approached me. “I saw you acting a little strange earlier, over in the red zone. You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
He looked at me, as if wanting an explanation. I didn’t give him one.
“Well, that’s good to hear. I saw Lance talking to you. I guess he thought you were acting kind of funny too.”
“Yeah, I guess, but he’s always hounding me so tonight was nothing new.”
He stiffened and his face turned serious. The look in his eyes suddenly resembled every insane shifter I’d ever fought against, and it caused my heart to accelerate.
“He bothers you a lot? What about the others? Are there other guys who mess with you?” he asked in an angry tone I’d never heard from him before.
“I wouldn’t really say Lance messes with me, or even bothers me much. He likes to joke around. I dish it out as well as he does,” I replied with a shrug.
Lucian closed the distance between us a lot faster than I’d ever seen him move. At six-two, his muscular frame resembled an Olympic swimmer from long ago. His dark brown hair was loose and swinging across his shoulders in wild curls, making him look a little crazed. He grabbed my arms before I could react, pulling me against his muscular chest.
“What do you mean you dish it out? Is there something between you and Lance? What about Kotori? Have any of the guys touched you?” he asked angrily.
I fought for control, fearing a gun in his gut might just piss him off.
“Lucian, let go of me right now and step away.”
He looked at his hands, as if he hadn’t realized what they were doing. Then he abruptly let me go, causing me to lose my balance and stagger away from him. It dawned on me I was a lot closer to the edge of the wall than I realized. I felt my booted foot step on the edge of the wall half a heartbeat before I began to fall.
“Alexia!”
I heard Lance and Lucian yell my name almost simultaneously as the air began to brush against my face. I took the time to consider that Lance used my real name, before fear gripped me.
Chapter Eight
I heard a sound like an animal rushing over the ground, but there was nothing I could see in the shadows. A heartbeat before I expected to hit
concrete, I felt arms wrap around my waist and jerk me from the air. I gasped and involuntarily shut my eyes, panting and trembling.
“Alexia? Alexia, are you conscious?”
I heard Andor’s frantic voice and let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, opening my eyes to look at him.
“Y-yeah. I’m okay,” I said, not at all certain if it was true.
“Did he hurt you?”
The anger in his voice threw me for a second and he shook me slightly to regain my attention.
“Alexia—”
“No. He grabbed me, but then he let me go and I lost my balance.”
I heard him release a breath before he ran a gentle hand over my head, threading his fingers in my hair. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been touched that way and it froze me as I looked into his troubled gaze.
“Andor?”
The look he gave me was full of heat and hunger, not to mention the anger he seemed to feel on my behalf. It was the most feral look I’d seen from him yet and easily pronounced the animal in him. A few weeks ago his look would’ve scared me and had me going for my gun. This time, it turned me on.
“Alexia! Lex!”
I jumped when I heard Lance shouting and saw a spotlight searching the ground near the wall, but we were standing a few feet away in a dark alley. I heard the sound of booted feet running from the direction of the nearest checkpoint, and knew they were coming to find me. I became conscious of Andor holding me against him, running a hand back and forth over my back in a soothing motion. I jerked away from him more violently than intended, but he just stood there watching me, his face a mask of indifference.
“They’ll shoot first and question later, Andor. You need to go,” I said, my voice shaky.
“Are you certain you’re all right? You don’t have to go back, you know. I can keep you safe over here.”
My heart sped up at the prospect of going home with Andor, and my brain began shouting at me for such an insane thought. Do I want to go with him? I asked myself. And I was shocked when the answer wasn’t immediately no. I knew I couldn’t, there was no way the others would stop looking for me. The last thing I wanted was for Andor to be accused of kidnapping. But the idea of going back into Georgetown, the small border city that was now my home, was less appealing than it should have been.