Shifter Wars Complete Series

by Sarah J. Stone

  Here goes nothing.

  CHAPTER 7

  HARPER

  Jerrod wasn't kidding about the interior. The two of us walked into about the grandest ballroom that I'd ever seen in my life. Orange-lit chandeliers hung from towering cathedral ceilings, and the place was so open and spacious it almost felt like I'd walked into a stadium. At least a hundred men and women all decked out in finery danced in the center of the room, a live orchestra providing the music. The rest of the attending men and women were gathered around the sides of the room, chatting with one another in lively tones.

  "Close your jaw," Jerrod said. "Pretty easy way to look out of place when you're gawking at the ballroom."

  "I never thought places as big as this existed in the city," I said, my eyes sweeping around the room, taking in the large pieces of Renaissance-style art that hung on the walls.

  "You'd be surprised at just what this city has to offer when you've got the money for it."

  Jerrod led me through the crowd, snatching a pair of champagne flutes of the ornate silver tray of one of the black-clad servers who weaved through the crowds. "A toast," he said, raising his glass.

  "And what are we toasting to?" I asked.

  "Well, getting some info. But not getting killed by Aubrey or his men would be nice."

  "Cheers to that," I said, tapping the rim of his glass with my own.

  I scanned the crowd for Aubrey Carver. I'd only seen him in pictures, but I had a vague idea of what to look for- tall, statuesque, a prim smile on this face. But there were so many people there that it was hard to look.

  "Any sign of Aubrey?" Jerrod asked.

  "No," I said. "Should we split up and look for him?"

  "No," Jerrod said. "Because if I spot him I'm gonna need you to do the talking."

  My stomach flipped. "Wait, me do the talking?"

  "That's right," Jerrod said. "You're going to be getting in close and personal with him. He's a sucker for a pretty face, so that shouldn't be too hard for you."

  "I'm flattered."

  "You should be; you catch the eye of a shithead like him then that's a nice little feather in your cap. Aubrey only goes for the top-tier ladies—a really Casanova-type."

  "A Casanova-murderer," I said. "Maybe he'll read me some poetry before putting a bullet in me."

  "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Jerrod said, leading me deeper into the party.

  "Flattered that you consider me a ‘top-tier' lady, by the way."

  "Well, consider it mission-critical information," Jerrod said.

  We continued our way through to the party, keeping an eye out for both Aubrey and anything else that might have been considered out of the ordinary. But so far, everything seemed to be the standard rich-shifter affair.

  However, just as I began to wonder whether or not this whole night might end up being a bust, a large set of enormous doors opened to an adjacent room. The eyes of the party goer flicked over to the now=open doors, all curious who was about to walk through them. For a moment, no one stepped through but the two employees who'd done the opening and were now standing like stone-faced sentinels at each door. Then, after another few moments of anticipation, Aubrey Carver appeared, a gorgeous redhead on his side. A beaming smile on his face, he stepped through the opened doors, giving a wave to those nearby.

  The attention of the party now on Aubrey, he was soon swamped by everyone in the crowd who wished to speak to him.

  "Can't help but go for the showy entrance," I said.

  "That's nothing," Jerrod said. "I've seen this asshole waltz into a garden party with fireworks going off behind him. And it'd be the shock of a lifetime if he didn't give a spee—"

  Before he could finish, the thin tinging of a piece of flatware against a champagne flute cut through the din of the party.

  "Right on cue," Jerrod said.

  The attention of the guests was still on Aubrey, who had taking position on the raised platform of the band. He shooed off the band member at the mic in the center of the stage, the musician hurrying away in such a rush that he nearly tripped over his own feet. Aubrey tapped on the mic, a dull thud coming out from the speakers.

  "Guests, friends, companions," he said in a mellifluous, theatrical voice, "I can't even begin to describe what a pleasure it is to see you all here tonight for my annual gala. There are some familiar faces in the crowd, and some new ones, and I hope to have the opportunity to get to know you all this evening. Though, I must admit, that invitation applies more to some than others."

  Light chuckles sounded from the crowd. Then, to my shock, Aubrey's eyes settled on me. I froze in place, not sure what to do with myself. I looked over at Jerrod, but saw that he'd taken position behind a column out of sight, likely not wanting Aubrey to recognize him.

  Aubrey's gaze hung on me for a what seemed like an eternity. He eventually went back to his speech, but whatever he said hit my ears as a blur. I knew that catching his eyes was exactly what we were hoping for, but now that it was a reality, I couldn't help not knowing what to do with myself.

  He concluded the speech to gracious applause, trotting off the stage and disappearing into the crowd. Once I could no longer see him, I rushed over to Jerrod.

  "What the hell are you doing?" Jerrod said. "You saw the way he looked at you; if he comes to find you and sees you talking to me we just might be fucked."

  “Oh, quit being so paranoid,” I said.

  "Don't let his vapid persona fool you," Jerrod said. "There's a reason why Aubrey's about two heartbeats away from being the most powerful lion in the city, and it's not because he's an airhead socialite. Now, get back in there. The second I see that he's interested in you, I'm going for his upstairs suite."

  My eyes went wide. "That sounds…dangerous," I said, feeling like I was making the understatement to end all understatements.

  "Trust me. I've broken into worse. Now go!"

  I hurried off, heading back into the crowd. I had no idea what to do with myself; I'd never seduced anyone before, and I wasn't sure how I felt about my first attempt at it being with a man who tried to have me killed.

  I worked my way through the crowd, trying to find Aubrey among the sycophants and groupies. It wasn't hard, since the moment I could see him through the masses his piercing blue eyes landed right on me. He made a beeline for me, the crowd parting around him like he was Moses splitting the sea. Moments later, he was standing right next to me, looking me up and down.

  "Finally, someone worth talking to," he said in his low, haughty voice.

  My heart was pounding, but I knew I needed to say something. Against my better judgment, my eyes flicked over to where Jerrod was standing. Of course, he was long-gone.

  "Good, um, good evening," I said in a voice that sounded like a strange attempt at appearing sophisticated.

  A sly smile formed on Aubrey's face. Over his shoulder, I could see the redhead he'd arrived with. She had a cross look on her face, her arms crossed tightly under her extremely ample bosom.

  "I think your friend's a little upset," I said, my eyes on the girl.

  "She'll get over it. She's a big girl." Aubrey’s eyes did another slow drag over my body. "And speaking of big girls…"

  Damn. This guy's not exactly being subtle. Though I suppose he doesn't need to be.

  He sniffed the air, waving his hand in front of his nose as though he were sampling a perfume. "Ah," he said. "A panther. Don't see too many of your types in this part of town."

  Panthers tended to stick with our own and weren't exactly one of the most powerful species in the city.

  "Can't stay stuck out in the burbs forever," I said. "A little sophistication is good for the soul every now and then."

  "I couldn't agree more," he said. "Which is why I couldn't be happier that a charming young woman like yourself has chosen to grace my party. But I have to ask, who are you here with? Very strange that someone like…yourself would be unaccompanied."

  Fuck. Should've thought of a sto
ry before.

  "He's, um, in the bathroom. The oysters didn't really agree with him."

  Referencing stomach issues wasn't exactly the classiest move to make, but it was the best I could think of on the spot.

  "Tell me your name," he said. "I'm sure you already know mine, so you have me at somewhat of a disadvantage."

  "Um, Kendra," I said, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Kendra…Carlson."

  I had no idea what I was doing. I cocked my hip to the side and fluttered my eyelashes, hoping that I could cover for my terrible lying with some very obvious flattery. Aubrey raised another eyebrow; I had no idea if he was buying anything I was saying.

  "Well, Kendra, I think I need a break from all of this glad-handing. Care to get some fresh air upstairs? I have quite the view of the park from my apartment. Well, from this apartment of mine, anyhow."

  I knew this was my chance, but everything in me wanted to run away at that moment. Aubrey was the perfect combination of suave and scummy to make my skin crawl. But I had to do what I had to do. "I'd love to," I said.

  "Then let's not waste another moment."

  He offered his arm to me, and I took it, the two of us starting through the party and walking back toward the large doors that he'd entered in from. The dozens of partygoers who all wanted their moment with Aubrey clamored for his attention in their own ways, the men trying for a moment of his time and the women aiming for much more than that. But, a few minutes later, we ascended up the grand, red-carpeted staircase that led to the upper floors.

  "This is…quite the place," I said, looking around at the gorgeous chandeliers that hung from the ceiling and the art that adorned the walls; it was like a palace.

  "Thank you," Aubrey said. "Out of all of my places, this one is easily in the top three."

  Not subtle about showing off the wealth, either.

  Aubrey led me up one more flight of stairs, the way up stopping at a large set of gilded doors inscribed with ornate design. There was a small electronic lock to the left of the handle, the only hint around that we were in the twenty-first century. Aubrey waved his hand in front of the lock and the doors clicked open, revealing an apartment that was just as luxurious as what I'd expect from the rest of the building. The ceilings went up to the sky, the rooms were expansive, the furniture was old-fashioned and expensive, and the tall windows looked out over the park at night.

  "Incredible," I said, and meaning it. If I were a floozie looking to be impressed enough to give up the goods, one glance around this place would've done it.

  "Please, have a seat," he said.

  I went over to the massive couch near the equally massive fireplace and took a seat, sinking deep down into the fabric. I wondered just where Jerrod was, and what the hell he was doing. Was he rooting through the other rooms right now? Or had he been caught? My mind raced with the possibilities, and my heart pounded with the sense of dread that I couldn't help but feel around Aubrey, not to mention the hate I felt from knowing that he was the man responsible for the deaths of my team members. Part of me wanted to grab the nearest lamp and club him over the back of the head with it, but that wasn't exactly in line with Sapien protocol.

  Aubrey returned a moment later, a pair of champagne glasses in his hand. He gave me one and took a seat next to me.

  "So," he said. "A panther."

  "A panther," I said. "Um, so—a lion."

  "That's me."

  I needed to at least attempt to pry information from him. "And I hear that you're a lion on the way up."

  "You would be right about that," Aubrey said, a pleased little smile on his face. "We'll see how the next few weeks go, but when the dust settles, I should be in a very comfortable position indeed."

  "Oh?" I asked, trying to bait him as well as I could. "And how is that?"

  "Well," he said, taking a sip of his drink and settling into his seat, "things have been a little…out of sorts with lion society. No doubt you've heard of that awful business with one of our Three being killed only a short time ago."

  My stomach tightened; I wanted to smack that smug little smile off of his face right then and there. Instead, I just smiled. Images of my team being killed flashed through my mind, but I did my best to hold back on acting upon them.

  "I have," I said through tight lips.

  "Then you know that we have our eyes on the wolves for starting this whole mess. It's a damn shame that those damned moon-chasers can't leave well enough alone, but it appears that we're going to be forced to do battle with them. If only they knew what they were getting themselves into. Sad, really."

  "But…how does that work out for you?" I asked, trying to sound as dumb as possible.

  "Once the war begins, I'll be able to provide the weapons and the manpower for our side. I've had the gorillas in my pocket for quite some time, held there by the promise of wolf territory once we prevailed. And when the war is won, and I'm the one responsible for the victory, well, the choice of who to appoint as the new member of the three will be obvious."

  "Wow…" I said, doing my best "impressed" impersonation. "You'll have so much power."

  "Indeed. And that's not even the best part. The current members of the Three are decrepit relics…not long for this world, you might say. And I've already got plans in the works to position myself quite nicely when…all's said and done."

  "So, you'll be the boss?"

  "That's precisely what I've got in mind, you smart little thing. And the best part is that my rise to the top of the lion society is only the beginning. Once I've secured and consolidated my power, then the fun truly will begin."

  "Really?" I asked, making my eyes go as wide as they could. "Then what?"

  But Aubrey only chuckled. "I think that's enough of this talk for one night. But rest assured, a young, beautiful woman like yourself will be something a lion like me will always have a place for. Let's move on to more…light-hearted topics of conversation."

  He drained the last bit of his wine and rose from his seat.

  "Care for another glass?"

  I hadn't even taken a sip. I couldn't believe that I'd gotten so much out of him. Sure, it was a my-word-against-his-type situation, but at least I knew that what this smug fucker had in mind.

  "I'm still working on this, but thanks," I said, now wondering just where Jerrod had gone off to; there was no way that I was going to sleep with this guy if it got to that—the mere thought of it made my stomach turn.

  "Take your time," Aubrey said. "There's no rush."

  Then he turned to me from where he stood and flashed me a wicked smile. "You know what? As much fun as I'm having with you, young lady, I can't help but feel like more might be a little merrier."

  "What do you mean?" I asked.

  So help me God, if he tries to bring some skank in here and get a three-way going, I'm gonna throw this glass of extremely-expensive wine right in his face.

  "I mean, I think that a little more company might be in order."

  "Um, sure," I said, not sure where he was going with this.

  "I was hoping you'd say that," Aubrey said.

  He then strode over to his intercom and spoke into it. "Hello This is Aubrey. Please bring in our other guest." He then turned to me. "You're going to love this little surprise. Nothing like a little unexpected company to make an evening more interesting."

  A tingle ran through my stomach. Something about Aubrey's sinister grin made me think that this wasn't about a three-way.

  After another few moments, a rap sounded from one of the adjoining rooms. It was a heavy thunk that sounded more like a big stone being pounded against the door.

  "Come i-in," Aubrey said in a sing-song voice.

  The door opened, and what came through made my blood run cold and my stomach drop like a rock.

  It was two massive men who could only have been gorillas. Between them was none other than Jerrod. He looked ravaged and beaten, and could barely stand on his own two feet.

  "There's my b
oy!" Aubrey clasped his hands together in a fey manner. He then strolled over to Jerrod and pinched his face with his fingers. "Wow, I told them to subdue you, but I didn't think they'd take it this far."

  I wanted to scream and shout, but part of me still thought that I should maintain my cover until the bitter end.

  Aubrey leaned in closer to Jerrod, taking a look at the long straight scar across his forehead. "Wow. They really did a good job with that. When I heard that you'd survived a gunshot wound to the brain, I figured you'd have ended up looking a little more, ah, like a Halloween pumpkin a few days past its prime. But they really did a nice job in the Sapien chop shop."

  I thought it wasn't possible for me to feel even sicker, but this did it. Aubrey had not only caught Jerrod, but knew who he was, that he was the one who put a bullet through his head. And if he knew this, then he certainly knew—

  "And my other little Sapien!"

  Fuck.

  He turned to me, still clasping his hands together. "You know, if I didn't already know that you were the one who survived that little incident the other night, this sad little performance of yours this evening would've certainly tipped me off."

  He walked over to me, kneeled down until he was face-to-face, and gave my cheek a little pat. "I would say that I hope you don't have any aspirations for undercover work, but you're not going to be alive long enough for that to be an issue."

  My hand shot up and grabbed his wrist before he could react. I drew my other hand back in a fist and brought it in a tight arc toward his face. But Aubrey was too quick; he grabbed my first with his hand and stopped me mid-air. He started to squeeze hard until the pain almost became too much.

  "Let me go, you fuck," I snarled.

  Aubrey's eyes went cheerfully wide. "Now, that's a little more true to your nature, I think! This whole floozy act—it didn't really ring true, you know?"

  He squeezed my fist harder until I felt as though the bones might break. Then, right as a squeal of pain slipped from my mouth, he brought his fist back and jammed it into my stomach. The air shot out of my lungs and the pain rushed through my body.