by Meg Ripley
“Simple enough. What kind of shifters are we dealing with?”
Raul shook his head. “That’s one thing I hadn’t been able to figure out. There’s not a lot of information about this clan, and they don’t seem to be under the jurisdiction of any of the conclaves. I could tell Victor and his grandmother were both bears, so I’m assuming that’s what we’ll be dealing with.”
“And that’s why I was chosen to join you?” Jude asked with a smile.
“Something like that, plus you’re the only one available,” Raul retorted. In a way, he was glad he was undertaking this step without Penny in tow. First, there was the potential that it could be dangerous work. She’d already made it quite clear that she didn’t want him to protect her, no matter how badly his instincts demanded it. It was also nice to just head out with a comrade who knew how these things worked, allowing him to focus on the task at hand.
“I know you and I haven’t exactly sat down and had a lot of heart-to-heart chats,” Jude said slowly, “but I’ve got the feeling that there’s something more going on here than just business.” Traffic started moving again, but instead of gunning it like most of the other motorists, Jude just crept forward. His patience paid off, since brake lights illuminated before them only a second later.
Raul ran his tongue over his teeth. “I guess I haven’t done a very good job of hiding that, have I?”
“Well,” Jude said with a shrug, “it’s not unusual for you to spend a bunch of time in your room or with your nose in a book, but I don’t think I’ve seen you take as much interest in a mission as you have in this one. That, and there’s that moony look in your eyes when you don’t think anyone is watching.”
“Seriously? Have I really been doing that?” Raul had been living completely in his own world, and it’d been entirely occupied by Penny. Other than their regular meetings, he couldn’t recall much of any interaction with the rest of the Force members.
“Yeah, you have.” Jude was a reserved guy, but he was grinning now. “Is this Penny a love interest of yours?”
Raul was used to being razzed about such things. Guys in the service talked plenty, although half of it was made up or exaggerated. Once again, Penny was different. “Something like that. I really felt something when we met. I don’t want to say what I think it is, but she’s changing my life. I can’t do anything without thinking about her. On the two times I’ve gone out to discuss things with her, it’s like I don’t know how to function anymore. I hardly know her, yet I feel like I’ve known her my entire life. Of course, if I had known her my whole life, then why does she make me so fucking nervous?” He slammed one fist into his palm, frustrated with himself for having such a hard time controlling his feelings and what they did to him.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say it out loud, because I know what you mean. I thought I felt something like that once, but other circumstances made me set it aside. It’s not an easy thing. I sometimes wonder if humans get as messed up over a potential mate or family dynamics as we do.” He inched forward again.
They were never going to get there, and Raul was letting the aggravation of it compound the irritation he was already feeling about Penny. “I need a break. I need to just get out into woods somewhere and run until my legs collapse under me.”
“That’s not a bad idea at all, and maybe you’ll get a chance to do it at Griffith Park. I heard there was something about the area involved with all this, too?”
Raul nodded. “Victor Reyes had a map of the park with certain places marked on it. Penny said she was going to check it out while we talked to this clan. I tried to ask her to wait for me, but she doesn’t want to let any stone go unturned that might get us some results. She did at least say she’d take someone else from the LASS with her, so that’s something.” He just had to hope it wasn’t Tyler.
“I see your urge to keep her safe has surfaced,” Jude said with a raised eyebrow, apparently more interested in Raul’s personal drama than their upcoming meeting. “Have you told her how you feel?”
“No, and I don’t plan to. At least not until all this is done with. I can’t just sweep in there and tell her I want to work with her on this and then announce that I think we’re destined for each other.” His stomach was constantly flipping inside him, and he knew the only thing that really would make it better would be to either to have a good long shift, or to find time to be with Penny and make up for upsetting her.
Jude rubbed his jaw. “Just do yourself a favor and don’t wait too long. You might regret that.”
It sounded like there was more to that story, but Raul didn’t want to pry. Traffic opened up and allowed Jude to accelerate to full speed, and he swept efficiently through the streams of cars, then off the highway and into a neighborhood.
“This…isn’t exactly what I was expecting,” Raul mused as he eyed the small houses and ratty yards. “Every other clan or pack we’ve visited has managed to get their hands on a little more revenue than this.”
“Think we have the right address?” Jude asked as they glided past a house that’d caved in on itself.
“It’s the best information I could find. Nothing to do but to go for it.”
They soon parked in front of a house that was much bigger than its neighbors, but no better for the wear. Someone had ripped the roof off one wing and installed a foundation for a second floor that’d never been built. The siding was a combination of brick and stucco that was probably charming at one point, but now made it look like a cheap haunted house.
The effect was enhanced by the man who opened the door. He was tall and had the look of someone who’d been fit and healthy at one point, but had atrophied away to nothing but skin and bones. He eyed them both before raising his thin lip in a snarl. “What do you want?”
Raul put out his hand. “I’m Raul, and this is Jude. We’re with the South Los Angeles conclave, and we’re just here to talk to you about the new registry and news app.” He smiled at the man, even though there was something about this situation that he found unsettling.
“Sure. Right.” He didn’t sound like he believed them, but he stepped back and opened the door wider. “Miguel said he was expecting you. On your left there.” The goon pointed to an open doorway straight off the foyer.
Raul ignored the broken tiles on the floor and the cobwebs in the corner. What was far more interesting was the energy of the house. Several of the members were standing around, staring at them, and Raul immediately picked up that they weren’t dealing with a bear clan, nor a wolf pack. It was a mutt mixture of both of those plus tigers, lions, and maybe a few coyotes. The energies were mixed and muddied. He pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth, feeling his wolf as it crouched into a defensive pose ready for action.
“Come in. Have a seat,” said a serious looking man behind a desk that was just as battered as his face. Miguel was an older man, probably in his fifties, and the wrinkles that were starting to build up around his eyes and mouth accentuated the scars that crossed his face. Dark tattoos traced up his arms in the shape of some sort of tribal serpent.
Raul and Jude stepped in, and Raul was very aware that the man who’d let them in the house shut the office door behind them. He forced a smile once again. “I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with us. We won’t keep you too long. We’d just heard there was a new clan in the area, and we want to make sure you’re aware of all the upcoming infrastructure that’s being put in place for shifters.”
Miguel raised a thick eyebrow as he lit a cigarette and propped his feet on the desk. “Infrastructure? That’s a fancy term for someone who dares to come into this barrio, man. But you can’t fool me. There’s no infrastructure for people like us.”
“There hasn’t been for a long time, but that’s exactly what we’d like to change,” Jude said smoothly. He certainly looked the part of a bureaucrat, and Raul knew he was the right partner for this mission, even if they weren’t dealing with bears. “A lot of headway has already been made i
n other areas like Dallas, and we’re trying to support as much of that as we can here. Did you know there are more shifters in L.A. County than anywhere else in the U.S. right now?”
“¡A poco!” Miguel replied coolly and laughed. “You think I give a fuck? I didn’t start up this clan because I was interested in taking the census.”
“Of course not, but there are advantages that come with having your members on the shifter registry. One of them is access to The Shift, a new app that’s been developed only for shifters so that—”
“No, no, no.” Miguel swung his feet down to the floor and leaned his elbows on the surface of the desk. “I don’t think you understand. I don’t care about your little roster sheet of shifters and your insurance salesman routine. The members that I’ve gathered here have their own lives to lead. Shifters don’t need a bunch of government interference of their own just because they’re jealous of what the humans have.” His laugh was a grinding sound.
“As you may have noticed, there’s been some strange activity for shifters lately.” Jude continued as though Miguel hadn’t said anything at all. “We feel the need to make sure everyone is protected, no matter what clan they’re in or what conclave oversees them. This is our way of taking care of each other, regardless of clan finances, etcetera.”
Miguel gestured at them with his cigarette, letting its ashes float down to the desk. “Look, the only reason I agreed to meet you was because I was curious about what you had to say. I don’t trust you, and I don’t have a reason to. You’re lucky I don’t tell my men to light your asses up. If you want to kid yourself by thinking some sort of organization is going to keep us all safe, then that’s your business. I know better. I know it’s all about control and money.”
Raul ground his teeth together. He didn’t take kindly to threats. Still, he knew the game they were playing. He and Jude were just innocent civil servants, not members of an elite force of veteran Special Ops soldiers. Miguel likely knew the SOS Force existed, but there was no point in waving it in front of his face and inviting him into a fight. They were heavily outnumbered.
“I’ll just leave my card with you in case you change your mind,” Raul said with a smile, standing up.
Jude opened the office door. The same men who’d been there as they’d come in the house were still waiting for them, leaning on walls or crouching on the stairs. They watched with haunted eyes as the two of them made their exit.
Raul kept his mouth shut until they were several blocks down the street. “That was interesting.”
Jude nodded. “Was it just me, or did Miguel give away a lot more information than he intended to?”
“Agreed. That clan has zero funding, or else they wouldn’t live in a pit like that. And based on their appearances, they either have drug problems or health issues. Did you notice every single one of them looked as though they’d gone without a meal for the past week?”
“They also looked like they wouldn’t mind if we were the meal,” Jude commented as he took a right. “It’s obvious they haven’t even been in that house for very long. There wasn’t much furniture, and I didn’t see anything in the way of wall hangings or anything else that would make it feel like a home.”
Raul tapped his fingers on the door, looking out the window, but only seeing everything he’d observed at that house. “There’s definitely something going on with them. It was like they’d just randomly assembled themselves into a ragtag, multi-species group.”
“Miguel was a bear of some sort; no doubt about that. And I sensed a tiger in the man at the door, but yeah. Everyone was different, and they were all guys. That last part could’ve just been a show for our sake, but they’re shady as fuck.”
“I’d say the investigation is definitely heading in the right direction,” Raul said. “I think this clan is going to lead us to something bigger.”
“Do you need to go by Penny’s place and tell her about it?” Jude had that teasing smile on his face again.
“You know, yeah. I do. Take the 710.” Raul explained how to get to Penny’s place. “If she’s had a chance to check out the park, she might have some other information that could be important. She’s a little irritated with me right now, but I think she’ll be interested to know about our meeting.”
“I see. So interested that it’s worth more than a phone call or a text?” Jude goaded. “For the sake of efficiency and all that?”
Raul punched his comrade on the arm. “Pendejo. Shut up and drive.”
“Call me whatever you want, man. You know I’m right.”
Raul’s wolf had already been restless that day due to the mission, but thoughts of being close to Penny again only made it worse. Sure, he could’ve sent her a text and let her know they had things to discuss, but what if she refused to see him? He wouldn’t blame her, since he’d tried to encroach on her life more than he had any right to, but Raul wanted the chance to tell her face-to-face what an idiot he’d been.
By the time they reached her street, Raul had rehearsed numerous conversations in his head. Some of them ended with her slamming the door in his face, and others were variations on him being invited inside. He felt he was ready to handle any of them, and the most important part was that he got to see her.
The hope he’d been building inside himself was quickly dashed when he noticed a familiar form leaning against the wall near the front steps.
Jude gestured with his chin. “You need any help with that?”
“No.” Raul unbuckled and grabbed the handle. “I can get this.”
“Cool. You know where I am if you need me.” Jude shifted into park and left the engine running.
Raul was used to living among humans, but more than once, he’d wished everyone was a shifter. That would mean it’d be easy to just morph into a wolf and get shit done. That would’ve been particularly helpful at the moment because lunging at Tyler’s neck seemed like a good way to wipe that cocky look off the bastard’s face. “What are you doing here?” he growled.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Tyler slipped his cell in his pocket. Dark half-moons stood out under his eyes.
“None of your business, bro.” He considered moving past Tyler and just heading into the building, but that would give the other man the advantage of being at his back. Jude could be out of the car in a flash, but this was his problem.
“Oh, but it is.” Tyler detached himself from the wall and took half a step forward. “Everything was fine until you came sniffing around my girl, pretending you’ve got some sort of business here.”
Raul felt all the tiny hairs along his back raise, threatening to be replaced by his dense coat. “I do have business here, on the authority of the Special Ops Shifter Force and all the local conclaves, not to mention Penny’s. If you recall, she wanted me to work with her on this project.” Granted, that was before he’d overstepped the line and done something to piss her off. He needed to talk to her and see why she was so offended by his offer to protect her from this dickhead.
“You and I both know you’re hanging around for much more than an investigation. Penny is an important person, you know. Her father is an Alpha, and she’ll be moving up to lead her clan within the next few years. The Society for Spirits is just something to help her pass the time for now, but she has much more important work to do. Important work that doesn’t involve you.” Tyler poked Raul in the chest.
Rage hit his system like a flood, thrumming through his veins. It demanded that he act, that he put this upstart pup in his place. “Penny can make her own decisions about me. She doesn’t need you to do it for her.”
“I’m well aware of what decisions she can make, which include keeping you at arm’s length. Why do you think I’m here, Raul? Penny doesn’t want to see you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to respect her wishes.” He moved slightly to his left so that he stood directly between Raul and the front doors of the building.
Raul knew that wasn’t true. He’d irritated Penny. He’d said more t
han he should’ve and pushed too far too fast. It was only because he cared about her so much. She was a reasonable person, and once it was all right for him to talk to her in a personal sense, she’d come around and understand. “There’s only one reason I’m not going to beat the holy living shit out of you right now,” Raul rumbled, his voice mixing with a deep growl. He now felt fur sprouting across his shoulders.
“Why’s that? Because you’re a pussy?”
“Because unlike you, I do respect what Penny wants. I’ve also got a job to do, and I’m not going to risk it by doing something as unprofessional as painting these steps with your blood. Penny and I are going to work together, and we’re going to get to the bottom of this problem. Once we do, you’d be wise to watch your back.” Not giving Tyler a chance to reply, he spun on his heel and walked back to the car.
“Is that how you conduct your business?” Tyler taunted to his back. “Making idle threats? You’re such a fucking poser! I know it, and Penny knows it, too!”
What Raul knew was that Tyler just wanted to drag him into a fight. Whether he knew Raul would be coming by or if he was just waiting for Penny, Raul couldn’t say, but it was clear Tyler wanted the chance to prove his dominance. Raul had a good idea that wasn’t going to impress Penny as much as Tyler wanted it to.
“I guess that went well enough,” Jude commented when Raul got back in the car.
Raul grunted in response. “I’ll just have to call her. We can head back to HQ and I’ll see if I can dig up any information on Miguel and his strays.” He brooded on the drive, worried that he’d made the wrong decision. It was the right thing to put his job in front of a potential relationship. He’d fulfilled Penny’s request by sparing Tyler, but something still nagged at the back of his brain. Something wasn’t right, and there were only so many things he could investigate at once.
7
“Wow. Can you believe it? It’s just nuts!” Ingrid and Penny sat on Penny’s living room floor, the information they’d gathered at Griffith Park scattered all around them in notebooks and on laptop screens. “I mean, I know what a reputation the place has. I’ve personally never been lucky enough to see any of the ghosts they say haunt it, and I haven’t stumbled on any bodies, but still! This is just so intense.”