by M. D. Grimm
The agent slowly walked in, sat down on one end of the bench, and folded her hands in her lap. “My name is Agent Genii. I won’t harm you, Shannon. I just want to talk, that’s all.”
Her voice was deep and her eyes striking. Talk, huh? Her superiors wouldn’t like it if they knew she was talking to an agent. But what if she could learn something about the Agency to report back to her commander?
Straightening her shoulders, Shannon walked over to the bench and sat on the other end as far as she could from the agent.
“Okay,” she said. “What do you want to talk about?”
“My sister’s name was Siobhan,” Agent Genii said quietly. “She was ten, and I was eleven, and we were out camping with my parents during the summer.”
Shannon frowned. She didn’t understand why the agent was telling her this. Why would she care?
“One night, when we were all sleeping, my sister and I in one tent, our parents in another, a man came into our tent and took my sister. He struck me, but I didn’t lose consciousness. I got up and followed him. My sister wasn’t making any noise. She was too terrified. Everyone called her the mouse and me the cat.”
Agent Genii lowered her eyes and paused. Shannon watched her, realizing that telling this story was hard for the agent. She wondered why the agent was telling it in the first place.
“I followed. And when he thought they were alone, he changed. Shifted.” Agent Genii raised her eyes to meet Shannon’s eyes.
“He was a coyote shifter. He nudged my sister, but she didn’t respond, so he did it again, harder. After several of these nudges, my sister screamed. She got up and ran, like he wanted her to. He wanted the chase. He wanted to play with her before he killed her. He took her away from the family because he didn’t want his play to be interrupted.”
Anger sparked in Genii’s blue eyes, and Shannon felt her own anger responding.
“I couldn’t save my sister. I tried, but—well, she was mauled, blood everywhere.” She paused and took a breath. “A shifter killed my sister, for sport.”
Shannon felt her throat close, and she cleared it, brushing hair away from her face.
“A shifter killed my parents too,” she said quietly. “A cougar shifter. He killed them, then he shifted into human form and—hurt me.”
The memories of those horrific hours still haunted her as nightmares, making her sweat and twist in bed.
“I hate them all,” she murmured fiercely. “They all need to die.” Shannon looked up, expecting to see disapproval or anger in the other woman’s eyes. But all she saw was empathy and understanding.
“I know you think so,” Genii said softly. “I did as well, for a couple of months afterward. But I wasn’t sure whether what I had experienced was real. I wanted it to be just a nightmare. But then an older woman came to me, one day after school. She told me what I’d seen hadn’t been my imagination. She said shifters were real, and that some were bad. She asked me if I wanted justice for my sister, if I wanted the shifter punished.” Genii smiled. “I said ‘Yes, of course.’ She was my first introduction to the Agency. My own abilities had already manifested and apparently, I’d gained their attention. She said that the Agency could train me how to use them.”
“What abilities?” Shannon asked, her interest growing.
“I’m a psychic,” Genii said, and grimaced as though she had made a bad joke. “I always hated that word, but that’s what I am. The word encompasses a lot of abilities. I have visions, sure, but I also have telekinetic and telepathic abilities.”
“So do I!” Shannon said. She leaned closer to Genii, beginning to forget that the woman was an enemy. “I’m a telepath. The Knights—” She looked away.
They were silent for several minutes before Genii reached out and laid her hand gently on Shannon’s where it rested on the bench.
“Shannon,” she said quietly, “Please, consider what I’m telling you. I know how you feel, how you felt then. The shifter who killed my sister deserved punishment, just as the shifter who killed your parents and abused you deserves punishment. But we don’t condemn all shifters for what one or two of them did.”
Shannon stiffened and forced herself to meet Genii’s eyes. “But they’re all the same,” she said, repeating what the Knights had taught her.
Genii smiled and shook her head. “No, my dear, they’re not. Have you been harmed while you’ve been here? Deprived? Abused?”
Shannon frowned. “No.”
The woman nodded as if that was important. “You see,” she said. “You are at this town’s mercy, this town full of shifters. And not one of them has harmed you. The sheriff even brought you food and an extra blanket, right? He turned up the heater so you wouldn’t be cold, didn’t he?”
Shannon’s heart pounded harder. She suddenly realized that he had done all those things. And she’d stopped shivering from the cold hours ago. She hadn’t even needed the blanket that the sheriff provided. Shannon stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s your point?”
“Only this,” Genii said, her voice not as gentle as it was a moment before. “The Knights have fed on your anger and your pain, painting all shifters one color. They told you they were all demons and abominations, right?”
Shannon nodded.
“Well, I’m here to tell you that they are not. The coyote shifter who murdered my sister was evil. He was found years later and was executed for the crimes he’d committed. As he should have been.”
Shannon looked back at Genii. “But you’re an agent. You protect the monsters.”
Genii stood, stepped to her, and laid her hands on Shannon’s shoulders. “We protect the good ones, the ones who just want to live their lives, the ones who are not out to harm others. They follow the laws. They are peaceful, decent people, and I protect them, Shannon.”
Shannon shook her head, not understanding, struggling with the new view the agent was pushing on her. “But the Knights gave me a home, a family. They—”
“They played on your grief and anger,” Genii said firmly. She squeezed Shannon’s shoulders. She whispered, “My dear girl, you were used.”
Shannon tried to break free from the woman’s grip, but could not. Genii maintained her gentle but inexorable hold. “No, that’s not true! I don’t believe you!”
“You must! It is the truth,” Genii said, staring into Shannon’s eyes, her own bright. “You must believe me. You never mourned your parents, am I right? They told you to use that anger to murder shifters. You’ve been living on vengeance so long that you don’t know how damaging that way of living is.”
Shannon’s eyes began to burn as she continued to struggle with the other woman. Genii pulled Shannon to her and held her, those strong arms an unbreakable vise.
“Listen to my words, girl! I know what you went through, what you witnessed. But annihilating shifters won’t bring your parents back, and it won’t stop the pain inside you. That pain will only increase the black pit of hate that you cherish in your heart. They are not all like the ones at whose hands you and I suffered. Believe me, I have met many of them, and some have even become good friends. They are loyal, they protect, and they love. They are not so different from us.”
“No, no,” Shannon said, moaning. “They’re devils—” But her protests were becoming weaker. Her mind was reeling and her eyes leaking tears.
“No, my dear. You’re wrong,” Genii said. “People like you and me were considered devils centuries ago. We would have been seen as witches, consorting with Satan. But we aren’t, and neither are the shifters. They are varied, just like us. They have families, just like us. And they can forgive, just like us.”
Shannon gripped Genii’s shoulders, the agent the only thing keeping her standing. She cried, sobbing over the pain of losing her parents and the fear she’d been living with ever since joining the Knights. She had told herself the Knights were her saviors. They had taken her in because they cared. But Genii’s words echoed through her head, and she knew t
hey were true.
For the second time in her life, her foundation was crumbling beneath her feet. And she didn’t know if she could survive it again.
“It’s okay,” Genii said softly, stroking her hair. “In time it will all be okay.”
Chapter Twelve
Travis listened to Shannon and Genii’s conversation on the speaker and his heart ached. He could hear the truth in Shannon’s words, the fear, desperation, agony, and he realized something.
“She’s a victim just like I was,” he murmured. The Knights had taken his family, and a shifter had taken Shannon’s parents. She wasn’t like those who had experimented on him and his family. She was just a scared young woman underneath all that built-up rage and hate.
Overwhelmed, he turned and walked toward the door.
“Travis,” Jack said, coming after him and grabbing his arm.
“I need—some time. I just need some time.” It was becoming hard to breathe. He jerked his arm away from Jack’s grip, walked out of the sheriff’s office, and strode down the sidewalk, his cane banging hard against its surface. He needed to be alone, he needed to collect and organize his thoughts, to understand the revelation that had just been thrown in his face.
People on the street greeted him but he didn’t reply, not trusting himself to speak. He suddenly heard the sound of boots running up from behind. He gritted his teeth.
“Dammit, Jack.” Travis whipped around and Jack gripped his arms.
“Shut up,” Jack said. “I’m not leaving you alone, not in this state,”
“You stubborn jerk,” Travis said, snarling. “You’re the sheriff, you’re needed—”
“Yes, and Jena is my capable deputy,” Jack said, then took a deep breath. “And Rae and Bao and my other deputies will be continuing their patrols.”
The simple touch of his hands affected Travis powerfully. They’d made love not an hour earlier. He took his own deep breath.
“Look,” Jack said steadily. “We have an agent in town, right? She’s in charge. She can handle things. What I want to know is, what do you want to do? Where do you want to go?” Then he added, his voice hard, “Just know this, mate: I’m not leaving you alone.”
Travis relented. He leaned down, resting his forehead against Jack’s, and sighed. “I just want to be the cougar again,” he whispered. “I want to chase your wolf, like we did the other day.”
Jack kissed him and Travis moaned. “I’d like that too,” Jack said.
If anyone came across a fully grown wolf and cougar playing and romping through the forest or snowy fields together, they might wonder what trick of the eye the sun was playing on them. The wolf, an unusual dark brown, chased the larger and stronger cougar across the fields and around trees until at last the cougar whipped around and pounced on its pursuer. Then they rolled together, a tangle of limbs, to a chorus of snarls and growls that echoed through the park, scattering prey animals and making the few human visitors look around in bewildered confusion.
After some time, Jack leaped over Travis and ran for a small group of boulders. He climbed to the top. Travis followed, sniffing and listening. Jack crouched down, deciding to play hide-and-seek. He struggled to keep his tail still and lowered his ears. He knew it was probably an unfair game to play, considering his mate was blind. On the other hand, Travis had a knack of always knowing Jack’s location. The cougar didn’t need sight, and Jack sometimes forgot entirely that his mate was considered disabled.
The cougar moved closer, body tense and beautiful, tail long and switching. The only sign of alertness came from the rounded ears that stood straight up and twitched slightly in response to every sound of the forest around him. Jack made sure he wasn’t part of those sounds.
But Jack must have made some sort of noise, because Travis’s head suddenly turned in his direction. The cougar crouched, his shoulders tensing for the pounce. Then he sprang, and Jack barely had time to leap off the boulder before Travis landed evenly, right where he’d been. Jack’s movement alerted the big cat, and Travis jumped again, this time catching him and wrestling him to the ground. They struggled for a time, then Jack felt his human trying to take control, wanting to touch, to mate.
He shoved away from the cougar and shifted, gasping for breath. He knew Travis felt the difference and lowered his head, his ears twitching. Jack barely noticed the cold, considering how hot his blood was pumping.
“Come here, mate,” Jack crooned and the cougar came eagerly. Jack scratched his ears and neck, drawing deep-throated purrs from his mate and making his eyes close in ecstasy. Jack chuckled and kissed the cougar right on the nose.
“Come to me, mate,” he murmured. “I need you.”
Before his eyes, the air shimmered and pulsed and the cougar became the man. Jack pushed Travis to the soft ground and then settled between his legs. Travis pulled Jack to him, grinding their groins together, kissing him recklessly. Jack moaned, touching and feeling his mate the way Travis had felt him during their first time. He stroked and allowed his fingers and hands to explore his mate’s body. Travis’s breath hitched, and he dug his fingers into Jack’s back, spreading his legs and bending his knees.
His wolf was still too close to the surface to allow for much tenderness, and he figured Travis’s cougar was close to the surface as well. His touches turned aggressive, and he started to nip, marking the cougar as his. He stroked Travis’s cock roughly, wringing grunts and faint snarls from his mate. Jack lowered his mouth and finally managed to taste what he had so longed for. He swirled his tongue around the heated head first, enjoying the silky smoothness of the swollen skin, before taking it into his mouth. Travis cupped Jack’s head and thrust his hips up, driving his erection deeper into Jack’s mouth.
Jack groaned and gently squeezed Travis’s balls, sucking hard on the heated length thrusting into his mouth. He worked his cock with his other hand, keeping it hard.
“Jack, please,” Travis gasped.
“Let’s jerk off here and then I’ll fuck you at home.”
“No, fuck me here.”
Jack groaned and kissed Travis. “Mate, there’s no lube, and I’m not taking you dry.”
Travis snarled. “There’s a small bottle of lube in my coat.”
“That’s at the truck. We might as well just go home and—”
Travis grabbed his face, his blind eyes fierce. “You are fucking me right here in the wild, wolf. Get the damn lube.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “All right then. Wait here.”
He staggered to his feet and then shifted again to run faster. The truck wasn’t far, and he found the travel-sized bottle quickly. Then he raced back, the bottle clamped in his jaws. Travis was waiting, on his knees, stroking himself. Jack relished the deep purr coming from his mate and didn’t stop, bowling Travis over. Travis laughed and ruffled his fur, scratching his ears.
“You dumbass. Now get to work.”
Jack yipped, dropping the lube and quickly shifted. He devoured Travis’s mouth as he opened the lube and slicked his fingers. Then he shoved Travis’s legs apart and groaned at the warmth and the tight muscles that closer around his fingers. Travis bent his knees, offering himself. Jack nipped and licked every inch he could find, wanting to devour his mate in large, greedy bites. Then he captured Travis’s mouth in another hard kiss and slicked his cock before gripping his mate’s legs. Travis snarled when he pushed inside him. There was some resistance, and Jack instantly wondered how long it had been since Travis had been submissive during sex. But then the resistance was gone, and Travis gripped Jack’s ass, pulling him deeper inside.
Jack planted his knees, braced his hands on the ground on either side of Travis, and claimed his mate like he had fantasized about for years. Travis gripped Jack’s shoulders, and they fell into a satisfying rhythm.
Jack was determined to make Travis forget all his grief and pain, and he bent with intense focus on his task. He found his mate’s prostate, and Travis gasped, his back bowed. His fingers dug so h
ard into Jack’s skin, Jack knew he would have bruises. He didn’t care. The sheer joy on Travis’s face was the only thing that mattered.
Jack soon felt himself coming close to release, and he vaguely realized the sun was going down. He looked into Travis’s eyes and was stunned to see Travis looking back at him. The discoloration had faded and the pure, bright blue of the irises mesmerized him. Travis gripped Jack’s face, and they watched each other as Jack pushed them both over the edge.
Jack collapsed on Travis, but his mate still held his face. Those eyes swept over him, his body, and Travis seemed unable to speak.
“Well?” Jack rasped with a small smile. “Do I look how you imagined?”
“You are so much more,” Travis whispered, and the sheer love Jack heard in that voice overwhelmed him.
He kissed his mate, remembering Travis telling him about how the dusk affected his sight. That time seemed so long ago, even though it had only been a couple of days. So much had happened since then.
“You know,” Jack said, gazing lovingly into Travis’s eyes. “We never did have our date. And what about those appointments you said you had?”
Travis face, which was already red from the cold and their lovemaking, flushed darker.
“I, um, I kind of lied about them,” he said.
Jack chuckled and shook his head. “You were just making excuses to make me go away, weren’t you?”
Travis smiled embarrassedly. “Yeah,”
Rolling his eyes, Jack nuzzled Travis’s neck. “I should make you pay for that.”
Travis gripped Jack’s hips. “What did you have in mind?”
Jack grinned. But before he could answer, the cold wind cut through the trees. Jack was surprised he hadn’t noticed it earlier. They shifted and hurried back to the truck to dress but didn’t leave right away. As dusk turned into night, they held each other in the back of Jack’s truck, watching the stars, prolonging the inevitable return to reality and all its problems.