by Mikea Howard
“Oh, sorry.” He set the mug down. “I’m a tad over caffeinated, a lot of back and forth figuring what’s going on in Sector Four.” Sighing, he paused for less than a second before adding, “And I do have some news. I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.”
“Okay.” His songbird stared at the pack’s cook. When he didn’t answer, she waved her hand for him to go on. “Well, spill it. Jus’ tell us.”
Javier took a deep breath. “To start, you have a place to stay. Leo, Sheri, and Baron already arrived there.” Shaking his head, he mumbled, “They’re always where the most action is.”
Tim took a seat next to him. “So, the lion, tiger, and bear team indicate there’s a lot happening in Old K.C. Is it related to Dottie’s inheritance?”
“You know who they are?” Javier squinted.
Tim grinned. “Of course. I’ve heard the tales of the trio, broken out of the last of the research camps, the one discovered forty years after the end of the Diesel War. They are well known in my circles.”
“They might get a kick out of hearing they’re famous. But to answer your question, they don’t know, but it’s suspicious enough to assume so.”
Dottie chimed in, “Are we safe ta go there?”
“We believe so. The REG will run interference, keep the Animal Gang from where you’re headed. They’re ready to help in any way possible.” Javier tapped the top of her hand. “Apparently, you have some fans who can’t wait to assist you, Miss DeVeaux.”
She blushed. “Really? That’s the cat’s pajamas.” Glancing at Tim, Dottie pressed her fingers to her mouth. “Tim, my love, I know I’ll be Mrs. Goldfeather . . . which I’m over the moon with, but yer ducky with me keepin’ my stage name, right?”
Javier’s eyes sparkled. “So, it’s official? You bonded?”
Dottie raised her eyebrows, nodding. “Yes, so he has ta forgive me for askin’. Right?”
Again, surprising himself, Tim whooped. “You’re worried about it?” Pulling her into his lap, he calmed his laughter. “You’re mine as I’m yours no matter what they call you. By the god, I love you. I want you to keep singing, and want them to know it’s the starlet they expect.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed in tight. “I know it’s silly, but I worked hard for my identity.” Pulling away, she asked the Were, “Is there more?”
“Unfortunately.” Javier sighed. “I’ll just say it, because I don’t know how to put it gently. Your ex-fiancé is gone. The big boss is a rogue and very unforgiving. He refuses to tolerate failure, especially from a human in his service. I’m sorry.”
“Gone, as in zotted . . . dead?” Dottie asked.
Both men nodded, but Tim said, “When you make a deal with the devil, your life is forfeit.”
“I know. I should be sad, but I’m still too angry at him. We aren’t responsible for his death, it was his choice.” She frowned.
“Exactly.” Javier brushed her cheek. “Please don’t feel at fault. The human wasn’t forced to seduce you or join them.”
She grabbed his hand. “Thank you.” Pursing her lips, Dottie asked, “And what ‘bout his girlfriend, Violet?”
“I didn’t get any intel on her.” The Spaniard kissed her knuckles apologetically. “But she’ll never get the chance to hurt you again, either.”
“True.” Focusing on Tim, she said, “Are we ready?”
“We are. I’ll carry our essentials and the city will provide whatever else is necessary.”
Yawning, Javier handed over a map. “This is where you’re going.” He pointed out a spot. “The roaming enforcer group will meet you there.”
Dottie regarded him, expectantly.
Tim grinned. “I’ll get us there undetected. Double check we have everything necessary packed in the carrier bag. We can do anything, love.”
Releasing her tension, she said, “Yeah, we can.” She rolled the pearls around her neck in her fingers.
~ ~ ~
Stepping out onto the porch, Tim glimpsed Molly standing there, hands on her hips. “You weren’t plannin’ on scrammin’ without sayin’ goodbye, were you?”
“Oh, applesauce.” Dottie opened her eyes wide. “I’m sorry. I was obsessed with what we needed ta do, and I didn’t even think ‘bout it.”
Sadie leaned against Domek with her arms crossed. “Well, yer off the hook on one condition.” She strolled toward them. “When you go back on tour, Blue Wolf Enclave is yer first stop.”
“Done,” Dottie said immediately.
Kara laughed. “I didn’t guess you’d fold to peer pressure, we should’ve asked for more. With Tim, we expected we’d have to catch you leaving. He always slinks away when no one’s watching, but he never feels guilty.”
Dottie rounded on Tim. “Do you really sneak off?”
Tim raised his hands in surrender. “Yes, but I’m ready to turn over a new leaf. Promise.” He gazed around at his friends, loving how he and his woman had them in their lives.
Marek mimicked the crack of a whip, ending it in an “oof” when Kara elbowed him in the stomach.
Edo, holding baby Nettie, obviously held back his laughter when he barked out, “We’ll be seeing you soon? You two will get word to us to let us know you’re okay, right?”
Javier answered from behind them. “My old crew has agreed to get word to me if our newly mated couple slacks off.”
Simultaneous squeals from the women and congratulations from the males rang out, but Domek spoke up above them. “If you prefer a ceremony, like a human marriage, we would be proud to provide one, when you’re ready.” He rested his hand on Sadie’s shoulder. “There’s no pressure, but I know celebrating my mate bond with my pack ranks as one of the best moments of my life . . . and I do consider you pack.”
Tim, living a very solitary life before now, warmed. “A pack and family we feel honored to be a part of.”
Dottie ran through her friends and the men, giving them all hugs. “We will be back as soon as possible.” She returned to Tim’s side, grasping his hand.
Kissing her palm, Tim said, “Yes, we will.” Focusing on her, he questioned, “Are you ready, love?”
“I am.” Grabbing her necklace from the goddess, she closed her eyes.
Tim stood by as she completed her shift. Gasps surrounded them.
Kara spoke up. “Whoa, hold your horses, Mister. How’d she do that?”
“Apparently, your goddess visited her.” He chuckled.
“And she doesn’t have ta get naked first either.” Sadie pouted.
“You love the naked part,” Domek said as he pinched her hip.
She squirmed away with a playful laugh. “Yeah, but I definitely suspect Weres received the short end of the stick in transformations.”
The lark tilted her head at Tim, warbling a tune.
He winked and shifted. Taking a stab at communication, he pushed his thoughts to her. Let’s get this show on the road then.
Her nod and jump off into the air led him to assume he’d been successful. Letting her get a head start, Tim screeched his farewell and grasped their bag in his talon. They hadn’t packed much, since a fair number of the outfits Dottie shoved into her bag in the land yacht were impractical for daily wear. She’d elected to leave them at Javier’s for now.
Helena, the pack seamstress, brought over a few sensible dresses for her a couple days ago. Having dealt with city women, the werewolf stopped Dottie when she tried to find a way to pay for them. “Your little impromptu concert in the center at dinner, more than suffices.”
His love’s sultry voice spoke to him. What’s the hold up, Father Time?
With a few strong pumps of his wings, he caught up to her. Maybe I wanted to watch you shake your tail feathers.
Ha ha, wiseguy.
Chapter 19
Spending the flight honing their mental communication, Tim made sure they took a few short breaks along the way. For being new to flying, Dottie behaved as though she’d done it her whole life. Catching the breezes, she rode the wind effortlessly.
He knew they’d drawn close to the safe house when the stars faded, washed out by the lights of the city. Old Kansas City, unlike many other towns, still had a circle of residential neighborhoods surrounding the towering buildings.
He assumed the suburbs survived because of how much land Old Kansas City had. The original metropolis had consisted of two towns on a state line, but when they divided the Americas into sectors it became one.
The place they searched for sat on the outermost ring of the city. The slowly flashing light on the back porch alerted them to its location. Javier had explained how the REG would signal them this way for tonight. Tim assumed they normally ensured nothing differentiated the safe house from the rest of the cookie cutter homes. Even the subtle blinking could be attributed to faulty wiring or a dying bulb.
Circling, Tim led her to the postage stamp sized yard. Not big, but a far cry more than most dieselheads had for green space. He chuckled to himself, presuming half the yards likely consisted of rocks.
I’ll have you know I kept a little garden once.
Of course, love, I’m sorry.
Her tinkling laughter accompanied a warbling whistle of her meadowlark body. Too much work, I probably would fill it in with concrete.
The squeaking screen door drew his attention before he could answer. Tim figured the large hulking man stepping out of the house had to be the werebear, Baron.
The brute pointed at Dottie. “Are you going to eat that little bird?”
His woman shivered as the air vibrated around her. The songbird’s form grew into her human body, giving a little wave. “Hi, I’m Dottie.”
“I know who you are, Miss DeVeaux, I just didn’t know you could shift.” Baron held the door open. “Come on in, you guys.”
Dottie held her hand out to Tim, waiting for him to lead them in.
A feminine voice rang down the hall. “Are they here?”
The bear called back, “Yes, you were right. The tweeting bird turned into the singer, though.”
“What? Not possible, songbirds aren’t shifters.”
Entering the family room, Tim caught the perplexed expression on a statuesque, blonde woman.
Another man, about the same height as the bear, but leaner, stood beside her. The room’s furnishings peppered about, similar to any other home, with couches, a coffee table, and TV stand. However, every other item made it vastly different than one of a modern nuclear family. Weapons, and what he imagined functioned as high-tech spy gear, rested on nearly every surface. A typewriter, like the one at the theater in Black Diamond, clacked away by itself in the corner.
The woman smiled. “I’m Sheri, the beast who let you in is Baron”—she pointed to the man beside her—“and this brute is Leo.”
“Thank you for agreeing to assist us. I’m Tim and I guess you already know who Dottie is.”
Leo’s low, purring voice filled the room. “Pleasure. We’d like to apologize for not stepping in to assist sooner, Miss DeVeaux. We weren’t aware Johnny worked with the AG.” He shook his head as his voice took on a growling property. “I don’t know how we missed it, we’d been observing them at their base.” He grinned. “By the way, nice breakout, Eagle. We could barely track you, the way you blended into the background.”
Tim nodded, taking the compliment for what it was, but he had no idea they’d been present in Black Diamond. The Roaming Enforcer Group impressed him from the first moment he learned of their existence. The fact they could even spy on him meant they held more skill than he knew.
Clapping his enormous hands and rubbing his palms together, Baron won their attention. “So, where’re we going? Once you claim your inheritance, the Animal Gang won’t have an easy way to take it from you.”
Sheri cut in, “We also wish to gather everything else you know. We believe your grandfather left information on other activities he found the AG had their hands in. We ask you to share details, if you should find any.”
~ ~ ~
Leo and Baron flanked the coffee table before the group. Lifting the top, they exposed a hidden compartment beneath containing a map speared with different colored pins. Setting their burden on the floor, Leo straightened, pointing at a cluster of red. “Here’s old K.C.”
Leaning in from the opposite side, Dottie searched for the river. “Gramps said he buried the box along the shore of the Kansas River, near the stockyards.”
Sheri settled on her knees. Signaling everyone to have a seat, she drew Dottie’s attention to the left. “That’s over here. See the grouping of train tracks? The stock is stored up here after it’s unloaded. Please tell me he didn’t hide it next to those foul-smelling walking dinners.”
Throwing his hands in the air, Baron groaned. “Here we go.”
Leo raised an eyebrow at Dottie and Tim. “Sheri here fancies herself a princess. For being such a brutal weretiger who takes pride in ripping out a man’s throat without breaking a sweat, she sure is prissy about getting her shoes dirty.”
Sheri rolled her eyes. “Again, I’ll remind you who’s the brain in our little team. Thinkers stay pristine, while the brawn gets messy. Besides, the smell of cow manure is not easily removed.”
Baron and Leo erupted in laughter. Fighting for air they volleyed portions of a memory between them, continually cutting each other off.
“Remember when we were cubs–”
“The herd of dairy heifers–”
“Sheri was sure we could just sneak up–”
“And milk them without anyone catching us–”
“Since it was a moonless night–”
“Until she stepped in fresh–”
Gripping the edge of the table, Sheri gave a roar, leaving no doubt of her weretiger within. “Enough. We have too much to plan without the necessary time. Focus, you two.”
Dottie shared a glance with her man. Lips tight and eyes creasing at the corners, they both fought to hold back bubbling mirth. The banter between the three roaming enforcers reminded Dottie of her new friends in Blue Wolf. She, too, hoped for companions so close they acted more like family. Excitement at the image of sitting around joking with the enclave girls fluttered through her belly.
Focusing on the other woman, Dottie explained, “No, he said it’s on the western shore by a groupin’ of trees. I’m supposed ta recognize ‘em ‘cause they’ll remind me of the ones back home in the Carolinas.”
“Good.” Nodding, a sobered Baron pulled at his facial hair. “The AG has enough of a presence at the railyards to protect their incoming liquor shipments that being incognito could prove difficult on the eastern side.”
A beard? How had Dottie missed his facial hair until now? Aside from old guys, most men prefer to stay shaven. Baron’s wasn’t unkempt, in fact it reminded her of how the young Orson Welles used to keep his trimmed in a clean goatee. Peeking under her lashes at Tim, she tried to picture him with one. Nope, I’d hate for him ta hide his handsome, sharp jaw. Not ta mention it would get in the way of his incredible kisses.
Glancing away from their hosts, Tim winked at her, causing the heat of a blush to rush up from her chest. Even without a caress he could affect her in amazing ways. God, she was ready to start their lives together.
Dottie placed her hand on Tim’s knee. “How soon ‘till we get there? I’d like ta get this done and move on ta better things.”
Quirking a brow, Leo smirked. “Normally we would stake out the area first and determine the safest approach, but considering the urgency, heading out now might be best.”
Tim stra
ightened. “Dottie and I’ll be safer and swifter if we take to wing and follow you there.”
Hoisting herself up, Sheri began shedding her threads. “It’s decided then. We’ll skirt the neighborhoods, make our way across the bridge, then locate the copse of trees.”
Spinning to face Tim, Dottie’s dieseldame sensibilities prevented her from relaxing around strangers stripping. When she caught movement in her periphery, her focus snapped to the ceiling.
She couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of their backsides as the nude trio proceeded past them and out the rear door. Baron must’ve already been starting his shift, based on the amount of hair covering his body.
Exiting behind Tim, she discovered her error when the man’s large, hairy body wrenched and cracked into a new form and his bear fur replaced his human fur. Switching her focus to the female enforcer, the pain evident across her contorted face, Dottie gaped in awe as not a peep escaped Sheri’s lips.
The deep rumbling huffs of the huge golden lion brought her out of reflection. “Thank you, goddess, for not givin’ me a magic Were necklace.”
Tim wrapped his arms around Dottie. “It’s time to use Gaia’s special gift.”
Dottie wasn’t sure if she had to hold the pearls or not to make it work, but found it comforting to smooth her thumb over them as she mashed her lids together and wished to fly. Like the pop of getting shocked by static electricity, the hairs on her arms stood and an instant later they became feathers on wings.
Taking to the air, she trusted Tim wouldn’t dally far behind. Always the gentleman, he would wait for her to shift first. Even though she’d follow him on their trek since his night vision as an eagle topped her little lark’s. Dottie took his concern for her safety and wrapped it about herself like a cloak. With his protection, she knew she could do anything.
Tim’s voice slipped through her mind. Remember to stay close, Na-qui-si, many things in the area hunt at night. Some with larger wings and talons than mine. To them, you might resemble a midnight snack.