by Shen Hart
I ran my tongue over my teeth, I hadn't realised things were quite so obvious, but I hadn't been trying all that hard to form a strong, cohesive image. I decided simple and to the point was my best option.
"We're soulmates. It didn't work out."
His brow creased and he leaned a little closer "How does it 'not work out' between soulmates...? I thought the entire point of soulmates is that you’re completely bound, there is no getting out of it. You’re supposed to be two parts of one whole or some shit."
I ground my teeth together and wondered exactly how far away the damn city was. "It just… didn't. We're bonded, now we're in this situation; do you really need to know more?"
He sat back in his seat more before he sighed softly and said, "Thank you for telling me."
I mentally cursed the Wyrd Sisters again for giving me such a manipulative little shit. They were taunting me with finally bringing me close to one like myself and then making it him. I bit back further curses and smiled.
"Tell me your story proper, then. We have time."
He didn't appreciate the tables being turned and crossed his arms as he looked out the window. The temperature inside the car dropped a little as his energies spiked and flared.
I growled at him, "Control your energies."
I saw no reason to be softer about it all. He flashed me a dark look before closing his eyes and pulling himself back under control.
"What do you want to know about my past? I assume you have something specific you’d like me to share."
I smiled and gave him my best innocent puppy voice, "Whatever you want to share."
He sighed and sat a little deeper in his seat. "I was removed from my pack at a relatively young age. They didn’t appreciate the fact that I wasn’t like them, that I didn’t quite fit. From there, I wandered. I thought I found a pack a couple of times, but it went sour, so I carried on wandering. I'd heard all about the black market and it sounded... fun. I liked the idea of hiding in the shadows, cutting the deals, and a lot of me wanted the satisfaction of being truly on the edge. If everyone was going to drive me away anyway, I may as well make a profit from it. I quickly built up a nice business selling the rarer items, nothing from shifters of course, as much as I was tempted at times. Then, I got dragged here by some blonde woman."
I nodded. That explained a lot, and was hardly surprising; tri-shifters were not welcome and were very rarely born to their own kind. I wasn't overly happy about the black market part, but I couldn't blame him for doing what needed to be done. Someone was going to fill that hole, after all.
I found myself at war with myself. My instincts fought with my mind, and whether good or bad, my instincts won. I brushed my hand over Dan's arm. It was intended as a mark of understanding. My own past had been far from smooth and easy sailing. That being said, I couldn't help thinking I should keep my distance and not encourage him. I looked at Alex's car and reminded myself that I was an alpha, he was part of my pack, and it was appropriate to form those bonds, not run from them. Dan smiled and relaxed a little.
I said, quietly, "I understand. Things weren't smooth for me either."
It felt bizarre to have this connection with him, but it was what I needed. I didn't trust it, but that was irrelevant. The rest of the journey went peacefully. We discussed the music on the radio and TV shows: normal, easy stuff. I found that, as much as he was a manipulative little shit, he wasn't that bad. We had some similar interests and views on the world. It felt good to have someone to talk to, even about the stupid irrelevant things in life. I almost thought about being nice to the Wyrd Sisters. That thought didn't last very long.
As we entered the suburbs, Dan said, entirely out of the blue, "Do you ever doubt this? This role?"
I shrugged. "Sometimes. I fought it in the past, I ran away from it a few times, but I can't help seeing that we do help."
He tilted his head and looked at me closely. "Are you absolutely sure of that?"
I nodded. "I think your doubt is natural, and I can't be entirely certain. I just have to accept it. When I don't accept it, it eats at me, tears me apart. There are some things you just have to deal with and move on"
He sat in silence for a little bit before saying, "Normally I would point out that your views are weakness and folly but… there’s something about you that makes me believe you."
I smiled softly and held back the bitter emotions he'd no doubt knowingly brought forwards. "I've been around a long time."
He smiled and returned to looking out of the window, seemingly content. Things didn't seem to be that bad in that moment. He was beginning to settle, and I had a vague sensation of a bond and sense of belonging forming.
The city, however, was that bad. I'd called many places home over the time I'd been alive: countryside, cities, and many different countries. Tall, dirty, buildings that were pockmarked with age and a lack of care surrounded us. The road was littered with small holes, and unkempt grass grew at the edges of the paths.
I sighed and said, "Well, there went my hopes of a nice place to stay for a while."
Dan shrugged. "I've stayed in worse places. Chasing down the rare items means forgetting about luxuries and doing what you must. A price I happily paid."
I hoped we weren't going to be spending much time in that part of the city. I was due some luxury. They owed it to me, or so I told myself. Fortunately, the area became greener and better kept reasonably quickly. The road was in better shape, and the scraggly grass and weeds were replaced with manicured grass verges and healthy green trees. The buildings were towering mixes of dark metal and clear glass. They clashed with the old stone churches that sat proudly in their midst. Alex turned off the main road down onto a smaller one that was lined with small boutiques, florists, and other mid- to high-end shops. It wasn't the best part of the city, but it was pleasant enough. At least they'd done that bit right. I held a little hope for a luxury hotel with my own room and a king-sized bed. It was unlikely, but it was nice to hold on to for a little bit, at least. We parked in front of a modern building with crisp white edges, clean silver lines, and large windows. The cars in the parking lot all looked to be quite expensive. That made my glimmer of hope grow, just a little.
I stood and stretched after the long drive and grabbed my bag before joining the boys. Alex stood close to me, towering over me in that protective manner he'd held so many times previously. I rolled my eyes and walked up to the door with the boys close behind before I realised I didn't know which name our rooms were under. Alex smirked at me and held the door for me before taking the lead again. He strode up to the front desk with its sleek modern design and smiled sweetly at the dark-haired woman sitting behind it. Her emerald-green eyes gave her away, not that she seemed all that worried about hiding it. I licked my lips and allowed my energies to flicker just enough that she glanced at me with that predatory smile. I loved fairies. They were my kind of people.
She looked back up at Alex, who said, "Marken. C. Marken and co."
She nodded and looked up the information on the computer before sending us up to the fourth floor. The boys all seemed to be in good spirits. Nik and Ryan had smiles on their faces. There was a slight buzz running through the group, anticipation and the thrill of excitement. I tried to tap into that feeling rather than slipping into the melancholy work attitude I'd developed over the years with these tasks. The elevator opened and we went to our door. It appeared that we'd been placed in a serviced apartment. That's to say, an apartment with the benefits a hotel brings, the best of both worlds. Or so I hoped, right up until we stepped in. There were two bedrooms. Two.
I looked at the boys and settled on Alex. "Seriously...?"
He shrugged and mouthed, "sorry" before he went through the first bedroom door. He came out shortly after and looked in the second bedroom.
"Boys, you're in this room. There're three single beds."
The boys filed into that bedroom and talked excitedly about the entire thing, I had to assume they
felt this was something of an adventure. Alex gave me a weak smile and opened the door to our bedroom for me to inspect. It was worse than I'd hoped. A double bed sat in the middle of the room with wardrobes, chests of drawers, and a desk. I sighed and dropped my bag on top of the chest of drawers before glaring at the bed. I growled to myself and cursed the Wyrd Sisters in every language that came to mind.
Alex ran his hand down my arm. "It won't kill us. We’re sharing a bed, it’s hardly the end of the world. We’ve done it many times before."
I sat on the bed and Alex shut the door before sitting next to me. The time had come to have that talk. I cursed the Sisters again, for good measure.
"Thalia, we're soulmates. We have a rocky past, but the bond remains in place. I'm not going to harm you, I'm your alpha. Please, stop treating me like an enemy who may slit your throat in the night."
I closed my eyes and pinched my nose, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. I wanted to curl up in his arms and have everything be ok again, but I couldn't forgive him. I took a deep breath and swiped away the stubborn tears before facing him.
"I can't forgive you. I can't."
He nodded and reached out to put his hand on mine. I brushed my fingertips over the palm of his hand while the thoughts and emotions settled. It was an old habit, something that brought comfort to both of us. I couldn't let everything go. I had tried, but I couldn't.
I looked into those beautiful ice-blue eyes and smiled. "I know you won't harm me. Surely you can understand my stance on this?"
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. "I can, Baby Girl. Just, try not to throttle me in my sleep?"
I laughed and looked at the bed. Those Sisters would pay for this blatant interference and aggressive manipulation.
I patted Alex's knee. "I make no promises, but I'll try."
He smiled before standing and beginning to unpack. I glanced around the room again and noted that we did at least have an en suite shower room. The subject needed to be changed.
"What are we doing tonight? I mean, I haven't had a drink in days..."
He laughed softly. "I’m sure we can fix that. A few drinks could be useful. It'll do the boys good and give us a chance to get out and speak to a few people."
I curled my lip at the last part. I'd conveniently forgotten that we were meant to be solving some murders and focused on the alcohol part. I wasn't one to let a couple of deaths get in the way of my fun.
** **
The boys didn't scrub up too badly. They had each managed to dig out smart jeans and dress shirts. It wasn't high class, but we weren't meant to be. Alex had given me a sour look that made the corners of his eyes wrinkle just a little when I pulled on my indigo dress with its swooping neckline and short hemline. I intended on having lots of fun, Wyrd Sisters be damned. The conversation stopped when the boys glanced at me. I grinned and walked out the door. I had no idea where we were supposed to be going, but I was going to find a bar.
Alex steered us towards a bar in the heart of the city. The Sisters had given him a starting point, but were unlikely to have contact or interfere past that. Rock music blared and people were already bustling around. The alcohol and conversations flowed. I couldn't help wondering how many free drinks I could get out of the situation, but I tried to make myself focus. It was serious business, after all. I fluttered my eyelashes and smiled at the barman. He couldn't have been much over the legal age limit, but I bet that he was anything but human. I didn't dare lift my energies. It would alert too many people to what I was. I needed to be a nice little woman in a pretty dress. The boys settled down at a table while I made my way over to the barman. Barmen knew everything. They were the local gossips with people coming in, trying to have private conversations, and drinking too much which led to talking too much.
"Five shots of vodka, four beers, and a Mai Tai. Oh, and your name."
He laughed and leaned forward, "You don't hang about, do you?"
I shrugged and leaned in closer, "I see no reason to. So, do you have a name, or...?"
He smiled "Jack. I'm Jack… and you are?"
I pursed my lips and leaned forwards just a little while focusing my eyes on his, in a soft, innocent expression. "I'm Cassie."
He was sort of cute but not something I’d take home. I maintained eye-contact and ran my tongue out over my lips. I wanted him to relax and feel good around me. That would encourage him to open up and give me more information, if he had it.
He made the drinks without taking his eyes off me, which I had to admit was quite a talent. The complete lack of attraction to him meant that I had less patience than was ideal. The desire to get the information and move on grew with every second. "Jack, sweetie, you wouldn't happen to know anything about sirens, would you?"
He smirked at me and leaned in almost close enough to whisper in my ear, "I knew there would be something."
I couldn't resist, I had to. I brushed my cheek against his, "Maybe this is just my starting point..."
He pulled back and he turned away for a brief moment before he said, "I heard a few of them disappeared, is that what you're after?"
I ran my fingers over the back of his hand and waited for him to fill the silence. "I've heard about them, a girl who was a regular here was one of them. Good riddance, I say, luring good men away to a horrible death."
"Thank you.”
I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, just a little peck to remember me by. I debated for a brief second if that was what I wanted him to remember me for. I licked up his throat and settled on a firm yes, if he remembered me for that question then he’d be more likely to share relevant information on them later. If nothing else, giving me what I wanted, would give him a better chance at getting what he wanted. Or so he would think.
With that, I picked up the tray with the drinks on it and walked over to the boys with a little extra swing in my hips. I knew Jack was watching, and I saw no reason not to give him something to watch.
12
Alex couldn't help himself. He gritted his teeth and glared at me for a brief second before settling on a mildly pissed expression, the one which falls somewhere between "seriously?" and "what the fuck?"
I smiled sweetly at him and placed the tray down on the table and handed out the drinks in my best Playboy bunny impression. He rolled his eyes and fixed his jaw as his lips twitched at the corners trying to release the laugh that squeaked in his throat. At least he wasn't too serious about it all. The boys, however, had a different reaction. They were all leaning back in their chairs and looking between me and the other women in the bar. I sat down next to Alex with my back against the wall where I could see the entire bar. I hated having my back to people or open space. With a big grin, I picked up my shot and lifted it up to toast to success.
I thought simple and to the point was probably best as I knocked it back and chased it with a good mouthful of my Mai Tai. I can't say it was the best iteration I'd had of the cocktail, but it was good enough. After a couple of minutes of people watching, I was happy to relax a little. The bar seemed to be primarily filled with non-humans, which would give me more opportunity to find information, and have my kind of fun.
Alex leaned in so that I could hear him clearly, "Any leads?"
I simply shook my head. "Sirens aren't liked, and I haven't been watching long enough to see anyone of real interest in the bar."
None of us took all that long to finish our drinks. This was the first time we'd been out and ostensibly allowed to relax, so we intended on making the most of it.
I offered my hand to Ryan and simply said, "Would you care to dance?"
I coupled it with a big grin and a cheeky spark to my eye. How could he resist? He took my hand, and we walked out into the middle of the dance-floor, where I proceeded to throw my arms around his neck and dance very close to him. His eyes went a little wide, and he couldn't help but look back at Alex, who was not amused. I rolled my eyes and walked off to find someone who would d
ance with me. Much to my irritation, it wasn't long before a little voice in the back of my mind reminded me that I was there to fulfil a task, and that wasn't to alienate my pack or piss off Alex.
Logically, I thought I would be reasonably safe to allow some of my energies to surface, which would allow me to feel those around me clearly, thus giving me a better picture of what I was really dealing with. That being said, I saw no reason to take such a risk and used my eyes instead. There were plenty of people throwing themselves at each other or trying desperately to get the attention of someone else, but no one stood out in particular. It looked like a pretty standard selection of people.
That is, until she stepped out of the shadows. Her tawny-coloured skin highlighted her rich, amber eyes and pitch-black hair. I smiled to myself and approached her while admiring her blood-red dress and the curves it caressed so beautifully. I ran my hand up her arm as I walked around behind her, openly looking over each and every inch of her, testing her reaction. Those around us began to look, but it didn't matter, they'd soon forget about us. I stood in front of her danced slowly, seductively, while looking into those large eyes of hers. She smiled and moved a little closer to me.
I cut straight to the chase. "It's not often that I see hellhounds, particularly those in human form without a master."
There wasn't so much as a flicker of worry, her smile remained perfect. The dance continued, she pressed in closer to me, her hip brushing against mine as we moved to the music. She tried to take the lead, but I licked up her throat and wrapped my arm around her waist, pushing her to follow my movements. Her eyes flashed for just a moment before she gave and followed. Good girl.
I allowed my fingers to trail over her ribs drawing small shivers from her as she leaned into me, her warm breath trickled down my neck. I was tempted, but not quite enough.