True Nature

by Jae

  “Oh, no, I would never do that,” Madsen said. “Maharsi are sacred and untouchable after all. But there’s something fishy going on, and if Jorie is involved, I’ll find other ways to make her regret it.”

  “What makes you think Jorie is involved?”

  Madsen snorted. “Kelsey Yates is a nederi. She can’t even decide on what to have for lunch without the help of her alpha.”

  “She doesn’t have an alpha anymore,” Griffin said. “Because I killed him. And I’ll do the same to anyone who harms one hair on Jorie’s head.”

  “Griffin, if Kelsey really told a human about us, things could spiral out of control,” Madsen said. “We have to find her—and that human.”

  And kill her, Jorie mentally finished what he hadn’t said. Killing the human seemed to be the Wrasa’s standard mode of operation whenever they felt threatened.

  “I’ll get a team together and try to find her,” Griffin said.

  “No, you stay out of this. I am sending my own team. We are trying to track her by zeroing in on her cell phone. We don’t have the exact location yet, but she’s somewhere in New York City—which means I can send Tala Peterson.”

  A deep line formed between Griffin’s brows. She dragged in a deep breath and held it until she had hung up.

  “Who’s Tala Peterson?” Jorie asked. From the expression on Griffin’s face, no one good. Doesn’t Tala mean “wolf” in the language of the Sioux?

  “The best tracker on the East Coast. I worked with her a few times, and she always gets her prey. If she’s after Kelsey…” Griffin shook her head. Her jaw bunched. “You stay here, and I’ll go and—”

  “Oh, no.” Jorie stepped between Griffin and the door. “I’m not staying behind while you put yourself in danger. I’m the only ace we have up our sleeve.”

  Griffin cradled Jorie’s face in her hand and looked down at her with a worried expression. “This isn’t a card game, Jorie.”

  “I know that better than anyone else. The Saru almost killed me last year.” Jorie suppressed a shiver. “I don’t want that to happen to other innocent humans. If push comes to shove, I’m the only one who can stop Tala Peterson from killing Kelsey and Rue.”

  “She might not have to kill Kelsey,” Griffin said through gritted teeth. “I’ll do it for her. She messed this up pretty badly, like I knew she would. Just wait until I get my paws on her.”

  “Griffin…”

  But Griffin was already out the door.

  Sighing, Jorie followed her.

  Chapter 39

  The hot dog vendor stared at Kelsey as she wolfed down her seventh hot dog.

  Rue gave Kelsey a pat on the shoulder and grinned at him. “She’s got tapeworms.”

  Kelsey didn’t answer, too busy chewing and swallowing.

  When Kelsey’s hunger was finally sated and they walked away from the hot dog stand, Rue asked, “Do all shape-shifters eat like that?”

  “Shifting is very draining,” Kelsey said and licked mustard from her fingers. “We usually need a few hours of rest and a big meal afterward.”

  Apparently, Kelsey had decided not to hold back information from Rue, and Rue appreciated that. They were in this together now and had to work as a team, at least until they found Danny.

  “Do you need to go back to the hotel?” Rue needed Kelsey out on the streets, helping her search for Danny, but she didn’t want her to suffer in the process.

  Kelsey shook her head. “For now, the hot dogs will do.”

  Rue walked next to Kelsey, hands buried in her coat pockets, her gaze skimming the passersby on the lookout for Danny. Her mind churned, barely able to process the events of the last few days. Even after seeing Kelsey shift twice, she could still hardly grasp the fact that Kelsey was a shape-shifter and that Danny was one of them too. “How does it feel to,” she looked around and lowered her voice, “shift shape?”

  Kelsey blinked as if no one else had ever asked her that question. “Painful. Terrifying.” She smiled. “Freeing.”

  “All of that at the same time, hmm? No wonder it’s an overwhelming experience for teenagers.” Rue kicked an empty can and tried not to think about what Danny would be going through during his First Change. She cleared her throat. “So...?”

  As if acting on an unspoken agreement, neither of them had talked about Danny or what Kelsey had discovered in the warehouse during their trip to the hot dog stand. But now that short reprieve was over.

  “In my wolf form, my brain doesn’t process information the same way as in human form,” Kelsey said in a near whisper. “I can give you my impressions, but these aren’t logical cause-and-effect conclusions.”

  “I’ll take whatever information I can get,” Rue said. “Was Danny really in that warehouse last night?”

  “Yes.” Kelsey’s voice was firm, leaving no place for doubts. “And something happened while he was there. I could smell his anger and his fear. I think he got into a fight with a human.”

  Rue’s head jerked around. “How do you know? Was some of that blood his?”

  “Just a few drops. I don’t think he’s hurt seriously.”

  A slow breath escaped Rue.

  “But the scent of his hunting fever hung in the air,” Kelsey said.

  Rue paused at a red pedestrian light and turned her head to stare at Kelsey. “You think he had something to do with that boy’s death?”

  Kelsey hesitated.

  Great. Even Kelsey doesn’t believe he’s innocent. Jaw muscles bunching, Rue stormed across the street as the “walk” symbol appeared.

  “Rue!” Kelsey hurried after her. “I don’t think Danny is a killer. But in the state he’s in...”

  Rue slowed, allowing Kelsey to catch up, and sent her a questioning glance. Her insides trembled. “State? You think...?”

  “He was sweating a lot. I think he’s running a fever,” Kelsey said. “He’s either sick, or he’s about to go through his First Change.”

  Oh, shit. The situation was escalating out of control, and Rue couldn’t do a thing about it. The ringing of her cell phone nearly made her jump out of her skin.

  “Good news,” Detective Vargas said as soon as Rue picked up the phone.

  Kelsey stepped closer to Rue, who paused beneath the giant red billboard announcing the world’s largest department store. Rue gripped the phone more tightly. Had the police found Danny? Come on, come on. I could use some good news.

  “We ran the fingerprints from the pocketknife,” the detective said. “There’s a set of prints that are not Danny’s.”

  Part of the tension in Rue’s shoulders receded. “I told you he’s not a murderer.” Still, that didn’t change the fact that Danny was somehow involved in the circumstances of the boy’s death. Good thing Grandfather is not alive to find out his knife was used to kill someone. “Whose prints are they?”

  “Ms. Harding, I can’t give you details about an ongoing case,” Detective Vargas said. “That’s not why I’m calling. Daniel’s cell phone has just been turned back on. It used a cell phone tower in the Garment District. Does Danny know anyone in that neighborhood? Any place you think he might go?”

  Rue shook her head. “No. Except for Paula, my ex, he doesn’t know anyone in New York.”

  “All right. Stay put. I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”

  Rue and Kelsey exchanged a silent glance. They hastened toward the Garment District.

  “I should call Griffin and Jorie, my bosses,” Kelsey said while they jogged down the street. “They can help.”

  “Calling in more shape-shifters?” Rue shook her head. Her gaze skipped over the masses of people. “I don’t know, Kelsey.” She was beginning to trust Kelsey, but getting other shape-shifters involved sounded like a big risk.

  When Kelsey stared past her, Rue turned and found herself face to face with a mounted fox looking down on them from a window display.

  Visibly shivering, Kelsey followed Rue down busy Seventh Avenue. She lifted her nose into th
e wind as if she was trying to get a whiff of Danny’s scent. “Jorie isn’t a Wrasa, but she has a certain power,” Kelsey said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “What kind of power?” So far, Rue had gotten the impression that the Wrasa didn’t hold much respect for humans.

  Kelsey hesitated. “It might sound strange to you, but Jorie is kind of a religious figure for us. A dream seer. She and her mate, Griffin, could really help find Danny. Now that the wolf is out of the bag and you know about our existence, there’s no longer a reason not to include them in our search.”

  Rue’s mind scrambled to keep up with the new names, terms, and concepts. “Mate? You mean Jorie is married to a shape-shifter?”

  “Sssh!” Kelsey’s gaze flew over the masses of people. “Not so loud.”

  “Sorry. It’s just that I can’t imagine...” Rue lowered her voice. “Jorie is really married to a shape-shifter?”

  “Is that thought so abhorrent?” Kelsey asked softly.

  The hurt in Kelsey’s mahogany-colored eyes made Rue wince. “No, that’s not what I...” She rubbed her forehead. “Christ, Kelsey, cut me some slack here. All this shape-shifter stuff is still new to me.”

  Kelsey chewed on her lip as if she still needed to digest Rue’s thoughtless comment.

  Why do I feel like I kicked a puppy? Rue let her hand flop to her side.

  Silence descended between them for a moment.

  “Rue, we need help.” For once, Kelsey initiated eye contact. “Please. We can’t search the whole neighborhood on our own. Griffin and Jorie are just one phone call away, and I trust them. If push comes to shove, Griffin can guide Danny through his First Change. You won’t be able to do that. No Syak will submit to a human.”

  “That’s what your father said too, but you submitted to me without much hesitation. Why did you?” Surely Kelsey’s father wouldn’t risk Kelsey’s life by lying.

  Kelsey stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk, causing a number of other pedestrians to veer to the sides, cursing. “You…you…you spoke to m-my father?”

  Rue stopped too. “Yeah. When we were in the warehouse, I called the last number dialed on your phone, hoping Jorie would pick up and help me get you to shift back. Instead, your father answered.”

  The color drained from Kelsey’s face. “Oh, Great Hunter!” She grabbed two fistfuls of her hair and paced in a tight circle, like a dog chasing its tail.

  Passersby were beginning to stare at her.

  Rue grabbed Kelsey’s arm and guided her into a quieter corner of a side street. “What’s wrong? What’s so bad about talking to your father?”

  “We have laws—very strict laws—that helped keep our existence hidden for centuries. If the council finds out that I told you, a human, about us and even let you watch me shift… I could be sentenced to death for that.”

  “Jesus, Kelsey!” Rue’s stomach transformed into a lump of ice. She had to swallow twice before she could speak. “But…but your father won’t betray you to the council, will he?”

  “No, of course not, but I need to call him immediately and let him know I’m all right.” Still pale, Kelsey fumbled her cell phone from her pocket and threw Rue a pleading glance. “Can you give me a minute?”

  Rue nodded. “I’ll wait over there.” She walked out of earshot and started showing Danny’s photo around. Every now and then, she glanced back at Kelsey, who leaned against a streetlamp as if her legs wouldn’t hold her up otherwise. Sentenced to death. The words echoed through Rue’s mind. She clutched Danny’s photo more tightly. No. I won’t allow that. She would do whatever was necessary to make sure that both Danny and Kelsey made it out of this mess alive.

  Chapter 40

  “Kelsey!” Her father’s voice leaped at her. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. It was just—”

  “Why are you running around with a human?”

  Kelsey sighed. Even if she were allowed to talk about it, she wouldn’t know how to explain. “You know I can’t talk about my missions.”

  Her father growled. “Don’t give me that wolf shit! A stranger...a human calls me and tells me your life is in danger, and now I’m not allowed to ask questions?”

  “Dad...”

  “What did that woman do to you? Who is she?” His voice held an edge that said he was ready to rip open Rue’s belly and gut her alive.

  Kelsey’s hackles rose. She wouldn’t allow him to harm Rue. “She’s a friend.” Kelsey paused. Do you really mean that? She glanced at Rue, who was stopping passersby to show them Danny’s photo. Rue was starting to feel like more than just an ally, but would it last only until they found Danny? Would they become mortal enemies when the time came to decide who would take care of him? The thought stabbed at her with merciless claws.

  “Since when are you friends with humans?” her father asked. “Just because you work for Jorie Price doesn’t mean you should become thick as thieves with every human.”

  Kelsey opened her mouth to justify herself and then snapped it shut again. She didn’t have time for this, and her father wouldn’t accept any of her explanations anyway. “Listen, Dad...”

  But her father wasn’t finished. “You’ve clearly lived without pack bonds for too long. Tell me where you are, and I’ll get on the next plane and take you home, where you belong.”

  Whenever her father used this commanding tone, Kelsey had always ducked and agreed to do whatever he wanted. Not this time. “Oh, no, you won’t. Stay out of this.”

  Her father’s growl rattled through Kelsey’s bones. “Are you ordering me around? Who do you think you are?”

  Every instinct told Kelsey to roll over and submit. Across the distance between them, she sought out Rue’s gaze, taking strength from Rue’s presence. She straightened and squared her shoulders. “I’m the daughter you always wanted to take charge and act like a natak. Now I’m doing exactly that. You need to trust my judgment and let me handle this.”

  Only silence came from the other end of the line.

  Kelsey swallowed. Had she gone too far? “Dad?”

  “What in the Great Hunter’s name is going on with you?”

  “I don’t have time to explain. Please trust me for now.”

  “If something happens to you…”

  “I’ll be fine,” Kelsey said. She hesitated. “Dad, I need to ask you something.”

  “So ask.”

  If only it were that easy. She searched for the right words, but there were none. Her heart beat so fast that it made her temples pound in sympathy. Clamped around the phone, her hand felt cold like a Michigan winter night. “It’s about Little Franklin.”

  Her father sucked in a breath. “Why are you asking this now?” His baritone voice dropped an octave, thick with pain. “You know nothing good will ever come of it. We lost Garrick, Sabrina, and the baby, and nothing we say can change that.”

  The silence stood like a barrier between them. “I know,” Kelsey said in a whisper. “Trust me, I know. I would do anything to change what happened that night. I know what the pack thinks. I know what you think.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If you had to lose one of your children, why did it have to be Garrick?” She had long ago accepted it, sometimes even thought the same thing, but speaking the words aloud started a numbing pain behind her breastbone.

  “What? Kelsey, no! No one ever—”

  “I should have stayed with him and helped him get Sabrina and Franklin out. Instead, I tucked my tail between my legs and ran like a scared coyote. Garrick would have never done that.”

  “You were seventeen, and he was your big brother! Your future natak. Of course you listened to him when he told you to get out!” Her father’s voice rumbled through the phone. “It was Garrick who made the mistake, not you. He should have let you help him instead of sending you away. We alphas...” He sighed. “Sometimes, we take charge and tackle a problem all alone, forgetting that we’re Syak and should rely on the strength o
f the pack.”

  Kelsey stood frozen. Not once in her thirty-one years had she heard her father admit to a weakness. He had always been the strong, infallible one. Did he really mean that? Had she done the right thing and no one but herself had ever blamed her for not staying to help Garrick? Caught between hope and doubt, she looked around.

  Rue glanced up from Danny’s photo. Their gazes met. Rue’s brows contracted, and she started toward Kelsey.

  “No!” Kelsey waved at Rue to stay where she was.

  “What?” her father asked.

  “Not you, Dad. I was talking to someone else. I...I don’t know what to say.”

  “You wanted to ask me something.”

  “Yes.” She gathered her scattered thoughts and her courage. There was no easy way to say this, so maybe for once, the direct way would be best. “Is there any way that Franklin might have survived the accident? I know we cremated him along with Garrick and Sabrina, but could there have been some kind of mix-up?”

  “Kelsey...” Her father sighed. “Talking about this won’t do any good. It’ll only bring up painful memories. Let the past rest.”

  The few times she had brought up Garrick or his family in the past, her parents had always said the same thing. But this time, Kelsey needed answers. “Dad, please. This is really important. I need to know what happened. Please. Tell me.”

  “I don’t think you really want to know the answer to your question, arin.”

  Kelsey blinked. It had been many years since either of her parents had last called her “arin”—the Wrasa version of “sweetheart.” She cleared her throat. “Yes, I do. Whatever happened, you can’t protect me from it. I don’t want you to.”

  Her father was silent for a long time. “You can never repeat what I’m about to tell you. Especially not to one of your Saru colleagues. Understood?”

  The confident natak was back, and Kelsey reacted to his authority. “Yes, of course.”

  “You know the law demands that the bodies of our deceased be retrieved at all costs and cremated within two days. If the Saru ever find out we broke that law, the whole pack will be in serious trouble.”