True Nature

by Jae

  Judging by the vendor’s sudden silence, she had probably given him a twenty-dollar bill.

  Slowly, Rue crept back toward Kelsey and the Saru so she could listen in on their conversation.

  “You’re consorting with humans for money?” The larger of the two Saru looked at Kelsey as if she were a slimy substance beneath his shoe. “And here I thought prostitution was one of the disgusting things that just humans did. Why is your alpha allowing this?”

  “I’m not part of a pack,” Kelsey said. “I work for a cat-shifter, and she’s the one who sent me here.”

  “Cats and humans! You don’t keep good company.” The Saru scrunched up his nose. “Great Hunter, you reek of that woman!”

  Asshole!

  Kelsey ducked her head. “I’m just a nederi. I go wherever I’m told. I’m not allowed to pick my clients.”

  Jesus! She won’t be able to bluff them like this. They’ll smell that she’s lying, won’t they? Rue’s fingernails drilled into her palms.

  The large man shook himself like a dog with fleas. He stared down at Kelsey, his upper lip curled up in disdain.

  Rue itched to storm over and punch that derisive expression off his face.

  “You should be ashamed.” He snarled at Kelsey.

  Oh, yeah? You should be ashamed, jerk! Is that how shape-shifters treat their fellow shifters?

  Kelsey lifted her gaze for a moment before she dropped it to the ground again. “Who says I’m not?” she said, voice so low that Rue could barely understand.

  Nothing about her facial expression or body language indicated a lie. Is she telling the truth? Is she ashamed to be seen with me? To have slept with me? Rue’s stomach churned.

  “Get out of my sight, you little whore!”

  The smaller man mouthed a silent “sorry” to Kelsey, but he didn’t rebuke his colleague.

  Ducking her head, Kelsey slunk away.

  She did it! She really did—

  “Wait!” The Saru’s shout interrupted Rue’s mental cheers.

  Shit! Was there a search warrant out on Kelsey, and he had recognized her now? Rue inched toward them, ready to charge over and defend Kelsey if need be.

  Gaze still lowered, Kelsey turned and approached the waiting men. “Yes?”

  “Have you seen a young Syak? This tall,” the Saru indicated Danny’s height, “black hair, about fourteen. He’s about to undergo his First Change and is roaming around the city without his mentor.”

  “Sorry,” Kelsey said, meek as a lamb, “but I specialize in women. I don’t go to bed with men and certainly not with teenagers.”

  The two Saru lifted their heads and stared at her, nostrils flaring as if their olfactory senses were busy judging the truth of Kelsey’s words. Then they glanced at each other and nodded.

  Without a good-bye, the larger man whirled around and walked away.

  His smaller colleague slid a card into Kelsey’s hand. “If you need some help getting out of this life, give me a call. This is no way for a Wrasa to live.” He hurried after his partner.

  Kelsey stood staring at the card. Her whole body trembled visibly. She put the card in her pocket, looked in all directions, and then walked over to Rue.

  Side by side, they hurried down the street.

  Rue stared at Kelsey. “How did you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Lie to them successfully.”

  “I didn’t,” Kelsey said. “If I had lied, they would have smelled it within two seconds.”

  “But you are not a Wrasa prostitute, are you?” Rue asked with a weak grin.

  Kelsey gave her a tired smile back. “I let them assume that. I needed to tell them something that would evoke strong emotions and cover up any nervousness they smelled from me. Then I answered all their questions honestly.”

  “All of them?” Rue tugged on the inside of her lip with her teeth.

  “Yes. I’m a nederi—what you humans call an omega, a submissive wolf. As a Saru, I can’t choose my missions or my clients. That’s the truth.”

  “So if everything you said was true... You’re really ashamed of...?” Rue gestured from Kelsey to herself.

  A gentle touch brushed along Rue’s arm. “No. I was talking about my job. As a Saru, I’ve done some things that I’m not proud of.”

  “Oh.” Rue rolled her eyes at herself. What’s with the sudden insecurity? This is not the time to think about things like this. Focus on finding Danny, dammit!

  At the next intersection, Kelsey stopped and sniffed. She scrunched up her forehead, shook her head, and sniffed again.

  “Need me to back up some more?” Rue asked.

  “That’s not the problem.” Kelsey turned and met Rue’s gaze. Sorrow gleamed in her eyes. “There are just too many smells here. I lost Danny’s trail.”

  Chapter 48

  No one had seen Danny in the third homeless shelter either. Not that Jorie had thought otherwise. As a Wrasa, Danny would probably stay away from the crowded shelters and their smells.

  Paula sat in the backseat of the rental car, her shoulders slumped.

  Jorie turned and looked back at Paula from the passenger seat. “Do you want to take a break? Maybe catch a few hours of sleep?”

  After spending nearly twenty-four hours on a plane, Paula had to be exhausted, but she shook her head. “No. I’ll sleep after we find Danny.” She jumped when her phone rang. “Lehane. Oh, hi, Brooke. Not yet. We’re still looking for him.”

  Jorie turned back around, giving Paula some privacy.

  “No, you don’t need to do that. Rue’s friends are helping us. Angry with you? Why would I…? No, I swear I’m not. It wasn’t your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I was supposed to be in New York this week, but no, I just had to take that damn assignment in Bangkok.” Paula paused and exhaled. “Yeah, I know. But still… Of course I will. Me too. Bye.”

  When she finished the call, silence filled the car.

  Finally, Paula leaned forward and peeked through the gap between the driver and passenger seats. “Do you know why Danny ran away? Was it because of Rue’s new girlfriend?”

  Jorie looked over her shoulder. “Girlfriend?”

  Paula waved her hand through the air. “Kelsey or whatever her name is.”

  Jorie raised one eyebrow and exchanged a quick glance with Griffin. Is Paula jealous? Then another thought hit her. Does she have reason to be? Is there something going on between Kelsey and Rue? Jorie remembered how Rue had stepped between Kelsey and Griffin and how Kelsey had refused to leave, even though staying put her life in danger.

  “God, I’m sorry.” Paula dragged her fingers through her long, red hair. “I’m behaving like a news anchor diva. Sorry. It’s just that I’m so worried—and so angry…with Danny, with Rue, and with myself.”

  “Why?” Jorie asked. “You weren’t even in the country when Danny ran away.”

  “Yeah. That’s just it. I wasn’t there for him, and neither was Rue. When we first adopted Danny, I thought I could have it all—a family and a career. The first few years, I took only local assignments, but then I got promoted and I thought Rue would be there… We both messed up, and now Danny ran away. God knows what happened to him.” Paula covered her face with her hands and groaned. Her thin shoulders shook.

  Jorie sent Griffin a pleading look.

  With a panicked expression, Griffin shook her head as if to say, “Oh, no, she’s all yours. Human breakdowns are not my forte.”

  Jorie reached between the seats and patted Paula’s knee. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s a clever kid.”

  Paula looked up. Her smeared eyeliner covered the shadows beneath her eyes. “Yes, he is. But then why didn’t he call me or Rue when he realized I wasn’t in New York?”

  “Would you have called your parents when you were fourteen?” Jorie knew she probably wouldn’t have. The kids at school had made her life a living hell, but she’d been too proud and too stubborn to ask for help.

  “My
parents kicked me out of the house when I was fourteen.” Paula sighed. “At least I never did that to Danny. If we find him…when we find him, I’ll go back to taking only local assignments. If I have to report traffic jams and heat waves, so be it. At least then Danny could come live with me.”

  “What about Rue?” Jorie asked.

  Paula shook her head. “I know she loves him, but she’s an even worse workaholic than I am. She didn’t cut back her crazy work hours to save our relationship, and she won’t do it for Danny’s sake either. He’s better off with me.”

  Jorie wasn’t so sure about that. Paula was trying to make up for past mistakes, but neither Paula nor Rue could provide what Danny needed—the guidance of another shape-shifter.

  “Look, there’s a hospital,” Paula said, pointing to a building across the street. “Let’s show Danny’s photo around in there.”

  Jorie nodded. They were guiding Paula farther and farther away from the neighborhood where Danny probably was. Unfortunately, that also meant getting farther and farther away from where they could help Danny and Kelsey.

  Chapter 49

  When Danny opened his eyes, the world looked different. It smelled different too. It’s wrong. All wrong.

  Something inside of him vibrated with urgency, and the burning of his skin had become an all-consuming heat while he slept, hidden by the thick bushes between a small park and a deserted basketball court. He pushed up, out of the bushes, and stretched aching limbs.

  His head swam.

  The branches and leaves surrounding him trembled in the wind as if they were scared too.

  Hundreds of scents slammed into him from all directions, and the mental images that went along with them ghosted through his mind until he could barely discern imagination and reality.

  Now that it was morning, people invaded the small park. A horde of boys rushed onto the basketball court, poisoning the air with the stink of aggressive rivalry.

  Danny’s hiding place wasn’t safe any longer.

  He slipped out of the park and hurried down the street. His gaze darted around, looking for a place to hide.

  The lights from the stores around him were too bright. Buildings in the distance blurred before his eyes. People’s clothes, shopping bags, and advertisements looked weird, washed-out, as if the colors had bled out of them, leaving only pastel tints.

  Movement out of the corner of his eye made him whirl to his left, then he detected movement to his right and whirled around again until he nearly lost his balance.

  Someone jostled him on the busy sidewalk, and he yelped. Hot fear flowed through his veins. The itching of his skin transformed into a tearing ache, as if his skin was about to burst.

  Make it stop. Make it stop. Stop!

  He ran and ran but didn’t know where to go. Nothing smelled safe.

  Still he couldn’t stop. Running soothed him a bit. The airstream cooled his flushed cheeks. He weaved around pedestrians until the crowd of people finally thinned. Lungs burning, he fell into a slower trot.

  The wind blew in his direction, carrying a new smell that stopped him in his tracks.

  He lifted his nose and breathed in the scent of cedar, fur, and something else that he couldn’t identify.

  Something about that scent was familiar and evoked images of running through the forest, free and safe.

  Without thought, he stepped toward the scent and then paused.

  His instincts sent warning tingles up and down his spine. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck rose. Danger! He pressed himself against a wall and peeked around the corner.

  Two women were striding down the street, the forest-and-fur smell trailing after them. One of them, a tall black woman moving with the grace of a panther, towered over her red-haired companion, who seemed almost tiny in comparison. But the diminutive woman was the one leading them through the crowd. Her alert gaze scanned the passing-by people.

  Their scent was appealing, but his instincts warned Danny to stay away from the women.

  They came closer, their gazes still flicking left and right. They were searching for someone. Were they looking for him?

  He whirled around and, in a burst of panic, catapulted himself into an all-out run.

  Places and people flew by in blurry shapes, but nothing smelled familiar.

  There!

  A whiff of safety trailed in the air. He slid to a stop in front of a rusty gate. He had been here before. A familiar scent clung to the iron bars, mingling with his own.

  The image of a freckled boy flashed through his mind. The boy had protected Danny before.

  Key. The boy had given him a key, hadn’t he?

  His fingers felt thick and awkward as he searched his pockets for the key and fumbled to open the padlock. Then he rushed down the stairs and into the darkness below.

  Chapter 50

  “What now?” Rue stared at Kelsey. The blue of her eyes dimmed with desperation.

  For the first time in Kelsey’s life, someone was looking to her for guidance. She swallowed. I need to come through for her and Danny. Now or never.

  Time was running out.

  Kelsey’s gaze darted back and forth along Ninth Avenue.

  Gray clouds looming above them added to the feeling of impending doom; their gloomy color reflected in the dull grays of the street and buildings.

  Kelsey tried to calm her racing thoughts. What would Danny do, now that he was so close to the First Change? She remembered the confusion and pain of that time in her life. Danny’s thought process and his senses were no longer human. He was thinking and feeling like a wolf, reacting entirely on instinct.

  “East,” Kelsey said. “He’ll go east, away from Shelby’s apartment and the warehouse and all the places that scared him. And away from the crowds.”

  Rue veered right, into a quieter one-way street.

  Kelsey followed. They fell into a fast jog, with Kelsey sucking in air through her nose, trying to catch a whiff of peanuts. Her skin prickled as if electricity were running through her veins. Her feet ached in the confines of her shoes, but she never slowed.

  Next to her, Rue struggled to keep up.

  When they reached Eighth Avenue, Rue asked, “Where to? Farther east?”

  The weight of responsibility rested heavily on Kelsey’s shoulders. She paused and sniffed the air.

  Burgers, sushi, tobacco, and the solvents from a nearby dry cleaner’s. And...

  Kelsey froze. Peanuts!

  An image of Danny, running down the street, scared, accompanied the scent.

  Kelsey gasped.

  Rue touched her shoulder. “What is it?”

  “I think I’ve got his scent trail!” Kelsey gestured to the left.

  They started to run again, faster and faster, with Kelsey in the lead.

  Peanut-scented air streamed past Kelsey’s nose. Heat flowed through her until she felt ready to burst with the joy of running and finally getting near Danny. Yes, yes, yes! Find him!

  The scent led them past a FedEx truck parked halfway on the sidewalk, then veered right at the next corner and—

  Nothing.

  The scent trail ended as if cut by a knife.

  Kelsey stumbled to a stop and looked around. Instead of Danny, she discovered something else.

  The two Saru they had encountered before were walking down Eighth Avenue, peering into every side street.

  Oh, shit!

  “Run!” Rue whispered harshly, just low enough not to alert the Saru.

  “No!” Kelsey grasped her elbow. “If we run, they’ll catch us.”

  The Saru, both of them fellow wolf-shifters, hadn’t seen them yet, but fleeing prey would inevitably attract a predator’s attention.

  As fast as they could without running, they walked in the opposite direction, away from the Saru.

  Around the next corner, Rue paused and peeked back. “They’re not following us.”

  Kelsey slumped against the nearest wall and rubbed her itching arms, willing the t
iny hairs not to lengthen into fur. Her fingertips ached as if claws were about to burst forth. Even with her senses sharpened by the mutaline pumping through her, she still couldn’t detect Danny’s scent. Had he doubled back?

  Impossible. We would have run into him, then. She glanced around the corner.

  The Saru stood in front of a Japanese restaurant, noses in the air. Had they caught Danny’s scent, or were they just hungry?

  Luckily, Rue and she were downwind of the Saru, so Kelsey hoped the two men hadn’t discovered their presence. She let her gaze slide over the point where she had lost Danny’s trail.

  There was no safe place for Danny to hide, just a rusty old gate. The late-morning sun glinted off something on the ground. Kelsey leaned forward to take a closer look.

  A padlock, silver key still in the lock, lay next to the hatch behind the gate.

  Kelsey frowned. She nudged Rue. “That hatch...” She pointed.

  Rue took a careful peek around the corner too. “It probably leads to an emergency exit shaft. Subway tunnels run right below us.”

  “Subway tunnels,” Kelsey murmured. A dark, cavernous space, away from humans and bright lights. Her breath caught in her chest at the thought of being stuck down there, but then she remembered what her father had always told her. No Syak suffers from claustrophobia. Hidden dens mean safety.

  She licked dry lips. “We need to go down there.” Her voice trembled.

  “What? Why? You think Danny is hiding in one of the tunnels?”

  “I don’t know, but his scent trail ends right there.” Kelsey pointed at the gate. “And after 9/11, I bet authorities have become more careful about preventing easy access to the subway system. The padlock can’t have been open for very long.”

  Rue glanced around the corner again and then leaned against the wall next to Kelsey. “Shit. They’re still there.”

  If their Saru training had been anything like Kelsey’s, they had learned to be thorough. They would stay until they had explored every inch of the vicinity.

  “We need a diversion,” Kelsey said. “I could try to lure them away while you slip through the emergency exit.”