“Yes.” Ella moves farther into the room and drops her bag on the couch. Holding several sheets of wrinkled paper, she glances over her shoulder. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all. Please sit.” The formality of this conversation strikes me as fake on both our parts. Ella has no problem making herself at home or leading this meeting. I can gather that aspect of her personality from the way she holds herself, and manners mean little to me in this situation. I want to get to the bottom of her not so subtle warning about why my time is limited.
Ella sits, bending her legs to the side and crossing her ankles in a pose I’ve seen human princesses and dignitaries strike whenever they sit in public. It appears as fake as her question to me moments ago. Yet, my instincts don’t warn me away from her. I want to know what she’s trying to accomplish by her act.
“Why are you here, Agent Montgomery?”
“Your social media posts from a few years ago have angered many members of the Shifter Council, and my contact there doesn’t think your bid to sever your obligation to breed with Todd Silverman will be met with approval. They think it’s best you remain under a male’s complete control.” Ella hands the papers to me. “For the good of the species.”
I look from the pages to Ella’s face. Here’s the reason for her veiled demeanor. She’s judging me. On what I don’t know. I glance at the papers again. The logo for one of the more popular social networks catches my eye. “I don’t have any social media accounts, except for email.”
Ella pushes the papers in my hands, obliging me to take them. “These were written in your name. There are dozens. Some more explicit ones that found their way onto blacklisted forums and websites.”
I scan the posts I apparently made. My nostrils flare and my skin itches as my anger stirs my wolf. Her pissed off growl echoes within me. I crunch the top paper, wrinkling it more. “I never wrote this. I didn’t even know I was allowed to have any social media accounts until a few months ago. Even then, I didn’t sign up for any. The less my name and picture are out there, the better. I’m going to look the same as I do now for centuries.”
“They were traced to your personal computer’s IP address.”
Letting the other papers fall to the floor, I stand. “Are you calling me a liar?”
Ella bends to pick up the papers I’d dropped, putting herself in a vulnerable position. If I’d wanted, I could hurt her. I wouldn’t do such a thing, but the woman has got to be foolish for exposing herself. It’s amazing she’s lived this long around shifters. Of course, maybe Ella hasn’t offended any of the dominants of our kind.
“No.” Ella straightens the pile of papers, then drops them unceremoniously next to her on the couch. “I’m explaining to you why you’re likely to be damned to remain with Todd for the remainder of your life. Or his.”
“Todd’s the one who committed a crime.” I fist my free hand to hide the trembling in it. Ella’s got to be lying. “Not me. He probably posted these things on purpose.” Though I don’t know when or how he could’ve made these posts. He’s never stayed overnight at my place or been alone long enough to access my computer.
“Your breeding mate didn’t make these posts. You weren’t even with him then.” Ella tilts her head to the side. Her features soften, lending her a compassionate aura. “But if he didn’t make you his breeding partner when he did, you likely would’ve died at an assassin’s hands like your human parents did.”
Blinking hard, I step back. “An assassin murdered my parents?”
“Yes.” Ella nods. “They were behind those posts. They wanted money at your expense.”
I take another step back and another before stopping. Memories skip through my mind. Instead of the happy ones I’ve clung to since their death, angry ones surface. My human dad commenting about how he’d like to live for a long time too. My human mom complaining about how they spent my trust fund and now they’re supposed to support me and put me through college.
“They loved me.” I sound as defeated as I feel.
“I’m not here to say they did or didn’t. What I will say is sometimes when people believe they have no other options, they’ll do things they normally wouldn’t.” Ella’s lips press into a hard line. “Unfortunately, their desperation and poor choices pushed you into the spotlight of the Shifter Council. If it wasn’t for the evidence uncovered, your life might have been sacrificed too.”
“But why? If my human parents were behind this, then I’m innocent.”
Ella jerks her chin in the direction of the crumbled paper I’m holding. “Those posts were made from accounts linked to your password protected computer.”
“I write all my passwords down,” I mumble.
“Well, you need to stop doing that.” Ella crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the back of my couch. “And you need to stop analyzing the past. Your parents did what they did. There’s no changing it. You should just be lucky the assassin assigned to your case hesitated long enough to uncover the truth. Few do.”
Ella’s right, and the reminder not to focus on things I can’t change is a sharp blow to my pride. I know better.
I join Ella on the couch. “You’re telling me I have no chance to get away from Todd. Aren’t you?”
“Legally, I think your options are limited. You have one witness who can corroborate your story.”
“It’s not a story.” The sharp bite to my words matches my mood. I’ve kept this to myself for so long because of the fear nobody would believe Todd forced me. That was even before I knew what he did was illegal.
“I believe you.” Ella rests her fingertips against my arm briefly before linking her fingers and resting her folded hands on her lap. “I’m sure many on the Shifter Council would too. Jenna Reynolds is known as an honorable dominant. Her word will carry weight. What I’m trying to get across to you is that it won’t matter.”
“Because I’m female?” I shouldn’t feel the disbelief reflected in my voice. Being with Todd has proven to me how little women are valued by many shifter men. Being with Rick, however, has shown me another side of our culture. It’s the one I want for my girls.
Ella’s shoulders slump just the tiniest bit. Had I not been watching her so closely, I wouldn’t have picked up on the detail. “Yes. I hate it, but that’s what we’re up against. My contact said one of the reasons they lifted the death sentence on you was because of the fact that you were claimed by a male from a strict shifter family who is known for following the old ways. They believed then and still believe that Todd’s too dominant of a male to allow you to disobey him.”
I grab the cushion I’m sitting on to avoid wrapping my arms around my chest. “I can’t stay with Todd any longer. I’ll kill him before I ever allow him to touch me again.”
Ella’s long sigh tightens the noose around me. “Just because my contact feels this is the most likely outcome for you, doesn’t make it a definite. If we can present enough evidence against Todd, you might be granted a legal separation, but…”
I wait a moment, but Ella doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she studies her loosely linked hands. Why isn’t she speaking? I’ve never felt more trapped in my life, and this woman is dancing around facts I need to know. “But what?”
“But a legal separation from Todd won’t necessarily stop him from coming to you, and if he does, there’s little that will be done about it.” Ella focuses on me. The sympathy in her gaze churns my stomach. “Many shifters will side with him. You are the only female he can breed with.”
Oh goddesses, no!
I can’t allow it. I won’t betray Rick. We might never be able to form the bond we should’ve but that doesn’t change anything. He’s my other half, the man who can complete me. I refuse to hurt him this way. “What about relocation? I thought we’d be granted a new life with new identities.”
“You would get both. Unfortunately, even if you are granted the separation, there will be some shifters on the Council who will side with Todd. I wo
uldn’t be surprised if your new location and name aren’t leaked to him. The Council members have an incredible amount of pull, even among the human government.”
Pressing my hands to my eyes, I voice the only conclusion I can come up with. “I need to run on my own, don’t I? Just pack up the girls and go.”
Silence greets my question. After a long moment, I drop my hands. Ella’s gnawing her lip. The weight on my chest grows a little heavier. I scooch forward. “That’s my only option, isn’t it?”
Ella gathers the papers she’d brought and shoves them into her purse before standing. “Assassins will do private jobs if given the right motivation or enough money, and then—”
I close my gaping mouth. “Are you suggesting I kill Todd? I don’t have enough money to put new tires on my van, let alone pay an assassin. I also don’t happen to know any. My friends are all too honorable.”
“I’m not saying you should hire an assassin.” Ella stares at me. The intensity in her focused glare doesn’t match her words. If I had to judge, I’d say that’s exactly what she’s telling me.
“Then what are you saying?”
“I’m saying you should take the rest of the weekend and decide how badly you want to get away from Todd, then come talk to me on Monday morning. I’ll do my best to make sure things work out in your favor.”
“I don’t need to think. I know my answer.” I stand, letting my determination show in my gaze. “I’m leaving with my girls.” I don’t need Shifter Affairs’ help. I have Rick’s support. He’ll follow me across the globe if that’s what it takes.
“If you run, you might be inviting more than just your breeding partner’s anger. The Shifter Council might look at your desertion and assume you’re going to betray your species.”
“I can’t stay here and allow Todd to touch me again. But I can’t run either? So what exactly do you suggest I do?”
“I’m suggesting you do exactly what I asked you to do. Think about how committed you are to escaping Todd, then come see me Monday morning.” Ella pushes the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder and strides for the front door. With her hand on the handle, she dips her head. “Your case is the hardest I’ve ever been assigned, Ms. Ammon. I won’t fail you. If that means we have to take an unorthodox route, we will.”
With those words, Ella slips out of my apartment. I stare at the door, but my decision is made. I’m running with Peyton and Rey. It’s my only option. Besides killing Todd myself.
Chapter 17
Rick
My call to Mya went unanswered, but hopefully my message soothed her fears. As much as I want to be with her, I can’t ignore the threats to her. The information I uncovered on Ambrosia has me convinced Todd’s involvement with the drug problem taking over this section of the country might be the most dangerous one she’s facing. I’m not certain the lead I chose to follow instead of returning to Mya will be the solution, however.
Setting the tall glass of milk next to the dish of animal crackers, I study the almost six-year-old lion shifter cub who is supposedly the leader of a Royal pride. The same innocent-looking blue-eyed child with her pale blonde hair in pigtails is also an expert on the hallucinogenic drug used by the first shifters. At least according to Uri.
At the moment, I’m thinking Uri’s grasp on reality might be off. For one, Molly is a single shifter with only one animal soul inside her, not three. For another, she’s female. While I consider myself to be an advocate of women’s rights, I don’t think it’s possible for a female to house the spirit of a pride. It’s the combined soul of the pride’s founding father and his animals. I have a hard time imagining any of the original shifters accepting a female as its host. They’re the ones who wrote the restricting laws against our women.
The only thing preventing me from telling Molly to stop spreading fibs is the insistent Royal shifter standing protectively next to her. I turn to Uri. “Are you sure this is the right place to be having this conversation?”
“It is if you want to know about the effects of Ambrosia without actually taking the drug yourself.” Uri snatches a cracker from Molly’s dish, replacing it with one of the chocolate chip cookies he’s been eating since I showed up at this house.
Molly doesn’t react to Uri’s comment or the theft of her snack. She takes a sip of her milk, then arranges the remaining crackers around the large cookie so it resembles a sun with the crackers as the rays.
“When you suggested I come over here, you said you could introduce me to someone who has intimate knowledge of the original shifters’ drug use and habits.” I tip my chin in Molly’s direction. “You can’t be serious that the expert I seek is a child.”
A tic forms on Uri’s jaw. “I’m deadly serious.”
Uri’s tone doesn’t leave any room for argument, but I don’t want to get into details about how a hallucinogenic drug affects its user in front of an innocent. From the reports I’ve read, violent behaviors are rampant. Murders, rapes, abuse—you name it. “How does she know about Ambrosia, then?”
“Uri doesn’t talk for me anymore.” Holding an animal cracker, Molly catches my gaze. Then holds it. Exactly as a dominant would. “I talk for myself now.”
Taking a calming breath, I sit. As much as I wish I’d had the opportunity to be a father, I never got the chance to learn how to act around kids. It’s not as if I’ve been in a whole lot of situations to nurture my skills.
Within Shifter Affairs, I dealt with dominants and criminals. Whenever we rescued children, experts were brought in to soothe them and ease their fears. The few years I spent with Nic traveling in a band didn’t offer any chances to hone my skills either. I lived my days in bars or surrounded by whores. The teenager I once saved was the closest I came to interacting with a child, and the horrors she’d experienced turned her into a survivor, no longer a carefree youth.
No better time than the present to practice being a supportive, sensitive adult, however. I want to be a good role model for Peyton and Rey, along with Mya’s unborn boys.
Holding Molly’s gaze, I incline my head. “Of course you can. Uri didn’t get the chance to delve into your background or explain how you came about the knowledge of our forefathers. It would’ve been helpful to know those things before meeting you.”
“When I was born, my soul was partially bonded to the spirit of the Leon pride. The spirit told me many stories before it merged completely with me a few months ago.” Molly breaks the chocolate chip cookie in half and gives me a piece. “I miss talking to the Leon spirit, but I have his memories now. It’s almost as good.”
My heart stutters before racing hard. What Molly described is impossible. Or at least it should be impossible. I flick my gaze to Uri. He dips his head. The acknowledgment hits me like a slap in the face.
“You have all the Leon spirit’s memories?” Surely she’s exaggerating.
Molly eats her half of the cookie in two bites, then licks the gooey chocolate off her fingers. “Well, not all. The Leon spirit’s blocked some from me. He told me he would. I’m too young.”
“The Leon spirit protected Molly as best he could.” Uri grabs another cookie from a tin on the counter and shoves the whole thing in his mouth. Chewing, he mumbles, “He loves her. Respects her.”
“Is that enough of an explanation?” Molly asks.
No, not nearly enough. I want to know how Molly was bonded to a Royal spirit. I also want to know why. Neither is necessary for this visit, however. I also don’t think we’d have time to delve deeper into Molly’s life. Uri said her twin Megan was coming over to visit. I want this conversation done with long before then. “Yes. Thank you for sharing it.”
“Uri said you want to know about Ambrosia.”
“I do.” I eat the cookie Molly shared with me not because I want it, but out of respect for a pride leader who is treating me as her equal. “What can you tell me about it?”
“The Leon spirit used to make Ambrosia with his father. And take it.” Molly arrange
s her crackers into three piles. “It’s not a bad drug. Or at least it’s not supposed to be. But shifters have forgotten what we are at heart, so they don’t understand its power.”
While Molly’s voice reminds me of a child, her words and mannerism do not. She’s too controlled and too mature for her age. Having an ancient spirit whispering in her ear since birth no doubt affected Molly’s development.
Part of me pities this adorable child. She never got to be a kid. Instead, a huge responsibility was placed on her shoulders. Not only does she have to deal with skeptics like me, she’s going to grow up knowing she’s different. That’ll open her to hatred and jealousy. Without pride mates to watch her back, she needs other shifters and protectors to step in. The longer I’m in her presence, the more I want to be one of those to fight for her.
I hunch down slightly so I’m on Molly’s level. “What do you mean? What have we forgotten?”
Molly places one of the piles of crackers on a napkin in front of me. “We’re fighters.”
“True.” I nod. “The original shifters were chosen by the gods because of their battle skills.”
“No.” Molly slides another napkin with tiger-shaped crackers to Uri, then eats one of the remaining crackers, a lion-shaped one. “The gods chose the men who used Ambrosia successfully and were able to tap into its powers.”
I look at the napkin in front of me. Molly gave me all the other shapes, keeping the feline crackers for her and Uri. It fits. I’m the lone wolf who’s never really belonged in one group. A mixed selection works. I eat a bear cracker. “How did they do that?”
“Pain.” Molly looks up. A serious expression widens her eyes and raises her brows. “They knew how to embrace pain. It made them faster, stronger, and smarter. They could see things their opponents couldn’t before they happened.”
Hence the hallucinogenic aspect of the drug. I didn’t need Molly to tell me that, however.
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