by Chris T. Kat
What does it look like I’m doing? Having tea with the guy?
Nicky didn’t pout, but his eyes narrowed to slits. Narolds zeroed in on Nicky and gasped. “No way,” he whispered.
Confused but interested, I watched Narolds stare at Nicky as though he’d seen a ghost. He swallowed several times while Nicky tilted his head to the side, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. Softly, he asked Narolds, “Are you okay? What is it?”
“You’re… you’re a baby shifter.”
Nicky stiffened and cast me a nervous look. I took up the conversation, having an inkling where this was going. Nonchalantly, I said, “He is, so what?”
Narolds’s head swiveled back to me. Sweat trickled down from his hairline, leaving a trail along his cheeks. “You don’t have a baby shifter on the team! No Alpha Unit would ever allow that. They don’t allow any other shifters than the big cats, wolves, or dogs on that unit. Wait! He’s… he’s the new one. He’s got to be human!”
I shrugged. “He’s not.”
“This is a trick!”
“What would I be tricking you into, Mr. Narolds? You pumped the XP-27 into our office. One of our team is currently in the hospital, in a coma.” I gripped the folder so tightly that the binding snapped.
Narolds flinched at the sudden zing, his black eyes growing large. “In a coma?”
“Yes.”
“But… but that’s impossible. I heard he only went feral for a short moment. He seemed to recuperate fine in the hospital,” Narolds said.
“Do you know what happened to the members of one of the Chicago Alpha Units a while ago? Someone, and I’m sure you have an idea who’s responsible for that, pumped their office full of XP-27 for months until almost all of them went feral. I’m sure you also know that several of those guys died.” I had a hard time not yelling, and my voice showed the strain.
“They were assholes! They didn’t even consider a small shifter as a teammate. It… the gas wasn’t supposed to kill any of them.” Narolds seemed to fold in on himself.
“Like the XP-27 wasn’t supposed to put one of our teammates into a coma?” I asked.
“He should’ve been fine. Except….” Narolds’s face paled.
“Except when his unclaimed mate was near and rejected him,” Nicky threw in.
Narolds nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that would do it.”
I willed my hands to stay flat on top of the table, although I really wanted to put them around Narolds’s throat and choke him.
“You’re really a baby shifter and on the team, aren’t you?” Narolds asked. His features softened considerably. Though he still looked sick, color seemed to be coming back into his cheeks.
“Yes, I am.”
“Who knows about your status?”
Why was Narolds asking the questions? Before I could tell Nicky not to answer him, he beat me to it. “Only my team.”
“That means other shifters will be considered for the Alpha Units? They could become more than traffic policemen?”
Nicky nodded. I glared at him. That’s not true. Don’t lead him on.
Maybe it will come true. I’m the best example things can change, and I think he’s feeling remorseful right now.
I cringed inwardly at Nicky’s words. A rat shifter as a cop or detective? They’d have the advantage of fitting into really small things, at least. Shoving this stray thought aside, I asked, “What does EFSS stand for?”
Narolds’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry I poisoned all of you with the gas. Oh my God! I poisoned a baby shifter!”
Narolds turned sideways and retched. I growled and got up from my chair. The smell permeated everything. Even Julie, who didn’t have a sensitive shifter nose, started breathing through her mouth. I was surprised at Narolds’s apology, that’s for sure. It did make sense, however. The shifter community hated those who hurt baby shifters. Though I wondered whether pampering to death counted as hurting as well. Startled at my own thought process, I shook my head to clear it.
“What does EFSS stand for?” Nicky repeated my question.
Narolds licked his lips. “Equality for Small Shifters.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, growing more and more irritated.
“Smaller shifters, as well as baby shifters, want the same rights as the big cats, wolves, bears, elks, what-have-you,” Narolds replied, his face glowing with zealous delight for his cause. “We want permission to take the jobs we want. Baby shifters, especially, want that right since they always need permission from their mate for any kind of job.”
“And you think taking out Alpha Units will do the trick?” I asked.
“We want to be heard! We want to show the world that even small shifters can compromise an Alpha Unit, that we could be an asset to you.”
I glared at the shivering form of Narolds for a long time before I ground out, “That’s really not the way to go about this, I assure you.”
“I can see that now. I’m so sorry! We didn’t have any information that you took on a baby shifter. This is so awesome!” His smile creeped me out. It cost me a lot of strength not to snarl at him, especially while he stared so intently at my mate. Narolds winced all of a sudden. “Oh shit!”
“Oh shit what?” I roared.
“The other New York Alpha Unit… are they hiding that they have a small shifter too? They got a new guy on the team about the same time you did, and he was also declared human.”
Nicky beat me to it again. “We can’t give that information out. You understand that, right? It would jeopardize the inclusion of smaller shifters into the Alpha Units.”
What are you talking about? I asked.
Just trying to get some answers, Nicky replied.
By outrageously lying to him?
I’m not lying. I’m just playing along with his assumptions.
Eagerly, Narolds said, “Of course, I understand but… but they… a team of the EFSS is bound for the other New York Alpha Unit. They’re… they’re not intending to do it slowly like I did with you. They’re supposed to lure the team to a location they can seal off completely. Then they’ll pump in such a high dose that any shifter enclosed will go feral within two hours.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nick
I GAPED at Narolds. Sam rounded on the guy, grabbing him by his shirt and shaking him. Narolds’s teeth clicked together with an audible crunch, eliciting a painful yelp.
Roland appeared at Sam’s side. He laid a hand on his shoulder and talked softly to him. Even with my advanced hearing, I couldn’t make out his words. They did have the desired effect, since Sam dropped Narolds on the floor, a sneer of disgust marring his face.
I didn’t get it. Absolutely not. “Why would they do that? It’s not going to bring them closer to their goal of getting into one of the units.”
“No Alpha Unit would ever take on any of those cowards. They’re nothing but criminals, not suitable to uphold the law. They’re even taking drugs to hide their shifter scent. How would that work? For someone who’s taking such a drug to be after thugs who produce those kind of drugs and sell them?” Sam’s voice came out more and more garbled as his lion tried to claw his way out.
Sam’s remark hit a bit close to the mark. At least Connor wasn’t here to hear him. I’d wondered the same thing, but that was when I didn’t know Sam wouldn’t care about my shifter status.
“You don’t get it,” Narolds interjected. “If the EFSS destroys all Alpha Units, then there will be openings for shifters like us.”
“How do you figure that?” Sam snarled.
I rubbed my temples against the headache that was starting to build. Sam’s rage had settled inside my stomach like a stone. By now his emotional turmoil had wound its way through my whole being, giving me a slightly nauseous feeling. That was a side effect of the mating I really could do without.
“They’ll have to take in anyone who wants to be part of the team,” Narolds explained.
Sam snorted. �
��Why the hell would they take on a rat shifter if there are hundreds of big cat shifters on a waiting list? The positions could be filled within seconds.”
“The EFSS trains all of us to a high standard—the same standard as the Alpha Units—that’s why.”
“God, you’re delusional. Anyone on the waiting list has the same training, so none of the small shifters would get a place on a team.” Sam’s eyes narrowed, and his usual hazel color gleamed coldly in the fluorescent light inside the interrogation room.
Did he really harbor such hard feelings against small shifters? Just because they were small didn’t mean they couldn’t do a good job. Connor and I were the best example. Or did he just want to put Narolds in his place?
“You took him on!” Narolds jerked his head toward me. “And he’s a baby shifter. A grown-up small shifter is more reliable than him. You know how the baby shifters tend to be too playful, too caught up in the moment.”
I winced at that statement. While I couldn’t deny I often lost track of time, and anything and everything could catch Tiny’s attention, I could control these tendencies when I was in human form. I wouldn’t allow them to influence my ability to do my job. I opened my mouth to give Narolds a piece of my mind, but Sam stepped in front of me and shook his head. Snapping my mouth shut, I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Yes, you’re right, we did. And maybe you’re right that we should be more open to any kind of shifter. But none of the EFSS will ever get such an offer if they’re responsible for a whole Alpha Unit going feral. It’ll be hard enough to convince any team to take on a small shifter after what you did to us, especially the Chicago team. If you want to have a chance of receiving any consideration, you have to help us. Tell us when the gig with the other unit’s going to go down,” Sam urged.
Narolds seemed to battle against another heavy bout of nausea, which he lost after a short moment. We waited until he was done; then he stared at us from red-rimmed eyes. “The other unit believes they can bust a trafficking ring on Eagle Street. The EFSS will trap them there. What time is it?”
“Around 10:00 a.m.,” I answered.
“The raid’s supposed to go down in half an hour.” Narolds suddenly looked scared and exhausted.
Sam whirled around and slammed out of the room. Julie, Roland, and I followed. Sam told a uniformed officer to keep watch over Narolds and help him clean himself up a little. Annie fell into step with us as we all stormed toward our office.
“Jesse’s out of his coma,” Annie announced. “There was some commotion with Connor, but Jake didn’t know the details. It seems as if Connor gave Jesse the mating bite, and Jesse woke up shortly after. Of course, now he’s guarding Connor something fierce, so no chance of either of them getting released today.”
“They mated?” I echoed. But that would mean Jesse knew about Connor. My stomach tied itself into knots.
“Yep. I’m sure we’ll get the whole scoop soon enough. Jake’s already on his way over. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“Good,” Sam said as he pushed into our office. He picked up the phone and tried to get through to the other Alpha Unit.
Julie and Roland filled Annie in on what Narolds had told us while I bounced up and down on my toes, waiting for Sam to end the call. He almost crushed the phone in his hand when he was done.
“The unit has already left. Radio silence is in place, so we can’t get through to them anymore. We have to go after them and get them out as quickly as possible. Roland, make sure our gear’s in the van. Julie, tell Burlows we’ll need several ambulances. I’ve already talked to Henderson, and he’s going to send backup right away.” Sam fired off orders. “Anyone who’s not a shifter will gear up appropriately. We’ll leave in five minutes. Nicky, you’re staying here.”
“What?”
“Everyone got it? Good, let’s roll.” Sam strode toward the office door while the others gave me a pitying look.
I ran after Sam and caught his right arm. “Sam! Wait. I’m not staying here!”
“You’ll do as you’re told,” Sam roared.
Tiny shrieked inside me and curled up into a trembling ball of misery. I bit down on my lower lip. Sam was not going to intimidate me. “You can’t be serious,” I sputtered. “I’m part of the team. I’m going with you!”
Sam curled his hands around my upper arms and carried me farther back into the office. “I told you that you’re going to stay here. End of discussion.”
“No!”
“I’m not going to have you in such a dangerous situation. You can play cop here and keep track of everything, but you’re not setting foot outside this office!”
“Play cop?” I echoed, dumbfounded. “You never intended for me to do my job properly, did you?”
Sam closed his eyes, then ruffled my hair. “We’ll talk later.”
Dazed, I stared after Sam. How could I have been such an idiot? He’d never give me permission to really work as a cop. He’d just humored me. My heart shredded into tiny pieces, and I gasped in pain at the hurt that unfurled in every cell of my body. My knees buckled as I pressed my hands against my sternum, trying to release some of the pressure inside. My mate had lied to me. He wouldn’t keep his promise, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I was kneeling on the floor, whimpering in pain, when someone crouched in front of me. I blinked away the tears, which I hadn’t even realized I’d started to shed, to find Annie gazing at me.
“He’ll come around, sweetheart,” Annie said. My only answer was a yowl and a fresh surge of tears. Annie sighed before she pulled me into her embrace. She didn’t smell as good as Sam did, but she provided shelter for the moment. “You just mated hours ago. Sam can’t think clearly when it comes to you. I’m surprised he even brought you back to work today. I wouldn’t have been able to do that right after I mated Jake.”
“He lied to me,” I sobbed.
“You will be part of the team, and he will come around. You’ve got him wrapped around your little finger, Nick. It’s mostly biology talking at the moment. The thought of putting you in danger right now is something he can’t deal with.”
“I want to go with you. I’m part of the team!” I protested. At least I could breathe more freely again.
Annie heaved another heavy sigh. “All right. Don’t make me regret this.”
“Huh?”
“Shift, and I’ll smuggle you into the van. Stay hidden and only show yourself if you’re needed. I’ve got the feeling we might need a good shot there.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Still, I pulled out of her embrace and mopped my face with the hem of my shirt. “Sam will smell me.”
“No, he won’t. Basically you smell like him at the moment, and any trace he’ll sniff he’ll believe is because you just mated. Also, I’ll hide you under some of my stuff, and my scent will hide yours. Do you want to come or not?” Annie held out her hands for me.
Sam would be mad, no doubt about it. But if he was going to act like a prick, then that was his problem. I’d go because of my team, in case they needed me. I nudged Tiny inside me, who mewled. He seemed torn between obeying his mate and flipping him off. Flipping him off obviously won since the shift went smoothly.
Annie’s face lit up in delight. “Oh, aren’t you the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”
I huffed before I padded over to her. She picked me up and held me in front of her face, still smiling. I licked her cheek, receiving a chuckle. From somewhere, she produced a knapsack, and I crawled inside, meowing when she draped the top over me.
“Hush now,” Annie chided.
I hushed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sam
I WAS handing Julie her helmet when Jake ran up to us, breathing hard. Surprised, I asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Annie told me what’s going on, and neither Jesse nor Connor needed me,” Jake said.
I threw a vest at him, growling. “Gear up. We’re pressed for time.” A moment
later, I frowned. “When the hell did Annie call you?”
Jake tugged the straps in place while Roland handed him more equipment. Jake gave me a strange look. “We don’t need a phone to talk to each other, what with us being mates and all.”
“But you’re human!”
Jake shrugged. “Maybe I’ve got a little bit of shifter blood in me, who knows? Where’s Annie?”
“Here, darling.” Annie slid up behind Jake before she grabbed a handful of his hair and turned his head toward her. She kissed him briefly, then released him. For whatever reason, his eyes widened, but she just patted his cheek and grinned.
I expected her to help him gear up fully. Instead she climbed inside the van and stowed her backpack. I rolled my shoulders, hoping to release some tension. It was to no avail. Nicky’s scent drifted into my nose, sharp and anxious. My head snapped around, searching for him. I’d told him to stay in the office, but that didn’t mean a thing.
Roland clapped my shoulder. “Everything all right?”
I nodded.
“No regrets?” Roland asked mildly. “We’re two people short as it is, and now you’re leaving our best shot in the office.”
“We don’t have time for this shit.” I shoved past him and climbed in next to Julie, who powered up the van. Of all of us, she was the best driver—a fact Jesse liked to lament whenever he could. At least that was something we didn’t have to fret about right now.
I turned to the back while Julie pushed into traffic. Addressing Jake, I asked, “How are they?”
Jake’s lips curled upward. “Fucking like bunnies. You know how it is with freshly mated couples—can’t take their hands off each other. That reminds me, where’s Nicky?”
“In the office.”
Jake raised an eyebrow, but he refrained from comment. Probably because Annie rested a hand on his left knee. These two had always seemed so in tune, as if they could read each other’s thoughts. Why had it never occurred to me that they talked telepathically? How was that even possible?