by Erin R Flynn
“And apparently I was no obstacle and he could easily walk right over me again with you gone,” Simone grumbled. “Fuck, that asshole!”
“I kicked his body a lot already,” Brian told her, shocking the group. “I’m just sad I didn’t get to snap his fangs off or rip off his balls while still alive after all he did to Sera.”
I didn’t want the conversation to get off track so I veered back. “I’m not a business person, but I was at a few trade shows for undercover reasons and one Comic-Con, and while I don’t think we should do like cosplay, we could do fun night events in the ballroom. We’ve got to put in a huge order for samples, and we’re running out of time. We’ll have to talk to everyone and basically change the whole thing, not just add in the shifters.”
“We need to keep Vlad’s death secret until then,” Noah muttered, shaking his head when a few went to object. “People weren’t jumping to come until Vlad used Sera’s name. Now they’re coming and she added shifters and changed the plan and then they find out he’s dead and by one of her vamps? Yeah, that screams trap and bad, bad things. We also need to make it clear that only idiots would try something the weekend before at the full moon.”
“Agreed, and we need to start with a master plan of who is giving away tote bags and who is doing samples of this and that,” Carter said as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “You’ll want shirts for the FBI, right? So we start talking to people and saying what is covered and being done where.”
“Making people be more generous when they see others are and also the level to keep up with as it’s not quantity since this isn’t open to the general public,” I surmised, bobbing my head, but then shook it. “Not it.”
“Queen Laila has coordinators that handle such conventions all the time in Vegas,” Dain suggested.
“As long as they’re not doing everything best for the fairies, yeah, that sounds amazing as we don’t have much time,” Simone agreed. “We start here and pan out basically. We’ll have the fairy nectar set up at the rooftop garden along with our bottled blood drinks. Who else wants to be next to that? Des Moines and Memphis don’t have anything.”
“We can do grills up there for the seafood farm that’s expanded while I was gone,” I added. “Shit, this might be really cool if we can make it work.”
“We’ll make it work,” Dain promised. “We’ll set up the library here as the main base for this coordination, and I can have a few phones for the contact number so people aren’t confused as to who to speak with.”
“That sounds like the first step,” I agreed when the others seemed relieved too. “Okay, Remus and Jake, if you can get everything we know so far here, and we’ll start from there tomorrow, and Dain can talk to Laila and see how we go from there. I think we just need to get the first stuff set and like Simone said, we’ll build on it.” I stood, and Reagan grabbed my wrist to move me around the chair, and I yanked my arm away with a whimper.
His eyes went wide as he realized what had happened. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
I nodded, rubbing my wrist even if it didn’t hurt, my mind not on the present. “I think I won’t be okay being restrained or anything on my wrists for a while. Probably ankles too.”
“I’ll make sure everyone knows,” he muttered, shaking his head when I objected. “Sera, it’s understandable and valid, okay? Let us make it easier for you.”
“Thanks,” I whispered, ready for the day to be over. I said goodnight to everyone and chuckled when Reagan swooped me back up in his arms, snuggling against him and soaking up his strength. It wasn’t like I didn’t have reasons to be so upset and fragile.
He only set me down once we were in my apartment and in the master bathroom. He started the tub and went for the bath bombs I liked best before undressing.
“You are so damn handsome,” I breathed when he was naked. He was. Six-five, muscular and fit but not over the top, and those piercing gray eyes just melted me. “I like the longer hair.” It wasn’t a buzz cut like when I’d met him or he’d kept after. It had grown out and had a bit of a curl as it hung in his eyes if he didn’t push it back off his forehead.
“I wanted to try something new,” he admitted as he moved closer. “Mom used to keep it long because it tickled her that she had twin wolf boys that she survived giving birth to and never shifting during her pregnancy and they had curly red hair.”
“I’m sorry I never got to meet her.”
“She would have loved you,” he said confidently as he undid my top. “Dad too. They would have absolutely adored you. Dad would have constantly been bragging how you put pack first and always kept facing forward. Mom would have seen you’re really a softy deep down and doted on you. I know it.”
“I do like being doted on,” I joked, having that line with Dain often, but now others were getting in on it. “I’m glad the greenhouses are finished and that was taken off your plate.”
“It’s been interesting, all the projects and like startups, but yeah, it’s nice to have a bit of balance and things running as they should have to enjoy it before we jump into one new thing like this convention, not fourteen.” He leaned in and kissed me as he helped me wiggle out of my shorts, clearly done with the talking. “I love you, Sera.”
I felt my face flush, which he loved that I did, and I told him I felt the same. He got in first, and I slid in with him, relaxing against his strong body. We made out, but mostly we just relaxed together, enjoying the quiet moment.
Able to have those moments together again, which meant a lot to both of us.
“I asked Nina for something to help your hair,” he admitted as we dried off. He cupped my face when I went to pull away. “Not for us. For you, Sera. It’s a huge reminder, and you’re insecure about it. She said spray it on at night and it will help. Grow it out and chop it all again just because you want to. It wasn’t done to you, but yeah, try the shorter hair again but when you want.”
“Okay, thanks.” I let him show me what to do, knowing Nina was always specific with how much and teaching people to use her stuff right. Then I crawled into bed with him naked. Right when he turned to spoon me, I realized my wolf was unsettled. Reagan didn’t smell like us or me like him. I moved my ass against his groin, and I think he got the idea or knew what I’d been feeling.
Because he felt it too.
He rolled me onto my back and moved between my legs, rubbing his dick against me so my scent was where he wanted it most. We stared at each other the whole time, and then he finished on me, marking me as his.
“Mine,” he whispered, not getting aggressive but saying what he needed to.
I nodded. “Yours. Slowly, but yours.”
“I like slow,” he promised even if we both knew he wanted nothing more than to screw me six ways from Sunday. Hey, I was worth taking the time with, and so were the twins.
9
A week later and I was finally cleared to get back to work instead of sneaking updates to me and reading over anything new that came in. The first thing after we got the approval and I was back to running the office was we sent Harris, Davis, and Cooper out with the newbie teams to get set up at Memphis, Vegas, and Des Moines, as those would be the new non-human teams in the regular FBI offices.
And I promoted Shaw, Rodriguez, and Annis to Special Agents in Charge. They would train with me and Brian’s office as Harris, Davis, Cooper, and all the current non-human SAiCs did. The hysterical part was Shaw telling me she would only accept as long as she didn’t have to go to Vegas.
She really had some trauma with fairy court. I didn’t push, but it was hard not to ask. But no, Shaw fit well with Memphis and was thrilled that was her career trajectory. Honestly, Cooper might stay in Vegas. It was a bigger office, and he got along with the coven leader there.
Plus, I think he wanted out of Chicago. Too much had happened to him there too, and after he’d been tortured when Igor had come, it seemed to be the last straw and he’d hinted several times he’d want the
chance to get out. He jumped at any chance to travel or take cases that put him out of Chicago.
He would be a loss, as he was a great agent, but Chicago wasn’t his home, just where he’d found a place after he’d gotten tossed out of the military for being a vampire. I was discussing it with Monroe, but Cooper seemed relieved when we both acknowledged it was what he wanted.
The doc had me working out three times a day, nothing hard core yet but twice at the gym with Eugene or Jonik, and then I did pool exercises after work with one of my guys as they all made it clear it was their time with me and in only a bathing suit. Honestly, I got about half of the hour workout done before we messed around or I had sex with them if we were there. It was pretty hysterical, but hey, that was a workout too.
When done right, and I made sure I always did sex right.
I was fast walking on a treadmill next to Eugene with my ancient security detail. Carter and I had agreed it was time for a PR tour for APOT—Advanced Paranormal Operations Team—so they could meet with the groups they’d be working with on their own turf instead of risking problems later when shit was already going down. So he and his team had been gone for several days and would be for another week.
It left Nikos and his team, which included Sander and Emilio, so I got along well with them too.
“Boston is in,” Eugene told me as he looked over something, not even slowing his running pace. “Bemus went there directly and talked with the Alphas and the Master of Boston and told them the plan and that plan did not include taking over Boston.”
“Good, that should help lock in some of the other New England areas. What does Boston have?”
“A brewery, vineyard, and trucking company that is hurting. Some are fishermen, but they don’t seem to have much,” he answered quietly. “Boston is pretty strict on holding companies to not fire paranormals in accordance with the law. They have a lot employed by other companies, not like Memphis where they had to form businesses or they were screwed. The vineyard used to be the pack’s main income.”
“Yeah, but did they have to get other jobs because no one would buy wolf wine or because they wanted to?” I challenged, knowing how hard it was everywhere. “Another brewery is good though. And a trucking company could work with Virgil for all we plan on buying and transporting. We can have paranormal alcohol at the clubs, and Vegas would.”
I swallowed a wince. The Siren’s Kiss had opened in New York right before I’d been found. There had been some back and forth about waiting until I was found, but it was better to get the jobs people needed. It still hurt. I’d been the force behind it all.
Then again, I didn’t think traveling and especially to New York would be on my agenda anytime soon. Like anytime soon.
“Another request from Canada to join in the fun,” Eugene told me. “I think the idea of waiting and if it goes well changing it from American Paranormal Alliance to North American Paranormal Alliance is smart.”
“You think all my ideas are smart,” I muttered, feeling my cheeks flushing and not from the workout that was coming to an end. Hair fell out of the ponytail I now had for my shoulder length hair. It was progress. That stuff Nina gave really helped, and so did the hourly eating and low impact but longer workouts. I felt almost to where I’d first started as a wolf, but since I’d been pretty much totally dead and fucked, that was a good step up.
“I have yet to hear you give an idea I don’t find smart.” He cleared his throat as he changed his pace to cool down. “Honestly, your brain is so sexy that it drives me crazy. I don’t what it is about smart women, but fuck, they just do me in. I think it was growing up where everyone treated me like the dumb big dire wolf that had to be talked down to, but smart people don’t do that. You don’t do that.”
I gave him a confused look. “I don’t get that. Big isn’t always dumb, and small isn’t always weak. You would think shifters who have tiny frogs like Agent Barnes that can lift more than huge WWE guys would understand that.”
He shrugged. “Not everyone is as evolved and open minded as you, Sera.” He eyed me over before meeting my gaze. “Which I also really like.”
I swore I burned more calories on the workouts from my heart racing from his flirting than the walking. Damn, he was intense and the best kind of trouble. That morning he had walked right up to me and moved his hands to my ass, totally not flirting but making a comment that more of it had filled in and it was pert and firm, just how it should be. Then he kept walking to the treadmills while I was beet red in the mirrors.
My phone flashed Shaw’s name, and I hurried to grab the call, as she was taking over for Harris answering our dispatch calls. “Thomas.”
“Hey, boss, we’ve got a murder,” she told me. “Dead body with reported fang marks. That’s all we know.”
“Shit. Okay, text me the address and have Rodriguez and Annis meet us there.”
“Got it.”
I hung up and hopped off the treadmill after I collected my stuff. I had a bag in the locker to shower so I could go right into work, so that was fine, and I could shower fast to not lose any time. It felt weird to get back into getting calls. I had been on the other side of things like I used to in New York, but it was like my body remembered I had been gone months when it came to stuff like this.
Almost as if the muscle memory faded for what to do and how to react. I wasn’t sure that was a thing, but my body had lived those months even if I didn’t remember them or wasn’t conscious. Maybe?
“I’ve been cleared with the FBI so I’m coming,” Eugene told me. He gave me a smile when I shot him a worried look. “I’m glad to be done with the council. It’s okay, really, Sera, it was time to move on. I’m glad my guys are getting their own teams and I trained them well so they can go get their own newbies and do some good.”
“I’m glad you’re happy in that next step,” I muttered, moving closer.
He gave me a quick kiss and then felt me up. “Your breasts are heavier than a few days ago. Nice.”
“Would you quit doing that?” I hissed at him, shoving him away. I rubbed my flushed cheeks as he burst out laughing. What a weirdo. It worked to lighten the tension, but I could be evil too. “You’re on your knees for me tonight, Beta.”
“Yeah, that’s not a punishment,” he murmured, giving me a heated look.
No, but it was lots of fun.
And I did find myself checking out the girls in the mirror. Yeah, I was up to a bigger B cup, almost to a C. Soon I’d get my D’s back. Maybe. I could live with full C’s and still feel like me. D’s got in the way sometimes for work. But I was a smaller D so with the right sports bra it wasn’t too bad.
“Now I’ve got my boobs on the brain,” I grumbled as I hurried to get in the shower. I noted the way one of the female attendants came in with me to watch out for any problems. It was nice of them to worry about me since the coven knew Vlad was dead, but I wasn’t so weak anymore that I couldn’t handle humans if there was a problem.
Then again, it was nice to feel someone watching my back so I didn’t make a fuss.
My boobs were still on my brain though as I got dressed, checking out how I filled in one of my normal work suits. I’d always had athletic curves but curves. I didn’t like this flatter and thinner look. Maybe if I had wanted to lose some of it, but again, it wasn’t a choice I’d made.
“Do you like bigger boobs?” I asked Eugene point blank when I met up with them outside. “Do you miss my D’s?”
He gave me a look that he didn’t want to answer, as that was walking into a trap, but I reminded him that he’d started it. He moved closer and slid his hand into my suit jacket, cupping my right breast and teasing the nipple through my shirt and bra. “I love a good handful. Yes, I want them bigger again to overfill my hands and just look so tempting, but I want them back because they were taken from you like you were from us.”
I bit back a moan as I got images from him that he fully wanted to inspect them and keep close watch over them to see
when they were back to how he remembered. “You should do that. Maybe playing with them will help them grow.”
“I think that’s a myth, but I would gladly prove it right or wrong,” he whispered, giving me a gentle kiss. “Sit on my face and let me play with them all night, Sera. That’s what I want most.”
“Shit, the hormones coming off you both is ridiculous,” Nikos grumbled, waving his hand in front of his face. “Please fuck and spare us this already.”
“No, she’s worth the chase, and I love chasing her,” Eugene argued. “The full moon is this weekend, and your mistress is home safe. Tell me that the hormones aren’t wonderful to smell instead of missing her.”
“I prefer the hormones,” Nikos promised. “I was just teasing because Sera isn’t into the PDA like you feeling her up in the parking lot while a murder scene is waiting for her.”
That snapped me out of it. “Yeah, thanks. Just my head spins out sometimes with getting better. One minute I’m thrilled I’m gaining weight, and the next minute I question if I look better without it or whatever. It’s hard.”
“I think the person you are is full of sugar and spice and everything nice and that is what draws the quality people to you instead of your tits or ass,” Sander said firmly as he scanned the area. It was maybe the most mature or adult thing I’d ever heard him say, but then he had to keep talking. “But I did love the fact you had a perfect, firm, ghetto booty you could bounce a quarter off of and ride all fucking night and want more of.”
“That sounds more like something you’d say,” I drawled, tossing my keys to Emilio who looked like he was about to fall over laughing. “For a minute I wondered if Zlat or Goran were speaking with something so deep and mature, and then you follow up with that.”
Sander shrugged. “I gotta keep you on your toes.”
“Yeah, and we’re all going to her murder scene hard as nails,” Eugene bitched. “Fuck, now all I can think of is riding her all night. Asshole.”
“She lets you use that too,” Sander quipped.