by Erin R Flynn
“Chief Thomas?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
“With all due respect, Deputy Director Galvin, it’s an internal matter that has been rectified,” Axel interjected. “The reason we’re now working with Chief Thomas is it led to some reports of corruption in Minneapolis we’re aiding her office in, and she’s aiding us bringing in some people safely. I will let Councilwoman Haton know you wish to speak with her if you want.”
“Sir, you might want to skip this one,” I warned him. “I can’t see any way there’s blowback on you or the FBI, but you really might not want knowledge of this kind of screw up.”
“Understood. Then let’s get to your interrogation.”
“Sir?” I asked, frowning.
He smiled at me. “I’ve heard from Sands and people not even FBI that what you can do is amazing. If you’re going to be doing it and I’m here , yes, I want to see it, Thomas.”
“Oh crap,” I groaned, wincing. “Sorry, not something I really wanted to do in front of my boss a few times removed, sir.”
“Now I really want to see it,” he drawled.
Brian looked like he was having a hard time not laughing, holding up his hands in surrender when I shot him a dirty look. “I’ll get the first one brought up.”
“Sir, um, you won’t write me up for breaking the dress code or anything, right?” I checked when Brian left.
Galvin raised an eyebrow at me. “Do you flash them, Thomas?”
“Pretty damn close,” I admitted, rubbing my arm. “If they’re guys. It’s how I get them out of demanding their attorneys.”
He cleared his throat. “No, you go right ahead. I don’t think most would be so willing, but I won’t write you up.”
I snorted. “I used to do this part when I was human. If opening a couple of buttons will keep the attorneys away, like I care?”
I headed to the bathroom to check my makeup, add some fresh lip gloss, and fluff my hair once I took out the clip. Then I set my stuff in Brian’s office, losing the jacket, rolling my skirt up, and finally, undoing some buttons. Brian subtly gestured to the guy when I stepped out with my notebook in hand, and I tried to ignore Galvin and the councilman standing off to the side watching intently.
The guy was rattling Spanish but stopped when I got closer.
“Why didn’t I get a fine piece of ass like you putting cuffs on me?”
I threw back my head and laughed, his eyes flashing shock I understood him. “If that’s how you like to play, maybe after work, but I got called in to take a statement. Was it for you?”
“Just you and me?”
I shrugged. “If you’ll play nice, it can just be us. Will you be nice to me?”
“Oh yeah, baby, I’ll be all kinds of nice to you. So nice you won’t know what to do with yourself.”
I took in a slow breath as I eyed him over, finding him lacking but not letting on that was how I felt. “Oh, I bet I can keep up just fine. Can you switch to English when we talk in the room? I get in trouble otherwise.”
“For you I can speak English,” he flirted, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“Then come this way,” I giggled, waving the guys to bring him to interrogation. I knew them from having worked in that office before, and they knew the drill.
I noted the way Brian showed the others the viewing room as I ducked into the right room. I thanked the guys, and they left us as I sat down across from my prey, smiling at him as I leaned over, letting him see down my shirt as I draped my influence over him.
“What are you in here for?” I started off with once I saw the red light in the corner come on saying we were recording.
“Lots of everything,” he chuckled, holding out better than most humans could. “But you said you wanted to play, baby. Let’s do that.”
“Later once work is done,” I purred, turning up my power. “Tell me what I want to know first, and maybe I’ll come sit over by you.”
“I’m management for a cartel,” he blurted, frowning that he did. “I help hide the money. We came to push some fools around who ‘lost’ a shipment and cost us a lot of money. They wanted us to make an example of the idiots, so they sent me to make sure it got done right. Stupid fuckers had someone FBI undercover with them, and the whole thing went tits up. Now I gotta let them know which agent, and they’ll be dead too along with their family.”
I tsked him, smirking. “No, that’s not how it’s going to happen, especially after you made a bid to buy endangered shifters the local Alpha adopted.”
“You know her? She’s some other guy’s bitch now. That was the plan.”
“I am her, idiot. And no, he’s dead, but first I made sure to find out who I had to fuck up. You don’t have to worry about the regular FBI anymore. You just got bumped up to the really dangerous fun.” I let my hand change on the table, tapping my claws like I would fingernails, sniffing the air and smiling at how scared that made him. “So, who have you called so far?”
“Only the boss and the attorney we have here. They’re getting the name of the agent who was undercover to get them dead. We didn’t know as of yesterday.”
“Good boy. What else?”
“I tell you, I’m dead.”
“You don’t tell me and I’ll call my tiger in here to eat you,” I chuckled, smirking at him. “And I can because you screwed with endangered shifters who are children of the Alpha. Do you get that? I can fuck all your people up, anyone involved. Don’t worry about the retribution because your cartel is over. You do not screw with children of the Alpha, not if you like living. The Global Shifter Council is just that—global.”
“What do you want from me?” he whispered, looking scared.
“Would you like me to be nice and send in a human since I scare you, or will you be bad and I call in the tiger?” I smiled over my shoulder when he hesitated too long. “Tiger, could you come in here please?”
The door opened and Axel came in, his eyes flashing power as his teeth grew.
“Fuck, okay, fuck, bitch, you’re crazy. I’ll talk to the humans. I’ll tell you whatever you want. Just don’t let him eat me. We weren’t going to hurt the kids, just buy them for leverage.”
“Yeah, because all your people are so clean,” I snarled. “You would have sold them off in pieces. Don’t make the mistake that I’m fucking stupid. I know the plan was to sell their feet. It’s a myth , moron. All you did was plan to maul the children of a powerful Alpha, so you better confess to everything, or I will come in here and do that to you and let my tiger chew off your hands too, you feel me?”
“I got it. I got it, send them in,” he rambled, bobbing his head. Fucking bully. All talk and big balls until it was their turn.
I stood and walked out with Axel, fixing my shirt and skirt before clipping up my hair. “I’ve never met a human that holds out that well.”
“He’s part warlock. I could smell it, but you were distracted,” Axel explained. “He probably has no clue but just a story of someone being a witch in his family he never gave a second thought to. There are a lot more witches in South America than anyone likes to admit or claim.”
“Fair enough, but he’s also going to take more energy than I thought,” I grumbled, heading into the viewing room.
“I’ve recharged since last night,” he offered.
“I’ll just eat more lunch,” I drawled. I raised an eyebrow at the big smile on Brian’s face, but he nodded to Galvin who looked like he might fall over laughing. “We’re pretty fun in Chicago, sir.”
“You are good, Thomas. You are seriously good,” he praised, wiping under his eyes.
“Yes, she is,” the councilman complimented, studying me carefully.
I glanced to Axel. “I’m handing him over to you guys since he went after endangered shifters, and then he can go to the human prison, but what about him being part warlock? Who would I give him to on that?”
“You’ve not had any bad witches?” he teased me. He rubbed his chin when I shook my head.
“They’re very secretive of their hierarchy and with good reason.”
“Says the guy who won’t tell me his last name for security reasons,” I drawled. “Yeah, you guys are really the poster children for being transparent.”
His lips twitched. “Fair enough. You’ve seen how people try or want to use Nina, or I heard Lyon used those witches. They tend to have covens of families and no extra strength or speed. So yeah, they’re secretive. I would say if it was a bad warlock in there, using illegal magic sort of thing, you hand him over to Nina as you have an elder in your area, and she’ll handle it. You might want her named an elder by your office for those cases.”
“Wait, back up,” Brian interjected. “Your council has two facilities? I thought the humans went to the same one as the shifters did if they committed those kinds of crimes?”
I glanced at Deputy Director Galvin, not sure if he wanted Brian even read in on that one. Brian was a boy scout most days.
“That’s a bit above your clearance, Chief Havers. It’s an agreement in place the higher ups handled. Chief Thomas knows because her clearance got bumped to cover such matters when Monroe stepped in to start becoming like me for this division.”
“My security clearance is higher than yours,” I teased Brian, giving him a look to drop it. “You got higher DOD clearance.”
“You have higher CIA clearance,” he threw right back.
“Don’t remind me,” I drawled, annoyed how often they’d tried to pull me into crap and use me when I’d been human. I might have kept our teasing going, but I gasped as the guy fought my influence. “Crap, he might be part warlock, but he comes from a good bloodline.”
“Take a break,” Axel suggested.
“I do and that’s the second he screams for an attorney.”
He snorted. “He already confessed to enough that he doesn’t get one anymore. The council will get it all out of him and convict him.”
“We need the information,” I reminded him, looking at Brian. “You got a detail on that agent?”
“Yeah, already done. We know how the cartels work.”
We did which was what worried me because they knew how we worked also. “Why don’t you see if there are a few rooms open at Timequake? Even the cartels won’t screw with Vlad. Tell him I’ll have some of our hosts attend his next party and cater it with our blends of blood since I have the license. He’ll give you whatever you want because he’s been hinting hard on that.”
“Thank you,” he breathed, nodding and pulling out his phone as he left the room.
“You get that’s why IA had questions, right?” Galvin asked me. He smiled when I raised an eyebrow. “It looks like you’re getting something out of the job.”
“No, I’m paying personally to make sure the job gets done right and people stay alive.”
“Yes, but most wouldn’t do that is what your deputy director is saying,” the councilman interjected. “Igor came using his rank to influence you for what he wanted personally. That is how most use their power.”
“I’m just a weirdo then,” I mumbled, closing my eyes and leaning against the wall. “Axel, can you yell out the door for Agent Corbin and tell him I need food. He’ll know what to do.”
“You need to feed,” he growled. “You’ve been controlling too many people and crazy stress for only having one latte.”
“Yes, my tiger,” I chuckled.
“Why do you call him that?” Galvin asked.
“It’s a rank thing,” Axel lied as he slipped out the door.
“Sure it is,” Galvin drawled. Yeah, he hadn’t gotten to where he was by being dumb. He left it alone when I shrugged. “You can use me.”
“Sir?” I asked as I opened my eyes and looked at him.
He shrugged. “I wanted to see what it felt like anyways so I understood it better.”
“Sir, did you just ask me to kiss you?” I checked, frowning.
“I did, didn’t I?” he chuckled, fixing his tie. “Not how I meant it, but I’m trying to get what it is and educate myself better. The other agencies were assholes and completely ignorant. Arguing with them though, I realized I didn’t have a lot of answers to the questions they asked. I wouldn’t have told them if I did, but I should know them. I’m one of the few who knows what you really are, and I should know more if I’m to protect you.”
“It’s not just a kiss, sir,” I warned, really uncomfortable with what he wanted but also understanding it.
“You could show him on Chief Havers,” the councilman suggested, mirth dancing in his eyes.
“Show me what?” Brian asked as he came back in with Axel.
“Your big boss wants Seraphine to feed from him,” Axel muttered. “He won’t be much of a feed.” He shrugged when Galvin shot him an affronted look. “You’re human. You don’t have as much energy for her to take.”
“Now I really want to know how it works.”
Fuck, fuck, and double fucking ducks.
9
“HR would have a field day with this,” I grumbled, another wave hitting me. “I do need it though, so let’s just keep this professional so I can really keep holding that guy.”
“You are never boring,” Brian chuckled as he moved closer. I was shocked he was so okay with it all, and he just smiled at me. “I had talked to a few of our superiors before you were infected. I was planning on asking you to move in with me, remember? Of course I reported our relationship.”
I growled at him. “Without telling me first? You told about our not-relationship relationship? You are such a frigging boy scout, you’re almost dangerous when others don’t play fair.”
“Spank me later?” he offered.
“In the dungeon?” Galvin chuckled, and we both froze. “Oh yes, that little tidbit went flying all over, even in DC.”
“My bad,” I sighed since I’d been the one to start it. “Though Jenkins needs to shut her mouth before I shut it for her.”
“I’ll handle her,” Brian agreed. “And I don’t know how to reply to that.”
I took one for the team since it was my fault and Brian was mortified at the idea of his superior thinking he was some sub as boss of the office. “I ran my mouth, but really it’s for safety since I’m still a new wolf and could infect him. Close to the full moon if we’re intimate, my hands get restrained since that’s when claws tend to come out. So I was the one cuffed.”
“I so didn’t need to know that, Thomas,” Galvin sighed. “I was just teasing you both. I don’t care at all.”
No, but Brian did. Another wave hit me, and I pulled his head down, taking a few small sips of energy he’d recover from. Watching Galvin’s reaction to Brian’s dry orgasm right there was almost comical.
The councilman opened the door and called in one of his—well, now my—people. He nodded for me to use the guy, and I didn’t hesitate, needing the energy. I shoved the guy against the wall and fed, smacking his hands away when he tried to map out my body and get clothes off of me. I kept feeding in huge gulps since the guy was seriously old and powerful.
“Oh fuck me hard, that did not keep with my promise of abstinence this year and getting a cleanse of women.”
“It’s next year over where you’re from,” I defended.
“Can we have sex now?” he whimpered, looking like he wanted to eat me.
“No. You got the treat of the feed. Thank me for that and get out.” I pointed to the door as if he needed reminding.
“Can I get on the list first for when you need a moon mate?”
“Get. Out,” I growled. “I’m not a whore.”
“No, no you’re not, but there has to be a bevy of people vying for your attention, and I so want to be at the top.” He held up his hands in surrender as he stumbled to the door, still dealing with the effects. “I just didn’t want you to think me an asshole.”
Men.
“How much more did you take from him than Havers?” Galvin asked me.
I pointed to Brian. “About a cup.�
� Then I gestured to the door the guy had just gone through. “A few Olympic-sized swimming pools.”
“Okay, explain this to me again,” he sighed.
So I did, not knowing he’d been filled in before even. I guess it made sense because I’d want to know too, especially if I was risking my ass by hiding what I was and still protecting me. When I was done he nodded, waving me to come towards him.
“I still should know firsthand. Take a cup or whatever.”
My power flared at how flippant and sort of insulting he was being like I was a toy to play with so he understood them better. I backed away from him instead, my siren pissed. “Give me a minute. I don’t trust her at the moment.”
“He insulted her,” Brian muttered, moving in front of Galvin slightly. “Sera, explain it to her.”
“She doesn’t really care about work place politics, Bri. A man just treated us like a toy, using his position over us to order me to do tricks like a dog, so my wolf isn’t all that happy too.”
“What does she want?” Galvin asked nervously.
“To fuck with you probably,” Brian warned, and I nodded.
“I apologize for the disrespect, Thomas. I would never mean to do that to you. I don’t understand all of this.”
“Then how about you find out,” my siren purred, jumping in the driver’s seat.
“Shit,” Brian hissed, rubbing his arms as my power flared.
“I did it,” Galvin accepted, moving him out of the way.
No married men! I reminded my siren, grateful when she nodded and noticed the ring herself. I had lines she wasn’t supposed to cross and yes, this got murky because work and my powers, but I did not screw with married men. No way. Not ever.
She even let us align instead of taking over, being very clear she wanted him to understand his place in life even if he was my boss professionally. She thrust more power at him, and Galvin dropped to his knee, moaning.
“Mmm, you are fun,” I purred in that merged voice, reaching out and touching his cheek. “My, my, you do love your wife even if she’s not all that inventive. You love her enough to accept that while still resenting her a bit because she should love you enough to explore and give you what you need too. Yes, a woman who doesn’t try is a bore.” I smiled at Brian. “We like to try just about everything, don’t we, lover?”