Shifting Darkness

by Kate Wendley

  Zach didn’t miss a beat when he turned to him and said, “Are you?”

  He frowned and looked away.

  Zach finally cut the cryptic crap when he more flatly said, “Don’t you want to be around more of your own kind? You’re jaguar and there aren’t that many of us.”

  Vince sighed and pulled onto the road. “Mom’s not going to like this.”

  Zach shot back, “That’s what we’re going to find out.”

  **

  After driving in blessed silence for a time, Zach bluntly said, “What’s with your shakes?”

  He wanted to growl at him for pointing it out because most people had the decency to look the other way when they noticed. He was thankful at least that his muscle twitches had been mostly calm in the club while he was so amped up on being there. Now that the rush of excitement was mostly over, he was crashing and his fatigue washed over him in a bad way.

  “I’m just tired. They’ll calm down a little after I get some sleep.”

  “They’ll calm down just a little?”

  This time he did growl. “I don’t know what’s with my shakes, ok? They just are. They started when I was around ten or something. I can’t remember.”

  Zach regarded him for a time. “You need to see our doctor.”

  “No doctors.”

  “He’s a shifter.”

  Vince blinked at him, then regretfully said, “I don’t have insurance.”

  “You don’t need it. Family doesn’t pay for doctor visits. He’s in another building back home.”

  “Back home? You mean where the club is? You live there?”

  “There’s more than just a club at that address. People live in the apartments above, I share a place with Sebastian and Anthony below, and the doctor is in the other building. There are other things, too. School rooms, a gym, a library… lots of things. Just for supers, though. The club is for everyone in the community, the rest is just for Anthony’s family.”

  “Who’s Sebastian?”

  “The Alpha Wolf. You met him tonight. The blonde guy at the bar.”

  Huh. That must’ve been the surly dude. “And Anthony? You share a place with him, too? A vampire?”

  “Yep.” Zach paused, then said, “You don’t know anything about the supernaturals in this city, do you?”

  They came to a red light and Vince slowed to a stop. He wasn’t sure if being ignorant about a community he was supposed to be a part of was a good or bad thing.

  The car shuddered and a whiff of exhaust hit him in the face. Ugh. When it cleared, he was stuck by the fact that he notice a distinct scent from Zach, and it made him feel like a fraud that he struggled so much with his animal senses. They were hit and miss, but for the most part he knew vampires smelled like stark, crisp night air, and shifters smelled like humans with a thick undertone of earthiness. Beyond that, he couldn’t tell the different were-animals apart. Now, he suddenly wanted to. Or at least the jaguars.

  He tried to be discreet when he took a deep breath through his nose, but Zach immediately focused on him.

  “Something wrong?”

  “Ah, no. Just…”

  “Getting used to what another jaguar smells like?”

  He was about to make up some dumb excuse for why he’d been smelling the air, something he was used to doing around humans, but Zach wasn’t human. Besides, he acted like it was normal for Vince to be scenting him.

  His voice came out a little quiet when he said, “Yeah.”

  “So what do I smell like?”

  Still feeling weird being so openly shifter in front of someone other than his mom, he cautiously took another couple sniffs of the air, then frowned. “I don’t know. You don’t smell like anything… different.”

  “Because I’m not. I’m jaguar. Like you. I shouldn’t smell different. Only the other animals should. And vampires.”

  Vince stared at him as that hit home. Zach had his own unique smells, like any person did, but underneath it all he didn’t have the heavy, earthy scent some shifters had. He smelled more like a warm blanket fresh from the dryer. He smelled of scents Vince associated with home.

  Zach pointed to the green light out the dash, so Vince pulled himself out of his thoughts and started driving again. “It’s really only supers at the club? No humans?”

  “No humans besides Kaia.”

  Good. He wouldn’t have to try so hard to act human if he went back there, and curvy Penny was there, too, except she obviously hated him.

  “There are only fifteen jaguars in Atlanta?”

  “Fifteen besides you and your mom. Nine werefoxes, about two hundred fifty vampires, a few hundred werecoyotes, and a couple thousand werewolves.”

  “That many werewolves? Really?”

  There was a hint of contempt in his voice when he said, “Really. We should be sticking together, Vince.”

  He wasn’t ready to just give in and join forces with this complete stranger, this powerful complete stranger, so he kept quiet.

  Zach kept right on talking, anyway. “So if you’re not in a pack, I’m assuming you’re not in a family, either. Am I wrong?”

  He frowned. “I told you I’m not alone in Atlanta.” Through the years, he’d overheard conversations between shifters about families, but none of it ever made sense to him, and his mom didn’t seem to know either.

  “But no family, I mean besides your mom. Right? And you don’t know who your dad is.”

  Vince glared at the road and snapped, “Do you?”

  “Know who my dad is? No. I mean, I know his name, but I’ve never met him. He’s not around.”

  Vince flicked his attention to Zach. “That’s not what I… Really?”

  “My mom says it’s the jaguar curse. We like to be loners. All cats are a bit like that.”

  He’d never heard that before.

  “But seriously. You don’t have a supernatural family?”

  He tiredly said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His stomach growled again and he barely noticed. It was just a fact of life for him to constantly be hungry.

  Zach gave him a look, then finally said, “You don’t know anything about the families. Hmm. You’ve been kept totally in the dark for some reason.”

  Vince growled under his breath.

  “Don’t get mad at me. I’m not the one that did it.”

  “Are you accusing my mom of something?”

  Zach put his hands up. “Just stating facts. And since you truly seem clueless, I’ll fill you in a little. I’m in Anthony’s family. He oversees the largest family in Atlanta.”

  Wait. Anthony was powerful enough to be in charge of the largest family of vampires and shifters in Atlanta? What had Kaia gotten herself into? “What kind of family are you talking about?”

  “The kind where shifters, and even vampires, watch each other’s backs.”

  Huh. Not having to feel like they were constantly living on their guard would be nice. Having others to watch out for them would be awesome, actually, but he wasn’t stupid. Things that seemed too good to be true usually were.

  “If Anthony’s family is so big, why do you care about meeting my mom and me? What difference does it make how many jaguars you know?”

  The look on Zach’s face almost made him feel ashamed for asking the question. “Because there are different levels of family, Vince. And no one will ever feel as much like family as your own kind. Why haven’t you guys ever sought us out before now?”

  “I told you. We don’t hang with supers. They’re nothing but trouble.”

  “Or maybe you’re avoiding someone.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Let’s ask your mom.”

  He didn’t like the sound of him accusing her of something devious, but he’d learned too much tonight to not want more questions answered, too.

  Zach quietly said, “You’re one of us. You should be hanging with us.”

  He wondered how differently Zach would feel if he
knew Vince wasn’t actually a shifter. His inevitable disappointment, or worse, disgust, gave him a sinking feeling in his gut.

  His stomach growled yet again, and it was too loud in the suddenly quiet car.

  “You like Willy’s?”

  “Huh?”

  “Willy’s Mexicana. Do you like it?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  Zach pointed down the road. “Good. Pull in. Let’s get some food.”

  **

  Vince’s mouth watered as he picked out the toppings for his burrito. He loved this place. The food was good, the burritos were huge, and he could actually afford to eat here once in a while. Hopefully getting something in his stomach would help with his shakes tonight, too. They were getting worse. He’d pushed himself too hard trying to keep his measly extra senses open while at the club. Now he felt drained and just wanted to curl up in a dark corner and pass out.

  “You look pale. Go sit down. I’ll get this.”

  “I’m fine. And I’m not a charity case.”

  Zach’s voice started out calm, but it got firmer and angrier as he said, “Didn’t say you were. I said you look pale. Go sit down.”

  Vince looked away from Zach and did as he was told, but on the way to a table, he stopped in shock. He’d never felt the need to blindly obey someone like he just had, and it bothered him. A lot. His earlier feeling of submitting to Zach’s dominance was one thing, having his thoughts and freewill taken over was a whole other level of trouble he did not need in his life.

  He was too exhausted to do anything about it, though, so he sat down and waited. It didn’t take long before Zach was in front of the table, a couple bags of food in hand.

  “You look like hell. Is this how you get every night?”

  He reluctantly said, “I pushed myself too hard at the club.”

  “How so?”

  “Opening my senses up.”

  Zach stared at him, a contemplative frown on his face. “Let’s go. I got food for your mom, too.”

  Chapter 5

  Zach insisted on driving the rest of the way, and Vince gladly let him. He directed him to the investment office his mom cleaned for at night, wishing he was back home in bed instead of here with a dangerous stranger.

  “There. Park in that lot. There’s a bench we can eat at.”

  “How far is your house from here?”

  “About ten minutes.”

  “We’ll eat there. Is that your mom?”

  Vince wearily looked where he pointed. If he had more energy he’d be mad at himself for letting Zach tag along tonight. He didn’t want to put his mom in danger, and would never forgive himself if something happened to her, but there was nothing he could do about any of it now. He still wondered if this night had somehow been orchestrated by Anthony, but if so, why? What was Vince to a powerful vampire?

  As his mind wandered, he looked over in a tired haze to see Zach opening his door.

  “Stay in the car. I want to talk to her alone.”

  “No.” He opened his own door, but Zach grabbed his arm and held on tight.

  “Relax, Vince. I just want to talk to her.”

  He was getting really tired of being bossed around, and a low growl started deep in his throat. It was a purely animal sound, and it gave him satisfaction that he at least had that shifter trait.

  Zach narrowed his eyes, his face looking more and more catlike as he growled and they stared each other down. Vince eventually felt a heavy, oppressive need to break eye contact and submit to Zach again, and it chilled him to his bones. He didn’t like this feeling of submissiveness. Not one bit.

  He discreetly looked around himself, wondering if he could make a run for it, and if he could get to his mom in time to warn her of the danger. His shakes were bad, though, besides how tired he was. There’d be no way he’d get far with the damn alpha chasing him.

  “Don’t make this difficult, Vince. We’re just talking tonight.”

  He dared to look up at Zach again, then jerked back in shock. His eyes glowed and pulsed in a way he’d never seen before, and soon a feeling of weightlessness washed through him. In the space of a heartbeat he felt more calm and relaxed than he had in ages. Even Zach’s voice seemed soothing as he leaned over him and pulled Vince’s door closed again. “Stay in the car while I talk to your mom. When we come back, you’ll be yourself again.”

  Vince nodded and relaxed into his seat as he watched his new friend walk away.

  **

  The door slammed shut and jolted Vince awake.

  “What the hell just happened?” His mom was in the driver’s seat, Zach was in the back, and he had no idea how he would’ve fallen asleep so hard that he didn’t even realize they were done talking. In fact, he didn’t remember anything past them arguing about him not wanting to stay in the car.

  Zach said, “Relax. You were in a trance. You’re fine now.”

  He’d mind controlled him and Vince wanted to catapult over the seat and punch him. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

  “I’m your new alpha. Now chill out.”

  His mom put her hand on his arm and quietly said, “It’s ok honey.”

  “It’s not ok! Don’t ever fucking do that to me again!”

  Zach growled low and mean. “Watch your mouth with me.”

  Vince clenched his jaw as he glared at him.

  Zach kept his eyes on him as he said, “Drive us home Charlotte. Then we’re going to eat and we’ll talk about the plan for tomorrow.”

  Vince bit off, “The plan for what?”

  “The plan for you to see the doctor and find out why you can’t shift.”

  Confusion knocked Vince’s rage down a notch to intense irritation. “What do you mean? I’m a hybrid. We don’t shift. We’re only part shifter.”

  “Who’s we? And where did you get the idea there’s such a thing as a hybrid?”

  Vince immediately looked to his mom, but she’d already shriveled up in the driver’s seat under his intense scrutiny. So she had been keeping things from him. He settled back down and glared out the side window.

  Zach carefully said, “The doctor will take a look at you and try to figure out what’s wrong. With your shakes, too.”

  He couldn’t look at either of them anymore, and he knew better than to push Zach, but his whole life was starting to feel like a big fucking lie. He ached to punch something. Instead, with barely controlled venom, he said, “I’d really like it if you’d both stop talking now.”

  Thankfully, they did. His mom started the car back up, and the familiar rattles and clunks of the Maxima only made him even more irritated on the drive home.

  Chapter 6

  Anthony left Kaia at her own home for the night, surprised to see Zach waiting anxiously for him back at the club.

  “We need to talk. Now. In private.”

  His expression was closed off, but it was the underlying sense of anger that really worried him. “Of course. My office?”

  Zach was already on his way there and nearly exploded once Anthony closed the door with the two of them inside. Anthony quickly used his power to put a soundproof field around them.

  “Do you know anything about a pregnant werejaguar coming here looking for help twenty seven years ago?”

  He went still. Kaia’s friend Vince had looked to be around that age. “No. I don’t.”

  Zach looked ready for a fight, and that definitely wasn’t a good thing. He was the most easygoing person around here most days.

  “How about after that? Do you ever remember a female werejaguar coming here? Someone not in my pack?”

  “No. What’s happened?”

  “A red headed vampire turned her away. More than once.”

  “Dag. What did he do? I already warned him−”

  “A red headed woman.”

  He scowled in disgust. “Bethany.” He despised that woman. It was too bad she’d never done anything serious enough to be kicked out of the family for.

  Zach’s
expression turned guarded. “Something’s wrong with her son. Vince.”

  Anthony sighed and sat down in his desk chair. “Yes, I know. He shakes and he’s too uncoordinated, especially for a jaguar.”

  “Have you ever seen that in a shifter before?”

  “No, but I’ll provide whatever assistance both of them need.”

  Zach paced in a small, angry circle around the room. “I want to talk to your vampire. I want answers.”

  He locked eyes with his friend. “Of course.”

  “If she confirms it’s true, I also want punishment.”

  “You have my word.”

  **

  They waited at the empty bar just after four in the morning. Chester shut things down long ago, and now the only people in the club were the early morning risers and vampires coming home to sleep in safety for the day.

  It worried him that Zach’s anger hadn’t calmed much while they waited, so when Bethany finally showed up, looking perfectly coifed and regal as she nearly glided across the room, he quickly put himself between her and Zach in the hopes there really would be some talking before anything more violent happened.

  Anthony gestured for her to stop, and wasn’t at all surprised when she huffed and kept right on walking.

  “Bethany!”

  She halted at the rare sound of him raising his voice, irritation marring her otherwise flawless complexion.

  “Yes Master?” She couldn’t sound more patronizing if she tried.

  “Zach would like a word with you.”

  Both her perfectly lined brows lifted as if she found the request tiresome, though that didn’t stop her from studying Zach head to foot. A lascivious smile slowly spread across her face. It towed the line between real and fake interest and looked disgusting on her, no matter how beautiful she was.

  Zach didn’t appear to enjoy her obnoxious flirting either, his anger building as the seconds ticked by. “A loner werejaguar came here a few times over the years and spoke to you. Do you remember?”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “There are so many shifters. I can’t keep track of them all.”

  “There aren’t that many jaguars. Her name is Charlotte. The first time she came here she was pregnant.”