“Glad I can impress you so much,” Jett said, pausing at the door and turning back to me. “And sometimes, Ariana, what’s right for the greater good doesn’t benefit one or two people along the way. Not everyone can win every time.”
“I guess I’m the loser here,” I said. “Thanks for the valuable lesson. I’ll tell my wolf that next time she’s crying because someone is shoving poison down our throat.”
Jett’s jaw tightened, and a pained expression crossed his face. “If you’d just cooperate…”
“I won’t be complicit in what she’s doing,” I said. “Hell no. She’s making something ten times worse than a vampire. Go see for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
“I might just do that,” Jett said.
“Fine,” I said. “Do it.”
Shaking his head, he turned away and slipped out the door, disappearing into the corridor outside my room.
14
Jett
I stormed off down the hall feeling like the biggest jackass that ever lived. Yeah, Quicksilver was being a little childish, but I was no better. I’d fallen right into the trap of sinking to that level and arguing like a child. And worse, my fucking panther was going crazy with some instinctual bullshit about saving her.
No. We save the world first. Then the girl.
Even if I let her go, I knew Ariana wouldn’t see anything noble in my saving her. And why would she? After what I’d done, after helping the humans bring her here, she had no reason to trust me or see anything good in me. And I had no reason to want her to.
I kept telling myself that as my phone buzzed in my pocket once again. I slipped it out and checked the screen. I had at least a dozen messages, most of them from Cash. Fuck. I saw a couple missed calls from him as well, but I didn’t want to deal with them just yet. I had a message from Cassie that seemed a good alternative, so I held the phone to my ear as I headed for Dr. Siegfred’s office.
“Seriously, Jett? You’re going to disappear on me right now?” Cassie demanded in lieu of a greeting. “Clan business is going on without you. I hope you know that. Until you come back, I’m making all the decisions, and I’m not even sorry.”
She paused to take a breath.
“Also, the otherpanther clans have been calling about our intention to join the American Panther Alliance. I was waiting for you to get back before I give them an answer, but since I don’t know when that is, they’ll probably just form without us.”
“Fuck,” I muttered.
“Or maybe I’ll just decide for us,” Cassie continued on the message. “That’s my job as your Second, after all. Have fun in crazytown, or wherever you ran off to.”
She hung up without a goodbye. I had arrived at the doctor’s office, but paused to tap out a quick text before entering.
Tell them we’re in. Can’t leave just yet, but I’ll be back soon. Thanks for taking care of things while I’m gone.
I sent the message, then made the mistake of tapping on Cash’s message thread. There were at least a dozen messages. They wanted to know where I was and why I wasn’t coming to help. They were on their way to find Ariana. They had traced the van.
Fuck. Of course they had. Some small part of me must have known they would, even wanted them to. Why else would I have given them the footage?
Still, I had thought the doctor would be able to replicate whatever it was in her Silver Shifter blood that made vampires human by now. I’d been counting on it. Now, all she had were a bunch of samples, not even enough to turn all the vampires in New York, let alone the world.
My frustration built until I wanted to slam my fist through the wall. Instead, I kicked open the doctor’s door. She needed to remember that I was cooperating in all this, not that I was another one of her inmates. I could walk away at any time.
Except… She had Ariana. If I walked away, I couldn’t take her with me. The humans had taken her. I’d just told them where to find her.
Muriel jumped and spun toward me, away from a film she was watching on her dual computer screens. In the video, I could see two beds set up, each with a woman sitting on it.
“Jett,” Muriel said, jumping to her feet. “I’m so glad you’re here. You won’t believe what the shifter’s blood did to that vampire-turned-human.”
“Try me,” I gritted out, crossing my arms and frowning down at her. She might be the one in charge here, but she was also just a human.
She didn’t seem to remember that I could snap her in half like a twig if I wanted. That I was literally a predator in my other form, and she was prey. Her eyes gleamed with a manic excitement as she grabbed my arm and dragged me closer to her desk. “I can’t stop watching it,” she said. “It’s the most incredible thing! It’s something beyond what I’d even imagined. Not vampire or human, not shifter or witch, but an entirely new being. Her blood… It makes magic, Jett. She’s—she’s like a god! She’s put a new species on this earth.”
I didn’t like the sound of this.
Behind her, on the screens, the vampire attacked the pathetic human on the other cot. I tore my gaze from it, disgusted.
“I brought her to your attention so we could turn vampires into humans,” I said. “So they couldn’t harm the shifter community or humanity. Not make some freaky aliens.”
“But this is so much bigger than that,” Dr. Siegfred cried, clasping her hands. “Don’t you see, Jett? There are endless possibilities. We have no idea what her blood can do! Why, I haven’t even injected it into an ordinary human yet.”
The vampire on the screen returned to the bed, feeding the human her blood to turn her back into a vampire.
“And you’re not going to,” I said. “Her job is to cure vampirism, not to be your little lab rat for the rest of her life.”
“Well, of course not,” Muriel said. “But until we can isolate and identify the cure, she’s going to have to keep making blood for us. You may have started this, but you can’t stop it, Jett.”
I couldn’t answer. I was staring at the grotesque alien creature that had materialized in the glass cells on the computer screens.
I swallowed a wave of nausea, which hardened to an ember of rage in the pit of my stomach.
“You forced Ariana to witness this?” I demanded, turning away from the hideous scene. “You’re one sick fuck, you know that, Doc?”
“She wasn’t harmed,” Dr. Siegfred said, scooting back from me as my hands balled into fists. “I know she’s your friend. Or… Something.”
I could feel my pulse throbbing in my temples as I took a step closer. My panther rose to the surface, pushing to be released on this helpless human, to make her pay for what she’d done to our mate. “How dare you bring that up?” I growled, my claws extending against my palms.
“I just—Look, she’s fine,” the doctor said, gesturing at the screens where she was wheeling Ariana from the room. “See?”
“She’s not fine,” I exploded, grabbing the doctor by the throat. I lifted her off the ground, my claws breaking the skin.
She shrieked, kicking her legs and clawing at my hand. I could feel my panther glowing from my eyes, and I knew that she realized at last how easy it would be for me to kill her. What she didn’t know was how much control I had over myself. My panther was exactly as deadly as I let him be. If I wanted to show her a little of his presence, I might. But I hadn’t lost control of him in almost fifteen years, not since my father died, and I wasn’t about to start now.
I wanted to, though. Oh, yeah, I wanted to. I wanted to squash the doctor like the sick worm she was. But if I did that, maybe the humans would start looking for someone who could suppress shifting. I’d go mad with my panther trapped inside me forever. He was as much a part of me as my human side.
But I had opened a can of worms, and now there was no way to put them back. If changing the very nature of one being was an option, the only question was, which one would be next?
The thought doused my anger, and I dropped Muriel to her feet. She
staggered backwards against her desk, her hand to her throat. I’d just barely drawn blood, but she stared with wide-eyed shock at her hand like I’d severed an artery. “You—you—” she sputtered.
“You have the rest of this day with Ariana,” I said. “If you haven’t figured it out by then, you’re just going to have to find another solution. I’m taking her with me when I leave tomorrow.”
“We only have a few samples we haven’t used,” Muriel managed, though she was quaking against her desk.
“Then take a few more,” I said. “But don’t even think about doing anything else to her. I’ll be in the observation room watching you every second until then. If you lay a finger on her with the intent to harm… Well. You’ve only seen a glimpse of what I can do to you.”
15
Owen
“Owen, wake up,” Cash growled inches from my face.
I blinked my eyes open. What the hell was going on? When had I fallen asleep? I slowly sat up, pushing away Cash’s hands which had been shaking my shoulders. I sat forward and rubbed my forehead. I could feel a stress headache forming in my temples.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice gravelly with sleep.
“They found out who owns the van. We have an address,” Cash said. He darted
from the living room to grab his coat hooked on a coat rack next to the door.
“What?” My breath whooshed from my chest like someone had stomped on my lungs. My heart raced as I imagined finding Ariana and holding her tight in my arms. Once we had her back I was never letting her go.
“Come on,” Maximus barked. He bounced on the soles of his feet next to the door, his eyes wild with excitement.
I shot to my feet and grabbed my coat. Maximus had just wrenched the door open when a strange floral scent hit my nose, forcing me to backpedal.
Maximus froze, a snarl rumbling between his teeth. “Warlock.”
I ground my teeth. This wasn’t the time. Why did Dante have to choose now to make an appearance?
“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” a chipper British voice cooed from outside.
I took a peek through the doorway to find Dante’s minion standing a few feet away. He had a nasty smile curling his lips and deepening the wrinkles in his pale skin. His green eyes were so dark and his pupils so wide that his eyes were nearly as black as his suit.
“What do you want?” I snapped. I remembered this guy from the last time he threatened Ariana. He’d just shown up in wolf clan territory, getting right through their defenses to meet us at the main cabin. Only this time he was on bear territory. If he thought he’d get away with threatening my mate again, he had another thing coming.
The warlock—Nevil, I think frowned. “What a rude way to greet a guest.”
“You’re no guest of mine.” I stepped forward, towering over the small aging man with gray hair. “I think we made ourselves perfectly clear last time. Ariana belongs to no one but herself. You and your master aren’t welcome here.”
Nevil laughed. “You shifters need to learn some manners.”
Maximus slammed his fist against the doorframe. If I wasn’t in his way, I was sure he’d have landed his fist elsewhere—probably right against Nevil’s snide mouth. “You chose a bad time to get in our way, warlock.”
Nevil’s laughter died. “It is you that has chosen a bad time to get in mine.” His eyes narrowed at the wolf alpha. “It seems you’ve discovered the location of Mister Ryse’s missing property. If you’ll just hand over this information, I’ll be on my way.”
“You want us to tell you where to find Ari?” Cash asked.
“Like hell.” Before I could stop him, Maximus was pushing passed me and lunging out the door.
Nevil’s shape shimmered, and Maximus tumbled to the ground right through the warlock’s form. He was only down a moment before his skin rippled and the scent of wolf filled the air.
“Maximus!” I warned.
It was too late. Human Maximus gave way to a large grey wolf with eyes like molten gold. His snarl ripped through the quiet yard, and then he lunged.
Nevil laughed as he teleported a few feet away. He reappeared next to my truck parked in the circular driveway. “I planned on getting what I need peacefully, but if you insist on a fight, I’d be happy to oblige.”
A tingle brushed my skin like it always did when a magic user was calling on their power. A growl of frustrated ripped from my throat as I dove out of the house and down the porch steps. Cash was quick on my heels, heat wafting off of him in waves.
“You’re messing with the wrong alphas, warlock,” Cash warned.
“Leave bear territory now, and you won’t come to any harm,” I offered. The warlock was only delaying us. Ariana was out there, and we needed to get to her.
The warlock shook his head. “It is you who should be afraid, shifter.”
Flames blazed from the warlock’s hand suddenly. They licked the air hungrily, growing until they stood two feet high. Orange light flickered in the warlock’s crazed eyes. It was then I realized we weren’t getting out of here without a fight.
If he wanted to face down three alpha shifters, let him. He’d be running with his tail between his legs in minutes.
Nevil took a step back and threw his fireball at Maximus. The wolf leapt out of the fireballs path, gaining ground on the warlock. Fire ate up the grass where he’d stood. I glanced at Cash to find him with a hand outstretched. He pulled the fire from the blackened grass and into his hand.
“You want to play with fire, warlock? Let’s play.” Cash threw the fireball right back at the warlock. Nevil’s eyes widened as he blinked away. When he returned into sight, the fire he’d had in hand disappeared.
My heart raced as I realized what that meant. He might be able to teleport himself all around my territory, but he couldn’t hold up another spell while he did it. If we wanted to win, we’d have to catch him right after he teleported.
“You can handle the fire, right, Cash?” I asked. My bear rumbled to life at my call, his massive form pushing at the boundaries of my mind. He was as ready as I was to take this bastard down once and for all.
“I got it,” Cash yelled.
I smiled. Cash was a smart guy. He’d figure out what I had up my sleeve any second. “Watch our backs and catch him off guard.” I didn’t want to explain any further and risk ruining my plan. So instead, I let down the walls I used to keep my bear inside. My bear shot forward at my command, his fur enveloping my skin and claws pushing from my nail beds.
I let out a ferocious roar as I fell on four massive paws. I shook, letting my bear settle around me like a second set of skin.
Maximus and Nevil were locked in a constant battle of teleport and attack. Every time Maximus leapt forward to bite the bastard that dare threaten our mate, Nevil blinked out of existence and reappeared a few feet away, a laugh on his lips. But the second my bear’s roar was unleashed, my clan would come running. Though it wasn’t quite the same as the pack bond Maximus’s wolves shared, I could feel their warmth and their anger as they finally sensed the danger in our midst.
Nevil teleported again, getting a little distance between him and the wolf alpha this time. I charged, my claws tearing up the lawn as I ran at him. The warlock blinked away once, then twice, as Maximus leapt for him. On the third time, he reappeared on the porch, and fire burned to life in his hands.
“I’m growing tired of this,” Nevil said dryly.
“So are we,” Cash snapped, launching a fireball of his own at the warlock.
Again, Nevil teleported away. Cash reigned his flames back in time to keep from ruining my house. I was grateful—my mother would never have let me live it down if we lost that house. It had been in the family for generations.
When the warlock came back this time, I was ready. I charged, a growl rising inside of me. I shot a look at Maximus as I went, and the wolf alpha braced his paws apart, ready to jump.
When Nevil disappeared this time, I skidded to a sto
p and threw myself around to face the opposite direction.
Maximus leapt at the same time I did. Just as Nevil reappeared, the wolf alpha hit him hard, and they both tumbled to the ground. Maximus raked his claws down the warlock’s chest, and I grabbed one of his legs in my sturdy jaw, biting down with as much force as I could muster.
A scream tore from the warlock’s mouth, and then he blinked out of existence once again.
I waited, panting as I scanned the yard.
When the warlock didn’t return after several moments, I slowly lowered my hackles and looked between the other two alphas.
“I think he’s gone,” Cash said. “That was a good plan.”
I nodded awkwardly with my big head. It was always strange doing human things in animal form. I scanned the yard one last time before I sent out a quick message to my clan—or more like a feeling in our case. They were safe now, but they should remain on high alert just in case.
Maximus was the first to shift back, groaning as he stood. He returned to the porch and slipped on his jeans where they’d fallen. “Damn warlock,” he muttered as he picked up the shredded remains on his black t-shirt.
I shifted back, my bear sliding off of my skin like water. I straightened and stretched my neck.
“What a coward,” Cash huffed.
“Agreed,” I said. “But he’s gone now, and we’ve got to get going.”
The other alphas froze. As their adrenaline faded, realization dawned on their faces. The warlock had just been a distraction. Now we had to find our mate.
“Let’s go!” Cash called as he raced to his car parked at the end of the driveway.
Maximus was quick to follow.
I ran inside and snatched the first t-shirt and pair of jeans in my dresser, since mine had shredded when I shifted into a bear. I grabbed a t-shirt for Maximus before heading out the door to join the others. As I slid into the backseat, I tossed the second shirt to Maximus and began to dress.
“Let’s find our mate,” I said. My fingers curled around the backrests of either alpha as I leaned forward.
Her Bear: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 3) Page 9