“Precisely.”
I bumped the tip of my sneaker against a stone protruding from the soil. “So what’s the deal with me?”
“The demonic traits are deeply integrated in your body, Lotte, part of your DNA. This is so much more than just a stain that seeped into the structure of your essence. The scientists seemed to have…lifted a layer and woven the new trait into your genetic makeup. Just a sample of it, but it’s there, as if it’s truly yours—not something imposed on you, but something you were born with.”
I swallowed past the uneasiness. “So you’re saying that if I’d spent more time there, they would have changed me? Actually changed me?”
“More than likely.”
“Shit.” I rubbed my hands across my face. “That’s a terrifying prospect. You think they have more labs or that it was just the one we destroyed?”
Isa shrugged, though the tightness in her body remained. “It’s anyone’s guess. We haven’t discovered anything that would indicate they have more facilities set up, but after the takedown, I also wouldn’t be surprised if they took more pains to hide their work.”
“So you’ve got nothing?”
All that shit and still no cigar. The Frankensteinian lab of nightmares was linked to Nill—that much I’d puzzled out during my exploration of the facility—but either Isa was reluctant to share where that lead had taken them—or there really wasn’t a single damn thing to share.
For once, I actually hoped she was keeping things from me.
“Lotte, there’s something else I came here to discuss.” She smoothed a strand of black hair the breeze had tossed forward.
A surge of wariness sent goose bumps skittering down my skin. “What?”
“An offer.”
Four
I arched an eyebrow. “You have an offer? For me?”
The last time she’d made one, things hadn’t panned out so well. But curiosity sealed my lips before I could voice my suspicions.
Isa stepped forward into the sunlight, her green eyes bright—if a touch predatory. “I’m leading the investigation on Milan Kauer.”
Ah, that would explain the predatory aspect.
“Thanks to you—and Detective Caz Zeman’s cooperation—we now have somewhere to start. But Zeman said himself when I first spoke with him, tracking down Kauer is, indeed, proving to be immensely difficult. Even with our joined resources, there are still too many dead ends, too many gaps we can’t seem to fill. It’s…frustrating, to say the least.”
“So what’s the offer?” I asked, distrust all but dripping from my tone.
“Come work for us, Lotte. As an outside liaison.”
“What?” A dry, if somewhat hysterical, laugh bubbled from my lips. “You’ve got to be shitting me, Isa…”
“Trust me, I’m not,” she snapped, green eyes flaring, though there was no real bite to her words. “Look, you might have infuriating methods that ICRA looks down upon, but you’re efficient. Frightfully so. Besides, you have far more precious links to the outside world than any agent with street contacts could dream of—”
“You want me for my blood relations?” I seethed and prowled forward. “Use me to get closer to the true individuals of power?”
Although her body remained almost painfully still, Isa quickly shook her head. “No. I can’t deny that having direct help from the deities or The Dark Ones would come in handy in times of crisis, but that’s the only reason I brought it up. Perhaps an error on my part, although I presume you prefer a cards-down approach.”
I grunted in agreement, as little as I liked the whole bloody thing. Better she said it now than to find myself on the receiving end of her persuasion—or pressure—to get the twins and their crew from Ljubljana on board later on. They already had a lot on their plates, running nearly the entire damn world. Unless I was left with no other options, as I’d been during the Munich Games, I preferred to not get involved in every issue life threw my way.
“Fine. So if it’s not The Dark Ones you want, then what?”
A lone bird chirped overhead but quickly scurried away thanks to the tense energy both Isa and I were emanating.
“What I’m truly speaking about, Lotte, is you. Your mind, the way you think. You’re part of the real world, not merely a figure of the law. If we can’t get to Kauer’s organization, maybe someone on the outside, someone who isn’t…molded the same way we are, could.”
She had a point there. But she was also missing one very important fact.
“I want nothing to do with ICRA,” I said quietly.
Isa reached out as if to place a hand on my arm, then thought better of it. “Look, the offer stands. The exams you went through weren’t just a means to determine your health. They were tests every future agent has to pass. You did so with flying colors.”
“As flattering as that is, my answer remains the same.” I stepped away from her. “I never wanted any of this. And even if I’m capable of doing a job, it doesn’t mean I’m the right person for it. It was luck that kept me alive this past year. I have no desire to push it.”
I met her gaze one last time then strode off towards the facility. The blissful lack of movement behind me indicated Isa was smart enough not to follow. The impersonal ICRA building loomed up ahead, agents coming and going through the front doors while vague shapes moved in the illuminated windows.
No, this certainly wasn’t a life I wanted for myself.
But as I stalked across that final stretch of land, I couldn’t erase Isa’s words from my mind. Could I live with myself, knowing I could have done something to stop Kauer’s body count from piling up?
I shook my head.
Schultz might have been my fight. That damned lab, too. But this…
This wasn’t.
Only if that were the case, then why did the thought of walking away suddenly taste so damn bitter?
Music pulsed from behind me, the chatter of people lively and welcoming, though a little bizarre after the three months at ICRA where the most good-natured excitement I had was sneaking off to have sex with Afanasiy. I suppressed those delicious memories and set down my drink on the nearby high-top table as two familiar, utterly thrilled faces sought me out.
I hugged my dad, then my mom, matching their grins with one of my own.
“I’m so happy for you, Lotte,” my mom said, her fingers pressing lightly into my shoulder before she let go and wrapped her arm around Pablo who’d rushed up to her side from gods-knew-where. “Now things can finally get back to normal.”
While normal wasn’t exactly a word I would use for my state of life, I nodded nonetheless. The instant I’d cleared the facility gates, the memory of my chat with Isa had faded into the background and thoughts of the Olympiapark Tennis-Zentrum filled my mind. In truth, I couldn’t wait to get back to work.
Alec had done an excellent job running the compound in my absence, and with Jaxon on the team, our athletes were climbing up the ranks with a whole lot of success. I longed to contribute, guide the club forward and help create brilliant futures for the kids we’d taken under our wing. This was my calling, and regardless of all the shit still floating on the periphery, it really felt good to be back.
“Now you’ve done it, Liesl.” My dad’s voice rose over the chatter. “She’s already thinking about work.”
My mom chuckled, and I joined in—though not before rolling my eyes at Dad.
“Fine, fine,” I grumbled. “Work mode off. Party mode on.”
It was his turn for a dramatic eye roll. And on a seasoned were, that was quite a sight to behold.
“I think that’s our cue to go,” he said, only half joking.
I wanted to ask them to stay, but that would only fire up Pablo who seemed more than eager to protest already. I bit my lower lip to hold back a laugh.
“I’ll drop by for dinner on Sunday. We can catch up a bit more then.” I smiled at my parents, then ruffled Pablo’s thick hair before he could stop me.
He s
narled, but a hint of laughter trickled into his voice. “I don’t want to go.”
“Be glad Mom and Dad let you come at all.”
Pablo didn’t seem amused by my answer, but at least he stopped arguing. He knew as well as I did that if it were up to our parents, he’d never even catch a single whiff of the party. They hadn’t wanted to fire him up any more than he already was on a daily basis, but being a Freundenberger, I couldn’t let him not get a taste of my grand return either.
“Fine.” He looked at me through narrowed eyes. “But you will come on Sunday, right?”
I drew him into a fierce hug. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, little bro.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my dad shake his head in disbelief, although the affection written on the rugged planes of his face was clear. He placed a hand on Pablo’s shoulder and spun him around.
Surprisingly, he met no resistance.
I watched the three of them leave until the doors swung shut behind them, then threw myself back into the lively atmosphere. While quite a few employees from the compound had shown up, eager to party away my return, I had no difficulties spotting the people who I wanted to spend my time with the most.
Afanasiy, Jaxon, and Alec were enjoying their beers, lingering at the far side of the room right where I’d left them when I went to do my obligatory rounds. Alec’s laugh wound to me all the way through the crowd, carrying the kind of carefree easiness that spoke of a thoroughly pleasant situation.
A werewolf, a vampire, a demon. They made quite the trio.
Seeing that they could do without me for a little longer, I didn’t make a beeline to them but finished my beer and opted to experience a bit more of the party. I grabbed a slice of pizza from the table overflowing with snacks, wolfed the whole thing down in just a few bites, then threw myself into the variety of groups dominating the floor. Some dancing, some chatting—some even sneaking off for some one-on-one time. I snickered.
The first hour after the party had kicked off had been almost frantic with everybody wanting to speak to me and welcome me back. I could hardly squeeze in more than a few words with someone before I was whisked away into another embrace, and my friends and colleagues seemed to have been caught in that atmosphere just as well. Needless to say, I was more than glad to see the evening progress—sample the uplifting vibe in the air, entwined with the numerous undercurrents as each person crafted their own good time.
For the first time in a while, I felt like my old self.
Felix waved at me as I passed by him and the nurse he was chatting up, but I only mouthed “Enjoy,” my attention already on the figure—no, two figures just up ahead, their backs to me.
“Hey there, kiddos,” I drawled, then smiled when Rihard’s whole face lit up as he spun around, pivoting Selma with him.
His arm tightened around her waist, the attraction between them thick enough to taste in the air. I chuckled to myself. Well, Alec had certainly forgotten to mention this little development during our regular calls.
“I know I said this before, but it’s really nice to have you back, Lotte.” Selma beamed, then casually shoved Rihard away so they could both give me a hug.
“Guess we’re back to working our asses off,” he mumbled, but the mischief in his hazel eyes shone brightly, complementing the warm undertones of his dark skin.
“You bet.” I scanned them with a critical eye. “Looks like I might be able to convince you to play some doubles this season, eh?”
Selma blushed a lovely shade of pink while Rihard flashed me one of his typical blinding grins. “Alec would skin us if we did. Said he didn’t need more hormonal weres out on the court together, eyeing each other instead of the ball.”
I snorted. “If he’s speaking from his own past experience, he’s the one who should get skinned.”
“Go easy on him.” Rihard smiled, then tucked Selma back under his arm.
They made a cute couple—something their complementary scents confirmed, too. I was just glad weres came of age a lot sooner than humans. Selma’s nearly seventeen to Rihard’s almost twenty would have bordered on problematic otherwise, even if Rihard was a stellar kid who’d never set a claw out of line.
“Alec missed you,” he went on. “We all did, don’t get me wrong. But I think it was worst for him.”
“Yeah, kid, I know what you mean.”
Separation from my best friend had been torture. I glanced in Alec’s direction on the opposite side of the room over my shoulder, drinking in the familiar planes of his face as he spoke with Afanasiy and Jaxon, his dark blue eyes alight with mirth. My lips curled up.
“You two have fun,” I said to the pups. “I’ll check up on your technique tomorrow, bright and early, so make sure to get at least some sleep.”
They both groaned, and I chuckled silently as I started to weave through the throng of people once more. I caught my sister’s eye once I headed over to the makeshift counter to snatch another beer and really couldn’t help but shoot her a wink for the company she was keeping.
While I was fairly sure nothing had happened between her and Morozov just yet, merely the fact that Greta had brought him here as her plus one—and the fact that he’d obviously said yes—spoke volumes. I took a sip of my beer and arched an eyebrow in question.
Mindful to keep her reaction away from Morozov’s sight, Greta flashed me a discreet finger, though a smile teased the corners of her lips. I snickered and brought the pitcher to my mouth.
“Give the poor girl a break.” A melodic voice brushed against my ears from behind.
I swallowed the beer, then whirled around to meet a pair of amused, near-black eyes. “Come on, Elsa, you of all people should know it’s not good for the psyche if she continues to keep all that desire cooped up inside.”
The curvy vamp offered me a fanged smile. “Not everybody has the good grace to have a demon who adores them to bits at their beck and call.” She hesitated, a thoughtful expression sweeping across her stunning face. “Quite literally, in your case.”
“To atoms, then.” I clinked my pitcher against her nearly empty glass of alcohol-laced blood. “What about Voit?”
Elsa’s stilettos clicked against the floor as she shifted her weight. She tossed her mane of auburn hair, perfectly curled, over one shoulder, though the sudden abundance of movement didn’t make me miss the blush that briefly adorned her dark brown skin. “What about Voit?”
“You two were…close…before everything happened.”
Before he was taken and experimented on. Before I got locked away for three months.
“I’m giving him counsel whenever he pops back here from the Shadow World,” she said quietly, but the longing in her voice was evident. “It wouldn’t do to ensnare a patient.”
“Your sessions won’t last forever.”
“No.” A whisper of a smile touched her lips. “That they won’t. Now go, Freundenberger, shoo and dissect someone else’s love life. I’m supposed to meet Voit outside for a drink.”
I glanced down at her glass, then the coy glint in her eyes.
“He’s the drink?” I burst out laughing, beer sloshing over the edge of my pitcher before I managed to steady it. “You almost had me there for a moment.”
Elsa clicked her tongue. “I’m not sleeping with him.”
“Nope”—I grinned—“just giving him orgasms of the fanged variety.”
To her credit, Elsa didn’t look even the least bit guilty. Still laughing quietly, I made my way towards the three merrily chatting men. I’d hoped to catch Melina during my little circuit, but it seemed she was either somewhere outside, or hadn’t arrived yet. The night was still early, after all.
Afanasiy drew me into his arms the instant I slunk up to his side. I drank in his scent, his warmth, the world around me fading into oblivion for that moment I allowed myself to immerse in him freely. Fully. His fingers trailed down my back, then came to rest on my face, tipping it gently before his lips covered mine.
The kiss was brief but still left me breathless and more than a little flushed.
“I’m not sure if I should swoon over you two or be disgusted by how corny you are,” Alec teased.
I stuck out my tongue, while Afanasiy chuckled. The hand he kept on the small of my back traveled lower. The idea of disappearing into an empty room became more inviting by the second.
My fingers dug into the dimpled glass of the pitcher, and I nearly cracked the damn thing as the thread of Afanasiy’s arousal caressed my senses. I forced myself to loosen the grip, although it took nearly every ounce of my will to swat the urge to drag the demon away. His amusement was a tangible thing, and while he definitely picked up on my struggles, Afanasiy—damn the gorgeous bastard—seemed inclined to continue fondling my ass.
I was so going to pay him back for this later.
I opened my mouth to say something—anything to wipe those mirrored smirks off Jaxon and Alec’s faces, but someone caught my attention from the shadows by the wall. Undoubtedly noting my reaction, Alec glanced over his shoulder and followed my gaze.
“Yeah, I wanted to tell you he showed up after the party started.” Alec ran a hand through his always unruly brown hair and cocked an eyebrow. “He’s been keeping to the background. Probably not sure if you want him here at all.”
Not all that surprising given our shared history.
“That’s fine, Alec.” I pressed a quick kiss to Afanasiy’s cheek, then peeled away from his devious hand. “I’ll be right back.”
I deposited my pitcher on the nearest high-top table and moved through the crowd quickly. I didn’t want to lose the werewolf in case he spotted my approach and changed his mind. Mercifully, a group of physicians kept me out of sight until I was practically on him.
Linus jerked when I emerged from the wall of bodies, but corrected himself between one heartbeat and the next. Though even his projection of a cool exterior failed to hide the slight lines around his mouth. Or the shadows I saw pooling in his magnetic blue eyes when our gazes met.
Transient Moon Page 3