I stand by the bed and watch her, uncertain what to do next. I look down at my human form, then turn my head to catch my reflection in the tall mirror Whisp keeps in the corner of the room. It’s strange, as any new form is, but it’s also… comfortable.
I flex and stretch, intrigued at the way the muscles bunch and move under my skin. I touch every part I can reach, enjoying the sensations that ripple across my exposed flesh.
A sound comes from the direction of the kitchen. Movement. I shift to my panther form and head out to investigate. When I round the corner, the Commander is pulling himself up. The back of his head is matted with blood, but his legs are steady.
I lower my head, flattening my ears and baring my teeth in a growl that makes it clear his death is approaching.
He spins around, wobbling a bit before regaining his footing.
“Damon!” He shouts my name, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Please, Damon. I had no choice. If I didn’t do it myself, they would have killed us both. I didn’t want to do it. I never wanted to hurt her. But they would have done so much worse, I couldn’t let them...”
I jump toward him, snarling as I swipe a clawed paw mere inches from his face. He cowers instantly, sniveling and mumbling and making more excuses.
“Please, if you kill me now, they will execute you and charge Whisp with the murder. I deserve it. I know that I deserve it. If you let me go, I’ll do my best to slow them down.”
I step back. He has a point, that I know, but without Whisper here to tell me what I should do, I’m torn. My instinct is to kill him for what he did, but there’s also a part of me that wants to stand down and wait for her orders.
“Please, Damon.” There’s something satisfying about him begging for his life.
He inches backward. My hind legs are poised to leap as my jaws flex in anticipation. I’ve never wanted to kill a living thing as badly as I want to kill this man. I hold my ground. When the door shuts behind him, I shift to human form and lock it.
Returning to Whisper’s side, I crawl carefully onto the bed. I stretch out beside her, as I always do when she has a nightmare. I touch her face, her hair, her arm. The feel of her skin against mine is like something out of a dream.
When sleep finally pulls my eyes closed, I’m confident that tomorrow she will wake up healthy and whole. And she will know exactly what we should do.
I’m in my bed. Alive.
The light streaming through the curtains says it’s close to noon. Last night’s clothes are blood stained and stinking, but a moment’s concentration has them swapped out for clean sweatpants and a t-shirt. It does nothing for the filth on my skin, but it’s something.
Thanks to my Medic, there’s no lingering effects of whatever drug took me out last night. There’s some discomfort in my side, but a quick check confirms that no injury remains. The pain is just my brain struggling to process the unnatural healing. I’m back to full health. Full strength.
I turn from the window, expecting to see Damon beside me. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of a very naked man in his place. He’s stretched out on his stomach, bare ass and long legs like a leftover figment of my delirium.
“Damon!” I call out, trying not to let the fear take over.
He’s fine. He has to be fine.
Naked Man jolts at my sudden outburst. He props himself up on his elbows and turns his face toward me. Shaggy, black hair cascades around his face. Dark eyes look into mine as a smile lights up his features. He’s familiar... I can’t quite place him. I should be terrified that he hurt Damon, but… his eyes. There’s something so familiar.
“Who are you?”
Naked Man pushes himself up, sliding off the bed. He’s moving deliberately slowly, which is smart because if he makes any sudden moves, I’ll have the pistol out of it’s headboard compartment before he can blink. He stands, turns to face me, and sweet fuck I must be dead.
This man is built out of my daydreams. He is seriously the most beautiful human I’ve ever laid eyes on. And he’s hung like a porn star. He’s not even hard, and that thing is huge. My mouth is watering, and my throat is dry; I’m not even sure if those two things can happen at the same time, but that’s where I’m at.
“You know who I am.”
His voice. It’s as familiar as my own.
I force my eyes away from his cock and up to his ribs. A chill spreads through me as I see three scars, like claw marks. The left side of his neck; another scar that trails down over his shoulder. His right arm; an almost silvery line from shoulder to wrist.
I slide my legs off the bed, turning my back to him. My feet planted firmly on the floor, I brace my elbows on my knees and lean forward. I need to focus on breathing. I’m going insane. I force myself to think about last night, about every detail as hazy and muffled as it all is.
I’m fucked. Charles poisoned me and brought me home to kill me. My only supporter, the closest thing I had to family, and he was just biding his time hoping I’d wash out or be killed? Nothing was real.
Damon... It can’t be true. It can’t be him.
It’s okay, little one. We’re okay.
No. No, please tell me that’s not you. You can’t take human form. It’ll destroy you.
“They were wrong.” Same voice, but not in my head.
I feel the bed dip, but I can’t move. I can’t look. I want so desperately to turn and see the familiar brown eyes, the big, furry body. Instead, a wide, warm hand slides against my back. I sit up straight and his breath is against my neck, his face in my hair as he inhales. Then, the gentle bite of teeth on my shoulder. It’s too much. So familiar yet so fucked up.
I jump to my feet, turning to face him. He’s already standing, inches from me, looking down at me with Damon’s eyes. Damon’s face. It might be the first time he’s taken this form, but it’s him as clear as day.
“What did you do with Charles?”
“He’s alive. He convinced me that killing him would only bring you more trouble.”
I nod. If I’d had any control over my own body, he’d be dead. But Damon’s right, it would have only brought more trouble down on us.
“I need a shower, and you need to change back before you do some permanent damage.”
I head for the bathroom, but his arm hooks my waist and pulls me back against him. The heat from his body soaks through me from head to toe. His wide hand is splayed across my stomach, and pressed against my back... I can’t think about it. This is Damon, not a man. This is so wrong. I push away and he lets me go.
In the shower, my hands are shaking as I work the shampoo through my thick hair. I need to think.
I’ve been through shit before, I’m certainly not going to sit around and cry about my misfortune now. To hell with Commander Jeffries. He’s got no say over the Elites, and I’ve already secured my offer from Gideon. I might be running late for my first day, but I’m going up there and you can be damn sure I’m going to prove I’m worthy of a permanent position.
I have a feeling I need to earn that title sooner, rather than later.
I’ll come back to the coward another day, when I’m an Elite, and find out what the hell happened. For now, it doesn’t matter. I just need to keep moving forward, like I always have.
Shake it off and show up.
I convert my sweats and t-shirt into dress pants and a crimson button-up before stepping back into my bedroom. My heart leaps at the sight of the big, black cat perched like a sphinx on my bed. I feel like I haven’t seen him since we left yesterday. I walk up to him and put my hands on his face, rubbing him behind the ears and down his thick neck.
“Are you okay?”
Fuck, I hope he hasn’t suffered some irreversible brain damage from that stupid stunt. I can’t even imagine-
Look at me, Whisp.
His voice has a different tone, a new edge that wasn’t there before. I do as he asks, looking into soft, chocolate eyes that are the same as they have always been,
yet different somehow.
“Please tell me you’re okay. I can’t lose you, Damon.”
They were wrong.
He wraps his big paws around me as his form reshapes into the man. I try to push away, but he holds me tight. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, looking up at me as his hands move to grip my hips, preventing me from putting some distance between us.
I can’t look at him. I just have to close my eyes.
“They were wrong. It was strange at first; the thoughts… the emotions. It was like I suddenly had answers to questions I hadn’t even considered asking. The world got a lot bigger and a lot more complicated. I remembered things I’ve heard in the past, things that didn’t seem important, but now make sense. The animal brain is simple, basic. But the thoughts I have in this form, I don’t even know how to describe them.”
“Damon, what if it’s hurting you? What if it’s causing damage you can’t sense yet? Everyone knows Shifters can’t take human form. It’s too much. It will drive you insane. That’s why it’s illegal for you to even try. They will put you down if they find out. I can’t lose you.”
“Look at me!”
“Fuck, Damon!” I snap at him, and he finally lets me pull out of his grip. I immediately feel bad for yelling at him, but shit, this is just beyond reality. I grab a towel and chuck it in his general direction. “Just wrap that around your waist at least.”
He laughs. Fuck, it’s a sexy sound. I’ve heard him laugh in my head, but through the air it’s like I can feel the vibration on my skin. This is not good. I might have entertained some dark fantasies in the past, but this is much too real. I can not be attracted to Damon.
“Look at me,” he demands again, and I do as he wants.
He’s wrapped the towel low around his waist, tucked in the same way I tuck my own. It’s almost worse than seeing him naked. His long, strong legs disappear under the terrycloth that ends mid-thigh. Narrow hips, a long waist and broad chest, framed on either side by impressively muscular arms. He’s ripped like he’s been spending his free time at a gym instead of taking every spare moment for naps. I work my ass off for just a hint of abs, and this guy is shredded from napping.
My inspection reaches his face, and I can barely breath. He’s perfect. It’s as if he listened to every comment I ever made about what I like in a man, then put it all together into this utterly perfect package. Yet it’s distinctly him, too. I should have known it was him the moment I laid eyes on him.
I have to go. I’m already late, and I need that position as Gideon’s apprentice more than ever. I obviously can’t go back to my old job, even if taking this new position is guaranteed to paint an even bigger target on my head. Better to fight my way forward than do nothing.
“What exactly happened with Jeffries?”
Damon’s eyes drop, his forehead creasing just slightly. “He locked me out. He was going to kill you. The only way I could get through the door was with human hands. He said if he didn’t do it, someone else was going to do worse.”
“You did this to save me.”
“I would do anything for you. You know that.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I know.”
He steps toward me and reaches out to cup the side of my neck. His fingers thread into my hair as his thumb brushes across my cheek. I’m frozen to the spot, barely breathing. This is Damon. My Shifter. He’s bitten me, scratched me, slept in my bed for years... but he is not a man. I can’t let my mind go there.
“I can’t lose you Damon. You’re my partner. My best friend. My...”
His grip tightens on the side of my face, as he leans down and presses his mouth against the opposite side of my neck. He bites me. The wet heat of his tongue slides across my skin. My legs go weak as he alternates between biting me and licking me, working his way slowly up my neck. I let him do it, as I always have when he gets in the mood for his strange displays of affection or possession. It’s no different now. It’s just Damon doing what Damon does.
His attentions reach the top of my neck, and he begins to work his way along my jaw as a low growl rumbles in his chest. His mouth reaches mine, our lips just barely touching.
“I can give you what you need now, Whisper.”
His meaning hits me like a jolt of electricity. I push myself away from him, but he grabs my ass with his free hand and pulls me tight against him. Sweet fuck, he’s hard as steel. He’s spent his entire life as an asexual animal, and suddenly he’s grinding his cock against my belly like he knows exactly what to do with it. There’s no way he does, but a few choice images of me showing him flash through my mind.
“Stop!”
I shove against him and he lets me go. I immediately turn around. I can’t look at him. Not until I’ve purged those images from my mind... maybe not even then.
“What I need is you. My Shifter. I can’t...”
His warm, furry head presses against my side, tucking under my hand. On instinct, I start scratching him behind his ears. It’s suddenly so ordinary. Yet it’s nothing like before. Everything is different now, and I’m not sure I know what to do with it all.
Solar One
We walk across the glossy, white tile of a lobby that’s an exact replica of the ground level base. The Headquarters of the United Army of Terran Protectors: Aerial Division. Or, as the locals like to call it, HQ.
I’m walking with my chin up, with all the confidence of an Agent who is right where they’re meant to be. I can’t say the same for Damon, though. He’s stalking beside me with his head on a swivel, sure that an assassin waits around every corner.
I understand his worry, but knowing he has my back lets me focus on where I need to go. And it’s keeping him busy enough that he hasn’t brought up last night, or this morning. I still don’t have my head on straight about the whole mess, but I’ve got my game face on and I’m confident no one will know anything is out of order.
Hiding my emotions is something I’m pretty good at. Sucking it up and moving on after some asshole thinks they broke me; I’m a pro.
We’re getting all the usual stares and whispers from the civilians and Agents we pass, but I couldn’t care less. I could have worn street clothes; blended in a little better. But I work here. I’m dressed in my tactical gear, my pistol on my hip and blades secured to the outside of my thighs.
Two Agents are walking toward me, one with a cougar at his side and the other with a grizzly lumbering behind. I try not to look star-struck when I recognize their faces. Elites. As they draw near, the taller one gives me a quick once-over. I wait for the customary insults or propositions, but he only nods and continues on his way.
I near the wide, curved reception desk and stop to wait my turn. The attendant behind the counter is chatting quietly with a woman who looks like she’s never had to work a day in her life. She’s tall and slim, the delicate heels of her strappy shoes making it clear she never has to worry about moving too quickly. She’s wearing a long, form-fitting dress that covers her from neck to ankles yet hugs her slight curves. It’s like she couldn’t decide between modest or sexy, so opted for both. Her ginger hair is gathered into a twist at the nape of her neck, and when she finishes her hushed conversation and turns to leave, I catch a glimpse of honey-brown eyes and thick lashes.
The woman turns her gaze on me as she passes, surprise flashing briefly as she parts her crimson lips.
“Forgive me,” she says as she reaches out and touches my arm. “Do I know you?”
“No ma’am. I just arrived.”
Her eyebrows are perfectly symmetrical. Her makeup is as flawless as her hair. I can’t imagine such a level of personal care is enjoyable. I like to be clean, don’t get me wrong... but my 2-in-1 shampoo is as fancy as I get.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but are you an Agent?”
I stifle a laugh, creating a sort of choking sound that makes her matching eyebrows raise. I’m pretty sure this lady doesn’t know what rude means. I wonder what her eyebrows would
do if I told her a few of the ‘rude’ things I’ve been asked in the past. Hell, in the last week.
“Yes, I’m an Agent. I’ve been offered a position as an Apprentice.”
She bites her lower lip, and I swear her eyes glisten like she’s on the verge of tears. She holds out a slender hand, fingers tipped with evenly manicured nails. I take it cautiously, and she shakes my hand with a firm grip.
“My name is Tanikka Durant. It’s an honor to meet you Agent...” her voice trails off and it takes me a few breaths to realize I haven’t given her my name.
“Whisper.”
“Agent Whisper. It’s very good to meet you.”
She gives my hand another squeeze as I stare at her awkwardly, then she continues on her way.
I step up to the woman behind the reception desk, and she flashes me a wide smile. She’s a couple years younger than me, with big blue eyes and hair dyed to match.
“Welcome!” She greets me as if she’s been waiting for me. “You must be Agent Whisper!”
“That’s me.”
“It’s so great to meet you.” She stands, offering her hand over the counter separating us, but then thinks better of it and withdraws. “I hope your trip up was comfortable?”
Comfortable. Sure. If you call being stuffed into a microwave and vibrated until your teeth feel like they’re about to shatter comfortable. As curious as I was about experiencing the teleports for the first time, I’ll be perfectly content if I never step foot in one again.
“Yes, thank you.” I return her gesture by offering my own hand, and she beams as she shakes it.
“I just have to say, you are such an inspiration.”
What is wrong with this place?
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you. I’m just here as an Apprentice though, I’m not hired yet.”
She laughs, covering her bright smile with a hand as she shakes her head. “Don’t be so modest! You made it through the Academy. You’re an Agent!”
“Yes, I am.”
I know my tone is less than enthusiastic. After last night, I’m not exactly sure I’m still an Agent. If Gideon doesn’t sign off on my advancement, I’m not sure I’m anything at all.
Whisper in the Dark Page 6