Shifter Situations: The Chronicles of Sloane King Page 21

  “Like printing out your past text messages and hanging them on the walls?” I asked, pointing at a bulletin board.

  “Wow. Do you need me to up my crazy? Am I missing the mark somewhere?”

  The wolf rubbed at his forehead with his middle finger. “You’re just crazy enough for me, Barbie. No need to raise the volume.”

  “Are you sure?” She covered her mouth as she giggled. “Because I could like, I don’t know, keep a vial of blood around my neck or collect—”

  She raised her hands in surrender when Briggs glared at her.

  “What? I’m just saying… You make a tasty snack, and it’d be right there whenever I felt parched.”

  “No.”

  “We could start celebrating weekly anniversaries?”

  “No.”

  “We could get one of those photo album things and start taking pictures of our milestones together?”

  She stretched her hand out, pretending to take a picture as she dreamily stated, “Burning down our first building together.”

  Briggs snorted. “What are you going to do with pictures like that? Line the hallways with memories of all the illegal shit we do?”

  “Actually.” She tapped her chin.

  “No. That was a joke.”

  “But there’s so much empty wall space.”

  While they continued their banter, I started combing through the office. I checked all the usual places. There was a whole drawer of charts in a filing cabinet, each one labeled with a number instead of a name.

  The files documented Katie’s and Anna’s observations from the tests they were running on the captives. There was no way of knowing which chart belonged to which experiment, and the only identifier was whether the person was male or female.

  It looked like they were testing dosage amounts and multiple smaller injections versus one large injection. It appeared as if they were trying to hold off the ensuing madness for as long as possible.

  I stacked the charts on the desk and moved to the desk. Sloane and Briggs flipped through all the books on the shelves behind me, finding nothing but a bracelet that made the wolf gasp.

  “This is Ripley’s. I bet that’s why she wanted to come back.”

  The drawers of the desk were filled with bullshit—snacks, a stapler, two hundred pens, and a smashed burner phone. I added the flip phone to the stack of charts and kept looking.

  I dropped to my knees, feeling around under the desk, and found… Something. I leaned over, pulling the taped folder off the underside of the top drawer.

  I opened it and immediately regretted it.

  It was blackmail.

  Shit that Katie was keeping on Anna, from what I was seeing, but that wasn’t the most interesting part.

  What really captured my attention were some pictures paper-clipped together and more text message conversations. They were all between Anna and Katie, but one was burning holes in my eyes.

  “Guys,” I called out. “I think I found something. But, Briggs, don’t get mad at me for bringing up some past shit.”

  “Okay,” he agreed.

  York and Palmer popped in, Stone following after them. Vaughn stood in the doorway, his brows knitted together as he watched me closely.

  “There’s a bunch of text messages—or screenshots of text messages—printed out in this folder. One of them is a conversation between Anna and Katie where they talk about her trip to Atlanta and how Stone found her in bed with someone else.

  “There’s a picture of a guy, and I’d swear I’ve seen him before. I just can’t remember where.”

  I stretched my arm across the desk, handing the photo to York. Vaughn and Briggs both leaned in to look before passing it to Sloane.

  “He does look familiar.” York gnawed at his lower lip as he thought. “I don’t know where I’ve seen him, though.”

  “I feel like I’ve seen him too.” Vaughn glanced at Trouble, his eyes roaming over her face thoughtfully.

  “I know who that is,” Palmer whispered.

  We all snapped our heads in his direction, and he was wide-eyed, staring straight at Sloane.

  “That is Raguel, the Angel of Vengeance.”

  “Holy shit,” Stone mouthed, the words barely audible. “That’s the guy I caught Anna with.”

  Briggs opened and closed his mouth twice before shrugging. I didn’t really know what to say either; none of us did. Somehow the realization was both surprising and not at all.

  We might as well roll with the punches, right?

  "So now the rest of us have a face to put with the name,” Trouble pointed out.

  “Novak, did you look through this whole folder?” Palmer questioned.

  “Not all of it, no.”

  He laid a piece of paper down on top of the desk.

  “This is the same handwriting as the letter Sloane received, but they’ve signed with more of a name than Mr. Moore.”

  “What’s the name?” she asked.

  “This one is signed A. Moore.”

  “There’s more?”

  The mage sighed. “A few, but they’re all signed the same way.”

  I couldn’t put my finger on what was driving me crazy about Raguel’s picture. My eyes had stayed locked on it as everyone around me continued to talk. I wasn’t listening, though.

  My breath left me in a rush, leaving my chest empty and tight. I knew my eyes were open, but I could no longer see what was in front of me.

  I’d not had a vision in so many years, the sensation nearly knocked me to my knees.

  Sloane hovered just above Pete’s tusk as the pedmar wrapped his trunk around her ankle. The hellhounds were positioned in front of her, at attention and snarling. Raguel stood a few feet away; his chin was tilted up, eyes hard, nostrils flared.

  I saw his mouth move and Trouble shake her head, but I could hear nothing of their conversation.

  The scene changed.

  Everything was black and white, except for the blood.

  Sloane was covered in it, from head to toe. She stared at her hands as she flipped them back and forth, from her palms to the tops of her hands. Her hair was stained red, and bits of it stuck to the side of her face.

  She was screaming, but she didn’t realize that it was coming from her.

  “Novak? Mon Coeur?”

  I could hear Trouble calling my name, but it sounded distant as I came out of the vision. I shook my head, trying to bring the room back into focus.

  “You spaced out for a minute there. Are you back?”

  “Yeah. I, uhm, haven’t had a vision in a while.”

  “I told her,” Vaughn admitted.

  “Thanks. What else did you guys find in the folder?”

  The fae pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Just more screwed up information about Anna. Seems like Katie was stalking her movements too.”

  “I really thought I had nothing left to learn about our fucked up relationship,” Briggs growled, throwing the folder back onto the desk as he turned to Sloane.

  “But finding out that she cheated on me with the angel who’s trying to… Fuck. Kill you. Kill all of us. That shit cuts deep and makes me wonder—”

  York nodded along with the wolf. “Was it just a coincidence? How many people knew who Sloane’s mates were before she knew?”

  “Let’s go kill her. Now. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  “Why right now?” Stone inquired. “We’re kind of in the middle of something.”

  “The rest of the warehouse was empty, so we’re done here. She’s standing in my way in numerous ways. She’s going to challenge our authority tonight, and I’m going to kill her, anyway.”

  She grinned at Briggs. “Do you want her heart or her head?”

  He blinked at her several times. “I don’t know how to answer that.”

  “We can figure it out later. Either way, she dies today. The what if’s you’re thinking about are dangerous, Briggs. Don’t worry about the things that can’t be ch
anged.”

  Trouble bounced her eyes from mate to mate, pursing her lips.

  “I don’t believe in coincidences. I’ve spent too much time with the Fates, watching them twist reality to fit their own visions of what it should look like to them. They aren’t the only ones who can do that.

  “Anna is an obsolete piece on the board. She’s not important, and now she’s out of moves. In the grand scheme of things, she’s been a distraction, a clue to our next move at best.

  “Our to-do list is nothing but a scavenger hunt. We need to find this Annette person and the angel. Then kill them and Vaughn’s mom—”

  “Find Nate and Amelia,” York supplied.

  She tipped her head in agreement. “That will happen when we kill the winter queen.”

  “And then what?” I asked.

  “I want to take a long-ass vacation. Somewhere hot with a nude beach. I want to drink, swim, and have orgies. In that order.”

  Stone rubbed at his jaw, trying not to laugh at her. “Wouldn’t it be better to reverse that order?”

  “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.” She raised a brow at him before scrunching her face up. “Who said that?”

  He snorted. “What?”

  “That’s a quote. I can’t remember who said it, though.”

  Palmer covered his face with both of his hands as he chuckled. “Dr. Suess, Love.”

  “It’s a little weird to quote children’s books while you talk about sex, Barbie.”

  She scooped up the charts, rolling her eyes at the wolf as they exited the office. I glanced around one last time, thankful that this building would be nothing but ashes and melted metal soon.

  Stone was waiting outside the door with four red gas canisters at his feet. “You ready?”

  “Yeah. Where’d you get those from?”

  “I borrowed them from the construction company next door.”

  I smirked. “You go left, I’ll go right?”

  “Everyone else is gone, so meet me in the middle.”

  I picked up one of the red canisters and began splashing gasoline around the office. I hit all the smaller rooms and the reception area, grimacing at the foul smell the entire time.

  Stone was standing in the middle of the containment area, brooding as he played with the flame in his hand. His eyes were completely black when he looked at me.

  “I don’t really believe in coincidences either, you know? What Sloane said is making me think about all the pieces.”

  I rolled my lips in, nodding. “She made some valid points. Everything that’s happening has led us from one distraction to another.”

  “You know what this is, right?”

  “It’s a puzzle that came with a thousand pieces, even though we only needed twenty-four.”

  He put his hand on my shoulder as he mumbled, “It’s all a game, Novak, but how does it end?”

  Stone threw his ball of fire as he pulled us into the Void.

  I wouldn’t answer his question, though. My vision didn’t feel like an ending.

  It felt like the true beginning.

  20

  Stone

  Saturday, June 6th

  Night

  Palmer’s powers had been on the fritz all day. It had taken him three attempts to get it right, but the mage had finally figured out a spell to put on Sloane’s and Briggs’ clothes.

  Hopefully, when they shifted, they didn’t lose them.

  He didn’t want to bring attention to himself, though I suspected his temperamental magic had something to do with the incomplete bond between him and his mate. I knew he had to be experiencing the pull more now than he had in the previous weeks.

  It had nearly driven me mad, making my demon push for me to hear his voice. And that was after only two weeks of denying the need to seal our connection. I couldn’t imagine going any longer, yet somehow Palmer and Vaughn had.

  All of us were still shocked at how quickly Novak had dove headfirst into mating. But seeing him with Sloane reiterated that they’d made the best choice for them.

  Even though Briggs had fought the bond, I thought their relationship suited them. She was better for the wolf than he’d originally wanted to admit.

  We’d sealed our bonds much faster than the length of time it had taken Sloane and York, but I wasn’t seeing any issues from the hasty choices.

  I had no regrets; I knew the guys didn’t either.

  It still amazed me that she could balance six relationships with any sort of grace. Being with the guys all the time would quickly drive me insane, but we were actively trying not to smother her with our presence.

  None of her mates with sealed bonds mattered to me at the moment.

  The mage and the fae held my focus.

  Vaughn was finally warming up. It had taken him some time to realize that what he felt was genuine and reciprocated.

  He worried too much, but he’d been that way for as long as I’d known him. I hadn’t seen him worry as much recently, though.

  Palmer had already made his mind up. I had not one doubt about that. The fucking mage had been infatuated since day one.

  She made his dull eyes sparkle like I’d never seen before. I didn’t think either of them realized that he wore his emotions in his stormy depths.

  Years ago, Palmer had given York a hard time about his new girlfriend. And I was eagerly tapping my fingers, waiting for the druid to pop back.

  I knew it was coming.

  I just didn’t know when.

  Sloane shifted, her muscles contracting as she stretched languidly. She shook her silver fur out, a full-body shudder rolling through her before she sneezed.

  Palmer studied her, asking Briggs, “Have you tried shifting with yer regular clothes on since ye sealed the bond? They may stay now. Pretty sure Sloane doesn’t have an issue with keepin’ hers on. She merely prefers being naked.”

  Her wolf huffed, then sneezed again.

  “Are you allergic to dog hair, Barbie?” Briggs drawled sarcastically.

  She gave him the wolfish equivalent of a grin as she swaggered past him. When he chuckled at her, she whipped her head around to nip him on the ass.

  “Did you see that?” he questioned, at a loss for words. “She just fucking bit me.”

  “To be fair…” I began, shrugging when he glared at me. “You bit her ass first.”

  He stared at me with wide eyes. “When?”

  “A couple of weeks ago.”

  Sloane shifted back—fully clothed—simpering at him as she pulled her hair down to fix the loose ponytail.

  “When we went to fight the rogues. I’m not complaining, though.” She tossed her hand in my direction. “The incubus rubbed it for me.”

  I shook my head at her. “I’m not an incubus.”

  “I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t know if I completely believe you.”

  She leaned in, her voice a sultry whisper. “Devils lie, you know?”

  “And how would I go about changing your mind?” I murmured.

  “You can’t. And taking that low tone with me will only prove my point.”

  “How so?”

  “Wink. Smirk at me. Bite your lip.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her, and she grinned, nodding like I'd proven her right.

  “Now, wrap your hand around my throat.”

  Fuck. Maybe she had a point.

  I extended my arm, gripping her neck loosely while I squeezed with my thumb and middle finger.

  She pressed forward, applying more pressure as her eyes held mine with sadistic joy. Her mouth fell open the slightest bit, and Briggs groaned.

  “For Devil’s sake,” he snapped. “Both of you need to get it together. We still have shit to do.”

  “He’s right,” she rasped as I released her. “It’s time to go. Let’s get the fighting over with so we can pick that back up.”

  The playful spirit fell away as she rolled her shoulders back. It was a switch that I’d seen her flip several ti
mes in the last few weeks, but the change always caught me by surprise.

  Nothing was ever as it seemed, though.

  My mate was beautiful and intelligent, wicked and deadly.

  My friends were capable and strong, depraved and unstable.

  Our neighbor was a stalker disguised as a kind old lady who brought us cookies and checked our mail.

  As we walked down the path to the Alpha’s lodge, my thoughts spun around Ms. Annette.

  Annette Moore.

  The fae-mage we’d assumed was a man because of the misleading letter.

  The person who was threatening our mate had been living next door to us for years. She’d been in our apartment. We’d helped her move in new furniture and carry groceries.

  Not once had we ever suspected that she was anything other than human.

  Novak and I had avoided her at all costs, and we hadn’t been shy about how much she creeped us out. There was never a clear reason as to why we didn’t like her; we just didn’t.

  I could think of only one significant thing that had changed in May—before we met Sloane.

  We hadn’t seen or interacted with our neighbor in days, if not longer. We’d all been gone; none of us were home at the same time.

  I felt like I was overthinking, but I couldn’t disagree with my instincts. It was making me want to question exactly how times Ms. Annette had been inside our apartment. How often had we interacted with her?

  I’d been following behind Vaughn, not really seeing where I was going. Bumping into his back brought me out of my thoughts. I glanced around us and immediately loathed the situation.

  I also wasn’t happy about being stuck in the throng of people. Especially with so many of them at my back.

  The whole ordeal was animalistic, but of course, it was.

  They were fucking shifters.

  Sloane and Briggs stood in the center of the clearing, uncaring of the gathered crowd. The exterior lighting on the Alpha’s lodge illuminated the area, showing us every face in attendance.

  Not all of them were friendly or welcoming.

  Briggs glared at the chatting mob, and Sloane wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, pulling his attention to her.

  He’d told us how the fights would go. I wasn’t excited about it, but I knew they were both ready.