He had no feathers?”
“No feathers.” The recollection made no sense. The avian shifters all had feathers. All of them, and they also tended to be much finer boned. That big dude was a beast. How the hell did he fly—and keep a mostly manlike shape? When shifters took their animal form, there was nothing human left about them. But this fellow…
Jeoff shook his head. “I don’t know what that guy was. I’ve never seen anything like him before.”
“What of his scent?”
“Does spring-time fresh dryer sheet and deodorant count? If I hadn’t seen the fucker fly away, he could have passed as human.”
Arik paced, his expression thoughtful and worried. “I’ll have to make some calls. Maybe someone in the other prides, clans, or packs have heard of this kind of thing.”
“I’m going to go on the record and say I’ve never heard of it. But I’ll make some calls too. Perhaps the Lycan council has records or something that might identify it.”
“Report back what you find. Now, what of its purpose? Why did it come here? Why come after Luna?”
A part of Jeoff wondered if it had to do with their visit to the club that night. But that was jumping to assumptions. “We can’t know he came specifically for her. It could be she just proved handy. I mean, if the dude can fly, he could have landed on any balcony and looked for an unlocked door.”
The observation caused a furrow in Arik’s brow. “This flying thing is disturbing. It means none of our homes are safe because I don’t think anyone locks that damned patio door. Something that changes tonight. I’ll have to put a warning out to the pride. I don’t think we can hide what’s happening anymore.”
“Do you think it’s connected?” Jeoff asked since Arik had decided to make the tenuous connection.
“Don’t you?”
At this point, too many coincidences were piling up. “Whoever it is, they’re acting pretty fucking brazen.”
“Or they’re looking to start a turf war.” In the shifter world, there were always power games being played. “What about this Gaston Charlemagne, the one who owns the club you hit tonight? You didn’t say much about him. What’s the deal?”
Jeoff rolled his shoulders. “No deal. At least none that we could dig up. He practically doesn’t exist, except on paper.”
“Change that. I want to know more about this guy, starting with if he’s shifter or human. If he is one of us, then he apparently needs a reminder that he’s on my turf and needs to abide by my rules. If he’s not, then check out his staff, see if any of them could be our culprit. I want answers.”
“I’ll hunt him down in the morning. As well as question the staff a little more officially.” The time for subterfuge was at an end. Shit got serious with Luna’s failed attack. Time to go at the possible source with teeth bared and claws out.
“Do it. Also, I’m going to want extra security for the pride.”
“I can arrange that, but you do know the lionesses won’t like it.” They saw any form of security as babysitting.
“They will do as I say.” Arik’s eyes held a hard glint. “And I’m going to tell them that at the pride meeting I’m going to call. It’s time I warned them of what’s happening so they can be on the look out.”
“What if we have a spy? You’ll be tipping our hand.”
“I think it’s already tipped. And if there is someone stupid enough to think they can betray us, then we’ll find them and take care of them.”
The word permanently didn’t need to be said. The implication was clear. “I’ll get on it in the morning right after I run by my place for a change of clothes.”
“Morning?” Arik arched a golden brow. “I didn’t realize you were staying the night.”
“Only so I can watch over Luna. She’s out from the drugs and vulnerable. I thought I’d stick around, at least until she wakes up.”
“Vulnerable?” Arik snickered. “If she wasn’t asleep, she’d rake you over
“No feathers.” The recollection made no sense. The avian shifters all had feathers. All of them, and they also tended to be much finer boned. That big dude was a beast. How the hell did he fly—and keep a mostly manlike shape? When shifters took their animal form, there was nothing human left about them. But this fellow…
Jeoff shook his head. “I don’t know what that guy was. I’ve never seen anything like him before.”
“What of his scent?”
“Does spring-time fresh dryer sheet and deodorant count? If I hadn’t seen the fucker fly away, he could have passed as human.”
Arik paced, his expression thoughtful and worried. “I’ll have to make some calls. Maybe someone in the other prides, clans, or packs have heard of this kind of thing.”
“I’m going to go on the record and say I’ve never heard of it. But I’ll make some calls too. Perhaps the Lycan council has records or something that might identify it.”
“Report back what you find. Now, what of its purpose? Why did it come here? Why come after Luna?”
A part of Jeoff wondered if it had to do with their visit to the club that night. But that was jumping to assumptions. “We can’t know he came specifically for her. It could be she just proved handy. I mean, if the dude can fly, he could have landed on any balcony and looked for an unlocked door.”
The observation caused a furrow in Arik’s brow. “This flying thing is disturbing. It means none of our homes are safe because I don’t think anyone locks that damned patio door. Something that changes tonight. I’ll have to put a warning out to the pride. I don’t think we can hide what’s happening anymore.”
“Do you think it’s connected?” Jeoff asked since Arik had decided to make the tenuous connection.
“Don’t you?”
At this point, too many coincidences were piling up. “Whoever it is, they’re acting pretty fucking brazen.”
“Or they’re looking to start a turf war.” In the shifter world, there were always power games being played. “What about this Gaston Charlemagne, the one who owns the club you hit tonight? You didn’t say much about him. What’s the deal?”
Jeoff rolled his shoulders. “No deal. At least none that we could dig up. He practically doesn’t exist, except on paper.”
“Change that. I want to know more about this guy, starting with if he’s shifter or human. If he is one of us, then he apparently needs a reminder that he’s on my turf and needs to abide by my rules. If he’s not, then check out his staff, see if any of them could be our culprit. I want answers.”
“I’ll hunt him down in the morning. As well as question the staff a little more officially.” The time for subterfuge was at an end. Shit got serious with Luna’s failed attack. Time to go at the possible source with teeth bared and claws out.
“Do it. Also, I’m going to want extra security for the pride.”
“I can arrange that, but you do know the lionesses won’t like it.” They saw any form of security as babysitting.
“They will do as I say.” Arik’s eyes held a hard glint. “And I’m going to tell them that at the pride meeting I’m going to call. It’s time I warned them of what’s happening so they can be on the look out.”
“What if we have a spy? You’ll be tipping our hand.”
“I think it’s already tipped. And if there is someone stupid enough to think they can betray us, then we’ll find them and take care of them.”
The word permanently didn’t need to be said. The implication was clear. “I’ll get on it in the morning right after I run by my place for a change of clothes.”
“Morning?” Arik arched a golden brow. “I didn’t realize you were staying the night.”
“Only so I can watch over Luna. She’s out from the drugs and vulnerable. I thought I’d stick around, at least until she wakes up.”
“Vulnerable?” Arik snickered. “If she wasn’t asleep, she’d rake you over
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