“Nic has to die. If he’s not going to be useful to us, he needs to be dead. So, that he’s not in our way,” Chard said, lighting up one of his own paper pipes. “Taps is gonna want his money. We get it by killing Nic and convincing the old dragoness that she’s next because Nic owed the money.”
“I know,” Jon frowned. “But maybe don’t say the whole damn plan out in public, eh? You know they’ve been saying that Clarence has gotten paranoid in his old age and put recording devices everywhere in the city.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Chard huffed.
“I hope so because when they come for you, I’ll let them skin your beaver ass until you look like a naked mole rat,” Jon hissed. “Look, I’m done with this shit for the night. I gotta go.”
Chard nodded and Jon walked away. I skulked through the shadows, following him and making sure to get a good whiff of the beaver shifter so that I might find him later. Now, I knew exactly what I was getting Nic for his courting gifts.
My cat purred inside his inner sanctum as he sharpened his claws on a tree. A few blocks later, I sank into the back of my own mind and let him out to play. He was big, furry, and his field of vision had an ivory glow to it from the white of his long, curved canines. We padded down the street, picking up speed. Jon heard us right before we smacked into his back and started to shift. He twisted this way and that, but everyone knew cheetahs were tiny cats. That’s why they were faster than the rest of us. He wasn’t even two hundred pounds in this form. Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered to fight him at all. There’s no challenge even when desperation comes into play. All he could do was snarl and hiss while trying to buck me off as I took my courtinggift from him. He could keep his life for now, if he survived the harvesting of my first gift for Nic.
Chapter Two
Mori
Pierce’s Family Estate
I’d woken up the night before every time my pregnant brother had gotten out of bed to pee. His pattering penguin waddle down the hall wasn’t the quietest sound and the closer he crept to delivery, the lighter I slept. Our parents had offered to come and stay with us, but Preston didn’t want to put them out. They had tiny kids at home and a community to lead and nurture. Still, in lieu of being here, they video called us multiple times a day as if we were hiding something. I mean, Preston had hidden his pregnancy all through his first trimester but that was all out in the open now.
All that and the annoying frequency Dern had begun to pull me into his Other World kitchen wadded me up into a tissue ball of tired Mori. That was why I was going to make slippers out of whoever was banging down the front door. We’d moved all the way to the middle of nowhere for peace and quiet and to be with our cousin, his mate, and their new baby, Hex. The latter was the reincarnation of an evil elven queen, but so far outside of crying whenever she was sat down, she’d shown no signs of being evil this time around.
“Mori? Who’s killing the house?” Preston called out, whiny as ever.
“Patience. He’s carrying around a bear cub that’s set up a mansion inside of him,”my wolf yawned, ever more patient than I was.
My brother was consumed by hunger and restlessness. The only thing that made him happy was eating a big snack whilehe put his feet up. It was as if the baby was multiplying inside of him and consuming each bite of his food as soon as it passed over his tongue. The baby’s sire was currently doing community service in Moonscale London with no intention of being a daddy. The baby’s grandma was on the run after trying to blow us all up with magic because Preston wouldn’t come live with her and hand his unborn baby over. So, it was us and Crilus and Pierce. Plus a few other friends who stopped by now and then. My best friend, Ni, was pregnant with his second, or he and his mate and firstborn, Zinnia, would’ve moved here by now. Juda, knew we had the space for them.
Growling under my breath, I swung my feet off the bed and shrugged on my robe. It was red and fluffy and so fucking soft that it made me want to melt back into the sheets and sleep until noon. I glanced at my step-counting watch. It wasn’t even fucking seven yet.
“Slippers. We’re gonna have new slippers,”my wolf grumbled.
I opened the front door to empty air and swore under my breath. I squinted looking around for whatever spirit that decided to bang my door down without sticking around to get aid. Two vehicles were parked in front of Crilus and Pierce’s house. They always pulled into the garage at night. One was the unmistakable minivan Clarence and Medwin Moonscale had been driving around, and the other was a standard issue Moonscale Guard car. The breeze carried the scents down to me and I swore under my breath. Whatever Clarence Moonscale was doing he was about to being eaten by a vampire. You don’t knock down the door of someone with a newborn baby this time of the morning.
“Shit!” I swore under my breath and sprinted across the estate’s well-kept lawn.
Pierce stood in the doorway with his long fangs bared at Clarence. Two guards stood behind the alpha dragon but neither of them smelled keen on fighting the vampire. I couldn’t predict the future at the drop of a hat, but I didn’t fancy their chances of winning. Pierce’s eyes were red and Crilus was tugging at his arm trying to pull him away from the door. Had he lost his shit and Crilus called for backup?
“What is the meaning of this?” I asked and tried not to wince at hearing my carrier’s voice tumble off my tongue. This wasn’t Nightshade Bear Territory but that didn’t give Clarence Moonscale the right to storm personal property.
“Trying to talk to Crilus but Pierce has lost his fucking shit,” one of the guards said over his shoulder. “Been threatening to rip Clarence’s throat out for the last five minutes. We’re at a standstill. He’s not budging and neither is Pierce.”
“Why do you need to speak with Crilus?” I asked.
“Because---” the guard started but Clarence shot him a look.
“Suit yourselves and get drained. I don’t care. Just do it quietly because you woke up Preston. So, tell me or not, but if not, I’m going back to bed.”
“A cheetah shifter was found without his hand down by the river this morning. He’d nearly bled out before a jogger tripped over him. He’d been at The Raven Perch last night and we know he hired Crilus for some of his ‘secret’ magic. Now, he shows up assaulted saying it’s by some big demon cat with elephant tusks. Sounds like a conjured-up animal if you ask me.”
“So, you’re here to question all of us? I’ll go call my parents,” I said.
“What? I’m trying to talk to Crilus because elven magic---” Clarence started but I didn’t have enough energy for his bullshit.
“No,” I shook my head. “I could do that. I could call a ghost of a saber cat to attack him. I could call one right now. Crilus can’t do that. His magic isn’t with the dead, you pig’s dick.”
Clarence turned to face me and pursed his lips, making himself look like an angry, overgrown duck.
“Did you attack that cheetah?” he asked.
