“Yeah, but they have alarm systems, gates, dogs, multiple exits if there’s a break-in…”
I stood up and circled behind him, crossing my arms around his neck. “That’s why you should stop eating all that fried food. If someone busts through the front door when you’re sleeping, how are you gonna squeeze your spare tire through these tiny windows? You won’t have time to get in the closet and load your guns.”
He patted my arms. “That’s why I keep a machete.”
“I’ll see what Ren has to say, but my hands are tied if Viktor puts me on another case.”
Crush shifted in his chair to look up at me. “That’s all he wants. Just someone to check it out. I couldn’t think of anyone better for the job than my baby girl.”
I could only imagine how much my father had been bragging about me after the recent bust with the cage fights. But Viktor might not accept the case, so I’d have to tread carefully with how much commitment I gave Ren.
“I’m heading out,” I said, still hugging him from behind. “Do you need anything? Food? Fruit juice? A stress test?”
“Get your ass outta here before I swat you.”
I kissed his head and smiled. “Empty threats.”
He stood to face me and put his hands on his hips. “I still have that paddle that used to hang on the wall.”
I belted out a laugh. “The only time you ever took that showpiece off the wall was during a party when Wild Bill backed his truck into your bike.”
He frowned. “How the hell do you know that? You were supposed to be inside sleeping. I didn’t let you roam around at that age during our parties.”
“I had a ringside seat through the windows.”
Crush stared at me long and hard. “What else did you see?”
“Dogs. I always thought your friends brought over their pets. Now I know better.”
“They weren’t supposed to shift around you. That was always the rule.”
“I never saw them do it. If I had, I probably would have just remembered it as a dream or my imagination.” I gripped the back of the vinyl chair when a thought sprang to mind. “Why don’t you get a roommate?”
Crush reached out for the door and swung it open. “Time for you to go, little girl.”
Chapter 3
After towel drying her hair, Blue stepped out of the bathroom and padded down the empty hallway. The stone floors chilled the soles of her feet but nothing like they did in the winter months. She could have chosen a room with an attached bathroom, but when Viktor had shown her the corner room, she’d fallen in love with the light. One set of windows faced west, providing a sweeping view of every sunset. As long as Blue could see the sky, her falcon was at peace.
Once inside her room, she glimpsed herself in the standing mirror to her left. She backed up a step and took a longer look. From the side, nothing looked unusual. Men had often admired her full breasts and lips, but Blue never considered those features the source of her femininity. It was her formidable stance, the depth in her eyes, and the power she exuded each time she wielded her tomahawk. Those qualities, in her view, defined her as a woman.
As she pivoted on her heel and stared at her reflection head-on, that confidence waned. Vanity had nothing to do with it, although a small part of her resented those scars for the way men looked at her differently. She had never liked the attention, but eyes once filled with desire now looked upon her with revulsion when they noticed even a fragment of the scars. Sometimes she wanted to rip off her shirt and show them everything. A smile touched her lips at the thought of grown men fainting at the sight of her.
Male Shifters often kept their scars to remind them of a victorious battle or a life saved. Most of those men weren’t half the warrior she was.
Blue had spent endless hours staring at her reflection since the attack. It was the only way to get used to the change and accept what the fates had given her. At least her falcon was still flawless. The feathers overlapped the marks, which were smaller on her animal.
She opened her armoire, looking for her red dress. She loved the wide hood and bell sleeves that gave it a medieval appearance. It wasn’t really hers—she found it in the armoire when she first joined Keystone, as if it had been waiting for her. Whether it was left behind or Viktor had put it there, she claimed it as her own. That and a blue cloak were small things that helped her detach from the outside world, so she enjoyed putting them on at night, after their work was done. Everyone needed a ritual.
The dress wasn’t there.
She let the towel drop to the floor and reentered the hall. Even though Wyatt’s office and some of her teammate’s bedrooms were on the same floor, no one ever wandered to her corner of the mansion. Not that she cared. When Blue reached the balustrade, she swung her legs over and jumped. She hated the weight of her body in human form as it fell, but she and her animal were in sync, and seconds later, Blue felt the familiar rush of sliding out of her body as her falcon emerged. Her outstretched arms shrank and transformed to beautiful wings, powering her upward for a moment before she swooped to the first floor and down the hall. On its own, her falcon could get lost in the maze of hallways, but Blue was able to communicate her desires and steer her animal in the right direction. Of course, all animals had free will, and there was no predicting if they would listen or not. But since Blue let her falcon out regularly, they maintained a symbiotic relationship.
How shelovedthe freeing sensation of flight. Land Shifters bragged about running at high speeds or taking down large prey. Few appreciated avian Shifters for anything but a lookout. They had never experienced the thrill of ascending to the clouds where the only sound was the wind against your wings. The world beneath became smaller. People were insignificant specks that vanished into the vast landscape.
Her falcon flapped its wings, pushing down air and propelling her through a long hallway that cut through the mansion. When she reached the foyer, she veered right and swooped over Wyatt’s head.
“Hey! Watch it, ladybird!”
