“Yes, you need to tell us more about the bedroom, but I’m also curious where the convo ended up after you bit his head off.Stan can get a little grumpy when things aren’t going his way.Especially if he didn’t take his nap.What’d he say?”Harriet asked.
“He took a whole lot of deep breaths before he said anything.And that kind of irritated me and led me down that rabbit hole diatribe I just told you about.”
“Well, did you apologize?”
“Of course I did, Carol, and he said we were good, but even if we aren’t, perhaps it’s for the best.”
“What are you on about now?”Treasure asked.
“Just that his life is here and mine is on Milos.We are kidding ourselves if we think a relationship can work.”
“You do realize who you are talking to, right?All of us thought the same thing.Even Erika.Sorry, she couldn’t make it with Quinn.They have the GTFO charity banquet with Kings Rayan, Lear, and Mateo,” said Carol.
Kalliopi raised a brow.She was a MILF, but even she didn’t know all the acronyms.
“Oh—right!You probably aren’t aware of the full name.It’s the Guard Turtles from Obtruders’ charity banquet.Lear pretty much spearheaded the campaign because a lot of turtle shifters have gone missing, and he can’t help but feel the humans play a part in all of it.Sure, the pop-up labs are always a threat, but the fishing nets are also another danger.”
“Speaking of which, we’ve taken enough time to chat,” Kalliopi said.“Let’s see if they’ve gotten any closer to zeroing in on a location.”
“Girl!You are not getting away from the bedroom conversation!Spill already!”Treasure said with a snort.
Knowing that, if anything had been found, there would have been a flurry of excitement on the other side of the room where the FUC agents were huddled over their computers, she admitted, “Fine!We may have done the deed.And on more than one occasion.”
“What?More than once?”Carol slapped Kalliopi’s arm.“That’s amazing!”
“And you let him take control in the bedroom, huh?”Amira teased.“That can be fun.So can tying them up.”
“Okay, now you know, so let’s get our heads back in the mission,” said Kalliopi.“Look, there the guys are, ready to start pulling their weight, too.”
They worked well into the night planning their attack.
13
The plan was set.Everyone waited for the order while in position.All they had been waiting for was for Kalliopi to do an aerial sweep of the facility and the property within a two-mile radius.Kalliopi nodded at Stan before she shifted into her stork form.
This had been the first time Stan had seen her in shifted form, and he let out a breath in awe.Her white and black feathers glistened in the moonlight.Her orange bill tilted toward the sky, and she instantly shot up into the air.Stan watched her feathers bristling through the cool night breeze until he couldn’t see her any longer.He closed his eyes, murmuring a whispered prayer that she’d return to him safely.After all these years mourning Aimée, he feared losing Kalliopi to something he said or did, rather than her dying in the line of duty.Their fight was silly as far as he was concerned, because he had no intention of making her do anything she didn’t want to.However, he understood where her concerns were coming from.But there was no way he’d let Kalliopi go—no matter what she said about their long-distance relationship.He’d find a way to make it work.In this short amount of time, she’d become precious to him, and he wouldn’t lose her.
She came back into view, breaking Stan from his thoughts.Once she landed with the grace of an angel, she shifted back into human form.
“There are guards two klicks from the north and south entrances.One by each door and two in flanking positions for a total of six guards.I suggest we neutralize them while Harriet and Carol scale the wall to go in through the ventilating system.Stan, back up Treasure at the South entrance.Richard, you’re with me.”
Kalliopi and Richard shifted.Richard raced through the forest in his llama form to the north gate while Kalliopi flew behind him to cover him.With Richard’s strong llama back legs, he easily took out the wolf shifter guarding the door.Seconds flew by before the other two wolf shifters headed toward them.They bared their teeth in Kalliopi’s direction, because they most likely thought it easier to take out a stork than a llama.But Kalliopi sprang up and pecked at their eyes with her bill.Both wolves howled and whimpered in pain within seconds.Richard shifted back into human form to cuff all three assailants.
“Remind me not to piss you off!You MILFs are no joke,” Richard said with a chuckle.
Kalliopi shifted back to her human form and nodded.She talked little when she was on a mission unless it was to give a command.
“Let’s head—” Kalliopi’s voice broke when she saw Carol scurry toward them in ferret form.
“Harriet’s in trouble!”she said as she shifted back into human form.“And it’s all my fault.”
Kalliopi’s brows shot up her forehead.“Both of you, wait here until I give the all-clear,” Kalliopi said with a low growl.
Before Carol or Richard could protest, Kalliopi shifted into her Eurasian wolf and broke through the doors to the lab.
* * *
Carol’s voice came through Stan’s earpiece.
