Roan tapped the steering wheel of his BMW as he pulled into the underground parking garage of Leonidas Global, Inc.He found his usual parking spot and shut off the engine.Heaving a sigh, the Shaman took a moment to think before exiting the vehicle.Something weighed upon his mind, which is why he'd called this meeting with the Prime.No doubt, his son, Callon, who Roan considered a friend, would also be in attendance, which was prudent.Callon was the leader of feline beastwalker warriors.His input would be important.
Roan pulled out a tablet and reviewed his notes.One of his counterparts had recently alerted him to a string of abductions in the New Orleans area.Unfortunately, all the disappearances shared a pattern which made them his concern— they were all young women in their late teens and early twenties– the exact age that ananimuscame into her powers.The abductions could be a coincidence, of course.But it could also mean the Kingdom of Venom was back to its old ways, abductinganimiin hopes of finding a match for their males."Damn snakes," Roan muttered as he got out of the car.
"I thought Shaman weren't supposed to take sides."Roan looked up to see Callon walking his way.
"We aren't.But we have loyalty to those who are honorable."Roan stowed his tablet before shouldering his pack and reaching out a fist to Callon, who bumped it."And just because I have to stay impartial doesn't mean I cannot hate the slimy bastards."
"I'm told snakes aren't exactly slimy,” Callon said without any inflection that he was joking.Roan wasn’t sure he’d ever known the Prince to joke.For the most part he was a grumpy ass.
"I don't mean how they feel,” Roan’s nose scrunched, “Not that I would actually touch one."
He and Callon walked toward the parking garage elevators."Given your current mood, I'm going to assume the meeting you've called with my father concerns the Kingdom of Venom?"
Roan nodded."You assume correctly.Women are disappearing in New Orleans."
Callon released a growl.Roan glanced over to see a set of sharp, elongated teeth.For a moment, the man's face appeared as that of a snarling lion.A second later, it was back to that of a human.Roan knew it wasn’t an actual shift because Callon wasn’t mated.The image was more like a mirage of what the beast inside of him would one day be capable of becoming.
"My sentiments exactly, Callon."
The pair emerged into the lobby of Leonidas Global.The lobby was huge.The walls of the inner offices were glass, and Roan could see men and women working at computers or talking on the phone.Roan knew only about half of them were beastwalkers oranimi.The rest were ordinary humans.He chuckled to himself.They would soil themselves if they knew the coworker in the office right next to them could transform into a large cat and decapitate them with a single swipe of its claws.Or, at least, the ones who were already mated.The rest of them, though not able to transform fully, were still damn dangerous.
"I assume business is good?"he asked as he kept the brisk pace next to his comrade.
Callon gave a sharp nod."Yes.”His tone was every bit as curt as his nod.To Roan’s surprise, Callon continued.“The PI stuff is steady.Bounty hunting is always busy, but the bodyguard division has really taken off.Every other day some new social mediacelebritypops up.”He said, ‘celebrity' as if it was a disease he could catch simply by speaking the word.“They all think they're important enough someone might want to take them out."
"To be fair,” Roan growled, “I wouldn't mind taking a few of those annoying bastards out myself."
The Prince let out a deep rumble as he said, "You’ll have to get in line."The pair entered a glass elevator and Callon punched the button for the tenth floor.
Roan ran a hand down his face, the centuries of his age settling on his shoulders."You try keeping the existence of beastwalkers secret from the humans, while simultaneously trying to keep those same beastwalkers from going to war with one another and see what kind of mood you're in."
"Fair point," Callon conceded.“You can move closer to the front of the line,” he said dryly.
Roan almost smiled.That was as close to a joke as the Prince ever got.
They reached the top floor and walked down a long hallway toward the Prime's office, or, as the human employees working in the lower floors knew him, Mr.Taras Leo, CEO of Leonidas Global, Inc.A secretary sat outside Taras's door.She was very pretty, and very human.
"Hello, Callon."Roan guessed the woman was in her mid-twenties.She had the kind of voice that would make men do things.Stupid, stupid things.Callon grunted a response.Roan watched the way the secretary's eyes drank in Callon's form, while he barely glanced in her direction.At six-foot, five-inches tall, Callon, like most of their kind, towered over humans, especially the females.Add to that the natural muscle tone he had because of his beast, and Callon was an impressive specimen.Roan also heard human women talk about Callon’s unique hair with all the golden colors and the wild way he wore it.Apparently, this was appealing to human females.His gold eyes were unique enough the Prime’s son was complimented on themad nauseam.The Shaman kept himself from rolling his eyes.She obviously hadn't gotten the memo, and despite the cold shoulder Callon was giving her, she still didn't understand.It was nothing personal.But Roan had known Callon long enough to know that the Prince didn't like humans.He tolerated them and treated them with respect when he had to interact with them, but romantically?Intolerablewas the word Roan thought he'd remembered Callon using.Though there were days Roan wasn’t sure Callon liked anyone.He respected them, butliked…that might be pushing it for the Prince.Roan had no idea what his friend planned to do about finding a mate.There’d been no females born to their kind in over a century, and those females that were mated, bore only male children.The only way a Damarian male could hope to find a mate was with ananimus– a human imbued with the magic of the Kingdom Shifters.As Wyatt liked to point out on a regular basis, Callon was S.O.L.if he didn’t find humans appealing.Without a mate, his inner beast would always be just beyond his reach.
Callon knocked on his father's door.
"Enter," came a deep voice.
Roan followed Callon inside.The Prime's office would have looked like any other CEO's office to the human employees of Leonidas Global.It contained floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed natural light to fill the room, creating a bright and inviting atmosphere.The luxurious leather furniture exuded prestige.To Roan's eyes however, the office looked much different.
The Shaman could see through the glamour to the earthy tones surrounding him.The walls were adorned with textured wallpaper in shades of terracotta, ochre, and deep brown.The floor, which would have appeared as expensive hardwood to a human, was rough stone to Roan's sight.Exotic woven rugs covered much of the ground.A human might have described it as mimicking the African Savanna, but Roan knew the office wasn't meant to imitate anything in the earthly realm.These were scenes from Damara, the realm where the beastwalkers originated.
Sitting behind a large mahogany desk, the Prime wore a finely-tailored suit.He stood and turned away from the window where he'd been watching the city below.Roan saw that the Prime wasn't alone.Sitting in a plush chair to his right, was Lyra, the Prima to the Kingdom of Claws.She had long, tawny-brown hair that fell in a tight braid down her back.The Prima possessed an enchanting allure, her features exuding a captivating grace reminiscent of a feline elegance.Her face possessed a striking resemblance to the sleek characteristics of a lioness, the creature which Lyra could transform into on a whim if she so wished.
Taras inclined his head to Roan."Welcome, Shaman."
"Thank you, Prime.And what a pleasant surprise to see Prima Lyra."Roan gave the Prima a slight bow.
She, too, inclined her head."Ah, Roan, our resident Shaman.I wish I could say it was good to see you, Friend.But you never seem to bring any good news."
Roan’s jaw clenched as he lifted his chin."More of the same, I'm afraid, Your Majesty.I bring ill-tidings."
King Taras blew out a breath."Out with it, Roan.No sense beating around the bush.Which of my enemies is causing trouble this time?"
