“Very true,” he agrees, moving cautiously closer, and I only know that because the position of where his voice is coming from has changed, not because I can see him. He asks, “Who are you?”
“I’m Neith, I’m with SID. We got a tip about this place, and here we are,” I explain. “You?”
“Trip,” he replies.
“No way!” I exclaim with a grin. “Rana told me about you.”
Before I can get another word out, he’s in my face. Towering over me, and I have to stop myself from gasping.
He’s covered in scars and tattoos, blood and wounds, some new, some not. He’s been beaten far worse than any of the other prisoners and repeatedly as well.
That’s not what shocked me though, what shocked me were his eyes. They’re shifted, but they are unlike any that I have seen before, slitted like a snake, but bright purple, and I don’t think he is a snake shifter.
I’ve had recent dealings with one, thanks to my dream, and Trip doesn’t feel the same as he did. Although it might be because he’s not an evil fuck that is making him feel different to me.
The Voices mutter in disagreement, okay, not that reason then.
So he’s not a snake shifter, I think, and aim the thought at the Voices to see if they’ll answer me.
Surprisingly, this time they mutter in agreement.
They’re obviously feeling cooperative today.
I refocus.
Trip is also far stronger than he should be for a shifter.
Wow.
His voice is full of menace, and I see the guys start to move toward us from down the hallway. I instinctively know that it would be really fucking bad if they interrupted right now, and I move my hand at my side, signaling that they need to stay where they are.
I’m relieved when they stop, although I can feel how much they fucking hate it.
He’s not attacking me though, and I have a feeling that Rana’s name was what triggered him.
“What did you say?” He demands quietly, the calmness of his voice a direct contrast to the violence coiled and ready to be unleashed in his body.
“Rana is the person I mentioned before, the one who helped us. She’s fucking amazing, full of fire, has been through shit, and still fights. I call her a friend. Derek bought her from here and used something on The Owner to make sure that he could,” I explain quickly.
“Rana’s dead,” he replies brokenly, his eyes unsure and moving quickly.
“She’s not,” I reply. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, aware that he’s tracking my every move, ready to lunge at any moment if I make the wrong move. I know that this is the only way that he’s going to believe me though, so I take the risk and quickly dial Rana’s number.
“Neith?” Rana’s voice comes through the speaker.
“Rana,” Trip whispers.
“Fuck, Trip.” She replies just as brokenly.
“You’re alive,” he replies.
A fierce growl comes from the other end of the phone, “The fucking cunt told you I was dead?”
“I’m really fucking sorry, but we need to go,” I interrupt reluctantly. “Rana, I'll call you back asap. I gotta go kill some shit.”
She busts out laughing and then replies, “Stay fucking safe, both of you.”
“Shit,” Trip says, a light in his eyes that wasn’t there before. “The seal.”
