Page 12 of Dual Nature

Back out in the living room, I found Colt with his blanket full of pillows, along with the clothes that Mason had handed to him. “Time’s up. We gotta go.”

Snagging the bag of snacks, I followed him out the door and to the large black truck. We tossed everything into the bed, and then we headed off to grab Zander on our way to the airport.

eight

Yawning, I stretched out, cursing when my hand punched into something hard. I opened my eyes to see that I was still in the bunker in the middle of the woods in New York state. It took me a moment to go over everything, confused as to why my brain was so fuzzy about the details, but once my memories fell into place, I shot up and out of the bunk, heart racing.

How long has it been since I fell asleep? Margaret! I still need to call her and explain what happened. Grabbing the phone, I called the secure line. I immediately realized I couldn’t stand still; there was way too much anxiety-driven adrenaline coursing through me right now. I climbed out of pace, starting to pace as the phone rang.

“Nature’s Healing Wellness Retreat and Spa, this is Tiffany. How may I help you?” a chipper voice answered.

“I would like to inquire about the ebony package; I was told Margaret was the one to speak with,” I answered, giving the necessary code phrase.

“One moment. Can I have your name?”

“Foxtrot-seven-nine-five.” The line went dead for a moment before it started to ring once more.

“Finley, what the fuck happened? Did you really blow up the house and let Delilah get away?” Margaret asked in a voice as cold as steel.

I took a deep breath through my nose, needing to keep a level head considering how furious Margaret was. Margaret never swore, so she only did that when she was about ready to send you to a week of isolation in the small basement cell to think about what you did wrong. “Matters were worse than we thought, ma’am. As you stated when you gave me the job, I had to improvise for the best outcome.”

“You’re telling me the best outcome was this?” Margaret demanded.

“The info that Maxwell gave us was only the tip of the iceberg. I walked into a situation that would have made matters worse between you and the Senate. If I‘d allowed things as Delilah intended, I would have been responsible for the death of innocent supernaturals too. I had to destroy the property because they had my prints and other information about me that couldn’t get out,” I explained.

A sound that I would have qualified as a growl came out of Margaret, surprising me. “Something tells me the Senate didn’t give me all the correct information so that they could take you out and keep this situation under wraps.”

“That would be unwise of them, seeing as Delilah is part of an underground organization that believes they have every right to embrace their animalistic side. It seems that Delilah is just foolish and far too open about it. She had a bodyguard with her at all times—a silverback gorilla,” I said, going into further detail.

“I will be sure to share all that with the Senate when I speak to them. As for you, we can send evac to you in a few hours. I would much rather have you where I can keep an eye on you than stranded out in the woods when the Senate learns about all this.”

“There’s one more thing that you should know,” I ventured, knowing this was the moment everything would change for better or worse.

“Well, spit it out,” Margaret ordered. “It’s not like you to need me to draw it out of you.”

“I’ve been bitten—by a werewolf… an omega.”

The silence on the other end was deafening, telling me all I needed to know. My time with the Organization was over.

“That can’t be possible. There is no way that you could have been changed from the bite of an omega,” Margaret blurted. “What makes you believe it was an omega that bit you?”

“Because I talked to him and he told me. I was his Mistress for the weekend, and he had to answer any request.” I didn’t understand why this was so odd. Wasn’t it common knowledge that if you got bit, you changed? To me, that was just common sense. Or at least according to what I knew of shifters. What made Cory so special that Margaret, of all people, was reacting this way?

“Still, it shouldn’t have changed you. Are you certain that you’re a shifter now?” Margaret pressed.

“Yes, ma’am. I was mauled by a panther shifter, but I healed overnight, not a scratch on me once I woke up. Then there’s the reaction that I had to the alpha I spoke to on the phone...”

“Stop, go back. Did you say you spoke to an alpha? Why would you do that, Finley? We could have protected you!” Margaret yelled, causing me to flinch at her disapproving tone. As the one person I’d looked up to all my life, hearing her so upset with my choice gutted me. What other choice had I really had?

Pulling the phone away, I took a moment to settle my nerves before I answered. “The omega who bit me ended up getting killed. Before he died, he told me to find his brother, said he would protect me. It’s the law. The shifter’s pack must take responsibility for the person their packmate bit. How could I get the Organization in more trouble with the Senate than I already have?”

“You foolish, foolish girl. I might have been able to protect you from the world of the supernatural and let you have a normal life, but you’ve thrown that all away.” Margaret sighed, suddenly sounding so tired. “Since you have made your choice, know that once you leave the safehouse, you are no longer a member of the Organization. We will not be responsible for you. For all intents and purposes, you will be dead to us. Never contact this place again, and if you do, know that you risk death.”

My heart clenched at her words. I knew this might be the outcome, but what choice did I have? If the Senate caught me, it wouldn’t just be me that was affected. The Organization had given me a home, a purpose. I owed them this attempt at protecting them.

“Understood, ma’am. And since it will be the last time we speak, please know I am grateful for all you have taught me,” I whispered, unable to keep my voice strong in this moment.

There was a pause before I heard Margaret take a breath. “Finley, you truly were one of our finest, a rarity in this line of work. You might be dead to the Organization, but you are not dead to me. You know how to get ahold of me if you need to, but I will stress that the need must be great indeed to ask for that favor.”