rogue shifter 05 - caught between (15 page)

"I don't like coke." Flynn glared at Rick.

"Ok, then get him a nice cool glass of iced water."

"Fine, I'll have a coke." He shoved the rest of the roll in his mouth with an annoyed grunt.

"Don't complain, Flynn, They make me drink
decaf
coke. Ugh."

Ethan walked over toward the stove where I was heating everything up, and started pulling out plates. "Kyle and I'll have cokes too." He was trying to make Flynn feel better, a typical Ethan move.

Kyle snorted, copying Rick's words and tone. "In your dreams, Ethan. I'll have a beer...or two." Kyle was 26 in real years, although he looked about 18. Ethan, who actually
was
18, started to mouth off to Kyle, but I interrupted them.

"Children, I think next time I'll put out a pitcher of iced tea and call it a day." That got a laugh from all three vamps and a glare from Kyle.

"I don't drink iced tea."

"Iced water for you, then."

Ethan and Will helped me dish everything out and I sent Rick downstairs with a plate and a glass of wine for Isaiah. Even though he was in the basement, we knew he could hear every word we said up here. It was just that I didn't want to have to watch his face while we discussed business. He tended to look at the rest of us as if we were a science experiment he was working on, and it annoyed the heck out of me. Also, I preferred to keep him away from Maya, who had trouble with any of us inviting dangerous creatures into her community.

When Maya, Rob and Garrett came out of the office we finished dishing out the rest of the food so everyone could sit down together to enjoy another one of Liam's culinary masterpieces.

After a sip of wine, Maya, a cheetah shapeshifter high up on the Shifter Council, didn't waste any time annoying me. "Garrett said you have a new skill that might be helpful in the investigation. He didn't go into specifics so I thought that you might let us in on the big secret."

The room grew very quiet as everyone waited for me to answer. I took my time because even though she expected it of almost everyone, I wasn't
ever
going to jump through her hoop.

As it happened, Maya and Garrett had a history. She and Garrett had been lovers forty years ago and it had ended badly, leaving them barely civil. Garrett and I were already pledged to each other when I'd met her under very difficult circumstances.

Ethan and I had been brought before the council on charges that we were potentially dangerous to the shapeshifter community. However, because of my magical abilities and the training I'd received from Garrett, and also because of my upcoming duel with Antoine, Maya had been forced to re-evaluate me and then recommend that I be accepted. She'd pitched in and helped to train me for the duel and I'd always be grateful to her for that, but we'd never be friends and I didn't like her using this patronizing tone with me in my own home.

I saw Garrett start to say something, but I sent to him,
"Mine
." He smiled and kept his mouth shut. Such a smart vampire.

"Since you haven't actually discussed the investigation with me, I can't really say whether my new skill will be useful or not, but I have no intention of keeping it a secret. I've been trained by Isaiah to communicate with shades."

"What the hell are shades?" Kyle blurted out, making Ethan elbow him in the ribs.

I gave Kyle an angry look that made him shrug sheepishly. "Isaiah explained them as soulless spirits left behind because they're either trapped here or they have something they still need to do. They're kind of carbon copies of their former selves."

Maya looked at me like I was nuts. "Your demon conjured up an illusion and you obviously fell for it." She was pushing the food around on her plate but hadn't actually eaten any of it. However, she was on her second glass of wine.

Garrett sent,
"Jackie, take it easy, we have to keep the peace. We know how she can be."
He got up and dished out more food for Flynn, who was still looking hungry. Then he leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

"Screw peace. She's calling me a liar."
And anyway, I was having fun.

"They weren't illusions. I helped to free some of them from the villa. The strongest one there was Garrett's sister, Marie. She's my familiar now."

Maya's eyebrows shot up, and she glanced at Garrett for confirmation. "This is true?" He nodded and she whipped her head back in my direction. "You made her your slave?" Her mouth had twisted down in disgust.

I kept my voice very calm."I gave her the choice and she accepted. She's not tied to me in any way, other than that she comes when there's something important that I need help with. Like a murder investigation. Since you haven't told us what's going on, maybe Rob could fill us in on the details. Then I'll have a better idea whether or not Marie can help." Our attention shifted to Rob.

He nodded. "Sure..."

Maya interrupted him. "Rob and I have discussed it with Garrett, so
he'll
fill you in." She'd dismissed the rest of us, deciding that it wasn't worth her time or Rob's to explain anything to the team. I didn't reply. It was probably better for everyone's digestion if she left as soon as she was finished eating.

She wasn't quite done, however. "Jackie, there is something I have to tell you, strictly in my role as a representative of the Crescent City Shifter Council. Would you prefer that I speak to you privately, or shall I tell you now?"

Rob looked upset. "Maya, you never mentioned anything..."

"This only concerns Jacqueline and the council."

"You can tell me in front of everyone." I glanced around at the others, and they all looked as baffled as I felt. Garrett leaned back against the counter with his arms crossed, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"As you prefer. A motion has come before the council which would ban the fae from settling in Crescent City. They may work here or visit here temporarily, but they would not be allowed to live here permanently. This is obviously for the safety of the community and is the result of a valid concern by many of the residents."

I sent to Garrett
. "Did you know?"

"No. Neither did Rob, by his expression."
Rob looked shocked, then angry.

"I bet I know who brought the motion before the council."

"I agree, but I don't understand why."
Silver dots were starting to pop in his eyes as his anger grew more pronounced.

The room remained quiet as everyone digested this new information. Everyone here understood the implications if this law passed. "Liam just bought a house." Ethan said.

"Yes, that's unfortunate." She didn't look like she gave a shit, even though she'd known Liam for over eighty years.

"And what of our son?" Garrett asked in his iciest tone.

"He isn't yours. That murderous fae lord is the father. If he takes after him, then he could turn to the dark arts. We can't take that chance."

Rob was furious. "Maya, this is ludicrous."

She ignored him. "If the law is passed, and I believe it will be, there could be exceptions made. You could present your case in person before the council. Perhaps we could allow your son to live here six months a year under strict supervision."

"It's the green-eyed monster, little demon."
Isaiah was speaking to me from the basement, having heard everything.

"I thought she was over me and Garrett being together."

"It is the child. She has wanted one for decades. She is barren and you are ripe with a son."

I hadn't bothered putting up my shields, because I knew Isaiah could read everyone else
except for Garrett, so why bother.
"Normally I'd be pissed that you went into our heads, but tonight—not so much."

I stood up. "Actually, I think I
would
like to speak to you alone. I have something to show you." I led her into the nursery.

She was shocked at first when she saw where I'd brought her. "Why are we here?"

She stood stiffly and looked around the room. As she did, I noticed how thin she'd gotten. She hadn't eaten one bite of our meal. There were dark shadows under her eyes, so she might not be sleeping. Either that or she was stressed about something. Maybe Isaiah was right.

I pointed to the mural of my teen-aged son riding his horse, since she wasn't able to see the mural of Faerie. "That's Charlie, almost grown. He's a cheetah like us, Maya, and according to his demi-fae guardian, he's going to fight a war to protect our shifter community and all the supes who believe that we have a duty to protect innocent lives and a right to live as we wish and where we wish."

Her expression was stony. "That's a pretty speech, but you can't predict the future."

"Not often. Sometimes I see something in a dream, but it's always something current. However, I've heard that you're quite adept at it. Use your power to
See.
You'll find that Sinlae's prediction is probably true." I ran my hand over the arm of the young man in the painting. "It isn't the future I'd have wished for him."

"A pixie is also a fae, so the council can't trust what she says." She folded her arms and stared out the window, refusing to look at the mural.

I huffed in exasperation. "Maya, look into your heart and tell me honestly why you're doing this. Do you think I wanted to be tortured and raped by Kennet? Do you think I chose this? Charlie shouldn't suffer for what happened and neither should Garrett. You can't mean to hurt him like this."

"The shapeshifter community needs to be protected."

I was furious now because she wasn't really hearing me. I grabbed her arm."Are you well? You've lost weight. Have you seen a doctor or a healer?"

She pulled away from me with a jerk. "Don't you dare speak to me about my personal..."

"And this isn't personal for me? You're fucking with my life here, Maya."

"This is
not
a personal attack on you. I've helped you and your sister in every way that I could. "

"I appreciate all that you've done. I do." I took a deep breath to calm myself down. My eyes flashing orange certainly wouldn't help matters. "Maybe I can help you." I was willing to use my healing magic to at least try.

The look she gave me was full of pain and anger. "I recommend that you attend the next Shifter Council meeting. Come prepared to plead your case." She turned and moved into the foyer, slipping her jacket on as she walked. "No matter what you assume, my motives are not colored by any personal prejudices. I represent and will always work to protect Crescent City's shapeshifter community. Thank you for dinner."

She left through the front door without another word to anyone. Rob stormed out after her, but she'd already driven away. He followed in his car, his face grim with anger.

Garrett was suddenly behind me, pulling me into him, my back to his chest. I sank into his body, breathing him in and pulling his arms more tightly around me.

"She's in high form tonight." He practically hissed, he was so furious, yet his proximity was still a great comfort to me.

"Isaiah says she's jealous of Charlie. Could that be true? Did she talk about having children when you were together?"

"She did, although she always knew I couldn't give them to her. She wanted to find a sperm donor, but you know how particular Maya can be. Perhaps a Rhodes Scholar who looked like a model and was born a cheetah would have satisfied her," he said scornfully. Unbidden, a twinge of jealousy punched me in the heart. I hadn't known that he'd discussed raising a family with her.

He must have felt my body tense up against him, so he twisted me around to see my face. Gentle knuckles grazed my cheek. "Smile for me, my love. I don't like to see those sad eyes." He kissed my hair and sighed. "I'd told her honestly that I wasn't ready to commit to a long term relationship because we spent half our time together arguing about the most ridiculous things. She was desperate to hold us together, even though it was obvious that we were both miserable. I suppose she thought a child might work where other schemes hadn't."

"Do you think the law will pass?"

"It will go before the three council members for a vote. If it passes, we can insist on a public vote. Then it would be up to the adult shifters present at the meeting through a show of hands. It would require at least a 2/3 majority to pass. This might be our best option. I'll talk to Peter and get his take on the situation." Kyle's mate, Peter, was a lawyer.

"What happens if it passes the public vote?"

He looked out the front window at our lovely yard, the woods beyond and the mountains beyond that. "Then we leave Crescent City. There are many beautiful areas in my territory that would welcome us and Charlie too."

This property where he'd built his house and made a life for himself had once belonged to his parents. Leaving it behind would be difficult for him. "You've invested so much of your money and your heart into this place."

"The money wouldn't concern me, and my heart will always travel with you and our son. I might release my nest and then they could stay, if they wished. The team could still function well, since we can both travel the lines to meet them wherever we're needed. Rob would have to take in Flynn. He's not ready to be left on his own. Liam would come with us to our new home, as would Sinlae and her males. As long as you and Charles are safe, I'd live anywhere."

"The Carmel villa?" I winced, thinking that maybe I'd gone too far.

"Did you like it there?" He smiled a half smile.

"It was lovely. Especially the times we were
alone
together." My face heated up as he grinned at my embarrassment.

He ran two fingers across my bottom lip, then leaned in to bite it gently, reminding me of what I'd done earlier. "I'd live there happily with you." He laughed. "A month ago I never would have believed I'd feel this way about that house of horrors."

"Former house of horrors. I did my best to give you some new memories to replace the old ones." I looked up at him and impishly batted my eyelashes. "Now it's the house of love."