Shepherd's Moon (39 page)

By the time the new enforcers arrived that afternoon, we had a plan for getting into Parallax. A small, time-delayed charge on one side of the building would ensure the other side of the campus was at minimum guard. It was a tried and true way of infiltrating a large facility. Heat-seeking devices and satellite images had provided an overview of how many guards we could expect to be on duty, and a hack into their FTP site told us who those guards would be.

Given the number of guards scheduled, I opted to send three of the four visiting enforcers with Daniel, Billy and Brock. That left Aida, Jace and his hawk-shifter boyfriend Zack to stay home and care for Modnik and her cubs.

I had my own surprise when I learned that Tristan’s werecougar would be accompanying us to the party.

Brock took Billy to pick up the new arrivals and take a quick look at the building layout of Parallax, while I took a well-deserved nap. By the next afternoon, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open long enough to let Jace play dress up with me.

Daniel and Tristan supervised my makeover. While Daniel actually showed an interest, Tristan appeared bored with the entire process and I couldn’t help but wonder why he was there. Seems to me the last place he should be was sitting on my bed while I sat in front of a mirror. Annoyance flickered over his face as I whined about every brush of the makeup Jace applied.

“Just sit still,” Jace mumbled irritably, turning me away from the mirror. This was even worse, as I now faced Tristan and Daniel.

“Mind telling me one more time why this is necessary?” I complained.

“Life ain’t a seminar, princess. Sometimes you actually have to get your hands dirty.” Tristan said the words casually as he watched, but I sensed something was off as he lay on my pillows, observing the process.

“It’s not my hands I’m worried about,” I said sarcastically.

He chuckled. “You can’t shift, so if you can’t shift you have to learn some practical ways to fit in. Think of this as a lesson in the fine arts of concealment.”

I was really beginning to despise the man. First the makeup, then the over-the-top outfit that hung in the corner. I suspiciously eyed the garment hanging on the door. The black dress, if one could call it a dress, draped low in the front allowing plenty of room for cleavage, yet somehow still left my back completely exposed. I wasn’t even sure how the dress was held in place. It was long, much to my relief, and would camouflage whatever weapon I could secure to my thigh. All things considered, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but still…”

I looked away from it grumbling. “There is no way that I will be able to defend myself in that thing.”

“That’s the idea,” he grinned. “The weaker they think you are, the quicker you become a victim. And that’s what we’re looking for — a victim.”

Daniel’s eyes widened at his words and I immediately sent a wave of calm over him. The poor thing was so high-strung; I’m not sure how he was ever going to adjust to our pack — let alone, the missions we were running. I supposed after a few of them, he would grow more accustomed to it.

Right now, I had bigger problems. The thought of wearing a dress, no matter how beautiful it was, made me shudder. I was accustomed to my jeans and t-shirts. Sending a distrustful glance at it once more, I noticed the play of light along the diamonds that formed an intricate diamond-shaped pattern in the stomach area.

“Are those real diamonds?”

He didn’t even glance up from his phone. “Of course.”

I pulled away from Jace. “I’m not going to be able to fight if I have to worry about losing diamonds from my dress!”

Tristan rolled his eyes as Jace packed away the brushes he was using to apply my makeup. “You live the life you do, and you’re worried about a few diamonds? Unbelievable…”

“Hey, I can live the life I do because I don’t wear clothing worth more than my car!”

Jace applied the last few touches of makeup to my face, which I was sure now resembled something more of a street hooker than a Shepherd. He shooed everyone from the large bathroom, then closed the door and handed me the dress. I slipped out of the robe and he helped me wiggle into the dress, then dangled a pair of stiletto heels in his hands. Taking them with a frown, I placed them on my feet.

A slow smile spread across his face and he nodded towards the mirror that he had kept me from for the last half hour. “Take a look.”

One glance at my reflection and I was taken aback. I barely recognized myself. My hair fell in soft curves down my back, lifted slightly away from my face with the aid of a lot of mousse and hair products I wouldn’t pretend to understand. It perfectly framed the soft makeup he had applied. A healthy glow settled on my face and I had to take a step back from the mirror.

For once, I was at a loss for words.

Jace opened the door and I turned to see Daniel and Tristan staring at me with their mouths open.

Tristan stood and moved towards me until not having our bodies touch took more effort than closing the small distance. Our eyes, now nearly level thanks to the outrageously high heels, met and held. A sudden heat intensified between us, escalating as his aura hit me full force. The feeling was like nothing I had ever experienced. It was primal, dangerous…

Raising his hand, he pressed a strand of hair behind my ear before resting it against my cheek. We stood there without words, staring silently, entranced, until he lowered his head so slowly I barely noticed the movement.

“Damn, girl,” he whispered softly. His eyes dropped and he pulled away from me before I could even flinch at the touch of his forehead on mine, as he suddenly remembered himself.

I blinked and he was back in the bedroom, his back towards me as he studied the file on the bed. Standing in shocked silence, I could only stare at him, his broad muscular back in a white tuxedo shirt that led perfectly to dark, tight trousers. It was difficult to believe I could feel such a physical attraction to a man while simultaneously being revolted by him on an emotional level. The thought left me dizzy.

Jace broke the silence, cautiously evaluating the two of us. “You do look stunning, Alexandra.”

I smiled and touched his hand. “Thank you, Jace.”

Without turning to look at me, Tristan tossed the file on the bed and moved to retrieve his jacket from a hanger. “Tonight we learn the names of the investors that Keeenan Fa’al is working with, or at the very least, who’s really funding him. We learn that, and we can eliminate a few of our problems.”

I nodded, making a conscious effort to shift back into business mode. “I’ve asked the boys to spend some time investigating the lab while they’re in there.”

Tristan shrugged. “It’s not like this Keenan character is going to run back to his company if he gets broken into — he has people for that. “Think it’s a good idea having them in there, though?”

I nodded and picked up the small Sig Sauer P290 that I could wear concealed. “Why not?”

He watched me attach the holster and slip the small gun into its new concealed location on my thigh. I smiled as he cleared his throat. “They’re supposed to be doing recon, not search and destroy. You think they’ll be able to leave those animals in the cages after they’ve seen them? They won’t have time to get anyone out and we’ve already got enough problems.”

“They’ll be good,” I smiled, meeting his hazel eyes.

He didn’t look convinced. “How will you stay in contact with them?”

I tapped my temple and smiled. “I’m always in contact with them.”

We arrived at the event fashionably late by social standards. The Four Seasons is one of the most illustrious resorts in the state, and luckily for me, being close to home helped decrease the chance of destroying my new look. Tristan’s werecougar drove the long limo, navigating the winding roads with ease. He would be accompanying us as our bodyguard. A very large bodyguard — apparently having a bodyguard was all the rage these days. We pulled into the long circular drive and stopped.

“Wait,” Tristan said, softly touching my hand when I reached for the handle. Leo exited the vehicle and opened the door nearest Tristan. Tristan stepped out with regal authority and then, with a formal bow, offered his hand to me. For once I was willing to take it, as the stiletto heels proved more dangerous than the current situation.

A quick glance at our surroundings told me I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

The event catered to high rollers, a fact made obvious as the place was crawling with the most elite.

I didn’t have time to wonder about it as a young woman with long blonde hair and languid blue eyes turned to stare at me. Her escort reached roughly for her arm, nearly dragging her behind him. Immediately, I felt my hands tighten as I turned away to follow but was met with a rough hand grasping my own wrist. Caught off guard, I turned and met the cold amber eyes of Tristan’s werecougar.

“What are you thinking, tough girl?” He shook his head, obviously having picked up on my unguarded thoughts.

“Don’t touch me.” I wrenched my arm towards his thumb, forcing him to release my wrist. “Ever…”

Meeting his eyes, I forced him to follow my will by placing the suggestion in his mind, not caring if I did get a headache.

“Leo!” Tristan called as he tipped the valet and met me on the steps. The cat continued on, oblivious to his voice as I hid a smirk.

“Two minutes, Alex,” he whispered angrily, taking my arm in his as we made our way up the stairs. It was, of course, important to keep up appearances. “I leave you alone for two minutes and you hypnotize my cat.”

I shrugged. “I told you to keep a leash on him, and I warned him not to touch me. It’s not my fault neither of you can follow instructions.”

“We had a plan,” he warned, guiding me to the stairs by my elbow as he whispered. “You agreed to it, so let’s see a modicum of respect in honoring that.”

“He wasn’t an integral part of the plan,” I whispered.

No harm, no foul.

As the doors to the ballroom opened before us, I came as close to gasping as I’ve ever come in my life. Hundreds of people gathered together in the large ballroom. Mixed in with the human were preternaturals — vampires, shifters, several human-looking creatures whose brain patterns were very distinctively
not
human. Several vamps lurked in the corners. Others made no pretense of hiding — an Emo stood with his arm around a woman as he observed two human men in a heated debate and fed off of their emotions like some kind of goddamned parasite. I snapped my psychological shields into place. This could be a dangerous place for me. There were more shifters and vamps in here than I had the ability to process. It was like walking into an animal shelter.

I turned to give Tristan a pleading look, and was instead met with the cold amber eyes of Leo. Apparently my influence did not hold as much leverage as I imagined. It was something to keep in mind for future reference, but did nothing to reassure me right now. I needed a boost, not a cut to my self-esteem. If Tristan hadn’t been directly behind the cat, I would have bolted, but he met my panicked eyes with a calm look that boasted more self-confidence than I would ever attain. I guess being alive for a thousand years has its advantages.

Ignorant of my fear that I wouldn’t be able to keep my mind’s shields in place, he took my hand and led me into the hotel ballroom as the heavy doors shut behind us.

I threw back my shoulders, and with the gracefulness that Isabo had once spent long hours trying to teach me, I made my entrance into the upper echelon of society.

A tall, dark-skinned man approached us with another couple. Tristan extended his hand while tightening his other around mine. No escape. I forced myself to focus on the man approaching and desperately tried to change my aura to one of moonlight and dry martinis. I was supposed to be a gentle, demure woman — one worthy of being with Tristan at an exclusive black tie event. Not the warrior I had been brought up to be.

It was a hell of a reach for me given my limited acting skills…

“Tristan, my friend. So pleased you could make it!”

The man’s enthusiasm appeared genuine and I did my best to match his effort. He turned to take a closer look at me, curious I’m sure as to who Tristan would be bringing with him. “And who is this charming creature?”

Tristan offered what appeared to be a legitimate smile. “Gifford, allow me to introduce Alexandra Wilde.”

Gifford took my hand in his and gently kissed the back of it before releasing it. “It is a great pleasure to meet the woman who has enthralled my good friend after these many years.”

I nodded, avoiding his eyes and priding myself on the fact that I didn’t bolt and run. “Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this event.”

The man smiled, a genuine smile, but one that hid his teeth. The effort showed that he knew what I was — or at least that I wasn’t the innocent I was trying to be. It was also obvious that he was not a stereotypical member of the illustrious rich and famous, and I could see myself growing to like him — while it was clear to me now that he was a vampire, he was not a vampire that posed a threat.