Shifted Illusions Read online

  Not to mention she’d made him pancakes. Pancakes!

  Thank God she’d agreed for me to take her home. I couldn’t handle much more.

  I hadn’t realized how fast I was going until I noticed Beth’s white-knuckled grip on the edge of her seat. Letting my foot off the gas, I took a deep breath and cursed myself for the mistake. Beth’s scent had permeated the interior of the car.

  “Are you wearing perfume?” I blurted out like an accusation.

  “No.”

  “Then what is that smell?” I wrinkled my nose, ignoring the way she stiffened next to me.

  “Henri let me borrow his deodorant,” she said defensively.

  Hawk’s scent. It had mixed with Beth’s and created the intoxicating combination infiltrating my car.

  Great. Just great.

  We rode in silence for a while longer until we neared the flower shop where Beth worked. She’d told me to drop her off there, but I wanted to drive her directly home.

  “What’s your address?”

  “Drop me at Marguerite’s,” she reiterated.

  I barely held back an eye roll. As we coasted down the main street, I shook my head. “Beth—”

  “Seriously, stop. I live above the shop.”

  “Why didn’t you say so?”

  We were lucky no one was on the roads as I hit the brakes and slid into a parking spot.

  When the car rocked to a stop, Beth let go of the door handle and huffed. “If you had listened to me when I said drop me off at the shop…”

  Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly before looking at me. It was the first time she’d made eye contact instead of hiding behind her hair all morning. Her down-turned mouth told me she was about to apologize.

  “Don’t,” I tried, but of course, she didn’t listen.

  “I’m sorry, Leo. I… What I did was wrong.”

  I shrugged it off. “Beth, nothing about what you did was wrong. You’re into Hawk. You guys have history. End of story.”

  “No, it’s not the end of the story.”

  “You’re just not into me.” Habit had me lifting my hand to graze my scar, but I pulled it back and gripped the steering wheel instead.

  Lifting a knee, Beth twisted in her seat to face me. “That’s not true. Listen,” she demanded before I could look away. “Do you know why I was there last night? I was trying to decide if I should wake you or not.”

  “And Hawk just happened to strut by and you couldn’t help yourself?” I immediately regretted the snarky words. But they were out there, and I wanted an answer.

  Her cheeks turned a sexy shade of pink, but she didn’t hide this time. “Yes. No.” She shook her head, her little breathy laugh making my dick harden. Fucker.

  “I don’t know who I was looking for. You, Henri… both,” she whispered the last word. “So fucked up.”

  Did my breath just catch? Damn it! I was losing my shit.

  “That’s not fucked up,” I choked out. “Beth, wait—”

  I grabbed her hand and tugged when she reached for the door handle. Her green eyes were large and glistening, drawing me closer.

  Her lips parted when they met mine, and the world around me stilled. Silence crowded the car. Not even our combined breaths reached my ears. There was only Beth… With her taste and the softness of her mouth moving perfectly with mine. I could have stayed in the moment with her forever. But with a gasp, she pulled away and opened the door.

  A blast of cold air hit me in the face. “I’m sorry, Leo,” she said as she hopped out of the car. Leaning in, she frowned. “Things are too complicated right now.” Then she slammed the door, leaving me to face reality.

  Complicated.

  Groaning, I rubbed my hand over my face, flinching when I encountered the scar tissue. Suddenly, I was playing the situation over again in my head. Beth pulling away, repulsion rolling over her features. I shook my head. It might not have happened the way I’d feared this time, but it would. Eventually.

  Good thing it was ending now. Without even realizing it, I’d been hoping for the one thing I’d always ran from. The dreaded R-word.

  I was so fucked.

  I was also wasting time.

  The bumpy ridges beneath my fingers reminded me there was something more important I should be doing.

  Not in the mood to go home, especially not with the scent of Beth teasing me and a long list of topics to fight with Hawk about, I decided now was as good a time as any to do some digging. With Hawk on vacation, it was the best time to search his office. He might have said he’d found nothing on Wolford’s whereabouts, but there had to be a clue. Something he’d missed. And I was tired of waiting to get my revenge.

  Fifteen minutes later, I marched into Division Headquarters with a sigh of relief. If I’d known what would happen three days ago, I wouldn’t have moved out. Or so I tried to convince myself.

  I ran into Jordan on my way to the training center. The jaguar shifter—and second in command after Teij—tipped his chin in greeting.

  “Hey. How you doing?” he asked. Of course, he asked.

  I ground my teeth together and gave him the same answer as always. “Fine, man. And how about you? How’s Sam?” My tone softened, remembering Jordan wasn’t like the others, expecting me to purge my feelings or some shit. And his wife was a saint who could cook a damn good lasagna.

  The severe expression Jordan usually sported morphed into a goofy grin. It still shocked the shit out of me. I used to enjoy the way he could stare someone down until they broke. I once witnessed a man pee his pants because Jordan made eye contact.

  See, relationships ruined everything.

  “She’s great,” he replied. “Ava and Sophie, too. They’re a handful, but I wouldn’t change a thing.” He shook his head, his smile widening. “I never knew I could be this happy.”

  “I’m happy for you, man. Truly.” I slapped him on his shoulder and headed toward the training center, ready to get away from Mr. Happy and in Love.

  “Oh, Teij is looking for you,” he called.

  Changing directions, I waved my hand. “On it. Thanks, man.”

  At Teij’s office door, I knocked and waited for confirmation before entering. “You wanted to see me, boss?”

  Teij was our numero uno at the Alpha Division, and the largest tiger shifter I’d ever met. Sitting behind a desk looked unnatural for our fearless leader, but ever since the government had become more involved in our operations, the paperwork had gotten ridiculous. Or so he told me.

  “Hey, Leo. I just missed you this morning. How’s training going? Are they up for the challenge?”

  I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. “Yeah, they’re definitely working for it. Our biggest problem is the physical mutations they can’t disguise.”

  Teij pinched the bridge of his nose before leaning back in his chair. “I’m not sure what to do with them. They can stay here for as long as they need,” he said, holding up a hand before I could say anything. “But hiding out here forever isn’t a way of life I’d wish on anyone. And the CIA has no answers either. Only more secrets.”

  Lifting off the wall, I narrowed my eyes at my boss. “What secrets?”

  “They’re always hiding something. And I have a feeling they know where our wolf is. But they’re not telling.”

  “They’ve found Wolford’s location? What does Stone say?” Stone was our official CIA liaison.

  Elbow on his desk, Teij balled his hand into a fist. “Nothing useful,” he growled.

  “Fuckers,” I snapped. The scar on my face flamed angrily as I scowled at the ceiling.

  “Don’t worry, Leo, we’ll get our man. I promise. He can’t hide forever. And Hawk has a few leads we’re exploring.”

  “Leads?” I questioned, my mind racing. Hawk hadn’t said a word to me about Wolford.

  Before Teij could answer, an unfamiliar ringtone came from one of the desk drawers. When Teij only stared, I raised my brows. “Gonna an
swer that, boss?”

  “It’s Red’s phone.”

  That shut me up. We’d lost Red not too long ago to a vampire attack. Fucking vampires. We were all still getting used to finding out those bloodsuckers still existed. We’d thought they were extinct until we’d found out Wolford had been using the blood of a captive vampire to help him create lab-altered shifters.

  “Why do you have Red’s phone?” I asked, his name like a hot poker in my throat. Months might have passed, but his death was still a raw wound. Probably always would be.

  Teij slid it from the drawer and stared at the screen. “I keep it on in case one of his old charges calls. But so far, no messages. Except…” He grimaced. “Hawk called yesterday afternoon. I didn’t listen to it. In case it was a private moment.”

  Reflecting on yesterday afternoon brought back images of sitting around the table with Hawk and Beth having lunch. It had been nice. Like we were a family. Then she’d agreed to stay, and…

  “Check the message,” I told him, one hand already on the door handle. If it was who I thought it was, I was wasting no time getting out of there.

  Without hesitation, Teij opened the messages and hit speakerphone.

  “It’s me, Bethany. If you get this, call me. I know you said you wouldn’t be in touch unless necessary, but I haven’t heard from you in months. And there was an incident last night. Call me. Please.”

  “Shit! Leo, where are you going?” Teij asked as the phone in his hand rang.

  I was halfway out the door but hesitated.

  “Hello?” Teij answered.

  “Hi. Um… Can I speak to Red?”

  At the sound of Beth’s voice coming out of Red’s phone for the second time, my heart stopped.

  “He’s not here. Can I help you?”

  “Um… No, that’s okay—”

  “We’re with the Alpha Division. Do you recognize the name? Red should have mentioned it. If you need help, we can come.” After a pause, he gently added, “Red was a friend.”

  “Was?” she asked softly.

  “I’ll tell you all about it when you get here. Where are you and what do you need?” Teij’s tone left no room for argument.

  “Someone broke into my room and ripped the place apart—”

  I was out the door before she finished the sentence. “I’m on it,” I called over my shoulder. “And I won’t come back without her.”

  11

  Beth

  “Here you go, honey.” Marguerite placed a teacup on a saucer and slid it my way. “Take a sip. It’ll help.”

  I unwrapped my arms from around my knees and reached for the tea with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Marguerite. I’m so sorry to bother you with this. And I’m sorry about your apartment.”

  She waved away my apology. “No, child. Don’t apologize for something you couldn’t help. The police said there’ve been a few break-ins in the neighborhood. Not your fault.”

  I nodded to placate the woman. Those other break-ins might not have been my fault. Or maybe they had. What if they’d been looking for me?

  My pulse jumped, and I glanced at the duffle bag at my feet. Finding my apartment ransacked had been a shock. Paper and trash littered the floor. Someone had ripped the couch cushions to shreds and shattered all of my dishes. Everything was ruined. Except for the single duffle bag of clothes and money I’d hidden away in a false bottom box in the closet.

  I should have stuck to my plan and ran. But a flare of anger had burned away the fear long enough for me to run downstairs and call the police. I was tired of running. So very tired.

  Though I’d had a fairly good idea who was responsible, people the police had no chance of stopping, I’d called them anyway for Marguerite’s benefit. She’d need the insurance money and a paper trail, just in case.

  The police had come swiftly, taken my statement, and said they’d do what they could. Basically, nothing.

  Now, I sipped my tea while I planned my next move. The anger had dissipated, and the warm liquid quieted the anxiety slowly creeping back in.

  “Is there anyone I can call for you, Beth? Do you have a friend you can stay with?”

  Despite the regret eating away at me, I offered a grateful smile and clasped my boss’ hand.

  Marguerite was a lovely woman in her late sixties, with kind blue eyes and a heart of gold. She didn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess. The sooner I could leave, the better.

  Red had ignored my call before, but I had to try again. If he didn’t answer, my only other option was to call Henri or Leo. Both had given me their numbers before I’d left the cabin. It irked the hell out of me to ask them for help, but losing a little pride would be worth the benefit of safety. For myself and Marguerite.

  “Actually, yes. Do you mind if I use your phone?”

  “Of course, child.” She gave my hand a squeeze and dashed out of the room, her floral silk caftan flowing behind her. When she came back, she handed me the cordless landline for the shop. Marguerite hated cell phones and refused to own one. Something we both had in common. Though I didn’t hate them. I just couldn’t afford one.

  “I’ll be out front making Ms. Spears’ arrangement if you need me.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem, dear.”

  Phone to my ear, my shoulders slumped further with each ring unanswered. Until it was. But not by Red.

  “Hello?”

  The voice, deep, deeper than I’d ever heard in my life, had me sitting up straight. “Hi. Um… Can I speak to Red?”

  After a slight hesitation, he said, “He’s not here. Can I help you?”

  “Um… No, that’s okay—”

  “We’re with the Alpha Division,” The man said swiftly before I could hang up. “Do you recognize the name? Red should have mentioned it. If you need help, we can come.”

  I moved my finger away from the end button.

  “Red was a friend.”

  One word had me shaking. “Was?” I whispered. Had they gotten to Red? Was that why he hadn’t answered his phone?

  “I’ll tell you all about it when you get here. Where are you, and what do you need?”

  His tone, a command mixed with a layer of tenderness, made me want to do his bidding. Trust was something I didn’t give lightly. If ever. But my gut told me to listen to him.

  Swallowing, I nodded to myself. “Someone broke into my room and ripped the place apart—”

  “I’m on it,” a different voice, one I recognized but couldn’t place, called out in the background. “And I won’t come back without her.”

  “Who was that?”

  The deep-voiced man sighed. “That was Leo. He’s one of us. And he’ll be there soon to bring you here.”

  Leo? I shook my head, not ready to deal with the news. One thing at a time, Beth. “Where is here?” I demanded.

  “Alpha Division Headquarters. You’ll be safe here.”

  I nodded again, not able to help myself. “Okay. Okay. Thank you…”

  “Teij.” His voice softened. “You can call me, Teij.”

  “Okay. Thank you, Teij.”

  “You’re welcome, Bethany.”

  “How did you know my name?”

  “Your message. I’m also pulling up Red’s file. I dropped the ball, and I’m sorry about that. But don’t worry, Leo will be there soon. When you get here, we’ll talk. Okay?”

  I hung up the phone and prepared for a long wait. But it was less than a minute later when a commotion from upstairs had me running out the back door, Marguerite on my heels.

  She stopped at the end of the alley, while I slowly made my way up to the apartment. I stepped over a broken stair and froze, realizing they had been intact when I’d come home earlier. Leo had been the one to break them.

  My alarm system hadn’t worked. Or someone had been watching me. I shivered at the thought.

  “Want me to call the police?” Marguerite asked just as a mighty roar ripped through the icy air.

  Thro
ugh a gasp, I shook my head. “No, Marguerite. I know who this person is. He’s a friend.” Sort of.

  Marguerite looked doubtful. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded and jogged up the rest of the stairs. Slowly, I pushed open the door but made no move to go inside. It was best not to stand too close to a pissed-off shifter, no matter if they were friend or foe.

  “Leo?”

  Leo dropped the cushion he’d been sniffing, his golden eyes flaring as he growled. I gasped at the sight of him in the middle of a transformation. His muscles had quadrupled, ripping his white shirt at the seams, and massive claws had sprouted from his fingers.

  My heart pounded in my chest as memories flickered behind my closed eyelids. I had to stay calm. Fear only drove the beasts crazy. Remember that, Beth. Stay calm. Stay calm. Can’t let them smell your fear or whatever they do to you will be ten times worse.

  “Beth?”

  I opened my eyes slowly and met a gaze full of remorse. He’d reshaped back to his human form. No fangs or claws visible.

  “I’m so sorry, Beth. I came up here to get you and found this…” Leo squeezed his eyes closed, hiding the flash of gold.

  “Everything okay up there, Beth?” Marguerite called from the bottom of the stairs.

  I shook away the last of my panic attack and glanced over my shoulder, hoping my smile looked halfway genuine. “Yes, ma’am. Just my friend.”

  “Okay, dear. But maybe have your friend come out here where I can see?”

  “Let’s do as she says, then get out of here,” I suggested. “I don’t want to put her in any more danger than I already have.”

  Then, putting my back to the lion shifter, I trudged down the stairs, pretending all along I wasn’t scared out of my mind.

  12

  Beth

  Marble floors and a beautiful cathedral style ceiling greeted us. My eyes widened at the unexpected sight. So, this was the Alpha Division Headquarters. For some reason I had something less… embellished in mind. I strained my neck, looking for a throne room or something.