Bite Bound

Elina POV I tightened my jacket around me as the cold wind hit my body. The weather was especially cold for October but at least my flat was not far from the store. I cursed once more at my double nature, both a feline shifter and a fire sorceress, but always cold. What a shame. I quickly waved my chip in front of the reader, letting myself in the building before rushing upstairs to my loft. I put down my bag and greeted the black cat that adopted me a few years ago ago. Yeah, this way around. I shed my clothes and got into a hot shower. Washing away the scent of coffee and pastries from my skin and my hair. I put in a conditioner in my strawberry blond hair and got out of the bathroom to cook myself a quick dinner. I turned on the TV and zapped to a report on the Red Plague. 80 years ago, a lab created virus had broken out and had quickly contaminated a big part of the population. A few month into the crisis a council made of vampire and shifter had made their coming out to the humans, they had discovered a vaccine that could supress the disease. We discovered the after effect a few years later. Men and women who had had the virus and been incubated with the vaccine started to develop supernatural power. Most of them could control some water, move objects, play with the lights. Minor changes. Others however got very advanced power and formed a subrace of the witches: sorcerer and sorceress. I switch off the TV and settled myself in the couch. Tired of always hearing the same things. My phone rang and I grunted ad I saw the caller ID but still answered. “Hey Mom, how is it going?” I asked merrily “I’m doing great honey, have you checked your e-mails?” She asked on the same tone. “Not yet, let me check” I put her on speaker phone and proceeded to check my emails while she stayed quiet. I shut my eyes and cursed in my head a few times before opening the one she sent me, a compendium of text to read at my twin’s anniversary of death. “They’re great texts Mom, I don’t know if I can read any though…. -Oh Elina, I know it’s hard, but can’t you at least try?” I was thinking about a way to let her down gently, but she spoke again too soon “You don’t have to answer me right now, the ceremony is in two weeks. But, think about it ok?” “I will Mom” I promised and then we said our goodbyes. I sighed and cursed my empath nature this time. My emotion always seemed to get the worst of me. Lyra was the one who was the most gifted of the both of us. 5 years ago, we were attacked in an alley. I got scratched and am now a latent shifter. She got kidn*pped and brutally murdered, as she passed away my empathy developed. Like this, I could feel her with me every day. I put the dishes in the sink and put myself in bed, tomorrow would be a better day. I was running. On four legs. The jungle was moving along as I sped up. I don’t know if I was either pursuing someone or being chased myself. After some time, I just slowed down next to a river, quenching my thirst. The leopard orange eyes meeting my own blue in its reflection. She growled and spoke to me for the first time. “It’s coming.” I woke up hours later, my feline was inside of me, I’ve felt her since my attack but she never really showed herself. The fact that she talked to me … wow. That had surprised me. I got up, washed my teeth before putting on some jeans and a black turtleneck. I put on some knee-high boots and my jacket. Didn’t forget to feed the cat then lock the door. On my way to the coffee-book shop, I let my mind wander. Why get in contact with me now? I paused in front of Chat-Pître for a second. Admiring the front of the shop, the place that felt more like home than anything else. I unlocked the door and took a second to take in the smell of coffee and hand-me-down books. I made myself coffee and put some pastries in the oven to get ready for the day. I had opened the shop 2 years ago, it was more my sister’s dream than mine but I decided to give up mine so this seemed like the right thing to do. It was situated on the border of the Supernatural Quarter and served everybody regardless of their origin, I even adapted my hours from 1PM to 1AM. Customers were mostly regulars, and my unique scent was drowned into all of the others: the perfect cover. The day passed quietly, typical for a Wednesday, and I was reloading the pastries when a tall blond, he was probably hitting the gym regularly and he did a rapid swipe of the room before coming to the counter where he plastered a smile on his face. “Hi there! How is it going?” He voice was hoarse like he had been smoking a lot. “Great, thanks. What can I get you? I have Ethiopian beans today, and I just put refilled some A, B and O neg in the fridge.” I smiled. The vampire smile without showing any canine, an older transformed then, he did not appear surprise that I figured him out. “I’ll have a cappuccino, with a pint of B. Thanks.” He paid and I invited him to grab a seat while I prepared his order. He sat in a corner, keeping an eye on the room while reading a Russian novel. He thanked me politely for the coffee and the bl**d when I got it at his table. I did my inventory rapidly to make sure to order everything I needed. I was moving around a lot, discussing with clients and clearing tables. And I was watched, closely watched … but whenever I turned around no eyes were on me. I brushed the feeling off but stayed alert. At a quarter to one I politely reminded that we were closing soon, the only ones left were a couple of shifters and the vampire who had taken a liking to my cappuccinos. They left promptly and I closed the shop at 1:15AM. I was walking in the cold night and the feeling to be watched came back. I could not hear any footsteps, but I could feel my feline pacing relentlessly inside my body. I crouched, pretending to tie my shoes but as I got back up I had grabbed my kn**e. I kept on walking, super aware of my surroundings. When my cellphone rang abruptly, it made my jump and I cursed aloud. I did not recognize the number but still I picked up. Whoever call at the hour must have had a good reason. “Hello? -Miss Estevez, Sergeant John Hernandez. I am the lead investigator for one of the SNSO, I was hoping that you would lend me an eye for the case we’re working on. -Let me guess, is it linked to my sister’s death? -I am afraid so. -Give me the address, I’ll be there as soon as possible.” He paused for a second. He was giving an order to someone else. “One of my inspectors will pick you up. We know where you are.” Without giving me a chance to answer, he hanged up. s**t, the Supernatural Special Obs was kind of scary, when I got into law and criminology that the elite team I wanted to integrate. But after the accident, I did finish my degree but could not have them run any test on me, so I gave up. A tall figure approached me, making sure to be seen into the yellow light diffused by the streetlights. “Mr. Cappuccino-B, why am I not surprised…” I asked drily. He made a point to raise his shoulders “The coffee really is great. My name is Aidan, I’ll be your escort for tonight.” He then pointed to a car with his head and I followed him. The ride was silent, his scanner babbling from time to time. When we got to the Chinese quarter he parked, and we walked quickly to an alley. He gave me a “consultant” pass and we walked under the yellow ribbons. A stocky, brown-haired and brown-eyed guy was waiting for us. Aidan introduced me quickly and the man, who clearly was Hernandez I talked to on the phone nodded into my direction before taking me to the actual crime scene. As I lay my eyes on the victim, I could see why they had called me. I asked a guy in uniform if he could get me some gloves and squatted next to the bl***y woman. If this really was what I was thinking, the next months would be complicated. “What the f**k is she doing on my crime scene?” shouted a voice on my left. I got up and faced the upcoming angry guy. The most handsome guy I had ever met in my 27 long years of life. “MINE” screamed my leopard in my head. S**t, more complications.