The Shapeshifter's Bride

Chapter Six

               Christian slowly reached behind him and placed his hand on the butt of his gun, thumbing the safety to off. He had a fresh clip, which should be enough to incapacitate the hyenas, but each bullet had to hit its target. He was a good shot, but not that good. The hyenas were fast and cunning. One of them could get to Daisy while he was busy pumping lead into the other.

            At the thought of the hyenas getting their paws on his charge, Christian felt a deep, burning hatred he had never before experienced. His temper had always been a distant and manageable thing. This was something else entirely. He wanted to skin the motherfuckers and choke them with their own pelts before they could even breathe near her. He pictured himself grabbing the male by the neck so he could punch bullets into his skull while dropping the female with a roundhouse kick. He could do it. It was just a matter of execution, and he had always been good at the follow-through. But if he failed―

            It was that thought, oddly enough, that calmed him down. If something were to happen to him, there would be no one to protect Daisy, and that was something he could not bear. Daisy was unique if that incident in the bathroom was any indication. She seemed to have powers he had never before seen in the were-community. It also proved she could defend herself. Unfortunately, the look on her face after she had slammed him against the wall revealed she had no idea she even possessed an ability like that. It was an unpredictable, unknown entity he couldn’t count on. That meant he had to keep his wits about him if he and Daisy were going to get out of this relatively unscathed.

            The whirring noise of the passenger-side window being lowered made him briefly close his eyes. Goddamn it. He took a deep breath in an attempt to keep his cool. Was the woman trying to get them killed?

            “Hey, what’s going on?” she demanded.

            Even though she had whispered, Christian had no doubt that she was heard by every were-animal in the vicinity. The hyenas themselves perked up in interest. The female’s eyes were sparkling with glee, and she swung her hips as she sauntered forward. The male raised his dark head and flashed them a grin that displayed a mouthful of teeth. He was looking at them as though he couldn’t quite decide which one he would like to jump first.

            Christian struggled to ignore Daisy, who had begun tugging insistently at the hem of hiss shirt He had to concentrate on the hyenas. He couldn’t afford to think about how good it felt to have Daisy voluntarily touch him. He gave his head a shake as if that were enough to refocus the direction of his thoughts. He was not going to get them killed.

            The female licked her lips as she took another step another toward them. Then she did a bunny-hop and shook her full breasts at them as though they were a pair of maracas. The male clapped his hands twice and cackled, urging her on. Seemingly emboldened by this, the female flicked her tongue against the tip of her index finger, then used it to draw a circle over one n****e.

            “Now that’s what I call class,” Daisy muttered behind him. “Is she your ex or what?”

            Christian inwardly shuddered. If the female meant to entice him, she was failing miserably. The big hair, the garish makeup, and the skin-tight dress screamed Tijuana hooker to him. She seemed more like a parody of a woman than an actual one. He didn’t have a specific type when it came to women, but he knew he didn’t want to have to scrape off layers of makeup and grime from her face before kissing her. The fact that she looked like she hadn’t showered in days didn’t add to her appeal, either. He wasn’t sure if he had been successful in keeping the revulsion from his face, but the way her smile twisted itself into an ugly sneer was rather telling.

            “Well, hullo, Man Bear Pig,” she said in a husky voice that suggested a human that smoked a pack of unfiltered cigarettes a day. “We have come to pay our respects to the pretty, pretty leopard princess.”

            “Sorry. Miss Sawyer is not ready to see anyone.” He folded his arms across his chest and casually kicked the door shut when Daisy attempted to open it.

            “Aw, mate, you ain’t going to be stingy with her company, are you?” The male unfolded his lanky frame from the lamp post he was leaning against and ambled forward, slugging his arm around the female’s neck. He rubbed his knuckles roughly against her scalp before letting her go and shoving her away. “Me and my old lady, we dragged ourselves from our lair this morning just so we could be the first to greet her. I even brung her something.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own balled-up fist. “G’on. Bring her out so I can show her right and proper.”

            Christian tightened his grip on the gun. He had no idea what the hell was in the hyena’s hand, but his fingers were dirty with a dark brown stain that looked like dried blood. Something stuck out from beneath the prison of his fist, and it quickly dawned on him that it was a feather. Whatever it was, he had a feeling it was once alive. And the were-hyena standing in front of him had killed it. In the creature’s eyes, the anticipatory gleam told Christian he was eager to see Christian’s reaction to it. Christian did not give him the satisfaction of one.

            There was a sound of a car door opening, and Christian realized the mistake he had made. In his efforts to keep Daisy from opening the passenger door, he had nevertheless forgotten about the driver’s side door. It was a serious rookie error that could have very grave consequences, the least of which was one of them walking away with one or two body parts missing. Suddenly, Daisy was standing next to him, looking professional but sexy in a dove-gray tailored suit, and her dark mane twisted up in a chignon. Her hands were propped on her slim hips, and she was staring at the hyenas with disapproval. She reminded Christian of a schoolteacher who had just found one of her students drawing on the wall with a permanent marker.

            “Why, it’s Daisy Sawyer come home at last,” purred the female hyena. She plucked at her leopard-print dress when she saw Daisy glaring at it. “Oh, it’s not one of your cousins, love. Can’t afford the real thing. Do you like it?”

            Christian held his breath as he waited for Daisy’s response.

            “It’s not something I would wear in the day.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “But I’ve never been one to wear animal prints. I just can’t seem to pull it off.” The laugh she tacked on at the end of it seemed more like an afterthought than anything.

            Seemingly satisfied with Daisy’s answer, the female hyena flicked her malicious gaze toward Christian. “We heard it told that Old Alec means to sell the pretty Miss to the highest bidder. Would that be you and your fancy Bruno Magli shoes, Man Bear Pig?”

            Daisy frowned. “Why do you call him that?”

            “Because nobody knows what he is,” the male hyena piped up with a smirk. “You don’t know either, do you, love? Is he a lion, a tiger, or a bear? The old lady and me have spent many a night trying to figure that one out. One thing we know for sure, though.” He shared a knowing look with the female, who winked at him. “He is Alec Sawyer’s lapdog.”

            Christian gritted his teeth but said nothing. He had heard it all before. He had not exactly been forthcoming about his past, and the were-community was small and fond of gossip--as well as speculation. There had even been rumors that he was Alec’s lover. That one had amused him. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared what the others said about him, but he didn’t like the idea of Daisy hearing the rumors and ugly insinuations. He was almost tempted to take Daisy’s shoulders and implore her to believe him that none of it was true.

            “He’s something a lot bigger than a lapdog,” Daisy murmured, giving him a measuring glance. “I’m guessing lion… or a wolf.” She shifted her gaze toward the hyenas. “But right now, I’m thinking that whatever he is, he is just looking to kick your asses.”

            “How rude.” The female pouted, pushing out her lower lip. “And here, my man brung you a gift and everything.” She shoved her hair over her shoulder. “So is it true, then, Miss Fancy Pants? Is he the one who’s claimed you and will take you off your brother’s hands?”

            Christian froze. For a moment, he had a hard time expelling the air out of his lungs. Daisy didn’t know that Alec meant to marry her off. He was currently in talks with an Alpha who had a settlement in Salem, Oregon, and another in Sun Valley, Idaho. It was an old-fashioned notion that Christian himself didn’t necessarily approve of, but Alec hadn’t consulted him on the matter. Besides, he had no idea what he would even say if Alec has asked for his opinion.

            “If he were, you would hardly be the first one I’d tell, would you?” Daisy replied without missing a beat. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to be late for work.”

            “Oh, that’s right, you narrowly avoided being a jailbird because your Alpha pulled some strings and got you a stint dusting books for the library,” the female hyena shot back. “Speaking of birds,” she turned to her mate, “Love, why don’t you present Miss Sawyer with her gift just so we can go on our merry way?”

            “Of course.” The male turned to Daisy, held out his fist to her, and slowly opened his fingers. In the middle of his palm was a tiny brown bird, crumpled and broken. “Please accept this humble offering.”

            Daisy opened her purse and pulled out a package of tissues. She plucked some sheets out, spread it out over her own palm, and extended her hand to the male hyena. “Thank you for your generosity of heart. I honor your sacrifice. I will remember it.”

            Christian shook his head in amazement. Every time he thought he had her figured out, she would do something that would force him to reevaluate his opinion of her. He had the feeling that even in a thousand years, the woman would never cease to surprise him.

            “And if you ever want to have some fun around here, just remember my name: Clyde,” the male hyena said. “We heard you was a party girl. Sherry here is a party girl, too. You wanna give us a ring, you can find Sherry’s number on the wall of any men’s restroom. Dig?”

            Daisy nodded, still holding out the hand with the dead bird on it.

            “Let’s go, Sherry-girl.” Clyde snapped his fingers. His female immediately followed him, waving a hand over her shoulder as the two of them turned into another street and disappeared.

            “Holy s**t,” Daisy said a full minute later, staring at the pathetic, motionless creature on her palm. “That was weird.” She straightened and looked up at him. “Do you have a small box in your car or something? We should probably bury this poor little thing.”

            As Christian fetched the box that recently housed his brand-new mobile phone, he wondered just when the hell his world stopped making sense and why, it seemed, he didn’t mind it so much.

                                                                                        ***

            Christian spent the rest of the afternoon sitting by an armchair near a window and pretending to read the latest Clive Cussler book. Mostly he had been watching Daisy following around the elderly librarian and learning about the Dewey Decimal system. Daisy had surprised him yet again by pulling out a notepad and taking notes from time to time as Miss Sullivan explained which book was supposed to go where. He had listened as she asked thoughtful questions when she was confused about something. She insisted on pushing the cart that contained the books to be put away when Miss Sullivan was obviously embarrassed at having her do so. She was kind and courteous to the people who came up to her and asked her for her help. Once, she even scooped up a little boy so he could get a better look at the books on a shelf above his head.

            Either she was an outstanding actress, or he was altogether wrong about her. He had a vague idea of who she was before the two of them even met, and most of the information he derived about her came from her brother. The latter, while obviously over-protective of her, didn’t exactly have a high opinion of her. Everything Christian had read or heard about Daisy Sawyer went into a dossier he kept in his head, and yet he hadn’t yet figured out how her mind worked. He had prided himself in the past for pegging people down within minutes of meeting them, but Daisy remained an enigma. Was she a bratty heiress who demanded the attention of everyone who surrounded her, or was she simply a woman who was desperate to find her place in the world? For as long as he lived, he would never forget the image of Daisy kneeling on a garbage bag spread over the grass so she could bury a Motorola box in the garden of the library.

            Whether she was a saint or the devil herself, she was someone he could never have. There were too many secrets, too many lies between them, and they had only known each other for three days. He couldn’t bear the risk of letting her get too close to him, lest she finds out who he really was. And that was something that must never happen.

            No one must find out who or what he was.

            He watched from the corner of his eye as Miss Sullivan led Daisy to the front counter to show her how to check out a book for a customer, flinching as the mobile in his pocket chirped and vibrated. The sound seemed to echo against the walls of the small library. He gave a chastened smile to Miss Sullivan when she glared in his direction and pointed to the NO TALKING sign. Daisy didn’t look up from the computer, but he saw the small smile that pursed her lips as he walked past her and out the door.

            “Eastwick here.”

            “Chris, there’s been another one.”

            It was Alec. His voice was strained and obviously pained. Christian pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Who is it?”

            There was a harsh exhale on the other line. “Are you with Daisy?”

            Christian looked over his shoulder. Daisy was handing a book to a little girl and smiling. “Of course.” He chose not to mention their encounter with the hyenas. His friend had a lot more on his mind at the moment. “Who is the female, Alec?”

            “Leila Harris. She found this morning in the bushes behind the Chapman estate,” Alec replied flatly. “I had sent her husband away on a scouting mission to Florida. Chris…”

            Alec’s voice broke a little, but Christian was sure it was just bad reception. “Yeah?”

            “She was with cub.”

            “Oh gods.” Leila Harris was a good woman and looking forward to being a mother. She would have been defenseless against her killer as a leopard couldn't shift while pregnant. Christian punched the side of the building, creating a dent in the stucco wall. f**k. He looked down at his fist, which had already healed, and wished he could fix the damage he made just as quickly. He returned his attention to the phone. “What do you want to do, Alec?”

            “I need you to come back to the estate and have a look at the body. Maybe you can do your thing and tell me something I missed, man.” Alec sounded harangued and drunk. “Just get back here, Chris.”

            Christian pushed his palm against the dent on the wall and closed his eyes. “What about Daisy, Alec? I’m not going to leave Daisy on her own.”

            Alec scoffed. “Alfred is on his way, man. As soon as he gets there, take off, all right? Alfred can handle Daisy. He’s really fond of her. He’s been taking care of her since she was a little girl.”

            Christian disconnected the call and slipped the mobile back in his pocket. When he lifted his palm from the wall, the damage on the stucco was gone, but his knuckles were scraped and bleeding once again. It would take a little longer for it to heal this time. He took a handkerchief from his back pocket and wrapped it around his injury. He really had to watch it with his temper. What the hell was going on with him? He’d never felt so out of control and infuriated in his life. He’d studied breathing and relaxation techniques for an entire century just so he could keep his mind focused and his sense of self in place, but now he felt like he was juggling firecrackers.

            He leaned against the pillar closest to the door of the library and waited for Alfred. He would not budge from this spot until the factotum arrived. He couldn’t afford to go inside and see Daisy right now with his feelings simmering this close to the surface. He wouldn’t be able to control himself around her at this state. She was in danger, goddamn it. She needed to be as far away from this place as possible. Why wouldn’t Alec listen to him? The man trusted him regarding everything else.

            Maybe it was because he hadn’t been able to tell Alec the identity of the killer of the female leopards. He had the unique ability to telepathically bond with the recently deceased spirit. They could often help him find clues that would lead to the resolution of the mystery behind their murders or the capture of their killers.  But not this time. Someone had taken pains to use powerful magic to keep the truth from him, and he didn't know why. He didn't know anyone within a hundred miles of the community that had such power, either.

           He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on identifying all the were-creatures within a quarter-mile radius. There were Daisy and two little were-cubs in the library. He knew she was “allergic” to other shifters and hoped the kids didn't affect her too much. Most were-animals didn't develop the ability to shift until puberty, so maybe they didn't make her itch as badly.

            He noticed that Daisy didn't scratch as much when he was at least six feet within her vicinity as if he was some kind of buffer for her. He wondered what their connection could be and what danger it might pose for Daisy. No matter what he had to do, he would keep her out of harm's way.

            A Ford F-250 pulled up to the front of the library with Alfred behind the wheel. Christian relaxed his stance. He trusted the factotum as much as he trusted Alec. He was loyal to the Sawyer family and in full service to the Leap. The giant exited the vehicle and presented himself to Christian.

            “Sir,” he said in his low-pitched, gravelly voice and bowed.

            “Protect her with your life, Al.”

            The factotum lowered his head and put his hands together in a steeple over his chest. “It would be my honor.”