brunette. He looked up at me. “She went missing only five days ago. She could still show up in Orlando, but it’s not looking good. The others, however, are officially counted as missing.”
I studied the woman on his datapad. Shanelle Maguire. “Why was she coming here?”
“Several reasons.” Chang looked back at the screen. “I’m sure you recall the unpleasantness at the Ball. Shanelle is from the clan in northern Georgia. They call themselves the Claw, by the way.” He smiled, as if it amused him.
“The Claw.” It made me roll my eyes. “Sounds like a cheesy TV superhero villain.”
“Doesn’t it?” The smile faded as he hit a key. The image faded out of view, replaced by a stark, staggering display of mountains, the sun rising up low over the mists. I don’t know where that picture had been taken, but the beauty staggered me.
“Shanelle had dual goals when she announced her intentions to come to East Orlando. She’d volunteered her services for business that is ongoing between the Assembly and the Claw.” He paused and then added, “And she has petitioned Damon to rejoin the clan once her job for her current alpha is complete. She lived here years ago, but left. There were…reasons.” His voice was so smooth, I barely noticed the pause.
Barely noticed. But I did notice it. Noticed, filed it away. “Okay, so she left.” I smiled thinly. “I assume it had something to do with Annette. Annette’s dispatched—now she wants to come back and this Assembly job just came up at the right time. How convenient.”
“You noticed that as well.” Chang returned my smile, thin and just barely there. “You’re smart, Kit. I admire that about you. Saves time when I don’t have to connect the dots.” Now he looked away. “Shanelle notified the clan—as courtesy dictates—that she was on official business for the Assembly and then she filed the official petition stating her desire to rejoin the clan and take reclaim her official position.”
“Which was…?”
“She had been one of the lead enforcers.” His voice was neutral.
Too neutral. There was something he wasn’t telling me.
“What else was she?”
The door opened and Chang’s eyes cut to the left.
As Damon came inside, I had a sinking feeling I already knew.
“What, I don’t get invited to tea these days, Chang?” He studied me before shifting his attention to his second.
I folded up the slip of paper and tucked it inside my vest, keeping the movement casual. Damon took note of it—he took note of everything .
I imagined he also noticed the tension in the air and the way my heart jacked up before I got it under control. I could attribute that racing heartbeat to any number of things—I hadn’t seen him in over a week.
Hadn’t touched him— really touched him in far too long.
I could attribute it to nerves.
Maybe even a bit of jealousy, because I knew as sure as he stood there that there was a woman—a shapeshifter—who’d been heading this way to take back her place as an enforcer and as his lover.
But really, just looking at him was enough to make everything in me sigh.
Can we stop waiting already ?
“I would have invited you, but you hate tea, Damon.” Chang’s calm voice shattered the silence when all I could do was just sit there and stare dumbly at the man in front of us. “Kit wanted to know if I had any information about an on-going case.”
Damon shifted his gaze my way.
Chang might be a picture of masculine beauty, but Damon was pretty much the living, breathing personification of power. Up until he’d steamrolled his way into my life, I’d tended to avoid powerhouses like him, just because I didn’t like to feel that surrounded.
He was gorgeous and headstrong and intimidating and sarcastic.
And...still mine.
“Well.” Chang cleared his throat, the gesture pointed. “I think I’m going to attend to some matters out in the club. Kit…if you can, check in when you have information
I studied the woman on his datapad. Shanelle Maguire. “Why was she coming here?”
“Several reasons.” Chang looked back at the screen. “I’m sure you recall the unpleasantness at the Ball. Shanelle is from the clan in northern Georgia. They call themselves the Claw, by the way.” He smiled, as if it amused him.
“The Claw.” It made me roll my eyes. “Sounds like a cheesy TV superhero villain.”
“Doesn’t it?” The smile faded as he hit a key. The image faded out of view, replaced by a stark, staggering display of mountains, the sun rising up low over the mists. I don’t know where that picture had been taken, but the beauty staggered me.
“Shanelle had dual goals when she announced her intentions to come to East Orlando. She’d volunteered her services for business that is ongoing between the Assembly and the Claw.” He paused and then added, “And she has petitioned Damon to rejoin the clan once her job for her current alpha is complete. She lived here years ago, but left. There were…reasons.” His voice was so smooth, I barely noticed the pause.
Barely noticed. But I did notice it. Noticed, filed it away. “Okay, so she left.” I smiled thinly. “I assume it had something to do with Annette. Annette’s dispatched—now she wants to come back and this Assembly job just came up at the right time. How convenient.”
“You noticed that as well.” Chang returned my smile, thin and just barely there. “You’re smart, Kit. I admire that about you. Saves time when I don’t have to connect the dots.” Now he looked away. “Shanelle notified the clan—as courtesy dictates—that she was on official business for the Assembly and then she filed the official petition stating her desire to rejoin the clan and take reclaim her official position.”
“Which was…?”
“She had been one of the lead enforcers.” His voice was neutral.
Too neutral. There was something he wasn’t telling me.
“What else was she?”
The door opened and Chang’s eyes cut to the left.
As Damon came inside, I had a sinking feeling I already knew.
“What, I don’t get invited to tea these days, Chang?” He studied me before shifting his attention to his second.
I folded up the slip of paper and tucked it inside my vest, keeping the movement casual. Damon took note of it—he took note of everything .
I imagined he also noticed the tension in the air and the way my heart jacked up before I got it under control. I could attribute that racing heartbeat to any number of things—I hadn’t seen him in over a week.
Hadn’t touched him— really touched him in far too long.
I could attribute it to nerves.
Maybe even a bit of jealousy, because I knew as sure as he stood there that there was a woman—a shapeshifter—who’d been heading this way to take back her place as an enforcer and as his lover.
But really, just looking at him was enough to make everything in me sigh.
Can we stop waiting already ?
“I would have invited you, but you hate tea, Damon.” Chang’s calm voice shattered the silence when all I could do was just sit there and stare dumbly at the man in front of us. “Kit wanted to know if I had any information about an on-going case.”
Damon shifted his gaze my way.
Chang might be a picture of masculine beauty, but Damon was pretty much the living, breathing personification of power. Up until he’d steamrolled his way into my life, I’d tended to avoid powerhouses like him, just because I didn’t like to feel that surrounded.
He was gorgeous and headstrong and intimidating and sarcastic.
And...still mine.
“Well.” Chang cleared his throat, the gesture pointed. “I think I’m going to attend to some matters out in the club. Kit…if you can, check in when you have information
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