Shift Happens(26)

I’d wanted to find my birth parents, to learn what I was and how to control it, but once the SRD hired me, I never had the opportunity to pursue it. I should’ve found a way to access the sealed files years ago. Now, I might never have the chance.

Vampires only wanted healthy, fully recovered prisoners for two reasons. One, they lasted longer under torture; and two, they tasted better. Facing what would most likely be my imminent death, had me thinking, wishing, but most of all regretting. I was born with the great gift of shifting, which came with the added bonus of an extended lifetime. And I used it to do what? Capture and kill supes for the government? The same administration that withheld information from me?

Not all my fault.

No. Dylan had twisted my lifeline and spat me back out on a different path.

Regret was a nasty emotion. It didn’t smell good either. During the remaining portion of my captivity, whenever I was allowed out of my room, a number of Weres wrinkled their noses in my presence and kept their distance. They could think what they wanted. I refused to correct them. Not even Wick.

The car pulled up and stopped in front of the solid wood, double door entrance. Two Vampires who looked like they belonged to the goon squad opened the car doors. Both Caucasian with dark hair slicked back and wearing black tailored suits with sunglasses. At night.

Vampires were all about image, but I still made fun of people who wore sunglasses inside or at night. I disliked them on sight. The scent of dead meat wafted off their skin.

“Get out,” one of them said.

I shimmied over and exited the vehicle as gracefully as possible with my arms bound. My hands shook, and I clasped them together behind me. Sometimes I didn’t like to be the centre of attention. This would be one of those times. I didn’t look over at Wick as a matter of pride. His anxiety rolled over the entire pack. I didn’t like knowing Wick worried; it didn’t help my nerves or my situation.

My chest hurt and I had this insane need to pee, even though I’d gone before we left. The Vampires led me through a grand foyer. It looked like I expected—lavish, expensive and overdone. Lucien had many lifetimes to accumulate wealth and he spent at least some of it on his interior decorating.

When I entered what must’ve been meant as a grand ballroom, I knew right away which Vampire was Lucien despite the crowd. He looked like an Italian model. Maybe he was at one point in his life. Vampires never gifted immortality to the ugly and probably had a rule in their Vampire Code on the matter.

Lucien emanated power and my heartbeat picked up in response. The other Vampires in the room lined a red carpet that led to his throne-like chair, their bodies leaning slightly toward him. The two cookie-cutter Vampires dragged me down the runway between the rows of minions while Wick followed close behind. The situation oddly reminded me of medieval courtrooms where criminals were hauled in front of their king before he bellowed, “Off with their head!” Not good. Definitely not good.

Surveying the room made things worse. My heart gave up its racing speed and settled into a hard lump in the middle of my chest. No way could I escape a pack of Werewolves and a horde of Vampires. There had to be at least fifty supes in the room. Their dead scents flowed in the air currents.

Most of the guards had handguns strapped to them in holsters, some carried semi-automatic rifles and two of the ones we passed at the main entrance had bows and arrows.

My arm twitched in pain at the thought of being shot again in falcon form. Not a pleasant thought.

My charm and charisma would have to get me through this.

My stomach dropped. I’m doomed.

Allan stood directly to Lucien’s left. He probably heard my entire inner dialogue. We made eye contact. He winked. Yup, he’d heard it all. After envisioning punching his face in, he rewarded me with a toothy grin.

“Andrea,” Lucien’s said in a smooth velvet voice, bringing my attention back to him. Every other head in the room turned toward me.

“Lucien.” I dipped my head in formality. “Is there a title I should use?”

A dimple appeared on Lucien’s porcelain skin when he smiled. No fangs. Good sign. He didn’t plan to eat me…yet. “Lucien is fine,” he said.

An awkward pause stretched as we considered one another. I still didn’t know what he wanted with me. This night would be a long one if someone didn’t start talking. “I hear you have some questions for me?” I asked.

“Who do you work for?”

“The SRD,” I said. When everyone in the room stiffened, including the wolves, I frowned. “Surely you knew that?” I looked over at Wick. He had his head down, but his brow furrowed. He hadn’t known. He must’ve thought I worked as a mercenary.