A Shifter's Curse, Raven Steele [the top 100 crime novels of all time .TXT] 📗

My gaze flickered behind him, looking for any more shifters. I didn’t see any, but I could definitely feel them, their power aggravating mine like two opposing magnets.

“What’s there to explain?” I asked. “Dominic was coming to wage war against your small pack. I simply gave you a heads up.”

“You come alone?" His deep voice sounded strange in the empty street.

"Other than the Uber.” I pointed behind me, indicating Roma, “I’m alone.”

He smoothed his blond hair back, exposing amber eyes, the color of rich honey. “I would say thank you, but no one's that kind. What do you want?"

“First, lay low for a while until I can neutralize Silas and Dominic, just like I promised. Second, stay the hell away from Ryder. He’s not up for grabs.”

“Why? Why d’you care so much?”

“That’s none of your business. Just stay out of my way, and we’ll have no other problems.”

He took a step toward me. “You trying to take out Dominic so you can be Alpha?”

“No. And even if I was, I sure as shit wouldn’t tell you.”

"You forget we fought. You could be an Alpha if you wanted to."

“I’d rather chew on nails. I’m just here to take care of some old business, then I’m out of here. After that, if you want the Silver Claws Alpha position, it could be yours for the taking, but you might have to fight a few Silver Claws to get it.”

“Easy.” Jackson slid a blade out from behind his back and began to slice at his fingernails with its sharp edge.

I held my tongue. He didn’t know Luke’s strength or even Gerald’s. Either one could seriously challenge his position as Alpha. But when that time came, I should be far away from Rouen.

"I'd like to believe you,” Jackson drawled, “but gaining my trust is as hard as wrestling an oil-dipped shark in the middle of a hurricane.” He looked up at me, his eyebrow raised. “If you want me to stay out of your way, I need to feel your loyalty. One way to start is by fighting a few of my men. It’s what we do for new recruits.”

“I’m not trying to become a Greyback.”

“But you are asking us to trust you with our lives. Fighting, making one broken and bloody, has a way of bringing out the truth in people. If you’re lying, your body will betray you, and your bones will turn as brittle as these here buildings. But,” darkness danced in his eyes, “if you’re telling the truth, one way or another, your heart will keep on beating.”

“If I had time for this shit, I’d bullet point the ridiculousness of everything you just said. I saved your lives last night. You either trust me or you don’t.”

He chuckled and took another step closer, the knife lowering to his thigh. This time the step felt more like a threat, and my senses triggered full alert mode. I glanced around, searching for immediate danger.

“That’s the problem,” he said. “I don’t trust you.”

I growled, summoning my wolf to the surface and pushed the power outward. His eyes flinched as he felt her. He snarled and snapped his fingers. Six men and one woman emerged from the old wooden buildings on each side of me.

I lifted my hands into the air, taking a step back. "I don't want to fight. That’s not why I came.”

The woman leading the others slid her tongue over her front teeth. “But we want to fight you.”

"Don't worry.” One side of Jackson’s mouth turned up. “We’re not going to kill you. Just give you a little beating so you’ll get a taste of what will happen if you try to double-cross us."

The shifters moved closer. This was not how I envisioned this meeting going, but if they wanted to fight, I was happy to oblige.

“Fine.” I removed my black jacket and tossed it to the side. It's one of the few nice things I owned. I glanced back at Roma sitting in the idling Audi. I hoped she had enough sense to stay out of this.

The large woman headed straight at me. Her ruddy complexion matched her red hair. Soon her face would have red on it too.

I held up my fists, preparing. “I’ll try to go easy on you, bitch.”

"Did you just call me a bitch?"

"Not you." I pointed to the man just behind her. "That guy. Ask him what he was doing to your mom last night. He was definitely being her bitch.”

Both the man and woman shifter lunged for me at the same time. I easily dodged their movements and kicked backwards, catching the male’s jaw with the underside of my boot. I barely managed to get my legs beneath me when another attacked.

The next twenty seconds were a blur. Fists flying, kicks jabbing, and heads butting. I moved faster than all of them, but they had the upper hand simply because of sheer numbers. I kept on the offensive, afraid if they pushed me back, I would lose my momentum. A shifter from behind managed to get in a few lucky kidney shots. I groaned and spun away, ducking as a massive fist flew over the top of my head. I grabbed the large female and choked her good and tight, while using her body as a shield against the others’ blows. I dropped her when her body went limp in my arms.

Crouching low, my muscles pulsed with power. It would’ve been fun to fully shift right now, but sometimes a dog had to turn belly up. This was one of those times. But not yet. I wanted them to know I wouldn’t go down easy.

I was about to tackle two men running right for me, when I was bound from behind by massive arms that nearly crushed my chest. Instant panic filled me with dread, something I couldn’t fight easily. I sucked in quick sips of air.

Jackson's voice breathed into my ear, “You're going to get your beating, whether you like it or not.”

The two shifter men who were about to run through me, stopped abruptly and chuckled. The taller of them stepped in front, grinning wide. His yellowed teeth broke up the dark space in his mouth. He cocked his fist back, his eyes twinkling with excitement, then shot it forward.

Squinting, I braced for the impact, but it never came. I opened my eyes and saw the shifter had dropped to his knees, clutching his head in pain. The others were also on the ground, groaning and holding their heads, much like they had when Lilith had used her witchy powers against them.

"What the hell?" Jackson said, then fell backwards into the dirt, writhing in pain like the others.

“What the hell?” I mimicked Jackson’s astonishment and swiveled around. Roma was outside her car, her hand outstretched toward us, her face straining.

"Get in!” she called.

This time, I was good at following directions.

I sprinted to the car, but before I slid into the passenger seat, I turned around. “Stay out of my way, Jackson! Or I’ll sic my Uber driver on you!”

I grinned at Roma. Talk about lucky charm indeed.

“Wait,” he grunted through gritted teeth.

“Whatever,” I looked at Roma. “Let’s go.”

She slowly backed up, still channeling her power against the Greybacks. As soon as she dropped her hand, she jumped inside the car. I was about to do the same, but Jackson stopped me.

“Wait!” He dragged himself to his feet. “I’ll work with you, but I want one thing in return.”

I paused. “What’s that?”

“Blood.”

Air caught in my chest. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s come to Rouen. The Abydos, a powerful blood rumored to be over a thousand years old.”

Ice filled my veins, and my legs trembled as if I was staring over a hundred foot ledge. I played it off, scoffing. “Never heard of it.”

“Most haven’t, but it exists.” His eyes glowed yellow in the darkness. “And I want it. I’ve heard the whisperings, and I know Dominic is searching for it too. I want you to be my eyes and ears. If you hear anything about it, you are to tell me. Do this and our pack will stay out of whatever else you got going on.”

“Fine. If anyone makes a peep about crusty, old blood, you’ll be the first to know.”

“I’ll hold you to that, and if I ever find out you’ve lied to me, or if you ever make a move against the Greybacks, we will kill you and everyone you love."

I believed him. I nodded once and dropped into the passenger seat, my armpits pooling with sweat.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

How the hell did he know about the Abydos? And Dominic’s looking for it? How? I’d been so careful. I sunk into the seat and groaned.

At least they didn’t know about me. If they did, they would’ve tortured me already to find the blood. I’d managed to keep it hidden for years, so what had changed? Why did people know about it now?

Roma turned around in a big circle, then headed back toward Rouen, leaving behind the small town that belonged to another time. Her sleeve came up as her hand spun the wheel. Her barbed tattoo was etched in red. Had it always been red?

Roma glanced at me sideways, her eyes traveling between me and the road. “Are you okay?”

“I will be.” Maybe I should move the blood again. Or maybe moving it from its original