Page 31 of Shifter and the Succubus (The Pack #1)

Jason smiled at Kyle’s recounting of her and Talia’s meeting with Baxter’s ex as she drove them to the Shamat compound.

“I thought I was creative when it came to cursing, but Tina is the undisputed queen!” Kyle tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “Even Talia was impressed. Some of Tina’s suggestions regarding Baxter were anatomically impossible but exceedingly creative.”

“Did she give us anything we can work with to track Baxter down?” Jason asked.

Kyle nodded. “She gave us a few names that Misha is checking. Talia and Will are also watching his new girlfriend Sheila’s house to see if he shows up there.”

“At least we’ve got something to work with.”

“Yep.” She glanced over at Jason. “ So how did your discussion with Sabrina go?”

“Fine.” He was surprised she had waited so long to ask, although he had jumped immediately into asking about the case to waylay her, so he probably shouldn’t give her too much credit on patience.

Kyle let out a humph. “Seriously? You think I’m going to let you get away with that answer?”

He sighed. “No. But I really don’t want to have to repeat myself with Misha.”

Kyle smirked. “It’s a good thing we’re almost to his house then.” She pulled up to the compound gate, and the guard waved them through. “Misha texted me half the night asking me what I’d heard. I don’t know why he didn’t reach out to you directly.”

Because Jason had muted his phone once he heard the first ping. “I’m not sure what the big deal is, anyway.”

Kyle pulled down the street that led to Misha’s house. Before she had made a full stop, Misha jogged out the front door on his way to them. He climbed into the car, and Jason went into distraction mode immediately. “How’s Callie doing?”

A grin took over Misha’s face. “I have to help her take off her shoes and socks since she can’t bend over anymore. It is so cute.”

Kyle turned in her seat to face him. “Please tell me you didn’t call her cute.”

“No.” He cringed. “Okay, maybe. But she didn’t have to throw her slipper at me. I’m not even sure how she was able to pick it up off the floor!”

Kyle laughed. “She was highly motivated.”

“She told me that I needed to go to work today. That she would be fine at home by herself, and she didn’t need a babysitter.”

“The hospital is two blocks from your house,” Jason said.

“I know that,” he grumbled.

“Keep it up and Sabrina will need to perform a slipper-ectomy on you,” Kyle said before laughing.

Misha’s eyes lit up, and he homed in on Jason. “Speaking of Sabrina. How did your discussion go? And something must be wrong with your phone because I tried to text you.”

Damn. The distraction hadn’t worked as long as Jason would have liked. “It was fine.”

Kyle chuckled. “That’s the useless answer he gave me when I asked, too.”

Jason tried the relaxation breathing Bea had taught him, but gave up after one round. “I told her about Bea’s theory that my animal was protecting her, and she was surprised at first, but in typical Sabrina fashion, she could see that it made sense.”

“ And …” Kyle and Misha said together.

He gripped his leg before answering. “And I told her that I understood what my animal felt because I felt the same way about her. And once we figure out what the hell is going on with my failing to shift, I want us to be more than friends.”

“What did Sabrina have to say about that?” Misha asked.

How much to say? He didn’t want to speak for her, but if he didn’t, they would wheedle the answer from Sabrina. “That she is interested in pursuing a relationship with me too.”

Misha and Kyle started cheering like tweens at a championship football game.

“ Woohee !”

“I knew it!”

“About time!”

“So true.”

“Why do they not listen to us?”

Jason rested his head against the seat waiting for them to finish their exclamations. A few seconds later they quieted and he looked at their smirking faces. “Are you done?”

“For now,” they said before cackling.

He shook his head. “You need to dial it down around Sabrina. I don’t want her running for the hills.”

That sobered them both up, and they agreed to be good. Misha even held up his hand like he was giving a Boy Scout pledge.

Jason wasn’t holding his breath. Especially when Kyle drove them to the hospital. They went inside and the receptionist let them know that Sabrina wasn’t scheduled to be in until later.

He hoped she wasn’t regretting their conversation. Or the kiss. Finally kissing, even as soft and quick as it was, had changed everything for him.

And the kiss and his reaction were not something he planned on sharing with Kyle and Misha.

Sabrina braided her hair before walking to her kitchen for her always-necessary cup of coffee.

Lately even the caffeine didn’t seem to pick her up like it used to.

She wanted to crawl back into bed, and once they found a way to help Jason, she needed to take a break.

Maybe she could convince him to go away with her.

Warmth spread in her chest at the thought. She wanted to do this. Be with Jason, worries and rules be damned. She ground the coffee beans before adding them to her coffee maker. A few minutes later she held the mug up to her nose, inhaling the strong aroma. Sniff first, then sip.

A buzz filled her senses and she sighed. Lately she didn’t seem to be able to finish a cup of coffee before being interrupted by Alexander. But maybe he had good news. She walked to her front door at the knock.

“I’m surprised you bothered to kno—” Her words petered away when she saw who stood on her porch. He wore a suit and tie, which was his normal outfit. His blond hair was cut short, and his eyes held little emotion. “Lucas.”

He gave a small nod. “Sabrina.”

Sabrina chest tightened at his familiar raspy voice. “I…wasn’t expecting you.”

“Yes, well. I thought we could expedite things if I came to see you. I’m sure Alexander is tired of playing intermediary.” He gestured toward the car, and Sabrina could see Alexander sitting in the driver’s seat. “I asked him to give us a moment to speak.”

She nodded and backed up a step and let him in. He walked inside and took in his surroundings before starting to circle the room.

“It’s good to see you, Lucas.”

He didn’t respond as he kept surveying her home.

His silence was worse than if he’d railed at her.

He stopped in front of the mantel and looked at the picture of the team.

It had been taken at Misha’s wedding. Misha, Jean Luc, and Jason were in tuxes.

Kyle, Talia, and Sabrina in dresses. “Those are my teammates.”

“Yes. You work for the BSR now. Where were they when we were being persecuted?”

She had figured he would attack eventually, but this was quick even for him. “You know the Bureau didn’t exist in the beginning.”

He shook his head as he moved down the mantel.

“Do you honestly think that even today our clan would be welcomed with open arms by the other demon clans? The only reason they don’t come after us now is because they aren’t threatened by us any longer.

Not because they have changed. Our numbers are so low now, they don’t think about us.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t think about them. ”

Heat pulsed in her chest. “I am out in the world, Lucas. I’m not ostracized by other supernaturals.”

“Meaning that you are by us.” He finally looked at her.

Sabrina blinked. “You told me to leave.”

His lips pulled into a tight line. “I told you that you had a choice. You didn’t choose your clan.” The banked fire in his eyes let her know he really meant she hadn’t chosen him. Her brother.

“We spent centuries working on the cure and had nothing to show for it. I needed to help others too.” Her voice cracked slightly at the end. Why did it have to be all or nothing with him?

“And I have spent another century learning everything I can about what makes us who we are—every chromosome, gene, DNA strand in the hopes of curing our people.”

“And I pray your research will save the next of our people who suffer from the Fade.” They were never going to agree. “Why have you come here, Lucas? Have you tested the blood I sent you? Looked at the results from the other tests I provided?”

He went back to his perusal of the mantel. He picked up her shadow box with her stethoscope. Painfully quiet seconds ticked away. “I have done some initial reviewing of the data. If I help you, there will be a cost.”

She blew out a hard breath. “I know that.”

He set down the box and turned again to her. “Why now?”

His questions were giving her whiplash. “You saw his tests. If anyone can help him, it’s you.”

He tilted his head slightly. “And if I can’t?”

She took a step closer to her brother, her fists clenched. “Is this a game to you, Lucas?”

His eyes narrowed. “Far from it. I don’t understand why after all this time and all the patients you must have had since you left our clan, that this particular patient was the tipping point for you to reach out to me.”

She didn’t have an answer that she wanted to share with him. Not the real one, anyway. “He is more than a patient. He’s a member of the BSR team I work with.”

“So it is personal. He is a friend.”

She nodded calmly even as her stomach flipped. The last thing she wanted to do was give Lucas leverage against her. And if he knew her true feelings, it would be leverage.

“You agree to do whatever I ask if I help him?”

“As long as it doesn’t harm anyone.”

He shook his head as he huffed out a dismissive breath. “I am not a monster, Sabrina. My life is dedicated to saving our clan.” Meaning hers was not. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone, typing for a second before putting it away.

A few moments later Alexander opened the door and came inside.

“She’s agreed. We can move ahead with everything.” Lucas turned back to Sabrina. “I will need lab space. And so that you know up front, I’m not setting foot in the Shamat clan compound where you work or a BSR facility.”

Sabrina ground her teeth. “What about a shifter clan hospital? The shifter leader has offered any resources to help his pack member.”

“That is acceptable.”

Alexander snorted. “Should we start referring to you as the royal we? You sound like a pompous arse, Lucas.”

Lucas kept his focus on Sabrina. “I have brought some medical equipment with me that will need transported from the jet hangar bay to the hospital. I’m assuming we’ll need permission to go on shifter property?”

“I’ll let Griffin know we’re coming. Will other clan members be joining us?” Sabrina asked, trying to regulate her heartbeat.

“No.”

She swallowed down her disappointment. “Let me make some calls to get the preparations underway.”

“Fine. I’ll wait in the car while you iron things out.” Lucas walked out the door without waiting for a response.

Sabrina leaned forward, forcing air into her tight lungs.

“I’m sorry, Sabrina,” Alexander said, all hints of his usual smirk gone.

“You could have given me a warning.”

“I was as surprised as you were that he wanted to come here. I never thought he would leave the compound. I thought he would work with you there. But…” Alexander stopped talking, and he never stopped talking.

“Because he didn’t want me to know where the others are living.”

“Yes.”

“He’s so cold now, Xan. At least when he was angry at me, it meant he still had emotions. Now he’s like a passive-aggressive robot.”

“He’s normally not this caustic at home. His unaffected routine is an act. You know he needs to be in control. Even more so since Robert.” He frowned. “Did he tell you what he wants in return for helping you?”

“No. Do you have any idea?”

“I don’t. I asked him, and he ignores my questions.”

“I’m sure he already has an idea of what he wants and will tell me when he thinks it will cause the most impact.” She sighed. “Let me get things started so that we can get Lucas set up at the hospital. Hopefully he can figure out how to help.”

Sabrina’s nerves were dancing up and down her spine. Seeing Lucas again wrenched open the wound that had never really healed after she left the clan.

She hoped reaching out to him had not been a mistake.