Vince had a square face, oily black hair, and a naturally large build. In his early 40s, any positive details about his appearance were cancelled out by the wealth and arrogance that he clothed himself in and that seeped out of his very pores.
Three agents waited for us when we arrived, confirming that Chase’s personality transplant had been a ruse to put Bolton at ease and bring him here. Whatever I’d stumbled into was serious business. Enough to land me in a meeting with the Director of this whole supernatural agency.
I wilted in the presence of the formidable man and fought the urge to beg for mercy. A similarly severe woman stood behind him in the conference room. Chase seemed perfectly composed lounging in the swivel chair next to mine.
“Do I have this right?” the director rubbed his temples. “You ditched Temple and your assigned case to find somebody on an unrelated case that isn’t yours, and then you decided to insert yourself further into a case that still isn’t yours bykissing a witness—"
"It was a strategy!"
“Explain again,” the director ordered. I totally understood Chase’s reluctance to face him earlier.
A particularly deep breath as Chase prepared to defend his actions was the only sign he felt any pressure.
"Row—Officer Masterson gave me cause to conduct a welfare check at Milton’s residence.” The kiss had been heated and full of passion and now we were on a last name basis. “I found a man following Milton and using formal mating language, the kind of language used in the historical werewolf romance bodice rippers Mom used to read in secret that scarred me for life when I was 11.”
He’d directed this comment at the Director. Mom? They were related? Brothers?
“See, these stories have protocols too. The characters are a dastardly baron, an innocent waif trapped between obligation and desire, and a devilishly handsome rogue.”
Did that stick me with the ‘waif’ position? I objected on general principle.
"The rogue’s the hero," Chase boasted and winked at me. “He challenges an established mating claim in the name of true love.”
The woman frowned hard at that. The director motioned with his hand,get on with it.I doubted the guy could smile to save his life. The brothers shared a physical resemblance though seemed completely different otherwise.
“This was the only play here,” Chase continued. “The law doesn’t interfere in people’s personal lives unless a crime’s been committed and the dastardly baron always seems above board at first.”
“Are you still talking about regency romances?” the director wondered tiredly.
“Well, that’s the time where all this stuff comes from. Do people even follow archaic mating rituals anymore?”
“Formal processes for mating bonds have largely fallen by the wayside in the age of marrying and mating for love.” Director Slate explained as the silent supporter behind him nodded along. “But therearepacks and corners of the supernatural community that still honor old customs.” He gritted his teeth, forcing out the last words. “I’d hardly call this theonlyplay, but it is simple and effective. There are two standard responses that can trigger when a rival challenges a mating claim.”
"Fighting or a formal remedy." Chase nodded. "He chose formal procedures and here we are.”
Then all the eyes in the room turned to me.
Uh-oh.
“Agent Slate was heading to a meeting the night you met. A meeting with a man rescued from a group who sells supernatural partners.” The director’s tone changed into a professional ‘delivering bad news’ voice, making my stomach clench in anticipation. “We believe Bolton is after his desired mate and tailed Chase to find him. He saw you two together and now he thinks you’re that mate.”
"It’s a case of mistaken identity," Chase added.
How, what, mistaken identity? No need to panic, right? Not yet.
“Do I look a lot like this guy or something?” I asked.
“They don’t share many details before the auction,” Chase said. “The part they’re interested in is that this guy comes from a rare line of shifters who rarely leave Hell.”
“Hell,” I echoed faintly. “O-of course, if there’s angels, there must be demons and hell too.”
“One actually has nothing to do with the other. That’s a topic for another day.”
This problem had a simple fix. “I’m obviously not any kind of supernatural mate since I’m not supernatural."
“Groups like these typically go after people who don’t know they’re in the supernatural community,” Merritt explained. “Anybody living in our world has probably mastered their abilities and can defend themselves. And if they don’t have strong powers, they’re probably connected to somebody who does.”
Huh. It was time to panic.
