Page 57

"We'll save that discussion for another day. For now, we need to get this plan moving."

The three new humans dispersed in short order, but Lain lingered after the other three left. I remained in the chair with the kittens while Quinn locked up behind them, stroking their soft fur in an attempt to settle the chaos in my mind.

We are not a skin-changer.

Of everything the humans discussed, that still weighed heaviest on the beast. How could we be the thing we were created to hunt?

We were you, but now we're me. We changed our skin. That makes us one of them.

He grumbled, still quite unhappy, but there was no refuting what I'd said. He certainly didn't like the truth, though.

"Okay, so I have about a hundred questions," Lain announced as he and Quinn walked back into the room. Lain flopped down on the couch, taking the seat the detective had vacated, while Quinn took the other side, closest to where I sat. Romulus took up position between the two of us, but stretched out on the floor. Even the dog didn't view the beast as a threat anymore.

"I don't have any answers," Quinn replied. He kicked off the house slippers he'd put on while the others were here and pulled his legs up on the couch, tucking his bare feet beneath him.

Lain just shrugged. "Maybe we can figure them out together then." He focused his attention on me. "When I left, you were a big, scary, cat-like thing with wings and a scorpion tail. When did you get hot?"

Quinn coughed, his face turning bright red. "Lain!"

"What? He's freaking hot. Tell me I'm wrong."

Quinn spluttered, gaping at his friend, but no actual words made it past his lips. I couldn't help but preen a bit. He'd kissed me, so I knew there was something there, but he didn't deny he found me attractive, which helped soothe any doubts.

"So, when did this happen?" Lain pressed. "Is this what you looked like before all this crazy shit? Have you been walking around forever looking like that and I missed you somehow?"

"We changed yesterday when Quinn came home hurt." Even just thinking about it threatened to reignite my fury. Those soldiers were living on borrowed time now. "I don't know what I looked like before."

"It's a safe bet that this was your human form all along. I was talking with Ori on the way out and based on what I saw when I treated you, we think your original other half was maybe a panther? They're going to reach out to the felines they know and see if anyone is missing."

"On that note, I also have a hundred questions," Quinn interrupted. Now that it was just the three of us, he was more at ease, no longer stammering and anxious. "Shapeshifters? Seriously? And the way Alex was talking made it sound like he has some sort of psychic powers or something? What is going on in this town, Lain?"

Chapter 21

Quinn

Lain had the good grace to look embarrassed, at least. "I guess I can tell you everything now. You already know a lot, so I'm sure it's fine." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself, for some reason.

"It's a little late to be keeping secrets," I agreed. Honestly, I was exhausted, my mind and body reeling from the shock of today's revelations and the adrenaline surge of my panic attack, but if I didn't push for answers now, I had a feeling I'd never get them, so I steeled myself to get through this.

"I'm not even sure where to start…"

"Do we need to do this later? I have to work today. Soon, I think." I glanced up at the wall clock, suddenly grateful it was Saturday. I always went in an hour or two later than my usual 9am start time, but it gave me a little time to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and pretend I was relaxing.

"I can cover for you if you want," Lain offered, and for a moment, I was seriously tempted. It'd been a long time since I'd been this exhausted, despite the extra naps I'd been taking lately. Did they even count as naps when it was more like me collapsing in my bed because my brain refused to function anymore?

Instead, I shook my head. "Thanks, but Ori said we should go about our routines like usual, and everyone knows how much you despise getting up early. I already dragged you out of bed before sunrise; I won't ask you to give up your weekend, too."

"I don't like you going into town alone with those strangers still around," Typhon fretted, his dark eyes worried. "We should go with you."

Hearing Typhon talk about himself and the monster like that still confused me a little, and it took a few seconds to even realize he didn't mean him and Lain.

"I hate to admit it, but they were right. There's a chance those guys might know what you look like as a human. I can't risk you getting caught. You'll be safe here."

"I'm not worried about me."

I blushed. I couldn't help it. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lain smile and glance between the two of us. He might not be Typhon's number one fan, but he cared about me enough to support my blatant crush. I'd be hearing about this later for sure, though.

"We'll make sure Quinn is safe," he said. "Donovan and his partner both know about the other side of The Crossing, and they're just down the street. Oh, and Raina and Camille know, too. They, uh…" He winced and shot Typhon an apologetic look. "They were the two women with Donovan and Alex in the woods."