Blood Shift (The Charming Shifter Mysteries Book 3) Read online

  She squinted. Magic lined the entire property like a translucent, magical fortress wall, put in place by her grandfather. He’d spell cast a wall of runic inscriptions to keep out unwanted energies. When she wasn’t high on vampire, she couldn’t see it. But when she made the blood offering with D’Raynged, she perceived it as a beautiful, shimmering, see-through wall of enchantment. Now, however, she saw nothing but trees, mountains, snowy tundra and sky.

  Tossing aside her usual “react first, deal with the fall-out later” strategy, Chia formed a plan. Show up on the asshole’s so-called private property, get turned in, and confront him. She chuckled. At least I put some thought into it. Hung would be so proud.

  The thought of Hung sent sharp pangs of yearning through her heart. The lusty longing morphed into guilt and shame over swapping a certain bodily fluid with a seductive vampire last night. Then, remembering the Fae getting slaughtered, she justified the blood offering. How else would I have seen what I saw? I probably wouldn’t have even heard the Fae scream.

  At 9am sharp, after cleaning every square inch of her house—twice—to keep from going crazy over waiting for Red’s blasted factory to open, she sped along the icy roads toward Red’s new place of business.

  When she sat in the parking lot, the engine idling, she wondered if she still had D’Raynged humming through her bloodstream. She rubbed her eyes and squinted.

  The place had been transformed as if by magic. In the twelve or so hours since she’d last seen it, it now stood like a rust-colored brick fortress plunked in a vast field of snow. To the far west, the Haunted Bear Glacier loomed in the distance, like a lookout. To the east, the good morning lights of Charming competed with the sun, appearing all innocent and welcoming. The townsfolk no doubt went about their business, unmindful of the evil lurking in their midst.

  A large metal sign read, MBD Enterprises, with the tag-line A brighter future starts here.

  “Brighter future, my ass,” Chia muttered. “More like plunged into darkness.”

  A cluster of shadows hovered about the entrance.

  Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, dressed in Army green. One of them strode, stiff and menacing, toward her Jeep. He rapped on her window with black-gloved hands.

  She lowered the window and said sweetly, “Can I help you? Are you lost?”

  “Are you Chia Petit?”

  “Why, yes, I believe I am.”

  “You’re trespassing.”

  Her ghosts hummed and buzzed, swirling around in the cab of the Jeep. When they passed in front of her eyes, they made it difficult to see. The guard appeared fuzzy and warped. She swished her hand back and forth in front of her to shoo them away.

  The guard swiftly aimed his weapon at her head, his finger on the trigger.

  She froze. “Don’t be stupid. There’s something in front of my…”

  “Step out of the vehicle,” he commanded.

  “I was just…”

  “I said, step out of the vehicle and put your hands over your head.”

  “Fine,” she snapped, thinking, Stupid, pesky, ghosts almost got me killed.

  With her hands plastered to her head and the guard’s gun at her back, she marched up the steps of the fortified building. As she approached the dark wisps guarding the door, the stench of rotten eggs coupled with decay nearly overpowered her. She stepped through the shadows in front of the door, and her skin rippled with gooseflesh. She grew cold, like being encased in ice. Just as she began to shiver, the smells and sensation stopped. She whipped her head around to see the shadows behind her sailing out of view around the side of the building.

  The guard jabbed his gun at her back. “Get moving. This isn’t a sight-seeing expedition.”

  Hands still glued to her scalp, she staggered forward, urged by the threat of a bullet in her back. She stumbled her way through more freezing cold, hair-raising shadows, like navigating through thermoclines in the Bering Sea. Finally, she arrived at the expansive office of Red Mountainbear.

  He sat at his desk, grinning at her. “Miss Petit. How pleasant of you to join me.”

  She wrenched her hands free of her scalp and balled them into fists, wishing she’d brought her Glock.

  “You killed nearly a dozen Fae last night,” she said, ignoring her earlier vow to not storm in and start shooting off her mouth. “Right behind my house. Talk about trespassing.”

  “Come in, come in,” he gestured. He looked at the guard. “Franklin, stay right there.”

  The guard stood at attention, his eyes looking into a faraway place over Red’s head.

  Dick Johnson glowered at her from Red’s side, where he stood rigidly like someone had stuck a steel rod up his spine.

  “I’m going to have you arrested,” she spat, leaning forward. “So much for shifter safety—we don’t allow criminals in these parts.”

  A grim smile iced Red’s lips. “I’d offer you coffee, but I’m afraid we’re out.” He hefted a large black mug emblazoned with MBD Enterprises and brought it to his mouth. He slurped noisily before lowering the cup. “So good. I import the finest beans.”

  “What do you have to say for yourself?” she spluttered. “About the murders, I’ll have you arrested for?”

  “Dick, do tell Ms. Petit where I was all night.” Red took another slurp of coffee.

  He droned in a monotone. “Mr. Mountainbear was here all night. There are numerous employees who can attest to this fact. We’ve been busy.”

  Chia’s eyes narrowed, and she studied Dick carefully. Something wasn’t quite right with the man.

  “Are you wondering what happened to him?” Red asked, inclining his head toward Dick. He went on without waiting for an answer. “I have eyes everywhere. Even in elevators. You seemed to take advantage of him yesterday. We can’t have our employees losing control of their jobs by getting their nuts clocked with someone’s knee.”

  She snickered.

  “Don’t worry, I took care of the matter. We turned him into a robot in our factory below.” A smug smile spread across his weathered cheeks. “We can do that, you know.”

  Chia’s lip curled. “You turned him into a robot? How the hell can you do that?”

  She managed to corral her alarm into her brain, rather than reveal the horror she felt. What is he planning to do in that factory?

  “State of the art machinery. I’ll show you around sometime.” He waved his hand over his head. “Cancel that. You’d be trespassing.” He chuckled.

  Chia took several deep, calming breaths to keep from lunging across the table and choking Red. “How can we trust his word, then? He’s a robot.”

  Red pressed a button on a small console in front of him. “Shar, please come in here for a moment.”

  The room grew icy cold as a shadowy shape slithered into the view. It blurred into a shapely blonde woman, dressed in a red, curve-hugging dress. “Yes, Mr. Mountainbear?”

  How do they shift fully clad? Usually, they shift into their naked human forms.

  “Please tell Ms. Petit where I was last night.” Red folded his hands in front of him.

  The red-clad beauty pulled an eScreen from her pocket.

  Chia’s eyes widened. Where did she hide that? Her dress clings to her like skin. Clearly, these shifters have different skill-sets than the normal ones.

  Shar tapped her screen with a stylus, and read, “9:30pm, oversaw machinery delivery. 11:57pm witnessed unpack and setup. 2am yelled at the crew for moving so slow.”

  Chia blurted, “She’s only reading that from a display! Any fool can read a schedule.”

  “Shar, show her my proof.”

  More taps on the screen yielded time-stamped videos which Shar held in Chia’s face.

  Chia shoved the device away from her eyes. “These are doctored.”

  “Can you bring in more witnesses, Shar?” He smiled benignly at his assistant.

  “Certainly, sir.” She blurred back into a shadow and drifted from the room.

  Chia wav
ed her hand in a circle. “Never mind, never mind. We all know you’re a liar. I don’t need to see any of your so-called proof. I’m going to find my own evidence of your whereabouts. Then, you’re going down, jackass.”

  “You want proof? Ask your boyfriend. I met with him last night.”

  The words slammed into her gut with the force of a fist. “You what?”

  “Hung Durand—remember him? You haven’t moved on yet, have you? He sure seems to have.” He coughed out a wheezing chuckle.

  Her breath caught in her throat. “What do you mean, ‘he sure seems to have?’”

  “Go see for yourself. I met with him last night.”

  “You did not. You’re lying!” This time she launched herself at him, unsure who she was madder at—Hung, or the asshole before her.

  Red held out his hand like a weapon. Dark clouds of slime uncoiled from his fingers and wrapped around her neck, clamping down on her windpipe.

  Strange, garbled yells emerged from her throat, as she tried to peel this whatever it was ooze from her windpipe.

  “Franklin, do see Ms. Petit out. I’m afraid she’s worn out her welcome.” Turning to Chia, Red said, “The next time you trespass on my property, I’ll be far less kind.”

  As quickly as it had wrapped around her neck, the slime disappeared.

  Chia coughed and gasped. “We’re not done here,” she finally managed to say.

  But the bastard had already turned into a shadow.

  Teeth chattering, she let herself be dragged from the building and thrown, once again, onto the snowy asphalt. She landed with a heavy thud. Picking herself up, she dusted off and stared at the building. Surrounded by shadows, she could barely see the bricks through their gloomy darkness. She stomped toward her SUV, ghosts in tow, with one thing in mind—heading to Hung’s for…for what? We’ve broken up.

  Barely noticing anything, she sped toward a remote cabin where Hung lived. As she drove, her mind whirled as rapidly as the clouds forming overhead. Why would he meet with Red? Has he been in on this property exchange the whole time? Is he getting a kickback? Bounty hunter business has been slim due to the ordinances I’ve put into place.

  A light snow began to fall when she got close enough to see the cabin. Sure enough, his truck was parked outside. A stream of smoke uncoiled from the chimney. Something about the cozy setting made her heart unfurl, too.

  I’ll explain to him this last blood offering was a necessity. He’ll see my reasoning.

  The snow began to fall harder. Her ghosts, no doubt anticipating a wiper ride, sifted through the windshield and gathered on the glass. Chia drove slowly, inching toward the cabin. Her tires crunched through the snow as if grinding in her sorrow.

  After turning into Hung’s driveway, she put the vehicle in park and leaped out of the truck to shoo them away. That’s when his front door opened and a robe-clad woman, with a towel wrapped around her wet hair, and fuzzy slippers on her feet, emerged from the front door.

  Chapter 8

  Hobbled by her suspicious, rapidly breaking heart, Chia staggered toward the cabin. I can’t believe he’s already moved on.

  The attractive woman waved at her, gesturing for her to get out of the car. She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed, indicating she was cold.

  Yeah, I hope you freeze. Chia’s lungs filled with air, then she forcibly released it.

  “I’m Sugar. Sugar DiDomenico.” The woman held out a slender hand. Almond-shaped brown eyes, flecked with gold, regarded Chia warmly. A tiny Marilyn Monroe mole dotted her face above her lip.

  An Italian. It figures. He always goes for the big-boobed Southern Europeans. Her gaze flicked to her moderately sized breasts. Why he decided to be with me is anyone’s guess. Chia reluctantly took the woman’s hand. “Chia Petit. Town manager.”

  “Oh, I’ve heard of you. Come in, come in,” Sugar said. Even her voice was pretty.

  You’re inviting me into my boyfriend’s cabin? Chia’s heart sank. She hesitated, eying Sugar warily. Then, she dragged her feet across the cabin threshold, ready to reluctantly embrace her breakup with Hung.

  Sugar closed the door, sealing them in the cozy warmth.

  A fire crackled in the fireplace. Two steaming mugs sat on the kitchen counter, emitting fragrant whiffs of coffee.

  This is what it should look like if he was with me. Her attention drifted to a pair of sexy panties on the fireplace spark arrester screen. I hope they catch fire and burst into flames. Sugar’s coat hung on the coat rack just inside the door. The evidence surrounding her made it clear—she and Hung were no longer a couple. Her heart splintered with pain. “Is Hung here?” Chia asked, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat.

  “He stepped out. Shifter business. He’ll be back in a few minutes. Is there something I can help you with? Can I get you anything?” Sugar smiled. “Coffee, maybe? I just made some for Hung and me.”

  “I can see that.” Chia looked around, despair making it difficult to breathe.

  The potent scent of Hung surrounded her, mixed with the sweet womanly smell of this intruder…this other woman. Everything around her evoked memories of time with Hung, coupled with the reality that stared her straight in the face—Hung had already moved on.

  Unable to take this new, heartbreaking reality, still reeling from the death of the Fae, from Red, from all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, she rushed to the door. “Tell Hung I stopped by, okay?”

  Sugar frowned. “Sure thing. He’ll be back, soon. You can tell him yourself.”

  “No. It’s better if you do it.” Chia flung open the door and raced outside toward her truck without looking back.

  “Honey, are you okay?” Sugar called after her.

  “Not by a long shot,” Chia wailed. She tugged on the Jeep door open and then leaped into the vehicle. She powered it on, backed it up—complete with an out of control ice slide—and roared down the road.

  Her ghosts huddled in the back seat as if realizing now wasn’t the time for fooling around.

  Tears filled her eyes. She blinked them away, squinting to see the one lane road.

  Snow began to blow in sweeping flurries, battering the windshield.

  Between the snow, her tears, and her erratically beating heart, she found it impossible to navigate the road. Finally, she put the Jeep in park, threw open the door and ran, blindly, without thought of where she headed. She sprinted through the snow, tripping over snowbanks, her breath labored. Finally, she sank into a snowbank, hunched over her knees, and sobbed. “I’m screwing up everything!” she wailed. “I’m trying to be a good manager to the town, I’m trying to solve supernatural mysteries, and I even tried to be a good girlfriend to Hung.”

  A distant cry of distress pulled her out of her funk. She froze, listening.

  Another cry met her ears. Scrambling to her feet, she forged ahead, toward the sound. Her boots crunched through the snow, while the icy air bit at her cheeks like insects made of ice cubes.

  Coming up over a rise, she crouched, sighting movement and shapes. It’s the eagle shifter. He’s caught a fox shifter.

  The Fox had shifted halfway, appearing like a red-furred human with a fox’s tail, ears, and snout. Unable to get up, he wrestled with the massive eagle. His legs were covered with scratches from the bird’s talons. He beat at the bird with his fists, but it seemed to do nothing to the bird.

  The eagle batted its huge wings against the shifter, its talons keeping a firm, bloody grip on the half man's shoulder.

  Chia, unable to hold herself back, powered out of her crouch and raced toward the eagle, heedless as to who it was and what he might do to her.

  “Get away! Leave him alone!” She threw handfuls of snow at the wretched creature.

  The bird turned its head, training expressionless, sharp golden eyes on her. It released the fox shifter and flew at her instead.

  The shifter quickly became a full fox. It scampered away, leaving a bright red bloody trail in the pristine wh
ite ice.

  The eagle flew at her, claws extended, ready to slice her face to ribbons.

  Chia beat against the bird with her fists. She tried to grasp one of its wings.

  It fluttered into the sky, just out of reach. Then, it whirled behind her.

  She spun around, tripping on something beneath the snow and falling on her belly into the icy powder.

  Talons pierced her shoulder. Despite its size, in an unbelievable show of strength, the great bird’s wings flapped until it took flight, with Chia dangling like a rag doll.

  She kicked and squirmed, but its claws only dug in deeper.

  “Help!” she screamed into the wind. “Help!”

  The eagle soared into the sky, higher and higher until Chia felt giddy from the thinning oxygen. Instinctively, she clamped her fingers around one of the eagle’s legs, no longer hoping it release her. If she uncurled her fingers from is scaly legs, she’d fall to her doom.

  It tightened its grip on her.

  She clawed at its body, trying for anything she could get her hands on.

  “Don’t drop me,” she said, terror flooding her brain.

  As they soared higher, the bird struggled and wriggled, attempting to stay airborne. Finally, unable to hold on, it dropped her.

  As she hurtled toward the earth, she thought of two things—who’s going to protect the shifters, and I wish I hadn’t blown it with Hung. Certain her death was imminent, she mumbled some semblance of prayer and prepared for her departure from earth via a wicked, nasty collision with the snow-covered ground.

  A huge, winged bird rocketed toward her.

  Oh, no. The eagle is coming back for me.

  The ginormous black bird soared toward her.

  She collided with its soft, feathery body.

  The bird flipped upside down, its wings flapping wildly to right itself. Once it maneuvered to upright, it flew underneath her, supporting her in its ten-foot wingspan, slowing the descent of her hurtling body. It seemed to labor, flapping its wings furiously. The pair continued free-falling. Chia was too scared to scream. Instead, she hung on for dear life.

  A few yards from colliding with the frozen ground, the bird rolled out from underneath her.