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

  She landed hard on iced rocks and rolled over and over until she came to a stop on her back in the snow. Numb, not knowing the extent of her injuries, she lifted her battered head to see a massive condor a few feet away. How convenient. The blasted buzzard let me fall kind of gently, so he didn’t have to pick battered meat from my bones when I freeze to death. She pushed herself to a painful sit, tracking the bird warily.

  The Condor shifted into her former lover, Hung Durand. Her inner snark forgotten, hope wrangled with insecurity.

  She sat up, wincing. “Hung?”

  “Damn, girl. You’re heavy when you’re rocketing through space.” He staggered to his feet, breathing hard, leaning over his knees to catch his breath. “We need to talk,” he finally managed.

  “You’re too late. I already know,” she said, using the pain shooting through her bruised limbs to shield her heart. “You’ve already moved on. What else is there to say?”

  Chapter 9

  Sprawled on the icy tundra, feeling like she and a logging truck had collided, Chia assessed her battered body, scanning to see what hurt the worst. Everything, from her toes to her head screamed at her for attention. The brilliant, blazing overhead orb of the sun suddenly peeking through the clouds didn’t help.

  “What hurts?” Hung said.

  “Everything.” She let out a groan.

  “Need help?” He extended a hand.

  “No thanks. I’m fine.” With aching effort, she rolled over, got on her hands and knees, and pushed herself upright.

  She glared at Hung, sharp arrows of anger shooting from her eyes, while her heart lay hidden in a murky swamp of sorrow. “I saw her. I saw your new lover. That didn’t take long at all. Is she one of your ex’s waiting in the wings?” She brushed off the snow that clung to her like powdered sugar.

  Hung closed his gaping mouth, dismissed her with a wave, and turned to stride away. “Thank you for saving my life might have worked, too,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Wait!” she said, clambering after him.

  “I think that free-falling descent addled your brain,” Hung said, not slowing his pace.

  “Hung, wait!” She lunged and reached for his warm, solid biceps.

  He stopped statue stiff. His hard gaze lowered to her fingers curled around his muscles, then lifted to meet her eyes. “Sugar’s a friend.”

  She yanked her hand free, suddenly wondering if she’d ever really captured Hung’s heart.

  “How many benefits?” Chia wanted to either cry or slug his solid abdomen—only she’d probably hurt her hand.

  When he let out a long laugh, her eyebrows lifted.

  “She makes a mean lasagna, I can tell you that. Plus, she gets up earlier than I do, so there’s always fresh coffee when I wake up.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Chia wondered if her heart might crack into tiny pieces like a calving glacier, breaking into a sea of sadness. Her eyes welled with tears.

  “Honey, she’s a lesbian. We didn’t sleep together. She doesn’t fly that way.”

  Relief rushed through her like a strong wind. Her cheeks blazed with heat. “You might have mentioned that before I had a jealous hissy fit.” She stared at her boot-clad toes.

  He tipped her chin up with his fingertips. “Oh, I kind of liked the hissy fit. It lets me know you still care.”

  Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she scanned his gorgeous face. “Of course I still care.”

  He let out a long breath. “Good.” He pivoted and strode toward a small, lone tree. A pair of pants dangled from the branches. Tugging them on, he mumbled, “I do, too. Care, I mean. Who else is going to save your ass again and again?” He winked, and then sobered.

  Unable to let her mad go, she hissed at him. “And what’s this business about you colluding with Red? He said he met with you last night.” She threw her arms in the air.

  Hung barked out a sharp laugh. “Met! Good one! He pounded on my door and demanded entrance. When I refused to let him in, I received some very unveiled threats about your safety last night. It did nothing to ease my mind about you.” He buttoned his pants, and then turned and placed his hands on her shoulders. “We’re in a mess right now. We’re at a deadlock in our relationship. As a result, we’re not living together. I can’t protect you if we’re not together. And you, my luscious little cupcake, are not safe.” He kissed the tip of her nose.

  A shiver launched up her spine like a missile. “What did he say?”

  He eyed her thoughtfully, then shook his head. “Oh, I’d rather not repeat. It was a lot of bullshit about how you keep poking your nose where it’s not welcome.”

  “I’m pretty good at protecting myself,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself to keep from throwing them around Hung. “But thank you for wanting to keep me safe.” She bit her lip, suddenly shy.

  The two gazed softly at one another for a long wistful moment.

  Hung’s eyes were the color of open skies, sparkling with sunlight. As he stood, regarding her, he radiated confidence…protection…warmth and confusion. Yet, right under the surface lay a deep, shimmering pool of love, its intensity matched by her own. He kept his feelings closely guarded, but she’d managed to dig them out a time or twenty. Up until her blood offerings became an issue, they’d shared their love with passionate abandon. But he was right; now they were at a standstill—because of her.

  Chia turned away first, sighing. “So, what kind of unveiled threats? And what time was it?”

  “Oh, let’s see. It was around eleven or so. Sugar had shown up earlier and asked for a place to crash. I agreed in exchange for some lasagna. She’d been assigned to catch the same damn eagle I’ve been chasing.”

  “She’s a bounty hunter?” Chia didn’t know if that was a good thing or one of those things that might cause more jealousy. Listening to them swap trade secrets might make her feel like an outsider. She clung to the knowledge that the woman didn’t care for men.

  “Yeah. She’s a good one, too. She told me the same thing I experienced—she’d been on a wild goose chase.” Hung reached for her hand and began walking.

  For a minute, she relaxed into their easy camaraderie.

  Hand in hand, they’d shared walks like this countless times, wandering through the Alaskan wilderness, marveling at its breathtaking beauty.

  “Anyway, Red stopped by, demanding entrance. Then, he left, insisting I follow him to his office space. It was like a summons, mostly—show up or your girlfriend is dead.” He side-eyed her with a worried look.

  She frowned, not liking the sound of that.

  “I swear that place was abandoned last I checked. Now there’s a whole fucking factory in it?” He shook his head. “He said I need to keep you under control.”

  Chia let out a mirthless laugh. “Good luck with that one!”

  “That’s what I told him.” Hung flashed a sheepish smile, then his smile disappeared. “He told me you’d been snooping around. He said his place is private property and he has a right to carry, and something about how ‘you never know when you’ll need a gun to protect what’s rightfully yours.’” He squeezed her hand and swallowed. “He wants to kill you, babe. Veiled or not, that was made clear.” His jaw grew rigid. He kept his eyes trained into the distance.

  “I know he does. He told me so this morning.”

  Hung stopped and turned, slack-jawed. “What? Chia, how much trouble do you want for yourself? Showing up at his place after he told you to stay away could have meant your death! It could have meant I’d never get to stand here, looking at you, fighting with you or loving you, ever again.” His hands landed on her cheeks, bringing instant warmth. “Oh, girl. Where angels fear to tread…” He brought her close in a rough embrace.

  She sank into him, savoring the warmth, the care. Inhaling his scent, and his exquisite manliness.

  I’ve got to get free of D’Raynged and his blood.

  After a long, sweet moment, she pushed away. “How d
id he appear when you saw him? Agitated? Amped from a feeding? Anything unusual?”

  “Not really, why?” He pushed a strand of hair from her face.

  “Because, someone—a shadow shifter—and I’d bet money it was Red—slaughtered a dozen Fae in the woods last night, right behind my house. I heard this wicked laugh that sure sounded like him. It must have been around ten o’clock.”

  “How do you know that?” Hung knew she couldn’t see the Fae unless she’d done the blood offering with D. He gripped her shoulders hard, making her wince.

  A challenging glare sizzled between them like lightning heralding a thunderstorm.

  For a moment, Chia thought about lying. But then she said, “I saw it. I heard the screams in the woods and ran outside and saw it with my own eyes.”

  Hung threw his hands in the air. “Goddamn it, Chia!”

  A massive wall of tension fell into place between them, driving them apart. It suddenly seemed like they stared at one another from across a mile-wide gorge.

  His jaw set firm. He worked his mouth back and forth. Finally, he said, “Stay out of this. Let me and Sugar deal with it. For God’s sake, woman!”

  “Oh, right,” she snapped, fire in her eyes. “Let you and Sugar deal with it. While I slink home like a paddled dog and play with my toys. Fuck that, Hung! This is my fight!”

  His hands flew into the air. “It’s nothing of the sort. You’re in over your head!”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” She stabbed him in the chest with her gloved finger. “I only took the blood last night to get answers. That’s it!”

  “Can you hear yourself? That’s what a junkie says to justify her next fix! Chia, I’m losing you to your addiction!” Hung looked as if he’d been shot in the head and was about to cross over.

  Chia let out a groan of exasperation. “I don’t know what to do, Hung! I’m not magic. I can’t shift. I’m good at my job—making and passing legislation and so on—but that’s the extent of my skill-set. You all get to shift into magical beings!” She swept her hand at him. “You, in particular, get to shift into whatever winged creature you choose and perceive the world in all its wonders. Not me. I see it as a mere mortal. If I hadn’t made the blood offering with D last night, I never would have seen the reprehensible thing that was done in my backyard! Don’t you get it? I want what you have—access to magic!”

  They stood staring for a long moment, breathing hard, unable to speak.

  Finally Hung said, “I can’t do this, Chia. I can’t have another blood junkie on my hands. Whatever your reasons are…” His eyes filled with unshed tears.

  “What do you mean by ‘another junkie’? Who else?”

  He shook his head. His expression tightened into one of bewilderment and sorrow she couldn’t fathom.

  “Okay, then,” she said, her heart an icy block.

  “I guess that’s it,” he said, anguish evident in his storm clouded eyes.

  “I guess so.” Chia spied her Jeep up ahead, covered with a dusting of snow. She stared at Hung, memorizing his features, fearing she’d never see them again. “Take care of yourself,” she said, woodenly.

  “You, too.” Deep lines marred his perfect features. His voice cracked when he said, “I’ll always love you.”

  She shook the hot tears from her eyes. “Don’t say it. Don’t say it like it’s the end.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  She shook her head again, unwilling to face the moment. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

  For a moment, hope flickered in his eyes. Then, an impenetrable wall replaced it. He lifted his chin, turned, and shifted, becoming one of the most beautiful birds she’d ever seen—a white gyrfalcon, one of the largest falcons in the world. Once, only kings could prey upon gyrfalcons. Something about this thought comforted, as she watched her former lover—the only man who’d ever caught her heart—spiral into the wintry sky, leaving only a current of sorrow behind.

  She had to find a way to beat her addiction, but first, she had to beat Red. And, currently, giving blood offerings helped her get answers for dealing with Red. It all seemed like a snarled, tangled knot of a situation, one she didn’t know how to resolve.

  Chapter 10

  The afternoon crawled like a mouse with a broken leg. Unable to do anything but shuffle papers at work, Chia stacked papers in neat piles and straightened pens on her desk. Then, she rose to standing and left mid-afternoon. Seeking consolation, she meandered around for hours, driving her Jeep to her favorite places—like the creek where they watched elk and kissed. Or the rarely used covered bridge that concealed them from prying eyes so they could get naked in the back of her SUV. The only thing she managed to stir were memories of happier times with Hung. Even her ghosts seemed listless, bunched around her shoulders like so many cats, piled on top of one another for warmth.

  Finally, she gave up on finding comfort and drove home the same way one might approach the viewing of her best friend in a morgue—slowly, in complete resistance.

  Once she arrived at her house, she parked the SUV in the carport, got out, and glanced at the Haunted Bear Glacier, barely visible in the early evening starlight. Besides being a beautiful, albeit rapidly disappearing, landmark, thanks to global warming, it was Hung’s favorite entrance to Charming.

  He used secret trails winding through the glacier to enter and exit Charming like a ghost. The currents in this valley were hazardous to avian creatures, so he preferred to make his way on foot—using snowshoes when the weather became squirrelly, and snow lay thick.

  Only now as she gazed at it, she saw it as his escape, rather than his doorway to their life together. Sighing, she turned, dragging her feet as she made her way inside.

  She pushed open the massive timber door and stepped across the doormat that read Loggers Welcome.

  “Good evening,” her cold vampire roommate said warmly, Southern charm making his words sound inviting. He stood supermodel perfect in the front room like he’d been waiting for her.

  “No,” she said, “it’s not, and you’re not getting any.” She draped her coat on the rack, pushed past him, and made her way to the sofa.

  “Good heavens, where are your manners?” D’Raynged said, following her.

  After flicking on a side lamp, she slumped onto the over-sized red and black couch, wishing it were her grandmother’s embrace instead. She could use a good grandmotherly hug right now.

  “When a gentleman greets you at the door with a ‘good evening,’ the polite thing to do is reply similarly.”

  She smirked at him. “I’ll remember that if a gentleman ever greets me at the door.”

  His face creased with dark, sharp lines. “I’ll ignore that remark. My mother and father raised me with manners, something you Northerners never got the hang of.”

  She lifted her hand, like it weighed two tons, and swished it at him dismissively. It dropped like a stone on the cushions next to her. “That was about three hundred years ago. You’re dead…a vampire.”

  He gave a tug to the vest he wore. “Nevertheless, I comport myself with social graces.” He settled next to her.

  “And then you sink your fangs into her neck and suck like a savage.” She made guttural gnawing noises and waggled her tongue. Then, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Such a well-mannered gentleman you are.”

  His lips pressed together in a prim line. “What’s got you in such a foul mood? Can I get you anything? Stale cheese, perhaps?”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “So I can bleed all over it and you can run off and have great sex? No, thanks.”

  “No, so you’ll be more receptive to the news I wish to impart.”

  She lifted both of her eyebrows. “What now? I don’t think I can take more bad news.”

  He leaned back, spreading his arm across the back of the couch. Next, he gracefully crossed one leg over the other. He gestured with his free hand toward the flat-screened television in the corner. “I watched a little news b
efore you arrived.”

  “Good for you. Lemming News is always so enlightening. It’s a propaganda machine, nothing more.” She let her head flop back.

  He gave her a disapproving sidelong glance, looking at her the same way one regards a naughty child. “There was much talk of the property purchased by MBD Enterprises. An entire segment was devoted to the issue. Not everyone is in favor of it, you know.”

  She lifted her head, her interest sparked. “They’re not?”

  “No. The general population wants to preserve Charming, not develop it.”

  “They do?”

  “Child, do you even pay attention at your work?” His lips pressed together again.

  “You’ve got that prim, disapproving church lady facial expression down pat. Did your mama teach you that one, too?” She chuckled, feeling a little better. She liked sparring with D’Raynged.

  He shook his head. “Your job, as I understand it, is to manage this town. How can you be managing it if you don’t know the mood of the populace?”

  “I’ve been a little preoccupied with trying to figure out how to rid myself of a whole host of evil shadow demons, all done with a very shattered heart.”

  “That’s where I can help,” D’Raynged said, with a polished smile. His teeth gleamed in the lamplight.

  “Here we go again. We’re not doing the blood offering.”

  “You say that now, but you’ll come around.” He smiled confidently. “But that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  “Then what are you talking about?” Her foot began to wiggle, wanting to get this conversation over with. “I’d like to take a bottle of wine into the bathroom and have a long bath.”

  “I did a little research.”

  Her foot stopped. “Into?”

  “There’s nothing illegal about him buying property in the area, even though you might have prevented it had you been paying attention.” His eyebrows lifted slightly in a cool, haughty expression.

  “Right. Got it.”

  “But, if you can get one thousand signatures from the townspeople, saying that the facility is not in the best interest of the community, you can force him to sell it back to the town. Et voila. Problem solved.” He brushed his hands together, looking very pleased with himself as he flashed her a wide grin.