Chapter 9

“Thank you for coming with me,” King said as they entered the formal parlor of the Cheval coven. This was one of the last places he wanted to be, but duty called.

Aurora snorted softly. “Well, Ingrid did ask me to tag along.”

“She didn’t actually use the words ‘tag along,’ did she?” he asked dryly.

Aurora snickered and shook her head as she perched on the edge of a tufted yellow loveseat. “No. But I was under the impression that it would go better for you if I was here.”

King simply snorted and didn’t bother sitting. He wasn’t sure how it had happened, but in the last few weeks Aurora had become his liaison, more or less, between him and…many other species. After the display from that news feed of her destroying dragons along with her sister and her sister’s mate—and King as well—the city was very curious about “Aurora the phoenix.” Not that he blamed them, because he was curious about her as well. What he did know, he liked.

More than liked.

Not that he had the luxury of indulging in anything right now. He was the Alpha of a rebuilding city and his people came first. Even people who did not like him. Such was the mantle of responsibility, his mother had once told him. And he was a fool for having not quite believed her.

Damn, if she was still alive, he would tell her that she was right. Then she would simply say “I know, sweet boy, I am always right.” God, he missed his mom.

Shaking off those thoughts, he turned at the sound of heels clicking over polished wood. A moment later, Ingrid, current leader of the Cheval vampire coven, stood in the doorway, holding her hands out for a grand entrance.

He kept his annoyance in check. She’d called him here, had made it sound like a demand, which rankled his wolf on every level.

Her long, caramel-colored hair had been pulled up into a twisted crown at the back of her head. He wasn’t sure how old she was, a couple hundred years maybe, and he believed she was originally from Portugal. But he knew that her given name wasn’t Ingrid, that was just what she called herself now. Such was the way with supernaturals. Always changing, always reinventing themselves. Though that might slow down now since they were all out to humans.

“King, Aurora,” she said, rolling the R’s in Aurora’s name and focusing on her just a little bit too long, a hungry glint in her dark brown eyes.

Now that definitely annoyed King. He didn’t like anyone looking at what was his. But Aurora wasn’t his no matter how much he wanted her. No matter how much she filled his dreams. No matter how much his obsession grew. No matter how much he and his wolf were in agreement that she was perfection. They were friends. Plain and simple. It was all he could handle right now. And she hadn’t given him any signal that she wanted anything more, regardless.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Aurora said with a sunny smile.

Ingrid returned the smile as she strode farther into the room and sat directly across from Aurora, crossing her long legs, flashing all the way up to mid-thigh. “Why don’t you sit, King?” she asked without looking at him.

“I’m good, thanks.” Instead of sitting, he stood behind Aurora so they could both face the vampire. He knew he could take on Ingrid if it came down to a fight, but he wasn’t foolish enough to give her his back. He would never underestimate an opponent. That was something he’d learned young. “Why am I here?”

Ingrid sniffed haughtily. “I forget how rude you can be,” she pouted in a way she likely thought was charming.

“Ingrid,” he growled out.

“Some of my people are missing,” she suddenly snapped, her body straightening into pure Alpha mode as she spoke, truth in every word.

“Missing?” Aurora asked before he could, concern punching off her in soft waves. She definitely had a gentle touch and something about her simply drew others in. He wondered if it was part of her phoenix heritage, because she often seemed to have a literal glow about her. Like she was this bright beacon.

Ingrid nodded, focusing on Aurora now. “Yes. Half a dozen of my people so far. And I’ve heard rumors that humans are going missing as well. No shifters, however,” she growled, her fangs dropping as she looked at King.

He growled low in his throat, his beast right at the forefront, though he didn’t release his canines. No one challenged him and got away with it. It was always a balance, deciding when someone was actually challenging him or just putting on a show. And he almost always went with his instinct, let his wolf decide. Because his animal side was usually right.

Ingrid’s fangs withdrew almost immediately, as if she’d read his mind. He would take on Ingrid right here, right now. And win.

“I’m not challenging you,” she snapped. “I’m angry and worried for my people. I’m worried for my kind. Because no one is looking for them except us!”

“This is the first I’m hearing about vampires or humans going missing,” he snarled back. “Now tell me what’s going on.”

“Why don’t you tell me why there’s a freaking dragon in our city, because I just heard a rumor that one has been flying around all day. An actual dragon, not a shifter! It seems as if you’ve completely lost control of New Orleans!”

He got whiplash at the direction the conversation was heading and forced himself to take a breath. It was clear she was worried about her people so he was giving her a little slack.

Before he could speak, Aurora shifted slightly in her seat. “Ingrid, there is a dragon in the city right now. She’s a dragonling, barely three months old. If that’s the rumor you’re hearing, then yes it’s true, but she’s someone’s pet and she’s actually staying with me right now. She’s harmless and adorable, nothing like the monsters who attacked our city. She won’t be setting random things on fire.”

Ingrid shifted, surprise clear on her face. “Really? She’s staying with you?”

“Yes. Really. She doesn’t even eat meat. And it’s clear that you’re not really concerned about her. So let’s focus on the real problem. Talk to us.”

Ingrid’s slender shoulders slumped. “The youngest members of my coven went out to a club a few nights ago and never came back. They never actually made it to the club, from what I’ve been told, but I haven’t corroborated that. You truly haven’t heard about it?”

“King has been busy today saving a smaller coven in the bayou from being systematically harassed by some rogue shifters. It’s the only reason he hasn’t heard about your missing vampires. I haven’t either, or I’d tell you.” Aurora’s voice was a soothing balm.

Surprise rolled off Ingrid as she flicked a glance up to him, her icy expression thawing slightly. “I heard about that. The Guillory coven, right?”

“Yes. Those shifters won’t be a problem anymore—for anyone,” he said.

She watched him for a long moment. “Fine, I’ll tell you what I know.” She launched into a ten-minute diatribe, listing the names and descriptions of her missing coven members, when they’d gone missing, who they had relationships with, and their favorite haunts.

When she was done, he said, “I assume you have all of this written down?” He would remember it all, but she didn’t need to know that he had an eidetic memory. Some things he kept to himself.

She nodded. “I’ve already started a file.”

“Just send it to me,” Aurora said as she stood and joined King, her shoulder gently touching him.

It didn’t matter that they weren’t actually a unit, that they weren’t a mated couple. It felt right to have Aurora next to him. It was where she belonged. And this showed everyone that she was more than his liaison; she had his back and was an important part of his pack. Not officially yet, but he was going to make the offer. He still couldn’t believe how quickly she’d fallen into this role but when he’d asked her to come with him on a call to see someone—at their request—she’d readily agreed. And she’d been coming with him ever since. It had to be the phoenix part of her, drawing people in.

“It will be in your inbox before you reach the end of the walkway.” Ingrid stood as well, more composed now. “And you and I need to plan a girls’ night where we get to know one another better,” she said, eyeing Aurora with a whole lot of interest. “Once all this mess is cleared up, of course.”

“I’ll get back to you,” Aurora said noncommittally, which just made Ingrid grin even wider.

Once King and Aurora were outside, he finally let some of his guard down. It seemed she was one of the few people he allowed himself to be free around. It was strange because he’d only known her for a short time, but the second time they’d spoken, she’d told him her deepest secret—that she was a phoenix. It was before she’d come out to the world.

The amount of trust that she’d placed in him with that secret was something he would never forget. He felt so damn honored that she’d let him into her life like that. And he would do anything to protect this brave, skilled fighter. “Why did I ever think I want to be Alpha?” he grumbled, acting a bit like a whiny pup instead of the Alpha he was. Running his pack was far different than running a whole city full of different types of species.

She laughed, the sound rich and throaty as she bumped him with her hip. “You’re good at it, even if everyone drives you crazy.”

“Lately I’m questioning my sanity.”

“Sometimes you let them push your buttons…intentionally, I think.” She shot him a sideways glance.

He snorted as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. This neighborhood had fared well during The Fall. Most of the damage had been contained to pockets of areas. Here historic homes—mostly owned and lived in by supernaturals—had large lawns, an overabundance of trees, and off-street parking. Not that it mattered too much since people weren’t driving nearly as much. “I don’t let them do anything. They just do it. I swear the supernaturals in the city are like children most of the time. I used to think we were so evolved compared to humans, but now I’m starting to question that too.”

Next to him she snickered again, the sound music to his ears. “I’m not going to argue with you. Not when I live with a bunch of grown-ass shifters who act like nine-year-olds on their best days.”

“So how are things at the house? How are things with Dallas and the dragon?”

“Oh, you know, it’s always a wild time.” Her tone was dry. “But Willow is great. She’s having a good time, I believe. She’s been making the chickens crazy all day from what I hear. Apparently she keeps trying to herd them, as if they’re sheep, I guess, and they just want to mind their own business and do whatever it is chickens do. She’s making them peckish. Pun intended.”

He laughed at the thought of that. “This I have to see.”

“Well, you know you’re always welcome at our place.”

He did know that. She’d told him on more than one occasion that he could drop by whenever he wanted. Since he was Alpha, he could always drop by. But she was letting him know that he could as a friend. He tried not to go over there too often; he didn’t want his enemies to know what she meant to him. For now, she was acting as his liaison, so it was obvious why they spent time together.

But it might be inevitable that sooner or later someone was going to realize she was more than just a packmate to him.

He’d deal with that day when it came. For now, he needed to keep his city from devolving into chaos—and find those missing vampires and humans before the powder keg that was New Orleans exploded.