Page 89 of Fangs and Fudge

“I don’t believe you. Pull over.”

Vena kept driving as I twisted in my seat. “Tall, lean, dark hair, and a fetish for biting his boyfriend. Master likes wearing cat ears and calls his boyfriend ‘Pet.’”

Sierra gave me a sulky look. “He doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Yet, her pouty tone and how she leaned back into the seat and crossed her arms indicated she knew he did.

No one said anything else for the next thirty minutes until we reached the office building that had obviously been vacant for a while.

“Nice place,” Vena said, getting out.

My phone rang yet again. I ignored it and kept walking.

Sierra followed us into the lobby without a peep of resistance. I wasn’t expecting Cross’s sudden appearance in front of us. His gaze caught Sierra’s and held.

“Give me your wrist, Sierra.”

She lifted her arm even as she swore at Cross.

My continuously-ringing phone gave me a reason to look away as Cross bit her wrist.

“The faster we get the answers, the better,” I said. “Shepard’s going to have a mental break if we stay quiet for much longer.”

“So don’t stay quiet,” Cross said. “Show him what we’re doing.”

“Show him?” Vena asked. “Are you sure you want that? He already hates you.”

“What I’m doing is breaking Sierra’s enslavement bond like you asked. And Shepard needs to understand that I hold no loyalty to my own kind so he stops chasing me and starts protecting you better. You slipped away from him too easily again.”

“If you want him to like you, you might not want to say that within his hearing,” I said as I dialed Shepard for a video call.

His face immediately filled my screen. He radiated worry and anger.

“Where are you, Everly?” he said with surprising calm.

“I’m with Sierra, Vena, and Cross.” I tapped the screen to change the view, showing the other three.

Vena caught my nod.

“It’s your turn, Cross,” Vena said. “Tell Sierra to answer all of my questions. Thoroughly and with no lies.”

“She will,” he said.

“You told us that your old master wanted you to get information on the werewolves at Blur. Why?” Vena asked.

“He never said. He told me what to do, and I obeyed.”

“What information did you give him?”

“Who was working and when. How many employees Shepard had on the payroll. Who seemed to be the leader. He wanted evidence of who led. Said he would have a ring that would indicate his status. I never saw a ring on any of them except Gunther one time. Gunther said it was a wedding band.”

Shepard frowned as he watched and listened.

“Is that why they took Gunther?” Vena asked.

“Do you think I know? I was already in that shit commune the wolves call home.”

“What about Miles? Why did your master tell you to take him?”

“He never said. He told me what to do, and I obeyed.”

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