Page 29 of Bitter Discord

“You should watch yourself, Agent Mahoney. You never know who’s listening or to whom you speak.” Like the dangerous witch-werecat hovering over my shoulder with the power to bring this building down. I knew Zuri didn’t use her magic often or hadn’t for a very long time. She had spent thousands of years hiding it because Hasan didn’t like witches.

I also knew she was nearly as powerful as Subira, the doting, enigmatic matriarch of our family who could see the past on the water’s surface and feel magic on the wind.

“Don’t tell him to be quiet on my account. He should respect the woman who found out there was treachery and deception in the Dallas werewolf pack and saved them all from painful deaths,” Zuri said, amazingly able to keep her voice sounding human—condescending as hell but human. “Or did no one tell him what the witches had planned? To take total control of at least a hundred werewolves and send them into towns and cities, biting and killing indiscriminately, forcing the Change on countless people. They were going to make an army of monsters, and there wouldn’t be enough silver in the world to stop it.”

“That’s enough!” Bethany called out. “You need to leave,” she ordered Agent Mahoney as she walked into the lobby. “You were told to stay away from Jacky.” She pointed to the front door. “Go do whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing and get out of the way.”

Mahoney shot her a glare before walking away, shaking his head. Zuri and I both heard the comment he muttered under his breath about ‘dirty fucking animals.’

Before I could say hello, Bethany turned to the reception desk.

“And you two. You were told to call me immediately when Jacky arrived. She’s not filling out this stuff, and you know it. I don’t know if someone went over my head, but I don’t care. Don’t try this again, or she’ll never agree to come back. This is her first damn visit, and all of you are making a bad impression.” She grabbed one of the clipboards and threw it at the wall behind the receptionists. “Fucking idiots.”

“Hi, Bethany,” I greeted semi-cautiously as she glared at them.

“Let’s get out of here before someone’s boss comes down and tries to fire me,” she said, waving for Zuri and me to follow her. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing a guest. You can explain in my office.”

As we followed, Zuri’s anger faded to appreciation as we reached the elevator.

“You handled that well,” Zuri declared once the elevator doors closed.

“Oh, you think so?” Bethany laughed nervously. “Um…”

“Bethany, Zuri. Zuri, Bethany,” I said quickly, moving my hand between them as I said their names. “Take Zuri’s compliment. She knows a thing or two about… public appearances and controlling the room.”

“A thing or two.” Bethany nodded slowly although she didn’t understand what I meant. Before I could explain more, which wouldn’t have been safe to do in the elevator, the doors opened. Bethany quickly led us down bland hallways to a door. Inside, two men waited, one in a black suit, the other in navy blue.

“You asked me to get the most important people in the building,” Bethany said as she closed us in the room. “Director, this is Jacky Leon. Jacky, this is Director Rhodes. With him, Assistant Director Sutton.” Rhodes was in black. Sutton was in navy. I took note, using the colors so I didn’t mix them up. Sutton seemed to be ten years Rhodes’s senior at minimum, his hair turning grey, but there wasn’t much else different between them. They were both unremarkable looking.

“It’s nice to meet both of you,” I said, moving toward the meeting table where they were sitting. Zuri and I sat down across from them. “This is my sister, Zuri.”

“No last name,” Zuri said before anyone could ask. “Any I give you would be fake.”

“Seriously?” Director Rhodes clearly didn’t believe her.

“I’m older than last names. Well, most of them. China started using them… sometime in 2000 B.C.E., if I remember correctly.” Zuri’s concentrated expression made me wonder just how much world history she had to mentally shuffle through to pull out random facts.

“Maybe we should get to why we’re here,” I said, giving her a perplexed look.

“Yes,” she agreed.

It was Bethany who said something before I could.

“Sister?” Bethany squeaked.

“How long have you been holding that in?” I asked her, chuckling. “Yes, sister.”

“My biological father is the werecat who Changed Jacky. Two types of parentage, but sisters nonetheless, and loyal to the end,” Zuri explained.

“Yes, but that… you’re…”

“Bethany, is there something important we should all know?” the Assistant Director asked.

“Jacky once told an agent she was part of the ruling family of werecats and that her family ruled over all werecats.”

“She wasn’t lying,” Zuri confirmed. “Now, we would like this to be a short meeting, so let’s get started. Jacky and I decided to see you today to discuss your intelligence gathering in the city and what we will and won’t allow over the course of the next… week or so.”

“Oh, really?” The Director leaned back in his seat. “We know something is coming. We figured that out well before Jacky called for this meeting. She doesn’t leave her little town often, but she’s been in and out of Dallas for weeks. The Dallas pack mansion was renovated by her. Will there be a family reunion?”

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