Page 32 of Phoenix Rising

Audria smirked at Reese. “Sweetie, it was more than obvious by the way he fawned over you and your abundant, sculpted muscles.”

Audria snapped her mouth shut and took a quick gulp of water. Had she just called Reese sweetie? And waxed poetically about his beefy arms? Maybe he hadn’t noticed. A quick peek told her that, indeed, he had. That seductive smile was almost her undoing. Thankfully, Tamekia saved her by placing their plates in front of them.

As they dug into their sandwiches, they engaged in small talk while watching the people file in and out of the bar. Tamekia flitted back and forth, taking orders and refilling glasses. Audria didn’t notice any under-the-counter transactions, so she appeared to be in the clear from dealing. One guy who entered became animated when he spoke to her, but she sent him on his way with the flick of a wrist. He probably needed a hit and had been expecting to see Raphael tonight.

Reese left a tip for Tamekia when they finished, and they slid off their stools. Yogi Vishnu was still engaged in a deep conversation with his partner, their hands entwined. A bomb could’ve gone off, and Audria didn’t think he’d notice.

She tried not to react to the hand on her lower back, guiding her through the crowd that had grown exponentially since they’d arrived.

The rush of hot air was welcome after the pheromone-charged atmosphere of the bar. Reese’s hand was like a brand on her back, marking her as his. Or maybe that was her sappy brain conjuring things that didn’t exist. When his palm moved to her hand, she didn’t hesitate to grasp it.

Since their next destination wasn’t too far away, they decided to walk. It would be easier than fighting traffic and finding a parking space. The town was busy with people as they strolled along the sidewalk. Audria had told Reese that the LARPing class was an introductory one and they wouldn’t have to dress up. She’d been half right. When they signed in, they were instructed to select a headband decorated with animal ears. There were dozens to choose from, including a giraffe, fox, zebra, leopard, crocodile, monkey, rhino, bunny, and cheetah. Audria picked a pair of fuzzy black and pink cat ears. She’d had an obsidian kitty when she was young that she’d named Midnight. Reese selected the lion.

“What?” he asked when she stared at him. “They rule the jungle, and no one messes with them.”

He should’ve looked silly with the ragged brown mane strapped to his head. Instead, he looked adorable and eminently kissable, and she wanted to do again. They were supposed to be a married couple, so why not? She stood on her tiptoes and touched her mouth to his.

He hummed against her lips and clamped his hands on her hips, pulling her close. “You got a secret thing for Simba, babe?”

No, she had a secret thing for him. “Maybe.”

“Well, I approve.” He deepened the kiss until she was dizzy with desire.

“Uh, hum.”

They broke apart at the noise, both breathing heavily. Oh, how she wanted to drag him back to their hotel. Instead, Audria reluctantly tore her gaze from Reese to look at the person who spoke and gasped. A chill raced down her spine. He was dressed in a realistic werewolf costume with glowing green eyes. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was looking at an actual lycanthrope. She almost shuddered.

He looked down at the paper clutched in his paws. “Mr. and Mrs. Green, welcome. I’m glad you could join us today.”

The man wore regular clothes, but the head and hands looked as if they were from a Hollywood special effects department—a good one.

“I’m Bisclavret. I’ll be your guide. This is a furmeet, where you’ll interact with other furries. Have you been to one before?”

Reese shook his head. “This is our first one.”

“Ah, furry virgins. Excellent. My favorites.”

Gah, when he said it that way, it sounded icky.

“You’ll enjoy it. It’s a social event, like Comic-Con, where people role-play. It’s all in fun. What brought you here today?”

“My friend tried it, and it sounded interesting. Maybe you remember her?” Audria showed Bisclavret the photo of Paige. “Her name is Jan.”

The werewolf looked at the photo. Audria wished she could gauge his reaction, but it was impossible with the elaborate disguise. He shook his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe. Did she attend one of our fur parties?”

Uh, what? Fur party? This kept getting weirder and weirder. “I’m not sure. We’ve been traveling and haven’t had a chance to catch up with her.”

“Well, we get so many people through here, I can’t be sure.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry.”

Bisclavret led them to a large room with several groups of people wearing various animal ear headbands. In front of them was a stage with a lectern. “I’ll be your guide, and this will be where our pack will convene.” He pointed to one area with bean bag chairs and mats on the floor. “There is coffee, water, and refreshments over there.” He motioned to a table with cookies and pastries. “We expect a few more people, and then we’ll begin.”

When the wolf strutted away, Audria and Reese strolled around the room, studying the snapshots on the wall of former fur-meets or fur parties or whatever they were called. In one photo, Bisclavret’s arms were draped over a skunk and a fox. Parts of his tattoo-covered arms were showing above the paws; he didn’t wear a full-body costume like the others in the picture.

Once again, Audria checked for additional exits, seeing one marked with a lighted red sign. There were a few windows and two closed doors leading somewhere.

The microphone crackled to life. “If I may have your attention, we’re ready to begin.”

Audria turned to see a man dressed in an elaborate white suit that looked as if it were made of armor, decorated with intricate gold filigree work. His gauntlets were covered in sparkling jewels. He wore a lion mask surrounded by a flowing mane of white fur with striking yellow eyes. Was he the person Paige was investigating?

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