Page 31 of Ethereal Shifters

The next trial is tomorrow, and Rhodes was more than happy to let me come with him to work for a distraction. It worked. I’ve fussed cats and dogs, and the odd hamster all day long while doing mind-numbing cleaning. I’m worried about the trial tomorrow when my Nexus is still hiding in my mind, still refusing to talk to me, and anytime I accidentally feel her emotions, it is like diving into a swimming pool of anger and hate, of fear, too. I’ve never felt fear like this from her…but what is she scared of? I wish she would just tell me.

“Come on, let’s get your sweet pup and go.” Rhodes touches my back. “I wondered if?—”

“Rhodes, can I have a word before you go?” Hilary, one of the senior vets, shouts out. My stomach rumbles in response. She jogs down the corridor to us. I like Hilary, she always smiles and keeps to herself. She makes a brilliant cup of tea too. “Hey, Gwenieve. I hope you don’t mind if I steal your mate just for a few moments.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just wait by the door. I need to grab Nibbles, anyway.” I shrug my shoulders.

“It won’t be long.” Rhodes kisses me softly before going off with her. I go and get Nibbles from the front office and put on her pink lead. She walks better on this one. Dammit, she needs her medication for her leg, and I was meant to get it before we left. I might as well go and ask Hilary if she’ll prescribe it for her. I don’t like Nibbles being in any pain, and I know her leg hurts her after coming here or taking long walks. I go down to the room I saw Rhodes and Hilary head into earlier and pause.

“I can’t keep doing this! This is not like hiding them here. This is far more risky, Rhodes! It doesn’t work, and what do you mean we need to get them all out in two days? I thought that message had to be wrong!” Hilary sounds panicked. “Someone is going to notice.”

“And it doesn’t matter if someone notices. All that matters is you get out and you follow my plan exactly.” I’ve never heard Rhodes speak like that to anyone.

I shiver as Hilary seems to bend to that tone. “Fine, I know you’re right. It’s still madness, though. One way or the other, we’ll get caught, and I’m scared.”

“You won’t get caught. We never have. You should trust me.” Rhodes’s voice lacks any of the warmth I know from him.

“I do trust you, for your mother’s sake and your family.” Whatever else is said is hushed and too quiet for me to hear. I knock on the door as I wonder what any of that meant.

Rhodes opens the door, and his expression, which was hard, softens immediately. “Hey, I was just wondering if Hilary could prescribe Nibbles’s meds.” I sense tension in the room, and it makes me uncomfortable as hell. “She ran out yesterday. I was going to ask for some, but I forgot.”

“Yes, of course.” She goes to the cupboard and gets out what Nibbles needs, putting it in a bag for me. “We wouldn’t want her hurting. She is a good girl.”

“She is… Is everything alright?” I ask.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Let’s go.” Rhodes puts his hand on my lower back and leads me out with Nibbles. When we are outside and alone, I turn to face Rhodes. “What were you arguing about?”

“How much did you hear?” he counters. It’s pitch dark outside, and I can’t see much other than him as we get to the car. I open the door and let Nibbles in before shutting it and leaning against the door. Rhodes moves right in front of me, pushing his body against mine until all of him is mine to feel, to touch if I wanted. He leans down to kiss me, but I stop him with my hand.

“I shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak to anyone like that before. What was that about, Rhodes?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about.” He moves my hand and leans further into me. Damn, he is distracting. “It’s just some animals here aren’t allowed, and we have to keep them silent and moved about so the assholes in the city don’t find out.” Rhodes kisses the corner of my mouth. “Do you trust me, Gwen?”

“Yes,” I breathe out, and he kisses me, and the rest seems to blur away under his touch. Rhodes groans as he grips my ass and squeezes, making me almost yelp into his mouth. He slides his hand down the front of my leggings and panties before pushing a finger into me. I moan at the invasion as he swallows any noises I make, and he fucks me with his fingers. His thumb rubs against my clit as his fingers pump in and out of me, as he pushes me to the edge and I plummet into oblivion with him, clenching around his fingers, feeling him. Breathlessly, I come down from the orgasm, and he moves his hand away. Nibbles barks and I jump, forgetting she was there. Rhodes laughs and I end up laughing with him.

“I might be regretting getting you the dog now.” He kisses me once. “Otherwise, I would have fucked you right here and now. I’m not sure this is where I planned out my first time with you. With anyone.”

I kiss him softly. “We will have our time, but right now, I’m starving.”

Rhodes laughs and opens the door for me. “Food and then I want to do that again.”

He keeps his promise.

Chapter

Fifteen

ANNIE

I’m really, really not good at being a spy. In fact, being a spy might be classed as the worst thing that I’ve ever done. I was an utter failure at the party and found nothing but more guarded rooms that I couldn’t convince any of them to let me in, no matter how much I suggested I pay them. Not that I expected to find anything, but it was worth a shot, and I was happy to see Gwen got a moment with Onyx. It should be against the law for the rich to make their children ignore their mating bonds and marry who they demand. It’s sickening, and one way or another, I will find a way to bring the alpha down. Not just for my parents, but for Gwen too. I think I need to be smarter about this all, and at the moment, I don’t feel anything but useless.

I stand in Georgina’s room and look around. Thankfully, I chose the room for her when she first came, and I made sure I could get back in whenever I wanted. She let me in when we first were friends and didn’t suspect me. I know she is lying about something, and Gwenieve needs help to stop her. I can do this at least. There’s not much in here to begin with, though. Her wardrobe is empty other than the clothes she has been donated and various things like hair straighteners, pressed red tulips inan old romance book, and her side drawer has nothing in it except for a strange moon crystal, which I leave. I’m searching under her bed when I hear something that makes me spin.

It’s not Georgina, but it’s worse. It’s my shadow man. He looks exactly the same as all the other times he’s appeared, and it’s been dozens since Kos’s death. At first, I thought I was going mad, but now I’m wondering if I’m just being haunted by a good-looking ghost as a reward for my crazy life. His arms are crossed against his chest, and he cocks his head to the side. “Miss me?”

“I feel like screaming you’re not real isn’t going to do anything but make me look insane,” I whisper.

“What are you doing?” he asks, moving towards me. My breath hitches. “This isn’t your room.”

---