Page 33 of Concluded
“If that’s what you want to do,” said Achilles in a normal voice.“And there’s no point in whispering.Coyotes have stellar hearing.”
“We sure do!”Jackie yelled from the next room before sauntering in.“Let’s get you settled, Agent Spanos, and then we’ll see what your friend can do.”
Achilles slowly rose to his feet.“Um, you heard what my boss said.The agency you signed a treaty with doesn’t exist.”
“Bull.I don’t care what those assholes in DC are doing—we promised to be on your side.”
“Thank you.”Achilles gave her a broad smile.It was far too early for optimism, but the hope in his heart had grown a little stronger.
CHAPTER14
Dee found Achilles—now cleaned up, fed, and tucked into bed in one of Jackie’s bedrooms—to be achingly handsome.Even when Dee was young, he’d never had much sexual interest in anyone.He had sex occasionally, but rarely got very into it.He’d always needed to connect with someone emotionally before reallywantingthem, and that connection had never happened.
Until now.At the worst possible time with the worst possible person: the man whose torture Dee had facilitated.Still, he couldn’t help a stab of longing as he made sure that Achilles was comfortable.
“You should get some rest too.”Achilles spoke through a yawn.
“I will, soon.”Dee turned off the light and exited the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Jackie waited for him in her living room, settled into an armchair with a beer in hand.“Want one?”she asked, lifting the can.
“No thanks.Alcohol and I don’t really get along.”He took a seat on the couch.Like everything in the house except the kitchen, it was old and worn, but also clean and comfortable.Dee liked it.Hell, he liked the coyotes, who seemed like forthright, loyal people… who would all be destroyed if Ashley had her way.
“Thanks for the first aid supplies,” he said before his thoughts got too maudlin.He’d helped disinfect and bandage Achilles’ ankles and wrists torn by the manacles and feet torn by the desert floor.Achilles would need more medical care, Dee figured, but this would suffice for the time being.
Jackie laughed softly.“Pack members are always getting banged up on runs and hunts or from just plain being rambunctious.And we can’t exactly visit a human doctor, so we make do.”She sat up straighter.“But my son’s going to medical school.He’ll be the first coyote doctor.”
“You must be very proud of him.”
“Yes indeed.”She took a long swallow of beer, sighed contentedly, and cocked her head.“What was that about wishes?”
He didn’t especially want to talk about this, but he had been the one to bring it up, and refusing would be rude.“It’s, uh, something I can do.Grant wishes.I mean, not foreverything.But, like, good luck or fertility or things like that.”He wasn’t going to mention the sorts of things he’d done for Ashley.He didn’t even want to think about those.
Jackie looked intrigued.“How come you can do that?”
“No idea.”
“Whatareyou, anyway?”
He blinked at her.“Pardon?”
“Well, you ain’t human.I can smell that for myself.But I don’t recognize… whatever you are.”
Dee stared.Not human?What the hell did that mean?Achilles had mentioned a few things, like wolf shifters, vampires, and merpeople, but Dee was fairly certain that he wasn’t any of those.What else was there?Demons.Achilles had said something about demons.Gods, what if Dee was one of those?It would explain the name his parents had given him.Did that mean they were demons too?But he didn’t feel especially… demonic.He’d done some really shitty things at Ashley’s request, but he hadn’t enjoyed them.
That was a lie.Hehadenjoyed the process at least, if not necessarily the outcome.
He swallowed bitter bile.“Until a short time ago I didn’t even know that the things I’d heard about in fairy tales were real.I’ve always assumed I was human.”
She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.“Doesn’t matter.I was only curious.”
Thankful that she was willing to drop the subject, Dee pushed the question of his identity deep into the closet where it belonged.“So anyway, I’m really grateful for your pack’s assistance.If I can, I’d like to give you the gift of a wish.”
For several minutes, Jackie sipped her beer thoughtfully.Most people who came to Dee for charms wanted the same things: money, love, admiration.He doubted, however, that Jackie would ask for any of those.She appeared content with her existing lifestyle, and she had the love and admiration of her pack.Probably she wanted people to leave her pack alone and not mess with their traditional land, but that was likely beyond Dee’s abilities.
Coyotes were predators, so maybe she’d ask for excellent hunting skills or sharper teeth or something like that.
Finally, Jackie finished off the can and set it on the end table.“You know, we love to sing.We do it while in either of our forms, and it’s pretty important to our culture.My sister Tammy?She used to have the most beautiful voice.But we’re getting old, you know, and she just can’t sing as well nowadays.Do you think you could fix that?It’d sure make her happy.Make all of us happy, ’cause we loved to hear her.”
