Page 6 of The Lynx and the Llama
The attendant returned shortly, and once he had his refreshments, Quinn opened the file for his briefing with Carol tomorrow. He started by reading the brief mission overview:
Zagan worked for a group connected to illegal experiment labs FUC raided in British Columbia. A project himself, he’s now a hybrid bull shifter with griffin wings.
Zagan was first drawn out into public when King Gregor and Prince Lear Andino visited FUCN’A. Enticed by their royal blood, he kidnapped King Gregor, using a shift-inhibiting potion. A team led by FUC agent Harriet Hopper and Prince Lear rescued King Gregor. While Zagan was apprehended, he managed to escape and go back into hiding.
Over the next year, leatherback turtles began to go missing around Skyros and were later discovered in labs. This was attributed to Zagan. While the annual SHIT was approaching, Zagan attacked King Ambrose, Princess Treasure Garner’s father, right before the SHIT opening ceremony. King Mateo Abara battled him, and Zagan fell into the ocean, thought to be deceased.
Zagan surfaced again the next year, kidnappingKing Serge Michel of Madagascar before the annual SHIT. When his son, Prince Rayan, along with BS agent Carol Smith rescued King Serge, Zagan managed to escape via motorboat.
Many resources have been used to ascertain Zagan’s location, but no sightings have been confirmed. It is agreed that the most likely reason for him to resurface would be the temptation of royal blood again. Therefore, the royals previously involved in interactions with him will continue to involve themselves in the case.
Bait. The royals would use themselves as bait. Quinn shook his head. That took a lot of bravery, but he couldn’t say he wouldn’t do the same.
He shuffled through the papers, finding information on this year’s mission. He found his itinerary and then a few descriptions of locations. Next were profiles of the others he’d be working with.
That’s when he noticedher. Erika Jean.
The photo on her personnel file showed a gorgeous woman with black horned-rimmed glasses and pulled-back dark hair in a bun. A typical librarian look—and utterly Quinn’s type. Intelligent, sexy, a woman who could give him a run for his money if they ever debated one another. To Quinn, the banter was everything with dating a woman. Not that he was thinking about dating—’Cause, hey! He shouldn’t. Not when this was his first-ever BS assignment. He didn’t want to do anything to screw this opportunity up. Especially because Stan put himself out there to get Quinn this assignment. Of course, if Quinn didn’t bring his A-game to the assignment, he’d be back inputting CRAP for the rest of his natural life for Richard.
Quinn brushed his index finger over the picture of Erika, wanting to memorize every part of her face. A perfect button nose, high cheekbones, thick, pouty lips. She was everything he’d always pictured his true mate to be. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in, and suddenly his mouth became bone dry.
This wasn’t like him. Sure, he’d been thinking more and more lately about how he wanted to find his mate, but he wouldn’t call himself desperate. Especially not desperate enough to feelthis stronglyabout a photo of a woman. How could a woman he’d never met before have such a hold over him? It was impossible. Totally impossible. Especially since he didn’t believe in love at first sight. Why would he? It wasn’t like anyone gave him an opportunity to fit in, be a friend, or, dare he say, wanted to date him.
Still? He stared into those eyes that seemed clearer, more profound, than the Aegean Sea. He couldn’t help but seek calm and clarity from the depths of those undeniably gorgeous pools staring back at him. She was simply stunning. He’d never seen a woman more beautiful in all the years of his life.
He forced himself to turn to the next page and continue to look over the file, but he kept finding himself turning back to the page with Erika’s photo. Kept looking at Erika’s beautiful, welcoming smile, wondering if he’d get the chance to grab lunch with her. He wanted to know if her lips were as luscious as they looked.
Shit!
And he wasn’t talking about the talks. Nope! He was chastising himself for becoming sidetracked, thinking about kissing Erika. He needed to slow his roll, dial back his lust, and figure out how to get his dick under control.
And on a serious side note? How did that thing come to life? He hadn’t had a hard-on for any girl since high school, since before his parents died. After he lost them, he didn’t see a point in being attracted to anyone. He focused on his survival, finding food and shelter, neglecting any other thoughts. Sure, he had a few fosters he thought might be his actual stand-ins for parents, but there was always something that didn’t make that possible.
He remembered one couple he really wanted to be adopted by. It was the first one they had placed him with. They seemed like loving and caring people at first. But then they wanted to go on vacation with only their own child, so back to the foster care system he went. After that experience, he didn’t really think he would get placed. They only looked at him when some rich woman sought a charity case for a stint.
So he had no time for falling in lust with someone. They didn’t need his closed-off self. He had no time for dating now, not just any level but a level on steroids! He was starting a whole new life, so why screw it up by being attracted to someone who was too gorgeous to be involved with someone like him? And even if she was single, he just shouldn’t go there because, with his lack of social skills, why bother?
If he was honest with himself, that probably hurt him the most about himself and his past. His lack of social skills was the absolute worst. It was downright embarrassing that he wasn’t a popular llama. It was in a llama’s DNA to be social, but he always seemed to be the wallflower. The one always on the outside looking in. He thought about Richard’s comment about being his mentor—how laughable. If there was one llama Quinnshouldn’ttake after, it was Richard.Thatguy certainly wasn’t sociable or popular by any means.
Am I just like Richard?Quinn wondered, the idea horrifying him. Sure, if he was being honest, he’d been called a drama-llama before, just as Richard was. He’d never really thought of himself that way, but then again, Quinndidhave a temper, so perhaps hewasa drama-llama?
Sure, Quinn got grumpy if provoked—every llama did. That was part of the reason they had to move him from one foster home to another, because of his aggressive behavior. After a while, Quinn got used to being over dramatic and even used it as a sort of coping mechanism.
Which, sadly, he probably shouldn’t have. All of his psych classes made him more than realize he was always self-sabotaging. In fact, it surprised him that Richard said nothing when Quinn called him a dick. Any other boss probably would have fired him for saying something like that.
Quinn rubbed an index finger over Erika’s photo as thoughts of meeting her swam to the surface of his mind yet again. He sure hoped he could get his self-sabotaging behavior under control when he met such a gorgeous woman.
Quinn’s eyes felt heavy, and he tucked the file folder containing Erika’s picture under his arm as he allowed sleep to overtake him.
5
Just another half an hour!
Erika was bouncing in her seat at the airport, waiting for Quinn to show. It had been such a long few years with all the problems, like Zagan trying to kidnap her boss. Sure, she had some fun stuff happen, like meeting Carol, Harriet, and Treasure, but with the next Shifter Hellenic Island Talks coming up—and the girls taking on more BS responsibility—Erika wasn’t sure just how much she’d be able to see her crew. Since Quinn was the new one, that meant that they wouldn’t be laying on much of the BS details with Quinn. Erika would have time to get to know the newbie before the rest of them, which excited her.
Erika smiled at the thought. She wasn’t inept socially, but it took her lynx side a bit longer to open up with someone new. Having time with Quinn, who apparently was assigned to be another assistant to King Rayan as an undercover Bonafide Security Agent, Erika would have ample time to become acquainted with her new co-worker before they ultimately all hung out for drinks.
She loved her crew, but it had taken her about three months to get used to being around Carol, Harriet, and Treasure. They were so tight-knit—and, of course, they were because the three of them were married to or were marrying kings. Erika wasn’t royalty. She was just a personal secretary to a king, forever hovering on the outside of that world and never quite fitting in. They’d always been gracious and never once made Erika feel like there was a tax bracket or twenty between them. Still, Erika always became a little uncomfortable fitting in because, to her, it was like she was an alien from another planet. Okay, well, she was a shifter like they were, so perhaps using an alien analogy was off, but Erika still felt like she wasn’t part of the inner circle. A better description was more like she was a part of the outer oval.
