Rage (Her Monsters Book One) - K.A Knight Page 0,142

can have whatever the fuck you want. Take my phone until we get you a new one phone,” Griffin snaps, pushing it at her, and his panic over her being upset is clearly written on his face.

Her expression clears instantly and she laughs, tilting her head back to see him. He narrows his eyes, looking uncomfortable, but she leans up and kisses him softly. “Thank you, my fallen, but I can just borrow one of yours until I get one.” She passes it back over and he nods, looking away and appearing calmer.

Hitting Rgar’s number, I wait for it to ring. He lives in an old hotel on the other side of town. He owned it originally, but it only took a few reports of rats, which actually turned out to be the cleaners, and the place was shut down. Since then, it’s become a hotel for the other shifters in town and people just tend to stay if they don’t have people or a pack.

“The Bellhop, how may I shift your inquiries,” comes a bored sounding voice.

“I need to speak with Rgar. Please inform him it is No-Cerry,” I grunt and Dawn gasps. I look over and her and Griffin are both trying to hold back their laughter. I wink at her and she giggles, turning her head to Griffin and mouthing, “Cerry.” He snorts, leans over, and pushes a piece of hair behind her ear. Her laughter disappears and I turn away, letting them have their moment.

“One moment.” Cheery background music starts and I sit and wait until the other line clicks on.

“Cerry, is this truly you?” Rgar, the only remaining nanaue, or wereshark as people commonly call them, asks. His voice is his usual rich, deep timbre.

“Yes, it’s me.” I grin.

“Haven’t any hunters gotten lucky and killed you yet?” he jokes, making me roll my eyes.

“Not yet, no pirates harpoon you yet?” I tease back.

“Ya old bastard, what’s up, tree hugger?” he asks.

“I needed to ask, have any of your shifters disappeared?”

Silence greets me, but I know he is still there from his breathing.

“What do you know?” he questions harshly.

“Only that it is happening across the city, I wanted to know if it was every race,” I reply tiredly, knowing that means they have.

He sighs. “Two kitsune, one nagual, a selkie, and coyote...all female,” he finishes, and I hear the strain in his voice.

“I am sorry,” I console, knowing how personally he will take this. He sees himself as their unofficial protector, so their loss will have hit him hard.

He only grunts. “Tell me you have the bastards or know who they are so I can rip them apart.”

“Not yet, I only know the name they are going by, The Others, and the fact they are supes.”

He snarls, muttering something before blowing out a breath. “I had wanted it not to be true, but I smelled wet dog and magic.”

Rubbing my head, I nod at Dawn when she offers me a questioning look. “It seems witches are involved in this, as well as a number of other races. I am working with the humans and fae to figure out who, or at least get some information before I go to the council. Do you have anything else?” Every new disappearance seems to only add more questions and I’m at a dead end.

“Aye, I got a good bite of one of the bastards last time as he was fleeing...I also smelled him, Cerry.” He lowers his voice. “It smelled like rosemary and feathers.”

“Eagles?” I growl, sitting forward. There are only two eagles in this whole fucking city. One is a lackey, one sits on the council.

“Yes. I don’t know which, but I know that smell,” he sneers.

Mind racing a million miles a minute, I say my goodbyes, telling him to stay in touch and I will do the same.

“Eagles?” Griffin repeats, his voice cold.

“Rgar, he smelled eagle,” I inform him tiredly.

“You think—”

I shrug. “I don’t know, and it’s no good pointing fingers. It will get us nowhere. I suggest we build a case and present it to the council. Their reaction will tell us everything.”

Dawn looks between us, biting her lip in confusion. “Explain?”

“It means either our own fucking council is stealing people, or someone is doing it right under their nose,” Griffin growls and I nod.

She sighs and sits back. “Huh, well at least we have some more information.”

“You are calm?” I ask, confused.

She grins. “I trust no one but you two and this council is nothing