From what they’d told me, the course ran for about six weeks; after that, there was a two-year probationary period.
"Yeah, only a couple of weeks to go. Riley’s trying to convince them to go for a country posting. She reckons it will be safer."
I grinned. "Bad guys do make it into the country, you know."
"I know, but convincing her is another matter. What can I do for you, my sweet?"
"Well," I said, my smile fading a little, "you know those half-shifters that attacked me once before?"
His whole demeanor changed in an instant. Gone was the man I knew and loved. The countenance now on the screen was one of the best guardians the Directorate had ever produced.
"They’ve attacked again?"
"The other two have, yeah. They’re both unconscious at the moment, but if you could get some help down here, I’d appreciate it."
"Where are you?"
I told him, and he nodded. "I’ll be down in ten."
"Wait—"
He didn’t, just clicked off. I swore softly. Riley was going to kill me. She didn’t often have her entire family together for a weekend, and now I had to go spoil things by calling Rhoan away.
Although, to be fair, she’d always considered me part of her extended pack, and she would have killed me if I’d called anyone else.
A steady stream of curses began flowing from the far side of the lockers. Obviously, the other shifter was now awake. I checked the panther’s pulse again, then rose, wincing a little and holding my side as I walked around to the back of the lockers. The second shifter lay on his stomach, and his hands and feet hog-tied behind his back. The rope used to bind him was nothing I’d ever seen before. It looked ethereal, as if it had been pulled from the gray fields themselves.
He twisted his head around and glared up at me. "This is fucking uncomfortable!"