Oak & Thorns Read online

  Most shifters were able to interact without a problem in their human form, but there had been several cases where their animal instincts took over when they were in-shift. The unfortunate death wasn’t unheard of. Rather than murder, those homicides were usually tried as manslaughter.

  At that moment, Herne returned. He glanced at me, a worried look on his face, then turned to Angel. “Change of immediate plans, at least for the moment. I got a call from Cooper. DJ is having a lot of trouble right now. Apparently, it’s the anniversary of your mother’s death?”

  Angel bit her lip and stared at the table, nodding. “Tomorrow. It’s still so fresh, especially for DJ…”

  She was trying to be strong. When Mama J. had died, it devastated both Angel and her brother. Mama J. had been the light of their lives. She had been a bright light in my life as well.

  “I’ve made arrangements for Cooper to bring DJ up here to see you. Tomorrow, you and Ember can spend the afternoon with him. Come in during the morning, but you can leave at noon to spend the afternoon with him. We still need to leave Thursday morning, but this will give you some time to help him through this.”

  “Thanks, Herne,” Angel said, ducking her head as a tear trailed down her cheek.

  He let out a soft sigh. “It’s never easy. But we’re here, and we’ll do our best to help you and your brother, whatever the case.” With a look around the table, he added, “Everybody know what they need to do?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Then let’s get busy. We’ve got a lot to do in a short amount of time.” And with that, we were excused.

  Chapter 3

  I WAITED AS everyone else filed out of the break room. Herne closed the door so that we had some privacy. He turned to me, a worried look on his face.

  “I didn’t realize that we were so close to such a painful anniversary. I know it affects you, too. Are you all right? Coming on the heels of Ray’s unfortunate outburst, today can’t be described as the best day for you.” He sat on the table, waiting for me to speak.

  I had never been in a relationship like this before. Herne treated me like both friend and girlfriend. At times it felt disconcerting, switching between the two. But I was getting used to it, and I realized that I actually preferred it. I didn’t want him to treat me any differently during work hours than he did the others. I didn’t want the potential for any misunderstandings, or hurt feelings, because I actually liked my coworkers.

  In the three months that Angel and I had been working for the Wild Hunt, I had come to realize that I was happier than any other time in my life. And it wasn’t just that I was canoodling with the hot, handsome, son of a god. This was the first time that I felt comfortable interacting with anybody else besides Angel. Talia, Yutani, and Viktor had all become friends. And I wasn’t used to having friends, other than Angel.

  I pulled out a chair and sat down again. “I loved Mama J. as much as I loved my own mother. Well, that’s probably not true. But Mama J. was special. She was like the community grandmother for the entire neighborhood. Every time I went over there, she made me feel special. When my own parents were killed, I didn’t even have to ask if I could stay with her. She gathered me up, and took me home with her and Angel, and without a single question, I became part of their family. So yeah, it still hurts. But I have to be honest, and I feel horrible about admitting it. Until Angel mentioned it yesterday to me, I had forgotten that it was the anniversary of her death.”

  There was no way that I could lie to Angel, either. When she had mentioned it the day before, and I realized that I had forgotten, the look on her face kicked me in the gut. It was as though I had deliberately tried to hurt her. I couldn’t cover it up with a lie, either, because she could sense the truth. So I had just apologized, without qualification, and Angel—being Angel—accepted my apology, without question.

  “I wish I could have met her. Between what you and Angel have said, she sounds like she was a remarkable woman.”

  “She was a remarkable woman. She was an excellent card reader, and she was one hell of a chef. Her diner was so popular that it was always full. But every Wednesday evening, like clockwork, she shut down to the public and opened it as a soup kitchen. She paid for everything out of her own pocket, in fact, although people donated money and time to help her keep it open.” I paused, then glanced at Herne. “So, DJ’s having a rough time? Do you think he’s doing okay with Cooper and his family?”

  “Oh, I think he’s fine with Cooper. In fact, his grades are holding steady—straight As, no less. His teachers are giving him props for adjusting to the new school. But anniversaries like this are meant to be spent with those who understand. That’s why I thought you might want to spend some time with Angel and DJ. Unless you think they want to be alone?”

  I bit my lip, pondering the question. I didn’t like intruding on people’s grief, but it might help both of them if I were there to take the edge off the rawness. “I’ll ask Angel tonight. If she wants to be alone with DJ tomorrow, I’ll just stay at work.”

  “Whatever you think is best.” He stood, picking up his files and his tablet. “And you don’t mind rooming with Angel at the hotel? I just thought it might seem odd if we shared a room while we were out on a case.”

  “That’s not a problem,” I said. “When we’re at work, business is business. But I like the idea that you have a room to yourself.” I flashed him a wicked grin. “After all, there’s nothing to say that after hours we can’t spend a little bit of time together.”

  His face crinkled into a sly smile, and he swatted my ass with a file folder. “Get along with you, wench. We have work to do.”

  And with that, we got on with the day.

  THE STACK OF paperwork that Herne wanted me to take care of was over an inch thick. Most of it just needed to be filed. While that would normally be Angel’s job, there were some notations that I needed to make, and the closed cases still needed to be signed off on.

  I opened the blinds, letting the sun pour into my office as I stared down at the alley below. My office was against the back of the building, and when I looked straight across the alley, I was facing the back of another building, though more modernized than ours. Whoever had the office opposite mine usually kept his blinds closed. But that building was only three stories high, so I had a bit of a view over the top, and it didn’t block the afternoon sun. The alley itself was wide enough for one car. The dumpsters for our building were directly below my window, and even though they were four stories down, I had learned the hard way not to open the window on the morning before garbage collection.

  I settled in at my desk, typing in my password. As I ruffled through the papers, I realized that I really didn’t miss my old life. It was so much easier having a job than scouting for clients. While the freedom of working for myself had been appealing in theory, in reality, it’d been damned hard and far too frugal at times.

  As I began typing notes into the computer, and filing papers away in their respective folders, the sun passed behind an approaching cloud. I glanced out, realizing we were in for a summer shower.

  About an hour had passed when someone tapped on the door. I glanced up to see Angel peeking in.

  “Have you got a minute?”

  “For you? Always. What’s up?” I pushed the remaining stack of papers to the side, grateful for the interruption. I had made my way through about a third of them, and I needed a break.

  “I wanted to make sure you were planning to visit DJ with me tomorrow. I know what Herne said, but I also know you. You’re family.” The tremor in her voice told me she was nervous.

  I cocked my head, giving her a sideways smile. “I was going to ask if you wanted me there, or if you wanted to be alone with your brother. I’m happy to help, either way.” I still felt bad about having forgotten the anniversary of Mama J.’s death.

  “I think DJ would like you there, too. I’m a little worried, Ember.”

  “What’s
wrong?”

  “He’s changing. Maybe it’s that he’s living with other shifters now. Or maybe, he’s just getting used to his life. I can’t put my finger on it, but he’s different. Or maybe I’m just worried that if we’re alone tomorrow, it would be too easy for us to fall into a spiraling depression.” She gave me a little shrug. “Maybe I’m paranoid.”

  “Where are we meeting him? Did Herne say?”

  Angel and DJ weren’t allowed to be alone together without outside supervision. Once Angel had turned him over to foster care within the shifter community, even if they were left alone to talk, Cooper was always near enough to prevent them from sneaking off together. It seemed a little on the drastic side to me, but then again, agreements made within the Wild Hunt were binding and far-reaching.

  “Yes, there’s a sanctuary house not far from here, on East Spruce Street, off of Boren Avenue. We’ll meet DJ there at noon for lunch.” She paused, rubbing her temples. “I know this is a better life for him, but it’s still difficult. I miss him. He was my last link to Mama J. But I was always afraid that he’d fall in with the wrong crowd. It’s difficult for young boys without a good authority figure. Especially in the SubCult community.”

  “Do you think it’s harder for boys than for girls?”

  “In a way. They have all that burgeoning testosterone to deal with. With the Wulfine blood, when he hits puberty he’ll be a handful. I’ve never talked about this much, but I’ve been nervous about facing his teenage years. So much goes on, and I know nothing about raising a teen shifter, except that they can be volatile and difficult. I don’t know if I could handle it on my own. I’m almost relieved about what happened. Does that make me a bad sister?”

  I felt for her. Angel not only had to deal with her own loss but she had suddenly become a mother to a ten-year-old, and the combo had wreaked havoc on her life. She had taken a job that she hated just to put food on the table. At least now, she liked her work.

  “You’re a wonderful sister. DJ’s lucky he has you. And now, at least we know he has a good role model. I know things are difficult right now, but over the months and years it will become easier.”

  “Yeah, there is that. And Cooper treats DJ like his own son.”

  I nodded to the stack of papers on my desk. “We’d better get back to work. Did you make reservations yet?”

  She smiled then. “I found us a nice hotel. I’m so glad Herne is letting me come. I need some time away. And I know you do, too. You’re the one who’s been out in the field investigating. At least I get to sit inside where it’s safe.”

  “Somehow, I doubt any of us are in safe positions.”

  I glanced down at the tattoo on my arm. Angel bore a matching one. In fact, everybody who worked for the Wild Hunt had the same tattoo—a long dagger with vines twining around it. In the field, it marked us as protected, at least from the Fae. Whether it always worked was up for debate. But both the Light and Dark courts were supposed to respect it and allow us to go about our business without interfering.

  As Angel returned to her desk, I went back to my notes, and the afternoon wore on.

  BY THE TIME we finished with the seminar, we were both dragging butt. We were on our way home to my condo in the Spring Beach area when I had the sudden inclination to take a detour.

  “Do you mind if we go for a little ride?”

  Angel shook her head. “I don’t care as long as I don’t have to get out of the car, and as long as you’re the one driving.”

  On a whim, I decided to take Emerson over to 36th Avenue, which skirted Discovery Park. We were headed north when all of a sudden I pulled to the side, just past Thurman Street.

  “Look, a house for sale.” I pointed to the sign. Angel and I had been looking for a house to buy.

  It was still light enough to see. I jumped out of the car and walked up to a box holding a stack of flyers. As I pulled out a copy, I glanced over at the house, which was hidden behind a thick tangle of trees. It was cute, although it didn’t seem to have a lot of square footage. But it was two-story, and from the outside it looked to be in good repair.

  I carried the flyer back to the car, sliding back into the driver seat. Angel turned on the overhead light and we glanced over it. The house was 1600 square feet, two-story, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It had a finished basement, and the flyer said the kitchen and baths had been recently upgraded. The best part, it was in my price range.

  Angel had moved in with me a few months ago, and my condo wasn’t big enough for the both of us. While we loved being roommates again—we had lived together during college, and before that, with her mother—we definitely needed more space in which to spread out. We had been looking for a house for the past few months, but they were either overpriced or run down to the point of being shacks, or they would require a brutal commute. But this looked like a possibility.

  “It is cute, at least what I can see from here,” Angel said, peering out of the window. “And while it’s closer to work, it’s not directly in the city. And best, Discovery Park is right across the street.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. Not only would we have a relatively private lot, but we’d have the entire park to go running in.” I looked at the flyer again. “Wait, this place isn’t so small. At least the lot isn’t. See the empty lot next door, to the left? That belongs to the house. I wonder why it’s so inexpensive if it has that much land, and why nobody’s grabbed it up yet.”

  I had long ago learned that if it sounded too good to be true, it was. But it was too tempting not to give it a look-through. I glanced at the car clock. 8:30 p.m. It wasn’t really so late, so I decided to call the real estate agency and leave a message. After leaving my name and number, I reluctantly started the car. For some reason, the house beckoned me, and I wanted to just park in the driveway and go inside.

  “Well, hopefully we’ll hear back tomorrow. I’d like to at least see it before we leave for Whidbey Island.” I put the car into gear and pulled back onto the street. As we headed home to my condo in the Miriam G building, I felt more lighthearted than I had in a while. I wasn’t exactly sure what to ascribe it to, but decided I wouldn’t question small favors.

  MORNING CAME FAR too early for my taste. I still wasn’t used to getting up before ten, and I didn’t know if I’d ever be. But I rolled out of bed, took a shower, and dressed in jeans and a tank top. It looked like our nice weather was holding, so I shrugged on a light denim jacket and pulled on my ankle boots.

  Angel had breakfast ready—she was a fantastic cook, just like her mother had been. As for me? I couldn’t cook my way out of a cardboard box. I dug into the sausage and eggs, feeling exceptionally hungry. I had a big appetite anyway, but I had a feeling that the promise of a potential house had spurred it on. We had seen so many places over the past few months that I was getting buyer’s fatigue.

  “I wanted to pick up something for DJ before we head into work.” Angel handed me a latte. She had finally learned to use my espresso machine. She was a tea drinker, whereas I was a devout java freak.

  “Didn’t you take him a bunch of toys when you saw him last month?”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, I know. I just feel like I should have something for him every time I see him.”

  “You’re trying to apologize with gifts. I don’t think he needs that, not DJ. Just seeing you is gift enough.” I suddenly realized that I might be overstepping my boundaries. “I’m sorry. Forget what I said.”

  “No,” Angel said, finishing up the last of her own breakfast. “You’re right. I’m not going to deny it.”

  “If anything, find him a picture out of the ones that survived the fire—a picture of you and him and your mom. I bet he’d like that more than anything else.”

  Angel smiled, ducking her head. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll just go grab one now, if you wait for me.”

  “Do you want to ride in together? Or take your own car?” Some days we rode togeth
er to work, other times we drove separately, depending on what we had going afterward.

  “Now that you mention it, why don’t we go separately? That way, if you have something to do after we see DJ, you can take off. I know you and Herne were planning on getting together tonight.”

  As she headed into her bedroom—my ex-weapons room—to find a picture, my private cell phone rang. I glanced at the number, surprised to see the Maximum Value Real Estate Company calling me back so early.

  “Ember Kearney speaking.”

  “Hi, Rachel Madison here. I’m returning your call from last night. I’d love to show you the house, if you have some time today?”

  I wanted to ask why it was so inexpensive for the amount of land that it had, but decided I’d wait until we’d actually met and were looking over the house.

  “What about early evening? Four or five?”

  “I have an opening in my schedule at four-thirty. If you’d like to meet me at the house, I can show you around.” She paused, and I could hear a hesitation in her voice as she added, “Will that work?”

  I chewed on my lip for a moment. My inner alarm was ringing, but it wasn’t loud enough to totally warn me off. But it was warning me to keep my eyes and ears open.

  “Sure. I’ll see you then.”

  When Angel returned, picture in hand, I told her we had an appointment to view the house.

  “I have the feeling there’s something odd about it, but it wasn’t enough to warn me off. Just keep your spidey senses open, so to speak.”

  She nodded. “I’m guessing that they won’t let me see DJ longer than a few hours, so that will work.”