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  Dark Magic

  The Hunted Shifters

  ~

  J. S. Striker

  Dark Magic © 2020 J. S. Striker

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  More by J. S. Striker

  Exclusive Offer

  Author Bio

  Chapter 1

  The woman in front of her was short, the type one would probably call petite and gush over being able to fit in one’s pocket. That shortness was accompanied by plain, severe-looking clothes, hardly any makeup on an ordinary face, thick-rimmed glasses over watchful eyes, and hands gripping a white lace handkerchief quite hard. Overall, probably not someone fun to hang out with.

  Leila Masters smiled her most winning smile at the woman in the dank, desolate building.

  “Watch your step. We have random nails lying around, and they’re not for display. One can never be too cautious when it comes to this world, you know.”

  “Alright, thank you.”

  “And watch out for those wood spikes at the sides,” Leila added breezily, pointing with a finger. “They’re traps.”

  “I understand,” was the short, almost formal response, and the woman didn’t even bat an eyelash. With a casual shrug, Leila led the way to what would’ve been the abandoned building’s fireplace, now just a corner boxed area with even more darkness. She stopped, waiting until the woman stopped beside her, too. “I suppose you know how to cross pocket entrances?”

  To her surprise, the woman’s unperturbed expression turned nervous. It was quickly masked before the woman nodded.

  “Yes, of course.”

  Leila suspected there was a lie somewhere there, but she couldn’t call it out if she didn’t know what it was. Doubt flitted in, telling her not to take the woman inside…then a reminder settled, loud and clear.

  Her brother had recommended this woman—and after being duped once before, Edmund Masters was now the most careful man on earth.

  Perhaps too careful sometimes.

  “Alright, then,” Leila said, easing into another smile. “Take a step into the box space, and it will do the rest. Go on. I’ll cover your flank.”

  There was a very distinct gulp, followed by a straightening of shoulders. Leila found herself focusing on the woman’s long hair up in a severe bun before the woman disappeared, the pocket swallowing her in.

  Who was Nancy Rose, and why did Edmund feel inclined to hire her as their accountant?

  It shook Leila. They hadn’t had a new member in the clan unless it was by accident, and this wasn’t. Edmund had already screened Nancy, and now Leila was doing the escorting over to their home: a pocket, or a hidden realm where their supernatural clan lived away from the humans and other supernaturals.

  Why the hell would they need an accountant, anyway?

  With a sigh, Leila stepped forward and let the pocket swallow her in, too.

  Seconds later, she was on the other side, and the sight that greeted her was one of comfort: marble tiles, old wooden wall panels, and the classical structure of the Victorian-style mansion she’d lived in for years. Sure, there were some dilapidated areas, and the furniture and some structures could use a general reupholstering—or replacement—but it was home. Besides, all the antiques and paintings cluttered here were gorgeous and irreplaceable.

  Also, it was all they could afford at the moment.

  Unless…

  “So,” Leila began, watching as Nancy jumped at her entrance, having been too busy eyeing the mansion’s interior. “When exactly did my brother hire you?”

  “A week ago.”

  “Hmm. And I suppose the salary keeps you satisfied?”

  “It’s an arrangement between my old boss and Mr. Masters.”

  That perked Leila’s ears, as the old boss hadn’t been mentioned before. In fact, Edmund had kept this whole transaction pretty quiet, which was why it was a surprise when Leila found the errand waiting in the mail last night: to fetch Nancy at the airport and take her to her accommodations, where she needed to be transferred immediately.

  All in all, pretty shady.

  And Edmund was keeping secrets again.

  “Sounds great. You must be good at your job, then.” There was a hint of mock there, one that Nancy seemed to ignore. Warming up to it, Leila shot the woman a glance. “Or you must be so terrible that your old boss just had to get rid of you, and my opportunistic brother just had to snatch up free service.”

  “Managing financial details is never a good idea done free…” was the quiet response as the woman adjusted her glasses. She squinted, the words trailing off as her eyes zoned in on something.

  “Hello, Leila.”

  The voice was tiny, coming from a child who had swiftly walked up to them in the blink of an eye. Not exactly a feat for Sidney Peach, who was always lurking about and popping up at the most random of moments. The little girl of nearly two looked up at them with knowing, curious eyes, and those eyes were a deep, bright green. She smiled, and any normal person would expect perfect white teeth.

  Except, of course, Sidney’s weren’t perfect, but jagged little fangs that were growing bigger by the day.

  “Hello, Sidney. Shouldn’t you be having breakfast at this very moment?”

  Sidney nodded her head, then turned her attention towards Nancy. The curiosity grew, and a finger was pointed. Leila didn’t fail to notice that there were droplets of blood on it.

  Oh, dear.

  “Breakfast.”

  Nancy paled.

  Leila’s gaze went to the kid’s pocket, where she spotted a gray tail sticking out. Her nose wrinkled.

  “It looks like you’ve already had your breakfast, sweetheart. Perhaps you can take that mouse to your mom and show her what a clever little girl you’ve been?”

  “Breakfast,” Sidney repeated, still staring at Nancy. Her shoulders bunched, and Nancy almost backed up a step.

  Leila’s hand snatched her arm firmly before she could.

  “Yes. Breakfast, in the kitchen. Show your mom. She’ll get you more. Go.”

  Sidney nodded again, then smiled. “Okay.”

  When the kid turned a corner, Leila brightened at the triumph of having a crisis ave
rted.

  “Don’t worry too much about her. She loves showing off her fangs and jumping on people’s backs, but it’s mostly for play. She only drains the blood of mice, and we’re still trying to teach her some manners.”

  Leila didn’t mention that no one really minded Sidney just running loose, considering they didn’t have guests. It would’ve been fun to test this woman, but Edmund’s message had been loud and clear.

  Handle with care.

  “It’s fine,” was the quiet response as the woman’s coloring returned to normal. Leila nodded and kept walking, turning the other corner from Sidney and directing Nancy deeper into the mansion.

  “So, your former boss…he was a businessman, I suppose?”

  “Yes,” Nancy replied. “He was.”

  “He must’ve been a pretty successful one.”

  “Yes, he was.”

  “What did he do?” Leila probed, annoyed with the lack of information. “Was he a Wall Street guy? Did he own a large corporation?”

  “No. He was a convenience store owner.”

  That almost stopped Leila in her tracks, but she managed to swallow in her amazement as she reeled inside her head.

  “A multi-chain convenience store?”

  “No, just the one in Manhattan.”

  Odd, and getting odder by the second. Before she could probe further, a shadow appeared in her line of vision, making her hand snap forward once more to stop Nancy in her tracks. Leila watched the shadows turn into two, then watched them manifest into figures of two adolescent boys who looked like they’d been fighting in the backfields. They were sweaty and dirty, grass sticking to their skin and clothes. The taller of the boys still had his fangs out, while the bulkier of them had dark fur on his arms.

  Leila cleared her throat.

  As if they’d just noticed the presence, the two froze, heads snapping in their direction. Nancy froze in return, eyes wide and taking in the presence with dawning realization.

  Leila smirked. “Hello, boys. Why don’t you slink off and clean yourselves up? You looked like you got dragged through the sewer, and it’s not a pretty sight.”

  “Hello, Leila,” the furry boy, Max, greeted politely, but with a tenseness to his tone. He subtly positioned himself in front of the taller boy, Jameson, a protective stance as the other shyly backed away.

  Shifter protecting vampire. It was a sight to behold.

  The fact that they thought Leila would attack wasn’t lost on her, and it wasn’t a farfetched one. If this were a few months ago, she probably would’ve. Now, she merely tilted her head and acknowledged the greeting.

  “Yes, hello. I have a guest. Run along, now.”

  With a straightening of shoulders, the two boys did as asked, scurrying away. Nancy cleared her throat once, then twice, obviously torn with questions. Instead of asking them, she looked at Leila until she started walking again.

  “Who are you, and why aren’t you scared shitless of shifters and vampires when you don’t belong in a clan?”

  Nancy’s head snapped up. “What makes you say—”

  “Clans are groups of supernatural creatures, which means they’re used to seeing supernatural creatures,” Leila replied coolly. “You look like you’ve seen mythical characters come to life, and not in a good way. But you don’t seem extremely frightened by it.”

  “I’m used to being around them,” was the automatic response, ringing with truth.

  “If you say so.”

  “My father was a shifter—”

  Bingo.

  As if realizing what she’d been about to reveal, Nancy clamped her mouth shut and didn’t finish her sentence. A surge of triumph caught inside Leila at having touched a clue, but she didn’t savor it yet as they kept going.

  So Nancy’s father was a shifter. Was that shifter also the convenience store owner? Why would Edmund take Nancy away?

  Conspiracy theories developed in her mind, driving her crazy with the need to know. Beside her, Nancy was looking around with equal parts fascination and dread. Leila wondered if it was because of the outdated interior or if the woman were afraid another creature would jump out at them. Again, it would’ve been fun to tease, but…

  “Don’t worry about it,” Leila assured lightly. “Nothing’s going to hurt you. We try to keep a general policy of not killing each other on sight.”

  Nancy bit her lip doubtfully, then nodded. Her eyes zoned in on an old vase with gold trimmings, the curiosity flaring in them once more. She opened her mouth.

  A growl came from their right—and this time, Leila felt her hair stand on end as she knew this wasn’t one of the kiddos.

  In an instant, she was already stepping slightly in front of Nancy, a shield as much as Max had been to Jameson. Just in time, too, as the growling figure stepped forward and blocked their way.

  This figure was an adult, with a size of sheer brutality that would give any other man a run for their money. He was male, someone Leila had grown up with in the clan, and a couple of features stood prominent right now: extra broad shoulders, muscles that ran for days, and hair—lots of hair that covered most of that hostile face. It was a mountain man look, and that look was more pronounced today than most.

  His golden eye was also more menacing today.

  Nearly a year ago, Malcolm Mulborough had encountered trouble when he’d gone on a mission for Edmund in another realm. He’d returned wild, and missing certain things: his sanity, one eye, and some fingers.

  Three fingers, to be precise.

  That sanity looked extra fuzzy today, putting Leila on guard. But she smiled, keeping her expression light and casual.

  “Mal, I didn’t see you there, or in general. You haven’t exactly been out of your bedroom much.”

  Which was true, because Malcolm had been in a coma when he’d returned here. When he’d woken up, he’d been guarded carefully by one of their other clan members, Levi Stone. Levi wasn’t in sight, and Malcolm was focusing on her as if her words were gold. Good…

  The satisfaction was ruined instantly when Malcolm turned his attention towards Nancy, who was still behind Leila. But Leila could see the woman out of the corner of her eye, still frozen in her spot.

  Good.

  “She’s nothing of consequence, Mal,” Leila said before questions could be asked. “Also, where’s Levi?”

  “Out. I got bored inside,” was the drawled response as Malcolm flexed his remaining fingers. His voice was gnarly, rough, and those fingers were trembling. “I needed air.”

  “The field’s that way.” Leila pointed.

  Malcolm nodded, then flexed his other hand. Two fingers cracked, a stark contrast to the empty spots. They hadn’t healed properly and looked yellowish from this angle, and the way he gritted his teeth told her they hurt, too.

  Behind her, there was a change in movement: the frozen Nancy finally reacting, and that reaction was a visible tremble. A sign of weakness.

  And Malcolm locked in on it.

  Curses rang in Leila’s head when the blank speculation turned personal, then…agitated. Fingers clenched and unclenched, claws growing out of them, and his jaw clenched in an attempt to keep sharp teeth in. It was unsuccessful as they bared anyway. Another growl spilled out, so raw that Leila had to hold back a shudder. Her body braced, every muscle tense as instinct warned her of the danger.

  Her voice was pleasant, however. “Mal, back off right now.”

  The man growled again, then glared. He shook his head vigorously, the action making his eye patch fall off. Behind her, Nancy squeaked, and it annoyed Leila so much that she turned and glared at the woman.

  Wrong move, as another aggressive sound left Malcolm’s throat. When she turned back to face him, she was assaulted with the sight of the man on all fours, shuddering violently as fur started growing from his back, arms, and legs. Muscles bunched and bones cracked, claws scraping against the floors and leaving behind scratch marks. Oh, Edmund wasn’t going to like that.

  Edm
und also wasn’t going to like the accountant he’d just hired being dead.

  Leila’s chin lifted, shooting Malcolm a haughty look. But the man was already in tiger form, so huge, striped fur so rough-patched and somewhat breaking her heart. That fur used to be sleek, and he used to be a very kind man. Now, if Leila didn’t get in the way, he would murder Nancy on the spot and not realize the consequences of his wild actions, much like most erratic shifters didn’t.

  The tiger looked up, straight into her eyes, then charged, lessening the distance between them.

  “Malcolm,” she barked, a quiet warning.

  The tiger kept charging.

  Leila made a noise in her throat, stuck. There was only one thing left to do.

  She pushed Nancy out of the way and exploded into her animal form.

  Chapter 2

  The shout was the first thing he heard when he stepped in the hallway for the first time in days, back from a mission and ready to soak his muscles in a much-needed hot shower. Ovie Fitzgerald loved hot showers, and most of the time, he enjoyed running errands for the clan and didn’t need to de-stress. But the errands lately had been different, mostly involving close chance encounters with hunters who seemed to know just where to look for their supernatural targets. It was creepy, but also an opportunity, as he’d found himself following them instead of getting away.

  Of course, that proved to be a mistake, as he’d almost gotten caught in their trap just yesterday. It had been a hell of an inconvenience to run around in New York and try to shake them off, and now he just wanted peace and quiet, and a good amount of recharging.

  Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen.

  Curiosity getting the best of him, he wandered further into the hallway, following the sound. He got to its source less than a minute later, and whatever amusement had been simmering vanished when he took in the sight in front of him: two animal forms locked in on each other, grappling and rolling around in a fight. Not a friendly fight, either, as blood spilled on the ground.

  Ovie stepped forward, then caught another sight: a woman near a wall, visibly shaken and trying to stand up. Immediately, he switched in that direction, reaching out to help her stand.