Jagged Embrace

Chapter 80 - Mason

Mason sipped her whiskey and waited for Q to finish talking to his girls. The young were-leopard shifter flicked her tail nervously at his words and slid her amber eyes in Mason's direction. After a moment, she slinked closer and sat across from her. Mason never liked when shifters were in half-form, didn't quite look human or animal, but some bizarre combination of both. However, that was what was best for business and required by Q, so any shifter girls that were there were always stuck in the in-between form.

"Miss Mason," the girl purred quietly and kept her eyes angled down.

"Look, Sunflower," Mason paused at the ridiculous name she had been given by Q. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I know I'm a Soldier of Night, but Q and I have an agreement. I'm not going to hurt you or your family. That's why I am here, remember?"

Sunflower raised her eyes to hers. "Yes, thank you for your help." Her tail continued to flick nervously behind her.

"I haven't done anything yet," Mason reminded her.

"But Q says you are the best. You'll find my sister. You'll protect her." Her tone changed into a plea.

Q sat behind his large elegant desk, his large toothy grin stretched from ear to ear. Damn those teeth, so damn big and so damn white. They stood out against his darker than dark skin. Q was a massive, gorgeous man of color with sharp dark eyes that missed nothing and dimples that made people weak in the knees. His custom made suit accentuated his built figure and showed his good taste, even with the more daring colors or patterns. He was enjoying this; that bastard.

"Exactly, I am and I will. Now give me the information I need to find her," Mason said in the gentlest tone she could muster. After thirty minutes, she had all the details and the young shifter left the room. Mason turned her attention to Q.

"Do you want another?" He motioned to her now empty whiskey glass.

"You bet your ass I do," she told him and gave him the glass. "Is she even eighteen, Q? I thought you had standards."

"In sixteen days she will be and she won't start work until then," he replied, all dimples when he handed her the whiskey. "I took her in and have given her a second chance, hidden from those evil soldiers so focused on destroying her." His tone was sweet, but his words were sour.

"Yeah, I understand how you feel about who I work for, but I'm here, aren't I? I'm keeping my end of the bargain." Her voice turned sour at the end.

"That is only because we have an arrangement."

"Well, I don't think much of you whoring out creatures and half-breeds, but you don't hear me judging you."

"I am fairly certain that was judgment. I provide my girls with opportunity and safe passage to their new life. They are not forced into anything." His voice shifted to the hard edge that made Mason pause. She had to tread carefully.

She still wasn't sure what Q was, but she knew he was powerful and some type of creature. Something old that she'd never come across in her life. He was skilled in many areas, unfortunately including the magical arts. Mason couldn't break through his glamour to see what he was. She had been trying for well over two decades and still nothing.

"Yeah, I know. I know you try to do right by your girls. They could do much worse."

"Indeed. So you will contact me when you locate her sister?"

"As always."

"Good. There has been some unrest, more than the usual." His disposition shifted from pleasant to all business. Mason sat straighter. "Something has heaven and hell stirred up. There has also been talk amongst the community."

Mason sipped her whiskey. She was aware of heaven and hell's recent pissing match, but the monsters were all worked up, too? It might mean trouble.

"The werewolves and vampires have called a temporary truce."

Mason pulled the glass away from her lips and stared at Q. "They haven't stopped trying to kill each other since the war."

"Yes, and the truce only lasted six months, then. Apparently, they have been told to stop their petty war."

"Bet that went over like a lead balloon."

"I am sure, however, things have quieted. The courts called back some of their kings and queens and the tribes are assembling for a meet," he told her.

The werewolves stood a better chance of sorting out and deciding what their plan would be if for no other reason than most of the time the Alpha could keep their packs in line. Even if werewolves were full of rage and temperamental, they handled social events better as long as they kept their cool. Vampires, on the other hand, with all of their courts and titles and the nonsense that went with that, they could spend years subtly trying to fuck each other over without any real choices made.

"Interesting."

"Indeed. As usual, Nightfall and Void is being stubborn and resisting the summons," Q began and lit a large cigar. "But their elders will force the issue if need be." He puffed on his cigar.

That sounded about right. The court of Nightfall and Void, as it like to be called, was full of necromancers and creepy sonsofbitches who weren't interested in the politics of vampires and, for the most part, separated themselves to play with dead things. The Soldiers of Night had taken out quite a few of them over the years. Had to. They were always raising the dead or causing havoc, unintentionally, most of the time. Even when Greystone Industries tried to reason with them, they just couldn't stop playing with dead things. It was like a compulsion. When one was found, it was only a matter of time until they were destroyed.

"What do you think it means?"

Q relaxed back into his huge throne-like office chair. "It means that you and I are going to be very busy."

"That so?"

"Yes, you and I both have too much at stake and too many interests to ignore this."

Mason raised her whiskey to her lips. That was why he'd actually summoned her to his office. The were-leopard was just to get her in the door.

"That so?"

"You know that it is. Let's stop with the games and power plays, Mason. You and I have had an amicable relationship for over a decade." He smiled, so his dimples showed. "There is a certain level of trust and respect between us. Would it not be better to be true allies?"

Mason put her glass down on the table next to her chair and leaned toward his desk, pulling her power closer to the surface. "Then stop the bullshit." She looked at him pointedly and let her power extend, just enough to touch his hand that rested on the desk.

His smile dropped, and he pulled his hand back. "I was being personable. You are not."

She felt his power extend from him and lick against her skin. It was considerably more than hers and old so damn old.

"I'm being honest, you're not. You want to be allies, have real trust? Then cut the crap," she said with steel in her voice. Perspiration covered her body as she pushed against his power, keeping it at bay, away from her. It hurt and she couldn't keep it up, not for long. Suddenly, it vanished. Mason breathed heavily, not trying to hide her reaction. Bastard already understood she was no match for him.

"You are right, I apologize," he said in an earnest tone, but with no toothy grin.

"Good. Let's start over. Something's off. Maybe the shit is going to hit the fan, maybe not, but things are about to change. Change in a way that's bad for us." She wiped the sweat from her brow. "We may not like each other, who we work for, or what we do, but, we respect each other. If we both can be a little less worried about the size of our dicks, and be honest, it could work." She picked up her glass again and finished it.

Q smirked at her. "Not the way I would have worded it but - agreed. Allies?" He held out his hand.

Mason stood and shook his hand firmly, hoping she hadn't just screwed herself.