Change of Heart (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 3) Read online

  “She’s one of mine,” I explained, touching Lisbeth’s cheek. “She’s OPA.”

  That sparked their curiosity, and they paid the unconscious woman at my feet closer attention.

  “Ares?” I checked with the dark gwyllgi to be sure, and she nodded once. “Can you wait with Lisbeth until Ford gets here?”

  The hairs on the back of her neck bristled, and she stepped over Lisbeth’s supine body.

  Midas watched me with such intensity that I rubbed the fur of his ruff against the grain to annoy him as much as his perception irked me. Proving two could play that game, Midas licked my wrist, leaving me a bracelet of warm slobber.

  “I’ll remember this, mister.” Gagging, I wiped my hand on my leggings. “When you’re trying to stick your tongue down my throat, I’m going to remind you of this exact moment.”

  Ares chuffed with canine laughter until a growl from him silenced her.

  “Who knows where your mouth has—” I spluttered as he stepped in and licked me from chin to hairline, “—been.”

  No expression leaked onto Ares’s somber face, but her sides heaved with silent laughter.

  Midas, quite proud of himself, lolled his tongue out one side of his mouth.

  “I hate you both.” I pointed a finger at him. “You’re sleeping on the floor tonight.”

  Confident in Ares’s ability to protect Lisbeth, I left a vital part of my team in the capable jaws of the pack.

  Four

  Our hasty exit to avoid Ford prickled over me like cowardice, stung like shame, and hurt like heck. Lesser of two evils? Maybe. Or maybe I was too chicken to face him less than twenty-four hours after he asked me for space, with yet another favor to beg of him. Either way, it was done. All I could do was hope Ford would forgive me. Eventually.

  Done tormenting myself for the moment, I asked Midas, “Did you find the teens you were looking for?”

  Ears twitching, he shook his head then barked at a man who paused beside us with wide eyes.

  “That’s one gnarly dog,” the guy said, swaying on his feet. “What’s wrong with his fur? Scabies?”

  “Yes,” I said solemnly. “He’s got scabies, and it’s highly contagious.”

  A splash of red magic hit the pavement beside me as Midas traded one form for another.

  “Whoa.” The guy poked Midas’s arm. “Did that just happen?”

  Poor guy must have missed the highly contagious part.

  “No,” Midas growled. “It’s your imagination.”

  “You don’t see a man?” The guy pointed at Midas. “He’s right there.”

  “Nope.” I ran my fingers through Midas’s hair. “All I see is Princess Pooferella, my dog.”

  “This stuff warps your mind.” He rubbed his eyes. “I’ve got to get more.”

  “Hey, friend.” I fisted the back of his shirt before he escaped. “Where did you get it?”

  “I tell you that,” he whined, “and it’s two more people dipping into the party favors.”

  “We don’t want the drugs.” I tightened my hold as he flailed. “We want answers.”

  “The Bone Lounge,” he panted. “I got it from Skullduggery, okay?”

  “Enjoy the rest of your night.” I let him go. “Thanks for your cooperation.”

  Stumbling free of my grip, he disappeared within seconds.

  Eager to get moving, I checked with Midas. “You can track him, right?”

  “Princess Pooferella.” He narrowed his eyes on me. “Your dog.”

  “I could hardly tell him you were my horse.”

  Midas glanced to one side, but I saw his lips twitch. “You’re still not funny.”

  “And yet you’re still laughing.” I took his hand. “Maybe there’s hope for us yet.”

  “Come on,” he sighed, and began pursuit of our new friend, who led us on a merry chase.

  Maybe he smelled us. Maybe we invited too much attention wading against the flow. Or, more likely, maybe he was that paranoid there would be nothing left for him if he led us to his stash.

  “Surprise, surprise.” I held Midas back as the guy dipped into line at Greenleaf. “Do you think everyone got their freebies from there?”

  “Hard to tell,” he admitted. “There are dozens of people on the streets, but it’s only the one club.”

  They all couldn’t have fit in there at once, but the bouncer kept the line moving at a steady clip.

  “Where’s the emergency exit?” I eyed an alley clogged with stumbling partiers. “Must be down there.”

  “What are you thinking?” He tightened his hand around mine. “You’ve got that look in your eyes.”

  “Greenleaf went through a lot of trouble to ensure this outcome.” Their new product was an instant hit. “They must have been prepared with enough samples and a solution for the traffic flow problem for it to go off without a hitch.”

  “Let them in the front, get them high, then send them out the back?”

  “Check out the people in line. They’re all clear-eyed and alert. They haven’t gotten theirs yet.”

  “The people out here…” He scanned the street. “They circled around to see if they could go again.”

  Proving us right, we watched as the bouncer spotted our greedy new friend attempting a double dip and told him to take a hike.

  “That guy is hardcore,” I said with respect. “He wouldn’t let us in, and I hear he didn’t let you in either.”

  That last part surprised him, and he smiled. “Checking up on me?”

  “Your call dropped,” I grumbled. “I worried.”

  His smile kept growing until his dimples winked at me.

  “Shut up.” I shoved him. “No one asked you.”

  “I like that you worried about me.” He used our linked hands to jerk me close. “It’s nice.”

  “Yeah, well.” I leaned against his side. “You took off like a shot for the worst place to be tonight. Somebody had to worry about you.”

  “I brought Ares with me.”

  “I brought Bishop with me.” I waved my hand. “And yet, we both got ditched.”

  Granted, Ares had stuck with Midas until I set her on Lisbeth. One could argue her absence was my fault.

  “I’m a beta.” Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. “And a gwyllgi.”

  “I’m a wannabe potentate, and I’m telling you, you can’t risk this again until we know more.”

  The order was what did it, kindled crimson in his eyes and ignited a challenge in his blood.

  Always ready to poke the lion, I stared him down. “Do not growl at me.”

  “Do not tell me what to do.”

  “Do not talk down to me.”

  “Do not stand on your tiptoes.” He rested his hands on my shoulders and pressed until my heels touched the sidewalk. “It’s cheating.”

  “Do not tell me what to do.”

  “I already said that one.”

  “Now look what you’ve done.” I settled flat on my feet. “We’ve lost momentum.”

  “Don’t worry.” He gazed down at me. “We’ll be fighting again before you know it.”

  “Promise?” I looped my arms around his neck. “Guess we might as well kiss and make up then.”

  Without giving his temper a chance to cool, I dragged his mouth down to mine and tasted every corner.

  “Will it always be like this?” he rumbled near my ear. “The arguing?”

  A sliver of fear wedged in my spine, but courtship was the time for full disclosure. “Probably.”

  “Good.” He laughed softly and pressed his nose under my jaw. “You smell good when you’re angry.”

  A beta and a future potentate were bound to bump heads. A lot. Gwyllgi protective instincts set my teeth on edge, but I’m sure Midas would say the same about my tendency to wade in to save others at any cost to myself.

  As long as we ended our arguments with a smile and a kiss, we might actually nail this relationship thing.

  Pulling back, he gazed
down at me. “Are we okay?”

  Scrunching up my face, I pretended to think about it. “We’re not not-okay.”

  He blasted out a sigh, but I was getting better at reading him.

  “You’re fine.” I winked. “And I mean that exactly how it sounded.”

  A line bisected his forehead, and he worked his jaw over words that didn’t form.

  “One day you’ll make peace with my hilarity,” I said sagely, “and embrace it openly.”

  “And one day you won’t rush headlong into danger without checking your speed.”

  “It’s good we both have dreams.” I tapped his chin. “I read in Cosmo that’s important in relationships.”

  Exasperation clear, he stared down at me. “Hadley.”

  How many times had Dad used that tone with my mother? Not the Whitakers, the Pritchards. How often had he spoken with a voice tinged with a wish to be anywhere other than there, with anyone other than her? They fought often, but quietly. Theirs was a disappointment left to simmer beneath the surface of every look, word, and touch. And while Dad found other outlets to express his unhappiness, I had always been hers.

  The danger had passed after that kiss, I told myself, but still my shoulders tightened. Midas would never hurt me physically, but emotionally? I was in deep and sinking fast. “Yeah?”

  “You’re standing in urine.”

  That was not what I had expected to hear. “Huh?”

  “That?” He pointed at the thin stream. “That’s pee.” He indicated a man leaning his forehead against the wall. “His, if you want to get specific.”

  “Oh gag.” I danced back and bumped into three other people. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

  “You had this look…” He reached out to steady me. “What did you expect me to say?” Understanding softened his features, and he lowered his arm slowly when I kept staring at his fingers where they dug into the skin of my upper arm. “What did you expect me to do?”

  Crack my heart over his knee then watch this tender feeling drip, drip, drip onto the sidewalk?

  “I trust you.” I took his hand to prove it, and mine trembled. “I know you would never hurt me like that.”

  Like that.

  I bit my tongue, but it was too late. I had slipped up in acknowledging I had been hurt in the past, that I knew to fear the hits that hadn’t landed yet more than the quick jabs of a provoked temper that struck where no one else would see.

  Just me.

  And my mirror.

  The reminders lasted for days. Sometimes weeks. Once, a month. But she was never that careless again.

  “Someone did.” He cradled my cheek in his palm. “I recognize the signs.”

  “It was a long time ago.” I shuddered out an exhale. “She can’t hurt me anymore.”

  Midas drew me against his wide, warm chest. “The past is always looking over our shoulders, isn’t it?”

  The comfort seeping from him into me felt too good to push away, so I didn’t even try.

  Ambrose leaned against the brick wall, head angled in our direction, his attention making my skin crawl.

  “Yeah,” I rasped, hating that he was watching. “It’s always there.”

  “Good thing you’re not afraid of heights.” Midas made a humming noise. “It will make this easier.”

  “Huh?” I tipped my head back to look at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Up might be the only way in.” He pointed to the fire escape between buildings. “It will be hard to reach, but no one has thought to use it yet.”

  There might be wards preventing access was my first thought, but it was worth a shot.

  Much to Ambrose’s delight, I sent him to inspect the fire escape while Midas and I cut a path toward it.

  Ambrose made fast work of his recon then he honed himself into a bolt of pure agony he hurled through my brain. I bumped into the person next to me as I absorbed the hit of information, but I doubted Midas noticed it was my fault and not the woman swaying to unheard music.

  All that pain for a simple confirmation that yes, there was an active ward in place. I could have guessed that myself without the migraine.

  No chocolate for you, I thought at Ambrose. Jerk.

  There was a fine line between Ambrose hearing my thoughts and reading my intent, and I worried one day we might cross it. Honestly? Some days I felt we already had.

  The shadow bowed his head, the picture of remorse, but he was in rare form tonight and couldn’t be trusted. Not that I ever did. Trust him, I mean. But I could rely on him in certain situations with the proper motivation. Truffles must not be cutting it if he wasn’t even trying to behave.

  Blocking out my annoying shadow, I processed what little else he had discovered about the fire escape.

  A nasty ward began on the lowest portion, encompassing the ladder and continuing up onto the roof. As I had suspected. Also as I had suspected, Ambrose offered to disarm it for me in greedy gulps.

  Any other time, I might have let him swallow the energy to grant us easy access, but he had been snacking on and off without asking my permission. He just…soaked up the magics whirling on the street.

  Queasy with dread, I feared what it meant for me if he had learned to feed independent of my will. Without his hunger to leash him, I would lose control. Maybe not tonight, but eventually.

  Midas popped his knuckles as he measured the distance. “Do you want me to go first?”

  Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed the crowd pushing us until we stood directly beneath the fire escape.

  “I’ll do it.” I knew what to expect, so it would hurt less. Sure it would. “Here goes nothing.”

  I jumped to reach the bottom rung on the ladder, and the second my fingers closed over the metal, pain flared through my nerve endings. I yelped as I dropped to my feet and tucked my hand against my chest.

  “Are you okay?” Midas pried my fingers open. “The skin is red, but there’s no wound.”

  We had to get into that club, and this was our best shot. I couldn’t abandon it without trying, even if it meant giving Ambrose the upper hand. “That ward means business.”

  “Can you break it?”

  Midas had witnessed me work small magics a few times now, so I wasn’t surprised he would ask.

  “Give me a second.” I slung my hand to ease the throb. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Stepping back, he gave me room to work, but I only needed to hide my communication with Ambrose.

  Take it down. I felt his thrill in the permission. We need to get in there.

  Ambrose, acting as if he was the one doing me a favor and not just given permission to gorge at an all-you-can-eat buffet, slithered around the ladder and latched on with his greedy fingers.

  I hit my knees with no memory of dropping, and coughed up smoke.

  What the actual hell?

  Sadly, I still felt my connection to Ambrose, but the shadow was gone. Poof. Vanished.

  The ward packed a nasty punch all right, and it must be part siphon too. Anyone who touched it would get shocked back as a warning, but it would also leech enough of their energy to make them think twice about trying again.

  A reserve of energy stolen from its victims must be what powered the ward. Self-sustaining workings were critical on areas of this size. Otherwise, the maintenance required made them impractical for everyday use.

  Ambrose was a creature of energy, magical energy, and it had drained him to the point he retreated to recharge. Even after hours of sneaking tastes from passersby. The shadow had failed me, its hunger not up to the task, and I seesawed between the stark hit of joy I experienced whenever Ambrose was checked by an outside force and frustration my best chance at getting in had gone off to lick its metaphysical wounds.

  “Leave it.” Midas made it an order, and he helped me to my feet. “We’ll find another way.”

  “There is no other way.”

  “The kids are the priority.” He brushed the hair from
my eyes. “Let’s focus on finding them.”

  The gwyllgi teens would be the first of many victims if we didn’t get this drug under control, but I couldn’t do a frakking thing without Ambrose, and he wouldn’t tackle that ward again tonight if I gave him an entire box of La Madeline au Truffle straight from Danish chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt’s own kitchen.

  The reminder of the pack’s involvement did make me curious. “Who told you about Faete?”

  “The pack frequents bars all over the city, and we tip well.”

  And in return, I imagined, the bartenders called when pack kids found trouble or trouble found them.

  We linked hands, more to keep track of one another in the crowd than for the romance, but it was still nice.

  An hour slipped through our fingers, but we combed every inch of Crescent Avenue Northeast with no luck. About to expand our search, I noticed a young woman standing still as others swirled around her.

  “Hey.” I tugged on his arm. “That girl looks familiar.”

  Zeroing in on the crowd, he picked the lone sober face from among the dizzying crush. “That’s Krista.”

  “Looks like she’s alone.” I began weaving through the bodies, dragging him in my wake. “She can have the pleasure of ratting out her friends.”

  Drugs were just as illegal for para teens as human ones. Even a blip in their control could cost someone their life. These kids were getting spanked once Tisdale got ahold of them. Their parents wouldn’t be too thrilled either.

  “She smells strange.” Moving into position beside her, he filled his lungs then sneezed at the smell. “Not like pack.”

  “Maybe that’s why you and Ares couldn’t find them earlier?”

  “Maybe,” he allowed, “but the implications are dangerous.”

  Aside from the obvious inability to track them, I didn’t get his worry. “What do you mean?”

  “The core Atlanta pack is enormous, and its satellite packs are healthy sizes too. Even I don’t know all the extended members by name or face. I know them by smell, though. This drug, if that’s what’s causing this, has erased the one form of identity guaranteed to keep them safe.”

  “Are they in immediate danger?”

  “No adult gwyllgi will attack a child unless the adult is sick, but older teens exist in the limbo of pack hierarchy. All it takes is one aggressive adult who thinks they’ve discovered a trespasser for blood to spill. It’s our nature, and it’s usually a death sentence for the younger gwyllgi.”