An Unnatural Alliance



Part I



“This is useless.” Malik slammed his fist down on the table, making the
computer monitor shake, and then shoved his chair back from the desk in disgust.
“How is it that I can find almost every were panther in the world except my own
son?” He furrowed his brow and scowled at the screen.

Tamara set down the book she’d been reading and came to stand behind her mate.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she began to knead the tense muscles while
peering at the screen. “Perhaps Lor has had more luck.”

A low rumble of appreciation rose from Malik’s throat in response to Tamara’s
touch. For a moment, he allowed himself to relax and enjoy her attention before
his sense of duty called him back to the matter at hand.

“My dear, you know full well that Lor hates his brother more than my cousin
hated me a hundred years ago.” Malik swiveled the chair around to face his
mate. “Nazeem tried and failed to kill both me and Steven back then. If Lorcan
finds my heir before I do, I doubt there will be a happy family reunion.”

Tam’s face clouded at the mention of the discord that ran in the family. She
tightened her lips and began to pace the small room they’d turned into their
office. It was from here that Malik ruled the were panther world over which he
reigned. With modern communications, he only needed to make the jump to other
communities if a dire emergency occurred or if his regal magic was needed.

“It’s all my fault.” Tam paused by the window and pushed aside the sheer
curtains that blocked the view of the rolling green pastures of their property.

Mal looked at the woman who’d been by his side through the centuries. To him,
she still looked as lovely as she had the first time he’d seen her. The hint of
silver in her red hair did nothing to detract from her beauty, and her figure
was still as alluring as ever. Faint lines graced the corners of her eyes and
mouth, giving evidence that their life together hadn’t always been easy, yet
she’d stuck by him despite it all. His Tam was a feisty woman, thank the
goddess!

“How can it be your fault? You did what you had to do to save Steven’s life.”

“But if I’d been stronger...” Tam sighed and turned to face him. “Lor’s
pregnancy was so difficult. Lizzie and Stephan had gone to be with Ben in
Australia; I was alone. I couldn’t cope.” She twisted her fingers, obviously
still unable to forgive herself for the past.

“And if Nazeem hadn’t made that attempt on Steven’s life. And if I had been
here to help. And if…” He purposely left the sentence hanging and went over to
her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close and tucked her head
under his chin. “Life is full of ‘ifs.’ What matters now is that we have to
find Steven before Lorcan does or we’ll lose both our sons; one to fratricide
and the other to the justice I will have to mete out.”

For a moment they held each other tight, giving and receiving comfort, until Tam
pressed her hands to his chest and stepped back. “Then you’d best get back to
work.”

Malik released her and returned to the computer. Quickly entering a web
address, an image of a wolf appeared on the screen. Below the picture the words
Lycan Link formed. He sat and stared at it for moment.

“How will that site help, Mal?” Tam came closer and peered at the screen.
“It’s for wolves.”

“Do you remember back in 1958, when there was that mess with the wolf sightings
near Mount Leinster?”

“Yes, you helped cover it up. The press finally decided the dead sheep was the
work of a bunch of youths, and the sightings were really just a stray dog. You
did a good job, and it’s all long forgotten.” She smiled at him, and he
wondered why her smile could still melt his insides after more than four
centuries together.

Leaning back in his chair, Mal recalled the incident. “Lycan Link sent over a
young Enforcer to do the job, but he was still wet behind the ears and had no
idea how to deal with the locals. If I hadn’t stepped in, the situation
would’ve blown up in his face and the were communities would have been exposed.”
Malik tapped his forefinger against his lips, then leaning forward, he placed
his hand on the mouse, clicked on enter and the screen changed. “His name was
Fielding. Robert Fielding and…” He scrolled down through the information,
giving a grunt of approval when he found what he was looking for. “The man’s
now in charge of all the Enforcers at the Link.” Another click of the mouse and
an email program opened. “They have resources at their disposal that I can only
dream of. Their whole society is organized like an oversized pack.” Malik
typed a short message and sent the email on its way. “I think it’s about time I
called in a favor.”

“You think the wolves will help? They’re not exactly friendly towards were
cats.” Tam frowned from her position at his side and Mal tugged her down to sit
on his lap.

“It’s been a while, but wolves have long memories. Fielding will help if he
can, but for now, we wait.”


Captain Robert Fielding frowned as he read the email yet again. When he’d first
seen the message on his screen, he’d been more than a little shocked. It had
been over fifty years since he’d set eyes on Malik Colburn. The fact that he
was asking for help after all this time was…intriguing.

The file Lycan Link had composed on Colburn was both thick and impressive.
Apparently, the man had been involved in undercover work for over four hundred
years and could be credited with turning the tide in more than one uprising. He
seemed to have a soft spot for the underdog…

Fielding chuckled at his own wording. Yeah, he’d been an underdog during that
case in Ireland back in the late fifties. Over his head and drowning fast
trying to deal with a bunch of irate farmers. Malik had helped cover up the
presence of a rogue wolf and smoothed things over with the locals before
disappearing without a trace.

He’d always wondered what had moved Malik to help him all those years ago.
Antipathy had always bubbled under the surface between their two races, though
the source of the deep mistrust had been lost in the mists of time. When Malik
had appeared and offered to assist, he hadn’t thought to question why, and by
the time he had his wits about him, the panther king had disappeared without a
trace.

Well, if the man wanted a favor after all this time, it was the least he could
do. And—Fielding flicked a glance out his window to check on one of his men—it
might prove to be just the type of case to distract an Enforcer from other
problems.

He rubbed his chin as he watched the Enforcer in question complete yet another
lap of the Lycan Link compound. Sweat glistened on the man’s body, yet the
exercise was doing little to ease the lines of tension that were so evident on
him. Reno wasn’t dealing well with Damien’s disappearance. He was on edge,
snapping at everyone, taking off without notice if he thought there was a lead
on his partner’s whereabouts. The only thing keeping the man under control was
his mate, Brandi.

Fielding drummed his fingers on his desk and wondered as to the best way to
approach Reno with the case. A request or a blunt order? Knowing how damned
bull-headed Reno could be, only a direct order and a few dire threats would make
the man take the case.”

A smile curled the captain’s lips. He hadn’t had a good fight in ages. Maybe
he’d just meet Reno in the gym and present him with the job there. A couple of
sparring rounds and a shouting match might well be cathartic for both of them.


Reno threw the file down on the desk and paced angrily about his small office.
Fielding had dumped a case on him that no one else wanted to touch with a ten
foot pole. Were panthers! He snorted derisively. Nothing but a punch of
pussies that weren’t even organized enough to keep track of their own members!

He ran his hands through his hair and winced when his fingers encountered a lump
on his head. Damn that hurt! For an old man, Fielding could still hold his own
in the gym. Reno had more than a few bruises and aching joints after their
recent encounter. He wondered what Brandi would say when she saw him tonight.
She’d likely fuss over him and then… No. Given how he’d been acting recently,
she’ll probably laugh, and tell him he deserved every lump and bump he got
because he’d been such a pain in the ass lately.

Exhaling slowly, Reno eased down into his chair. He knew he was being
difficult, but since Damien had gone rogue, concern for his friend was eating
away at him. Maybe the captain was right. Maybe he did need to take a step
back and clear his head.

Begrudgingly, Reno reached for the file he’d tossed on his desk and flipped it
open. The basic facts were that Malik Colburn, a.k.a. Malcolm Colburn, king of
the were panthers, was requesting Lycan Link’s assistance in locating his long
lost son…


Malik carefully closed his laptop computer and pushed it aside while sighing.
Thousands of miles from home, the expanse of the Atlantic separated him from his
mate. He hated being parted from her by such a distance and for such a length
of time. It was too reminiscent of his ‘spy’ career and the years of
misunderstanding that had nearly torn them apart.

However, it couldn’t be helped. The ocean was just too long a distance to
teleport across, so he’d had to resort to human conveyances. He gave a brief
shudder of distaste as he recalled the experience. How they could stand being
packed like sardines in a flying tin can, he couldn’t fathom. And dealing with
the security measures at the airports had nearly tried his patience to the
limit! Well, the worst was over. He had a room in a hotel, had just finished
talking with Tam via Skype, and was now ready to jump to Lycan Link
headquarters. With any luck, he’d be able to obtain the assistance he needed
and return home in a matter of days. Tam had hinted that she’d have a warm
welcome for him upon his return, and his body stirred at the ideas that brought
to mind.

With thoughts of the soft press of Tam’s lips on his, Malik prepared to teleport
to his meeting with the wolf. A quick glance in the mirror revealed he’d erased
all signs of travel weariness; his suit was pressed, his tie tasteful. He
smiled, thinking of how Tam would fuss with adjusting it if she were there with
him. Half distracted by thoughts of his mate and her tender ministrations, he
materialized in the public reception area of Lycan Link with a pleasant smile
curling the corners of his mouth.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to retain that congenial frame of mind. Barely
had he felt the firmness of terrazzo tiles under his feet, when squeals of
fright erupted to his right. Startled, he turned to see a young woman sitting
behind a desk with a look of shock on her face. Before he could even begin to
explain his sudden appearance, a klaxon blared, jarring his sensitive hearing.

All his senses instantly sprang to alert, and he darted his gaze about as a
cacophony of noise came at him from all directions. Pounding feet, shouted
orders, metal security shields clanging shut. A set of doors burst open and half
a dozen heavily muscled and angry men surged into the room. Two of them
immediately transformed into even angrier wolves and began to circle him. Malik
instinctively shifted and snarled a warning at the two smaller animals.

For a moment they were at a standoff, but then seemingly out of nowhere, another
Lycan darted in and nipped at his back leg. Spinning around, Malik lashed out
with his claws and heard a very satisfying whimper of pain as he connected with
his target. The wolf cringed away but its compatriots growled and took a
collective step closer.

Malik let out another warning snarl and tensed, ready to fight when a commanding
voice was raised above the pandemonium.

“Mr. Colburn, would you mind not wounding any more of my men.”

Raising his head, Malik sniffed the air and relaxed. He never forgot a scent
and this was one he recognized; it was the man he’d come to see. In a shimmer
of movement, Mal returned to human form.

With a secure knowledge of who and what he was in the shifter world, Malik took
a moment to adjust his suit coat and cuffs while calmly taking in the appearance
of Robert Fielding. The man had aged well. Lycans weren’t as long-lived as
panthers, but their life-spans were still longer than human ones by a few
decades. Fielding must be past middle age but he looked fit and powerful.
Ignoring the wolves that still stood around him, Malik stretched out his hand in
greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Fielding. I didn’t, however, expect quite
such a reception committee.”

The captain glanced around at the assembled Enforcers and DC officers. “Stand
down, men. Let me introduce Malik Colburn, monarch of all were panthers and
direct descendent of the goddess Bastet.” He gripped Malik’s hand in welcome.
“It’s good to see you after all this time.”

Malik grinned as the powerful man returned his handshake. “You’ve come up in
the world since we last met.” He looked around for the Lycan he’d mauled.
“You’d better get those claw marks treated, panther scratches scar other
shifters.”

The various Lycan employees began to disperse and Fielding gestured towards the
door at the back of the reception area. “Despite the actions of my men, I’d
like to welcome you to Lycan Link. My office is this way.” As the captain
passed the desk, he motioned to the woman who was still staring at Malik as if
he was some kind of apparition. “Julie, when you’ve recovered, would you please
ask Reno Smith to join me in my office.”

The girl nodded but still gaped at him, and Malik chuckled under his breath as
he followed Fielding to his office. He was led through a labyrinth of halls and
security checks and took it all in with interest. Lycans bustled about intent
on their various jobs. Most paused as he passed by, discreetly sniffing the
air, and then casting curious glances in his direction as they recognized his
species. Fielding offered no explanation however, and no one approached with
questions. The discipline within Lycan Link seemed top-notch.

Arriving at their destination, Fielding allowed Malik to enter the office ahead
of him and then moved to sit behind the large mahogany desk. Malik took one of
the visitor chairs, barely holding back a frown as it creaked under his weight.
It had to be the most uncomfortable piece of furniture he’d ever sat in.

He must have given himself away somehow for the captain shot him an apologetic
look. “Sorry. That chair’s my defense against people staying too long. I’ll
get you another.” As he moved to stand up, Malik shook his head.

“Don’t bother. I’ve sat on worse.” He adjusted himself as best he could and
then quirked an eyebrow at the Lycan leader. “Who is this Reno Smith?”

“He’s my top Enforcer. I’ve put him on this case in the hopes that it will keep
him grounded.” At Malik’s inquisitive look, Fielding sighed. “His partner
recently went rogue, and Reno’s taking it pretty hard. He needs a distraction
and your case may be just what he needs.”

As the captain finished talking, Malik heard the door open behind him. Raising
his head slightly, he unobtrusively inhaled, taking in the man’s scent. The man
that had entered was dangerous, that much was obvious. There was latent anger
in the air as well. Turning as the wolf came into view, he took a long look at
him. Assuming this was Reno Smith, he saw a tall, well-built man at the peak of
his strength. And, from the look on his face, dealing with him would be like
handling a prickly pear. Suppressing a sigh, Malik knew his diplomatic skills
were going to be tested to their fullest.

Malik glanced back at the captain in anticipation of an introduction. Robert
Fielding looked him in the eye before turning to the younger man. “Reno, this
is Malik Colburn. Take a seat and we’ll go over the facts of this case.” He
gestured to the chair next to Malik’s.

Reno propped himself against the wall. “I’d rather stand.”

“I said sit!” The captain barked.

With the reluctance reminiscent of a recalcitrant teen, Reno Smith threw himself
into the chair.


Reno forced himself to unclench his jaw, and stretched his long legs out in
front of him. He didn’t want to be here but an order was an order, so he had to
make the best of it. The captain shoved a sheaf of papers his way and he picked
them up without glancing at the contents; he’d read the file.

“So,” Malik Colburn turned to look at him. “The captain was telling me you’re
his best Enforcer.”

Reno grunted. Colburn was talking to him like he was some kid in need of
soothing. He made no effort to bite back the rude comment that sprang to his
lips. “And he’s told me that you’re the reigning monarch of a bunch of
kitty-cats.”

Malik eyes narrowed, but he inclined his head obviously determined to ignore the
slur. For a moment they silently studied each other. Colburn looked good for
his age, considering he was over five hundred years old. Grey silvered his
temples, but the rest of his hair was black as night. Lines bracketed his mouth
and marred his forehead, but the man was still fit and powerful.

Reno had observed his entrance into the Lycan Link lobby through the
surveillance cameras. When the alarm signaling a security breach had sounded,
he’d immediately gone to his command post and watched the altercation, ready to
coordinate the movement of more Enforcers should the situation have called for
it.

The were panther had shifted smoothly and moved with an enviable grace and
fluidity. Reno couldn’t deny the man’s skills. Still, he was a cat and that
fact alone stirred an instinctive caution. He decided to put Colburn on the
defensive and see what the old man was made of.

“You’re known as Malik? But…” He feigned checking the papers in front on him.
“Official records have you listed as Malcolm? Why the name change? Trying to
blur your trail?”

The corner of the man’s mouth twitched. “Actually, yes, I am. Living as long
as we do, panthers have an ever harder time hiding from the human population
than other shifters. Name changes and frequent relocation are necessary to stay
under the human radar. Especially since the computerization of records.”

“Are you sure that’s the only reason? You’ve been involved in numerous bits of
espionage. Perhaps some of it has been less than…legitimate?” Reno flicked
idly through the reports, his voice purposely laced with a hint of accusation.

Colburn steepled his fingers. “Legitimate? By whose standards? Governments
come and go, the boundaries between countries change. I do what’s right for my
people, and my conscience.”

“For your people. But what about mine? Just a few moments ago you attacked one
of my men. How do we know you can be trusted?” Reno narrowed his eyes.

“That’s enough, Smith.” Captain Fielding interrupted with a curt comment.
“Colburn is the official representative of his people. You will treat him with
the same courtesy and respect you would any other diplomat.”

“Just letting it be known that I’m cautious, Captain. There’s a history between
our people and we’re all aware of it. Lycan-panther relations are dicey at the
best of times, and I prefer to have all the cards on the table before we start.”
Reno schooled his features into a bland expression.

“Can’t let go of the old dog and cat animosity?” Malik made a gentle gibe then
shook his head. “It’s ancient history, Mr. Smith. Both of our species have
done things to be ashamed of, but isn’t it time we moved on? Living in the past
will get us nowhere.”

Reno opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again. Living in the past was
what the Purists did. Was he letting his own surly attitude color his thinking?
Perhaps. He clenched his fists and then forced them to relax. “My apologies,
Mr. Colburn.”

Malik inclined his head. “Accepted. Actually, I believe we have something in
common. As I understand it, we’re both searching for someone we care about.
You, for your partner, and I for my son.”

Reno was silent for a moment, staring at the floor and thinking about the
feeling that roiled in his belly over Damien’s disappearance. Worry over his
partner’s well-being. Fear that if—when—he was found he’d be too far gone to be
saved. Anger at himself for not somehow preventing the horrific events that led
to Damien’s breakdown. If the man beside him was even feeling half of these
things… He lifted his gaze to find Colburn studying him and a look of
understanding passed between them.

The faintest hint of relief could be seen on Malik’s face, but he swiftly hid it
and eased back in his chair only to frown and readjust his position.

A chuckle escaped Reno. “I’ve sat in that chair enough to know your butt and
back are cursing you right now.”

“Indeed, my…butt…is less than happy at the moment.”

Fielding stood up. “Then perhaps you two could move your meeting elsewhere?
Reno, pull up whatever files we have on Steven Colburn and let Malik have access
to them. Then the two of you can decide where to start looking.”

Reno nodded and led the way to the archives.


“I’m surprised these files haven’t been digitized.” Malik leafed through the
papers Reno had extracted from the files. They were seated in Smith’s office,
on either side of Smith’s desk. The other desk stood empty, and Malik, guessing
that it belonged to the rogue partner, had purposely avoided using it.

“There had been plans to put it all on micro-fiche, but technology overtook us
and now we’re slowly scanning everything into the database. There are a lot of
records however, and it’s slow going.” Smith stood and poured himself a coffee,
gesturing with the jug. “You want some?”

Malik looked up. “What? Oh, no thank you.”

“As you can see from those records, the first mention we can find of your son is
when he volunteered at the New York recruiting office to fight in France in
1917. He was released from service two years later, and then he simply
disappears; we can’t find a single trace of him after that.”

The older man nodded and continued to read the report of his son’s wartime
experiences. “It seems he joined up with a fellow were panther. A Michael
Cooper.” He turned to the last page and his breath hitched. He looked up at
the Lycan. “Cooper died in France. Seems they were part of the Lost Battalion.
Steven was lucky to have survived.”

Reno nodded, “Yeah. Casualties were high. Must’ve been a severe wound if
Cooper couldn’t recover from it.”

“If there were humans around, he wouldn’t have been able to shift to help with
the healing.” Malik shook his head. “Weres should stay well out of human
wars.”

“You didn’t. From the Huguenots in France at the end of the sixteenth century
to Afghanistan and Iraq in this one, you’ve made a business of meddling.”
Again, there was a hint of accusation in his voice.

“Yes. But I do what I do to help bring conflicts to an end, using subterfuge
and cunning. I don’t remember ever using a firearm in anger.”

“So you rule by the tenet ‘do as I say, don’t do what I do’?”

Malik studied the man before him. There was a bitterness about him—the need to
express his inner turmoil by lashing out—but also an inner strength. His
instincts told him that Smith was intrinsically a good man. He decided to let
the comment pass, and inclined his head in agreement. “Sometimes, it’s the only
way.”

Reno stared at him for a moment, then took a swig of his coffee before sitting
down. He exhaled slowly, appearing tired. Perhaps realizing he was being
difficult, when he spoke next, his tone was milder. “What we don’t have in our
records is how and why Steven Colburn ended up here in America?”

“Soon after he disappeared in 1904 I looked for him. I found evidence that he’d
signed on as a cabin boy on a merchant ship bound for North America. Records,
even at the time, were fairly detailed. The ship was due to dock in Georgia.”
Malik ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “I followed the trail, but
after arriving in America I could find no further information.”

Reno checked the file in front of him. “It says here, your son was born in
1892, he must have been very young when he ran away to sea.”

“He didn’t run away.” Malik hesitated. What had happened was really Tamara’s
tale to tell, and he debated whether it was even relevant to the search for his
son. Finally, deciding that Smith needed all the facts in order to help, he sat
forward in his chair clasping his hands before him. Telling an outsider,
especially a Lycan, about the in-fighting within the were panther community was
not something that came easily to his tongue.

“He didn’t run away,” he repeated. “My mate made him go. Forcefully. Against
his will...and hers.”

Reno set his cup down, a frown furrowing his brow. “Wait, back up. Are you
saying you kicked a cub, your own child, out of your home?”

The panther nodded. “To my constant regret, yes, that’s exactly what we did.
He was only twelve years old. It was because—”

Malik was interrupted by the opening of the door. A stunning redhead half
entered and smiled at him before turning a look on Reno that had Malik pining
for his own mate.

“Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to let you know that I’m ready to leave.
Will you be much longer?”

Reno stood and covered the few feet to the female before enfolding her in a hug.
He closed his eyes and the tension in his shoulders visibly lessened, as if her
mere presence was a tonic he needed. With his arm around her waist, he turned
to Malik. “Colburn, this is my mate, Brandi. She’s a DC officer here at Lycan
Link.”

“DC?” Malik raised his brows while observing the woman before him. Red hair, a
nicely rounded figure, eyes dancing with mischief. The woman was so reminiscent
of his Tam, the ache in his heart was almost physical.

She held out her hand and smiled. “Disaster Control. When there are shifter
sightings by humans, I and my team move in and create plausible explanations to
conceal our presence. Some people,” she cast a reproachful look at her mate,
“call us professional liars.”

Mal stood, took her hand and made a courtly half bow. “A reprehensible term to
use when referring to someone as lovely as you.”

“Thank you. And you are?” Outwardly, her inquiry was socially polite but he
could sense the way she was assessing him; the intelligence behind her eyes
undeniable. Yes, this woman was his Tam over and over.

“Malik Colburn, the panther king.” Reno interrupted, his eyes pointedly fixed
on their still joined hands.

Brandi rolled her eyes, removed her hand from his and nestled closer to Reno.
“I’m pleased to meet you. That was quite an entrance you made earlier today.”

“I thought I was expected. However, it seems that you weren’t aware of the
method of my arrival.”

“No, we weren’t. But it gave us an opportunity to test our security procedures
in real time. I guess we should thank you.” She smiled again, and looked up at
her mate before returning her gaze to him. “Would you two prefer to continue
this meeting over dinner?”

“You’re inviting me to your home?” Malik wondered how Smith felt about the
invitation. The man seemed to have a chip on his shoulder where panthers were
concerned. Regrettable, but understandable; ancient history and folk memories
couldn’t’ be erased within the course of one brief meeting.

“Yes, I’ve never met a panther before and it would be an honor if you’d come.”
She nudged her mate. “Wouldn’t it, Reno?”

“Of course.” Smith’s answer was curt, but not totally unwelcoming.

“Then I accept your invitation. Just no chocolate for dessert, or you might
have a serious situation on your hands.”

“Allergic to the stuff are you?” She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m on a permanent
diet; no chocolate allowed.”


Later that evening, Malik sat back with a bottle of beer in his hand, raising it
in a silent toast to the couple at the table. ”That was delicious, Brandi,
thank you.”

Reno raised his beer in reply. The man had been polite but rather quiet during
dinner. However, he appeared more relaxed now and seemed more inclined to talk.
“Earlier, in my office, you were about to tell me why your son left home.”

Malik flicked a glance at Brandi as she cleared the table, and then shrugged.
There was no harm in speaking in front of the woman; she was a Lycan Link
employee after all. “Soon after Steven was born, a messenger came to see me
from Spain.”

Reno nodded. “Your file says you’re from there originally.”

“Yes. Although the family came from North Africa long before I was born; that’s
why we all have Moorish names. I suppose today I should say Arabic names.” He
looked up as Brandi came back in and sat down, a cup of coffee in her hand.

She shuffled her chair which left her sitting closer to her mate. “What did the
message say, Malik?”

“It was from one of my younger sisters. A cousin of mine, Nazeem, had been
bad-mouthing me. Telling anyone who wanted to listen that I was sitting on my
backside living the life of a lord in Ireland.” Malik took a deep breath and
blew it out through his teeth. “That I didn’t care about my fellow weres, and
that I was working hand-in-glove with the humans to rid the world of all
shifters.”

Reno narrowed his eyes. “The man was clever. What he was saying was partially
correct and verifiable.”

Brandi nodded. “A text book DC officer strategy. It’s always best to wrap up a
lie in semi-truths.”

Malik idly twirled the beer bottle in his hand. “Yes. He’d whipped up some
deep hatred of me; more and more people were backing him to have me removed. Of
course, he intended to take over once I was no longer in the picture.”

Reno frowned and pulled over the case file from the end of the table where it
had lain untouched during the meal. Flipping through it, he quickly found what
he’d been looking for. “How could he have taken over? Even if he didn’t know
about your son, you already had an heir. A grandson, Benjamin.”

“Right. Ben was a grown man and newly mated at the time. They had moved to
Australia to help build that country; he saw it as a good opportunity. There’s
a lot of open land down there for a panther to run in. My daughter, Lizzie, and
her mate had gone to join him.” Malik gave a half smile. “This was over a
hundred years ago, remember, and communication was slow at best. By the time
Ben would’ve heard of my demise, Nazeem would have been widely accepted as my
successor. At least that seemed to be his plan. However, unbeknownst to him, I
now had a son. A babe that Tamara and I doted on.” Malik fell silent, his
thoughts reaching back into the past. He could swear that he smelled his new
born cub, felt his slight weight in his arms.

“Go on, Malik. What happened? Did Nazeem come after you?” Brandi’s voice
pulled him back to the present.

“Yes. He came after me but I led him away from the farm. My cousin was so
single-minded, that at the time he didn’t even think of using my mate against
me. And at that point he still didn’t know of the babe. We fought, numerous
times, but I always made sure it was in front of non-shifters. Finally, during
a fight in one of the poorer quarters of Dublin the coward pulled a knife on me
while I was distracted by some humans. It went in deep and I knew that if I’d
not been a were it would’ve been a mortal blow. I feigned death and he was
arrested for murder.”

Brandi’s gasp made Malik look up. “What about the witnesses? If they thought
you were dead, they’d have tried to dispose of your body or taken it to a
morgue. I don’t know what the practice was at the time but surely they wouldn’t
have left a corpse on the street. And your personal effects might have had
identifying information. Did you just get up and walk away when no one was
looking?” She shook her head and frowned. “I suppose you could blame grave
robbers but... Oh my God, Malik. A situation like that is a DC officer’s
nightmare!”

Malik chuckled at her reaction. “Those were simpler times, Brandi. People were
more worried about survival than dwelling on what had become of a dead drifter,
which was the part I’d been playing.”

“I suppose...” She still looked concerned, and Reno playfully tugged at one of
her curls.

“Let the man continue his story, babe.”

Taking another sip of beer, Malik resumed his explanation. “When Nazeem came up
for trial, although there were plenty of witnesses, the lack of a body resulted
in the case being dismissed. Nazeem ran back to Spain and all was quiet for a
few years. I started to work again.” He slanted a sheepish grin at the Lycans.
“Nothing that took me away for too long, but I was away often enough that Tam
resurrected the old tale of me being unfaithful and off dallying with different
women in Dublin, Belfast, and even as far away as London.” He shrugged. “It
stopped the neighbors from asking too many questions. Unfortunately, little
pitchers have big ears and Steven heard the stories, and believed them.”

Reno grunted. “Not exactly the impression a young boy wants to have of his
father.”

“True, but there was no other way.” Malik frowned still regretting how the
necessary subterfuge had damaged his relationship with his son. “To make
matters worse, the rumors began again that Nazeem was still intent on claiming
the throne. However, by now he knew of Steven’s existence and was going to get
rid of my son and heir first.”

Brandi gasped softly and tightened her fingers around Reno’s arm. The two
exchanged a pain-filled glance, and he speculated on what they were recalling.
Had they lost a child or perhaps that of a friend? It was none of his business,
of course, so he continued on with his tale.

“A child is far easier to murder than a powerful adult. In an effort to protect
Steven, I decided to take go after Nazeem, to take the fight to him rather than
sit and wait for him to come and find me.”

“And Steven was how old at this point?” Reno was making notes now.

“Steven had just turned twelve and my mate was in her third trimester of another
pregnancy.” Malik looked at Brandi. “She had gone one hundred and seventeen
years without conceiving; suddenly she managed to give me a son, and to conceive
again only a decade later. To say we were happy would be an understatement.”

“But you left her, pregnant and with a half grown cub.” Reno made more notes.

“We decided it was for the best. We weren’t to know that Nazeem was already in
Ireland and watching the house. After I had left, one of the neighbors came for
tea and gossip; that’s how Tam found out about the man with the strange accent
who had been asking questions about us and the farm.

“Panthers don’t have the thought connection that mated Lycans do; we only have
an empathic link, so there was no way Tam could contact me. She was worried, I
could sense that, but put it down to her usual concern whenever I was away.” He
set down his drink, stood up and began pacing the room. “Tam didn’t know what
to do. She couldn’t defend Steven; in the third trimester a panther can’t
shift, it’s far too dangerous. And Steven was too young and inexperienced to
offer much of a fight; his panther was still only a quarter of its full-grown
adult size. If Nazeem had come for them Steven would have been in grave
danger.” He paused and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Tam made a decision;
one she regrets to this day. She knew Steven wouldn’t leave if she asked him,
so decided to drive him away with verbal abuse, tales that he was no longer
wanted now that a new cub was on the way... It worked. He ran away, no doubt
hating both of us and we haven’t seen him since.”

A tear trickled down Brandi’s cheek. “Poor Tamara, it must have broken her
heart. But what else could she do?” She blinked and wiped her damp cheeks.
“At least Steven was safe. Did Nazeem come to the farm looking for him?”

Malik closed his eyes and fought to rein in the hatred that surged though him
whenever he recalled what happened next. “Yes. And that’s why he’s dead.”

Reno’s deep voice quietly broke into Malik’s nightmare. “What did he do,
Malik?”

“He raped her; left her bruised and bleeding on the flagstones of our kitchen
floor. I sensed her fear and pain and returned immediately but was too late.
She’d been near death and in desperation to save both herself and our unborn
child, she took a chance and shifted. She healed, but Lorcan was born soon
after. He lived, but the magic of the shift affected him. My younger son
is...strange; he has no familial feelings and is driven by a need for power, by
hatred.”

“Hatred of you?”

Malik looked up at Brandi’s words. “No, for his brother. He’s trying to find
Steven and plans to kill him in order to become my successor. And that is why
we need to find my heir before he does.”


TBC.