Accidentally Wolf (4 page)

Part of my lack of being able to handle emotional stuff was my upbringing
.
T
he other part was what I could do. The kicker of
my current
situation
?
I should have been on the monster squad from the beginning of my career.
I guess I should stop calling it that and
start
referring to it as MNSTR before I offended one of my new coworkers.

Dragging myself from bed, I headed over to the shower
, stepping in and letting the constant stream of water droplets assail my exhausted body
. I left it colder like normal, just until I was wide awake. Then I switched the temperature to something warmer.

I had been able to hide that I was a
c
lairvoyant from the FBI for six years. Six years! Now a
werewolf
claws me up, turning me into one of them, and finally lands me where I was supposed to be all along.

I wasn
’
t a fan of irony or a believer in karma, but damn, it seemed to believe in me. Growing up in foster home after foster home was hard enough
.
A
dd to that I was a very different type of child… I was lucky to have made it out at all.

Granted there were times I found it useful. It was a great interrogation tactic, and a benefit in a fight. Thankfully I didn
’
t get images when I touched objects
.
J
ust people
,
and not always
. Sometimes touching wasn
’
t even needed
.
I could see some images from what people were broadcasting. It wasn
’
t telepathy, I couldn
’
t hear words
.
I
t was just streams of images. Whatever the person was thinking at the time.

Done with the shower, I turned off the water and grabbed a towel
, drying myself off quickly before draping it over the front of my body
. I stepped out and turned so
I was facing away from the mirror, which was only slightly fogged up, wanting
to
look at my back. There was the barest hint of very old looking scars, but they still had a pink tinge to them. I didn
’
t feel any sharp pain, more a dull
one
from overworked muscles.

As much as I wanted to
deny it, the evidence I was a shifter
was right there in the mirror.
Sighing, I wrapped
the
towel
all the way
around myself and
grabbed
another
to put
around my hair.

Coffee, I decided. Coffee almost always made things better. Reaching the kitchen, I measured out the right amount of grounds and fil
l
ed my espresso machine up. I added the right amount of filter
ed
water th
e
n popped a bagel in the toaster.
I turned on my phone and cursed w
hen
it started ringing before I even set it back down.
I
answered the call
even if I had no desire to talk to whoever was calling.

“
Thomas.
”

“
Is this Agent Thomas?
”

“
Yes, who
’
s this?
”
I asked
with a snap,
not having any patience today.

“
This is Chief Monroe, Chad Monroe,
”
the man on the phone stated.
“
I was told by Chief Havers that you would be reporting to me in a few weeks. I thought I should call and introduce myself, see how you were holding up.
”

Paranormals had been
out
to the world for over a decade now
and I couldn
’
t help but wonder how much harder this would be if I had to hide that I was now a shifter. Lycanthropes, or shifters, weren
’
t the only ones either. I doubt humans, or even the special branch of the FBI knew every type that was out there. Maybe we never would.

“
I
’
m fine, Chief Monroe. I appreciate the call
.
”
I
was
biting back what I really wanted to say. It wasn
’
t anything professional, nor would it help my current situation.
“
A little muscle soreness today, nothing that should
take
more than a couple of days to heal from.
”

“
That
’
s great Agent Thomas, but I had already learned of your healing from Havers. I asked how you
’
re holding up.
”

My reply was immediate and concise.
“
Fine, not a problem, sir.
”

“
Cut the shit, Agent Thomas,
”
Chief Monroe answered.
“
You just found out you
’
re a
shifter
. How are you holding up?
”

“
Sir, I really am fine. It is what it is
.
”
I shrugg
ed
my shoulders even if he couldn
’
t see it.
“
I
’
ll deal with it as it comes.
”

“
In other words, it hasn
’
t hit you yet,
”
he
surmised
.
“
Give it time, it will sink in.
”

“
I
t
sank in yesterday, believe me, sir. Today is just learning what I can, finding out what to expect.
”

He paused before speaking again.
“
Either you
’
re lying through your teeth, Thomas, or you really are as cold as they say you are.
”

“
Probably the latter, sir. Though I don
’
t really think I
’
m cold, just pragmatic,
”
I
countered
,
starting to get annoyed.
“
But I
’
m thrilled that
’
s what people think of me. They wouldn
’
t say that if I were a man. I do my job, I do it well
,
and I don
’
t fall apart if the shit hits the fan. Six years with the Bureau, I
’
ve earned the rank of Special Agent in
C
harge with her own team. There
’
s a reason for that and a lot of jealousy left in the wake.
”

“
Fair enough, Thomas
,
”
Monroe chuckled.
“
What can I do to help your transition?
”

“
They gave me some brochures about being a
l
ycanthrope at the hospital
.
”
I sighed
, hating feeling as if I was uninformed or ignorant,
as I spread
a thick layer of
cream cheese over my now toasted bagel.
“
But if there
’
s better information out there that you know of, I
’
d appreciate that. Also, I
’
m assuming this is a bilateral transfer?
”

“
Yes, Thomas, it is. You
’
ll meet your team when you
’
re ready to come back,
”
he answered.
“
You really don
’
t beat around the bush do you?
”

“
I
’
m a busy woman, sir. I assume you
’
re even busier
,
”
I snickered.
“
You want to shoot the shit with me?
”

“
Not particularly, but I expected to hand hold a traumatized agent with this phone call. You
’
re not quite what I expected.
”

“
I get that a lot, believe me, sir,
”
I
drawled
while getting my iced latté made.
“
Sir, can I ask you a question?
”

“
Yes, Thomas.
”

“
What are you?
I mean, why are you on the MNST
R Squad?
”

“
Vampire, I
’
m a vampire
,
Thomas,
”
he answered without a
moment
’
s
hesitation.

“
Oh, a vampire,
”
I answered quietly.
I wasn
’
t sure what to think of that. I mean, did it
,
or should it
,
even matter to me?

“
Is that a problem?
”
There was an edge to his tone as if he realized maybe I wasn
’
t going to be as easy to deal with as he first thought.

“
No, sir. Just takes me a second to wrap my head around all the changes as they come. I didn
’
t know if it was bad form to ask or not.
”

“
You
’
ll find the preternatural community doesn
’
t have the same hang-ups as mainstream society,
”
he
explained
.
“
I have a question for you, Thomas. There are some notes in your file, speculation that you should have been in this office a while ago. Care to enlighten me?
”

“
No, sir,
”
I answered
,
gripping the edge of the counter
and gritting my teeth
, hating every time I had to lie.
“
There
’
s nothing to tell.
”

“
Meaning there is
,
but until you
’
re sure you
’
re a
shifter
,
you won
’
t tell me.
”
His tone was getting dark, as if letting me know to tread lightly in what I said next.

“
Basically.
”

“
Alright, I can handle that for now. But I warn you, Thomas, I
’
m not a fan of secrets or lying.
”

“
Neither am I, sir,
”
I
replied
honestly.
“
It
’
s more a matter of who I trust right now. I close one of the biggest busts in my life, save a fellow agent in the process, and here I am. None of my team was even at the hospital
—
”

“
They
’
re
scared of you,
”
he interrupted, speaking more gently to me again.

“
For god-sakes, wh
y
?
”
I asked
,
completely
shocked.
I
’
d never been the type to fly off the handle or just randomly kick someone
’
s ass. I was known for being fair, cold maybe, but fair first.

“
You
’
re a
shifter
.
W
eren
’
t you scared of them when you were just human?
”

“
Honestly, sir, no,
”
I
answered
with another shrug he couldn
’
t see.
“
I don
’
t really know any, or enough about them to really have an opinion.
”