Federal Paranormal Agency 6 - Leannan (18 page)

“I don’t doubt that, Bruno. But you have to remember that he’s also a shifter. He’s been waiting a long time to mark his mate.”

“Bruno,” Graham said, getting his former leader’s attention. “What happened?”

“An alert went out last night to every agency.
Duncan Ó Branagáin disappeared. Interpol is searching for him. He’s wanted for questioning in the murders of three agents. The same agents that Toby worked with when he went undercover.”

“When was Duncan released?” Graham inquired.

“I don’t know.” He sighed. “But one of my sources did say that Duncan is searching for Toby.”

“Do you think Duncan contacted him?” Axel asked.

“No,” Bruno simply stated. “He would’ve told me if Duncan had been in contact. These last three years have been really hard for him. I had hoped that by transferring to the New York division he’d be able to heal a little bit. I don’t know, maybe I was wrong. I just wish I was there. I don’t want him going through this alone.”

“He’s not alone,” Axel blurted out.

“Axel’s right,” Graham agreed. “Toby isn’t alone.”

“Thanks for the information, Bruno,” Abram added. “We’ll be in touch.”

Abram ended the call. The room was silent as everyone waited for their leader to give an order.

“Axel, I need you in the tech room. Find Toby’s location and relay his coordinates to Graham.”

“Yes, sir.” Axel turned on his heel and marched out of the conference room.

“Graham, Reed, and Max…I need you three to get ready. This might be a rescue mission. Proceed with caution and don’t let anything happen to Toby or his mate.”

The voices faded away as Axel strode down the hallway.
He went to the tech room and dropped into his chair. Axel cracked his knuckles and rolled his fingers before he started typing. On one screen, Axel pulled up an image of Toby and ran the image through his facial recognition system. He moved to the next screen and pulled up the video feed from last night.

Axel followed Toby with his eyes, tracking each move as the young man traveled through the city.

When Toby stopped in a residential area, Axel refocused the camera, zooming in closer. There was so much longing shining in the young man’s eyes that Axel had to look away for a moment. He felt as though he was intruding on a private moment. He pulled the camera back and watched Toby crouch down on the sidewalk. He pulled out a gun, tucking it in his waistband before jogging across the street. Once Axel knew which house he was going to, he grabbed his phone and called Graham.

“Talk to me,” Graham said.

“I’ve got an address.” Axel rattled off the street number and name. “Take care of him.”

“We will.”

* * * *

Toby lifted his arms over his head and stretched. He smiled as he opened his eyes and came face-to-face with his mate.

Duncan grinned. “Good morning, my love.”

“Morning,” Toby whispered.

Toby couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well, but he knew it was all because of Duncan. He couldn’t believe that one night could make three years of pain disappear, but that was exactly what had happened. His heart was lighter, making it easier to breathe. He wasn’t afraid to face a new day, not now that Duncan would be at his side.

Leaning forward, Toby pressed a kiss against Duncan’s lips, and his mate responded, kissing him back.

“If we don’t get out of bed, we’ll never get anything done today.”

Toby chuckled. “That’s true.”

“Let’s get dressed, and then I’ll make you some breakfast.”

“Mmm…” Toby’s stomach gurgled and growled. “I’m starving.”

“When was the last time you had a good meal?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Come on.” Duncan tossed the covers back and climbed out of bed. “Let’s get moving.”

Toby rolled out of bed. He shuffled his feet against the carpet, following Duncan toward the closet. His mate pulled open the door and stepped inside. Toby stood by the threshold, watching as Duncan pulled on a pair of jeans and a deep blue V-neck shirt. He knelt down beside a suitcase and unzipped it, flipping the lid open. Toby’s brows furrowed as Duncan grabbed a familiar striped T-shirt.

“Are those the clothes you bought me?”

Duncan glanced over and him and winked. “Yeah.”

“Thank you.” He couldn’t believe how thoughtful Duncan was. The man constantly surprised him.

“You’re welcome, love.” Duncan stood up.

He kissed the tip of Toby’s nose as he handed him a pair of jeans and a shirt. Toby got dressed in a hurry and followed after Duncan. When Duncan opened the bedroom door, Toby heard a bark. His eyes widened in surprise. Reaching out, he grabbed Duncan’s arm and looked up at his mate.

“Is that Lucky?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh my God!” Toby took off, jogging down the hallway, searching for his puppy.

Toby spotted Lucky in the living room. Dropping to his knees, he wrapped his arms around Lucky’s neck and hugged him.

“You’re so big,” he shrieked.

Duncan chuckled behind him. “That’s what happens.”

“I never thought I’d see him again.”

“After I was taken into custody, Aiden went to the house and packed everything up. He even took care of Lucky until I was released.”

“That was really nice of him.” Toby ran his hands down Lucky’s back, petting his old friend.

“Yeah, he’s a good guy. Come on, you two.” Duncan ruffled his hair. “It’s breakfast time.”

Toby rose to his feet. He walked toward the kitchen with Lucky at his side.

“Make yourself comfortable.” Duncan tilted his head toward the kitchen table. “We’re going to have a big breakfast.”

Toby pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. “Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

“Nope, I’ve got this covered.”

Toby ran his hand over Lucky’s head and down his ears. This whole scene seemed so surreal. He watched Duncan move around the kitchen like a seasoned chef. The man hummed softly as he worked his magic, making a breakfast fit for a king.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew Toby’s attention, and he glanced over his shoulder. His smile faltered when he spotted
Niall
. The other man strolled into the room as if he owned the place, and he wasn’t alone. He was flanked by two men, and they were all holding guns.

“No!” Toby shouted.

He jumped up and ran toward Duncan. Images of the time they’d spent together flashed before his eyes, reminding him of how blessed he truly was to have met a man like Duncan. He threw his body in front of his mate’s, protecting the man he loved more than his own life.
Bang.
The bullet hit him, and the force propelled Toby forward. He hit Duncan, and they both fell to the ground.

Lucky’s bark mixed with loud shouts, and gunfire rang out all around him, the sounds mingling together so loudly that his ears rang. Toby tried to get up. He needed to get Duncan to safety, but he couldn’t move. Tilting his head to the side, he stared into Duncan’s eyes one last time before everything turned black.

Everything happened so quickly that it took a minute for Duncan’s brain to process. He was standing in the kitchen, whipping up a batch of his famous pancakes, when Toby yelled. Spinning around, he watched as Toby ran toward him. The young man threw himself against Duncan’s chest. He caught a glimpse of the gun and heard a loud
bang
before falling to the floor.

Lifting his head, Duncan saw
Niall
. The man aimed his weapon, pointing the barrel at Toby’s head. Before he could do anything, three men rushed in. He didn’t recognize them, but he had a strange feeling they were there to protect them. Duncan wrapped his arms around Toby, holding him close. Using his legs, Duncan pushed himself backward against the slick tile floor, trying his best to put some space between them and the flying bullets.

As soon as they were hidden behind the nearest wall, Duncan stared down at Toby. His eyes roll backward, and he went limp, slumping against Duncan’s chest. Duncan’s heart stopped. He couldn’t lose Toby, not now, not after all they had been through.

“Toby,” he whispered.

Carefully rolling over, Duncan laid Toby on his back. He pressed two of his fingers against the man’s neck, frantically searching for a pulse.

“Get out of the way, human.” A big man with jet-black hair and a goatee pushed Duncan aside.

“Hey!” he shouted. Duncan tried to get close to Toby, but another man with platinum blond hair stopped him, pulling Duncan to his feet.

“We’re with the FPA. I’m Reed Dolur, and this is Max Lumeria,” He tilted his head toward a man with pink hair. The other guy, Max, was holding Lucky. “And that’s Graham Bingham. He’s going to help Toby.”

Graham ripped Toby’s shirt to shreds. He turned Toby over and assessed the damage to Toby’s back. Duncan’s stomach churned. There was so much blood. Duncan watched as the man’s nail grew out, turning into a sharp claw. He dug his finger into Toby’s back, searching for the bullet. When he found it, Graham tossed the piece of metal aside.

“Why isn’t he healing?” Reed asked.

Graham shook his head. “He needs to shift.”

“Why isn’t he shifting?” Duncan questioned, looking at each of the agents.

Graham stared at Duncan. “Toby hasn’t been taking proper care of himself. He probably hasn’t shifted into his fox form since being separated from you.”

“What can we do?”

“Force a shift,” Max murmured.

Graham nodded in agreement. “Making him shift is a painful process, but it’s the only way he’ll heal.”

“Okay.” Duncan nodded. “Do it.”

Graham rose to his full height. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto the counter before unbuttoning his jeans. “Take him out of here.”

“Come on,” Reed said.

He grabbed Duncan’s bicep and pulled him out of the kitchen. Duncan didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay by Toby’s side, but there was no way he could win a fight against Reed and Max. He wasn’t sure what kind of paranormals they were but assumed they were both predators.

“Max,” Reed said. “Can you call Abram and give him an update? We need to get this place cleaned up.”

Duncan didn’t give
Niall
’s dead body a second look as he stepped over him. As far as he was concerned,
Niall
had gotten what he deserved.

“Yeah,” Max answered.

When they reached the living room, Duncan started pacing. He moved back and forth, retracing his steps, over and over again. His mind was a wreck, and his heart ached. If this didn’t work, would Toby die? Could a shifter be killed with a single bullet?

A high-pitched howl filled the air, followed by a chattering whine. Fear unlike anything he’d ever known before raced down his spine. Duncan rushed toward the kitchen, only to be stopped by Reed.

“I need to know what’s happening in there,” he demanded.

Duncan needed to know the details. He couldn’t relax, not while his future with Toby hung in the balance.

“Graham is forcing Toby to shift,” Reed said. The other man leaned against the wall, blocking Duncan’s way into the kitchen. “He’ll be fine.”

“How exactly is he accomplishing that? It sounds like Graham is hurting him.”

“Graham would never hurt him.” Reed shook his head. “They were close at one time. In fact, Graham was one of the agents that rescued Toby when he was just a kid. The sounds you’re hearing are from Toby. He’s struggling with his shift.”

“Why is he struggling? I don’t understand.”

Reed sighed. “We’re shifters. By rejecting his fox, Toby buried the animal deep within himself. I’m going to assume he did that because he was afraid of turning rogue. After a paranormal finds his mate, they’re meant to be together. The separation shouldn’t have happened.”

Duncan nodded his understanding. He hated knowing that Toby was in pain. And he was partially to blame. The guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders. But he couldn’t go back and change anything. The only thing he could do was focus on the future. Duncan spun away from Reed and resumed his pacing.

A sad, little whine caught his attention, and Duncan stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly and spotted a red fox only a few feet away. Moving slowly so that he didn’t spook his adorable mate, Duncan sat down on the floor.

“Come here, Toby.” Duncan held out his arms.

His mate came toward him. Each step was measured, cautious. He sniffed the air, looking around. Duncan could see fear in his eyes, but he wasn’t sure why. Did Toby think that Duncan would reject him? Or was he afraid that someone might attack him?

“It’s okay.” Duncan spoke low and calm. “Nobody’s going to hurt you, love.”

His little fox jumped into his arms, and Duncan held him close. He ran his fingers through the coarse fur, petting him. Toby whined softly. He rubbed his fur face against Duncan’s neck and cheeks, marking him and giving him lot of kisses.

Duncan grinned. “My beautiful mate. Are you going to shift back, love? I need to hold you.”

He watched as Toby started to shift. It happened quickly. One minute he was holding a fox, and in the next, his naked mate was sitting on his lap.
Cupping Toby’s face, Duncan brought their lips together.

“I love you.”

Toby smiled. “I love you, too.”

“Are you okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I was really worried about you.”

Toby leaned his head against Duncan’s shoulder and sighed. Duncan wrapped his arms around his mate, holding him close. He kissed the top of Toby’s head and closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, nuzzling Duncan’s neck.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Duncan tightened his hold. “I would be lost without you.”

Someone cleared his throat, and Duncan opened his eyes. He looked up and found Graham standing near the threshold, staring at them.

“Thank you for helping him.”

Graham nodded. “I’m just glad he’s okay.”

“What happens now?” Duncan glanced down at Toby before looking back at Graham.