Shifted Perceptions (Alpha Division) (2 page)

Chapter 3

Two months earlier...

“I was wrong.”

My ears perked up at the admission. Since when was Teij wrong?

The team
had gathered around our table at headquarters. Maps laid out in front us, we were waiting to hear information on our mission, when Teij let out that confusing sentence.

I knew whatever was going down was serious, because he had
called
all
of the Division in. Usually, only a select few were placed on missions at any given time. Not this time around. The place was filled with shifters of all kinds, making my nose twitch with the assorted scents. But I was used to it.

I glanced around the table. Everyo
ne was focused on Teij. Leo, our lion, sat to my right. His short golden hair shone in the florescent light in the warehouse and his boy like features were hardened in concentration.

Next to him
, Hawk had been tapping his pen, but stopped as Teij began to speak. His glasses were falling off, and I itched to push them up. What the hell was a hawk wearing glasses for anyway? That was ridiculous, on many levels. But when asked, he shrugged and said he looked good in them. Distinguished, he said. I snorted softly. Whatever.

Alex, Jordan
, and Paul, the jaguar shifters, sat across the steel table from me, their eyes glued to Teij. Well, not Paul. He was staring at me, as usual. Did the man have nothing else to do but drive me insane? His lips lifted in a slight grin, or grimace, I couldn’t tell, and I shifted my eyes away from him, but not before I rolled them in annoyance.

Beside them were our wolves,
Russel, also known as Red, and Roman. Russel was a red head, obviously, with freckles scattered across his light skin. His other form was a red wolf. Mine was a red fox. Let’s just say I’m glad he got that particular nickname. I’d take Foxy over Red any day.

Roman was a Gray wolf. His dark hair was cut short and wavy with a little bit of gray at
his temples, though his face still looked young, only a few lines around his eyes. I always thought the combination was sexy.

S
ōm, our leopard and our most silent team mate, looked bored as hell. But I knew he was focused. The Asian man had a way about him that intrigued me. At all times, he gave off this vibe that he was anything but interested in what was happening around him, and yet, he was aware of everything. It was like he could become invisible.

I never underestimated him and kept him in my sights
at all times. Not because I didn’t trust him. No, I trusted him with my life. I was just smart enough to think before saying something I’d regret aloud. You never knew when Sōm would be around. I also knew he felt the same about me. I was a fox shifter after all. We were prone to mischief.

Bear shifted in is chair
to my left and I glanced at him. He smiled, then turned his attention back to Teij. I liked Bear. He may have been the biggest guy on the team besides Teij, but he was also the sweetest. No matter how bad ass I tried to be or was, he always treated me like a lady, holding open doors and chairs. He even tried not to curse around me. It drove me nuts, but what could you do? It’s not like I’m going to chew the guy a new one for being nice. But for all his gentleness, I pitied anyone who came up against the big guy.

“I was wrong about mission Wild Hunt,” T
eij said, catching my attention again. I couldn’t help but glance over at Alex and Jordan, but they gave nothing away as they stared intently at our boss.

“Alexander Wright Sr
may have been distributing the drugs for the fighters and his guards, but that’s not the end of the story.”

“What are you saying?” Jordan asked, his voice so deep he was almost growling. I didn’t blame him. No one wanted to think back to that grueling mission, especially him and Alex.

Less than six months before, Jordan and Alex were part of the mission that took out both of their fathers. Not that those sadistic SOBs didn’t deserve it. They had distributed drugs to their own people and tossed them into what they called
The Trench
to fight for money. Shifter against shifter. It was appalling. Fighting was fine, but those men didn’t have a choice.

To add insult to injury, Alexander and Lee admitted to their sons that they killed
their mothers. And they kidnapped Jordan and Alex’s fiancee, Samantha. That didn’t fly.

No, I corrected myself. They didn’t kidnap her, Paul had, I thought
, with a sneer, as I did my best not to glare at him. I didn’t care that he turned good and helped save the day. Once a traitor, always a traitor in my book.

When all was said and done, w
e got home safely and had all thought it was good and over. One more bad memory to add to the hordes already taking up space in our minds. But nope, it seemed we were far from done with this mess.

“Dead shifters are popping up all over the U.S., and the lab confirmed they were all high on that same drug Alexander was using.”

“Cocaine,” Alex supplied, helpfully.

Teij
shook his head and grimaced. “No, not cocaine. We thought it was strange that there had been no known effects of cocaine in shifters in the past. At least, not like the effects we witnessed a few months ago. I sent off the drugs and the lab has confirmed that it is in fact, not cocaine. Well, not like any cocaine we have ever seen. It’s been compounded with a few other substances. One being silver.”

“That makes no sense,” I
spoke up. “We don’t have an affliction with silver, so that can’t be what’s been causing these reactions.”

“That’s what I thought too, but I was wrong. Again.” He shook his head. “This has been one big clusterfuck after another. We were so sure that mission Wild Hunt was over, but it seems our problems are only getting bigger. Someone is distributing massive amounts of this drug and we need to find out who.”

Teij pointed to a large map in the center of the table. “Whoever this guy is, he likes to keep himself hidden from all operations. He’s got small groups all over the country and with the help of the other Divisions, and the government, we know of a few that we’ll be infiltrating. This one’s ours,” he said, pointing to a tiny dot in the foothills of North Carolina.

“They’ve taken over this small town and not a single word got out about it. How, I don’t know, but we’re going to find out. This group is fairly large, a mix of humans and shifters. They don’t discriminate when
it comes to their members, and they’re using this town to house and distribute some nasty things. Drugs, weapons... Who knows what else.

“R
ed, you're my man for this one. I want you undercover and inside. Get in with the leader and find out what’s happening and when.”

“Yes, Sir,” R
ed nodded.

“We’ll be keeping an eye on you,” Teij reassured. None of us cared for the undercover missions. Too many things could go wrong and without sufficient back up it was worse.

Teij continued handing out orders, preparing us for one of the largest missions we’d had to date, and I planned to make sure nothing went to hell. I would be paying attention this time. No traitor was going to take my men out. Not this time.

Chapter 4

2 months later...

So
, this was Cedar Hill, I thought, as I looked back and forth down the main street. It was one of those small towns that you’d see on a post card. Quaint buildings lined the street, inviting and picturesque. It was the type of place that gave off peace and tranquility, but I knew better. Something darker lay behind the scene. If you looked close enough, you’d see more than just the happy family skipping into the ice cream parlor next to you. If you kept your eyes open, you’d see what was beneath the facade. Like the two guys leaning against their car parked only meters away from me. They were trying not to stare, but I knew they were watching me.

I also saw another group of men farther down the road. They leaned against the brick, pretending to be in friendly conversation, but I could see how their hands hovered over th
eir waistbands. And their guns.

I sighed. Hopefully once this was done, peace would be more than skin deep for this town.

Gripping the strap of my backpack, I hitched it up my shoulder and made my way across the street to the small diner. Not only was I hungry, diners in small towns were the best way to get the scoop, and this small town had heaps to scoop.

I
didn’t have a whole lot of time, so going to where the most gossip happened was my best bet. Not only could I get more info on what was happening and who was doing it, my presence would spread as well. Maybe someone would approach me before the day was over.

The smells
assaulted my sensitive nose before I even pushed on the door. The smell of frying potatoes and meats was almost disgusting, but I was hungry enough to ignore it. I also tried to ignore the stares. As soon as I stepped into Melba’s, all sound stopped, as they gaped at the new girl.

As I let my eyes adjust to the
dim light, the noise slowly came back. Silverware clinked and people began talking again, though, in hushed tones. Even if I hadn’t had super hearing I would have known they were talking about me – Speculating.

Shrugging
, I looked around the restaurant, seeing only one seat left, the last booth in the back. Perfect. It had a clear view of the other tables as well as the door. But as I slid into the booth, I began wondering if it was a mistake. The place went silent again. So silent, even the sound of dishes in the back being washed stopped.

Sliding
off my backpack and setting it beside me, I looked up to see the whole place glaring back at me. I raised an eyebrow and all but one person looked away.

A woman across the room kept her eyes on me. She was pretty, with long
, dirty blonde hair curled around her shoulders. Her blue eyes were intense, as she studied me. There was something about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. She smelled human, so that wasn’t the issue.

She
continued to stare, which was beginning to annoy the hell out of me, so I winked at her. It did what it was suppose to. She blushed and looked away. Strange, I thought, as I picked up a menu that was on the table.

“Sugar, you may want to change seats.” I knew she was there, but I was surprised by her statement, though
, I didn’t show it.

Keeping my eyes on the menu I said, “Can’t. This was the only seat not taken.”

“Well, you see...” Not only could I hear the nerves in her voice, but anxiety was coming off all of these people like a wave, battering at me from every side.

Taking a deep breath, I looked up at the older woman, noticing how beautiful she was. With her silver hair perfectly coiled on the top of her head and the way her blue eyes sparkled, I could tell she had been a bombshell when she were younger. She carried herself with confidence, yet the wrinkles in her brow told me of worry.

“This table is reserved,” she said.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I didn’t see a sign.”

“There’s not, but Stone always sits there.”

“Stone?”
I asked. “Like Stone Cold?” I knew my voice was skeptical as well as mocking, but I couldn’t help it.

“
Yes,” she said, her face pinched with disapproval. “He wouldn’t like it if his seat wasn’t ready for him when he comes in.”

“Are you expecting him anytime soon?”

“Well, no, sugar, but it’s a bad idea to get in Stone’s way. Best to keep this booth empty, just in case.” I raised an eyebrow at that. What the hell would this guy do if his precious booth was occupied. I’d love to find out, I thought with an inner smile.

“How about this?
I’m not planning on staying long. In fact, I’m only having the simple breakfast and an ice water,” I said, pointing to the menu. “If he comes in while I’m still here, I’ll think about moving. Okay?”

Another hush went through the crowd
, along with a few gasps. Now, I really was interested in seeing this guy show up.

“Your funeral, s
ugar,” she said coolly before walking away. To get my food, I hoped, as I felt my stomach growl.

She had in fact put in my order and it arrived in no time
, and as I sat quietly eating my eggs over medium and whole wheat toast, the crowd had gone back to speaking quietly among themselves. I got a pitying look every once in a while, making me wonder if this guy Stone was as bad as the waitress made him out to be. If so, I really wanted to meet him. Could he be part of the organization I was here for? I hoped so.

The door to the restaurant opened just a
s I picked up my water to take a sip. Another hush went over the patrons and I used my peripheral vision to see all eyes focus on the entrance. I didn’t look, only continued to eat, as if I had no clue the man everyone feared had just found his booth occupied.

It was so quiet, the only thing heard was the sound of my
utensils tapping the plate as I scooped up some buttery grits, then the moan I exaggerated, as I closed my mouth around the fork. Grabbing my toast, I sopped up some egg yolk and took a bite. Delicious, I thought with an inner grin and another groan of appreciation.

“Barry’s food is good when you’re starving and in need of a somewhat home cooked
meal, but I know for a fact it’s not that good,” a deep voice said beside me.

I hate to admit it, but I almost jumped. Paying more attention to goading him than where he was
, almost had me losing my cool. And so did the sight of the man himself.

My eyes ran up his tight form, starting with his
worn tennis shoes all the way up his loose gray sweats. The dark blue hoodie was unzipped, showing off a tight white T-shirt that looked worn and slightly sweaty. I was confident that he’d just finished with a run.

My gaze finally made it to his face.
To say he was good looking would have been an understatement. He had a lean jaw with just enough facial hair, causing me to want to reach up and rub my palm across the rough bristles. And the color was a nice dark blond, not quite brown, blending in with his tanned skin. My green eyes met his gray ones, and I smiled politely.

“May I sit?” h
e asked, gesturing to the empty booth.

Just then
, the too quiet diner exploded with noise, as chairs scraped across the floor. I winced at the sound, as I peered around my visitor to see most of the customers heading for the door. Except for the girl. She was staring at me again, though, this time those curious blue eyes were cold and glaring.

“Looks like there’s plenty
of places to sit,” I said, as I glanced back at him. He didn’t turn to look, just nodded before surprising the shit out of me and sitting down right next to me.

“Yes, but I prefer this table,” he said, then looked directly at me. “And this seat.”

I scooted over automatically, as our legs brushed and I narrowed my eyes. Who the hell... I let the thought drift, as I remembered I had a role to play. So, instead of flashing fire like I really wanted to, I smiled.

“Well, sure, you and everybody else. You know
, the waitress was just telling me about this asshole that comes in here everyday wanting this same booth. She even asked me to move. Can you believe that? Some guy scaring people over a restaurant table? Some people, I swear,” I said, making sure I added enough southern drawl without sounding too fake. Now it was his turn to narrow his eyes, though, I only smiled politely, as I shook my head.

“Sir, here’s you
r coffee. Do you want your usual?” The waitress asked, as she stepped up to the table. Her hands shook, as she placed the coffee mug down in front of the angry looking man, though her tone was calm.

“Yes,
Mary, the usual is fine.”

“Anything else? I made my special breakfast bread this morning. Would you like some?” Mary asked, her voice so sweet
, I was sure I felt a sharp ache in my tooth. This woman sure knew how to kiss ass.

“No
, thank you,” he said politely, yet I could tell from his tone that he wanted her to leave.

Mary
hurried off and I turned to my food. I watched him from the corner of my eye, as I picked up my fork and began eating again. His back was ramrod straight, his muscles tense. I also noticed how his jaw ticked, and when he looked at me with those light gray eyes, it suddenly hit me. He looked solid and stiff, as if someone had shoved a stick up his ass. The name Stone definitely fit.

“So
, are you new in town?” he asked.

“Just got here actually.”

“Where are you staying?”

I took a sip of water and raised an eyebrow. Placing the glass down, I licked my lips and gave him a wary look. “Why do you want to know?”

He shrugged, “Just curious.”

Curious my ass. “
Well, my mama always told me not to tell people that kind of personal information. Especially good looking men like yourself. You might be a serial killer or something. Are you a serial killer or something?” I asked, as I narrowed my eyes playfully.

“Or something,” he said
, his lips twitching, as he took a sip of his black coffee. “I just wanted to make sure you found a roof over your head before nightfall. There’s only one hotel in town, unless you’re staying with family? Friends?”

“Nope,” Is all I said to his inquiry. He was being too damn nosy. “So what’s your name?”

Just as he opened his mouth, a feminine voice interrupted, “His name is Stone.” The waitress placed his plate down in front of him as she spoke. I couldn’t see his face, but whatever expression he wore must have been scary, because the waitress's eyes got huge. “Sorry, sir,” she murmured before running off, as if fire were licking at her shoes.

“Stone?” I asked. “That’s really your name?”

He sighed, before turning to look at me, all traces of anger gone. “Yeah, that’s what they call me.” His voice sounded resigned, which had my curiosity peaking, but I didn’t have time for it now.

“I can see why,” I murmured
.

His eyebrows furrowed for a second before he burst out laughing, startling me and the
few patrons left. They all looked at him as if he’d grown two heads before glancing at me with the same expression. I could only shrug, as I got lost in his laughter. It was deep, masculine and called out for me to join, but I didn’t. I played it cool and ate the last of my toast, as he calmed down.

“Yo
u’re something you know that?” He looked down at me thoughtfully.

“
If you say you’re
or something
, and now, I’m
something
, what does that say about us?”

“That we’re...
something
?” He grinned. I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“Well, that sure is interesting
, and I’d love to talk more about
something
, but I got to head out. What was the name of that hotel?”

“
Cedar Hill Inn. It’s just a block up the street. Need a lift?”

“No thanks, I’ll walk,” I said
, as I motioned for him to let me out of the booth.

“Did your mama
tell you not to take rides from strangers too?” Stone stood up and I scooted out of my seat. When I stood next to him, I had to look up, of course. I was 5’7”, but the men in my life usually towered over me.

“Actually, no. That’s how she met my daddy
,” I said and we both laughed. “Okay, I lied, she said not to get into cars with strangers that offer me candy. You don’t have any candy do you?”

Stone shook his head,
“Nope, no candy here.”

“That’s too bad.” My voice held a hint of dismay. “I don’t always listen to my mama. See ya ar
ound.” I winked before turning on my heels and heading toward the door. His open mouth was enough to make me grin.

“What’s your name?” he called out just as I touch
ed the door.

I turned and smiled. “Foxy.
”

“I’ll definitely
be seeing you around, Foxy.” His tone held the heat of a promise, causing warmth to pool in my stomach, though, I was pretty sure it had been more of a threat.