“Coffee usually is wet,” she said, sitting across from him. From the way she was grinning, it was as if she could read his thoughts, but he was pretty sure that wasn’t a shifter power.
That must be witches … yeah. Witches. Wait, are they real?
He looked up at Pilar in alarm. She was still watching him, but frown lines were slowly appearing across her brows.
“Your breakfast is getting cold,” she said. He looked in front of him and saw there was a plate of bacon and eggs right under his nose. He grunted appreciatively and picked up his fork.
“What were you thinking about?” Pilar asked. He was sure there was a naughty glint in her eye.
“Witches,” he said firmly.
He kept his eyes on his plate. After a night of dreaming about her perfect and naked beauty, sitting across from her was too much. He had to stay quiet, or he was going to blurt out his craziest sexual fantasies when she asked him if he wanted sugar.
I want all the sugar you got, baby.
Thankfully, his phone rang and distracted him from his own thoughts. It was an unknown number, but he was grateful. Hopefully, they were selling insurance. Something really dull and boring that he couldn’t confuse with sex.
“Hello?” he answered, glad that his voice sounded at least partially normal. To his relief, it was the Department of Defense.
It can’t get much more boring than a government agency.
They informed him that they were sending a car and they wanted to take him to a secure location to discuss the case. They refused to answer any of his questions and rang off, telling him to be ready in half an hour.
“You okay?” Pilar asked, shoveling mouthfuls of bacon and egg into her mouth.
“Yeah. We have to …”
“Be ready to meet the DOD, yeah.” She twirled the fork next to her head. “Shifter hearing. But you don’t look happy about it.”
“I don’t know what they want,” he said, shrugging helplessly. “If they’re involved, maybe I am in some serious danger.”
Pilar shrugged, smiling reassuringly. “Let’s just find out what they want, first. Then we can worry about everything else.”
Even though it was sound advice, Maverick had trouble following it. They cleaned up quickly and headed downstairs, with Maverick getting more anxious by the second. Pilar did nothing to help calm his nerves as she looked around, checking every corner and doorway before he passed it.
“Is that really necessary?” he muttered.
She nodded. “Do you really want to stay alive?”
Maverick was too tired to argue. Hopefully, this thing with the DOD would be over quickly, and then he could get some rest. Even his quick mind was struggling to keep up with the constant developments, especially because none of it was adding up to anything concrete.
They headed out the front of the building, and near the corner of the street, Maverick saw the car already waiting for them. Three men stepped out of the vehicle, clearly showing the insignia on the door as it swung toward them.
I’m safe. Everything is going to be okay.
For a brief moment, everything was completely normal. He watched the three guys in neat suits walking toward them, their badges fluttering in the wind. He held out his hand, ready to introduce himself and be taken to somewhere where he couldn’t be randomly attacked.
Then Pilar leapt in front of him, roaring as she shifted into her lioness. He didn’t know if she was truly faster than the eye could follow or if he was so tired that he hadn’t seen her move. Maverick simply stood there in complete confusion for a few seconds, unable to believe what was happening.
Pilar sprang at the three men. One of them turned and tried to get back into the car. The other two simply weren’t fast enough, and Pilar brought them both down on her first pounce. Keeping one down with her weight on his back, she twisted and swiped at the other, ripping open his throat.
As she leapt for the third guy, she left deep bloody furrows in the back of the first man. Maverick watched in cold horror as she brought down the third man while he was trying to get into the car. His screams were horrible as she slowly mauled him to death right there on the driver’s seat.
By the time she came back around, the first man was trying to crawl away. Pilar trotted up to him, bent down, and grabbed him around the neck like a mother cat would to a kitten. Instead of dragging him away to safety, she shook her head and broke his neck in one clean snap.
Maverick looked around, confused and helpless. He stood in the morning sun, staring at the lioness and wondering if he should just run.
And go where?