Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) Read online

  “Not really.”

  He leaned back against the counter, his hulking figure boxing me in. “I heard you talking to Remy about a party.”

  “Were you eavesdropping?”

  “No. I was listening to my employees.”

  “We’re not your employees.”

  “You work under me.” He accentuated the word under, and it kind of made my skin crawl. At twenty-three, Eric wasn’t that much older than my nineteen, but that didn’t mean his pseudo come-ons didn’t skeeve me out. There was something almost menacing about him. You knew he was dangerous just by being near him. Why someone like that would be an assistant manager at a coffee shop, I didn’t know. But he did moonlight as a bouncer.

  “Is there a point to this questioning?” Letting someone know they intimidate you is never a good idea. I tried to make myself appear unmoved.

  “Come out with me Saturday night.” He crossed his arms over his unbelievably built chest. No one could say Eric wasn’t in shape. However, they might question his use of performance enhancement drugs.

  “Didn’t you just say I was your employee?”

  “Yes.”

  “So…doesn’t that seem like a conflict of interest?”

  He ran a hand through his blond hair. “It would only be a conflict of interest if you said no.”

  “How do you figure?” I crossed my arms.

  “I can make your life easy or hard, Bates.”

  “This is harassment.”

  “And what are you going to do about it?” A light smile tugged on the corner of his lips.

  “Report it. Marv won’t put up with it.” The owner was a hell of a lot nicer than Eric was.

  His smile became a full on grin. “My uncle doesn’t have a problem with me dating you.”

  “Excuse me? Uncle?”

  “Yeah. He’s my mom’s brother. That’s why we don’t have the same last name.”

  “Oh.” Damn it. How had I not figured that out before? The more I thought about, the more it fit. They definitely had a close relationship.

  “So Saturday, eight o’clock?”

  “No.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said no. I’m not going out with you.” I couldn’t afford to lose the job, but losing my dignity would be worse. I wasn’t going to let someone bully me.

  “Is there a reason you’re being a bitch?” He stood up straight, accentuating his height.

  “Is there a reason you can’t take no for an answer?”

  He laughed. “I like your spirit, Bates.”

  “My spirit?”

  “Yeah. I might even respect it a little.” He shifted and gave me a smidge more personal space.

  “Okay…so that means you’ll back off?”

  “It means I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say no. I’ll pick you up at eight Saturday.”

  I stood up as straight as possible, trying to make my 5’7” seem even taller. “Do you think I want to keep this job that bad?”

  “I think you want to put your own roof over your head so you don’t have to run home to mommy and daddy.” He relaxed his arms down at his sides.

  His statement about picking me up set in. “How do you know where I live?”

  “Your employee file.”

  “That’s private.”

  “Is it Casey Morgan Bates?” He winked. “I’m out, see you Saturday night.”

  “I’m not going out with you!” I yelled, but he didn’t glance back as he slipped outside.

  Perfect.

  Chapter Three

  Toby

  “You’ve got to come tonight.” Emmett’s voice echoed across the gym. We were shooting hoops like two old friends. No one would imagine the history between us—not even him.

  “Why?” I caught a rebound and easily tossed it through the net.

  “Because you’ve been moping around about Allie long enough. She moved on. So should you.” Just the mention of Allie’s name made my chest tighten. Getting over an ex-girlfriend is hard, but try getting over her when you work for her fiancé.

  “I don’t get it, man. You could have any girl you want. You live in a fucking penthouse for God’s sake, yet you never date.”

  “You wouldn’t get it.” I went for a jump shot, using only a quarter as much effort as I’d use if it were just me in the gym.

  “I wouldn’t? If you were still into her, why did you dump her to begin with?” Emmett’s sneakers squeaked on the polished wood floor.

  The side effect of having a witch erase your friend’s memory is that she might erase more than you want her to. It isn’t something I’d have ever agreed to if I thought there was another choice, but the other option was a one way trip to the morgue for both Emmett and his girlfriend.

  “She dumped me, man.” I caught the rebound and took another shot.

  “Oh? Really?” His blank stare backed up my discovery that every memory he had involving Allie was now a little mixed up. I felt guilty about messing with his memories and holding him and Jess hostage, but in the end, things worked out for the two of them. Besides, it was either kidnap them or let my grandfather destroy the girl I loved. I couldn’t sit back and allow that no matter how much I hated treating my friends that way.

  “Yes, really. She dumped me, and now she’s engaged. I’m allowed to be pissed.” I tossed the ball to Emmett.

  “Pissed. Sure. But not pathetic. Come over. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Just because you’re getting ready to propose doesn’t mean the rest of the world wants that bull shit.” Falling in love once was bad enough. I had no intention of doing it again.

  “Will you come or not?” He went for a shot but missed the basket.

  “I’ll come.” I caught the rebound and easily tossed it through the net again.

  “Cool. You need the address?”

  I smiled to myself. I knew the address since I was the one who found the apartment for them. Neither of them seemed to think it was odd that they were paying a fraction of the price they should have to live in that kind of place. Messing with people’s memories seems to be fraught with side effects. “I’ve got the address.” I may have kidnapped them for a little while, but I was paying them back in the only way I could—with money.

  “Awesome. Jess is inviting a bunch of her friends from school. Maybe one will catch your eye.”

  “Doubtful.” If I was looking for a girlfriend, it wouldn’t be a college girl. One of the benefits of dropping out of Princeton was avoiding that crowd. Agreeing to the party aside, it wasn’t my scene anymore. I’d never pictured myself the drop out type, but I couldn’t live in Princeton and work my job in New York. Something had to give.

  I sensed my cousins before I saw them. I’d always had stronger senses than other people. Even before I really understood what I was, I knew where the trait came from. My mom’s family.

  “What do you two want?” I took another shot without turning around. I could have whispered and they would have still heard me.

  “We’ve got a problem.” Tim sat down on the bottom bleacher. He was the older of the two and the more talkative. Tom never said much. I’d kind of inherited the henchman when I took over for my grandfather, but they came in handy—sometimes.

  I let Emmett grab the rebound, and I joined them by the bleachers. “What’s the problem?” I knew it had something to do with the attacks, but I didn’t know what.

  “The count is up.”

  “Fantastic. Same signs?” I spoke as vaguely as possible. Emmett’s mind may have been toyed with, but that didn’t mean he was completely dumb.

  “Yeah. We can’t keep ignoring this.”

  He was right, whether I wanted to admit it or not. “Give me ten. I need to shower.”

  “No prob, boss.” Tom and Tim stood up at the same time and headed to the exit. “Meet you at the office.”

  “Is everything okay, man?” Emmett set aside an empty bottle of water he’d gulped down in less than
a minute.

  “Yeah. It’s just work stuff.”

  “They work you to the bone.”

  “They pay well.” The excuse sounded believable to my own ears.

  He dribbled the ball. “That’s something. So we’ll see you tonight?”

  “I’ll be there.” I nodded before heading into the locker room. Surprise, surprise, it was time to go back to work.

  ***

  At least my office had a good view. That’s what I told myself when I dragged my ass into work every day. That way I could pretend I was just like every other sucker out there, going to work just so I could pay the bills. But that wasn’t me. I didn’t have a normal job, and I had enough money to pay my bills for the rest of my life. I’d inherited my grandfather’s position and taken on a new one for the king, otherwise known as the guy who stole my girlfriend. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled with the situation, but it wasn’t the kind of offer you turned down. Besides, my nature wouldn’t let me. The drive for power was in my blood.

  “So what’s the update?” I took a seat at my giant mahogany desk. It was way too big and old fashioned for my taste, but updating my office wasn’t a priority. I still hadn’t even gone back to Princeton to pack up my dorm room. There wasn’t anything I wanted from it. The only personal mementos I had there were pictures of Allie and my mom. I didn’t particularly want either.

  “They’re moving outside the city.” Tim paced the room. “We’re not going to be able to hide them anymore.”

  “And we’re sure it’s shifters? There’s no other explanation?” I knew the answer, but my life would have been much easier if it had been a different one.

  “Yes. You know it as much as I do.” He leaned one hand on a bookcase. His brown hair appeared almost red in the late day sun that was spilling in through the window.

  “How big is this? Is it just one wolf pack or several?”

  Tim paused for a beat. “It’s also bears.”

  “Bears?” I asked with genuine surprise.

  “Yeah. It’s got to be them. That’s the only explanation for what happened at Forest Hills.”

  “You almost make it sound like wolves and bears are working together.” I flipped through a pile of papers on my desk. You’d think in the digital age, we’d be done with paperwork.

  “Crazy, I know. But it can’t be a coincidence.”

  “What are they trying to accomplish? Lower shifters can be reckless, but they usually avoid violence for violence sake, and they don’t want to get The Society’s attention.”

  “Unless that is what they want.”

  “They want to get attention.” The reality dawned on me. “They want to get everyone’s attention.”

  “Why? Just to stir up trouble?”

  “Who knows.” I thought about the wolf I’d caught the other night outside the coffee shop. When he chose Casey, he’d made it personal. That barista was the one bright spot of my day. I weighed the pros and cons of telling my cousins about it. The pros won out. “I caught a wolf the other night.”

  “You what?” Tom surprised me by speaking.

  “He was about to attack a human outside a coffee house in the Village.”

  “What did you do with him? You killed him, I hope.” Tim took a seat in one of the visitor chairs. They were covered in brown leather and starting to show their age. That oversight wasn’t like my grandfather.

  “I doubt he’s shifting back.” It’s hard for shifters to heal in their animal form. I didn’t do him any favors.

  Tim shuddered. “I’d hate to get on your bad side, cuz.”

  “Then don’t.” I was kind of enjoying the reputation I’d developed after killing my grandfather with my bare hands. Everyone thought I was ruthless and seemed to be scared of me. What they didn’t realize is I’d only acted on instinct. I had to protect Allie in any way I could.

  Tim faked a laugh. Always the kiss up. “Of course. So what do you suggest? Is it time to bring in the king?”

  I sighed. “I’d like to avoid that as long as possible.” In addition to inheriting my grandfather’s position, I was also the leader of the New York contingent of The Society. Most humans have never heard of The Society, mostly because they aren’t important enough. Any paranormal or other supernatural being, or high ranking member of the human race, is well aware that The Society is the group that calls all the shots.

  “Is this because of your personal issues with the king?”

  “Personal issues?” I guess you could call the fact that the king had taken my girlfriend as his mate a personal issue.

  “Levi’s king now, and he even gave you a good gig. Cut the guy some slack.”

  “He gave me this gig because I protected Allie.”

  Tim looked away, and I knew he was rolling his eyes. “However you spin it, he gave you some power. Embrace it. The city is ours.”

  “Yeah. Just a few months in and all hell has broken loose. It’s like everyone was waiting for the old man to die before digging in.”

  The brothers looked at each other.

  “You think that’s what it is?”

  “Of course. The lower shifters think we’re weak. We have to remind them we’re Pterons, and we don’t take their shit.”

  “And how do you suggest we do that?”

  “Either you let us have our fun, or we call in the king.”

  I didn’t need to think over the options for long. “Have your fun, but keep it clean. No humans get hurt.”

  “Got it. You want to join us?”

  “No. I’ve got plans tonight.” Maybe there was something positive about agreeing to Emmett’s party. I had no desire to watch my cousins knock around a bunch of idiot shifters who thought that flexing their muscles was going to make a difference. If there’s anything that Pteron’s hate, it’s lower shifters causing trouble. We may have been shifters ourselves, but we were a hell of a lot stronger, faster, and smarter. That didn’t mean that anyone wanted to listen to us—but they always did.

  Pterons have been running The Society worldwide for centuries. The North American region has been run by the Laurent family out of New Orleans for several generations. Levi, the current king and the bane of my existence, had just taken his place a few months before. The last time I’d seen Allie was at their coronation. She looked so happy that I decided to stay the hell away. Seeing each other wasn’t good for either of us, especially not me. With millions of human girls out there, Pterons date and mate with humans almost exclusively, I could have found someone new, but I wasn’t ready yet. At least that’s what I told myself.

  By the time my cousins left, the sun had set, and the city was dark once again. I loved the night for one reason, and I was about to enjoy it.

  I headed up to the roof, unbuttoning my shirt in the process. By the time I pushed through the door into the night, I had already shed the blue fabric. After checking that no one was around, I let myself transform. My large brown wings were easily concealed inside small slits when I wanted them to be, but it was always invigorating to have them out. Nothing felt quite as good as flying, and I did it every chance I had.

  I jumped off the side of the building, falling for a moment before climbing again to make sure no one noticed. I headed away from the lights of the city, away from the stress and the constant reminders that I was completely alone.

  Chapter Four

  Jared

  “When did this city get so boring?” I leaned back against the black leather couch in my apartment. I’d been living there since sophomore year of college, and graduation was only a few months away. I needed to find a new place to live, preferably somewhere without roommates. At twenty-two, I was ready for my own space.

  “When you finally slept with every girl in the whole damn place.” Owen, my roommate, tossed his controller on the ground. He was in an uncharacteristically pissed off mood.

  “I haven’t slept with them all, but I’ll agree I’ve gone through most of the good ones.”

  “And you
wonder why half the girls at Tulane want you dead.”

  “Have I ever wondered that?” I smirked. My smirk always pissed Owen off. If he was already in a bad mood, I might as well make it worse. That probably makes me seem like an ass, but it’s just the way it was with us. We’d been butting heads since preschool. He knew as well as I did that a few angry girls didn’t bother me. I’d been spending a lot of time with the Loyola girls lately. There’s just something about catholic school girls…

  “Two more months and we’re done with school. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of excuses to leave New Orleans.”

  “Depends. Levi’s been keeping me busy.” I stretched my arms above my head. I needed to get a good work out in. That was probably Owen’s problem. Pterons tend to get cranky when we don’t get enough physical exercise. Maybe it’s because we descend from bird shifters—the whole stretch your wings thing.

  “Yeah, because he was dumb enough to make you head of security.”

  “You’re his chief advisor. What does that say about the new king?”

  Owen grinned. “That he’s very well advised.”

  “Let’s hope he doesn’t actually need your sorry ass.”

  “I wouldn’t worry.”

  “I’m not worrying. Levi doesn’t care about much that doesn’t involve Allie.” Levi had been my other roommate until recently. He’d gone from prince to king and was living in a mansion with his mate. Although I found Allie to be annoying when I first met her, she’d grown on me. We’d fallen into a weird sort of friendship that worked for us.

  “Can you really blame him after all the hell he went through to get her?” Owen grabbed a soda from the fridge.

  Allie put Levi through the ringer when he was trying to get her to become his queen. Her resistance had made him miserable, but in the end, I got the sense that it made them stronger.

  “No…but eventually he’s got to get tired of fucking the same girl constantly, right?”

  “That is the queen you’re talking about.”