Simon’s mind was a dark place of violence and possession. He owned these creatures now. He could do whatever he wanted to with them beginning with the woman. As soon as he could, he was going to mount her and impregnate her because she was beautiful and she was his. But first he had to make sure every lesser creature here gave him due reverence.
And that meant someone else had to die. It was just a question of who.
He looked at them as they came to their feet. A couple brown bear-shifters, the rest grizzlies. Some impressive in size, others just big. He glared at them all, then bellowed his first order.
“Human. Now.”
He waited, watching to see who obeyed quickly, who struggled to change, and who he would kill first. He didn’t need another dominance show. He was standing next to Nanook’s carcass. But it never hurt to drive a point home.
None hesitated before the shift. One by one they turned from dark glorious fur to naked flesh of unimpressive bodies. None here matched his physique and none would dare look askance at him. If they tried, he would kill them, plain and simple. He also scanned the discarded clothes, noting that nearly every pile had a gun. If any man turned to dress, he would be the next to die.
Simon waited and watched, his mind and body unified in speed and intelligence. Splitting his mind into bear and human was stupid. It made it agonizingly difficult to switch between bodies and he constantly risked being trapped in one form or another.
Not now. Not when he was one being with one goal: dominate all he saw.
An old Hispanic man was the last to shift. Probably one of the weakest here. Perfect as the first cull. Simon could kill him as an example. Or maybe he should target the biggest one.
He walked over to a huge black man with broad shoulders and meaty fists. A scar cut across his jaw, stark and impressive given that he retained the mark even after shifting. That meant whatever had caused the wound had cut into the man’s psyche as well. He had a hard jaw and narrowed eyes, and though his head was tilted in submission, he held it at the bare minimum angle.
“Who is your alpha?” he asked the man, his tone flat.
“You are,” the man snapped in near military precision. But he’d been the only one to answer, and that was unacceptable.
He glared around the room and repeated the question.
“Who is your alpha?”
“You are!” every man rushed to answer.
“Whom do you obey?”
“You!”
Then he turned to the black man. “Why do you obey me?”
“Because you are.”
Good answer, but there was little humility in the man’s gaze. Lip service, then, because he smelled no terror coming off him. Nothing but the lingering scent of stale cigarette.
“I should kill you,” he said casually.
The man’s head jerked straight in surprise, but he didn’t speak.
“Do you know why?”
“Because I am large and scary looking. Because I am the next logical challenger.”
“Yes.” Then Simon allowed his lips to curve. “I don’t need to be a grizzly to kill you. I could do it right now with my bare hands.”
Again the man stayed silent. So did almost everyone else. Everyone but Alyssa who whispered his name.
“Simon.”
It was barely audible and not meant to distract. It was a plea or a prayer to God. Either way he whipped around and stalked toward her. In this group of dangerous, vicious creatures, she was the only one who dared challenge him. She was the one who looked him in the eye and he should kill her. But she was female and he meant to mount her. So she would not die yet, but he would punish her.
Once in front of her, he gripped her arm and hauled her to her feet. And when she was not sufficiently compliant, he jerked her against his body. She was dressed in tight jeans and a thin tee, and he was naked. And while he held her hard against his body, he rubbed himself up and down against her crotch. Let them see how big he was. Let him see what he would do to her.
She gasped in shock, her eyes going wide. Behind her, Vic shifted uncomfortably, but he didn’t speak. If he did, he’d be the one to die. But Alyssa’s brother kept his eyes down and his hands clenched. And best of all, Vic was completely and totally human looking now. No monster in sight.
So he focused on Alyssa.
“I told you to be quiet,” he said against her ear.
He was gloriously erect now. Around her, it took nothing for him to be hard as a rock. He thought about bending her over here. He could show everyone that he possessed her. But he would be vulnerable while inside her. It was too soon for such a thing, more’s the pity. Because he wanted her now with a hunger that burned in his belly.
Meanwhile, her expression softened. It was not the look he expected. He only understood submission or challenge. But her brows lifted and her mouth eased. And then she slowly lifted her hand to touch his cheek. Her skin was cool and her touch gentle.
He reared back in shock and though she stilled, she didn’t cringe at the violence he felt churning inside him. She simply stood poised with her hand suspended in the air. And then she spoke, her voice barely audible even to him who stood a few inches away.
“Come back, Simon. Come back to who you really are.”
He inhaled, his nostrils flaring. He scented fear from everyone around him including her. Good. But from her, he also scented arousal. He saw it, too, in the rapid pulse in her throat and the flush to her cheeks. But beyond those signs, she remained steady and focused.
“Do you remember why we’re here?” she asked.
“Doesn’t matter. I own them now.” His gaze cut around the room, searching again for his target. Maybe the wounded one who’d been nearly killed by the monsters when they’d first walked in. He stalked over to the man who looked like a pale blond surfer with bloodshot eyes and shaking hands. The fight and the shift had taken everything out of him, not to mention the thigh wound, which had sealed in the change back to human but still looked like a raw jagged line.
“Who are you?” he demanded, his voice raw.
“Yours.” His voice was higher than the black man’s, but no less quick. It was the weary anger that simmered in the man’s eyes that bothered Simon.
“Why were they trying to kill you?”
“Because I’m a cop, and I was asking questions.”
Interesting. Part of him wanted to know more, but the rest was more concerned with obedience. “Who did you ask?”
“Nanook.”
Simon’s hand shot out, hard and sharp. He slapped the cop across the face and sent him reeling. He didn’t need to kill him to show power. In this, all he required was his open palm, which was more insulting than a fist.
And again, he heard only one person react. Alyssa gasped and again, she whispered his name. But this time she added a plea.
“Simon, come back to me.”
He ignored her and focused on the cop. “That’s for questioning your alpha.” But then the curious part of his mind pushed to know more. “What did you ask?”
If the cop refused to answer, he would be the one to die. But he didn’t. He pushed himself upright from where he’d caught himself on support column, and his gaze flicked to Vic. “I asked what he knew about the Detroit Flu.”
Flu? It took him a moment to even comprehend the word. But then he remembered. It was a tiny unseen enemy that destroyed from the inside. “Why?”
“Because some people who catch it turn into that.” He didn’t gesture at Vic. He pointed at the nearest of the dead monsters.
“You’re a cop, not a doctor,” he said, feeling his higher brain functions shift into analysis mode. It wasn’t an automatic change. He had to decide to do it, but once he made the choice, the questions became easier.
“I’m a cop looking for answers. Nanook said the wolves did it.”
“Wolves!” Simon snapped. Another enemy? He would destroy them.
The cop nodded. “But he blamed the wolves for everything. I wanted to know why specifically they were responsible.”
“And what did Nanook say?”
“He said I asked too many questions.”
“Cops usually do,” he said, the tone almost casual. It was not a tone he was comfortable with, but it came out anyway. Which told him clearer than anything that he was losing control of himself. His minds were splitting apart again, the human finding humor in strange ways that the animal didn’t understand.
This was bad. His goal was to dominate all, and if he couldn’t control his own mind, then he would appear weak before the others.
So he stalked away, fury in his every moment. And again, he considered killing the cop. But before he could decide, he came back to Alyssa. To stand before her and glare. To see if he could intimidate her with just his stare.
He could not.
Worse, she lifted her chin in a show of defiance. “We came for information about the virus. To find out how to fix Vic.”
“Vic is fine. He is mine now.”
He hadn’t missed that Vic had snapped a response along with everyone else. Vic had acknowledged him as alpha and was therefore one of Simon’s. The ownership went two ways, he thought now. They gave loyalty, Simon gave protection.
So he looked at Vic. “You are under control.” It wasn’t a question, but Vic answered anyway.
“Yes, sir!”
Simon liked the military response. He especially liked it from his friend who had served at his side so long ago.
“You will not lose control. You will not go monster unless I say so. Unless I order you to. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
He looked back to Alyssa. “Vic is fine.”
“But are you?” she asked. There was no challenge in her tone, more of a soft concern. He felt emotion stir inside him. Whereas his mind didn’t fully understand her question, his feelings responded to the warmth in her tone, the softness in her eyes, and most of all, the touch of her hand on his arm. He stared at her fingertips. Creamy brown, a shade darker than his fur. Shapely nails for a human and uncolored. Not sharp as might be serviceable as a weapon, but curved and pretty.
He did not understand pretty, and yet his body pulsed with desire. It liked pretty, and it liked her.
“Are you questioning me?” his tone was sharp and angry.
Her eyes narrowed. “I would never challenge you, Simon, but I will question you. Are you going to hit me, too?”
“Maybe.” It was an honest answer. He really didn’t know.
“I’m not going to react well to that.”
He acknowledged that with a nod. As an alpha he could not expect his people to appreciate all his actions. Simply obey them. Except, now that he thought about it, she had not sworn loyalty. Her voice had not been among those acknowledging him as alpha.
He touched her chin. He had meant to jerk her face up to his so that he could stare directly into her eyes. But instead of a harsh push, his fingers caressed. He urged her face toward his and she complied without hesitation. Not because she obeyed but because she wanted to challenge him silently. Because her eyes were her message. And from her hard, cold look, he saw what he had always known would be there.
She was an alpha, too.
Smaller, yes. And definitely weaker. But she was an alpha female with all the glorious challenge that entailed.
“You will submit to me,” he said. Behind him, he heard a rustle. Movement that should be stopped, but his attention was on her and he would not waver.
“Not if you hit me.”
His nostrils flared at the illogic of that response. Dominance was established physically. Except as he inhaled, her scent filled his mind. The lure and temptation of a female who was nearly as powerful as him.
“You will submit,” he repeated. “I will not need to hit you.”
“I will submit if and when you deserve me.” Then she lifted a brow. It was a strange expression and one that he—again—needed to analyze using his higher brain function. It was neither challenge nor defeat. It wasn’t a logical look, but it was an affectionate one. And from that place, he reasoned it was a good thing. Even more, he devised an appropriate response.
He smiled. And she did in turn.
“There you are,” she murmured.
“Yes,” he said, feeling that her words had made it so. He was still one creature—both man and bear—but she brought a second purpose to his life: to please her. It was as if his mind had climbed a step. First, establish dominance. Second, please the female. What would be third?
Before he could answer, a rustle interrupted his thoughts. He didn’t know whether he smelled the scent of aggression first or heard the cock of a pistol. Either way, he reacted immediately.
He spun and fired the gun.
Two shots, direct to the chest.
A wiry white man slammed against the back wall, then slid down, dead. His pistol flopped to the floor.
Behind him Alyssa cried out. Simon had his hand out to keep her from moving. Everyone else simply stood, though the scent of fear spiked in the room. As did the smell of blood and gunpowder.
“Who was he?” Simon asked, his voice sharp and loud.
It was the cop who answered, his voice dry with satisfaction. “Nanook’s beta. He ran the drug operation. Probably thought he’d take you out and step into alpha.”
“A real leader would not be so stupid. He could not have survived as alpha.” He glanced over to the big black man. “You would have killed him first.”
The man’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t deny it. “He killed my little brother. Was just waiting for the right opportunity.”
Political maneuvering within the clan. Simon acknowledged it at the same moment his higher cortex began tabulating problems. He was now leader of an organization that had a history and a structure. The Griz had a role in the community: selling drugs and countless other things. He might be in charge, but that was simply a matter of appearance. And fear. He would need a lot more to effectively lead these people.
He turned to the cop. “Do you know about the drug organization? Who buys, who sells?”
The man straightened. “I’m on the gang side, not narcotics. But yeah. I know.”
“Then seize it. Take it. Do whatever you have to, but end it.” He watched carefully to see who objected, who appeared angry. There were a few, and he noted them. The others showed worry, but not anger. And a few were clearly pleased, including the big black man.
One however, flushed hot then cold. He was a handsome Caucasian with soft hands and a fondness for smoothing down his hair. Simon focused on him.
“What did you do for Nanook?”
The man froze for at least a heartbeat. But then he lifted his gaze to meet Simon’s eyes. “I was his accountant.”
Money man. Nervous money man. “Nanook owes money?”
“The Griz owe money. To the supplier.”
“As the new alpha by challenge, Nanook’s assets are mine. You will use those to pay off the debts. Will that cover it?”
The man’s eyes widened. “Um, yes. I think so. If I can get access.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed. “You worked for Nanook. You would not have survived if you did not scare him in some way.”
The accountant answered with a smirk appeared. “Yeah.”
He turned back to the cop. “I will not prosecute my people. Will you work with him? End the drugs, give up the names of the suppliers, but no Griz goes to jail.”
The cop nodded once, a quick, excited slash of his chin. “We’ll want them to testify.”
Simon shrugged. “They committed the crimes. They will admit to it in court or face my penalty.”
The black man cleared his throat. It was a small sound, but Simon was listening very closely. He focused on the man.
“What is your fear?”
“A lot of change. And dangerous men do not like change.”
“What did you do in the drug trade?”
“Nothing!” he snapped. And when Simon continued to stare, he shrugged. “I went along as protection. And ’cause I’m a medic. But I didn’t touch any of the stuff.”
Point of pride there. And he was a “medic,” not a nurse or a doctor. “Military?” Simon asked.
“Army. Been out for a year.”
“And you’re here because you’re a grizzly. You’re part of this because of the fur.” It wasn’t a statement, but the answer was clear on his face. On most of their faces.
Shifters needed clans. It provided protection, community, and safety in the jungle—urban or otherwise. And though bears weren’t as tight as dogs, they liked maintaining ties. Which meant that whether or not they supported the gang’s activities, they would need to be part of this clan. And Nanook hadn’t been one to let a lone shifter wander free. He would have demanded that they join up or die.
“I am the new alpha,” he said, and the statement reverberated in the room as much as it did in his heart and soul. “I will protect you. I will lead you. And where I go, you will follow.” Then he took a deep breath allowing the rightness of this to sink into his body and soul. Here was the third step in his mind: to lead. It was what he was born to do. “If you choose not to follow, you may leave with my blessing.” One last look around before he spoke in booming tones. “Who follows me?”
They answered as one. Not in words, but in a low growl that grew in volume until it became a roar. Even Vic joined in until the space pounded with the sound. And when it was done, Simon looked at them all and grinned.
He was their alpha, and they were his.
He took a moment to absorb their strength into his body, their support into his soul. And then he turned to Alyssa because she alone had stayed silent.
“Now it is your turn.”