On the plus side, as organized as we are, it’s easy to blow through the building. Our numbers and our preparation help to overwhelm the few who are in the office.

If anyone is able to get a call to security for help, it’s pretty evident that the cats and griffins at their front gate are keeping them tied up for the moment.

Smash and grab is what this feels like to me, except that the grab part is for specific information. The wolves are very well informed and know exactly what to look for.

I make a mental note to tell Sako how good Carlo was in a pinch as we raced along the halls. My friend would be pleased to know how well his mate functioned under the intense pressure we are all feeling.

Every so often I can hear Ronnie give reports on movement. Whatever is happening outside is well under control. I’m not hearing any panicked shouts over the ear buds. If Sako can be proud of how Carlo does, I can damn sure be proud of how cool Ronnie is under pressure, too.

And I am.

We finally clear our section and meet the main group in the stairwell before the top level. Only a small insertion cell is going in. Carson and Lars, all my dragon friends, and Rayne with a wild look in her eyes. She grins manically at me.

“You enjoying yourself?” I ask with a chuckle.

“You have no idea.”

I’m pretty sure I do. Bronaz and Kuras talked at length about what happened in that basement when they found Rayne. She may be a unicorn and sister to one of the nicest people to ever walk the planet, but there couldn’t possibly be two more different siblings than Rayne and Goldie.

“I’m glad you’re on my side,” I tell her.

She laughs and gives me a friendly shove.

“Remember,” Lars says in a hushed voice. “We want this guy alive. Our people will cover the two stairwell exits, this one and the other on the north side of the building. The rest of us will go to his office and hold it until we have the compound under our complete control. Understood?”

We all nod.

I can’t speak for the rest of the group, but I’m buzzing with anticipation.

From the beginning of this whole damn thing, months ago, it didn’t look like we would ever see the end of the tunnel. Everything that came at us appeared to only slowly advance us towards a solution.

The more we churned along, scratching and digging for every little bit of information we could get, it appeared that we finally picked up speed until here we are.

Whatever it is that is going on, the answers are almost in our grasp.

We know what they’re doing. We just don’t know why.

On Lars’ count down, we burst from the hallway and head straight for this Harrison Matthews’ office.

Taran and Lars bust down the door and we pour in, Sako and Carson taking up position at the door.

Soft carpet hushes our foot falls as we race in and spread out around the office. A dark wood desk sits centered along the outer wall. Behind it, a fantastic view of the valley below. The walls are lined with books, law or maybe real estate. Leather bound spines all bearing the same formatting that marks them as being part of a very large series.

Facing away from us is a man, his hands clasped serenely behind his back. He turns enough to glance over his shoulder at us and he laughs. “So you’re the ones creating the trouble on my property. I should call the police.”

“And yet you aren’t. Funny how that works,” Lars says as he approaches the desk.

Taran glances over at each of us, his face a mask of worry and concern.

“So what can I do for you gentlemen.” He doesn’t bother to hide his disdain as he sneers out that last word.

“We’re here to put a stop to your campaign against shift—”

“Not just shifters,” Matthews says, whirling around to face Lars. “Mythical shifters.” The face he makes looks like he just ate something distasteful.

“What is your malfunction against mythicals?” Taran demands.

“My malfunction is that you exist at all.”

Nyve steps forward, even with Taran. “We’re not bothering anyone.”

Rayne’s hands start to glow and she shifts her stance. “Why are we talking about this?”

“Wait.” Bronaz puts a steadying hand on her shoulder.

“Apparently you’re as deaf as you are greedy.” Matthews crosses to lean on his desk, hands bracing on the top. “You’re a blight on humanity. Greedy, secretive, and manipulative.”

“Wow,” I say softly, “Ronnie, are you hearing this?”

His voice crackles in my ear. “I hear it, I’m not sure I’m believing it.”

Lars squares his shoulders. “I’m here as a representative of the wolf faction in Stelline City—”

“I know who you are,” Matthews grinds out between his clenched teeth. “I can’t believe you, of all people, would be in league with these filthy shifter rejects.”

“What is it that we’ve done that makes you hate us so much?” I ask. “Your hate rhetoric is all over the ‘net.”

Matthews sighs, like he’s dealing with children. It’s a little annoying.

That’s a lie. It’s a lot annoying.

“It’s not very complicated. My family’s foundation goes back a hundred years. Turn of the century. My great-grandfather was part of the great expansion across the territories. His company carried the bulk of the financing for the rail system, at first. Then as part of the highway infrastructure to connect all the territories together.”

He pulls his chair close and eases to sit down, his elbows resting on the arm rests. He steeples his fingers together. “In the middle of the expansion project, a group of shifters, dragon I believe,” and he flicks his fingers dismissively, “offered to help finance the ongoing construction. My father, needing the extra infusion of money to keep it going, agreed to the deal. I don’t suppose I need to tell you how these dragons ended up abandoning the project and taking all of his money with them? I’m sure it’s lauded in your history as yet one way to gain the advantage over others. It’s how you amass your fortune, after all. Taking advantage of others.”

If he weren’t standing there telling us this, I wouldn’t believe I was hearing it. I think we’re all a little speechless about this.

“Now? You mythicals are infiltrating every aspect of government and financial institutions. You take money that isn’t yours and stick it away in your… whatever you call them… hoards.” Matthews’ brows knit in a frown. “You seek to control things, manipulate them to your own ends to make you richer, and the rest of us get to fight for the scraps. Well, I intend to put a stop to it and to you. It’s taken the better part of my life to amass the support I have to form my own powerful coalition of interested individuals who share my agenda and hatred of you to prevent your further power-mongering. I have politicians and officials, banking interests and financial icons of our society, ready to line up and help overthrow your influence, to take back the—”

“Good gods,” Nyve says on an exhale. “What are you on, man?”

Matthews’ lip curls in a sneer. “I am finally standing up against the extravagant greed that seeks to unbalance the wealth distribution in this country. You can’t possibly know what it’s like to barely survive on what you’re allowed.”

“Hold on,” Sako says, his hands clenched at his sides. “You don’t have the first idea what you’re talking about. Not all of the mysticals have these caches of wealth you seem to think we’re sitting on, cackling as we count it out. Some of us lost our wealth with the economic downturn in our territory. We’re not asking for what’s not ours. We work hard, just as hard as you.”

“I think you’re spitting in the wind, Sako.” Rayne steps next to him, her hands crackling with energy. “He obviously thinks all mythical shifters are filthy rich and keeping him from being filthy rich.”

I knew about Sako’s financial situation; although he rarely talks about it, he has once or twice. None of us judge him for it. He knows we would do anything we can to help him out. He refuses, insisting on making his own way.

And he’s done really well for himself.

But I’ll admit that since most mythicals kept to themselves, they had the financial means to do so. If what Rayne is implying is true, I’ve certainly been educated today.

“Wait,” Taran spreads his hands. “If you’re all about government take overs and ruining mythicals politically and financially, what the hell was up with the muggings and street terror? Taking mythicals hostage?”

“A minor inconvenience,” Matthews says. “In order to keep our recruitment numbers high, we will accept most anyone with a grievance against you mythicals. That means, occasionally the riff-raff slips through. It’s mostly street-level activity and we allowed it to continue when we saw how it was sending you people into disarray, scrambling to figure out what was going on. I’m honestly surprised that you figured it out. Although, now I see you had help from the smarter amongst shifter-kind.”

I can’t stay quiet any more. This is just too insane. “So what do you intend to do with all this amassed power and clout?”

“Political gain, obviously. I would have thought you would understand that.” Matthews stands and removes his jacket. “And as much as I would love to continue to educate you, I don’t have the time.”

He reaches down and before Lars can stop him, he touches something beneath the edge of his desk.

A loud klaxon blares throughout the building. The noise causes us to cover our ears and we stagger back.

“Lars!” Carson shouts through our earbuds before all hell breaks loose.

Behind us, several men burst through the door. They’re unarmed, and that suspicion only tickles at my mind for a brief moment before we watch as these men, as well as Matthews, when he jumps on top of his desk, all shift into bears.

Bears.

Honestly this makes no sense to me, especially as he carried on about shifters and humanity as if they were separate. Only to find out he’s as shifter, too?’

A philosophical debate I will have another time. My attention is now fully on the six bears running rampage through the office. One swipes at my head and I duck and spin to dodge and end up behind him.

Buying that short amount of time, it’s clear there is no other choice. Our hands have been forced. All around me, the guys shift to their animal forms and engage with the enemy.

Taran grabs one of the bears in his claw and heaves him toward the window. The glass shatters as the bear is flung away. Now the outside mayhem joins the chorus of our own raging battle.

The roars of dragons mingle with the growls of bears as we swipe, claw, and bite. A bear slams into me. His momentum carries us both to collide with one of the book shelves. Our impact is hard enough books rain down over us. Footing is treacherous as broken bits of furniture create more obstacles.

Briefly, I catch sight of a wolf, I presume to be Lars, and Taran in his dragon form circling the largest bear of the group. That must be Matthews. For him to fend off two alpha shifters is a testament to how much of a fighter he is.

Whether that’s enough is anyone’s guess, since I lose sight of them again when a bear leaps on top of me. His claw presses down on one of my wings, holding me in place. I don’t have the room to roll free with the book case still pushing against me.

A second bear advances on my position, jumping on top of the fallen case to crush me beneath their combined weight.

I can’t breathe. One of my claws strikes out blindly. I feel the resistance of flesh. The roar of a bear is evidence that my blow hit home.

He snaps and bites at my head. With little room to maneuver, it’s hard to avoid his powerful jaws. If I could just get enough room to inhale deeply, my fire breath would handle that very neatly.

In my ear, I can hear the pitched battle going on outside on the grounds, in the hall, and in the office. The sounds start to run together, a confusion of sensory input that’s hard to separate.

Dimly, I can hear Ronnie shouting my name.

“Duck! Varos, duck!”

I don’t stop to ask why. I lower my head, rolling my neck so it’s tucked up under the bookcase.

Out of the periphery of my vision, I see a fiery streak blaze through the broken window. It’s smaller than a dragon but larger than a raven. A griffin?

But then, why would a griffin be on fire?

The fiery streak collides with the two bears trouncing the shit out of me, picking them up as it continues to steamroll through, straight for Taran’s position.

“Taran! Incoming!” I shout.

I don’t know if he heard me before the explosion took out the entire interior wall, through the hallway, finally coming to a stop in the office across the hall.

The debris around us is on fire. Bear bodies are rolling around. A couple are on fire as they race out of the office with Austin, Sako, and Nyve in pursuit. Carson, Bronaz, and Nosko disappear down the opposite end of the hall.

Kuras grasps my front arm with a claw and helps to pull me from the bookcase debris.

I shake off the wood and shift back to my human form, picking my way across the wreckage to find Taran covering Lars with his dragon body. They shift back and wobble to their feet.

“Thanks,” Lars says shortly.

“No problem.” Taran spots me and Kuras and lifts his chin. “Report.”

“I won’t lie, Taran, I don’t have a fucking clue. Big fireball comes in and blows us half to hell. Bears are scattering.”

“Ronnie?”

In a rapid stream of words, Ronnie gives Taran the update that he has. After the fireblast, the outside ranks broke and started to run. Our teams were able to take them down with no problem once their will to fight was gone. The rest of our specific infiltration team are rounding up the bears we were fighting.

“Taran, here.” Kuras waves us over to the office across the hall.

We pick our way over to see Kuras pointing at the lifeless body of Harrison Matthews.

Lars grinds his teeth and stifles his growl. “We needed him alive.”

“Maybe not,” Carlo says, dragging a skinny guy with him.

The man is holding his shaking hands up. “Don’t—don’t kill me. I swear, I didn’t do anything.”

Lars arches an eyebrow.

“I found him hiding in a closet in accounting. Something tells me this guy holds a lot of answers.”

With a nod of understanding, Lars grabs the guy roughly. “We have a few questions for you.”

Carson ducks through the hole and comes to a stop in front of us. “We have control of the compound now, Taran. I’ve given Ronnie the all clear to tell the rest of the shifters thank you and we’ll be in touch soon.” He claps Taran on the shoulder. “You and your people were a big help. Take off. We can handle it from here.”

As sanity is established and the wolves start their clean up, I stagger over to find a bare wall to lean against while Taran gathers the rest of the dragons.

“Varos? I need you to say something please.” Ronnie sounds shaken.

“I’m fine, Ronnie. Just tired. I never knew bears could be so fucking heavy.”