14. ROWAN

Chapter 14

ROWAN

"Keep him in your fucking sights. We'll be there in 20." Click.

One of our informants has us packing up to possibly save an Omega wolf from utter demise. The werecoyote mentioned a scared young man who looked like a drowned rat at a bar deep in the woods. He's sitting by himself at a booth but every time he's been asked if he's alright, he mentions he's meeting someone.

I've never heard any mention of any building that far south but I wouldn't be surprised with the numerous shady dealings in this city. As much as I want to believe our city is a little slice of heaven, it really isn't. This witch hunt—literally—is only the tip of the iceberg.

There's so much underlying corruption that it's hard to see who's on the right side of the law. Vince is one of the few officers I trust and that's only because he leaves us to our own devices to investigate. Had he been just another overbearing supervisor, like we've had over the years, I might have thrown in the towel. I know Amand would have just handed in his badge and walked off without a discussion.

He's done it before.

"You got your-"

I glare at the Basilisk, Amand's question dying off. I forgot my gun one time and now Amand double-checks every time. It wasn't even an issue when I tore the suspect's head from his shoulders. We're lethal beasts in close combat and sometimes I prefer it to the impersonal use of a gun. I want our victim's last view to be my snarling face.

I grab a haggle of rope. Not sure we'll need it but can't be too prepared.

Amand lets out a deep breath as he rests by the front door, dialing our boss. "Vince? Yeah, we've got sights on another Omega that's most possibly-"

"Stand down."

I freeze, glaring at the device in Amand's hand as if it offended me. Vince sounds completely serious as silence falls between us. "You can't be fucking serious. We're the best men for the job." I grab my bag and haul it over my shoulder before stalking over to Amand. "Vince, this kid could be in grave danger and we don't have to follow the same rules you do. Just let us-"

"No. Hands off, Rowan. You have a savior complex but it's going to get you killed. We received the same tip you did so stand down ." The call ends abruptly, both of us confused at Vince's behavior. There's no fucking way he received the same tip we did unless he has another informant lurking in the shadows. A werecoyote once caught up in a drug scandal began working with us over the past year.

He enjoys going at it alone and slinking through the darkness to bring us information. It helps that he gets paid when his tips pan out.

However, I'm pretty sure the only people Vince has on the ground are us and Lev.

"Something stinks, Amand. I don't believe for a fucking moment that Vince got the same tip."

Amand snorts, a deviant smile spreading across his lips. "I guess we're still going? Great. I'm feeling like violence today." He turns and swings open the door, a wide-eyed Lev standing at the entrance. His hands are clasped together, Lev dancing on his feet. Anxiety is pouring off of him as he glances between us and then he just smiles.

"Room for one more?"

The creature is still wearing Amand's jacket but he looks freshly showered, the smell of melon body wash wafting off his skin. Unable to help myself, I drag him into my chest and sniff at his wet hair, his curls slowly reforming. Lev doesn't fight my hold, leaning against me as I hold him. The primal need to have him near is more than I anticipated, Lev mumbling a ‘hello' muffled by my chest.

"Did you get the same tip we did, Leviathan?" Amand purrs, a hint of distaste in his voice.

Lev pulls away and shakes his head, his brows furrowing in confusion. "What tip? I came to tell you that I found something." He slips out of my arms and then unearths a file from inside of his jacket. He's gotten really comfortable in that, hasn't he? The fabric completely swarms Lev but I know that Amand is loving seeing the creature in our clothing. I know I was ecstatic when Lev was swaddled in mine. "Do you see anything?" Lev asks as he holds the file open.

I stare at the papers for several moments, knowing full well that Lev shouldn't have access to raw data. He might work with Vince and some of the officers but he isn't employed with them. Just as I'm about to ask, a faint magical signature reveals itself at the bottom of the page. "An Omega wolf? And a latent magic user? That's not uncommon. Vince works with a lot of people at the-"

"This is none of the people he works with. There are a few humans that work on the force but none of them hold magic, that I know of. And this Omega isn't one of the missing ones or the one I rescued a little while back. It's another one."

Which means that the terrified Omega wolf we just received a tip about is most likely the owner of the magical signature on that page. That shouldn't be possible, not unless Vince has been in touch with the Omega that is supposedly missing.

"Car. Now. We can talk on the way."

Lev directs us to his poor excuse of a truck, laughing when I narrow my eyes at him. "I'm always sticking my nose into things. If Vince catches me wherever this kid is, he won't think twice. Just get in." We do as he asks, Amand taking up the front seat while I resign myself to the back. "Now, tell me everything."

Amand gives him what little we know from our informant, Lev mentally taking notes with a few nods of his head. His fingers tighten around the wheel and then loosen, his face an open book when it comes to his emotions. It takes me a little while to realize that we've stopped giving him directions, Lev following his nose.

"We'll save the Omega, Lev. I promise you that." I can't promise shit but it pains me to see Lev so stressed. Amand reaches across the console and slowly plucks one of Lev's hands from the wheel to hold it in his own.

The scenery changes as we drive in silence, moving from paved roads to deep brush, a dirt path beneath the truck's old tires. Amand squeezes the creature's hand as his anxiety heightens, Lev blowing out a deep breath before he speaks. "I think I know what I am. A Chameleon. I couldn't stop searching and it's the only thing that makes sense with this fatal attraction bullshit."

"A Chameleon?"

The car pulls to a stop as Lev leans forward, eyes squinting ahead. Amand and I have excellent night vision, darkness settling around us this deep in the woods. Lev doesn't appear to be straining either, although, I'm still locked on his designation.

"Lev, that's-"

He sighs and falls back in his seat. "I know. It's as common as unicorns. Stuff of legend. The kind of thing people like to dissect and study and then devour. I'm not kidding about the last one. Apparently, there's this whole thing about dominating rare species, like collecting them. I'm not a fucking collector's piece."

I didn't expect this development.

There hasn't been a documented Chameleon in over 50 years. Maybe longer. There's barely any information on them, what they look like, or what they can do. What little there is, is hearsay. We know the basics about the creature but that's it.

Lev slips from the car, on alert, both Amand and I pressed against his sides. His reaction is much different than yesterday, Lev leaning into our touch rather than away. I want to comfort him in some way but this discussion can't happen now.

"Look," he begins. "I don't know what this thing is between us or if it's supposed to go somewhere. I'm also really confused. Let's save the Omega and then we can talk. Sitting six feet apart." He makes it sound like this will be the last time we'll spend together. I hate it.

Still, I agree. What other option is there?