2. Heller

2

HELLER

I hold up the picture of the metal chain to Cy. It’s one of the many pieces of jewelry I stole during my nesting phase. He stares at it long and hard, like I’m showing him some kind of puzzle.

“Are you sure it’s made of magic metal?” He asks.

“Max said it was. When he held it, he said it felt like magic metal.”

I wish I could show him the actual chain, but it’s locked up in a vault, like everything else I stole during my nesting phase. The state of Anchorage has generously agreed not to charge me for grand larceny, as long as I figure out the rightful owners of all my loot within two years. Which would be perfectly reasonable if I could remember where I stole everything from, and if I hadn’t taken so much stuff.

I mean, damn . Clearly, I was a pickpocket in another life.

At this point, I only have two months left, and I’m still trying to find the proper homes for this chain, a locket, and a cheap pair of earrings that look like they’re from Claire’s (even though they’re not. I checked).

Cy pulls off his welding gloves and shifts his large, white bear arms back to their human form. The many scars that look like black lines while he’s in his polar bear form fade into white crisscrosses on his skin.

He takes the photo from me. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The chain in question doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen come out of a magic metal forge in Anchorage either. It’s the length of a necklace but doesn’t have clasps. I’m not even sure it’s meant to be jewelry. What makes it unique is that each rung in the chain is a different tiny shape. It starts with an oval, then a square, star, circle, triangle, octagon, and back to an oval again. The pattern repeats eight times.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Heller. Welding shapes like that would be tedious, and metal magic is already tedious as it is. I don’t know anyone who would make something like that. Maybe you could ask Dominic. He used to do experimental metal magic before his family’s forge shut down.”

The judge that pardoned the many, many felonies I committed during my klepto nesting phase warned me that I would be tried for the theft of each item I can’t account for. The locket and earrings aren’t worth much. I’ll get a misdemeanor, at most. But magic metal is pricey, especially custom pieces like this chain.

Why can’t I remember who I stole it from? Damn nesting brain.

“Do you have Dominic’s number?” I ask Cy.

He raises an eyebrow. “Why would I have his number?”

“I don’t know. He’s your cousin, isn’t he? Max said you were an Ivanov.” Too late, I remember that Max also told me to not bring that up in front of Cy. Oops .

“I’m the Ivanov bastard. Dominic avoids me like the plague because he’s a stuck-up asshole. But he’s a stuck-up asshole who might know what that chain is.”

The bell at the entrance of the forge rings. I spin around because it’s the middle of July, and no penguin shifters should be coming through that door.

The man walking through the door has white hair. I curse myself for not bringing my white wig, because this guy is yummy. He has huge welder shoulders and arms, a jawline that won’t quit, and a tight T-shirt that shows off how fit his job keeps him.

Up until last year, I did sex work almost every night, which meant I had an easy, consistent way to relieve my insatiable sex drive. But I decided I liked dancing at the Anchorage Burlesque Club more than I liked sex work, so I switched to doing that full-time. The end result is a constant and unbearable horniness that makes me hyper-aware of any hot guy I come into contact with.

Except for Cy. I’m a little afraid of him.

“Are you Cyrano Nolen?” The man asks. He has a nice, deep voice. Mmmm. I like that too.

“It depends on who’s asking. If you’re here about the Ivanov estate, I’m not interested.”

I jerk my gaze back to Cy. Are people contacting him about the Ivanov estate? Ever since Dima Ivanov died in prison, everyone’s been wondering who would inherit everything the state didn’t claim during their investigation. Dominic refused his inheritance. Is Cy refusing too?

Damn, if they need someone to accept millions of dollars, I will gladly step in.

“My name is Sergey Sokolov. I’m looking to rent a forge here in Anchorage to weld magical prosthetics.”

Cyrano folds his arms across his chest. “This forge is in use.”

“Yes, but I was told there are only three forges in Anchorage that operate on land owned by polar bear shifters. The Platten forge, the Dubow forge, and the Ivanov forge. Todd Platten said the Ivanov forge isn’t being used right now, and there’s this legal battle?—”

“No,” Cy says.

Sergey takes a deep breath. “I don’t want to give you any trouble. I understand that the main forge can only be accessed by people with Ivanov blood. But Todd said there was a reception area that they used during Pebble Gifting Season that was open to the public. I could work there?—”

“No,” Cy repeats.

The back door swings open. Two little kids with gray hair run inside. They’re both wearing long, flowy dress-up skirts.

“Dad, look,” the first one says. They spin around and around, oblivious to Cyrano’s guests. I get so caught up in their giggles and joy, I almost don’t notice the way Sergey’s eyes widen.

The door opens again. Ben rushes inside. “Daddy Cy is working! We talked about this. It isn’t safe for you to interrupt him.” He looks up and sees Sergey and me. “Oh, hi. I’m Ben, one of Cy’s mates. This is Jez and Vod.”

Sergey’s gaze darts from Ben and Cy and back again. Does he not know that Cy has a penguin shifter mate? I thought that was common knowledge.

“I take it you’re new in town?” I guess.

“Yeah. I grew up in Albuquerque.”

Ben brightens at that. “I’m from Arizona! Which is not New Mexico, obviously, but it’s still really hot. How do polar bear shifters handle that kind of heat? I’m a penguin shifter, so you’d think I’d prefer the cold, but I’m a wimp compared to my mates Axe and Cy. They’re both polar bear shifters, and they literally never get cold. Even when it’s zero degrees outside.”

“So then your kids are half polar bear shifter?” Sergey asks, staring at the children. His fixation on them is bordering on creepy at this point.

“So what?” Cy says, clenching his jaw. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Sergey pauses, then reaches for his hair. He doesn’t drag his hand through it, the way men do when they’re nervous. Instead, he grabs it and pulls at it until a wig comes loose. Underneath the wig he has gray hair. “My alpha dad is a Gentoo penguin shifter.”

Cyrano drops his gloves.

Ben claps in delight. “What a small world! You have to come over for dinner. Our mate, Axe, would love to meet you. We didn’t know there were any adults who were half polar bear shifter and half penguin shifter. Isn’t that great, Cy?”

I can’t help but notice the way Ben’s kids stare at Sergey. It must be wild to go your whole life not knowing a single adult who’s half and half like they are, and then finally meet one out of the blue.

Cy bends down to pick up his gloves. “Does the Guild know that you’re half penguin shifter?”

“Yeah. That’s why I studied welding in Albuquerque. They wouldn’t accept me at the welding school here.”

“So they know you can weld?”

Sergey lets out a bitter laugh. “Yes. They’re not too happy about it.”

Cy starts pacing back and forth. I’ve never seen him this agitated before. Usually, he’s one of those guys who never shows emotion except for annoyance when I accidentally flirt with one of his mates.

That’s when I realize what this means. I always assumed Lark, the baby I conceived with two polar bear shifters, wouldn’t be able to weld. But if Sergey can weld, Lark might be able to as well. Maybe all of the half polar bear/half penguin shifter kids could someday.

That’s huge. Especially considering the way magic has been waning in a lot of polar bear shifter families.

Sergey holds out his hand to Cy. “If you want, I can prove it. Can I borrow your gloves?”

Cy looks at his hand for a moment, then shakes his head. “You don’t need to prove it. I’ve watched a video demonstration of one of your prosthetics. It moved like a hand made of flesh and blood. I’ve never seen metal magic that sophisticated except for the experimental stuff they were making in the Ivanov forge before…” He trails off.

“I’m currently working out of a forge in Albuquerque, but I’ve already hired all the welders there who are capable of learning how to make them,” Sergey says. “I want to expand to Anchorage so I can hire more welders here. The waitlist for my prosthetics is far too long. Will you please rent the Ivanov forge to me?”

Cy shakes his head. “You should contact Dominic Invanov?—”

“I’ve tried. He won’t answer his door, and no one will give me his phone number.”

Cy just continues to glare at him. Clearly, they have a long and awkward conversation ahead of them. This is my cue to leave.

I grab my photograph. “I should probably let you two have a moment.”

Sergey glances at my photograph. “Are you learning to weld?”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

He points to the picture. “Is that your work? It’s very good. My first shape chain was a mess.”

“Shape chain?”

“Yeah. You know, the first thing they teach newbie welders,” he says, like this is obvious.

Cy grabs my photo. “Are you saying this is something welders learn how to make in Albuquerque?”

“Yeah. Have you never made a shape chain?” Sergey asks.

Cy shakes his head. “What do you use these for? Other than learning how to weld?”

“We don’t use them for anything. They’re a mix of spells done by a beginner. It wouldn’t be safe to use them. Do you use the chains that beginners make?”

Oh, thank God. That means the chain is worthless. All I have to do is find the owner of that locket and earrings, and I’m home free.

Cy looks at the photo again. “We use everything we make in welding school. In order to get credit for a project, it has to be functional.”

“That doesn’t leave much room for experimentation or creativity,” Sergey says.

There’s an awkwardness between them that reminds me it’s time to go. I’ve already been here longer than I planned to.

“Thanks for the info,” I say. “I should be on my way.”

Ben rushes over for a hug and the kids wave. Cy, the person I came to see, doesn’t even acknowledge me. No surprises there.

Sergey hands me the photo of the chain. “If you aren’t learning to weld, why do you have a shape chain?”

“I stole it,” I say, and flash him my best flirty smile.

His lips twitch. Barely. This guy isn’t picking up what I’m putting down.

“Why? If you didn’t even know what it was?”

I could be honest and explain to him that I was nesting. But most penguin shifters who’ve nested are bonded, and I haven’t given up on luring him into my bed yet. Instead, I reach for the outline of a cell phone I see in his back pocket, and slide it out, handing it to him.

“I have my reasons. You should unlock your phone for me so I can give you my number.”

He takes his phone, his lips finally sliding into a proper smile. “Should I?”

“Yes. I’m very fun.”

He lets out a breathy laugh. “When you’re not stealing things, you mean?”

“Oh, I’m fun then too,” I assure him.

He laughs again. “Okay.” He swipes a pattern across his phone and offers it to me.

If I really was a thief, handing me his unlocked phone would not be the best course of action. I open his contacts and add my name and phone number.

“I’m Heller, by the way,” I say, sliding the phone into his back pocket. Then I sway my ass back and forth a little more than necessary as I walk toward the door. I can feel his eyes on me the whole way.

I think I just managed to seduce a guy and cross a piece of stolen jewelry off my list at the same time. Go me.

I grin the entire drive home.