Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

SINCE WHEN DID YOU BECOME AN EXPERT ON SHIFTERS?

I stepped into the main room of the small house. Well, it wasn't that small, but it was compared to the team's last compound. Trux led the way with Rhiot following me. I expected to see the rest of my Tsigos in the room, but someone was missing.

"Ryker's not here?" I frowned when my eyes scanned the space a second time for any trace of him.

"Maybe he needed some alone time." Rhiot suggested as he dropped onto the couch, pulling me into his lap.

"Or maybe he's hiding." Trux muttered under his breath, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest as he leaned back on the couch next to us.

"Guys, enough." I shot them both a glare before looking over at Grayson, who had been silently observing us from a corner near Kearan. They were both clean, with damp hair and fresh clothes. "Where's Ryker? Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Grayson raised a hand to calm me down. "You'll be happy to know that your demonic powers aren't blocking the doors and windows anymore."

A wave of relief washed over me, and I sighed. It was one less thing to worry about. Still, Ryker's absence gnawed at me, like a persistent itch I couldn't reach. Why did he have to be so damn elusive? Besides, we needed to clear the air about the failed mating made worse by being able to bond with Rhiot.

"Good. That's... good." I murmured, trying to focus on the positive. But despite the small victory, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"See?" Rhiot grinned, nudging Trux, who didn't seem amused. "Told you she needed help relaxing."

"Shut up, Rhiot." Trux growled, though there was no real animosity behind it.

"Fine, fine." Rhiot held up his hands in surrender, chuckling softly. Then he pulled me closer, until I leaned against his chest. Honestly, I loved every bit of it. My body still felt like rubber from the orgasm. The support prevented me from melting.

"Ryker just needed some time alone." Seph explained, her voice gentle and understanding as she came in from the kitchen. "He's in his room."

"Time alone?" I repeated, my voice betraying my frustration. "We need to clear the air about our failed mating. We can't keep avoiding it."

"His decision." Trux grumbled, clearly as annoyed as I was.

"That it may be, but I don't agree with it." I clenched my shirt, trying to contain my frustration. "We don't have time for this. Every moment we're at odds with each other puts everyone at risk."

"Give me a minute." Seph said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'll go get him."

Seph disappeared into the hallway, leaving me with my thoughts. I tried to focus on the fact that Ryker must be feeling just as lost and confused as I was, but it didn't help. The last thing I wanted was for someone to get injured because he was distracted.

When Seph finally returned, her expression confirmed my worst fears... Ryker still refused to come out. "He won't join us," she announced, her voice filled with disappointment. "You should try again tomorrow."

"Stubborn ass." Trux muttered under his breath. "We have business to attend to, which means he needs to be here as part of the team."

I clenched my jaw, distraught that I'd caused this. If I hadn't messed things up, they would all be getting along.

Before I could even think of a plan, an unexpected surge of power coursed through my body. My demonic side, it seemed, had other ideas.

A sudden gust of wind whipped through the room, and to my horror, Ryker shouted something unintelligible. Then a door slammed, and Ryker came down the hallway into the main area. His eyes widened in shock as he stumbled forward.

"Wh-what the hell?" Ryker stuttered, casting a nervous glance at Seph and then at me.

A lead weight dropped into my gut as a bad thought settled. When Ryker came to a stop a few inches in front of me. He picked his foot up, but couldn't do anything but set it down in the same place.

"This isn't right." Ryker's brows furrowed as he glared at me. "You can't do this to me."

"Oh, shit." Seph muttered.

"Sorry!" I gasped, trying to reel my powers back in, but they seemed to have a mind of their own. "I don't know what's happening."

"Seems like Parker's demonic side has grown tired of waiting." Rhiot quipped, his hands rubbing my back in a way that should have been calming.

"Apparently." I muttered, watching Ryker cautiously.

Even though my powers had forced him to join us, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get even more complicated, and with every passing moment, it felt like I was losing control over my life and my heart.

"Ryker, we need to talk about what happened." I insisted, trying to maintain control over my voice and my emotions. "We can't ignore this, nor can we let it continue to distract us."

But instead of responding to me, Ryker's eyes flashed with defiance. With a sudden twist, his tall, lean body shrank. Grey and black fur burst through his skin as his bones reformed. Seconds later, a raccoon stood where Ryker had been.

My jaw dropped in disbelief as the small, furry creature scurried across the floor and climbed up Seph's leg. He disappeared behind her until he pulled himself up onto Seph's shoulder, chittering softly as one of his small paws gestured at me. For some reason, my powers didn't stop him this time.

"I fucking knew something was off!" I shouted, unable to contain my frustration any longer. My hands flailed through the air as I tried to process it. "You're a raccoon? A freaking raccoon? I thought shifters were supposed to be wolves, or bears or something?!"

I couldn't believe how quickly things had spiraled out of control. The entire situation felt like a bad dream, a twisted nightmare designed to torment me. Between my powers, my demonic father, and everyone trying to collect me for one reason or another, I was at my wit's end. My heart raced as I glanced around the room, searching for some semblance of understanding from the others. But they all seemed just as surprised as I was, their eyes wide and expressions ranging from shock to amusement.

"Since when did you become an expert on shifters?" Rhiot snickered, clearly amused by the scene I was making.

"Shut up." I snapped, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. "It's not like I got an intro guide to shifters. Closest I have is a few paranormal romance novels, and this is nothing like those. No one tells me anything until I've made an ass out of myself."

No one said a thing. Even the soft chittering raccoon noises Ryker had been making were silent.

"Can we please just try to tell me about things before they become an issue? Is that too much to ask?" I pleaded, my voice wavering slightly despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "Trux, when you did the whole we're-fated-mates convo, you could have mentioned that you're raccoons."

"You were overwhelmed, and it didn't seem relevant." Seph crossed her arms. "We were trying to take things slow, but we all saw how that went."

"Look," Trux interjected, his deep voice cutting through the tension. "Raccoons are practical as infiltrators. They can easily blend in without raising suspicion." He crossed his arms over his broad chest, standing tall and confident. His dark eyes held a steely determination that demanded attention. "Especially in North America."

I stared at him, my mind racing in an attempt to make sense of it all. Infiltrators? Raccoons? Shifters didn't turn into raccoons in books and movies, and yet, here was the proof. Why did all of this make so much sense?

"Think about it." Trux continued, his expression unyielding. "A wolf or bear would draw too much attention, but a raccoon can move unnoticed through urban environments. We can wander into most situations without anyone thinking twice. Perfect for spying and intel. Especially if we're already in the neighborhood cleaning someone's house or business."

"It's not always about brute strength or power." Seph explained, her voice soothing and gentle compared to Trux's stern demeanor.

As she spoke, a memory flickered in the back of my mind, like a half-forgotten dream struggling to resurface. I recalled seeing raccoon tattoos on Trux, Seph, Ryker, and Rhiot, and everything seemed to click into place. The raccoon tattoos were more than just body art... they symbolized their shifter forms. I briefly wondered if all shifters did that.

Which meant Ryker wasn't an anomaly. They were all raccoons. "Wait," I whispered, my heart pounding wildly against my ribcage. "Are you all raccoons?"

"Guilty," Rhiot grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he gave me a playful wink.

"Unbelievable," I muttered, running a hand through my still damp hair which tangled it. "I mean, I theoretically knew shifters existed, but raccoons? Why didn't anyone tell me this before?"

"Because it wasn't necessary." Trux responded gruffly. "You were happy being our Tsigo as we were."

"That, and you didn't ask." Seph agreed, her eyes locked on mine. "We didn't want to overwhelm you with too much information. Besides, you had enough on your plate dealing with your own powers."

I couldn't deny that. I'd been distracted by my demonic abilities since I found out about them. But now, standing in a room full of raccoon shifters, I couldn't help but feel like I'd been left out of some vital piece of information.

"Fine," I sighed, swallowing the lump in my throat. "But can we please just deal with the situation at hand? Ryker, I don't care if you're a raccoon or a wolf or whatever… We need to talk about us. We can't keep avoiding this forever."

Ryker just stared at me, his dark eyes full of mischief and challenge, as if daring me to do something about it. It was infuriating, and yet there was something undeniably endearing about him in this form.

"I don't understand why you're avoiding the issue, Ryker. We're Tsigos."

"Maybe he just needs time." Seph suggested gently, reaching up to stroke the fur on Ryker's back. The raccoon made a soft purring sound, nuzzling against her hand. His paw gripped Seph's hand so she couldn't pull it away.

My mouth opened several times as I tried to express myself. "I don't want to hurt him anymore."

"Everything between us has been so intense and confusing." Seph added, her voice kind but firm. "Sometimes it's easier to run away than face the truth. Give him time... we still have a bit."

"I'm worried about the Hesolga."

"We all are." Seph said as she picked Ryker up and held him against her chest. He pawed at her face.

I swallowed hard. She was right. Our entire relationship had been a rollercoaster of emotions, fueled by passion, desire, and danger. I'd leave it be for now, but some day soon we'd have to figure this out.

Then a memory flashed through my mind, and I gasped. "The raccoon in the pantry... I came downstairs for a glass of water and found one munching on dry pasta. Was that one of you?"

"Ah, yes. That," Rhiot scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish. Everyone else pointed at Rhiot, making the guilty party obvious. "That would be me."

"Really?" My eyes narrowed as I studied him, trying to reconcile the image of the raccoon with the man standing before me. "Why did you run? You scared the shit out of me."

"I didn't mean to." Rhiot chuckled, though there was a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. "I couldn't resist the temptation of a late-night snack. You startled me and I didn't think turning into a man in your dry goods pantry would help the situation. "

"Couldn't you have just raided the fridge in your human form?" I asked, exasperated.

"Where's the fun in that?" Rhiot smirked, earning himself a disapproving glance from Trux. "There's a certain satisfaction with indulging in a quick midnight snack in raccoon form."

"Seriously, Rhiot? I told you not to spook her." Trux scolded.

"Lighten up, Trux," Rhiot rolled his eyes. "It was harmless. We didn't scare her off."

"Oh, shit." The gasp was out before I could temper my reaction.

Everyone in the room tensed, their gazes searching the room for a threat. I waved my hand, dismissing their concerns.

"Seph," I began hesitantly, my voice laced with guilt, "I'm so... so sorry for that time I threw the purple glittery vibrating dildo at you."

Seph blinked in surprise, but a smile quickly spread across her face. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's water under the bridge." She waved a dismissive hand, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Rhiot joined in, his laughter loud and boisterous, shaking me as he held me close.

Grayson, on the other hand, stared at me wide-eyed, clearly shocked by my confession. Trux simply furrowed his brow, looking utterly perplexed by the entire situation.

"Sorry, I'm just still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you actually threw that at Seph." Rhiot managed between laughs, wiping a tear from his eye. He mimed something flying through the air, then howled in laughter. "Oh, how I wish I could see that."

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, I didn't know it was you guys shifting into raccoons. I thought some random raccoon had broken in and ate my pasta then curled up on my bed."

"Fair enough," Seph agreed, her voice soothing. "But like I said, no hard feelings."

"Thanks, Seph." I murmured, feeling more connected to my Tsigos than before despite my embarrassment.

"Of course, babe." She replied with a playful wink.

"Now that's out of the way," Trux cut through our momentary reprieve, "we have business to discuss. Specifically, what we're going to do about Parker joining Supernatural Team 3."