The Bear and the Unicorn (Supernatural Enforcers Agency Book 6) (20 page)

Epilogue

Juliet sighed.  Her tongue traced her fangs.  She really needed to feed, but there was still so much work to be done.

It had been a
long
week.  Processing and charging everyone was a nightmare.  The mercenaries weren’t too difficult.  They were firing weapons as SEA agents when they were arrested and most admitted to being hired to kidnap shifters.  But the people who had flocked there to bid on the shifters were claiming ignorance.  Yeah, that really wasn’t going to fly.  They weren’t going to find a judge sympathetic to the fact that they were trying to buy live shifters to keep as pets.

To her surprise, Zane wasn’t particularly interested in taking credit for the arrests.  He wasn’t even clamoring to get his job back.  No, all he really cared about was keeping the truth about his mate’s inner animal under wraps.  That wouldn’t be too difficult.  The SEA members who knew could be relied upon to keep their pie-holes shut, and the surviving mercenaries and buyers were aware of a unicorn shifter being involved, but they weren’t sure who it was.  They could keep her identity quiet.

The SEA arrested nearly two hundred people and was still searching for some who managed to flee.  A guy called Vargas – Booker’s second in command – and a doctor called Ingrid James were top of their hit list.  Zane reported that Ingrid was injured, and reckoned Vargas got her out of there.  They were probably already in Mexico – if they had any sense. 
Shame
.  The Council of Supernaturals wanted to hold someone responsible for masterminding the whole enterprise, but it was doubtful they were going to get anyone.  With Booker and Hawk dead, Vargas in the wind, there was no one else.  She almost wished Hawk lived so he could stand trial. 
Almost
.  After putting his slimy hands all over her, his death was inevitable.

Of the rare shifters who were abducted, sadly, some died before the auction night, while others were killed by mercenaries in their escape attempt.  Some of them had been missing for months, going on a year and they cried on being reunited with their families.  After they gave full statements to the SEA about what happened, naturally.

A couple had a very happy ending.  The mammoth and penguin shifter were actually dating and considering relocating to live together.  A little bit of happiness did come out of the whole debacle.

A few, though… well, one… yeah, he was being outstandingly difficult and uncooperative.  Juliet tried not to think about
him
.

Her phone rang, and she answered absently, groaning as she listened to the complaints of one of her agents.  Great.  Speaking of
him
...  If it could blood would rush to her cheeks.

“I’m on my way.”

Fuming, she made her way down to the interview room, only to find the zebra shifter agent waiting outside.  His shirt was torn, his glasses askew and his mouth set in a grim line.

“He is impossible!” he barked.  “I’ve tried talking to him three times, and he’s a complete asshole!  He won’t even tell me his name and he keeps trying to attack me.”

Juliet told him to go home, which he gratefully did.  She let out an almighty sigh and steeled herself as she entered the room.  The huge sabre-tooth tiger lounged in the chair, smirking at her.

“Having fun torturing my staff?”

“Sure,” he rumbled.

“All you have to do is answer a few questions, and you can go.  There’s no need to be reticent.  You’re not in any trouble for anything that happened after your abduction.  But we’re in the process of trying to prosecute the people who did this to you, and we need your statement.  It won’t take long.  Okay?”

Juliet looked into his eyes, willing his animal to obey, trying to out-dominate him.  He stared at her for a few moments and she felt triumphant that it was working.  That feeling dipped as he lumbered to his feet, knocking the table out of the way as if it was nothing more than a butterfly.

“Stop,” she commanded as he approached, filling her vision with a large amount of male chest.  He ignored her.  “I said stop!”  She almost stamped her foot in exasperation.

The large male huffed.  “Yeah, yeah, I heard you.”

If Juliet didn’t know any better, she’d say he was amused.  Her eyes widened as he crowded her.  His hands cupped under her armpits and pulled her up until they were face to face, pinning her against the door with his body.  He pressed his forehead to hers. 

“You smell good,” he rumbled.

“Stop smelling me cat!” she hissed  “And put me down!”  The nerve of the beast manhandling her and sniffing her like she was a common flower!

He chuckled and took a deep breath.  The word
mate
dragged out of his throat in one long, guttural growl and Juliet did something she’d never done before in her centuries-long existence.  She squeaked in surprise.

To be continued…

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