Chapter 2
Hot and Cold
A week passed with more than enough work to keep Astrid busy, giving her a reason not to leave the house. Unfortunately, it also meant she wasn’t making any progress on what brought her to the town. Just figuring out which boxes she needed to keep took up the better part of four days, in addition to having a few work-related projects.
On the fifth day, she found a storage unit not too far from the house and hired a company to come the next day to move out everything she didn’t need. Things went sideways, so the moving crew didn’t end up coming until two days after she hired them. She spent those two days working since she didn’t know that they had marked the wrong day until the end of the day they were supposed to arrive. They were fully booked the next day, so she had to wait. There were some choice words that she kept to herself because the last thing she wanted was to do something that drew attention to herself or to make enemies in the new town.
It was a mess. When it was finally over, Astrid decided she needed to escape the town to really get her mind off things. So, she packed a bag and headed to Seattle for a few days. If she encountered other shifters, it was highly unlikely they would be able to do anything in such a populated area. Between sounds and smells, it would be far harder to identify one another.
Unfortunately, she spent a good bit of her time away worrying about what would happen when she returned. What were the odds that she encountered two shifters on her first day in town? In all her time back on the East Coast, she hadn’t encountered any other shifters outside of her brother’s relatives, suggesting that this place likely had a much greater number of them. And they might not all be as willing to talk as the last two were. Since she knew little about other shifter types, Astrid wasn’t comfortable encountering them. She had read stories online about the different shifter types. Granted, those stories were just as likely to be made up as real, but she didn’t want to find out the hard way that those stories were right. That made it that much harder to think about how she would deal with them when she returned.
Phoenix had even suggested as much by saying that they helped people like her. Astrid wasn’t sure whether he meant shifters like her or not, though, since he focused on talking about her abilities, something that her dad said had come from him, not from her mother. She and her brother had gotten their shifting abilities from their mothers. Hopefully, that was something that remained a secret because they clearly already knew a lot more about the shifter world than her, giving them a huge advantage.
The only reason she might consider letting them know that she was a shifter was to learn what kind of shifter the other guy was. No one had ever said anything about dragon shifters, probably because dragons weren’t real or they weren’t supposed to be real. That was something Astrid really didn’t want to think about because she had no idea what it meant in relation to his powers.
Since the other guy had stunning green eyes, Astrid couldn’t help but feel that she had the same reaction to them that other people had to hers. It was a seemingly unnatural color, but it was tied to the type of shifter she was, and she thought it was likely the same for the other shifter.
It could mean that he was also a cat shifter, and if that were the case, she might finally have someone who could tell her more about her kind. She was the only cat shifter she knew; all of the other shifters she knew were deer. Once, Evander tried to explain to her why they were different, saying they had different mothers. This didn’t make sense to her, though – she had never met either of them.
Her father finally explained it when she was in high school when she was working on a family tree.
When she asked, then insisted on hearing, he let out a heavy sigh that she could remember quite clearly a few years later, and it still made her feel guilty for having insisted. At that point, he had mostly lost the use of his legs, so bringing up the past seemed particularly cruel.
She was about to tell him to forget it when he started speaking. “Evander’s mother was the love of my life. The sweetest woman, and she was open about what she was.” He looked out the window. “Her big doe eyes and quiet demeanor made sense, although I didn’t believe her until she actually shifted in front of me.”
“Was that when you learned about shifters?”
“Yes. But I already knew about abilities, obviously.” He gave her a half smile, and she smiled back. He had been the one to train both her and her brother, although he had not passed his ability on to them – all three of them had unique abilities, yet he was able to teach Evander and Astrid how to use what was innate. “It’s more about your gut, and that’s something that most people don’t understand. Trust what you feel, and then learn to work with it, not against it.”
“Yes, I know, Dad. You’ve done a great job training us.”
“I hope so.” He looked down at his hands and Astrid reached out and held them in her own. They were so much older and frailer in his last few years. He squeezed her hand, then continued, “She died not long after he was born. Complications from giving birth. Raising your brother, I really didn’t have time for dating. He was in high school when I finally started to look for companionship.”
“That’s why there was such a big age gap.”
“You got it. Your mother and I didn’t get married. She wasn’t big on the idea of commitment. We were only together for a few months when she fell pregnant. She had no idea about Evander’s shifting ability, and I had no idea about hers. After you were born, she just left. I never heard from her, and with a teenager and a newborn, well, I didn’t have time to track her down.”
“Then you were diagnosed with cancer.” She didn’t want him to have to relive anymore of his past. Rising, she kissed his head. “Thanks, Dad. How about something to eat?”
“What about your project?”
“You gave me everything I need, so I’ll work on it later. For now, I could really use a hearty meal.”
He smiled at her. “I would kill for a nice burger.”
“You would have to. Unfortunately, we are fresh out of cows.”
They laughed as she pushed his wheelchair into the kitchen so they could talk while she made dinner. Her father had become a vegetarian because it was easier with her brother. And consequently, she had grown up not eating meat until she was in high school. Even though he was gone, they continued to refrain, mostly because it made them feel a little closer to him. Eventually, she started to eat fish, but Astrid had never wanted to consume any other kinds of animal. There was just something about fish she couldn’t help craving, even when she was young and was told they couldn’t because of Evander.
As painful as it had been for her father, Astrid was glad that he told her because, over the years, it helped her to better understand her brother, at least as far as his relationship with her.
What she didn’t understand was why he hadn’t taken advantage of the numerous scholarships he was offered for college – some very prestigious ones that would have covered everything – and joined the military. He was valedictorian, held most of the school sports records, and had been student body president. There were so many things he could have done, but he chose the military. It wasn’t a matter of wanting to stay close to family because he had been shipped off to a different state for boot camp, and then sent abroad. Finally, he ended up on a base on the other coast.
Over the years, he had changed, although she hadn’t really understood it at the time. But by the last time she saw him, she had realized why Evander had such a haunting look in his eyes. Her brother was many things, but a warrior wasn’t one of them.
And that’s a large part of the reason she had moved to someplace so far from where she grew up. She needed to find out what happened to him.
Returning from Seattle was bittersweet. She was diving into something she wanted to do for years, but it also brought up a lot of pain. That sensation was further complicated by her not knowing how to deal with all of the other shifters in town. Part of her wanted to reach out to them and find out if the other one was a cat shifter. The other part of her wanted to entirely avoid them. She was much more relaxed for having escaped for a while, but her mind was no more at ease than when she had left.
As soon as she walked into her new home, Astrid tensed. Her brother had left things behind, and she had gone through them over the years, but none of it hinted toward anything. All of the boxes with his belongings were in the second bedroom, but she wasn’t yet ready to delve into them again. Astrid told herself that she needed more context for what he had left, avoiding thinking about how much it hurt to go through them. She really wasn’t ready for the emotions it would dredge up.
Her mind was set, so Astrid placed her bag in her bedroom then grabbed her computer bag and walked back out the door. After locking up, she pulled up the library’s location on her phone. It was risky to be so exposed, but the thought of being trapped in a vehicle for any more time was just too much for her. She passed her vehicle and headed down the sidewalk toward the library.
Her mind was fully engaged in speculation about the area, even going back to what had happened with the movers. This was entirely unhelpful since it just agitated her.
With her thoughts swirling around so many topics, she barely noticed how quickly she was walking until she was standing out in front of her destination. She had managed to walk over a mile and a half in less than half an hour. That time should have been spent thinking about what she was going to research. Instead, it had just managed to further upset her. She tried to quiet her thoughts as her eyes traveled up to the words over the library: Ponderosa Public Library.
It was not the best place to look for the kind of sensitive information she thought she needed, but it was a start at least. The town would have a lot more information about the location than she could find online, so that was something that could have nuggets of information she could use.
The inside smelled a bit musky, but there was a lot more light, thanks to the large windows lining the walls and along half of the ceiling. Astrid’s eyes were drawn to all of the greenery outside, and she figured that was exactly why the place seemed to be made of windows.
Bet this place is creepy when it’s cloudy. With all of that canopy, it’s got to look very oppressive and dark without sunlight streaming in through the window.
She looked over at the desk, where a young man with glasses sat working on a computer. That was obviously where she needed to start.
“Excuse me,” she said, using a lighter tone, hoping she was more disarming than her usual sour demeanor.
The guy looked up, his brown eyes taking her in. “Do you need help?”
“Yes. Do you have newspapers from the last hundred years or so?” Images from movies and shows flashed through her mind. “Please tell me you upgraded past microfiche.”
He gave her a look. “You aren’t from around here.”
She frowned, trying to detect if the guy was a shifter. There was nothing. “How did you know?”
“Besides your slight Southern accent, we upgraded back in the 20th century. Come on.” He got off of a tall stool and took her back to a small room near the back of the library.
Something felt off to her. “Why do you have little conference rooms?”
“There are three community colleges within easy driving distance, and they collaborate. We offer a place for students to do projects.”
“Oh.” She looked around at the place. “What about the guys from the base? Do they come here often?”
“I wouldn’t know. They don’t tend to wear their uniforms in town, so if they come to the library, they look just like everyone else.”
He pulled a chair out. “This is probably your best place to start. We have discs for the older stuff, but you can look at what’s in the cloud. All you need is your… you don’t have a card, do you?”
“No. Do I need one?”
“Yes. We’ve had some kids try to corrupt stuff over the years, so we make sure we can track users. Come here.” He sat down at a different computer. “I can create an account for you, and then you’ll be able to access the older information.”
It took a couple of minutes, but soon enough, Astrid was pouring through a lot of old newspaper articles. Every once in a while, she found something interesting, but they never went into depth. While today, that was understandable since a lot of papers copied each other, journalists 50 to 100 years ago had “integrity” and a desire to provide as much information as possible, so she expected them to be a lot more tenacious.
The more she reviewed, the more Astrid began to wonder if that was just one more thing that was built up as better without it actually being true. However, it could also be a sign that information was being intentionally omitted. She needed to find out if it was just sloppy writing or a sign of the reporting being censored. And if it was being censored, she had to find out why.
Pulling out her own laptop, Astrid began to note stories that seemed to be only partially told. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t hear the door open. It was only when someone sat down beside her and giving her a fright that the young woman realized she wasn’t alone.
“Imagine running into you here.” The cool blue eyes shone, and her eyes were drawn down to the thin lips that covered some very white teeth.
“Are you stalking me, Phoenix?”
“I’ve encountered you twice in over a week. Is that what you consider stalking?”
She looked away. “I suppose not. But as you pointed out, it’s not exactly likely to encounter you here.”
He sighed and sat back, crossing his right leg over his left. “I’ve spent most of the last month here, including most of the days since I last saw you.” His eyes went to her screen. “Apparently, researching the same stuff that you are.”
She quickly turned the monitor off. “What makes you think that?”
“That’s where I started.” He pulled a strange-looking tablet out of his messenger bag. “I don’t know why it interests you, but I can help fill in some of the blanks.”
“And here I thought I was pretty clear that I don’t need your help.”
His smile turned into a smirk. “I’m quite sure you don’t need my help. But since I’ve already found answers to the questions you have right now, I figured I could save you days or weeks of time.” Then he uncrossed his legs and slipped the tablet back into its bag. “If you want to just fumble your way through for a while and find the answers a few months down the road,” he said, standing, “then I’m glad you have time on your hands.”
“Maybe I have time on my hands or maybe I don’t trust whatever you’re telling me.”
“Ah, you are researching the military base. All I can tell you then is to be careful.” He sat several desks away from her at another computer and began his own research.
Astrid looked at her computer, her lips pursed. She hadn’t told him about the military base or why she was there, but he had figured it out anyway. It was like he could read her mind with very little effort. That really bothered her. Her eyes moved over the article in front of her, something about a forest fire that wiped out a nearby town with too few details, but she simply couldn’t focus on what she was reading.
Finally, she asked. “How did you know?”
Phoenix didn’t say anything. Astrid looked at him, “Phoenix.” His head snapped up. “How did you know?”
His blue eyes bore into her. “How did I know what?”
“That I’m researching the base? Or was that just a guess?”
“I told you; I’m researching the same thing.”
“Why?”
He folded his arms over his chest. “I think I’m done trying to help you, considering all it has gotten me is rude responses. You know my name, my business, and why I’m here. If you want anything, it’s your turn to start making offers.”
Astrid’s eyes flashed, and she felt her lip tweak as she fought a strong desire to snarl at the man. “All I know is your first name.”
“That’s your fault. I tried to give you my business card.”
She blinked. “Ok. Well, I didn’t ask you to give me all of that information.”
“No, you didn’t. I offered it willingly. But you rather rudely turned down all of my offers so I see no need to further engage with you.”
“So, you will only help me if there are conditions.”
He held up his hands. “What conditions did I give you for my help?”
“ Your help?” She smirked. “I thought it was your ‘organization,’” she said, using air quotes, “that was going to help me.”
Phoenix placed his long, elegant fingers on his chin. “My family owns the company, and I’m the one in charge of it.”
A thin smile crossed her face, “I thought you said a woman was in charge of it?”
“I told you she is a project manager. She lives in this area and is in charge of a project we are working on here. I run the business internationally.” He quickly looked away and started typing.
“Oh.” Astrid wasn’t sure what else to say, so she asked, “May I have one of those cards?”
“No.” Phoenix didn’t bother to look at her.
“You were willing to give me one last week.”
With his fingers still flying over the keyboard, he simply said, “I was.”
“And now you won’t.”
“Correct.”
His lack of interest and apparent shift in demeanor really bothered her. Turning to fully face him, she asked, “Will you help me?”
“No.”
“What if I need it?”
“You don’t.”
“Perhaps we could work together.”
His eyes flicked over, and she thought she saw something clear pass over his irises from the side. “I fail to see that you have anything to offer.”
Feeling the hair on her neck starting to stand up, Astrid leaned forward. “If you want to know my name, it’s Astrid Lynnox. I’m a freelancer, and my sole purpose for being up here is to find out what happened to my brother.”
It was as if her words flipped a switch. His fingers stopped, and Phoenix turned his head slowly to look at her. His eyes moved over her, assessing her. Finally, he turned his whole body to face her. Placing his elbows on his knees, he asked, “What are you offering me for my help?”
“I thought that you were willing to help those in need.”
“You made it clear that that doesn’t apply to you.”
Frustrated, she growled as she dug her nails into her hands. “Why have you done a full 180? Is this some kind of reverse psychology?”
“You’ve been nothing but rude, starting with soaking Mabel’s café – I paid for repairs since no one is likely to believe that you did that on purpose.”
Astrid’s mouth felt dry. “What makes you think I did it on purpose?”
The withering look he gave her made Astrid incredibly uncomfortable. As she squirmed a little in her seat, he said, “You literally sent columns of water at me with fists at the end of them. There’s no chance that the sprinklers going off at that moment was an accident.”
“Your boyfriend looked at me and tried to get into my head. I had to do something before… before you guys noticed me.”
One of his eyebrows rose. “First, as soon as I walked into the place, I smelled you. Second, the moment Elliot’s eyes landed on you, contact was made. Third, you still didn’t care enough about a poor, innocent woman to actually help despite the fact that you did serious damage to her place of business. Given all of these experiences and your continued rudeness, you seem to be far more of a liability than an asset.”
She gave him a sly smile, “So much for you being in this to help people. Your mask is slipping.”
He leaned forward a little. “As you pointed out, I’m not good at sales, and since you are clearly one of those women who isn’t helpless and doesn’t need saving, I have no business with you.”
“Ah, so you aren’t actually interested in helping if there’s nothing in it for you. It’s just a business that you have to coldly manage.”
He let out a heavy sigh, then stood up and headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Astrid stood up and followed him out the now-open door. “Hey, Phoenix, you…”
Several people turned and began to hush her as she left the room. Phoenix looked back at her, then ushered Astrid back into the room. His voice was a low hiss as he said, “Go back to your computer and do whatever it is you are doing. You do not need me, and I have people who can actually benefit from my support.”
He left the room, leaving Astrid staring at the door, wondering why she was suddenly so interested in his help.
Perhaps because he actually seemed to be interested in helping, and I couldn’t see any reason why he should. Why do I even care that he’s suddenly not interested in answering my questions? I’m not here to be saved or to make connections. All I need is to find out what happened to Evander.
She sat down, ignoring the fact that the shifter had just walked off without any of his stuff. Not her problem. After pulling her headphones out of her bag, Astrid played some background music and became engrossed in her research. She didn’t even notice when he returned as she switched between the library computer and her own. When she felt that she needed a bit more, Astrid pulled out a much older, cheaper computer and set it on the opposite side of her work laptop. Her head was on a swivel as she looked between the three computers.
While looking over a couple of older articles, Astrid noticed a few discrepancies in the stories, even two written by the same author.
She leaned forward to look at a picture when something touched the desk near her, startling her. She jolted back, her knee hitting one of her computers. Phoenix reacted quickly, catching the device before it toppled to the floor.
“Sorry,” he said, repositioning it on the desk slightly farther from the edge. Then he shifted the bag on his shoulder and headed toward the door.
Astrid moved the computer back to where it had been before she had knocked it. When she did, something fell to the floor. Not sure why he bothered to approach her just to startle her and leave, Astrid looked back at the door as she leaned over to pick up whatever had fallen. It was a piece of paper with some notes on it. She flipped it over and saw that there were notes on the back, and there was still something on the floor. Leaning over again, she picked up his card. It was clearly one of the ones that had been in his pocket when she had hit him with ocean water. Unable to help it, she smiled and put the card in the side pocket of her bag. Then she read the note, which ended with something she could not have expected…
While I hope this helps you, you should reconsider what you are doing. If you continue, you must be far more careful. There are several organizations that use people like you, and they will quickly learn that you will not be missed.
Gritting her teeth, Astrid looked at the door.
Is that a threat or a warning?
As much as she hated to do it, she knew that she needed to contact him. She pulled out her phone and retrieved the card. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Please, don’t let this be a horrible mistake.
With that, she entered the phone number on the card and typed out a quick question.
What makes you think I’m alone?
She placed the phone on the desk and stared at it for a few minutes. When he didn’t immediately respond, Astrid decided to try to focus on her work.
When it finally buzzed, Astrid stopped working and grabbed her phone.
How about I buy you dinner, and we can talk?
Astrid moved her fingers over the letters without tapping on them as she thought about the offer.
I’m not interested in anything that could be considered a date.
The response was quick.
Don’t worry. My personal life isn’t something I’m interested in sharing with you. This is for work.
Astrid raised her eyebrows. There was a lot she wanted to say. Then she thought about what he had said and reconsidered saying anything that might be considered rude.
I’ll buy. Where do you want to meet?
Don’t be ridiculous. I’m buying, and I’ve no preference.
I don’t know this area.
Ah, I hadn’t thought of that. Meet me here, but I insist on paying. And don’t worry, I know it’s not a date, and you don’t owe me anything for paying.
An address accompanied the message.
When?
Name a time.
Are you still here?
Yes. Meet you outside?
Astrid took a deep breath, hoping that she wasn’t making a huge mistake. After packing up, she logged out of the library computer and headed out of the library.