Ridley- A Shaman's Duty (Chap 12) ... in progress

1

Ridley made it back to his car through the small crowd. Maybe the reporter was afraid of the scowl he wore because she didn’t bother to attack him with questions again. 2

Ridley checked the time and decided to head home for a couple of hours to plan his next move. He needed to talk to the wolves, but that was not as simple as just ringing up Marta on the phone and having a chat. 3

He needed permission to speak to the wolves, so that meant he needed to find the Alpha. And unfortunately, that was not as simple as going to their den either. 4

The wolves of the Tamaska clan held the entire city as their territory, which meant that they owned several dens, disguised as regular houses, clubs, and businesses all over town. Lycanthropes were well organized and the wolves policed themselves and kept out of the media more than the Mentals. It made them a more secretive society, but there was also very clear rules that Ridley needed to follow in order to get somewhere. 5

He didn’t know all of their hangouts, and he wasn’t likely to find them by just poking at the ones he did know of. He needed to find someone to tell him exactly where to find the Alpha. 6

And fortunately, he knew where that someone would be. He just needed to wait until dark.7

* * *8

Ridley used his time efficiently. He had a short workout, running as fast as he could on the treadmill to dull down his power. For once, he didn’t want to be exhausted because the wolves could be dangerous. Having the power at hand could mean the difference between impressing them and keeping his life, or being dragged down and killed by the clan.9

He showered and ate a quick meal and was ready to go. He knew where his contact would be at nightfall, so he just made sure to get there before him. 10

The abandoned subway construct was a favorite place for dealers. Dealer’s Row was a labyrinth, a complicated maze of nooks and crannies with an unknown number of escape ways. When the police actually dredged up the energy and manpower to raid the area, dealers scattered everywhere like roaches, and typically, only one or two were actually captured and taken in. 11

Ridley strolled down the walkways as the dying sun left liberal smears of ruby and amethyst across the sky. Already, a few patrons darted in and out the shadows, shivering with need and looking for their favorite dealers. This could potentially be a dangerous place, but most Specials had more to fear from the media than a human crook.12

Dealers staked out prime territory near the entrances, best for escape routes and for desperate druggies who would take whatever wares were closest. Ridley made no judgments on them or their patrons. If it wasn’t so dangerous for him to be out of control, he likely would’ve turned to a chemical escape himself to get away from his own head. 13

He talked to several dealers, and finally made a purchase that was only slightly above a ridiculous amount. Then he settled at one of the more popular entrances, slipping into a dark patch of shadow, and waited. 14

It didn’t take long for his prey to slip into sight. 15

Nasir was a small, thin young man. His skin glimmered with sweat even in the cool night air, looking like sour ale rather than the healthy amber it should’ve. His wispy, black hair lay in a sweaty tangle across his brow and he murmured to himself as he made his way down the dark aisles. He was definitely jonesin’.16

Ridley slipped out of the shadows and followed him for awhile. He waited until Nasir had attempted to make a purchase with too little money, before sliding up to the man’s side.17

“I got something you might want, Nasir,” he murmured softly.18

The smaller man flinched and turned to Ridley with eyes that glowed red, backlit like a cat’s. His face was too severe, the lines too sharp and angular to ever be considered handsome, but there was a smart gleam there that Ridley appreciated. He didn’t like Nasir, but he didn’t underestimate him.19

“What the fuck do you want? Taking up a dealing hobby, head-job?” Nasir asked. He had a melodic, silky voice that didn’t match the seedy exterior at all and as always, Ridley wondered why some record company hadn’t snatched him up before he got messed up on drugs.20

“I’ve got questions, Nasir. Come take a walk with me and we’ll see what I can do for you.” Ridley gave the annoyed dealer a warning look that the man sneered at, but he turned as another customer approached and forgot all about them.21

Nasir’s eyes died back to its normal human darkness. His power made Ridley’s skin twitch, but it wasn’t really a good feeling. His power smelled like fresh onions and rat fur, his frequent drug use making his power’s natural scent sour. 22

“Hey, Ridley. You ain’t kidding me, are you? You serious? You got something?”23

Ridley jerked his head towards the exit. “Stop delaying, Nasir, and you can get your hookup tonight on me.”24

Nasir was suddenly Ridley’s man. He followed him out of the building, vibrating with anticipation and ready to talk. Ridley waited until they were by his car and relative privacy.25

“Okay, so what do you want, Rid?” Nasir’s beady eyes moved over the terrain uneasily. He would be jumpy and skittish until their exchange was done and he could go enjoy himself. 26

“I need to know where the Alpha is tonight. Do you know?”27

“Of course I do,” he replied indignantly. He glared at Ridley with eyes that burned red again. “I always know where my pack is, you fuckin’ head-job. We shifters know how to be a family, unlike you Mentals.”28

Ridley’s lips twitched. He felt bad for Nasir sometimes and annoyed with him most of the time. Nasir was an elitist even if he didn’t have the right to be. In his mind, no one was as good as the shifters. And yet, if Ridley growled, Nasir was quick to show his belly. He wished he was dominant, and just wasn’t.29

Ridley would have to assert his dominance over him, but since he wasn’t a shifter, it meant mind games rather than growling or flashing his power over the smaller man.30

He smirked down at Nasir, standing straight to accentuate his height advantage. He took a step forward and Nasir suddenly dropped his eyes and took a back step, completing the little game without much of a fight. He would talk big, but when it came to action, Ridley was more dominant and that was all that mattered.31

“You’re not pack, Nasir.”32

“I will be, head-job!”33

Ridley shook his head. “I don’t know why you insist on this. You just hang on the fringes of Tamaska. You would do better finding-”34

“Is this the information you wanted, Ridley?” Nasir growled. He bared his teeth at Ridley, but they were just human teeth in a human face. 35

Nasir wanted desperately to be part of the pack, craved it, but he would never be allowed in. The wolves would happily accept any wolf, no matter what race, religion, or sexual orientation. You became pack once you swore fealty to the Alpha and they could care less what a person’s human face looked like. But they would never accept a non-wolf. Nasir shifted into a jackal. 36

Nasir often followed them around the city and sat as close as possible without being in sight. So far, the wolves tolerated him, but just barely. Ridley knew that at any time, Nasir could wind up dead from trying to insist that he belonged with them. 37

In his human form, Nasir was bigger than most shifter females, like Marta. But when he shifted, he was only a thirty pound canid. Even the smallest of the wolf pups in their animal form would be three times heavier than him. 38

Ridley nodded slightly to himself. Nasir was right. He wasn’t here to talk about Nasir’s hopeless dream to be pack. 39

“Where is the Alpha hanging out tonight?”40

Nasir licked his dry lips, eyeing Ridley’s pockets. His nostrils flared, then he focused on Ridley’s left jacket pocket where the baggy he was most interested in rested. Ridley snapped his fingers to get his attention.41

“Hey. Answer my questions and you’ll get your damn treat. Now, do you know where the Alpha is tonight?”42

Nasir nodded quickly. “Yes, of course. My lord Alpha and his court are at his newest night club.”43

“His entire court?” Ridley frowned. He had hoped to catch the Alpha at one of his less ostentatious sites and without his entire court of enforcers and dominant wolves.44

“That’s right. I even saw his Lupe dressed in her finest.” Nasir’s melodic voice took on a dreamy inflection. Ridley had seen the Alpha’s mate once before too, and he didn’t blame Nasir for his admiration.45

“Okay.” Ridley sighed. “Which club?”46

Nasir grinned. “Hazar-Shual, of course. The ‘house of the wolf’.”47

Ridley smiled back at Nasir, not worried about showing his teeth. “Of course.” 48

He wondered just how many Special-hating mundanes partied at clubs and establishments that they didn’t know belonged to the wolves. The wolves were business geniuses and they loved hiding the fact that something belonged to them while advertising it at the same time. 49

The name of their clan- Tamaska- was a Japanese word for wolf. The Lupe, or wolf-queen and mate of the Alpha, was the word for she-wolf in Spanish. And many of the things belonging to them were similarly titled, using all different tongues to show that the wolves were united despite where their roots were. 50

“Okay. So I need to go to Hazar-Shual.”51

Nasir nodded again. “They’ll be there for a few hours. Are you done with me?”52

“Just a couple more questions. Do you know the word ‘mishael’?”53

“Of course I do. Mishael is an endearment thing. Means like, ‘sweetheart’ or whatever.” He lifted his chin and smiled slyly. “I got like five of ‘em sweatin’ me all the time.”54

Ridley grinned, doubting that. “Good. So, it is a wolf term. I knew it.”55

“Yeah. Mishael is like ‘my boo’, but bidael is like, ‘wifey’, you know.”56

“So, it’s what you would call a female wolf that you like. A girlfriend, but not your mate.” Ridley nodded again to himself. 57

So why did a non-shifter call the dead girl his mishael? How would he even know the word unless he was close to the wolves? More and more, this killer was looking like Nasir- a wolf-wannabe. Ridley definitely needed to talk to the Alpha. He would know about any non-shifter “friends” of the pack.58

“Exactly, man.” Nasir looked impatient. He bounced in place. “Is that all?”59

“One last thing. Have you heard about the murders in town? All the dead girls?” 60

Nasir suddenly shied backwards. 61