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Marisa gave her friend a troubled look and Siobhan raised her hands in surrender. “Never mind. Follow me.” She led the blond down the hall into the executive washroom. She checked the stalls, and they were alone. She wasn’t going to say anything that violated Hidden Races rules, but her demonstration was for Marisa’s eyes only. The blond in question was looking at her cautiously so she took a deep breath and took off her sweater.
Marisa froze as she took in the beautiful cascade of hair that reached her friend’s ass. Hair that hadn’t existed last night.
“A wig?” she asked with a tight throat. She knew better.
Siobhan ran her fingers through it and sighed. “No, it’s all mine, and that’s not the most significant change.”
“What is?” the blonde gasped.
Leaning forward slightly to whisper, she brought her lips next to Marisa’s ear. “It’s my pelt.”
“WHAT?!?” Marisa blurted.
Siobhan nodded. “I had glorious sex with Nate last night, and this morning I discovered my… most precious possession was now my hair. This is so much better than it was before. I never have to worry about losing it, or someone stealing it, again!”
“How!” Marisa gasped as she shook her head.
“Nate! He explained that’s why he insists on wearing a condom. Once before he forgot to wear one and his partner changed.” Her smile slipped away. “He said that change wasn’t… beneficial for her.”
Seeing Marisa’s outrage building, Siobhan jumped ahead. “He insisted last night too but you know I hate the feel of condoms and… I got him drunk.”
Marisa pulled Siobhan into a tight hug out of fear for her, and her sight momentarily flared before she forced it back. Thankfully, she hadn’t felt anything dark or foreboding but knew that could easily change based on decisions made or not made or a multitude of other factors. She hated this ability!
Sighing, she held Siobhan out at arm’s length and looked into her pretty brown eyes. “Was there anything else unique about Nate?”
Siobhan blinked in surprise. “He- he didn’t know he was… what he was, until recently. He didn’t know! How could he not know?”
Marisa nodded definitively. “Let’s go to mother’s office,” she said.
Siobhan read her expression then cautiously nodded as she slipped the sweater back on, once more hiding the length of her new hair.
They walked down the hall, glancing through the glass wall at the servers blinking their lights happily at the glass. Henry wasn’t there either.
Felix indicated they could go right in, so they did.
Camila looked up from her desk with a smile which became a question when she caught the expressions on the two young faces. Siobhan closed the door behind them.
Then Camila noticed her hair. “Oh! That’s a lovely shade of brown! It looks very nice on you!”
Siobhan smiled and nodded to the CEO then slipped her hands beneath her hair at the back of her neck and lifted the silky smooth hair from inside her sweater.
Camila’s eyes widened in surprise. It wasn’t a wig, and there was no way she’d been hiding this much hair under a blond wig the day before. She locked the door and set the privacy rune. She looked to Marisa who nodded to her. She looked back to Siobhan. “You’ve had unprotected sex with Henry?” she asked.
Siobhan stared at her in surprise. “Henry?”
Camila looked sharply at her daughter.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
“There is another Hidden Races member like Henry,” Marisa explained.
“What?!? Another Satyr?” Camila exclaimed then held her hand up. “Wait! We need Sigrid and Roy in here.” She made the calls and unlocked her door. Within the minute Sigrid arrived with Roy following moments later. Camila held up her hand to forestall Sigrid’s immediate question and locked the door once more, activating the privacy rune. She turned to her daughter. “Please explain your last statement to me.”
Marisa nodded. “Siobhan and I went to a club last night, and we met a very nice young man. When I shook his hand, I had a flash from my talent. I knew he was an Incubus, not a Satyr, but there was…” She swallowed and once more forced back the images she’d seen. “… a strong potential on him. I received the SOS from Henry at that moment. I left, and Siobhan stayed to speak with him.”
Roy was glaring at Marisa because Siobhan was present and they were divulging information about Henry. Then he noticed Siobhan’s dramatic change.
“What happened to your hair?” he asked her.
“Hey! That was my question!” Sigrid complained.
“The young man from the club last night is linked to the realm of Wild Magic. He had sex with Siobhan, and now she’s linked to the realm too.” Marisa explained. Siobhan’s eyes flew wide in shock as she looked to her friend.
“And all that happened is your hair changed length and color,” Sigrid asked.
Siobhan glanced at Marisa who nodded to her. She sighed. “No, I’m a Selkie. My hair is now my pelt.”
“That seems… much more practical!” Sigrid said thoughtfully, and Siobhan nodded with a relieved smile.
“How did ‘Nate’ come by his link to the Wild Magic?” Roy asked cautiously.
Marisa sighed. “This is the part you aren’t going to like. Siobhan, tell them the other unique thing about Nate.”
The new brunette found herself the focal point of Mr. Duncan’s intense stare and a chill went down her spine. “Nate explained to me last night that he grew up as a Human with Human parents. He wasn’t aware of the existence of the Hidden Races until this past Hallowe’en.”
“SHIT!” Roy exclaimed. “We are not getting involved with another of her… experiments!”
“Roy! Calm yourself! We don’t know she’s involved with Nate!” Camila snapped as she took in Siobhan’s nervous stare at the security chief. “Siobhan, please continue.”
The young woman glanced at her and nodded. “He said he was almost abducted by a Succubus by the name of Marquise Oletha Thanemark. From the UK.”
“Shit!” Camila exclaimed with a frown then gestured for her to continue.
“After she failed to capture him that time she returned to New York six times, but he was able to avoid her by watching the art trades and online posts from her vocal fan base. She’s a famous artist, according to Nate.”
“She’s after him for his link to the Wild Magic,” Camila suggested.
Siobhan shrugged. “Nate said it was because of his unique coloring and his wings.”
“Wings! You’ve seen them?” Roy pressed and Siobhan nodded quickly. “The witch is involved!” Roy snapped.
At Siobhan’s questioning look, Camila explained. “We haven’t had wings in millennia.” She caught Sigrid’s eye. “The witch pulled him from the past, like Henry.”
Roy growled and nodded towards Siobhan.
“Oh for Pete’s sake Roy, Siobhan has been physically transformed by Nate as Marisa was by Henry! She’s on the inside of the secret now!” Sigrid scoffed then turned to the young woman. “Everything you hear in this room is secret and privileged information, not to be discussed outside of this group. This is a ruling straight from the Hidden Races Council which is also aware of Henry’s unique status. Is that understood?”
“Y-yes!” Siobhan gasped. “Who is this woman who can pull people from the past?”
“We’ll not be speaking the witch’s name aloud. Is that understood?” Roy barked as his eyes went to each of them.
Ignoring Roy’s intensity, Sigrid continued. “Where is Henry? Our lawyer dealt with the police issue last night, didn’t she?”
Camila’s intercom buzzed, interrupting them. She answered. “Yes?”
“Ms. Chandra is here to speak with you, Ms. Gunderan, and Mr. Duncan,” Felix replied.
“Speak of the devil,” Roy muttered.
Camila gave them all a stern look. “No one mentions Nate.” She unlocked the door and pressed the intercom again. “Send her in.” She looked at her daughter. “I’ll bring you and Siobhan back after this.”
Marisa and Siobhan prepared to leave. The sweater was once more in place, hiding the beautiful mahogany hair.
The door opened, and Mahati stepped in and paused as she saw everyone standing facing her. Marisa and Siobhan smiled and nodded politely as they passed. Mahati closed the door behind herself and Camila activated the lock and rune.
“How is Henry?” Sigrid asked.
Mahati locked eyes with her then relaxed as she saw the large blond was just concerned. “He has been extracted from the immediate danger at the police station, but we may be called in to give a statement regarding his involvement in the subway gas attack-”
“What?” Roy exclaimed.
“After dropping Mr. Gable off at his condo, I spoke with my Mother regarding Satyrs as she has significant knowledge of ancient history. The study of it is a pastime of hers. This bodily function is something Satyrs do or did. They could release pheromones in large quantities to cause a sudden loss of inhibitions. Legend has it they could generate spontaneous orgies at social gatherings. When I spoke with Mr. Gable about what happened that night, he confessed that he felt… a strong sexual excitement and people around him suddenly began to have sex. We know from the news that the effect lingered on the train after his removal, the police officers and rescue workers succumbed to it when they entered the subway car. That’s where his pheromones concentrated.”
Sigrid recalled her first encounter with this. Their first time. A sweet smile crossed her lips and she caught Camila watching her with a knowing smile of her own. She forced her smile away then saw Mahati was watching her as well.
“You’ve experienced these pheromones?” the lawyer asked.
Sigrid snorted in surprise at the bold question. “Yes, but they’re not something a Valkyrie’s will can’t resist.”