Free Fury Rising (Fury Unbound Book 1) by Yasmine Galenorn Page A

through the line. “You would do that for me? Thank you, Fury. I can barely…” She paused. “Precinct 37 has more information, though I doubt it will do any good.” Tears clouded her words again. “I have to go.”
    “Of course.” I slowly hung up, glancing back at the crowd. I caught Tam’s eye and motioned to him, nodding frantically when he shook his head. He frowned, then weeded his way through the customers.
    I cornered him against the back wall behind the counter. “Listen, I need you to get these people out of here and lock the store.”
    “What—”
    “Don’t argue. Just do it. Trust me?” I stared him down. It was hard to maintain eye contact with someone who could bore holes through your skull with his gaze, but I wasn’t about to tell Jason his fiancée was dead with a store full of people around to hear. I’d seen too many rubbernecks in my time, and I wasn’t going to subject Jason to that.
    Tam closed his eyes for a second before a melancholy look washed over his face. “All right, Fury. Give me a moment here.”
    He swiftly rounded the counter and within minutes, he was gently herding people to the door, encouraging them to come back tomorrow. I watched as he worked, his glamour coming out strong. He was trim and lithe. At times, he made me think of a sapling. His curling mane of hair frizzed out like branches, tangled in a sexy way. And everybody responded to him like he was a hot knife sliding through butter.
    I anxiously watched, hoping Jason wouldn’t hear what we were doing. If we were lucky, he had put on his ear buds to drown out the noise. Finally, the shop was empty. Hans locked the door and flipped on the Closed sign. Glancing at the break room door, I was relieved to see it was still closed. I motioned for Hans and Tam to follow me to my nook.
    “Sit down and listen. We don’t have time to waste.” Every minute that passed was one more moment closer to somebody calling Jason to say they were sorry.
    “Who died?” It wasn’t a rhetorical question or a joke. Tam cocked his head to one side, his gaze brushing me like liquid fire.
    I stared at the table for a moment, then said, “Eileen. She was flying and got hit by one of the fucking sky-eyes. Hans, can you go down to...” I frowned and glanced down at the note I had scribbled to myself. “Precinct 37? They should have more details. I don’t dare go, given my chips are altered. I offered to tell Jason. Eileen’s mother was in no shape to relay the news.”
    Tam reached out and took my hand. I closed my eyes as he softly drained away some of the heaviness weighing on my heart. The Bonny Fae liked touch, they liked connection. If a friend was in pain, they did what they could to help.
    “Thank you,” I whispered, feeling less ragged. “I’d better go tell Jason now. Tam, come with me?” I wasn’t sure if his magic would work on a hawk-shifter, but I was hoping for some little miracle. “Unless it’s too much to ask…”
    “Not at all. I can handle more than you think, Fury. Come, let’s get this over with.” He glanced at Hans. “Lock up when you go out and set the security code.”
    Hans nodded, his face a blank mask. But I caught a glimpse of the ache in his eyes. Eileen wasn’t really one of us, but she had been Jason’s chosen mate, and that was all that mattered. We had lost one of our own.
     

     
    Jason stared at the floor, unmoving and silent as I gave him the news.
    “Hans is on the way down to the police quarters to find out exactly what happened. Eileen’s mother is…not coping well, I think.” I leaned out to take his hand in mine but he pulled away. Tam gave me a quick shake of the head and I withdrew.
    Jason glanced at Tam, then motioned toward the door. “Give us some privacy, Kae.”
    Tam blinked, but said nothing.
    “Of course,” I said stiffly, stung by the sudden rebuff. I left the room without another word, trying not to slam the door on my way out. By the time I reached the