Free Night's Captive by Cheyenne McCray

probably the one who called.”
    “So fast?” Loni asked. “Whoever it was just called.”
    “Unfortunately, he lives right around the corner.”
    Loni waited for him in the living room, her pulse elevated from kissing Alec. She scooped up her ponytail holder from off the floor and hurried to pull her hair back and straightened her clothing while she waited for Alec.
    What the hell were you thinking? Alec took a deep breath and shook his head as he walked down the hallway to answer the door. He’d probably been about to make a big mistake with Loni. Humans were taboo, damn it.
    Even though it had been three years since his relationship with Marie had ended, he still couldn’t get himself to trust women. The scar ran deep and he couldn’t put himself in the position again to fall in love with anyone. Not to mention the people Selena sent to their underworld often vanished with no explanation from her or anyone else.
    Alec switched his train of thought. Time to get his head back where it belonged. What’s gone down now? he wondered as he unlocked the front door and pulled it open to find Max on his doorstep as expected.
    Max was a tall man with a deep southern accent and had the look of a country boy with a farmer’s tan. He liked his whiskey and his jeans always had a Skoal ring on the right back pocket. A green John Deere cap rested on straw-like blond hair.
    He spit a wad of tobacco into the flowerbed beside the front door. “Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone?” the Chief Enforcer asked, his voice gruff.
    “What’s going on?” Alec knew that despite Max’s easygoing manner, at this moment something important was happening.
    “Those humans you took down—one of them is coherent and talking,” Max said. “I need you at task force headquarters and I need you there fifteen minutes ago.”
    “Right away, Chief.” Alec felt a rush of excitement. So far they’d gotten nowhere with the few humans they’d brought in. This could be a huge break in finding out what was happening to allow some humans to have paranormal powers.
    “Next time answer your damned phone instead of messing around with the human,” Max said with something between a scowl and an amused expression.
    Max turned and his boots clunked down the short flight of stairs as he headed for his illegally parked Big Ass Truck or BAT as Jazz liked to call it. It was a red king-cab truck with dually wheels that should be nearly impossible to park but somehow Max always managed to find a wide enough space.
    When Alec walked back into the living room and saw Loni, a sense of disappointment tempered his excitement at the news that one of the humans was giving information.
    “Sorry, honey.” He went to Loni and kissed her. “We’ve got to run down to task force headquarters. Looks like we might have a break in the case.”
    She smiled. “Well, let’s go then.”
    Alec locked up behind them. He turned to Loni. “No matter how fast I go, you can keep up?” he asked.
    “I guess so.” She frowned. “I feel pretty normal though, not like I could run and run like I did earlier.”
    “Let’s give it a shot.” Alec’s bones shifted as he lowered to all fours, his clothing turning into a gleaming coat of hair as he transformed into a black Lab and stood ready at Loni’s side.
    They started jogging side-by-side. He maintained a rapid pace and she kept up with him no matter how fast he went. It wasn’t long before they reached the task force HQ and came to a stop. Loni didn’t seem out of breath at all as they walked in through the back door of the building that was older than any other building in the downtown Phoenix area. Alec shifted back to his human form when they arrived.
    The halls and staircases were narrow, not handicapped accessible by any means, but an elevator had been installed with a secret door on the outside and accommodations downstairs made for Dani’s wheelchair.
    Loni followed Alec as he jogged down the steep staircase