Page 26 of A Lion's Heart
CHAPTER 7
The mahogany multi-paned door opened by lifting from the floor to the ceiling. Nisa and Decan stepped inside. Their booted feet fell on gray marble tile that stretched the length of the circular shaped room. About fifteen feet from where they stood, black tiles created another circle on the floor. More gray marble filled this circle and surrounded an intricate black and silver shield design with each of the Shadow Shifter tribes’ insignias set in its center. This design marked the entrance of every zone headquarters bunker throughout Oasis.
Black columns stood tall around the two curving stairways leading down from the upper level. That’s where Nisa and Decan looked to see Faction Leader Jace Maybon and a female shifter descending the stairs slowly.
For just a moment Nisa was nervous. This was the moment she’d been waiting for since her father had suggested she might be able to help bring some stability to the Central Zone. She’d met Jace Maybon before as he and her father were close friends and the Faction Leaders met with the Assembly Leader several times a year. So it wasn’t nervousness at seeing him, or being in this lavish facility that was causing her hands to shake slightly. No, that was caused by the shifter standing next to her.
Decan had told her to touch him and Nisa had wanted to. Oh, how she’d wanted to. The bulge in his pants had looked so big and intimidating. Yet, she hadn’t been intimidated at all. She’d been ready. There was no doubt in her mind that sex with Decan would be drastically different from any of the things Nisa had done to pleasure herself. And damn if she wasn’t counting on that fact.
Now, however, she was simply trying to keep a lid on her sexual frustration while she met with the Faction Leader.
“It’s always a pleasure to see you, Nisa,” Jace spoke as he came closer and reached for her.
Nisa easily went into his arms for a hug. “It’s good to see you again, too,” she replied, holding back the urge to call him Uncle Jace. This was a business visit, not a friendly one.
All of the FLs had been there when she was born and they’d all played a part in her upbringing so she’d grown up feeling as if they were all her family. All of them except Cole Linden.
“And you’re Decan Canter,” Jace said after releasing Nisa and turning his attention to where Decan stood beside her.
“Yes sir,” Decan answered and accepted Jace’s extended hand.
“Let’s go over here to the conference room,” Jace suggested when he took a step back. “Then I’ll let you two get settled.”
Jace had already taken a step away when the woman that was with him cleared her throat. As Jace turned back she shook her head and stepped forward, extending her hand to Nisa first.
“Hello, I’m Amelia Sanchez, Pacific Zone Executive Assistant. It’s a pleasure to meet you Ms. Reynolds. I’ve had a chance to meet your parents and am not surprised at all by how beautiful you are.”
Amelia may have thought Nisa was beautiful, but this woman was stunning with her olive hued skin and raven black hair. Her eyes were exotic, her accent reminiscent of Magdelena, the Seer, who had been born and still lived in the Gungi rainforest in Brazil.
Nisa shook her hand and smiled. “Hello Amelia. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” she said.
“And you too, Mr. Canter,” Amelia continued. “Jace…I mean Faction Leader Maybon, has told me a lot about you.”
She was shaking Decan’s hand now and Nisa was looking at the lovely woman and wondering how long she and Jace had been co-workers…or rather, friends. She was certain that look Amelia had just tossed Jace’s way when he’d obviously forgotten to introduce her was one only two people who were very comfortable with each other would share.
“It’s nice to meet you, as well,” Decan told her as he shook her hand.
Then everything Nisa had been thinking about Jace and Amelia vanished in a jolt of aggression that seared through her. The feeling was so potent Nisa had to take a step back. She felt as if the room was spinning and lifted a hand to her forehead as she closed her eyes and tried to steady herself.
“Are you alright?” Jace asked.
He was immediately by her side, concern clear in his voice.
“Yes. I’m…ah…I’m fine,” she replied and managed to look up at him and offer a tentative smile.
Jace was not smiling. In fact, his frown had creases forming in his forehead as he turned his attention to Decan.
“What happened before you came here? Was she hurt?” Jace fired the questions at him.
“No,” Decan answered, but did not look at Nisa. “She was not hurt. And our trip here was uneventful.”
Considering she hadn’t forgotten the reported bunker they’d stayed in, or the strange shifter who had been tapping on that wall trying to get her attention before she’d gone above ground without permission, Nisa remained silent.
“Let’s move into the conference room,” Amelia said and took Nisa’s hand.
Nisa followed the shifter’s lead, crossing the entranceway and stepping into a room after another door opened upon their approach.
This room was all glass that offered views out to the crater filled walls that surrounded it. There was a glass and steel table in the center of the room with matching chairs and white carpet on the floors. Nisa took a seat as she continued to rebound from that strange feeling she’d just had. Jace and Decan came in and the door closed behind them. Once they were all seated at the table, Jace immediately began.
