It's A Hoot (mxm)

Chapter 30

The whole room held their breath. No one dared to move. It was like stepping out the front door to look up at the ashen sky, just waiting for it to pour. Or perhaps it was more akin to watching someone fall with a tray of glass cups, unable to stop the inevitable and forced to watch everything happen in slow motion, just before it shatters into a million pieces.

Without a word, he rose to his feet, Michael's hand slipping from him. He took the distance in strides, taking the phone from Pops and placing his palm over the speaker. "What..." He croaked, then cleared his throat. "What did she say?"

Pops shook his head and muttered in a quiet voice. "She wants to talk to you, said it was about Caldon."

He could see the cat move from the corner of his eye and turned his back to him, drawing the phone to his ear, feeling Geoffrey approach behind him.

"Hello," he echoed out of habit. The softest hoot of a sound.

He could practically hear the smile in her voice as Zuzana responded. "Well, hello dear, my you sound all grown up. It's been so long." She purred. "No longer a little wide-eyed owlet, huh? I bet that's got you thinking you can play a grown-up's game now, hm? How cute, but honey, I think it's time you fold your cards and pack it up. The stakes are about to rise to a level you can't keep up with."

He swallowed hard, eyes skirting across the living room while his thoughts tripped over themselves. Her sweet tone did not match the malicious bite in her words, so deliberate. His mouth ran dry. "What stakes?"

She tutted. He could hear the clack of her heels as she walked. "And here I thought you were a smart one. All those college degrees you collected now gathering dust as quickly as your brain." She chuckled, coming to a stop. "My cousin sure does love the history of shifters, depicted as such fantastical beasts. If only your kind were as half as beautiful as this. Ah, but you've seen his collection, haven't you? So you know what I'm talking about. You were here not too long ago, after all."

He clenched his jaw, glancing back over his shoulder towards the cat. "Get to the point."

"Ohh, you're so unsettled." She laughed, relishing in his discomfort. "Well, Caldon knows the position he's in. He's being rather good for such an uptight bastard. But, I suppose that's because he knows that he's completely disposable. I don't really need him to get what I want, but it'll be a whole lot less mess for me to clean up if we just do a little trade." She paused and there was a distant murmur of a voice. "Oh my," she tutted, "I've just been informed you've been busy. I guess you're not completely incompetent. Hi, Geoffrey," She called, alerting the cat behind him.

"Fuck you," Geoffrey growled, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "What does that witch want."

"I-" He moved his hand to cover the speaker, shaking his head, but was interrupted by Zuzana herself.

"Wonderful, this will make things even easier. Geoffrey dear, I know you can hear me. Your disgusting little love affair with my cousin absolutely eludes me, but I know you would do anything for him, so give me the owl and you can have Caldon. I'll even let you two dissappear off the grid."

Toren turned to look up at the cat, eyes wide. Geoffrey would never consider that, would he? It would be foolish to even entertain a deal with a known psychopath. Yet. He held his breath, his heart skipping a beat. Yet, a shifter's mate, their chosen loved one, was everything to them. It was a bond that might even transcend all reason.
Geoffrey's hand snapped out, demanding the phone. His eyes bore into him with no tell as to what he was thinking.
Hesitant, Toren handed it over. What else could he do, was his reasoning. He didn't have any words left, let alone any idea what to say to Zuzana. It all felt so far beyond him.