Waking Hearts

by Elizabeth Hunter

  The corner of his mouth turned up. “You and your people.”

  “You’re my favorite though.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yes. You’re excellent people.”

  Ollie brought their hands up and kissed the back of her fingers. “You’re making it awfully hard to take this thing slow, Allie-girl.”

  The new band wasn’t as good as the last one, but it wasn’t bad either. The drinks were flowing, and the crowd was enjoying itself.

  Too bad Allie wasn’t. It was the kind of night she usually loved, but there was something nagging at her.

  “Darlin’, I got your order up!” Ollie yelled from across the bar.

  Allie shot him a smile and a wink, not missing the longing sigh of the two ladies at the table.

  “That one yours?” one of the women asked.

  “Yep,” Allie said with a grin. “Hands off.”

  “Girl,” the other said, “I don’t blame you. That man is fine.”

  “You ladies liking the band?”

  “Yeah, but I think it’s the first time we had to hike so far for parking. This place is packed. We parked halfway up the road into town.”

  Allie froze, fumbling the glass she’d been about to pick up.

  “You okay, honey?” the first woman asked.

  “Yeah,” she said, her heart starting to pound. “I just… I’ll check back with you guys in a bit. You okay for now?”

  They waved her away and Allie practically ran to the bar.

  “Hey.” Ollie was right there. “What’s wrong?”

  “All these cars,” she said in a panic. “We’ve been watching for strange cars because this Ashford guy isn’t going to be able to get close to town without a vehicle, but now there’s all these cars, Ollie, and there’s no way—”

  “Baby, I’ve got twice as many men at the house for just that reason. They’re watching extra close. And Sean said he was going to send some of the Quinns over later to help.”

  “But he’s a snake!”

  Ollie glanced around, and she lowered her voice.

  “He’s a snake, Ollie. You can’t… they can get anywhere. Everywhere.” She couldn’t calm down. “I need to be home. I can’t be here.”

  Ollie passed a harried gaze over the bar. “Allie—”

  “Just drive me home and come right back. Or have Jim do it. I don’t care. But I’m gonna be useless here. I can’t stop thinking about that guy.” She felt her breath coming faster. “He could sneak in the house and no one—”

  “Okay.” He smoothed his hands down her shoulders. “Okay, we’ll get you home. Calm down. I’ll… call in someone else to fill in. But I can’t leave. Are you okay letting Jim take you home? The kitchen’s pretty slow. Is that okay?”

  She nodded, but the icy claws in her chest didn’t ease. “Okay.”

  Ollie waved Jim over and explained the situation. Allie grabbed her purse and practically ran to Jim’s truck.

  There was something wrong. She just knew it.

  The claws in her chest only tightened when she got back to Ollie’s and saw every light on in the house and barn and half their people in shifted form.

  Jim threw open the door. “What’s going on?”

  Elijah ran up. “We were just about to call you, Dad. We can’t find Chris.”

  “What?” Allie shrieked.

  Elijah held up a hand. “He and Mark got into a fight about some cards or something—”

  “Pokémon cards?” Allie yelled. “He ran off because of Pokémon cards?” She ran toward the house, Elijah following her.

  “They were fighting, and then Mark yelled something and Chris ran off. Miss Allie, he’s probably just hiding.”

  Jim said, “Call Ollie right now.”

  “Dad—”

  “I’m not angry. But you need to call him right now, then call some of the older cousins to go help your mom out at the bar.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Allie, wait!”

  She heard Jim calling her, but she didn’t stop. Those stupid, stupid cards! She was getting rid of every single one of them. Maybe that was going to be her policy from now on. Every time they fought over a toy, it belonged to her. She strode up the porch steps and into the house. “Kevin!”

  Kevin and Mark ran down the stairs, Kevin holding Loralie.

  Mark looked like he was about to puke. “Mom, I’m so sorry. He bent my cards and I lost my temper and I yelled at him.”

  “Buddy, don’t worry about that right now.” She passed Loralie to Mark. “Watch your sister. Stay upstairs and scream really, really loud if you see anything slithering. Kevin, shift and find your brother.”

  “But Eli and Mr. McCann said—”

  “I know what they said.” She put her hand on his cheek. “But I need to stay human so I can talk with the other grown-ups, and other than me, you know him best. I don’t think anyone grabbed him.” Please, God, don’t let anyone have grabbed him. “I think he’s just hiding. Shift and find him for me, baby.”

  Kevin nodded and ran to his room.

  “Allie?” Alex’s dad, Robert McCann, walked through the front door. “Why don’t you stay in the house with the kids while we—”

  “Kevin is shifting right now. He and I will start searching in the house. Please send someone up here to stay with Mark and Loralie.”

  His mouth was a thin line. “I really think you should leave the searching to us. We’re probably being overcautious, but—”

  “We probably are, but Mr. McCann, I know my child better than you. He ran off to hide. He does this fairly frequently. Kevin will be able to find him.” Kevin trotted out to stand next to her. “We’ll look around the house first. Has anyone gone down to the tunnels beneath the house?”

  “What tunnels?” He glared. “Damn bears! I can’t secure a perimeter if I’m not given the right information!” He spun and marched out the door.

  Allie didn’t have time for territorial fights. The acrid fear had eased, but she still wanted to find her youngest son. “Kevin, the door in the basement. Start there. You know Chris has been dying to go explore.”

  Kevin raced down the hall, nudging open the basement door that never seemed to latch correctly. He disappeared and Allie ran after him.

  “Do not run so fast, Kevin Smith! I have to keep up.”

  Kevin was waiting at the set of shelves that hid the door to the tunnels. They were so smoothly oiled a child could swing them open. Allie was worried that Chris had done just that.

  Kevin had his front paws up on the second shelf.

  “Did you catch his scent?”

  A high whine she thought meant yes.

  “Okay.” She swung open the door and grabbed a flashlight. There were only a few lights down in the tunnels, but the dirt floor was worn even by years of use. The tunnels weren’t used for bootlegging anymore; they were used for storage. Ollie had shoved some of the older furniture in them, so she worried about tripping.

  Kevin had no such concerns, his night vision far more acute than her human eyes. He darted ahead, then stopped.

  “Do you have him?” she asked.

  Kevin pawed the ground.

  “No, I don’t want you running ahead. Stay with me. Chris?”

  She passed two branching passageways before she heard the sniffling. Allie let out a sigh. “Chris?”

  “Mom?”

  The claws around her heart eased. Kevin ran to the left.

  “Hey, Kevin.” Chris’s small voice echoed down the passage. “Is Mark still gonna pound me?”

  She pulled out her phone to call Robert McCann, but of course she had no signal.

  Allie followed Kevin and swung her flashlight around. Chris was crouched in the corner, the bent Pokémon cards still clutched in his hand and dusty tear streaks down his face.

  “Mama, I’m sorry. I know I’m not supposed to play with them, but… Don’t let Mark pound me.”

  She bent down and picked him up, grunting as she put his legs
around her waist. He was getting way too heavy to carry. “Buddy, no one’s going to pound you. But don’t you remember? I told all you guys you had to stay in the house. You scared me to death.”

  Kevin was nosing the ground, darting farther into the passageway, then running back, still whining.

  “Come on, Kev,” Allie said, still carrying Chris. “Help me find the way back.”

  Kevin waited, still whining.

  “What’s up?” Allie huffed out a breath. “Just shift and tell me what’s going on, Kev. I’m your mom. I’ve seen you naked before.”

  Chris wiped his runny nose. “He has trouble changing back sometimes when the moon is big. I heard him telling Low.”

  Oh, for heaven’s sake.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? That’s not a big deal. I can help you, but not right now. Let’s just head back. Ollie’s probably freaking out right now.” And her back was about to break. She didn’t think she’d be able to pry Chris’s arms from around her neck. He was hanging on like a limpet.

  Kevin still wasn’t moving. He blocked the passageway and let out a sharp bark.

  Allie wanted to cover her ears. “It really is like a horror movie. Kevin, will you just—”

  She heard another scream echo from the passageway leading back to the house.

  Allie’s eyes went wide.

  Not a fox scream. A bobcat’s.

  And the fact that Kevin was dancing around her feet and whining told her that scream didn’t belong to anyone familiar.

  She looked over her shoulder into the darkness. She had no idea where it led, and she was carrying a child. She looked down at Kevin and whispered, “Get one of the bears who knows the tunnels. Run now. Fast as you can.”

  A desperate, high whine. He didn’t want to leave her and Chris.

  “Now, Kevin!”

  He disappeared down the tunnel a second before she heard the footsteps.

  But it wasn’t the young man who’d turned into a bobcat who appeared. It was another man, pale with sandy-brown hair. He was wearing ill-fitting sweatpants and a shirt Allie thought he must have pulled out of storage.

  “You must be Allison Smith,” he said in a gently accented voice. “How very nice to meet you. I’ve been looking for you for some time.”

  Chris clutched her tighter. “Mama, what’s wrong?”

  Allie stroked his hair, her eyes never leaving the chilly face of the man who blocked her way. “Nothing, baby. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  OLLIE WAS TRYING HARD NOT to burst into his fur. He pulled up to the house and jumped out, taking in the organized chaos surrounding him. Men and women were walking outward in a silent grid, looking for one small boy and keeping watch for any snakes. Sean had sent people, but he’d told them not to shift. If Ashford had taken Chris—

  “I’m sorry!” Mark burst out of the house and jumped off the porch, tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Ollie!”

  Ollie bent down and let the boy jump into his arms, pulling him into a bear hug. “This is not your fault.”

  “It was just some stupid cards, and he ran away. I’m so stupid. It was just a toy.”

  “Marky, calm down.”

  “I can’t—” He choked on his tears. “If something happens to him—”

  “Mark.” Ollie set him down and put a hand on his cheek. “Nothing is going to happen to him. I’m going to find Chris. Where’s your mom?”

  “She went to look in the tunnels with Kevin.”

  Flashing red alarms blaring in his head. “Alone?”

  “Mr. McCann sent someone down there with her.” Mark’s eyes swept the yard and he pointed. “That guy.”

  “That guy” was talking to Robert McCann, but Ollie didn’t see Allie or Kevin with him. He stalked over.

  “…pitch-black. I’ll need some flashlights. It’d really help if one of the Campbells—”

  “You!” Ollie shouted at him. “You’re supposed to be down in the tunnels with Allie?”

  The man sighed. “I tried. But I couldn’t see a damn thing, and I got completely turned around. I heard her calling for the kid. Think I heard him call back. They sounded fine, but we should—”

  “Where the hell are my cousins?” Ollie hadn’t seen Paul or Elijah anywhere.

  “The boys?” Robert McCann asked. “They’re watching the road. Don’t need young people—”

  “You’re an idiot.” Ollie cut him off, not caring if he offended the man, even if he was an elder. “Those boys know this property as well as I do. You should have sent them down under the house with Allie.”

  He walked away. Even if the man had heard Allie and Chris talking, that didn’t mean—

  Panicked fox howls sounded in the distance.

  He froze. “Allie?”

  More howls, then Ollie saw a slim grey fox dart out of the scrub on the edge of the yard. “Allie, is that you?”

  No, the markings on the face were different. Ollie bent down and the fox almost climbed up his arms.

  “Kevin, calm down.” Panicked howls and nips at his shirt sent Ollie’s heart into overdrive. Something was very wrong. “You have to shift. Tell me what happened.”

  He heard someone running, then Robert McCann bent down beside him and grabbed Kevin by the scruff, picking him up with one arm and growling, “No.”

  Kevin went limp at the command in the older male’s voice.

  “Shift now, Kevin Smith.”

  He dropped Kevin when the fox started shimmering. Both Ollie and Robert stood back and let Kevin’s body reform. Then Robert held out his hand and helped the shivering young man stand.

  “Ollie”—his teeth were chattering—“he’s got Mom. Some guy. White guy with brown hair. I smelled a cat—”

  “In the tunnels?”

  He nodded, then turned his head, bent over, and vomited.

  Ollie shouted at Robert, “Stay with Kevin!” Then his clothes fell to pieces around him when he let the grizzly take over.

  “VERY convenient, these tunnels,” Ashford said, following Allie into the darkness as they followed the light step of the bobcat who’d remained in animal form. “Jesús found them weeks ago. There were bears around, of course, but they were looking for humans, not animals.”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Simon Ashford. I suspect you’ve heard of me.”

  “No, I mean what are you?”

  “I’m like you, of course.”

  “No,” she said. “You don’t smell like us.”

  Ashford laughed. “Yes, there’s a very good reason for that. But I don’t feel like telling stories right now. Perhaps if we have time later.”

  Ollie, where are you? Allie would have no objections to a big growling, marauding bear right now. Right now that sounded about perfect.

  She could smell the fresh air, knew they were probably using the same route Kevin had used to escape the tunnels. If she’d been in her fox form, she’d have followed her nose to fresh air too. Ollie had told her some of the tunnels led out to old farm roads and another led toward the Cave. Was that where they were going? Had Ashford and his man parked at the bar and snuck in through the tunnels?

  “Mama, I’m tired,” Chris whispered.

  No, he was scared, but he didn’t want to say it.

  “I know, baby.” She kissed his head. “We’ll get home as soon as we can.”

  “Precious,” Ashford said dryly. “So many families here. It’s… precious.”

  “Yeah, it is. What do you want, Mr. Ashford?”

  “The money, of course.”

  “For your boss?”

  “No.”

  So it wasn’t Lobo who wanted his cash back. This sounded like one of those twisted intrigue plots that villains liked in books. But really, Allie knew it came down to one thing that even a child would understand.

  “So,” she said, “you’re stealing your boss’s toys.”

  Chris sai
d, “I steal my brother’s toys.” Then he sighed. “I always get caught though.”

  “Yes,” Allie continued. “People who steal things have a tendency to get caught.”

  Ashford chuckled. “You’re delightfully simple, Mrs. Smith.”

  “And you’re not-so-delightfully condescending. So you want the money. Then what?”

  “Then I leave, of course. What happens after that is none of your concern. I have no interest in your people—no ax to grind, as they say. I’m not Efrén.”

  “Who’s Efrén?” Was that Lobo’s real name?

  The bobcat had paused in front of them, and Allie remembered he had a tattoo of Lobo’s name across his neck. Did the young man realize Ashford was trying to double-cross his boss? Did it matter?

  “Efrén is the man you people refer to as Lobo. Ridiculous nicknames. His people like it. Efrén’s cobbled-together pack wasn’t something I was ever truly interested in, but they were useful.”

  “For what?”

  “Money, of course. Then I realized that Efrén wasn’t always motivated by profit. Revenge is so… inefficient. You’d hardly understand. He should have spent more time making money and less time at the poker table interrogating your husband.”

  Those cold claws dug deeper into Allie’s heart.

  Chris said, “Did you know my dad? He died.”

  They paused and Ashford reached out, pushing open an old wooden door. The hinges must have been recently oiled because it didn’t even creak. She could finally see his face in the nearly full moon, but he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking at Chris.

  “Of course I knew your father, Christopher.” His cold eyes rose to Allie’s, and she stared in shock when the flick of a nictitating membrane slid across his eyes. “Such a tragedy for children to lose a parent when they’re young. If you’re not careful, they’ll grow into utter monsters.”

  Allie held Christopher closer as they walked out of the tunnel. The tunnel faced a wall of rock, the slope hidden by the rise of a small hill and a fall of boulders on either side. But beyond the boulders, she could see the edge of Emmet Wash and knew they were closer to her house than she realized. The problem was she couldn’t shift and leave Christopher. She had to hope Kevin and Ollie were fast.