The Turtle and the Hare (Furry United Coalition)

by Amanda Kimberley

  “You are forgetting that I’m a turtle shifter. I’m not as fast as you are on land. I can only swim fast.”

  “Right. Well, how about we shift and I will carry you.”

  Lear laughed. “I don’t think you understand. A regular leatherback turtle can get up to eight feet long and two thousand pounds… and shifters are even bigger than that.”

  Harriet returned his laugh. “Oh, honey, I can handle it.”

  Instead of explaining further, she stripped, shoving her clothes into a backpack, and then started her shift.

  Knowing she was a hare, Lear probably expected a cute little bunny. Harriet hoped that seeing her hybrid experiment form wouldn’t make him change his mind about her, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

  When she completed her shift, becoming a large hare that was built more like a small bear, Lear nodded. “All right, I see what you mean.”

  He took no time undressing and putting his clothes in the bag with hers. Unlike her furry brown blob, Lear’s leatherback turtle was glorious. The dark brown skin around his shell-like back stood out in all of its magnificence against the yellow circular shapes all over his body and flippers. It appeared almost as if they were painted on. His jawline was etched into a permanent smile. But it was his eyes, shining orbs that looked like black pearls, that she loved the most. They seemed to be able to touch her soul and speak to her at depths greater than the sea.

  Those eyes made Harriet want him as her mate. He was so easy to talk to in human form, and now, judging by those eyes, she could tell that was the reason why. He thought about relationships as a way of connecting with someone on a mental and spiritual level just as much as wanting to connect on a physical one. Lear wanted the same things she did, and that made him all the more attractive to her. He had a magnetic pull on her that she didn’t ever want to break, an unspoken bond like no other she had ever known. Not even her parents understood her on this type of level.

  Lear lugged the bag onto his back and then hoisted himself up onto Harriet’s back. When he felt comfortably settled, Harriet took off, gaining speed as though there was nothing more than a ragdoll on her back.

  Her long ears cradled him somewhat, but she hoped however he was holding on, he’d stay on tight!

  Within a few miles, they’d made it to the suspect area. The forest around them seemed almost unnaturally silent, and there was no sign of any humans or shifters. Even so, Harriet crouched behind a large rock riddled with vines and moss to keep them covered.

  Lear slid off of her back and took a slow and long look in all directions before bobbing his head to signal he felt they were safe. They both changed back into their human forms and quickly grabbed their clothes out of the bag.

  A pang of mourning hit Harriet.

  She was sad to see his shifter side go and even sadder to see him cover up his tight ass.

  I so want to bounce a quarter off of that thing!

  As they headed out to find his father, his brain filled with choppy thoughts. Each twist and turn of the path in front of him lead to a tsunami of emotions crashing through his mind and causing his intellect to react to the relentless waves of feelings welling within him.

  Will I find him dead or alive?

  If he’s dead, am I honestly ready to be the king of Skyros?

  Dear God, no, I’m not ready! I can’t let him go, not just yet.

  He’s my father, after all. I may never be ready to say goodbye to him.

  His mind clouded over with the thought of her carrying him through the trails while he was in his leatherback shifter form. All of this was his mess to clean up—his responsibility—not hers. But all of his thoughts changed the minute he saw her change into her beautiful hare. The shift was effortless and quick. And once her transformation into her magnificence was done, much of his worries washed away as the sight of her reached his gaze.

  It was almost as if the mere image of her took hold of his worries, pooled around them, and caressed his body in a cleansing comfort only the sea could provide. And then, as the water always does, it took the worry and released it into the ocean. All in that one glimpse of her in her glory, he was filled with a renewed vigor toward his duty.

  Her almond-shaped, coal-colored eyes glistened like whitecaps in the moonlight. Her brown fur pooled a glassy iridescence all over her body. He could only compare it to the buoyancy he saw in the sea as the light of the sun tickled the water in the early hours of the morning.

  But her large ears, which extended from her head to the back of her hind legs, were the most spectacular thing to Lear. They seemed firm, and yet, caring as they wrapped around his waist once he hoisted himself up onto her steady back. She exuded such power and still contained such femininity within her being. Just like the sea, just like his mother, Harriet possessed the perfect essence for comforting his soul.

  That essence lulled him into a peaceful thought of saving his father. Normally, he’d only look for this kind of peacefulness from the sea, but she seemed to radiate that serenity he needed from the uncharted territory they would soon face while rescuing his father.

  A pang washed over him, a familiar notion of wanting to protect her from the unforeseen dangers they would soon face, and still, he had an unrelenting need to have her by his side. She was his anchor in all of this. He needed her so they could face this head-on, together.

  Lear almost hated seeing her have to transform back into her human half. He was starting to warm up to the mystic stillness of her soul that gave him the wherewithal to keep going, no matter what they came upon when they finally found his father.

  9

  A beam of light illuminated within Lear as he was dressing. It was like a beacon, guiding him to a familiar essence he had known since birth.

  “I’m sure we are close. I can sense Father,” Lear said as he peered around the rock in the dark. His senses were his only compass guiding him through the witching hour toward his father.

  “Good. I hope there aren’t a lot of them to subdue. Gonna be hard with only the two of us.”

  “You didn’t seem to have any problems earlier,” Lear said with a chuckle.

  “Honey, I’m good, but I’m not good enough to take on twenty all by myself. Let’s hope this operation is a small one, like so many of the others have been in the past.”

  “How many do you feel you can take on your own?”

  “Anywhere from five to ten. It all depends on their skill level and what kind of weapons they have.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really! You should see what I have to go through with horny male hares during mating season. I took on eight about five years ago. So ten shouldn’t be a problem for me. But again—it’s going to depend on whether they are armed or not.”

  She’s mine! No one else can lay claim to her!

  He snarled at the idea of any hare trying to mate with Harriet. This whole trip was for him to find his true mate, and despite their date not being the most ideal, he was certain with every fiber of his being that they belonged together.

  “Well, it looks like I’m going to have to do something about that because I’m not into sharing you with any male hares. Or any other shifter for that matter,” Lear said as he found his arms wrapping around her waist. It was almost as if they had a mind of their own. “I want, no, I need you as my mate, Harriet. You are perfect for me, and I can’t live a second more without hearing that you want me too.”

  Harriet smiled and placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away from her. “Please don’t misunderstand me. I want you too. I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Lear. You are definitely everything I’ve been looking for, everything I’ve needed, but we need to save your father first.”

  Lear frowned at the rejection. He needed to claim her. He needed to show the world that she was his, but he also had a sense of duty to his father, to his island, and to all the other shifters in the world.

  “I know. It’s just…” His voice trailed off.
/>   You need to claim her, dammit!

  “It’s driving me crazy that my duty to the crown is getting in the way. I’ve never once thought that my responsibility to my kingdom would ever get clouded with thoughts of wanting to have someone like you. And yet, here I am, wanting you.”

  “Lear, I understand. I want you too. But only after we find your father can I relax in your company. It’s weird. I never felt a sense of being important to anyone before. My job seemed to be something anyone could do. I didn’t perceive myself exuding anything of great importance for the world. And then you came in and gave me the purpose I was looking for. I’m so grateful for that. I’m grateful to be able to help you find your father as well.” The sound of a snapping twig had her whipping her head around. “Where did that noise come from?”

  They looked around the larger boulder to see two wolves transforming into men, heading toward a clearing past where Lear and Harriet hid.

  It was too dark for Harriet to pick out the features of the men. She only knew they were men because of their builds. Even so, all of her senses told her that this wasn’t an innocent duo having a midnight run through the woods. These people were involved in King Gregor’s disappearance.

  “Looks like we might find out where they took my father if we follow those two shifters.”

  Harriet nodded in agreement. “Yeah, looks like. And it can’t be too far off of this path because they changed back into human form.”

  They followed the two tall men from within the shadows of the trees and brush to remain undetected. Within a few short moments, they were on the outskirts of a makeshift laboratory. The men they followed walked into the brightly lit two-story facility. The doors were glass, and the windows appeared to be floor to ceiling in length. Easy to peer in and observe what the scientists were doing but also equally dangerous for Harriet and Lear to be detected before they could surprise King Gregor’s captors.

  “What are we going to do now? As soon as we get up to that entrance, we will be made. We’ll no longer have the element of surprise. Should we wait for backup?” Lear asked.

  “There’s no time. We’re right here, and King Gregor and Stan might be right in there. We can’t not go for it.” She knew she was doing that thing that always got her into trouble, the “jump before you think” thing, but she didn’t care about her safety. She had to save King Gregor. She just had to figure out how to make sure Lear didn’t get hurt while she did what she had to do.

  “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Harriet. That’s all. And I will do everything in my power to make sure you aren’t.”

  “Thanks for the concern, but it’s my job to protect you and the king, and I intend to do that. Let’s head around the back and see exactly how many people we are dealing with.”

  “Good idea.”

  They slipped back into the shadows and rounded toward the back of the lab. Harriet edged in closer to get a better view of the inside. She saw four men around the king and Stan, who were tied to chairs. Two of the men were those they had followed to the lab. A rustle of leaves filled the night air as Harriet slipped back into the shadows with Lear. She peered around in the darkness in the general direction of the sound.

  A man and two women walked out from behind a tree. “I’m glad you waited for us, sweetie,” her father said.

  Harriet made out her father, mother, and Carol. She didn’t bother telling them she wasn’t waiting for them. They’d probably already figured that out. “Who is watching Treasure?”

  “Director Cooper herself, along with her favorite agents,” Carol replied. “Lear, you can trust she’s safe. She couldn’t be in better hands.”

  “That’s great,” Harriet replied and then motioned toward the building. “Looks like there are only four of them. Which is strange because this lab seems much too big for just four goons.”

  “So, what’s the plan? Should a couple of us wait here and see what they are up to while the others call for backup near the service road a mile back?” her mother asked, citing the usual “wait for the big dogs” strategy she and her husband employed.

  “The plan is to storm the castle,” Harriet said in a low growl. “The king and Stan are in danger. We don’t have the luxury of waiting for more FUC agents to show up. Besides, the FUC there is, the more risk there is of being seen. We’ve got to strike now while we still have the element of surprise.”

  “Harriet, it’s not like a rabbit or a hare to march into danger. You know that,” Harriet’s father said as he patted her on the shoulder. “We really should wait for stronger shifters to come help us.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Hopper, but Harriet is right. We need to get them out now.” Carol sided with Harriet. “Besides, I think a ferret, hare, and a leatherback turtle can take on four shifters. It’s okay if you want to sit this one out.”

  Harriet smiled. It was the first time anyone had ever stuck up for all of her hard work, and she was happy it was her friend and supervisor, Carol, doing it.

  Carol looked at Harriet. “You’ve had enough combat training and target practice at FUCN’A to be able to handle yourself in the field. I know you’ve got this, so what’s the plan?”

  “First, we need to find out why the king and Stan didn’t shift to ward off the attack. My theory is that they’ve been drugged, judging by how catatonic they look right now. Plus, when they were outside my place, Zagan and Ash mentioned a potion. They must have used something like that on Gregor and Stan that made them unable to shift because, otherwise, a bear and a leatherback wouldn’t go down that easy.”

  “Which means we need to be careful we don’t get drugged when we all go in guns a-blazing,” Carol said. “How about I slide in and snoop around the joint, see if there are some potions I can destroy so they can’t use anything on us. That will give us a leg up.”

  “Odds are that the scientists would keep the experimental serums they’re making with shifter blood locked up or in cold storage, but any potions meant for offense or defense are likely kept out for ready use,” Harriet mused.

  “Exactly,” Carol replied.

  “Good idea. Let’s see if we can find the ventilation system. You’d be able to sneak in undetected as your ferret that way. Once you destroy the potions, met us back at the ventilation system so I can go back in with you, and then we will jump the dudes,” Harriet replied.

  “What should I do?” Lear asked.

  “Wait for the two of us to head toward the front of the building. Your size alone will be a good enough distraction for Carol and me to take them down.”

  “Harriet, I really think we should wait for the others,” her mom pleaded.

  “Mom, I’ve got this. I’m a good boxer and was taught by two of the best! You’ve seen me in action since you helped train me.”

  “I know, Harriet. It’s just I’m your mother, and it’s hard to let you go,” Emma said as she placed her arms on each of Harriet’s shoulders.

  Harriet put her hands on top of her mother’s. “You’ve raised me well, and all I want to do is make you proud. So, let me try to do that now.”

  Mrs. Hopper smiled and gave Harriet a nod.

  “Give us ten minutes. It’s enough lead time for us to scout it out, find the serums, and get a jump on them. After ten minutes, call in the backup. Hopefully, by the time they arrive, they’ll just be doing cleanup.” Harriet didn’t dare think of what they might be doing if she and Carol failed.

  Harriet turned away from her parents and Lear and walked with Carol. “All right, it’s on this side of the roof.” Harriet pointed to the left of the building before she removed her clothing and shifted into her hare.

  She jumped up onto the roof in a single thrust of her long legs. Her landing was feather-light, despite her size. She then had to wait for Carol to scale the height of the building. Using the gutter system as her rope, Carol climbed up in her ferret form and reached the top within a few short moments. Harriet changed back into her human form to unscrew the plate off of the vent
so Carol could slide in.

  “You have five minutes. If you’re not back within five minutes, we’re going with Plan B: rescue the ferret!” Harriet said to Carol before her friend scurried down the chute.

  Carol twisted and turned her lean body through all the curved chutes but then halted once she heard voices. One of them sounded recognizable to her. A chill ran down the length of her spine, and she gasped as the familiar tone droned on. She tried to place it as she listened in.

  “This is going to be the best concoction yet! I feel it in my bones!” the voice that she didn’t recognize said to the one she did.

  “I thought snakes didn’t have bones, Sam.” An unmistakable cackle rang from the familiar voice’s belly.

  “Peter, that’s cold!”

  “Yeah, but it’s funny as hell! Even you’ve got to admit that!”

  Carol’s eye’s widened as she came to the realization of who the voice belonged to.

  That’s got to be Peter from down the hall! she said to herself as she quietly inched her body up to the vent to get a better view of the two men talking.

  When she peered through the thin slats, she narrowed her eyes.

  Son of a bitch! It is him!

  Carol surveyed the room to see if she could find any potions or concoctions that looked like they were important. She didn’t have to look far. Peter had a rack of vials in front of him.

  “How long does that stuff last before it wears off?” the unfamiliar man—who she now knew to be Sam the snake—said as he gestured toward Peter’s hand, which held a vial.

  “Only a couple of hours. We should probably stick them in lockup soon—no need to waste another round,” Peter said to Sam as he opened the top drawer of the sole filing cabinet in the room. “We don’t want them coming to and trying to escape.”

  “Yeah. Pretty sure that prince guy will be looking for his father. I doubt anyone will care about Stan missing, though,” Sam said with a chuckle as the two exited the room.