by D. K. Davis
“And here I thought Mom was sending me to prison.” That made me think of Mom and the urgency to save her hit me like a bomb went off in my stomach. I couldn’t even finish my conversation. I wrapped the blanket a little tighter around me.
Willow glanced my way, a little frown denting her brows. “I admit, I only know a few things about you from Linden. I went away before you arrived.” She tilted her head, and we walked on. “So, you had no idea you were a shifter?”
“No. But, wow, what a rush once I got into the skin of my cougar. Will it always hurt like that when I shift into cat-form?”
She shook her head, leading me toward the stairs to the main floor. “No. There will be times, like this first time, when extreme emotions and adrenaline stimulates the change, and you aren’t in control of the cougar. The cat controls the shift, and it’s always in a hurry to get out.” She stopped on a step and turned to me. “But, if you picture the cougar standing in the mirror, similar to what you did today only picture cougar body parts, the change-over to cat-form is as fast as your shift into human-form.”
“I didn’t feel the bones, muscles, or tendons changing to human-form. I didn’t know I’d changed back until I opened my eyes. Sort of like magic.” I grinned.
“We’ve got some clothes that would fit you perfect. You can change, and then Linden and a few others would like to talk with you.” Willow guided me into a replica of their home near my aunt’s house. We walked from the great room down the hallway to a bedroom. “Here you go. I laid out some clothes on the bed already. We got a heads-up you’d be coming this way from Rowan.” She walked out, closing the door behind her.
I slipped on the underclothes, happy those fit me, then pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, thinking about the conversation Lara and Jack had, the essential parts. Like where was my mom? Jack had never said.
Someone tapped on the door. “Hey, you.”
Rowan.
“Are you dressed? Dad and some others are waiting to hear what you have to say.”
I opened the door. “Yes, let’s go. I’m worried about Mom.”
Rowan’s gaze roved over me and then settled on my eyes. “Your cougar looks gorgeous. Darker than most around its ears and over its back, but around its eyes.” He smiled.
“What about its eyes?”
“I swear its wearing make-up, lined and shadowed to perfection. Its stunning, truly. Even Dad and Oakly made a comment.”
We ran through the great room and up the stairs to another hallway. Rowan opened the first door. Some men sat around a long table. Willow sat next to Mr. Marcus. A big screen monitor covered a wall at the end of the table, showing a number of aerial views. A couple of them showed vehicles like the familiar camouflaged van I’d escaped. Others showed men in camouflage, and another showed a couple of cougars sniffing around the perimeter.
“This is the first time I’ve ever witnessed our Mackinaw Fortress under attack. And that is exactly the word I mean to use, attack.” Mr. Marcus stood and walked to the other end of the table.
Rowan and I found two empty seats and sat.
“I’ve ordered a few more Forest guardians and some of Leo’s men to come here. Those reinforcements will arrive any minute. Has anyone else ordered men to arrive?”
A man stood, about Mr. Marcus’ age with dark hair and an attractive look.
“Everyone, meet Burr Evart, our Upper Peninsula Overlord.” Mr. Marcus waved an arm toward him and bowed, like a funny friend gesture.
Most everyone smiled or chuckled.
“Nice to meet you all.” He stalled out for a moment as if gathering words, then he said, “I’m compelled to give you some history of Jack Raptor, involved with organized criminal syndicates for years, the man leading this attack with threatening aggression. His father ran a drug cartel out of South East Michigan. I spent about ten years with Jack as my “shirt-tail” brother when his mother moved in with my father, a few years after Jack’s father died by gunfire. We didn’t have much of a relationship as we were nothing alike, other than we were both shifters.”
Mr. Evart stepped over to the big screen and pointed to Jack in the corner aerial picture. “Jack stayed in contact with the cartels and organized crime lords, much to our surprise. Then one day he left the U.P. for a position back in his deceased father’s world. His mother followed him, and she ended up dead also. That’s who is out there right now.”
Mr. Evart walked back to his chair and settled in, but his face remained grim, almost as if he took the blame for how Jack turned out.
Mr. Marcus stood again and walked over to me. He held a hand out, and I grabbed it not sure what else to do. He led me to the front of the room. “This is Morgan Redding, daughter of Kate Redding, some of you know the Redding family.”
As soon as Mr. Marcus introduced me, Mr. Evart gasped. His eyes popped wide, and he jumped up and stumbled toward me.
I turned to Mr. Marcus. “What’s wrong?”
Mr. Evart stopped in front of me and sniffed. His mouth dropped open.
I scented something familiar with him, resonating as nothing had before.
“How old are you?” he asked.
“Not sure why that matters for what’s happening outside.”
“Morgan, answer his question,” Mr. Marcus said.
Rowan came to the front of the room and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Go ahead. He has a reason to ask.”
“What does his reason have to do with rescuing my mother?” I knew this man, but then again, I knew nothing about him other than what got shared in this room. “Who are you to ask me my age?” Anger piled up inside me like a volcano ready to blow. My skin prickled, hot coals, only this wasn’t danger, but emotions activated.
Rowan squeezed me tighter. “Calm down, your eyes are glowing, and your claws are showing.” He pulled me in front of his body, away from Mr. Evart and the group of people sitting behind us.
“What do you mean about your mother? Does Kate need rescued? From Jack?” Mr. Evart stepped closer to Rowan and me. His eyes narrowed, studying my face. He glared at Mr. Marcus. “Did you know that Kate was in danger?”
“I didn’t know, not until my son gave me a heads up that Morgan was on her way here and what she’d found out about her mother. I haven’t had a chance to talk about any of it, Burr. We are doing that right now.”
“Where is she? I’m going after her.” Burr headed for the door. “I want specific directions and a few others with me to make sure we succeed.”
I stomped my foot. “Who are you to me? Why is my age important? Why are you upset about my mom?”
“Your mom is my mate, and I am hers, even though we never exchanged blood according to ritual. We were sixteen. She ran away, leaving no trail. She refused to live the shifter life. My heart still belongs to her.” Burr’s eyes shined with moisture. “Are you seventeen?”
“Yes.” I already knew he was my father. I looked just like him, dark hair, green eyes with flecks of amber, full bottom lip, and a long nose. So, now what?
“I believe you are my daughter.” A tear rolled down his face, and I didn’t know what that meant, happy, sad, or oh-gods-no.
“We need to find Mom. Are you in?”
“Hells, yes.” He grabbed me out of Rowan’s arms and hugged me.
I didn’t want to like it. I can thank Aunt Becka for making hugs a beautiful thing.
Oakly had been standing at the doorway. He gasped. “Look at the monitor.”
There was a hoard of men jogging this way from the position of the camouflaged vehicles, and Jack led them like a military group of soldiers.
“Dad, your guys just arrived. Leo’s here along with some men and a few small explosives. Want me to send everyone in?”
“Sure, let’s make a quick war plan.” Then Mr. Marcus looked at me. “You know, there’s another tunnel that would lead you away from this battle and get you closer to those vehicles. If Jack brought Kate here, she’s got to be inside one of those vehicles. I can bet they
’re not going to keep too many men there to watch over one woman when the battle is going on here.”
Burr looked at me and said, “I like the way this man thinks.”
“Let’s go.” Rowan grabbed my arm, and then with his other hand grabbed Oakly.
“You’re not going without me.” Willow ran over. “Count me in.”
“That makes five.” Rowan waved us forward.
We ran like I wanted to do from the start. Down the basement stairs, and out the door leading to the tunnels.
Rowan stopped us. “When we get to the outdoors, two of us should shift into our cougar and make sure our trek is safe. Who wants to be our forerunners?”
I raised my hand, and so did my father. Weird acknowledging our relationship inside my head, acceptance or non-acceptance might change that, but he had a great start by wanting to save Mom.
Rowan pressed his lips tight for a moment as he stared at me. “You are both sure about this, right?”
“Yes,” my dad and I said at the same time. Dad. Better than father.
“Okay, from here on out, we’re silent. When we get to the outside, you two go cougar.” Rowan nodded toward my dad and me. “The rest of us will follow in human-form. Morgan, you can mind-communicate if there’s trouble.”
Willow’s breath caught. “You two can mind-communicate? Rowan, you didn’t tell me.” She looked from Rowan to me. “We’ll talk later.” She grinned. “Let’s go silent and get a move on.”
An urgency pushed me to move, my cougar wanted to shift, and I thanked the gods that everyone ran full-bore those two miles to the exit hatch.
Chapter Twenty-five
Rowan
Morgan and Burr arrived at the scene first, and Morgan relayed no one was there. They’d picked up the scent of her mother inside a trunk. Burr had shifted to open it, but she wasn’t there.
My insides churned knowing what this would do to Morgan if we didn’t find her mother. I couldn’t imagine what Burr would go through either. Just the thought of losing Morgan stabbed into my heart.
“Rowan, hurry. There’s a fresh scent of my mother leading into the forest going south. Lara’s scent’s there also. Dad and I are tracking them.”
Only minutes away from them, I punched it to move faster. Oakly and my mother picked up their pace.
We arrived at my old yellow truck, where I’d parked it in the forest earlier.
Morgan, in cat-form, crouched beside her mother’s body, a cloth bag and strip of duct tape lay beside her head. Morgan leaned in and licked her mother’s face. Burr, in human-form, worked to untie Ms. Redding’s hands and feet.
She appeared a lot like Oakly had, heavy raspy breaths, her chest shuddering with each one taken. Her eyes closed in an unconscious state.
“Was she laying on the ground?” I asked Burr. Mom walked over and handed Burr a pair of shorts. My mom had come prepared with a few things stuffed in a backpack.
He shook his head as he pulled on the shorts. “No, I carried her out from the bed of this truck.”
“It’s my truck. I’d parked it here so Oakly and I could shift and get to Morgan faster. She was under attack at the time. I just left it here for now.” I didn’t understand why Lara would drop Morgan’s mother here… unless Lara had wanted us to find Morgan’s mother.
Mom glanced at me and shook her head; a sign Morgan’s mom wasn’t going to make it. Mom dropped down beside Morgan. “Dear, you need to move back so we can tend to your mother.”
Morgan snarled, showing her teeth.
I went to her and rubbed my hand over her beautiful fur head. “You need to let them help your mom. She’s in critical condition.”
Morgan rose to her feet, looking so majestic moisture hazed my vision. I sat with her as Mom and Burr did their thing. Burr walked over to us.
“She’s not going to make it unless I share some of my blood with her. Morgan, you understand that’s only half of the ritual. If she doesn’t exchange hers with me, the mating ritual isn’t complete, so your mother won’t be tied permanently to me.” Burr looked my way. “She’ll have to communicate through you.” His gaze dropped to Morgan. “I can save your mother.”
Morgan shifted, and my heart nearly pounded out of my chest, unable to take my eyes off from her naked body. I pushed Burr away and covered her with my body.
Then Mom rushed over, pushed me off, and pointed toward Burr like she wanted me to leave.
I didn’t.
Mom grabbed some clothing from her bag and helped Morgan dress.
Morgan hurried to her mother. She glanced at Burr and then at me. “Do you have a knife in your pocket?”
I handed her the knife.
“Dad, let’s do this together.” She cut her wrist for a fast flow, and so did Burr. They both dropped blood into Kate’s mouth at the same time. “Can we be too late?”
“No. Kate’s still breathing, and she’s part shifter. The blood will heal her,” Burr assured her.
* * *
Morgan
I stayed beside my mother with Dad and Willow. Oakly and Rowan checked the truck and then went to see if the perimeter was clear of traps. None of us understood Lara’s point of leaving Mom at a place she’d known we would come, unless it was a cruel joke at finding my mother dead.
Mom’s breath had stabilized, and color slowly flowed back into her face, but she hadn’t regained consciousness.
Willow stood, her head tilted as if listening. She nodded and glanced at Burr. “It’s over, according to Linden. No one suffered a fatal injury on either side, but Jack escaped. Linden saw Jack run off, and Lara followed shortly after.”
I got to my feet. A wildfire prickled over my skin and claws sprung from my fingertips and toes.
“Jack’s followers just agreed to pick up and leave the property. The battle wasn’t theirs, and without Jack, well, the fuel left the fire.” She grinned. “And, the blaze is now officially snuffed out.” Then her gaze met mine. “Morgan, this isn’t your battle either.”
“Yes, it is. Jack hurt my mother. They captured me. To what avail? Who’s to say they won’t be back with a better plan of action?” I couldn’t stop myself. The cougar wanted out, and I opened to it. On all fours, I ran, so hard and so fast it felt like flying. Jack would not have a second chance to hurt us.
Someone had followed me, but I still didn’t know how to send my sensitivities behind me. I headed straight to the car we’d first scented my mother. My insides raged.
“Morgan, wait for me. Remember our way is not to kill. I can feel your anger. I’m almost there.”
I heard the argument. Jack and Lara. I slowed to a crouching crawl and got closer under cover of a shrub. The two stood beside the car arguing. Jack pulled a gun on Lara.
“You’re getting a little too big for your britches. I’ve had enough of you undermining my decisions and changing my plans. What do you hope to gain by it? The guy’s allegiance to you?” He laughed an evil sound of disrespect, meant to humiliate.
I was familiar with that form of his torment. I snarled and charged. Jack’s gun came up pointed directly at me. The shot rang out, and I rolled, hoping to save myself.
How did he miss me?
I jumped to my feet, ready to charge again, but Jack lay on the ground. Lara held the smoking gun.
“You’re welcome,” she said to me.
Willow slinked up beside me in cougar-form and rubbed her head against my shoulder.
She must have been the one following me.
Lara stared at both of us. “You won’t see this pryde again. I’ve been undercover for years with this jack-ass, accumulating his ties and connections. I apologize for any harm this has caused you, Morgan. I did my best to appear as the bad-ass I was supposed to be in Jack’s eyes and in his pryde. I finally have it all.”
I shifted to human-form. “Are you kidding me right now? You expect me to believe you after all the lies you’ve told?”
“All I can say is, I care about you and your family. I
told you the truth about my mom. He’d set her up to die, and she got rescued by my agency.” Lara tucked her gun into the back of her jeans. “We feared it would rock my cover. But the agency kept it under wraps until today. Someone leaked the news to him. He became suspicious and booked it back here to check inside the trunk for your mother.”
Willow rubbed her head against my knee.
I patted the top of her head. I knew she wanted me to back away from the revenge. All the steam built up in my system hissed away like a deflating tire.
“Watch the world news in the next few days. You’ll hear about the take-down, but you won’t hear about me. I’m like a secret weapon among the agency.” She smiled and turned to walk around the car, and then added, “There will be a clean-up crew coming in to take care of this vermin.”
With that, she got in the car and drove off.
I shifted to cougar-form and ran with Willow back to my mom.
My dad and mother stood together, her head on his shoulder as they both wept.
Willow nudged me and nodded in the direction of the Overlord Post. I nodded in response, and we ran as fast as the wind. Rowan and Oakly joined us as we approached the hidden hatch. It opened, and Linden climbed out with blankets. I assumed Willow used mind-communication to let Linden know we’d arrived.
“Good to have the family back safely.” Linden reached for Willow, and they embraced.
After we wrapped the blankets around us, we group hugged. Something new and different for me, and I immediately fell in love with it.
* * *
My aunt and uncle met us at the door of the Marcus’ Fortress. She pulled me into one of her heart-hugs, crying her eyes out. And, I was expecting her contagious belly laughter. She finally let me go, so Uncle Charlie moved in for a hug. And each person in our convoy got a beautiful hug of welcome from my aunt and uncle.