by M. D. Grimm
“But don’t you know what you’ve done?” Josh asked without thinking, “We had to cage you. You killed all those shifters and―”
Josh slapped a hand over his mouth. The wolf shifter closed his eyes again, and the agonized groan ripped from his mouth showed Josh the shifter knew exactly what he’d done. The wolf shifter slid down to his knees, his hands still pressed against the plexiglass. He laid his head against it. Josh knelt.
“I know,” the shifter whispered, his voice cracking. “I know what I did. I have―I remember pieces and… Fenris help me, I still taste their blood.”
Josh’s pulse stuttered, but he kept his body still, his face impassive. It took all his strength to remain calm. He was momentarily confused by the reference to Fenris but that wasn’t important right now.
Tormented eyes met Josh’s gaze once more. He felt his heart break, just a little.
“I don’t know why I did it.” The wolf’s voice became rougher, cracking at intervals. It was enough to cause Josh’s eyes to burn. “I don’t know what was done to me. Please, get me out of here. I can only remember another room, white-coated filth sticking things into my head. Noxious fumes. And a voice… fucking Fenris! That voice!”
The shifter clutched his head as if trying to block out an ear-piercing noise. Josh touched the plexiglass unconsciously, wanting to comfort him.
“Easy, easy, wolf. It’s okay. Just breathe.”
“Xavier.”
Josh jerked. “What?”
“My name is Xavier,” the wolf shifter said firmly, angrily.
“Okay, okay. Xavier, you have to tell the other agents all this. You have to explain to them everything you remember, even if it’s just fragments. We can help. But you have to let us. You have to trust us.”
“Why would they want to help a murderer?” Xavier said, his tone full of doubt and defiance.
“Because we know someone messed with your head. You’re just as much a victim as those other shifters were. You would never have killed them otherwise, right?”
Xavier stared at him, as if really considering it.
Josh frowned. “Do you remember your life before they took you? Before all of this?”
Xavier opened his mouth and then shut it. He looked away, his hands still clutching his head.
“No. Wait. Maybe. I don’t remember much.” Xavier squeezed his eyes shut. “Bloody Fenris, what did those fuckers do to me?”
Compassion filled Josh’s heart. “We’ll find out. I swear we’ll find out.”
Xavier suddenly focused on Josh’s hand. Then he reached out and pressed his palm to the plexiglass, exactly where Josh’s hand was. They would be touching if it wasn’t for the barrier. Josh’s breath shook.
“You calm it,” Xavier murmured, as if to himself.
“What? Calm what?”
Xavier opened his mouth, but before he could speak, all the lights went out. Josh jerked violently. The emergency lights flickered on.
“What the―”
A low rumbling caused the floor to shake. Josh’s eyes widened. He whipped his head around and stared at the door. It had felt like an earthquake, but New Mexico didn’t have earthquakes, did it? He stood up, walking cautiously to the door.
“Josh?” Xavier whispered.
Josh shivered. That was the first time Xavier had ever said his name. He’d told the shifter his name, of course, the first time he entered this room. The first time they met. But it felt strange, oddly pleasing, to have the shifter—Xavier—say his name.
He swallowed hard as he reached the door. He heard a strange, muffled explosion. It came from the front of the building. His eyes widened. Were they under attack?
Josh yanked open the door and poked his head out. If they were under attack, wouldn’t the alarms sound? Why weren’t the alarms sounding? The door that led to the reception area was still closed, but now Josh could hear crashes and movement behind it. He lunged toward the cabinet that held several rifles, handguns, axes, and daggers. But before he could get the keys out of his pocket, the door that connected the reception room to the back office blasted open. Josh was knocked off his feet, and he landed hard, wrenching his wrist in the process. Three black-clothed and hooded figures entered, goggles covering their eyes and flashing against the lights.
Josh snarled. Knights. They had to be. He focused his attention on one of the chairs and screwed up his concentration. As one of the figures reached for him, the chair swept across the floor and hit another one of the invaders in the back, causing them to fly across the room and hit the wall hard. Before Josh could try again with the other chair, the lead figure grabbed his hair and yanked his head back, exposing his throat. The light flashed on steel, and Josh felt a stinging prick on his skin.
A knife.
“Where is the beast?” the hooded figure asked, their voice slightly hollow.
Josh kept his mouth shut.
“There’s another door here,” the third hooded figure said. The one Josh hit with a chair was just starting to struggle to their feet. The other two hooded figures didn’t appear willing or likely to help their companion.
No loyalty. No camaraderie. Josh was disgusted by the Knights.
“Tell us, ginger, where is the beast?” The figure became harsher, yanking Josh’s head back farther. His head throbbed and his neck and spine burned with pain. But it was the “ginger” crack that got him. Redheaded, pasty white, freckled, with pale blue eyes, Josh had been bullied every day of his life before joining the Agency.
He looked up at the lights searing his eyes. Without the alarm, there would be no backup. No one would be coming to help him. He had to do this alone. His senses were heightened, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. That made his indignity and wrath stronger.
Josh stared at the lights that still swung slightly on their thick cords from the ceiling. The blast had rocked them and shattered some. Using his special ability―telekinesis―he slowly unscrewed the bolts on one side that connected the lights to the ceiling. The pain in his body tried to distract him, but his only thought was to kill―to destroy these monsters before they got to Xavier. If that was the last thing he ever did―so be it.
He was part of the Agency. That was his job.
“Sir, I said there’s another door here!” the third hooded figure said again.
“Where does it lead?”
“Don’t know. It’s card coded like the first door.”
“Well then, blast it open!” said the figure Josh had hit with the chair. They were finally on their feet. “We don’t need this pasty freak anymore. Hurry up. We don’t have much time.”
Josh bared his teeth, his eyes still on that damn bolt. It popped out of place, and he turned his focus to the next one. The long light began to shudder dangerously.
“We have all the time we need. Didn’t I have her cut off the power? Hack into the alarms?”
“The authorities―”
The figure that held Josh snorted contemptuously. “The Agency’s own security measures hide our movements. No one outside will see anything.” He paused. “Still, careful with those explosives. We don’t want to hurt the beast. Our leader will punish us if we do. He wants his pet back alive.”
“So search him,” the third figure said by the door that led to Xavier’s cage. “Find his card. Get his PIN from him.”
The second figure, staggering slightly, bent down, and Josh felt hands slide over him and tried to keep his bile down. They were touching him. He felt contaminated, dirty. But his eyes never wavered off that bolt.
“Found it,” the second figure said triumphantly.
“What’s your PIN, kid?” The knife bit deeper. Tears leaked from Josh’s eyes, from the pain making his body shake and from fear―bone-deep, gut-wrenching fear. Was he going to die? Was he going to fail to protect a shifter who so desperately needed his help?
No!
The bolt fell from the ceiling. Then with a large push from his mind, the light fell. The third fig
ure barely managed to dodge out of the way. The light smashed to the floor, shards of glass flying everywhere, sparks of electricity dancing through the air. Josh managed to scramble away from his captor. He shoved the second figure physically and took his card back. His path to the front door was blocked, and he knew the Knights wouldn’t be shocked for long. He swiped his card, jammed his finger against the keypad to punch in his pin. When the door clicked open, he fell through it, then kicked it shut. If they had explosives, they would get through easily.
“What’s going on? What happened? Are you all right?” Xavier said. His eyes were wide, his hands bunched into fists against the plexiglass.
“We’re under attack.” Josh ran to the mechanism that kept Xavier imprisoned and after several tries with his card, realized he didn’t have access to open the door.
“Damn it!” He slapped the machine.
“What? Josh, what?
Josh snarled. “I can’t get you out. I don’t have clearance.”
“Just leave,” Xavier said, his tone making it an order. “Just leave and―”
“No!” Josh ran to where an axe was kept in case of fire. He used his elbow to punch through the glass. He barely felt the pain or noticed that shards of glass from the light embedded in his skin. He grabbed the axe, allowing his anger to fuel him, and walked to the cell. He heard noise behind the door and knew there wasn’t much time left.
“What are you doing?” Xavier asked as Josh pulled his arms back, the blade of the axe over his shoulder.
“They’re after you, Xavier!” Despite his nerves, Josh’s voice was strong and steady. “And I’ll be damned if they get their hands on you again.”
Not very strong, but determined and with adrenaline and wrath behind his actions, Josh hit the plexiglass hard with the axe. Nothing spectacular happened, though he thought he detected a dent. He hit again and again. His muscles wept and burned. His breathing was harsh and uneven. But he didn’t stop.
Before he could do more than make a small hole through the layered plexiglass, however, the door into the room blasted open. He fell forward, propelled by the blast. He smacked his head against the cage and hit the floor hard. He coughed as smoke and debris entered the room.
“Josh!”
Josh heard Xavier’s voice, and that motivated him to crawl to his knees. Dizzy and queasy, any movement was a struggle. The three figures walked in. Feeling suddenly possessed, he gripped the axe once more and stood on trembling legs. He ignored his throbbing head, his nausea, and shoved all of it into the back of his mind. They didn’t matter right now.
“Stupid boy!” spat the leader. Josh saw red as he snarled and charged. It was sure it was the shock of the attack that gave him the advantage. He brought the axe down onto the leader’s shoulder, and blood spurted. The knight howled with pain, but Josh didn’t get another swing. The other two grabbed his arms and shoved him back. He lost his grip on the axe and skidded across the floor.
“You little bastard!” The high-pitched shriek from the third figure proved her to be a woman.
“You bitch!” Josh spat. “You murderers!”
The woman suddenly had a gun in her hand. She aimed it squarely at Josh’s face.
A howl like one from a great, ancient beast echoed through the small room. It bounced off their ears, the machines, almost louder than the explosion. Everyone looked at the cell, even Josh. His bowels threatened to loosen, and cold terror overtook his hot rage. His stomach tightened and flipped, but he fought the urge to vomit.
Nothing but bloodlust and fury showed in Xavier’s eyes. They were wide, staring, and the green overpowered the gold, growing darker and yet glowing with a strange, inner light. His hair seemed to float in the air as if statically charged. His skin rippled and squirmed, as if something living was underneath. His hands curled, and it became apparent he was in the beginning of a shift because his nails grew into black claws. He bared his teeth, and they were sharp and white.
Josh had never witnessed one of Xavier’s fits. They stopped happening just after he was stationed here. The last one had been the day before his arrival, and after he introduced himself to Xavier, the fits appeared to have grown dormant.
“That’s the beast!” the woman shrieked.
“What are you waiting for?” the leader said. He pressed his hand over his wound, but he was leaking blood like a sieve.
The second figure stepped forward as Josh surged to his feet. A shot grazed his ear, and he gasped, clutching his head and dropping to his knees on instinct.
“Stay down!” the female knight shouted.
Josh watched, helpless, his vision wavering and graying around the edges, as the second knight limped to the cage. He put some sort of explosive on the glass where Josh had been trying to hack his way through. It was the farthest away from Xavier he could get. Josh glanced at Xavier to see he was still in that strange state―almost shifting but not. The air still shimmered and pulsed around him but never completed the transformation. Xavier’s eyes followed the second figure’s movements, and his utter stillness kept Josh alert and conscious. In the back of his mind, he suspected he had a concussion, and his stomach kept trying to rise into his throat. He swallowed with difficulty.
Xavier looked like a predator waiting for the opportunity to attack.
The figure stepped back. Josh saw putty on the glass. Then the knights left the room. Josh managed to kick his mind into gear enough to dive behind a large monitor. He barely got his foot out of the line of fire when the explosive went off. He covered his ears. Even so, the explosion rattled his eardrums. The charge was less than they’d used on the doors―they didn’t want to kill Xavier.
The three knights rushed inside, and mayhem took control.
Josh peeked around the machine and gaped when a large black wolf came out of the smoke. Shaggy fur, ears back, teeth bared, the wolf snarled, demanding blood. It leapt, and Josh barely managed to turn his gaze away. He curled against the wall, trying to make himself smaller, less noticeable. Even with his face turned away, Josh saw blood splash against the walls and monitors. Shouts and gurgles of the dying echoed in his ears. He clutched his hands over them, but he could still hear the shredding of flesh, the crunch of bones. His head throbbed, and his body burned with pain. He didn’t know what to think or do. He just wanted it all to stop.
The dizziness became more intense, and it took him several minutes to realize it was silent. Opening his eyes, not remembering shutting them, he peeked into the room again with dread. What he saw made his throat burn and his stomach finally rebel. Collapsing on the floor, he retched, hacking and coughing.
The bodies didn’t resemble humans anymore. They were shredded, eviscerated, torn to pieces. The room resembled a warzone. A massacre. The stench of death burned his nostrils. He raised his head from his own mess and attempted to crawl to the door, but a large figure blocked it. He cringed, pushing back against the wall.
Xavier, still in wolf form, stood in the doorway. His eyes gleamed, putting Josh in mind of a demon.
“X-Xavier?” Josh spoke, not knowing why, but he felt a spurt of hope. Maybe he could get through to the shifter?
“Xavier, it’s me. It’s Josh.” His voice trembled, and he couldn’t control it. “You know me, right? We―we’re not enemies. I’m a friend, remember?”
The wolf came forward. Josh shook harder, and tears burned his eyes. He couldn’t get enough air, he couldn’t move. Blood dripped from the wolf’s mouth and matted his fur. His footsteps were bloody, and his long, deadly claws clicked across the metal floor. His ears were flat, and his lips pulled back, showing his teeth stained with red.
“What did they do to you?” Josh whispered. “What did they make you into? Why?”
He vaguely noticed the wolf’s ears perk as if hearing an interesting noise. The growls bubbling out of him stopped. With his body shutting down and his mind short-circuiting, Josh prayed, for whatever good it would do. Then he fainted.
Chapter Two
>
Xavier sat down heavily. He considered the mess he’d made and couldn’t help the exhilaration. He was free. He was free! And those three intruders… they’d smelled like his captors—his evil captors before the Agency found him. That smell had triggered his memories, his memories of imprisonment, of being strapped to a table, of being poked and prodded. Memories of hearing that damn voice for the first time.
Growling, Xavier stood on his four legs and shook himself hard, flinging blood and other bodily debris off his coat. His gaze roamed over the pieces that used to be human, over the damaged cage and monitors, before coming to rest on Josh. It hadn’t only been their smell that triggered his rage. They’d threatened Josh. Pointed a gun at him. Shot at him. Hurt him.
Xavier padded over to Josh and nudged him with his snout. He was alive but unconscious. The smell of vomit drew his attention, and his wolf whined faintly in sympathy for the poor kid. Xavier sat next to Josh and took a moment to take in the situation. This was the first time his shift hadn’t been triggered by that damn voice that constantly bounced around inside his head. Even now he could hear it in the back of his mind, telling him to leave, to hunt. To hunt for shifters.
Xavier thought this was a success. He’d shifted of his own free will and had a choice whether to follow the voice or to reject it. He and his wolf had decided together, together after fighting for so long, to transform. The voice didn’t have anything to do with his shift this time. And he was sure he was staring at the reason this very moment.
Josh.
His lapses stopped when this kid arrived, when Josh started talking to him. Somehow, someway, Josh’s voice was able to drown out the evil one. And boy, did that kid talk. And talk. And talk. About everything and anything. At first, Xavier had found it annoying. But then, when Josh’s voice became the only one he heard for stretches of time, he realized the gift he’d been given. The kid’s voice was able to steady his thoughts and allow him to think. Xavier couldn’t explain why, but did he need to? It was enough to know he had a small chance of being normal again.