by Kim Fox
“Wha—”
I gasp when an enormous lion rips out of his muscular body. He’s pure thick muscle under his golden fur. His paws are the size of cinder blocks. His mane is long and flowing, unlike Bryce’s half-grown hair.
A coldness hits my core when I see how big he is compared to Bryce. He looks three times bigger. At least.
“Bryce!” I scream as panic sets in. He’s going to kill him.
Bryce’s lion is even stupider than I thought. He doesn’t run back to the car or flee in terror. He holds his ground as they circle each other.
My jaw clenches as I look back at my crashed car. Every cell in my body is telling me to leave. To escape. But I can’t leave Bryce. He’s only a kid.
But there’s nothing I can do against a lion.
The door to one of the cabins in the distance opens and then slams shut. The noise is like the firing of a gun before a race and the two lions take off, charging at one another.
I can barely hear the roars and the snarls over my screaming.
My tears block most of the terrifying view, but I still catch some of it. An enormous paw crashing into Bryce’s head. Bryce on his back.
He’s getting manhandled by the much larger lion.
I don’t even notice the other guys running over until they’re jumping into the action, joining the fight. It’s not like the lion needs any help from his buddies. He’s kicking Bryce’s ass easily.
“Stop!” I scream as three shirtless men descend on them.
One turns and I jerk my head back in recognition. It’s Logan. The bassist from Caleb’s band who I met last night.
He tilts his head as he looks at me funny like he’s as surprised to see me as I’m surprised to see him.
My eyes dart back to the action as a man with a shaved head crashes between the two lions. He looks like a superhero as he grabs each lion by the back of their necks and rips them apart. Bryce is bleeding from several gashes.
The man holding him turns to the bigger lion with a fury in his eye. “Phase back. Now!”
He releases the lion as it starts shaking and snarling in pain. It only lasts a second before the huge man explodes back out of him. His thick forearm is no longer bleeding. It looks as good as new.
Bryce’s lion doesn’t know when to quit. He swipes a paw at the man who’s holding him up by his neck, but the man easily moves out of the way.
The man stares into the lion’s eyes. His jaw is tight. He looks pissed. Authority and control are oozing out of him. He must be their leader. “Phase back,” he shouts in a steady voice that brings goosebumps up on my arm. “Now!”
I stare in shock as Bryce’s lion starts shaking in the man’s grip. He lets him go and before the lion has time to limp away, my brother explodes out of him.
“Bryce!” I scream as I rush toward him. He collapses to the floor in exhaustion as I arrive.
“This little twerp jumped me,” the huge man says to the leader like a kid trying to explain to a teacher why it wasn’t his fault.
“That’s enough, Mack,” he snaps.
The huge man is bigger than him, but he immediately shuts his mouth.
It’s time to get out of here.
I hook my arm under Bryce’s and half pull him, half drag him toward the car.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, feeling my voice racing. “He didn’t mean it. It was all a terrible misunderstanding.”
My eyes dart from one scary man to another until they fall on Logan, who’s still watching me curiously.
“You’re Caleb’s friend, aren’t you?” he says like it’s no big deal. Like the worst thing in the world didn’t just happen about two seconds ago. Like everything I thought I knew about the world is crumbling down around me. “Abigail, right? Are you looking for Caleb? He lives at the ranch with the Grisly Grizzlies sign.”
Caleb lives there?
“No, I…” My words are stumbling out. I can’t form an intelligible sentence right now. It’s just not going to happen.
“I’m so sorry,” I finally manage to repeat as I drag Bryce to the car. “It won’t happen again.”
We finally arrive at my wrecked car. Hopefully, it will work long enough to escape from this place.
“Get in,” I hiss under my breath.
We jump in the car like we’ve just robbed a bank and we’re hearing sirens in the distance. I slam the door shut and pray as I shove the key into the ignition. For once, it starts on the first try.
The three guys are staring at us with confused expressions as we skid out of there, sending a cloud of dust pouring over them.
I can finally breathe again when we’re back on the road, driving back in the direction we came. We can’t stay in this town anymore. Especially after that.
Next stop, Colorado to stay with Lizzy for a while. Just until we get back on our feet. Or paws in Bryce’s case.
“What the hell was that?” I ask when we’re safe enough away. I glance into the rearview mirror and take a breath of relief when I don’t see anyone following us on the empty road.
“I don’t know,” Bryce says, staring at his hands. He has a blanket pulled over his naked lower half. “My lion just attacked.”
“That guy was huge.”
“I know,” Bryce says with a gulp. “He was kicking my ass.”
“Yup.”
We both laugh.
“When that guy came and grabbed me,” he says, his voice steading. “He told my lion to phase and I just… I couldn’t resist. It was like his voice was overriding my brain.”
We drive in silence for a minute. Well, not exactly silence. The car is making some crazy clunking noises behind us. I hope it’s not too damaged from the crash.
“That guy was a lion,” I say, shuddering as I remember how big his animal was. “Like you.”
“Not like me,” Bryce says, shaking his head. “He was way more powerful than me. That strength…” He shudders. “He was holding back. I could feel it.”
A minute later, the clunking gets even worse.
“Oh, no,” I groan when I see thick grey smoke filling my rearview mirror. “Don’t do this.”
The car starts to sputter. It coughs like a dying old man and then groans to a stop in the middle of the secluded mountain road.
Bryce turns to me like I have all the answers. “What do we do now?”
The Grisly Ranch is up ahead. Caleb might be there.
I look at Bryce and sigh. “Our last resort.”
6
Abigail
My feet are aching by the time we finally arrive at Caleb’s ranch. We both stare at the sign as second thoughts rush through me.
Was he really inviting me to stay or was he just being nice? What are his friends going to think? Will they get upset if we just show up? What if Bryce has another one of his episodes and his lion destroys the place? Or worse, attacks one of them?
“The Grisly Grizzlies,” Bryce says, reading the sign. “Keep Out. This is where we’re going?”
He looks even more unsure than I’m feeling right now.
I take a deep breath and look up and down the road. We don’t have a whole lot of options right now. There is no cellphone reception up here, not that it matters because my battery is dead, our car that’s full of everything we own is roadkill right now, and my feet are starting to blister. Not to mention that it’s late afternoon now and I’m starving.
“Yes,” I say, “this is where we’re going.” I swallow my doubts and start walking down the dirt path with Bryce following close behind me.
“Wow,” I mutter when we arrive on the ranch. It’s spectacular.
It looks like a painting with gorgeous mountains all around painted in a million shades of green. There are horses wandering around, a river flowing through the property, and a thick forest to the left. Five cozy little log cabins are scattered around the ranch, each with a front porch and chimney. They’re so cute.
I’m wondering which one is Caleb’s when I spot the twins
in the distance in what looks like an outdoor kitchen. They’re cooking something that’s making my stomach growl.
“Who are these guys?” Bryce asks. He looks so uncomfortable.
“I met them… before,” I say, not wanting to tell him that I went out last night. “Let’s go see if they can call us a tow truck.”
My stomach is fluttering with nerves as we walk over. What am I supposed to say to these guys? Hey, remember me from the bar last night? Well, I have nowhere to live and I would like to stay here rent free. Oh, and did I mention that I have a wild, unpredictable lion as a pet?
We pass a wide-open pasture that is filled with beautiful wildflowers. It’s the kind of place that you want to roll in with the love of your life. But right now, I want to puke into it instead. I feel sick with nerves.
The faint sound of laughter hits my ears and I turn in the direction of it. Jessie, the waitress from last night with the white cowboy hat, is laughing as she rides a chestnut colored horse on the other side of the meadow. Caleb’s friend Lachlan is on a horse too, chasing her. They look like they’re having so much fun.
“Abigail!” one of the twins yells from the kitchen.
I gulp as I turn to them. They’re both smiling as they wave us over.
Maybe there’s nothing to be worried about.
Oops. I spoke too soon.
Bryce is starting to squirm like his own skin is too tight for him or something. His eyes start glowing that troubling shade of amber like they always do before he bursts into a lion.
“Abigail,” Bryce whimpers in a strained voice. “Their smell…”
“Hold it together!” I hiss through clenched teeth. I try to smile as I turn back to the approaching twins, but I must look like a crazy person. I’m too panicked to smile in a way that looks even remotely human.
“Hi!” My voice is more high-pitched than a squirrel after a shot of helium. Oh, my God. I’m sweating so much!
“You alright?” one of the twins asks, looking at me funny.
“I’m cheerio!” I’m trying to act normal, but am acting anything but. I mean, who the heck says cheerio besides the Queen?
“Caleb is around here somewhere,” the other one says. “We’re cooking some trout if you want to—”
His words disintegrate when he sees Bryce.
Shit!
He’s having a hard time holding it together. His body is flexed and his face is twisted up in pain.
That lion is about to come out any second now.
“Actually,” I say, grabbing Bryce’s arm. “I forgot. We have to leave!”
“Leave?” one of the twins says, looking at me funny.
“Yeah!” I squeak as I pull Bryce away. “Umm… dentist appointment. That’s what it is. And we’re late, so we’re going to be leaving now.”
“Did you drive here?” one of the twins asks as he looks around for a car.
Panic is overriding my brain, and I’m not thinking clearly. “Umm, no,” I say, shaking my sweaty head. “We walked.”
Bryce is trembling in my arms.
“Can I give you a lift?” the other twin asks with a confused look on his face. “Since you’re at least ten miles from the closest dentist office.”
“That’s okay,” I say, pulling Bryce back. “We need the exercise.”
I gasp when I feel fur tickle my palm. It’s gone as fast as it came, but that was too close. It’s time to leave.
I lean into Bryce’s ear. “We have to run,” I whisper.
But my brother is in no condition to stand, let alone run.
“Abigail?” a familiar voice says from the direction of the cabins.
My nervous stomach settles for a second when I see Caleb’s smiling face. He runs over, looking sexy in a tight black t-shirt and dark green shorts. As bad as this situation that we’re in is, I still can’t help but check him out.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, looking thrilled that I showed up. It makes me feel even worse. He has no idea the kind of problems that I’m bringing with me.
“She’s just leaving,” one of the twins says with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “She has a dentist appointment.”
“And she’s walking,” the other one says.
Caleb manages to take his excited eyes off me and turns to my brother. “Oh,” he says with an understanding nod. “I see. You guys don’t have to go anywhere. It’s safe to be yourself here.”
It’s nice of him to say, even if I don’t understand what the hell he’s talking about.
“Guys,” he says, turning to the twins. “Why don’t you prepare our guests something to eat and give me a minute alone with them?”
The twins glance at each other, shrug, and then walk back to the outdoor kitchen.
Bryce is still fighting it, but I don’t know how long he can hold the lion in.
“We really have to go,” I say, swallowing hard.
“Where is your car?” he asks.
“It broke down about a mile back,” I say, feeling hopeless. What is my plan here? To walk all the way back to our broken car and then sleep in it? Hungry, cold, and miserable?
Caleb turns to Bryce and locks eyes with him. “Take a deep breath,” he says in a calm voice. “Match my breathing.”
I stare in awe as Bryce matches his slow deep breathing and manages to calm himself back down.
“He has asthma,” I quickly say.
“Right,” Caleb says with a nod. “I had asthma as a kid too.”
Oh, thank God he fell for it. That was a close one.
“You two look like you’ve been through a lot,” he says. He points to an adorable log cabin by the forest. “That’s my cabin over there. Go settle in and I’ll take care of your car.”
“Thank you,” I say, feeling tears of relief well up behind my eyelids. “Thank you so much.”
Bryce and I watch as he walks over to a pickup truck and jumps inside. The engine starts with a roar and he waves at us before driving down the dirt path toward the main road.
“Okay,” I say as I turn to Bryce. “Let’s get inside. Quick!”
The sound of hooves pounding the dirt catch up to us before we can get inside Caleb’s cabin.
“Hey!” Jessie says from the top of the chestnut colored horse. “I was wondering when we’d see you again!”
“Is this your brother?” Lachlan asks when he catches up to her side.
“Yup,” I say, turning to Bryce. Oh, come on! Not again!
I can’t take this kid anywhere! He’s shaking and holding his ribs, bent over and trembling like crazy.
“Is he okay?” Jessie asks, looking horrified. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He has asthma.” I only realize how stupid it sounds after I say it.
“I’ve never seen asthma do that to someone before,” Jessie says. She’s staring at him with wide eyes. “Lachlan, do something.”
“I think I’m the one causing it,” he says.
Huh? My eyes dart to him. He looks so calm as he sits on the horse, watching Bryce struggling to hold it together.
“He’ll be fine,” I say, desperately hoping I’m right. I grab my brother’s arm and start pulling him to the cabin. “He just needs to get inside.” Where you can’t see him. Or his lion.
I’m dizzy with dread as I try to pull him. His legs aren’t moving and he’s doubled over, grunting and sweating like crazy.
We must look like a bunch of maniacs right now. Jessie looks horrified as she watches us, but Lachlan looks perfectly calm. I wish they would just turn their horses and leave.
“Let’s go, Bryce,” I hiss into his ear.
I force out a crazed smile as I turn back to them. “It’s a rare condition,” I say in a panicky voice. “Shaky asthma the doctors call it. It looks worse than it is.”
“Shaky asthma?” Jessie whispers under her breath.
Bryce slips out of my grasp and falls to his knees. A low vicious growl rumbles out of his throat.
“He he he,” I
laugh nervously as I look up at Jessie and Lachlan. “That’s a common side effect of the condition.”
“Growling?” Jessie asks, looking more and more unsure.
“Yup,” I say, nervously nodding my head up and down like a jackhammer. “That’s completely—”
I turn and gulp when I see Bryce’s lion standing behind me instead of my brother.
“—normal.”
The two horses jump back and start neighing nervously as Bryce’s lion snarls at them.
Cold chills snake through my body and my heartbeat turns sluggish with dread.
Bryce’s lion hisses at the horses, then turns and sprints away. He flies across the field and disappears into the thick forest without looking back.
Lachlan and Jessie are both staring at me in shock. I hold their gaze until it gets too awkward and I have to drop my eyes.
“That’s also a side effect of his… asthma.”
This day can’t possibly get any worse.
7
Caleb
“What the hell did she do?” I say in shock as I pull up to her smashed up car. The bumper of the car is literally in the trunk.
I back the truck up in front of the car and turn the engine off, smiling to myself as I get out.
Abigail is at my place right now. I can’t believe it.
Heat is radiating through my chest. I feel breathless.
I was happy last night when she came to my show, but now, I’m thrilled.
And her brother is a shifter? More good news!
Being a shifter is always worrying when you start dating a normal human. You never know how they’re going to react when you tell them that there are people living with wild predators inside of their bodies, and surprise, I’m one of them!
This makes it so much easier. She’ll be familiar with the whole situation and won’t be freaked out like I was worried she might be.
A feeling of weightlessness takes over my body as I hook the tow cable under Abigail’s car. I make sure that the car is in neutral and then get back in the truck to tow it home.