Ember

by Ophelia Sexton

  Reluctantly, he hit the Answer button.

  "Is this Daniel Langlais?" demanded a smooth, deep voice.

  Daniel had met Messerzahn once before, when he had first arrived in Albuquerque and had introduced himself to the pride. Daniel's impression of Messerzahn had been that he looked like an aging surfer dude and sounded like a jewelry salesman. That he was reasonable and civilized, and not a cold-blooded, ruthless terrorist. His assessment been horribly wrong.

  "Speaking," Daniel said shortly. "What do you want?"

  "A meeting. I have some important matters to discuss with you."

  "Not interested," Daniel said. He added with a snarl, "You got what you wanted, Messerzahn."

  The other shifter sighed. "Not quite." He managed to sound regretful. "That's what I want to talk to you about."

  "Like I said—" Daniel began.

  Messerzahn interrupted him. "Would it change your mind if I told you that I'm waiting at your pathetic little ranch right now, and that I have a very special young visitor?"

  Here? Messerzahn was here? In Bearpaw Ridge?

  On the heels of that gut-punch came another realization. Chris. He's got Chris.

  Chris, who'd been exposed and vulnerable waiting for his bus right at the highway.

  Messerzahn confirmed Daniel's worst fear with his next words. "If you want to see the boy alive and unharmed, you'd better not keep me waiting."

  A surge of rage boiled through Daniel's veins like molten lava.

  "Don't worry about that," Daniel said, very softly, his skin prickling sharply as his cat rose inside him and demanded that they shift right now and go tear Messerzahn to shreds. "I'm coming for you, Messerzahn. And you'd better hope that Chris is unharmed."

  The shifter only laughed and disconnected the call.

  Daniel was already heading for the door of his apartment. His Jeep was parked right outside. With any luck, he'd be at his ranch within fifteen minutes.

  Last month, he had failed his pride when he hadn't stepped up to the plate to challenge Messerzahn's quest for dominance. He couldn't afford to fail his nephew now.

  He only hoped it wasn't already too late.

  * * *

  It was still raining when Daniel sped through the open gates of the Cougar Lake Ranch.

  In the two weeks since he'd purchased the ranch, he'd cleared the front yard of the piles of trash and shoulder-high weeds that had infested it. A dumpster piled with old roof shingles now stood next to his house. The top of his house was covered in blue tarps as it awaited a new roof.

  Messerzahn stood under the shelter of the eaves. He was wearing a suit, and smiling as Daniel parked his Jeep.

  He caught sight of three of the Sandia Mountain Pride members standing clustered under a tree on the other side of the yard. They looked terrified. The rest of the yard was deserted. Tyler's crew hadn't come today because of the weather, and there was no sign of Messerzahn's two henchmen...or Chris.

  "Where is he?" snarled Daniel, slamming the door of his Jeep.

  Messerzahn's smile only widened. "Let's talk first."

  "What the hell do you want, Messerzahn?" Daniel looked around the yard, sick with rage and fear for his nephew.

  Messerzahn folded his arms and leaned against the house's weathered wooden siding, watching Daniel with an amused expression.

  "I've taken something of yours because you've taken something that's mine," he said in a conversational tone. "The way I see it, you didn't have the balls to face me in a challenge duel. Instead, you snuck around behind my back and stole my people. And the tithes they owe me."

  "They're not yours," Daniel said, hotly. "And I haven't stolen them because you can't own people. I invited my fellow pride members here to find a better place to live, and they took me up on that invitation. You got what you wanted, Messerzahn. Albuquerque is your territory now."

  Messerzahn finally stopped smiling "It's a fucking worthless piece of desert without those tithes for me and the boys!" he spat. "You want to keep this pride of yours, you're gonna have to fight me for them." He sneered, his easy charm completely gone now, exposing the cruel arrogance that Daniel had always loathed in the upper ranks of sabertooth prides. "You ready to die, Chef Daniel?"

  "Where's Chris?" Daniel ignored the other shifter's posturing and tried to focus on what was important.

  "My men have him. They picked him up just now from the school bus stop. Careless of you to leave him on his own like that."

  Shit. Just like Daniel had feared.

  "He's just a kid," Daniel protested. "Why target him?"

  "He's not just a kid, he's Pete Langlais' kid. And rumor has it that Pete's about to make parole. We need to send him a message that even if he does get out of prison, he's got no place to return to." Messerzahn spat into one of the puddles dotting the muddy expanse of yard. "Enough talking. You want to save the kid, you fight me. If you don't want to fight, then you both die. Simple as that."

  Daniel had never wanted to be Pride First. But the stakes had never been higher than they were now. This place was his home—and thanks to Margaret, his future, as well.

  Daniel was done running.

  "Fine," he said, evenly. His heart was pounding and his skin burned with his cat's need to shift, but he felt strangely calm. "Aaron Messerzahn, I challenge you for the position of Pride First."

  Chapter Thirty-Five – Red in Tooth and Claw

  "I was hoping you'd say that. We're doing this old-style. Winner takes all, loser dies." Messerzahn's grin was feral, his white teeth gleaming.

  He took off his jacket, loosened his tie, and began to unbutton his shirt. Daniel studied his opponent closely.

  Under the tanned skin and bleached white-blond hair, Messerzahn's blue eyes had turned gold as his cat rose to the surface. As his shirt came off, Daniel saw that Messerzahn was built like a bear shifter, heavy with muscle, his tanned skin marred with the pale lines and puckers of old scars. He looked like he'd survived a lot of fights.

  Well, so had Daniel. He wondered how much Messerzahn knew about him.

  Daniel stripped hastily, throwing his clothes and shoes into the back of his Jeep so that they'd stay dry in case he actually managed to win this fight.

  Then, he let his cat take over, and felt the first pain of dislocating joints tear through him. He couldn't afford to let his opponent complete his shift first, and attack while Daniel was still shifting and vulnerable.

  He made it...barely.

  Messerzahn's cat was huge, its coat the palest shade of gold with faint stripes of slightly darker gold. He was already on his feet and roaring his challenge before Daniel's post-shift shakes had managed to dissipate.

  An instant later, Daniel saw the other sabertooth cat charging straight at him.

  Daniel sidestepped, dodging Messerzahn's vicious swipe. Long yellowish claws raked the air millimeters from his face, batting Daniel's sensitive whiskers as they passed.

  Messerzahn snarled and wheeled around, his huge paws throwing up a spray of mud. Daniel saw the other cat's muscles bunch in preparation for another charge.

  Okay, so he's fast, but is he faster than me?

  Daniel's cat was lean and rangy, and he hoped that his lighter frame would give him an advantage over his opponent's bulk.

  Daniel waited until Messerzahn was moving, then launched himself at his opponent, deliberately colliding with him at an angle, shoulder to shoulder, trying to knock him over.

  Up close, Messerzahn stank of old blood and musky rage. Daniel didn't manage to bowl the other cat off his feet—not quite—but he did force him to stumble.

  Messerzahn turned on him, roaring with rage, his jaw open and his upper lip wrinkling back to display the entire length of his oversized fangs.

  He raked at Daniel with his claws. Daniel nimbly evaded him and managed to stay just out of reach of his next two strikes.

  Though he'd never fought a challenge duel before, the principles of the hand-to-hand combat training he'd learned as a Mari
ne allowed him to hold his own during the next few snarling, growling exchanges. Daniel used the opportunity to study his opponent, looking for any weaknesses to exploit.

  Time and again, Daniel darted in quickly to rake Messerzahn's sides, his shoulders, his back, and his face with his claws. He retreated just as quickly to avoid being captured and pinned. If that happened, Daniel knew he was dead.

  In turn, Messerzahn repeatedly tried to use his superior weight to pin Daniel down so that he could administer a killing bite with his huge, sharp sabers.

  Messerzahn's pale fur quickly grew red with blood, but none of the wounds Daniel managed to inflict were serious or crippling. They only served to enrage his opponent.

  And Messerzahn was bigger, stronger, and clearly more experienced at fighting in sabertooth shape. Daniel's plan was to wear his opponent down, until he grew tired enough to make a mistake.

  But Daniel wasn't the only one with a plan. As he battled Messerzahn, Daniel realized that he was slowly and inexorably being driven backwards, herded into the corner where his garage met the main part of his house...and where he would no longer be able to evade Messerzahn's strikes.

  He heard the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

  Had someone called the police? Maybe one of the onlookers?

  At this point, he knew he couldn't win this fight. But if he continued to fight with all his strength, perhaps he could hold Messerzahn off long enough for help to arrive.

  And where was Chris? Despite Messerzahn's promises, was the boy even still alive? Zǔb and Lakeĭ were conspicuously absent from their boss's side, and Daniel tried to take that as a hopeful sign that they were holding Chris somewhere.

  Then—miracle of miracles! —Daniel spotted an opening in Messerzahn's defenses as the other cat slipped in the mud and stumbled. He took it, darting forward, aiming for his opponent's throat.

  Messerzahn evaded him, and somehow got his head under Daniel's ribs, flipping him over. An instant later, Daniel found himself on his back in the mud, pinned down by the other cat's weight. Messerzahn's wickedly long claws hooked painfully into Daniel's flesh, digging deep. Holding him down for the final blow.

  Messerzahn began huffing in laughter, as his head dipped slowly towards Daniel's throat. He was faking that stumble to lure me in. And I was stupid enough to fall for that old trick!

  Long fangs tore through the thick mane and skin covering the back of Daniel's neck. He twisted and writhed and tried futilely to escape.

  It was useless. As the sirens in the distance grew louder, Messerzahn's jaws continued to clamp down on Daniel's throat, slowly strangling him.

  The other cat could have ended it with one flick of his head, driving his long sabers through Daniel's jugular, but Daniel sensed that Messerzahn was enjoying this, relishing Daniel's weakening struggles as he cut off his air. He was making a show of a slow and brutal execution to ensure that no one in the Sandia Mountain Pride ever tried to resist him again.

  Daniel's vision was speckled with fiery blossoms of gold and red and blue as his lungs are screamed for air.

  And all he could hear now were Messerzahn's triumphant growls, vibrating through his flesh and bone.

  But he couldn't give up. Not with Chris's life on the line, too.

  Then Daniel managed to twist enough to get his hind feet up and under his opponent. He extended his claws and raked desperately at the other cat.

  The claws on his right hind foot caught Messerzahn's vulnerable belly and tore through skin and muscle.

  Messerzahn shrieked in agony and abruptly released his hold on Daniel's throat. The other sabertooth cat staggered back, still screaming, a high, hoarse sound, as blood poured from his undercarriage.

  Then Messerzahn collapsed onto his side, flanks heaving.

  Daniel didn't question his luck. Panting and gasping for air, he scrambled to his feet and staggered over to the other sabertooth. If this was another trick, then Messerzahn wasn't reacting.

  The sirens were very loud now, and rapidly drawing closer.

  Finish him! urged his cat. Do it!

  Daniel put his paw on Messerzahn's neck, fighting the urge to bite down on his fallen opponent's neck. It would be so easy to slip one of his long saber teeth between the vertebrae, and sever Messerzahn's spine...

  No, thought Daniel wearily. Messerzahn's injuries looked serious enough to be life-threatening.

  Daniel lifted his paw despite his cat's screech of protest. He's done fighting. And there's already been enough killing.

  He turned and staggered away from the other shifter.

  I won, he thought in disbelief. I actually won.

  The pulse of red and blue police lights heralded the two Bearpaw Ridge Police Department SUVs as they came roaring through the gates, tailed closely by a familiar red Subaru station wagon. All three vehicles skidded to a halt in a spray of water and liquid mud.

  The door of the station wagon opened, and Daniel saw Margaret scramble out of the driver's seat and into the yard.

  She was in human shape but dressed only in a blanket wrapped around her like a toga. Her normally gentle demeanor had transformed into something fierce and terrifying. She looked like a warrior queen with eyes blazing a furious gold, and she was the most beautiful, magnificent woman that Daniel had ever seen.

  His heart soared at the sight of her after the endless days of separation.

  Then, a moment later, Chris emerged from the passenger side, safe and sound. He ran to catch up with her, and tucked his one hand into hers. And Daniel's happiness was complete.

  A wave of relief swept through him when he realized that Messerzahn's threats had been empty ones. And he knew that he had Margaret—that wonderful, special woman he didn't deserve—to thank for it.

  The nightmare that had started in Albuquerque last month was finally over. Daniel couldn't believe that he'd actually defeated the monster who had murdered Lizbeth, Alicia, Tommy, and Jeff, and who had tried to murder Chris. And he'd managed to do it without breaking his vow not to kill.

  As he began to shift back to human, all of his senses were focused on the woman who stood waiting for him. He had so much to say to her, beginning with the most important apology of his life.

  He had just returned to human shape, and was climbing to his feet, sore and deeply weary, when Chris shouted, "Uncle Dan, watch out!"

  Daniel spun around, just in time to see Messerzahn, who had somehow regained his feet, attempt one last charge. The huge cat was staggering, his fur soaked with scarlet blood and dark mud.

  "Oh no, you don't, you big jerk," Margaret shouted, darting forward to put herself between Daniel and the big cat. Her voice dropped to a menacing growl. "Take another step and I'll rip your legs off."

  She sounded like she meant it.

  Messerzahn froze in his tracks.

  "Aaron Messerzahn!" Officer Jacobsen ordered an instant later. "Stop, or I'll shoot."

  Messerzahn's shoulder muscles bunched, as if he were contemplating action.

  Margaret growled at the wounded shifter and took a step forward.

  Jacobsen threw her a nervous glance. "Mrs. Swanson, please stand down. We've got this."

  Daniel turned to see the wolf shifter cop holding a shotgun on the sabertooth cat.

  "Lie down," Jacobsen ordered Messerzahn. "I want you to shift back to human shape."

  The big cat snarled.

  "Do it now!" snapped Jacobsen. "Get down! I won't ask again."

  Messerzahn hesitated, snarling and swaying, then seemed to realize that he had no choice. He shook his head with a frustrated huff and collapsed to the muddy ground. Daniel saw him convulse in agony as his joints and muscles began to rearrange themselves in the first step of returning to human shape.

  "Daniel, you're hurt!" Margaret exclaimed, turning to examine him from head to toe.

  "I'll live," he told her.

  He was in quite a bit of pain, but he didn't think any of his injuries were life-threatening. His neck felt the worst
, bruised and burning where Messerzahn had savaged it, but his thick mane had protected the vulnerable blood vessels. He touched his throat gingerly, and his hand came away smeared with blood.

  Margaret flung her arms around him despite the liberal coating of mud he was wearing, and he wanted to sink into her soft embrace.

  "God, I missed you so much," he whispered. "I'm so sorry for everything. I love you and I've been in hell without you."