A few minutes later she reached the location of the door leading to the secret bunker. It was very cleverly hidden under a patch of thick artificial grass. No one could possibly stumble upon it unless intentionally looking for it. She bent down on one knee and knocked on the door three times. This was the knock code they had agreed upon the previous night to let him know it was her coming in. Glancing around one more time, she opened the door and slowly climbed down the ladder into the lair.
"Thanks for bringing all this," Russell said when she was done applying ointments to his wounds while he ate the meal she brought him for the day.
"It's the least I could do," she said.
He continued, however, saying, "And thank you for saving my life. You could easily have let them kill me."
She looked up at him. His face was still as beautiful as ever despite the unruly nature of his hair and beard. She said, "You don't expect me to sit and do nothing while an innocent man is murdered by his own brothers."
He smiled a sad, dejected smile. "I'm a Walters. We are never innocent. The values of our ancestors have made us guilty from birth. Here, brothers don't think twice before trying to murder their own blood."
She instinctively placed a finger on his mouth, causing him to stop talking. "That's enough. It's not all about blood, you know? You said it yourself, you were raised differently."
"It hurts."
She looked down at the wound she had been dressing. "Sorry, I had no idea I was pressing so hard.
"No," he said, "not that. It hurts that they would want me dead. I know we never got along, but the thought of them despising me so much..." She could see the tears welling up in his eyes.
Her heart bled for this pure humble soul. Before she could stop herself, Leila leaned into him. Her lips came irresistibly close to his. For what felt like minutes but could only have been a few seconds, they stared into each other's eyes. And then their lips met.
She closed her eyes and sighed as he mouth engulfed hers. There was something about kissing Russell that was different from all other kisses she had ever had. His kiss neither too calm or too eager. He got the perfect balance and the sensations of having him nibble slightly on her bottom lip sent sparks of electricity flying into her center. She suddenly discovered just how turned on she was when his hand brushed against her hardened nipples.
"Leila...I...," he was trying to say something.
She withdrew her mouth from his to allow him to speak. He said, "We have to stop."
The words stunned her. What had she been thinking? Why would he want her in the first place? A lowly maid - stunningly beautiful, yes, but a maid nonetheless.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me. I overstepped."
Russell said, "Are you apologizing for giving me the best kiss of my life?"
Another stunner. "Oh," was all her dumbfounded mind could allow her mouth to say.
He continued, "We have to stop because if we don't, and we keep rubbing up on each other, my pure-born brothers would easily smell me on you. I explained to you how pure-born abilities work without them having to shift into animals."
"Yes, you did. I understand," she said, still uncertain if his excuse was honest or not. After all, she was his only ally and he wouldn't want to say anything to jeopardize that.
He said, "When you left, I took the whole day to think up an escape plan."
Leila asked, "And have you come up with a good one?"
"Yes," he said, "but I'll need your help."
Sneaking back into the compound through the woods was easier this time. The guards were not as active and she was already getting used to moving in the shadows unseen. She soon arrived at the quarters she shared with her mother. Opening the door as quietly as possible, she tiptoed in and locked it behind her.
"You lied to me."
Leila nearly jumped out of her skin. It was all she could do not to scream out in surprise. "Mom," she said. "You scared the crap out of me."
Her mother was sitting up on the bed, her angry face bathed in the moonlight. "You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady."
By the time Leila finished explaining, her mother looked like she would pass out. Her skin became deathly pale.
"You're going to get yourself killed," she said. "You're going to get all of us killed."
Leila placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. She said, "I think deep down you knew I wouldn't listen. You know I'm doing the right thing. It's what you taught me when I was a kid."
"But you're not a kid anymore."
"No. Yet, I still recognize what counts as good and what doesn't."
Caterina stared at Leila's eyes. "This isn't just about that, is it?"
"What are you talking about?" Leila asked, confused.
"You have feelings for him, don't you?"
As much as Leila would have liked to lie her way out of the accusation, she could not bring herself to do it. So she said, "I'm still trying to figure it out."
Her mother sighed. "Be careful, honey. Please, just be careful."
"I will, Mom. In fact, this will be over sooner than you think. We've come up with a plan."
"What plan?"
Leila went on to explain how she was going to drug the guards posted around the hanger. Once they were knocked out, she would go back into the woods to fetch Russell. He was an expert at flying helicopters, which meant he could get all three of them out of the island with the family helicopter.
"All you have to do, Mom, is wait by the window until you see me go into the woods. That's your cue to go hide in the hanger. I'll come back with Russell by my side," Leila said.
Her mother replied, "There are some sleeping pills in the kitchen drawer."
As the head maid, Caterina had the power to appoint her subordinates to different tasks. She dismissed the maid who was initially assigned to serve the guards at the hanger their evening meal. Leila went in her place instead.
There were only two of them. She gave them their food of pie and juice, then pretended to wait for them to finish with the plates. Leila watched as they slowly fell asleep one by one. As soon as she was certain they were knocked out, she walked out of the hanger and headed in the direction of the woods.
She tried her best to walk as casually as possible, making sure to glance around and ensure no one was watching her. She was just about to walk into the first patch of bush when a large shadow suddenly loomed over her. Leila raised her head to see a large bear in front of her. It was extremely big - much bigger than Russell has been when he shifted.
Trembling in her shoes, she tried to turn back and run, but despite his heavy size, the bear ran around to block her once more. Golden eyes glared at her furiously.
"What do you want?" she screamed at him.
The bear suddenly began to lose his size and shape. In a few seconds, he had shifted into a bent over a naked man. It was Gareth.
"Hello, Leila. Running off to fetch my brother, I see."
"Stay away from me," she said.
Gareth laughed. "Oh, I tried that. But you see, we always knew our brother would try to escape through the hanger, so we set up cameras there. Imagine our surprise to see the innocent Leila Montes knocking our guards out."
She could not bring herself to speak so he continued, "Not to worry. You'll be fine, as long as you tell us where he is."
"I'll rather die," she spat.
"Oh wow! My little brother must be giving it to you good," he said. Then his voice became cold. "You will tell me where he is. That's the thing with pain, it is the key that unlocks all secrets."
Russell was restless. Something wasn't right. Leila had planned to come for him about half an hour ago. He realized that she must have drugged the guards by now. Time was of the essence for their plan to work out.
Why was she taking so long? Could it be that she had abandoned him? He wouldn't blame her if she did. Risking her life for a man she barely even knew was a lot to ask. He remembered the kiss they had the prev
ious night. He remembered just how much he had wanted to have her right there in the bunker. At the same time, he also had to think of her safety. They couldn't get too close without risking detection.
Russell's head suddenly shot up. He had heard a noise. Doing his best to listen, he realized that someone was trying to open the bunker door. That couldn't have been Leila. They had a secret knock code so he could know it was her. This person just opened the door without knocking. He could hear the intruder climbing down slowly.
Had Leila sold him out? He could not find time to answer but braced himself in preparation for battle. He considered shifting but decided to wait until he saw his enemy. If he had a gun he would be better off fighting in human form as it gave the enemy a smaller target to shoot at. Somebody dropped off the ladder.
"Mrs. Montes?" Russell asked in shock as Leila's mother appeared in front of him.
She looked as terrified as he was surprised. "My daughter. I saw Gareth grab her on her way here. I think they're going to torture her until she tells them where you are."
Chapter 5
As he lined up the last bit of fireworks on the ground, Russell realized he had to move faster. Leila had been in captivity for almost an hour now and only God knew what his despicable brothers had in store for her.
He looked around him. After giving Caterina crucial instructions on what to do, he had taken some illegal fireworks from Mexico hidden in the bunker by his erratic father. Lining them up horizontally rather than vertically, he had placed each of the half a dozen fireworks in a circle at the center of the woods. Fortunately, there was a lighter in the bunker which he took with him. Looking around to ensure no guard was close by, he lit the bottom of the materials one by one. They shot through the bushes in various directions.
The explosions were more severe than Russell had expected. Sparks of various colors could be seen all around the island. Then came the screams as the vegetation on the island began to burn in different areas.
Russell ran straight for the mansion. He had to hide behind the bushes as some of the guards ran past. There was chaos everywhere, which was just as well for Russell. No one noticed him sneak into the building through the front door.
Caterina had told him it was Gareth who captured Leila. This meant there was every chance his brothers would be keeping her in his room. So he headed straight for Gareth's room as soon as he walked into the house.
When he opened the door, he saw Leila tied up on a chair. Gareth was busy selecting from an assortment of sharp knives and pins. Thankfully, Leila looked unhurt.
"You slimy bastard. You want me? I'm right here," Russell said.
Gareth turned to look at him. He smirked. "Little brother. I should have known this whole ruckus was you’re doing. Come to save your little lover, have you?"
"Let her go. This is between me and you."
"It was until she butted in. Now you have to go through me to get to her."
Russell could feel the bear in him roaring to be let out. He said, "Then that's exactly what I'd do."
His brother laughed. "I'm a pure-born. You stand no chance."
"We'll see about that," Russell said. And with that, he let the bear out.
Gareth also shifted immediately and the two bears ran straight for each other. Although Gareth's bear form was much bigger and stronger than Russell's, he was not as fast or smart.
His attacks were born out of rage, uncoordinated, and without restraint, making it easier for Russell to dodge his blows and land one or two of his. This was an effective strategy, but on the few occasions where Gareth's paws caught him, he was devastated.
They fought on while Leila screamed. She must not have witnessed two werebears in action before. Russell bit a large chunk of his brother's forearm and held on. It took a huge smack on the jaw for him to let go. Realizing he was losing the fight, he subtlety moved to the glass window.
Endowed with endless stamina, Gareth ran after him. He dived at Russell, just the way the later expected him to. Russell suddenly dropped to the floor, causing Gareth to fly over him. He broke through the window and fell three stories down.
Sticking his head out the window, Russell saw the large bear lying motionless on the ground. There was blood flowing out of a wound on his bark and the only sign of life was the twitching of his fingers.
He ran over to where Leila had been tied and bite off the ropes holding her captive.
"Thank you so much," she said. “We need to get out of here. Irvin only went to see what the whole chaos was about. He'll be back any... " She had not completed her sentence when another bear barged in. It was almost as big as Gareth had been. Russell recognized Irvin even in bear form.
He tried to fend him off with all he had, but his brother was much too strong. After a minute of battle, he struck Russell on the head with his powerful claws. Blood gushed out of the wound like a waterfall. Just as Russell's vision began to blur, he saw Irvin standing over him, preparing to finish him off.
Irvin raised his paw and was about to land another blow when he suddenly let out a roar of intense pain. Russell caught glimpses of Leila holding one of Gareth's long torture knives. It was dripping with Irvin's blood. The pure-born bear turned to her in anger. Russell knew what would happen next. Even with the knife, Irvin would easily tear her to shreds.
Just as Irvin was about to dive, there was a loud gunshot. The huge bear dropped to the ground. Russell saw men in police uniforms run into the room with their guns trained on both werebears.
"No, no. He was only trying to save me! You shot the right bear!" he heard Leila scream at the cops.
Russell sighed. His plan had worked. Well, almost. He wasn't sure if he would survive the injuries he had sustained. One of the reasons for the fire distraction was so Leila's mother could leave the island and call Gabriel Anderson on a payphone, and explain the critical situation on Walt Island. Gabriel Anderson was a rock star and a longtime friend of his who was engaged to Elena Garza, a detective in New Hampshire. Only Elena could have convinced her colleagues to come in without authorization.
Leila was by his side now, holding on to his battered and furry face. He could feel her tears falling on him. How he wished he could concentrate long enough to turn back into a human. She didn't seem to mind though and held on to him as the police ran around the room.
Soon the darkness came for Russell, and he was swept away in its embrace.
Leila looked out the window for the umpteenth time. She was getting anxious. Was he not returning anymore? It had been six days since Russell had been in the hospital. His injuries, although not as severe as the ones his half-brothers sustained, would take a while to fully heal.
Leila and her mother ran the affairs of the house while he was away. Irvin and Gareth had both been arrested and were currently receiving treatment for their injuries. Irvin had a gunshot wound in the back while Gareth sustained broken bones from his fall.
The sound of a car pulling up could be heard. She peeped through the window once more. It was him. Her heart began to beat a lot faster. These past few days, he had been all she could think about. They wouldn't let her see him in the hospital. She wasn't sure if he would be just as excited to see her. After all, he wasn't in danger anymore and didn't really need her.
"Hello, welcome back," she said to him shyly when he walked in dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans.
"Leila. Great to see you," he said with a wide smile. His golden eyes stared into hers.
"Same here," she said. "You need to rest. I'll see you around," she said and made to leave. She could not handle the tension any longer.
"Hey, not so fast," he said. "I thought we could talk a little"
She looked up at him. "Alright."
"Care to accompany me upstairs?"
"Sure," she smiled.
As soon as she stepped into his room, Russell took her in his arms. He held her like that for close to a minute.
She said, "What happened to talking?"
"There will be time for that later. Much, much later." With that, he brought his lips down to meet hers.
They kissed passionately, his lips engulfing her softness with the hunger of ages. She felt him nibble on her lower lip and the feeling sent her heart racing like a horse. There was something about Russell's touch that made her horny in an instant. As his fingers traced a path over her black and white maid uniform to cup her breasts, she realized her nipples were already hard as a rock.
Russell's hot tongue was busy stroking hers while his hands squeezed her breasts through the fabric of her gown. She almost did not realize when he took her to the bed and sat on it, placing her on his laps with her legs on either side of his.
He took off her gown so that she had only her bra and panties left. She hastily removed them while he undressed down to his briefs. She was completely naked and vulnerable now. Russell's large hands grabbed her bare breasts and squeezed each of them until a loud moan escaped her lips.
"They need you to suck them, Russell. They need you to deal with them," she said as his fingers rubbed her nipples between each other. A second later his mouth covered up one nipple and his tongue moved in circles, stroking the delicate flesh deliciously.
She was only just trying to contain the pleasure of his mouth sucking her nipples when she felt fingers slip into the softness of her pussy. By now she was already dripping juices and Russell used that as an opportunity to rub the liquid all around the entrance of her vagina. She cried out as he finger slipped in, making her arch her back.
She began to ride his fingers as he stuffed three of them into her, stroking her clitoris while she rocked back and forth. All the while, his mouth never left her nipples. He sucked on each of them like his life depended on it.
The Baby Shift- New Hampshire Page 3