by Cat Kalen
We trek forward and when we round a corner and see the sprawling mansion at the crest of a winding hill, Gem’s eyes flicker beneath the rising moonlight. I watch her breathe deep to pull all the scents into her lungs.
“They’re here,” she announces, and all eyes turn on her. Her eyes meet Logan’s and they exchange a knowing look before she exhales a breath of relief and says, “And they’re alive.”
I don’t need to ask to know she’s talking about Malcolm and the rest of her pack. I almost breathe a sigh of relief right along with her, but resist the urge. While I now know they’re still alive, I also know it would be premature of me to believe they’re going to walk away from this unscathed. After all, there’s still a chance the PTF will get to them first.
Officer Sanford tucks his radio into his vest, and when I see his holstered gun, it reminds me of the one secured in my waistband. While it might not kill a stray, I know it will slow one down.
This time Logan takes the lead. He picks up a pebble to test the metal gate surrounding the mansion. When no sparks light up the night sky, we walk the perimeter until we find the best spot to climb over. Once we’re all inside, we make our way forward, all the while looking for signs of danger.
As I scent the air, I can’t help but think how this feels so eerily familiar to me. Nor can I do anything about the bad feeling tainting the blood in my veins. Logan stops abruptly, and when my feet come to a resounding halt behind him and I catch the tang of his tension, I put a reassuring hand on his warm back.
When he turns to look at me the rancid tang of stray saturates the air, and I can feel his animal growling and clawing to break free, but we all know it’s too soon to untie the tethers and release our primal sides.
Keeping downwind we move with stealth and as we stalk forward I wonder if the strays are in the mansion alone or if they’re with their handlers. It also makes me wonder what the handlers use to control them. For us shaders it was microchips, collars, abuse, and intimidation.
With the mansion in full view, I look around at all the manicured shrubs and towering trees strategically placed in the back courtyard. My glance comes up empty, and while I know there isn’t a single PTF officer in sight, it doesn’t mean scouts aren’t on their way.
“They’re inside,” Gem whispers.
I lower my voice to match hers. “Can you reach them? To find out what we’re up against?”
“I’ll try but I have to shade.”
We all stand back while Gem calls on her animal. A moment later her long nails rake the ground and a tormented whine sounds in her throat as she paces the exterior and tries to make a mental connection with her pack.
When she comes back to us, she stops shading, and pulls her clothes on. “I can’t reach them,” she whispers, real fear on her face. “They’re not in animal form.”
“Then we have no choice but to go in blind.” I look at my father. “You and Officer Sanford stand guard out here and signal if you see anything.” When they nod I turn to the others and say, “As soon as we get in, Logan and I will go in search of them. Stone, you and Gem will have to cover for us.”
Stone’s nostrils flare. “I don’t think we should separate.”
“I can take care of myself.” It doesn’t matter what I say because I know Stone will risk his life—and the lives of the others if need be—in order to protect me. While I don’t want that to happen, can’t let that happen, I know there is nothing I can do to change the alpha so set in his ways.
I work to address his worries. “It makes more sense for us to separate.” When he gives me a quizzical look, I pause for a moment and try to deliver my next words as delicately as I can. “We’ll need to communicate from separate rooms, and since we’re the only ones who can do that in human form…” I let my voice fall off because from the hurt look on Logan’s face I know I’ve said enough.
After a good show of agitation Stone says, “Fine, just keep yourself open to me,” and with that he turns to Gem. We all walk the deathly quiet path leading to the back door and my father jimmies the lock and slides it open.
Once we’re inside the pitch-black mansion, I step over broken glass and notice how ransacked the place is. I take another quiet step and the fetid odor of cat clogs my throat. But this time I don’t dare breathe through my mouth and miss their stealthy approach.
Gem inhales, then points to a door leading to the basement, and that’s when it occurs to me Malcolm and his pack are being held in the same kind of underground prison I once was.
When I see the broken keypad I communicate with my eyes and Logan and I both step toward it.
With Logan’s body close, we enter a dark tunnel leading to the underground chambers, and when it feels like the walls are closing in on me, a very sick feeling mushrooms inside me.
I feel Stone probing my thoughts. “Listen, Pride.”
With my senses finely tuned I hear a soft purr coming from the ventilation system, and even though it should give me a measure of comfort to know the strays are asleep, it doesn’t. Instead my skin begins to prickle and every animal instinct I have warns of danger. And this time I’m going to listen.
I swallow hard and reach out to Stone, who is watching our backs from the other room. “Something’s not right. It shouldn’t be this easy.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Can you see them? Can you tell how many are there?”
“I need to get closer.”
“What’s going on?” Logan whispers from beside me.
“The strays are asleep, so we need to move fast.”
Logan grips the doorknob leading to the basement and we both cringe when the hinges whine in response.
We instantly stop moving, stop breathing, and I take a moment to surf through the images in Stone’s mind, but for some reason part of his thoughts are blocked. My stomach lurches because I know he’s keeping something from me.
“I count at least a dozen strays,” Stone says, “but I have no idea if there are more.”
If we’re up against a dozen strays, the odds aren’t in our favor, but if we can free the seven members of Logan’s family, then at least we stand a fighting chance. As I think about that an ominous shiver moves through me, and Logan puts his hand on my back.
“Remember what you promised me, Pride,” he says.
I don’t answer; instead I begin a slow descent. A second later I catch a very distinctive smell. I exchange a look with Logan before he hurries down the remaining stairs ahead of me and with my heart racing, I follow behind.
When we reach the bottom, Malcolm pushes off the cold cement floor, climbs to his feet, and grips the metal bar imprisoning him.
“Logan,” he blurts out.
“It’s okay, Malcolm,” Logan says, and checks the lock. “We’re going to get you out of here.”
Panic races through me as I watch the six other shaders jump at our voices and move in beside Malcolm in the packed cell.
I peer at the heavy lock. “Malcolm do you know where we can find a key?”
“Don’t need one,” Logan says, and pulls what looks like two fingernail files from his back pocket. He grins. “Tricks of the trade. I stole them from your father’s bathroom.”
While Logan works the lock I give each shader a quick once over. When I see the metal collars on their necks, and see some sort of electric current running through them, dread takes hold of me because I know how they’re being controlled.
But removing the electric shock collars will have to wait, because I need to get these shaders to safety before the strays awake. Feeling suddenly very anxious, I call out to Stone.
“We found them. Logan is working the lock.”
“You’d better hurry. I think a few of the strays are stirring.”
Hoping for an ally, I ask, “Does Gem recognize the one she encountered?”
He goes quiet for a moment, then answers with, “No. She doesn’t see him.”
My heart jumps when the lock clicks open, and Lo
gan pulls on the metal door to release the caged animals.
Keeping my thoughts open to Stone, and without giving consideration to what he might find in my head, I gesture toward the stairs and step forward to take the lead. “We need to move. Fast.”
I listen to joints groan in protest as I rush up the steps, and I take a quick peek over my shoulder to see Logan herding them from behind. I realize that’s just like Logan, always keeping watch over his pack. When we reach Stone he ushers us all outside.
The cool night air breezes around us, and we all remain silent as we quickly retrace our steps. But the second we turn the corner of the mansion, the world around us flips upside down and my heart leaps into my throat.
“Going somewhere?”
When I see the cruel face of a handler, his dark eyes brutal and unafraid, my animal yelps and the sound prompts her into action.
Acting purely on instinct, I make a move toward him but don’t miss the smug grin aimed my way. “I don’t think so,” he says, and when he pulls something from his pocket, something that reminds me of a tracking device, Malcolm and the others howl out loud and drop to their knees in excruciating pain. When I see a flickering blue glow flashing in the dark night I know they’re being electrocuted.
Fury erupts inside me, and I tear off my clothes and quickly shade. Just as I’m about to put a stop to his abuse once and for all, the handler’s strays pounce out the door behind us, awakened by the tortured howls echoing off the distant mountains.
I look at the collars around their necks, and I can only assume they’re controlled by a different device. If only I could get my hands on it. I take a moment to consider the odds, and even though they don’t stack up in our favor there isn’t one shader among us about to tuck tail and run.
The group who’ve traveled to the compound with me take that moment to shade, joining me in animal form. I hear Officer Sanford draw his gun, but as the strays form a wide berth around us, protecting their master, he’s unable to get a clear shot. He also knows better than to waste a bullet on a stray just yet.
Everything inside me tightens because I know this fight can only end in bloodshed, and only one species will be walking out of here today.
A movement in my peripheral vision grabs my attention, and my animal reacts to danger a second before I do. This time I don’t stop her, because this time I heed my father’s advice and understand she has to do whatever it takes to protect her family. And nothing can hold her back.
When light floods the area, sharp teeth flare and green cat eyes glisten beneath the illumination as it pounces. With an attack well under way I hear Sanford’s gun ring out. But I can’t think about who’s been shot, because I’m about to be hit. In a movement that takes the stray by surprise, I dodge the stealthy animal seconds before it lands on me. I hit the ground hard and the sweet smell of autumn grass fills my senses as I roll across the manicured lawns to gain purchase. I jump to my feet, my long nails piercing the soil as I watch the other shaders in my pack face their own attackers.
All around me I hear growls and whines as we face off. Deep in the shadows where the floodlight can’t quite reach, I catch a glimpse of Officer Sanford as he goes after the handler, gun drawn and aimed at the man’s back. Somewhere in the distance a gunshot rings out.
The shader climbs to its feet and shakes the daze from its head but I don’t give it time to fully clear its rattled brain. I jump through the air and land on top of it with a thud. It bares its teeth in retaliation, and when its sharp nails claw my body and slice my flesh wide open I go for its jugular. I clamp down but before I can draw blood I’m attacked from behind.
I’m tossed through the air like a tattered rag doll, the world around me spinning out of control, but I manage to land on my feet and when I do I let loose a thunderous growl, my animal preparing her counterattack.
Looking hard and feral, both strays circle me and I use that moment to assess the situation. Drawing on everything Logan taught me while we were hunting in Olympic Park, I take in their stance, and when I notice the position of their back legs, I know they’re preparing to pounce. And I know what I have to do. My animal crouches low, waiting for the perfect moment to make her move.
That’s when I hear Stone’s distressed howl. I spare him a glance and darkness churns in his eyes seconds before he turns from me and tears the head clear off the stray he’s battling with. Blood spills across the grass and rouses the hunger in the courtyard.
From my peripheral vision I catch a glimpse of another vicious stray headed Stone’s way, but he rushes to my aid instead of fighting. The second he moves from the stray’s line of sight, it turns its attention to Gem, who is already backed up against the wall and outnumbered.
“Stone, no!” I cry out. “I’ve got this.” But he keeps coming my way, his single-minded focus to save me placing Gem in danger.
My cry gains Logan’s attention. He lifts his head from the stray he killed and a split second later he’s flying through the air. His growl is fierce, his look dangerous. A moment later he’s jumping, then pivoting off the side of the house to barrel toward the string of strays about to tear into Gem. When Logan hits with the power of a speeding truck, they all tumble like bowling pins and he’s able to pull Gem to safety.
A cry of relief crawls from my throat and from the distance another shot rings out. That’s when real fear hits because I instantly know what’s going on.
The scouts have arrived.
Stone intercepts the strays aimed my way, and when a third enters the fight, I know I have to do something. I try to go for him but a shot punctures the ground in front of me. When the bullet pummels the earth, dirt flies up to meet my face and I crouch low. My father comes toward me, his muzzle awash with blood.
A fourth stray joins the fight against Stone, and when his cries echo around me, I make another move to go, but the gunfire coming from the mountain halts my motion. My brain races and my pulse beats against my throat like mad. I have to do something, but if I step into the line of fire, I’ll surely get shot. Then I won’t be of any use to anyone.
Before I know what’s happening, Logan is running at breakneck speed, so swiftly, his image blurs as he rushes by. I blink against the hurried flash and time seems to stand still as he moves with purpose, his powerful claws and fangs tearing the strays off Stone and sending them flying through the air one by one, saving Stone from imminent death.
With his body a battered mess and his flesh covered in blood, Stone climbs to his feet. A second later the two alphas stand side by side, and the combination of power as they join forces is enough to make my animal howl. As they form an alliance to combat our enemy I know in a battle of life and death nothing or no one can stand a chance against these two shaders.
The second I hear another zing of a bullet I duck, and when it flies past my face, parting my hair on the side, my animal growls.
Knowing Gem is safe, and Logan and Stone have things under control, I duck behind a bush and consider the angle of the shot. I quickly stop shading, grab my gun off the pile of clothes I discarded earlier, and shoot for a tree on the south side of the mountain. That’s when I see the PTF Officer turn in the direction of my bullet. That moment of inattention is all I need. I rush toward the metal fence, shading once again as I jump it, and using my exceptional speed I rush up the mountain and pounce.
The PTF officer lands with a hard thud and frantically yells for backup as he grips my hair and tries to wrestle me off. But I’m too strong. I know it, and from the horrified look in his eyes, he knows it too.
I snarl at him, and his face goes pale. Then, with every intention of debilitating him, I clamp my jowls around his neck and puncture his skin. Since my goal is to slow him down, not kill him—I still hold out hope that I can prove we’re not all monsters—I purposely miss his jugular.
When fresh blood saturates the air, I lift my face to see him. Knowing this man no longer poses an immediate threat to my new family, I climb off his body and lea
ve him to his own fate.
But when I turn and come face-to-face with another officer holding a gun pointed directly at my head the world around me slows to a crawl.
The minute I look into his hard eyes I realize how naive and foolish I’ve been, because from everything in the way those brutal eyes are glaring down at me I know there is nothing I can to do convince him all shaders aren’t monsters.
This is a war I can’t possibly win.
As I stare down the barrel of a gun my life flashes before me. I think about the remorse I spotted in my father’s eyes the night we were outside the mountain den. At the time I thought it was because of something he’d lost, or something he was going to lose. But I now understand the remorse lingering below the surface was for me and what I was going to lose.
Hope for a normal life.
He knew it could never happen. Knew I could never change the minds of so many. Knew I’d have to keep the animal side of me alive and remain in kill-or-be-killed mode if I wanted to survive in this harsh world.
When I hear the pin drop, I make a move to bolt, even though I know I can’t outrun a bullet. But it’s not in my nature to go down without a fight.
As the bullet engages and speeds toward me I howl, and in the instant before I move, I’m shoved to the ground, hitting my head hard against a rock. Pushing through the pain and nausea, I hear the bullet hit flesh, hear the howl of an injured shader before it drops to the ground in the spot I was just standing, taking the hit that was meant to be mine.
“No!” I yell when I see my father roll down the hill, leaving a thick trail of blood in his wake. The world around me goes into slow motion and I jump up, knock the officer to the ground, and swipe at his neck with my deadly talons. As he gasps for breath, I leave him to his own fate and rush after my father.
He tumbles down the hill and lands with a hard thud against the side of the gate. I hurry to him, my head spinning and my stomach in knots.