by Ashlee Sinn
Derrick’s face turned serious and even Bo’s persistent grin fell away. “We have an ISC situation to deal with.”
“What happened.”
Derrick’s gaze went to the side where Fiona would have been sitting. “It might be something you want to discuss in private.”
Fiona understood, and made a move to stand. But I grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back down to the couch. “She’s good,” I said with authority, telling them there would be no more discussion about it.
“Okay, fine,” Derrick sighed. “I just sent you a link.”
Flipping to my messages, I saw the text and clicked on the link. While it loaded, I asked, “What is this?”
Derrick and Bo shared a look and I knew I wasn’t going to like what I heard next. “Someone tried to turn a human.”
Major’s shocked looked scared me to the bone. No, that wasn’t possible. A shifter couldn’t turn a human into an animal. The ISC assured us of this. They said shifters were only born as shifters. No one could be made. I rubbed the scratches on my arm, a new level of terror racing through my blood. Oh my god, could this happen to me.
As though sensing my fear, Major wrapped his arm around me and spoke to the phone screen. “Where did this happen?” His voice had deepened and the atmosphere in the room changed.
“England,” Derrick said.
“What kind of shifter?” Major asked.
“A wolf.”
“Fucking wolves,” Major groaned. Then he looked at me and tried to give me a half-hearted smile as though this wasn’t a really big deal.
The video started to play on Major’s phone so I leaned in to get a better view. It was a very poor quality video taken in a basement with little lighting and a lot of storage boxes along the sides. The images shook with the filmmaker’s hand movements and someone had added an awful heavy metal song over the top. The words on the screen said, “They lied to us!” The film zoomed in on a woman lying on the ground and writhing in pain. Her face was contorted into a soundless scream, her hands and legs bent at awkward angles and twitching with each of her shallow breaths.
Then the camera panned left to fall on a dark gray wolf panting in the corner and covered in blood. The animal looked scared, with its head down and ears back. The woman screamed and the camera quickly refocused back on her. I covered my mouth when her torso came into focus. “Oh no, what did they do to her?”
Major squeezed me tighter but his eyes were glued to the screen. The image showed the woman’s intestines lying on the floor beside her, a big puddle of blood pooling beneath her body. She twitched and moaned and then let out a scream that sounded eerily like a howl. The man holding the camera cheered while another one on the other side of the room clapped his hands together. “I told you, wanker!” he cheered.
We never saw his body, just the white sneakers covered in blood and guts. The filmmaker stayed fixated on the female’s face, zooming in for effect. Her eyes glowed a yellowish-brown and her jaw looked unusually long. A loud cracking filled the room, covering up the horrific song blasting out of the phone. Then the woman lifted her arm in horror as it changed shape right in front of our eyes. Hair started to sprout and her elbow popped out of her skin. She shrieked in pain and I had to look away.
“What have they done?” Major asked himself. His body was tense beneath me and I could see how much this was affecting him.
“She’d going to change! She’s gonna do it!” Sneakers cried out.
The visual panned back to the where the wolf had been standing, only now there was a naked human man curled up into a ball and crying in the corner. He never looked at the camera but each time the woman cried out, he covered his ears and rocked back and forth.
Back on the dying woman, she screamed again when her head quickly jerked to the side and a bone in her neck snapped. And then she went still. I hoped she was passed out from the pain but I wasn’t so sure if she was even still alive. The camera zoomed back out and then faded into a picture of a wolf standing in the same basement. Overtop of the images, words filled the screen. “She was human and now she is wolf. They lied to us all!”
Major sighed when he looked at the views number. “This has over a million hits? When did it go live?”
Derrick’s face popped back up onto the screen and I hoped we wouldn’t have to see any more of that video. “An hour ago.”
“Jesus Christ,” Major groaned. “Have you taken care of it?”
“I’m working on finding the source and cutting off access. But it went viral fast.”
“Danika wants you to make a statement,” Bo added. No longer did he have his handsome smile on his face.
“Of course she does,” Major complained.
“Brandt offered his place,” Derrick said.
“His house?”
“No, the fish plant,” Bo clarified.
Major looked at me and then ran his hand through his dark hair. I reached up and helped, earning me a small smile. “Is Julia there?” he asked out of the blue.
Derrick nodded and then the images on the phone moved around until they settled on Julia’s face. “Hey Major. Oh…hi Fiona,” she said with a knowing grin.
“Hi Julia,” I said, feeling the blush coming on.
Major quickly squashed any of her questions by continuing with business. “I’m bringing Fiona with me,” he said as though there could be no argument. “Who else will be there?”
Julia made a face but then seemed to decide that whatever she was going to say wasn’t worth it. “Well, these guys are going plus Brandt and Zane. I’m also going to see if Calvin can show up too, just to make a point.”
“A point?” I asked.
Julia smiled and tilted her head to the side. “Calvin pretends he doesn’t like the attention, but he does. And with this kind of negativity floating around, I’m sure he’ll want to clear the air.”
“You mean he’ll want everyone to know that shifters can’t turn humans?”
“Exactly,” she smiled.
Major stiffened again and when Derrick came back on the call, his friend had noticed. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “Is it—”
“Don’t.” Major warned him with one growl and Derrick immediately shut up.
I wanted to know what that was all about but had a sense that now wasn’t the time to ask. So when Major hung up the phone and told me to get dressed, I let him have his space. And when he didn’t say a single word the entire way into town, I bit my tongue and let him wallow. Something major was bothering him but I had no idea where to start. I mean, after all, I barely even knew him. But you want him, my inner voice said. I agreed, but I still had to recognize that we were strangers. And this particular stranger had a really big secret he was keeping locked up and I suspected no one would ever know.
Julia had pulled together a press conference with the help of Danika, the ISC representative in a relatively short amount of time. But since that video had been seen all over the world, the parking lot in front of the fish processing plant was filled with media vans and civilian campers. Everyone wanted to hear what Major was going to say.
He still didn’t speak to me as we got out and pushed our way over to Julia and Derrick. She was directing the cameramen to set up behind a line she’d created out of sticks, and Derrick was speaking to very large man with cropped hair and a suit standing close by.
“I’ll be right back,” Major said.
His hand brushed against my lower back and he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. My insides fluttered with excitement knowing he’d just done that in front of everyone. And by the way Bo and Zane were now looking at me, I had a feeling that was a very rare occurrence. I walked over to them, standing near the podium but still in front of the gathering crowd.
“So, you’re the photographer?” Bo said with a sexy smirk.
I lifted my camera and snapped a picture of him. “I am.”
“You know, I’ve never seen that tiger smitten by anyone before,” Zane mused.
“You must be some kind of photographer.”
I shook my head and laughed with him. “I’m nothing special. Just me.”
“Uh huh,” Zane muttered.
“When are they starting this shit show?”
I jumped at the deep voice behind me, and when I turned, all I saw was black. Until I looked up and recognized a familiar face. “Calvin.”
He looked down at me and smiled, even though it wasn’t a very big one. “Oh, it’s you. What are you doing here?”
When I opened my mouth to speak, Bo cut me off. “She came here with Major.”
“With Major? Oh,” Calvin said when he suddenly realized something.
I shook my head and held on to my camera like a life vest. “It’s not what you think.”
Zane and Bo both nodded their heads and wiggled their brows. “We saw her naked.”
“No!”
“On Major’s lap,” Bo continued.
“Oh, my god,” I groaned.
Calvin simply studied me for a minute too long and then said, “Good for him.”
Was that approval? Did I need his approval? It looked like Zane was ready to tease me some more when Julia cleared her throat and told the media that they were starting. She said that Major had a statement prepared and then they would take a few questions. When finished, she stepped aside to let Major take center stage and Julia snuggled up next to Derrick and the person I assumed was Brandt.
Major’s eyes caught mine before he started. I gave him a small wave and for the first time since Derrick called, I got a genuine smile in return. He’d put on a black button up shirt that he work with his jeans and a leather jacket. It was December in Alaska and the weather definitely called for layers. Although I had a feeling Major would be warm enough in nothing but his chiseled muscles.
Calvin sniffed the air beside me. “You stink.”
“Uh, thanks?”
“Stop thinking about Major.”
He could smell my attraction just like Major had. For Christ’s sakes, I would never be able to hide anything from this group. I lifted my camera and took some photos of the crowd. I needed to focus on something other than my tiger’s naked body right now.
Calvin coughed just as Major began to speak. “The video is a fake. That girl died. We cannot make a human an animal.”
“Short and sweet. I like it,” Zane said.
Major continued to explain that they’d killed the girl in a horrifying way and manipulated the film to show her as a wolf at the end. He spoke for a few more minutes about the genetics of shifters and humans and how they can only cross at the early embryonic stage—meaning in a mother’s womb. The transformation they saw on the video was the product of shifter blood being added to the victim but that was not enough to turn her into a wolf.
When it was time for questions, every reporter huddled around us had their hand up in the air. One by one, Major calmly answered them all.
“Was she changing into a wolf?”
“No, her body was simply having a reaction.”
“Why did she die?”
“Because they’d ripped her guts out.” That answer got a moment of shocked silence.
“How can we trust you?”
Major sighed and started in on his answer. He talked about the fact shifters had lived with them for years without problems. And how most of the people in the video weren’t shifters, and yet those were the humans who had been responsible for that girl’s death. I listened to his very persuasive argument with focus. Snapping a few photos of him here and there, I could see the way the crowd was responding to him by their expressions.
“He’s good,” Calvin murmured.
“He is,” I agreed. Just then, I heard a sharp pop echo against the metal siding of the fish plant but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. No one else seemed to notice so I looked back at Major. But a few seconds later something splashed across my face and Calvin yelled out in pain.
“Son of a bitch!” he screamed, holding his left shoulder and eyes changing to a bright yellow. He scanned the crowd as everyone watched the commotion. The growl emanating from his mouth scared me to no end.
Another sharp crack hit the building behind us and everyone screamed. “Gun!”
Calvin fell on top of me, still muttering curses and looking for the shooter. His body weight crushed me against the gravel parking lot, stones digging into my ribs and hands. The scene erupted into chaos with people running and screaming and shouting for help. I turned my head and pushed Calvin off me. “You’ve been shot!” I said, looking at the blood soaking through his shirt.
“I’m fine,” he growled.
“Fiona!” Major fell to the ground beside me and wrapped me in a hug. “Oh, thank god.”
“Calvin’s been shot,” I told him after he gave me a quick kiss. “We need to help him.”
Calvin pushed to his feet and shook his head. “I said I’m fine.”
“Let me take a look at that.” Brandt wrapped his arms around Calvin’s shoulders and started to lead him inside the building. Then he stopped and looked back and me and Major, “You should come inside too.”
“We’re going home,” Major said in response.
Just then, someone got on one of the microphones and shouted, “There he is! The shooter! Up on that hill!”
The remaining shifters took off at a full run to find the person who’d just injured one of their own. Police and firemen followed behind, much too slow to keep up with that supernatural speed.
“Will they catch him?” I asked Major.
“Hopefully,” he said and then he grabbed my face tightly between his hands. His eyes widened in concern and his voice hardened again. “Are you hurt?”
I touched the wetness on my face, fingers red with blood when I pulled them away. “No, it’s from Calvin.”
“He was standing next to you, right?”
I nodded and then sucked in a little scream when Major pulled me to his chest hard enough to knock the breath out of me. “Jesus, that could have been you,” he whispered.
“I don’t think they were aiming for me,” I said.
“I know, but still. That was way too close. I can’t lose you.”
I let myself relax against his warm chest and I reveled in the closeness. This day had already been filled with enough excitement to last me a lifetime. So, when Major said he wanted to take me to his cabin, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.
Despite almost falling to my death trying to get the perfect picture. And despite the fact that I’d almost been shot, I couldn’t help think that my life had just taken a turn into something new and dangerous and wonderful.
And while I probably shouldn’t, I was loving every single minute of it.
It felt like we’d been gone for days even though it had only been hours. As soon as we made it back to the cabin, Derrick called me to tell me that they hadn’t caught the sniper but found where he’d been sitting. He’d left some paraphernalia behind, including a brochure from an anti-shifter group declaring open-season on all shifters.
“Well, that’s just wonderful,” I complained to him.
“Danika and Julia are working with local and federal authorities to put a stop to this before it goes too far.”
“They already shot Calvin,” I said.
“He’s fine. Just pissed.”
“That’s good, I guess.” I let out a breath and leaned against the wall where I could watch Fiona as she took a nap in my bed. The adrenaline had gotten to her and she asked if she could rest for a few minutes. That had been two hours ago.
“So, what’s going on with you two?” Derrick asked.
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully.
“Really?” he teased. “Is she your mate?”
“I already had a mate.”
“But she’s been dead for decades.”
Derrick was the only person in Alaska who knew the whole story. Kenzie had known about Annie to some degree, but Derrick was the only one I shared everything
with. He was a good friend and respected my privacy, but after that video came out, I wondered if I’d shared too much.
“You’re thinking about the video aren’t you?” he asked.
“I can’t help it.” With a quick glance at Fiona, I walked outside onto my front porch so she couldn’t overhear any of this conversation.
“You know it’s not the same thing,” Derrick said softly.
“It’s not?” I huffed. “You saw that wolf, he knew he’d killed her.”
“Annie also knew the risks,” he reminded me.
“Doesn’t make me any less guilty. Fuck!” I shouted into the air. With me meeting Fiona and instantly bonding with her, I already had Annie on my mind. But now with the video…it all hit a little too close to home.
Changing the subject like a good friend, Derrick asked, “Is she your mate?”
I sighed and sat back in the wooden rocking chair I’d recently purchased. I should probably get a second one for Fiona. “Can we have more than one mate in our lives?”
“It’s not common, but yeah. I think it can happen.”
“She could have been shot today.”
“But she wasn’t.”
“I can’t go through that pain again.”
Derrick stayed silent for a while before saying, “Don’t live with regrets.”
I laughed at his wise old words. “I’ve gotta go.”
With a chuckle he repeated his mantra and told me that we should probably meet up tomorrow to see where everything’s at. Then he wished me luck.
“For what?” I’d already come back inside and was watching Fiona sleep peacefully. Her round hips created the perfect hourglass shape as she lay on her side under the covers. My cock hardened at just that sight alone. There was no denying how I felt about her at this point.
“For your date in the morning.”
“What?”
Derrick laughed, but it was to mock me. “The fundraiser date. Didn’t you get Julia’s email?”
“No. Derrick, I’m not going on that stupid date—”
“You have to, Major. But Julia made arrangements for all of you to have a group brunch date. For safety reasons and all that.”