Ace

by Kim Faulks

  Fifteen hundred and twenty meters. Longer than I’d hit before.

  I focused on the target, and the wind speed, timing my breaths as the sonofabitch moved.

  Inhale, out….

  Squeeze.

  The brunt was instant. Three seconds later the target went down, that left five headed Alpha’s way…too many.

  The faint sound of scattering rocks echoed to my right. Four of the bastards raced for the sheer climb of the mountain, moving too fast for humans. Heading for me.

  Couldn’t think about them now. Couldn’t think about anything but my brother. He needed me…A guttural scream savaged the night. I knew that sound…Alpha.

  His roar was punctured by a savage snarl of a beast. X was a blur in the scope, hurling herself through the air as the shifter turned on her mate.

  I took sight, aimed as she moved, and the sonofabitch flanked her side, moving behind a tree and out of view.

  “Get out of the fucking way, X.”

  She scurried backwards, only to raise her claws and leap once more. I drove my weapon forward, keeping on target as the bastard took a slow step backwards, and then charged.

  The fight was a blur, claws, fangs, until he took her to the ground faster than I could see.

  Her howl of agony pierced the air, and a shot followed, but it wasn’t from me.

  The aim wild, hitting the rock face at my right, kicking shards in my face. I swung my rifle toward the movement as two shifters scurried over a boulder, climbing high…halfway along the cliff face now, heading my way.

  My pulse thundered as down there the screams continued. They were dying. They were fucking hurting. I swung the muzzle toward the battle and set my sights on the fight.

  The flare of a muzzle dragged my gaze. Alpha reared, stumbled, took aim, and fired again. X and her attacker were a blur, one stumbled—one fell as three of the attackers closed in.

  My brother shoved up from the ground and lurched backwards, moving too far…I lined up the target, finding center of body mass. Fifteen thirty…too far. Too fucking far.

  Sweat itched the nape of my neck as the shifter closed in, taking shelter behind the tree. Alpha fired, and fired again. Swinging toward one target after another. Still they didn’t go down.

  The fifty caliber round would make sure they didn’t fucking move.

  The sight danced, high and to the right. The tilt hovered over halfway. I settled, driving the flesh of my hand into the rock and took aim. I could hear the enemy in the background. The thud of their boots. The rush of movement, still I shoved all that aside…

  And focused.

  Nothing else mattered. Just Alpha, just the enemy…my sight stilled. Inhale…and out.

  I squeezed the trigger and waited…waited for what felt like a fucking eternity…

  The bastard went down—hard.

  Heavy thud of boots echoed around me as another reared behind my brother. He raised his weapon, took aim as a savage snarl slipped through the air.

  Boots thundered the rocks, mirroring the quickening of my heart.

  There was no time. No time to save the both of us.

  I took aim, forcing the tilt out farther and squeezed.

  There was no time to wait. No time to make sure the target went down, as one lunged across the rocky ledge. I rolled, tearing the survival blanket free. The damn cold hit me like a blow as he grabbed me from the ground and lifted. My boots skimmed the rock, and then dangled in the air as I wrenched the knife from my belt, swung, and plunged in deep.

  Not enough…not anywhere near enough. I hit the ground, rocks uneven under my feet, and my knees gave way. A shot rang out as I tumbled. The deafening crack rang out. I reached for my thigh and dragged a Sig free, sighted by instinct and squeezed the trigger.

  The guttural boom followed one after another as I shifted target, and fired again. He jerked, stumbled. One went down, but the bastard didn’t stay there. I glanced at my Tac and then back up to target and unleashed all I had.

  Seconds…seconds were too long when a life hung in the balance.

  A howl ripped through the night. The fucking sound was torture. X…X was hurt.

  Was Alpha dead?

  All of a sudden, the decisions we made until now seemed fucking pointless.

  I lunged, boots skidded as I slammed into the rock. Pain roared through my shoulder, but need drove me all the way as I gripped the warm steel and swung the muzzle high.

  Shadows speared in different directions. Keep going…keep going.

  I fired, and the boom rocked the night. One went down…

  A shot rang out…high pitched. The blow smacked my chest. I stumbled backwards, as another came again…

  They moved in, too fast. I swung…fired…but seconds—fucking seconds were too long. A shot went wide, another hit target. My boot skimmed a rock…and then nothing.

  I slammed my hand out, finding a hold.

  But it was far too late as momentum took me. Panic flared and was snuffed out like a flame as my face met the mountain. Stunned…air. My rifle slipped as I fell. The sudden hit at the bottom stole everything…screams ended…mine and X’s. Darkness moved in and this was no predator I could fight.

  There was no winning.

  No nothing, as the world slipped away.

  17

  Ghost

  Boom…boom…boom…

  Human savaged the night louder than any growl—louder than any scream.

  I hunkered in the shadows as Human hunted. Bright flashes lit up the sky and the ratta-tat-tat of a bird cut through. Human roared, fighting, and the scent of fresh blood flooded the air. I dragged in the scent of Sick and moved closer.

  Wolf…wolf bloomed, thick and hungry. Wolf bleeding. Wolf filled with rage. I scanned the darkness and found her. She lunged, tackling Human as he raised the metal in his hand.

  Human took aim. Human with his bites and his stings.

  Human with his hands sliding along my skin. Was Human here? Had Human come for me?

  My lip curled…before another moved into view. I knew this one…knew his screams when he fell to his knees…knew the terror in his voice.

  Ace…Ace! Buddy, come on…

  This Human came to hurt, came to kill—but not me—only the bad one. The one who wanted Ghost—the one who hurt Ghost.

  “Ace,” I whispered mirroring his word…

  “Alpha!” Wolf howled. “Alpha no!”

  Human dragged metal high as she slashed the air. Alpha. The word reverberated as the metal in his hand kicked and the boom rang out. Alpha moved and metal roared again.

  But Human came, slipping in behind him to raise long metal in his hand. My muscles tensed. Spirit raged, pushing to the surface smoothing the rough hide against my skin as Human disappeared.

  I stilled, took a step…as a boom rang out. Gone…Human was gone and the heady scent of blood filled my nose. I lifted my head, scanning the mountain.

  Nothing…the hair on the nape of my neck rose. Human was there. Human was hiding.

  Movement to the left drew my gaze. Shadows moved in the darkness. I squinted, then scanned the trees and moved. Shadows too quick…like a wolf…like a hunt.

  Human…Alpha…roared behind me, but I was drawn to the darkness—drawn by the movement along the hard climb to reach the top.

  I’d made hard climbs before…many times. But not this one…I scanned right. Human…Human…my heart soared like an eagle, pushing harder, breath came fast, driving me forward.

  Words lingered in my mouth, sounds of hide little Ghost! But they weren’t right. Nails ached as Spirit softened around me. Careful, she urged. Careful now.

  I took a step, moving through the trees with no sound, and scanned the rocks. Shadows reached the top now, scurrying over the hard edge to stand. A spark lit up the mountain and the boom followed, but I saw him. Saw the flare of his metal.

  Ace…

  The name filled me as I moved faster, leaving the rush of my steps behind. Faster now…faster… Sh
adows lunged over rocks, almost on top of Ace. Almost right there. I drove my feet into the earth and over the hard edges. Screams ripped through the night. Screams from Ace.

  I scurried toward the hard climb. Heart thundering—Spirit screaming, driving my body against sharp rocks to find a hold.

  Boom…boom…was followed by a scream. Human scream…Ace’s scream.

  Muscles screamed, howling like the wolf I left behind as I dragged myself higher. Crack…crack…crackcrackcrackcrack…echoed. I clawed for a hold and kicked, driving flesh and bones higher.

  Wait Human…wait Ace…I’m coming.

  A grunt tore free as I growled, reaching higher, pushing harder. Driving skin into rock and bones into Spirit.

  Spirit wanted to fight. Spirit wanted to run.

  Boom…boom…boom…

  Hands shook, fingers burned. I held the sun in my chest as I climbed onto the ledge and stilled.

  But there was nothing…silence…no boom…no crack.

  Something hard hit below. Something that made my belly clench with a crunch. I turned, blinked into the darkness and stared below.

  Darkness lay across pale rocks. Darkness that didn’t move.

  “Confirmed kill,” Human growled through the darkness. Shadows moved around them and the stench of Sick filled the air. Human turned away from the ledge. Human sniggered. The sound made Spirit growl…the sound made Spirit angry.

  I looked to the rocks below. The darkness leaked tiny tendrils across the shale. “Human? Ace?”

  Rocks scattered. Shadow moved, heading toward me. Spirit was ready, sliding over my skin. Nails ached, tightening…hardening, leaving the flesh behind for the beast.

  “Stop,” Shadow growled. Heads lifted, silver glinted, finding me in the dark.

  But Spirit was rising, filling flesh with the roar.

  “Easy,” Shadow growled and slowly lifted his hand. “Back away,” he commanded.

  But it wasn’t me who moved. Shadows slunk backwards as bones cracked deep inside. Hips flared, muscles bowed moving outward as I eased to the ground.

  “What is it?” Human growled.

  “Berserker,” Sick answered. “And she’s pissed.”

  Shadows moved backwards, slipping away. I took a step—half woman, half beast—as Spirit moved inside.

  “Back now…” Sick commanded, and then Sick turned, took one look behind him and ran.

  Long canines punched through my gums, ready to tear…ready to hunt.

  “Jesus fucking Christ. What is that? What the fuck is that?” Human screamed as I clawed the rocks, moving forward.

  Steps slow, steps awkward until the hunger of the hunt took over. Shadows fell away, rock scattered as they ran…one slipped and Human screamed…and the sound made something in my chest soar.

  A crack cut through the night. Something hit the ground at my paw, and a sickening sound slipped from my lips. I knew that bite, knew that sting—and I didn’t like it.

  “Cease fire…cease fucking fire!” Sick screamed as they slipped behind the ledge.

  Spirit wanted to run…Spirit wanted to eat. Spirit wanted to make them swallow their metal and feel the sting. But darkness held me back…darkness that lay on the rocks below—darkness that didn’t move.

  Ace…the name resounded and a whimper welled in my chest. I moved to the ledge, couldn’t make it down…not from the hard climb.

  The hard climb was for long fingers and long legs…the hard climb was for the woman and not the beast. I scanned the mountain, drawn to the path Sick left behind, and took a step. Movement scurried in the distance. Human crawled over rocks and slid below. Thick paws crunched rocks underneath as I followed.

  Spirit moved heavy, Spirit moved slow as I followed Human over the rocks and worked my way lower. Human words cracked out in the night, and my past filled me. Human came once before and Human left bodies behind.

  Hard edges gave way to soft soil. I moved faster now, picking up pace, gaining on Human with his awkward gait. This was my home…my world. Human didn’t belong here.

  I cut across, leaving Human to stumble and flail. Heavy paws found a path when dirt turned back to stone. I turned my head, catching the faint scent of Human blood…and looked to darkness in the distance. Paws slipped over wide boulders. I clawed for a hold, and lowered heavy feet to the ground. The ground tumbled, giving way as I worked my way across the mountain’s belly.

  Human couldn’t follow, not with small bodies that crunched like a twig if they fell. But Spirit could…Spirit clawed hard rock. Spirit clung on until muscles trembled—until muscles screamed.

  Spirit eased paws to the next, moving slowly across the rock face until the darkness on the rocks neared.

  Ace. Human name echoed as a growl. I stilled, sniffed. The smell of his blood coated the breeze just as it had before. I gripped the next rock and lunged, cutting across the mountain above him…before I stilled.

  A soft sound slipped free…pain.

  Heart pounding, filling my ears.

  The sound came again. Ace moved, hand lifted before it hit the rock once more.

  A growl tore along my throat…don’t move…don’t make me hurt you…

  He lifted his head, moaned and tried to move. “Alpha.” The word reached my ears.

  I lunged once more, landing on a rock to his right. He laid on a rock shelf, arms out…legs splayed. Blood rushed, pounding in my ears, but there was no growl, no hunger. Spirit whimpered, Spirit sniffed, urging me to step close.

  I lifted my gaze to the forest. The screams were distant now…slipping through the trees, leaving Ace far behind. He moaned…dragging my gaze down, I stepped close, one rock away and sniffed the air.

  It’s okay, Ace whispered from the memory. He’s gone.

  He’d tried to comfort me, tried to keep me safe. Tried to protect. Rocks skidded in the distance. I wrenched my gaze over thick shoulders to Human and Sick who scurried far below.

  Ace tried to protect me…need carved a path through my chest…and it wasn’t hunger…it wasn’t hunt. Silver bristles shone in the moonlight as I lifted a paw, pushed the rock underneath him and waited.

  There was nothing, no movement. No sound.

  I tried again, only closer, skimming the warmth of his body. Not hard, Spirit whispered. Don’t hurt…

  I gave a soft brunt, warmth bloomed under my claws.

  Again, this time closer, softer, pressing into his arm. His hand rocked, and then fell backwards, palm open, raised to the sky. A low growl slipped free, wake up…get up…

  Human scampered in the distance and Sick followed. They were coming…coming for Ace…coming for me. I swiped his body, claws barely grazed flesh as I took a step closer, moving in to sniff his face.

  I licked, finding his mouth, tasting salt, tasting blood, and eased backwards. I nudged his body and waited. Spirit couldn’t carry…Spirit couldn’t hold.

  Bones trembled. Flesh quaked. I closed my eyes as Spirit ebbed, moving to the back of my mind, peeling from my body with one brutal snap of bone at a time. I crouched, hips rocked backwards and then tilted up. Muscles thinned and lengthened as pain roared.

  A whimper slipped through, followed with a moan. I gripped the stone, holding on as power savaged. Ace blurred in front of me. I gripped the stone as my legs shuddered. Claws turned to nails, canines into teeth. The bones of my face flattened, jawline curved.

  Gone was the crisp sight of the forest, gone was the urge to hunt. I shoved upwards, standing on trembling legs as the pelt of Spirit curled and slipped away. Teeth gnashed, trembling with the bitter cold as I skimmed my fingers across his chest.

  He moaned, stilling my touch and then quietened. Crack…crack…crackcrack…rang out as I gripped his arm and lifted. Human would come. Human would take. Human wanted death…but Human would find nothing here…only blood.

  He was heavy. Arms slipped over my shoulders to smack against my waist. His body was warm sliding along my chest. His head rolled to my neck. The sweet taste of his blo
od was one lick away.

  His eyes fluttered open, found my gaze and then closed.

  A warning reverberated in the back of my throat. Don’t make me hurt you…don’t make me kill…

  18

  Ace

  Agony tore along my spine, spearing out with thorny tendrils to fill my head.

  I surfaced with the merciless pulse. The flashes of pain, blinding. I moaned, and then sank into the dark where the world didn’t exist. Where I didn’t exist.

  Movement rocked me. A jerk, a groan. My arms slipped, hit something soft, and a low growl filled my ear.

  “X?”

  I tried to surface, tried to fight. But the night was consuming, wrapping me like a shroud to hold me under.

  Fragments. Darkness. Cold. Branches clawed my face. I clenched my eyes and turned my face. Warmth against my cheek. Hard bristles that smelled like danger, hunter…shifter… and the redolence of animal closed in.

  “Ace.” A guttural growl echoed. A woman’s voice…sounding faintly like X. “Human,” she whispered. “Human…”

  I fought, rising in degrees until the numb gave way to the roar. Sledgehammer blows made me whimper. The movement rocked my stomach, spilling acid into my throat. My body clenched, strangling ruptured nerves until darkness moved in once more.

  The faint sound of gunfire broke the surface, and then slipped from my reach.

  A rustle of leaves dragged me higher. The snap of a twig wrenched open my eyes. Footsteps echoed, soft, light…not hard like boots. But it was the chatter that filled me.

  The grating gnash of teeth that wore at me like a splinter dug too deep.

  That sound made me nauseous, made me weak…made me human.

  I’d heard that sound before…I lived in that sound…the image of a boy came to the surface. Small, skinny, pathetic—looking far too much like me.

  He whimpered, wrapped thin arms around a bony body and huddled on the metal springs of a bed with no mattress.

  The mattress had been for good boys.

  And that was never me. I was bad. I was nothing. I was a burden with no mother, no father—no one wanted a burden—no one cared about a burden.