Knight Shift

by Paulette Miller

  Although Jax understood why Penny wanted to ease Bobby’s fears, he wanted to make sure he knew the other side. “Penny is right, but don’t take all of the stories you hear as campfire tales designed to scare children. Some are very real. I don’t want to scare you more, but I feel obligated to tell you since you’ve been very kind to Penny and accepting of me. You need to be aware that there’s a group of Night Walkers that are furious at the world for what they’ve become. Although they would never admit it, they miss being Human and are taking out their anger on any Human that gets in their path.”

  Bobby asked while scanning the trees, “Do you think that the pissed off ones are here?”

  “This isn’t their normal stomping grounds, but I won’t leave you until I know for sure.” Trying to project calm, he added, “Why don’t you get back to your stars and I’ll stand guard? I have a bit of a reputation myself among my kind. I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t be bothered while I’m here.”

  Penny reinforced Jax’s words by taking Jax’s hand and saying, “You couldn’t ask for a better protector than Jax.”

  Bobby replied, “But he’s just one Changeling. If the wolf was attacked by a Night Walker, we have no idea how many others might be out there.”

  Penny said with absolute confidence, “I would take one Jax over a hundred of the most vicious Night Walkers.” She gave Bobby her brilliant smile and asked, “Would you teach me how to take pictures of the stars? I don’t know much about cameras other than to point and click, so you’ll have to start with the basics.” She held out her hand and, when he took it, she guided him back to his equipment.

  As Bobby slowly and nervously went back to the stars he loved, Jax circled the camp keeping his senses on high alert. He knew that if it was one Night Walker, odds were he was just feeding and posed no threat. But if it was several traveling together, they had a tendency to act like a pack of wolves and attack anything in their path.

  Later when he spotted Penny nodding off, Jax helped tuck her into her sleeping bag. He turned to Bobby and said, “You should get some rest as well. I don’t need much sleep, so I’ll stand guard until the sun is up.”

  Bobby knew that closing his eyes meant that he would be putting his life in the hands of a Changeling but, after watching his tenderness with Penny and her absolute faith that Jax would keep them safe, he decided to put his trust in this stranger. Soon the only sound filling the camp was deep breathing.

  Jax continued to search the deep shadows and his senses suddenly began to prick. He took off his shirt and shoes and stretched his muscles. With his eyes locked on the dark, he let his body shift. After the transformation stopped, he squatted in front of those he was protecting and waited. When he knew they were no longer alone, he breathed in the air around him. He instantly identified at least half a dozen Changelings nearby and also confirmed that they were Night Walkers. They were spread out and approaching from all directions.

  They were surrounded.

  Although Jax could have called on his stealth mode and hunted them down, he turned to look at those sleeping behind him and knew he couldn’t leave them unprotected for even a second—especially Penny.

  As reflective eyes appeared in the dark, Jax stood tall. When faces joined the eyes followed quickly by thin and pale bodies, Jax scanned the new arrivals.

  When the leader stepped forward, he closed his eyes and breathed in a scent carried on the cool early morning breeze. Liking the aroma, he opened his eyes and nodded toward those in the sleeping bags.

  Jax knew he was asking for permission to come forward and take what they wanted. He was also aware that it was Penny’s scent that was calling to him and he would not allow her to be touched. He shook his head, silently informing his visitors that they needed to go back where they came from. Several snarled and bared their fangs to show that they were willing to fight for their prey. As the camp became cold and the air prickled with electricity, Jax returned their gesture by spreading his arms wide and let out a low growl that informed their intruders that he was also willing to fight to protect those he was guarding.

  Seeing the Human’s protector in his fully shifted form, the leader suddenly recognized that it was Ice standing before him. His reputation among their kind was legendary, but he was confused by Ice’s odd behavior toward insignificant Humans.

  The Night Walker stared intently into the eyes of the warrior, trying to decide what his next move should be. When he scanned the faces of his followers and saw the unfocused expressions of those new to their life as Changelings, he knew that they were still very unpredictable in battle. They had no chance getting past Ice without he and his followers being killed. The scent in the air continued to call to him, but he decided their prey wasn’t worth the risk. He motioned to his companions to stand down. Although he gave Ice a deep bow of respect before disappearing back into the dark, he knew that someday he would confront the large warrior. Ice needed to explain why he chose the enemy over his own kind.

  Although the Night Walkers disappeared, Ice remained on high alert until his senses told him that they were once again alone. When he finally turned around, he found Bobby lying down, but staring up intently at him. When his lips moved to say something, Ice pressed his finger to his own mouth to tell him to remain quiet. The Human nodded at his protector, his expression of fear and gratitude informing Ice silently that he knew what he had done for him. Ice nodded in acknowledgement and returned to circling the camp while Bobby went back to sleep.

  As the glow from the sun started to light the sky and Ice knew the danger had passed, he returned to his Human form. He stared at the those sleeping at his feet and was surprised that he was genuinely pleased that no one, on either side, was hurt or killed. He wasn’t sure how to process the emotions that also told him that he would have killed his own to protect these helpless Humans.

  He was struck by the overwhelming need to hold Penny and, to his complete shock, the need was coming from his darker side. His body instantly shifted back to Ice, crawled in next to her, and pulled her into his arms. To his delight, she sighed contentedly into his embrace.

  In the morning as the stargazers shared a breakfast together, Jax told Penny about their night time visitors. Although he downplayed the event, Bobby shared what he had seen. His face glowed with his admiration for Ice’s actions and Penny was extremely proud of what Ice had done for them.

  After they helped Bobby pack up all of his supplies into an SUV, he gave Penny a hug and shook Jax’s hand.

  Jax said, “My kind are becoming restless and very angry. As their numbers increase, the threat they pose to Humans is growing rapidly. Always stay on alert.” He handed Bobby a piece of paper and said, “This is a number for someone that runs a Changeling safe house in Fort Collins. Whenever you want to come up here again, call him. He’s part wolf and an exceptional hunter. Although I used to laugh at his theories on how Humans and Changelings need to work together to find a way to peacefully coexist, recently I’ve begun to understand his point of view. You can trust him and he can provide you protection. I’ll call him right away to make him aware, because if you told him what I did last night, he won’t believe you.”

  Bobby wasn’t sure what Jax meant by his last comment, but he wasn’t going to question the man that saved his life twice in the same night. Instead he tucked the number in his pocket and said, “Thank you.” He turned to Penny and added, “I’ll get that picture to you as soon as I can. Whenever you miss your family, look up into the night sky and know that they’re each shining brightly and watching over you.”

  As Bobby drove off in his SUV to the east, Penny and Jax turned the opposite direction and headed down the mountain to continue their journey.

  Chapter 41 - The Hunt

  Two days later Penny was standing at the base of the massive stone Lexington Arch located within the Great Basin National Park. Getting to this spot was difficult and she now understood the park ranger’s warning about needing a tough four-whe
el drive vehicle and good hiking boots. But since she and Jax made the rough trek together, she decided that their efforts were well worth it.

  The hike was hard, so they decided to make camp and Jax insisted that he setup their tent. The last few days traveling had been busy so Penny took a few minutes to update their travel map. She followed their trail across Utah and added a note at Jensen, where she had sprinkled her dad’s ashes in a dinosaur footprint they saw at Dinosaur National Monument. She unfolded a piece of paper tucked into the map to unveil a sketch.

  Penny called to Jax, “The petroglyph that we created outside the dinosaur park. How long do you think it will last?”

  While continuing to work on the tent stakes, Jax replied, “Ice scratched your design into the stone cliff in a spot that would be extremely difficult for people to get to, so I think it will be there for many generations.”

  She replied, “I hope so.”

  As her finger continued down the line of highways they had followed for a good portion of that day, she then checked off driving through Salt Lake City. Penny had taken pictures as they passed through the town, but they didn’t stop. As she recalled Jax mentioning he and Sam had setup a safe house in the downtown area, she glanced at Jax again and asked, “How many safe houses have you established?”

  Jax stopped what he was doing and, after pondering on her question, replied, “I’m not exactly sure. I know that we have at least one per state. The more densely populated areas have more. Sam and I didn’t create them all. Others have left our safe houses to create their own.”

  “You’re doing amazing things for your people.”

  “I’ve done what needs to be done.” Knowing the reality of what he had done to get them where they are today, he added, “You paint me like a saint, but I’m far from it. I’ve done things—”

  Penny interrupted him by saying, “You were trapped in a corner and did what you were forced to do.” Making a slight shift in where their conversation was headed, she asked, “Do you think we could stop at one of your safe houses so that I can see what it looks like?”

  He hated to say no to Penny, but the thought of her walking into a room full of Changelings made him instantly tense. He said, “Although many of my kind can walk in your world without being detected, you would be sensed instantly in my reality. Those that live in these places are there because they were tossed out or brutalized by Humans. I know that you aren’t one of those Humans, but an angry Changeling is dangerous and isn’t going to take the time to see if you’re good or bad. To save my kind we’ve had to segregate ourselves. Our numbers have started to steadily grow, so our approach seems to be working.”

  With sadness in her voice, she said, “I wish it didn’t need to be this way.” She rubbed a spot in the center of her chest and added, “I want to get to know your world so badly it hurts inside. I just want to help.”

  When her voice broke, Jax wanted to change the subject so he asked, “What was the name of the place we stayed in after we made our stone art? It was in Baker, Nevada.”

  Penny went back to her map and, after clearing her throat, answered, “Border Inn, but technically it was in both Utah and Nevada.”

  He chuckled and said, “That’s right. They built it literally on the state line so that we slept in Utah and had breakfast in Nevada without ever leaving the building.”

  “I have to thank you for agreeing to adjust our travel plans so that we stayed in a motel that night. I enjoy spending time in nature, but I do love indoor plumbing and being able to take a long hot shower once in a while.”

  “Especially when you have company.” Jax gave her a growl, making her giggle. She wasn’t about to argue that point. When she looked down at her map, she also realized that they were now in her home time zone and the days with Jax as her traveling companion were numbered.

  She continued with their morning’s entry and said, “I really enjoyed our tour of Lehman Cave. I know that wasn’t a planned stop, but I thought you might like spending some time in the dark.”

  “I actually did. I especially liked when they turned off all the lights.”

  Her temper flared and she said, “That’s right. I promised to yell at you later. Here I was waving my fingers in front of my face when, thanks to those damn night eyes of yours, your fingers found other spots to explore.”

  He chuckled as the scene filled his mind. “You did let out quite a squeal. When they flipped the lights back on I think the glow from your blush could have lit our way.”

  She picked up a small rock and threw it at him. With ease, he caught it and then tossed it to the side.

  She said, “You did give several tourists pause when you kept flashing your reflective eyes at them.”

  “I only kept doing it because each time you kissed me to distract our watchers.”

  She exclaimed, “You’re impossible!” She threw another rock, yielding the same result.

  As he finished up the last of the camp setup work, he said, “You play a love-struck woman very well. Everyone was completely fooled.”

  Penny forced herself to laugh at his statement and then quickly buried her face back in her journal to hide the flush in her cheeks. She wasn’t acting.

  Jax could sense her embarrassment and he wanted to do something to make her feel better, so he asked, “To apologize for my behavior, would you like to come with me on my hunt tonight?”

  Everything Penny was working on slid to the ground and, with her jaw dropped, she asked, “Do you really mean it?”

  “I never lie and you always tell me that my attempts at humor are wanting. But you were right about my darker side. He does have the ability to feel other things besides hate, at least when he’s around you. I don’t have a safe house here to show you, but I can share this part of my world.”

  Penny scrambled to pick up the items scattered on the ground. After tucking them back into a bag, she picked up her small backpack and said, “I’m ready.”

  He thought they would spend some time together in the tent before heading out, but seeing her excitement he said, “Now is as good a time as any. But if you’re going to do this, you have to promise to do exactly what I say.”

  Penny nodded, her eyes bright with excitement.

  Knowing that he preferred to strip naked when he hunted alone as Ice, she ran to their luggage and pulled out a pair of Jax’s loose fitting shorts. When she tossed them at him, he caught them and asked, “What are these for?”

  “If you go hunting naked, I won’t be able to watch anything, but the spots on your backside.”

  He laughed and put on the shorts. Since they weren’t going to get sweaty in the tent before he shifted, he took a few minutes to stretch out his muscles to make shifting smoother. He then released his inner hunter.

  Penny watched him hunt from a safe perch Ice had tucked her into. Even through the darkness, she was awe-struck by the bursts of speed he could call on and how high he could jump. He even scaled steep inclines like a spider and, when he took each animal down, he pounced on them with the grace of a panther.

  When Ice retrieved her, her adrenaline was still racing and she wasn’t ready to end the hunt. On the way back to their camp, Penny stopped in front of a dark opening. Seeing a visitor sign-in sheet in front of the entrance, she knew that it was the cave she had read about in a park brochure. She said, “Oooo, look. I think your prey is getting away.” She raced into the dark, leaving a trail of giggles.

  As she hid against an inner wall, she waited. When a sudden chill made her shiver, she knew Ice was near. When nothing happened, she called, “Ice?” Suddenly she felt a familiar tingle in the air and said, “Goodie. Casper has joined the hunt. Now I can be the hunter and you the prey.” She stepped forward and, following the sensation, she waved her arms in front of her in an attempt to touch her target. Ice, as Casper, played with her and led her around the cave, allowing her fingers to occasionally brush against his cool skin to keep her motivated. When he maneuvered her to where he wa
nted her, he allowed her to grab onto one of his arms.

  She announced proudly, “I’ve got you now.”

  In a flash of speed, he picked her up and pinned her back against a smooth stone she didn’t even know was behind her. While in the complete darkness, she felt Ice’s cool breath tickle along her skin and knew that he was exploring her aroma. When she felt a chill on her neck, she tilted her head to the side to give him easier access to his target. She gasped when he accepted her gift and she felt his fangs penetrate her skin. She clung onto him tightly as he enjoyed what her body offered.

  Penny felt the tickle of his tongue licking her wound shut and, instead of backing away, he brushed his lips up the line of her neck and along her chin. When she felt his breath on her lips she knew that his mouth was hovering in front of hers. Without warning, she wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her arms around his neck, forcing them together. She gave him a kiss which he happily returned. And, based on the feel of his tongue and his fangs, she knew it was Ice she was embracing, not Jax.

  As the kiss progressed slow and deep, she felt Ice pull her in even tighter. She wasn’t sure how long they embraced but, when they broke apart, it was too soon for her. She waited impatiently to see what Ice would do. She didn’t have to wait long. He tossed her over his shoulder and, before she knew it, she found herself lying on their bed in the tent.

  She watched as Ice ripped off his shorts and crawled toward her. He slowly shifted back to Jax, but not completely. Many of his Human features returned but, to her delight, he kept his spots and a partially split tongue. He methodically unwrapped his prey and tickled every inch of her skin with his tongue. Once he had her panting hard and begging for more, he crawled up her body and quickly filled the tent with her cries of passion.

  Chapter 42 - Prospecting

  The rambunctious couple started the day early after a short night dedicated to the task of sleeping. They packed up the Rover and made their way through the rough path that led back to civilization. Once they were back on smooth pavement, Penny quickly fell asleep. After resting most of the morning, she was stirred awake by the sound of jets flying over the valley from the Fallon Naval Station.