Knight Shift

by Paulette Miller

  Ben turned to Jax. “You found her when she was up in the mountain with her family’s ashes. Can you do it again? You’d have to ignore the scent trail and reach out for her.”

  Chloe said, “Even without a car, Logan would’ve selected Changelings with the gift of speed. She could be many miles from here through some rather rough terrain. No one can sense someone that far away.”

  Ben replied, “They have a connection that breaks all rules and, if he uses that link, he could find her anywhere.” He turned to Jax and said with complete confidence, “I know that you can do this.”

  Jax was touched by Ben’s faith in him and he had no choice but to try. He walked off to the river’s edge and, listening to the sounds of nature, he ripped the remains of his shirt completely off and shifted into Ice. Everyone followed and watched silently nearby. Charlie rubbed her arms from the chill in the air as Ice reached out with his senses and concentrated with all of his might on the one he loved.

  Ice let his mind drift away and sweep through the trees like an evening fog. Using the breeze like fingers, he felt for the most minute signs that Penny had been there. As his mind continued the hunt, he mapped the path. When he picked up a faint hint of Penny’s scent, he narrowed his search and his speed increased. He followed the trail until he mentally heard a weak voice whisper in his ear.

  Suddenly the ground began to vibrate as Ice let out a low, deep snarl. After he stood and shifted back to Jax, he turned to his family and announced, “I know where she is.”

  Taylor said with a protective growl in his voice, “Tell us.” His muscles tensed and he was ready to begin the hunt as soon as Jax gave him the word.

  Jax replied, “She’s quite a distance from here.” He scanned the family and said, “I must go and I won’t force you to come along, but the odds of my success would be greatly increased if you’re at my side.”

  Sam’s heart swelled with pride, hearing Jax ask for his family’s help. He wouldn’t fail him. He stood proud and replied for those around him, “We’re in this together. Lead the way and we’ll be right behind you.”

  Jax nodded and said, “Then let’s go.”

  Susi grabbed the backpack filled with medical supplies and they headed into the woods with Ice at the lead.

  They traveled steadily throughout the night and no one said a word for fear of interrupting Ice’s connection. The path was long and hard and, when it was getting close to morning, they were forced to find a place for the Night Walkers in their group to hide for the day. After they were tucked safely into the dark, Jax walked off into the morning sun and took a moment to refocus on Penny’s location.

  Chapter 66 - Captive

  Within an old hunting lodge, Penny woke. Her hands and ankles were bound in webs and her mouth covered in tape. She groaned as she attempted to move and knew she was also covered in bruises. As she forced herself past the pain to sit up, she found her head spinning like she was suffering from a hangover. She guessed it was the lingering effect of whatever Spider stung her with.

  When her mind cleared and her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she scanned her surroundings. She found herself held in a small, barren room with pine log walls. Given the amount of dirt, cobwebs, and the slightly musty smell, she guessed that she was in an old cabin in the woods that most likely hadn’t been used in years.

  Although she was alone, others were nearby. In one direction she heard talking and laughter, but from the other side she heard a constant stream of groans and sobs. Since her kidnappers included Night Walkers, these latter sounds most likely meant that she wasn’t the only Human being kept captive.

  As Penny fought her bindings, the door opened and a man stuck his head in. Seeing her awake, he turned and announced to someone, “Tell him she’s up.”

  Moments later the door opened wide and Logan walked in. He closed the door behind him, flipped on the lights, and sat down in front of her. He said casually, “It’s nice to see you again, Penny. Sorry for the rude way you were brought here, but you’re a hard little bird to catch.” He ripped off the tape covering her mouth and, seeing the bindings cutting into her skin, he pulled a knife from a sheath on his hip and began to cut the web ropes. As he worked, he warned, “I’m unbinding you because there’s nowhere to run. This lodge is full of my people and they would love the opportunity to chase you down.”

  While rubbing her freed wrists, she asked, “What do you want with me?”

  He replied, “Jax has been very selfish with you and your gifts. His turn is over and mine is about to begin.”

  She attempted to play on their ruse and said, “Jax dumped me so obviously I don’t have anything worth having.”

  He laughed loud and said, “That ridiculous lie of yours is over and I think Sam and Susi might have a thing or two to say about whether you’re special or not. By the way, has their suntan faded yet?” Seeing her shocked reaction he added, “Your final goodbye for your family was quite touching. Susi cried and I did too. Except my tears were from the burns on my skin that I got when I leaned out of the cave too far to watch my fellow Night Walkers stand at your side during a bright sunrise.” Seeing her realization, he nodded and said, “I was in the cave you picked for Sam and Susi. I watched it all. With you at my side, I could live a life in the sun, instead of living like a rat in the shadows. I’m tired of being treated like a piece of shit, even by other Changelings. But I had a massive boulder blocking my path—your lover, Jax.”

  “But Jax and I aren’t—”

  He interrupted her by saying, “There’s no need for any lies between us. I wish I had been at Sam’s to see your acting debut. Your skills must have been Emmy award winning, because Thorne isn’t easily swayed. You had him completely convinced that Jax threw you out but, if you recall, I’ve tasted you and I knew there was no way he would have given that up. And I was watching your camp the night before your mountain-side memorial when Jax, who everyone claimed had tossed you out, pinned you to the ground and showed you how much he hated you—several times I think. I thoroughly enjoyed your enthusiastic responses, by the way. Alas your secret rendezvous’ with Jax are over. You are now mine.”

  No longer denying her relationship, she said, “There’s no place you can hide that my boyfriend can’t find me.”

  He raised his eyebrows and nodded in approval. “Good, truth between us at last. Your boyfriend is in for a challenge trying to find you here. Maybe, in time, he’ll track you down. By then, you’ll be mine through and through.”

  “I’ll fight you every step of the way.”

  “We’ll see about that.” He yelled at someone outside the room and, moments later, the door opened again. A large man with his arms bound behind him was tossed into the room. He crashed to the floor and then scurried to the wall before standing up again.

  When Penny made eye contact with the man, she gasped and whispered, “Quinn, is that you?” She cringed at the many cuts, bruises, and bite marks he had all over his body.

  With a smug look on his face, Logan explained, “I thought you might like a friend nearby.”

  Quinn was shocked to see Penny and asked, “What’s going on?”

  “Just do whatever they say.” Penny spun back to Logan and said, “He has no part in this. Let him go.”

  “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll keep him around for a while to keep you more cooperative. If you give me what I want, your friend will live and I’ll treat you like a princess. If not, I’ll still keep you here, but I can guarantee that Quinn’s life will become much less pleasant.” He looked down at his watch and said excitedly, “Wonderful. It’s time for your first test.”

  In a flash, Logan jumped on top of Penny and pinned her to the floor. Quinn tried to come to her aid, but his guard knocked him back hard into the wall. When he continued to yell for them to release Penny, the guard taped his mouth shut.

  Penny looked at her friend and said as calmly as she was able, “Listen to me. Don’t fight them or they’ll kill you.” When he qui
eted and she finally had his full attention, she gave him a weak smile and added, “It’ll be okay. He won’t kill me.”

  When Penny looked back at Logan to beg for Quinn’s life, she found her body frozen in place. He had used his ability to pin her mind, leaving her helpless in his hands. He stared down into her eyes and said, “This time, you and I won’t be interrupted.” Using his chin, he gently guided her head to the side to expose her neck. Seconds later, her mind screamed and tears flowed as he bit into her skin. As he latched on, he moaned and was completely lost to the fire flowing down his throat.

  A few minutes later the door opened and Hawk called, “Sorry to interrupt you, but you asked me to let you know when the sun was almost up.”

  It took every bit of Logan’s strength to release Penny. After he reluctantly licked her wound shut he released his hold on her. Penny lay still, weakened from both the rapid blood loss and from the lingering pain.

  Although Penny was unable to make any verbal sounds, Logan jumped to his feet, let out a howl, and shouted, “Shit! What a rush!” He shook like a dog at the sensations as every nerve in his body came alive. He watched as an old wound on his arm healed and his pulse sped.

  Seeing his reaction, Hawk stared down at Penny and knew that there was much more to her than just getting revenge on Jax. He prayed that he would someday be given the opportunity to find out for himself.

  With energy Logan hadn’t felt for more years than he could count, he grabbed Penny’s hand and half dragged her out of the room and toward the far side of the living room. Penny only had a moment to notice that all of the windows were covered and that the room was filled with many people that she guessed were his Changelings followers.

  When Logan stopped in front of the front door, Penny collapsed at his feet with Logan’s hand still wrapped tightly around her wrist.

  Seeing their leader grab the door handle, Spider jumped to his feet and exclaimed, “Don’t open the door! The sun is up.”

  He ignored their calls, turned to Hawk and said, “Watch her.” He held out Penny’s extended hand.

  Hawk pulled Penny up off the floor. He had carried her most of the way to their hideout and had liked the feel of the heat she had projected, so he held her against him to feel the inferno one more time.

  Logan took in a deep breath and opened the door, causing all Night Walkers in the room to hug the shadows and yell in protest. Their shouts were silenced when they watched their leader walk off the porch and stand where the first beams of light reflected off his pale skin. As they marveled at the sight, everyone turned their attention to Penny with leering smiles.

  Penny scanned the faces and her eyes caught sight of the room that was next to the one she had been held in. She saw several very frightened and obviously injured Humans cowering and staring back at her sympathetically. Penny knew Logan had collected the additions as food. Quinn was once again with them.

  After several minutes of enjoying the heat from the sun on his skin, Logan stepped back toward the door and called, “Hawk. You managed to bring her to me safely. As your reward, join me.”

  Hawk knew what Logan had offered to him. He flipped Penny to the wall and, after pinning her, he bit into the other side of her neck. Unlike Logan’s ability to mentally gag her, Penny was free to scream at the pain he was causing and her inner voice cried out for Jax.

  *~*~*~*

  Jax jumped to his feet as he caught a distant sound carried on a breeze. Although no one else from his group seemed to hear anything, he growled, shifted instantly back to Ice, and raced off. Those who could handle the sun, attempted to follow behind.

  *~*~*~*

  Hearing the commotion inside the hideout, Logan was forced to race back in and have Spider and his non-blood drinking followers forcibly separate Hawk from Penny. Other Night Walkers quickly joined the fight, but their goal was to taste the magic for themselves. Although several managed to bite her, other than Hawk, none were able to latch fully on.

  After Spider’s men tangled Penny’s attackers in webs, they formed a wall around a passed out Penny and Logan. Hawk took the opportunity to walk outside.

  *~*~*~*

  As Ice got closer to his target, he called on his stealth abilities and disappeared. He raced through the trees like a cold winter wind and arrived at a clearing where the lodge stood. He came to an abrupt stop when he spotted Hawk standing in the sun with his arms spread wide. Ice knew whose blood had given him that ability. Although he wanted nothing more than to run past the Night Walker and slit his throat, he had no idea where Penny was or her condition. She was his top priority so Hawk would live, but his remaining breaths were already numbered.

  A calm washed over Ice as he prepared for battle. Using his stealth ability, he passed by Hawk and slid through the open front door. Although no one saw him, Penny instantly felt Casper’s familiar tingle. Her eyes blinked open and she couldn’t stop a smile from forming on her face, knowing her lover had arrived. Logan felt Penny’s body tense and he pulled her tighter against his chest.

  When Ice saw Penny’s battered condition, he planned to slowly and painfully rip apart every Changeling in the room. Penny knew what Ice was about to do so she slowly shook her head and nodded toward the back room.

  Ice caught the subtle movement and looked at where Penny was directing him. When he saw Quinn among a group of Humans, his shoulders slumped. He understood what Penny was trying to convey to him. She was asking him to save not just her, but also her people as well.

  He had no doubt that he could get Penny out but, given the number of Changelings that he would have to rip apart, there was a high probability that Penny would get hurt too. And there was no way to implement his current plan without sacrificing the Humans. He needed to call on his family for help, so he reached out and caressed a slow line down Penny’s leg to let her know he understood and would be back.

  While looking away from Logan, she gave him a small nod.

  Going against every natural instinct he had, Ice forced himself to leave the cabin. Once in the woods, he raced through the trees, where he found several of his family members running toward him. He returned to his visible form and, once they surrounded him, he whispered, “Penny’s alive and being held in an old hunting lodge about a mile up, just over the next hill.”

  As they proceeded to whisper nonstop questions, he replied, “Let’s go back to our camp and I’ll give you all the details.” After the family was reunited, Jax sat them down and explained everything he saw.

  When Jax described Penny’s condition, Taylor was almost inconsolable over his guilt that he was somehow to blame for it all. He said with his voice full of rage, “Let’s go in there and rip them all apart.”

  The old Ice would have agreed, but Penny’s Jax thought differently. He looked to Taylor and said, “I know how you feel, but they’re holding Penny’s friend Quinn as well as other Humans. They’re innocent. How do you think Penny would react if we save her at their expense? We must try to save them all.” He turned to Sam, and said, “Penny and the Humans are a real mess and will need your healing skills, so we need to wait to go in until after the sun goes down and you can be at our side. And to guarantee that you’ll be alive to offer your skills, I’ll need you to stay back out of the fight.”

  Sam understood and nodded.

  Jax looked at Chloe and said, “Spider and his men are in there.”

  Chloe said with a gleam in her eyes, “Leave him to me.” She turned to those around her and said, “Spider and I have a history and I know that his venom doesn’t work on me.”

  Tadd asked, “Do you need help taking him down?”

  Chloe shook her head. “It’s best if everyone keep their distance from him. I have the means to take him out.” When she didn’t elaborate, no one pressed the issue. “But I’ll need help in keeping his men at bay. They fight together like they’re of one mind.”

  Jax said, “Leave those insects to me.”

  Susi said, “I have to ask. Are we
going to go in there and kill all of the Changelings?”

  Jax replied, “I know you don’t like to kill, but to protect our own, there’s no other way.” He looked to the group and asked, “Is everyone okay with this?”

  Tadd said, “They’ve invaded our home and took our family. If we let this go, we’ll appear weak and vulnerable. The protection of our own must come before all others. I vote we go forward with your plan. Those that resist, must be permanently removed.”

  After everyone agreed, Jax said, “Then at sundown, we go in together as one and take back what’s ours.”

  Charlie asked, with true concern for her friend, “But will Penny last that long?”

  Jax replied, “She’s the strongest Human I know and Logan was protecting her like a cherished pet. He won’t risk hurting her any further.” He then waved everyone closer and, as he drew the layout of the lodge in the dirt, they planned the specifics of their attack.

  When everyone understood their role, they split apart and got some rest, Jax sat by himself in what looked like a trance.

  As the sun went down, Jax opened his eyes and announced, “It’s time.” He led his family silently toward their destination. When he spotted a few guards walking the woods just outside the clearing, he nodded to Razor and the twins. The twins shifted and headed to the right, while Razor went to the left and Jax walked forward. Without making a sound, the guards dropped one by one.

  With the woods clear, Jax signaled everyone into place and they prepared to implement their plan.

  Chapter 67 - Returned

  Once everyone was in place, Jax called on his stealth ability and Chad, in the form of a coyote, howled up at the rising moon. The sound caused a domino of other coyotes to return his call. When someone stepped out of the front door of the lodge to take a look, Casper slipped in behind him.

  Casper’s first priority was to find Penny and he quickly spotted her in the main room. Although relieved to see that she was alive, his fury grew as he looked at her pale body slumped against Logan’s chest. He wanted nothing more than to yank her away from her captor’s arms, but that would completely undermine their plan. He was forced to leave her alone for now. Instead he carefully reached out and touched her leg.