“Please, Mitch,” she said, trying to calm him down. “Just relax. Why don’t you let me get you a drink? I have some white wine in the fridge.”
“Wine? I don’t want your fucking wine!” her ex snarled. “I want my life back. Do you know I lost my job because of you, you little cunt? I spent all my sick time trying to find you and then I spent my personal days and then they fired me. They fired me—and all because of you!”
“I’m sorry, Mitch—what do you want me to say?” she asked desperately. “I…I was afraid. You’re making me afraid now.”
“Oh, am I scaring you sweetheart? After you ruined an entire year of my life and lost me my job?” he snapped. “I’m so sorry.”
“Can’t we just talk about this?” Isobel asked pleadingly. “I know you’ve missed us. We…we’ve missed you too.” It was a big fat lie but she hoped Mitch couldn’t tell that. She would have said anything at that point—anything to calm him and get him to put down the gun.
“There’s no more talking in this family!” Mitch declared. “This is what we’re going to do—you two are going to pack your bags and come back home with me to California where you belong. You—” he pointed at Isobel, “Are going to be a stay at home mom from now on. Keeping you at home ought to keep you out of trouble. And you won’t have a car to drive either. We’ll sell the one you have and if you want to go anywhere—anywhere at all—I’ll fucking drive you myself. That ought to keep you where you belong.”
“Mitch—” she began but he kept talking.
“Now Mr. Brandon over there…” He motioned with the gun at her son in a way that made Isobel’s heart lurch in her chest. “Is going to go back to school and act normal for once in his fucking life. That’s right, buddy,” he added, when Brandon stuck his head out from behind Isobel to look at him with wide, frightened eyes. “We’re going to get you signed up for Little League, maybe Peewee football too. And no more of this ‘special’ treatment at school. You’re going to make it on your own with good old fashioned work, just like I did when I was your age.”
“Mitch—” Isobel began again but her ex wasn’t done yet.
“Oh, I know what you’re going to say…” He made his voice high and mincing, “Poor little Brandon’s too delicate. He has special needs.” He glared at her. “Well no more of that shit. I’ve had enough of you coddling my son. From now on we’re doing things my way.” He gave a too-hearty laugh that sent a chill down Isobel’s spine. “Hell, the little shit’ll probably turn out to be the fucking star quarterback of the team by the time I’m done with him.”
“But I don’t want to play football.” Brandon spoke up for the first time, poking his head out from behind Isobel again.
“Brandon, hush!” She tried to push him back with her elbow. Above all, she didn’t want her ex husband to turn his attention—and his anger—against her son.
“But I don’t,” Brandon protested. He glared at his father. “And you can’t make us go with you. Commander Hail won’t let you take us.”
“What?” Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “Commander who did you say?”
“Nobody,” Isobel said quickly. “He’s a Kindred officer we met the other day and Brandon took a liking to him, that’s all.”
“And is he the only one who took a liking to him?” Mitch demanded. He waved the gun at her menacingly. “Tell me, Isobel—have you been cheating on me?”
“Mitch, please—I never—”
“Commander Hail is going to be my new dad,” Brandon announced with what had to be the worst timing in the world, Isobel thought.
“He what?” Mitch’s small, piggy eyes blazed with fury. “What did you say you little shit?” he roared, pointing the gun at Brandon.
“Brandon, get back—get back!” Isobel shoved him desperately behind her, trying to shield her son with her own body. “He’s just talking,” she told Mitch desperately. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”
“Well, I know what he’s saying—he’s saying you’ve been fucking around on me, you slut!” Mitch roared. “Both of you have—you found a new husband and Brandon thinks he found himself a new dad. Well, I have news for you, sweetheart…” He leveled the gun right at Isobel’s face. “If I can’t have you, no one can.”
Isobel screamed and leaned backwards and to the side, trying to shield Brandon and keep them both out of the line of fire at the same time. There was deafening roar of the handgun going off and she felt something hot slice through her upper left arm.
“Hold still, sweetheart,” Mitch shouted, that maniacal grin on his face again. “I’m not done with you yet. But don’t worry—I have plenty of bullets, enough for all three of us!”
A terrible headline flashed through Isobel’s mind, Murder suicide shocks quiet, residential district in Tampa suburb.
Mitch was really going to do it—he was going to kill first her and Brandon and then himself. From the wild look in his eyes, Isobel suspected that had been his plan all along. Somehow he had gone crazy when she left him—crazy with anger and grief—and now he intended to make her and Brandon pay for his insanity with their lives.
“Mitch, no!” she cried. She could feel her son trembling under her, his thin frame quaking with fear. She wondered wildly if her body could stop a bullet that was aimed at both of them—if Brandon could survive this even if she didn’t. But then who would take care of him? Who would advocate for him and love him and understand him. “Please…please don’t!” she begged. Her left arm felt numb but she raised her right hand in a pleading gesture.
But her pleas were falling on deaf ears. Mitch had a wild, crazy look of determination on his face and she knew he had no intention of stopping until she and Brandon were both dead.
“Hold still!” he snarled again, aiming the gun at her a second time. “I’m gonna—”
The front door banged open and his eyes jerked up in surprise. Isobel looked too and saw Hail standing there, a look of fury on his stern features.
“Get away from them!” Hail’s voice was a thundering roar. “If you feel the need to shoot someone—fucking shoot me!”
Mitch’s eyes widened, then narrowed.
“You,” he breathed. “You’re the one who stole them from me!”
He leveled the gun at Hail’s broad chest and Isobel heard herself screaming. Then there was another deafening crack and the big Kindred staggered back—but only for an instant.
He straightened up and began to change.
* * * * *
It shouldn’t have been possible because he hadn’t changed the settings on his emotion damper but it happened anyway—Hail could feel his beast coming out.
Though he had sworn never to let it surface again, he was glad. He needed the darker side of himself now—needed it to combat this threat against the woman he loved and her son, whom he cared for. He would not allow this evil, jealous bastard to harm or kill them—not while he still drew breath.
Roaring, he lunged for the male who was menacing Isobel and Brandon. He was big for a human, but nothing compared to Hail’s beast. The male had a shocked look on his face as Hail snatched the gun from him and squeezed the barrel in one big fist, crumpling it into a useless hunk of metal.
He tried to run but Hail grabbed him by the throat, hoisting him over his head.
“You dare to touch them?” he growled in his beast’s voice. “They are mine! Mine to cherish and protect! You will never approach them again—do you understand?” He shook the male, who was getting red in the face. “Do you?”
“Yes!” the male choked. “Yes, I…I swear. I’ll leave them alone!”
“If you ever come near them again, I’ll kill you.” Hail shook him again. “I should kill you now but the boy does not need to see his father die in front of him, no matter how much you deserve death.”
“I…I…” The male made choking sounds but Hail was done with him.
He dropped Mitch like the sack of garbage he was. There was a thunk as the male’s head hit the floor and
his eyes rolled up in his head. Out cold—good, now Hail could concentrate on what was really important.
He turned to Isobel. “Are you all right? You’re bleeding!”
She glanced down at her left arm and then back up to him, her eyes wide.
“I…I think I’m okay. As long as Brandon is all right.”
“I’m okay, Mom.” Brandon squirmed out from behind her and she hugged and kissed him, but her eyes kept returning to Hail.
“Let me look at you.” He knelt at her side and ripped open the arm of her sleep garment, which was a long white gown.
Thank the Goddess, it appeared that the bullet from the primitive projectile weapon had only grazed her but he frowned at the way the blood was still flowing.
“I think I should take you both back up to the Mother Ship,” he said to Isobel. “To get your injuries treated.”
“I…I guess that’s all right.” Her eyes kept returning to his face. Finally, she said… “Hail…your beast…”
“What about it?” Hail asked harshly. “I am sorry if I frightened you, Isobel and I didn’t mean to let him out but I needed his strength to defend you and to push out the bullet I was shot with.”
“No, Hail—I didn’t mean…I mean you…you’re…” She gestured helplessly. “Look in the mirror.”
There was a flat, reflective surface hanging on the wall across from them. It was something like a 3-D viewer but didn’t show as much detail. Still, when Hail rose and looked into it, he could see what Isobel was talking about.
Though he was speaking and thinking clearly, he was still in his beast form.
Chapter Thirteen
“What in the Seven Hells…?” Hail looked at himself, reaching up one big hand to rub his jaw, which was dark with stubble. His hair was long and wild, just as Isobel remembered it from the last time she’d seen him as the beast, and he was huge and muscular and scary…but there was a difference.
He wasn’t mindless. The only word she’d ever heard him say in his beast form was “Mine.” And even that had been more of a guttural, animal grunt than an actual word.
Now, though he was still in the form of his huge, scary alter-ego, Hail was speaking normally—sounding and acting like himself. How was it possible?
“How is this possible?” Hail muttered, echoing her thoughts. He turned to face her, his pale blue eyes glowing. “I don’t understand.”
“I do.” To Isobel’s surprise, Brandon stood up and walked over to Hail. In his massive beast form he looked wild and frightening but Brandon didn’t seem scared at all.
“Brandon?” she asked uncertainly but her son never faltered. Walking up to Hail, he took the huge Kindred by the hand.
“You came to save us,” he said simply. “I knew you’d come back—I dreamed it.”
Hail shook himself and took a deep breath. Then, slowly, he shrank back down to his normal size. His hair became short and his eyes stopped glowing. His shirt had burst open from his sudden size change but his flight trousers were still on, thank goodness. He squeezed Brandon’s hand gently in his own, much larger one.
“Yes,” he said in a low, choked voice. “I came for you. I will always come for you.” He looked up at Isobel. “For both of you, if you’re in trouble. I heard your cry…”
“Oh, Hail!” Isobel ran to him and put her arms around his neck—her left was still painful from the wound she’d received but she didn’t even care. She just wanted to touch the big Kindred and breathe in his wild, spicy scent, to assure herself that he was all right and that all of them were together.
To her surprise, Brandon joined in the hug, throwing his arms around both her and Hail as far as he could. Isobel squeezed him tight with one arm and watched as Hail put one arm gently around her son's thin shoulders as well. It felt like a family moment and her heart swelled.
“Come on,” Brandon said, looking up at them. “Let’s go. I don’t ever want to come back here again.”
* * * * *
Of course they couldn’t go right away, as much as Hail wanted to. Isobel’s elderly neighbor had heard the gunshots and had called the local authority. When the police, as Isobel called them, showed up, there were explanations to make and a statement to give. Hail and Isobel both had to promise to come and testify later but her ex husband was hauled away, still only half-conscious, and the gun he’d used was bagged and taken as evidence.
Finally, though, they were able to climb aboard the shuttle and Hail took Isobel and Brandon both up to the Mother Ship with him. Their first stop was at the med-station where they were checked out by Commander Sylvan himself.
“You’re very lucky you only got a graze,” he told Isobel, after cleaning and bandaging her wound. “I’d like to keep you here on the Mother Ship for a day or two if you don’t mind.”
“Why, do you think it’s that serious?” Isobel’s brown eyes widened. “I’m more worried about Hail—it looked like he took a bullet straight to the chest.”
“My body pushed it out when I…” Hail stopped. He had been about to say, ‘when I became the beast,’ but he didn’t want to bring it up again. He still didn’t understand how in the world he’d turned into his wild, ruthless other self without losing his mind and ability to reason as he so often had before.
“Hail’s in good shape and so are you and your son—although I think it might be wise to give him a small sedative to help him sleep after everything he’s been through.” Sylvan nodded at Brandon, who was at the far end of the room, examining some of the Kindred medical equipment with great interest. “But the reason I want to talk to you is the information we found on Hail’s shuttle computer after the two of you were, ah, abducted.”
“Oh—right.” Isobel nodded, frowning. “I do remember the aliens saying something about giving us information to, uh, make up for what they, um, made us do.” Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment and Hail shifted uncomfortably himself. He still hadn’t turned himself in to the Council for his actions. It seemed that after tonight Isobel might have forgiven him but he still had not forgiven himself. Should he turn himself in now?
No, he decided. Better wait until he had the two of them settled in a guest suite. Once Brandon was asleep and Isobel was comfortable he could come back and speak to Commander Sylvan about it.
“It can wait until tomorrow,” Sylvan said, patting her gently on her bandaged arm. “I have a feeling you and Hail could use some time to regroup after everything you’ve been through tonight.”
“That sounds good.” Isobel nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Commander Sylvan.”
“You’re welcome. Now—”
“Hail! I heard you were wounded. Yes I did, yes I did!” Yipper came bounding into the room and Isobel gave a little exclamation of surprise.
“Thank you for your concern, Yipper, but I’m fine,” Hail told him.
“But what happened? Why did you leave my office in such a hurry?” Yipper demanded. “I was worried. Yes I was, yes I was, Hail!”
“I felt that Isobel here was in trouble.” He nodded at Isobel who reached out and took his hand. Entwining their fingers, she gave his a squeeze.
“Hail saved me and my son, Brandon.” She nodded at Brandon, who was staring at the little Tolleg surgeon with wide eyes. “My ex-husband found us and he…” Her breath hitched in her chest. “He had a gun. But Hail protected us.”
“Hello, hello. That is excellent news—I am glad you are safe.” Yipper nodded to both of them and turned bright eyes back up to Hail. “But tell me, Hail, if you were under stress, then the new modification I put in your emotion damper must have been activated. Did it work? Did it, did it?”
Hail frowned. “New modification?”
“Yes—I enabled your new damper to help you channel your beast’s strength without letting it take over your mind.” Yipper nodded eagerly. “It should prevent any future problems you might have. Yes it should, yes it should!”
“So that’s how it happened!” Hail looked at the little Tolleg i
n surprise. “Thank you, Yipper,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “It worked perfectly. And you say…I’ll never have to worry about losing myself when the beast comes out again?”
“Never, never!” Yipper promised with a firm shake of his head. “And your emotions should be self-regulating—you’ll never have to adjust them again as they will fluctuate within normal limits without artificial help.”
Without thinking about it, Hail reached down and grabbed the little Tolleg in a big hug.
“Thank you,” he murmured when he finally released the shocked-looking Yipper. “Thank you so much.”
There was a surprised but pleased look on the little Tolleg’s face.
“I see that my modifications are working well. Yes they are, yes, they are,” he remarked.
Isobel laughed and Brandon let out a surprised giggle. Even Sylvan was smiling.
“It seems like my colleague Yipper here has what my mate, Sophia would call the magic touch,” he remarked. “I haven’t seen a problem he couldn’t solve yet.” He looked at Isobel. “So I’ll let you go for tonight and we can talk tomorrow. I assume that you and your son will be staying with Commander Hail?”
“Oh, ah…” Hail wasn’t sure what to say to that but Isobel answered for him.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “That’s where we’re going to stay—with Hail.”
Hail felt his heart thump in his chest—apparently his newly self-regulating emotions were set at a higher level than he was used to. But he found he didn’t mind. Was Isobel serious? Did she really want to stay in his suite with him?
Apparently she did because she took Brandon’s hand and smiled up at him.
“Come on, Hail—take us home.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Well, Brandon’s out like a light.” Isobel closed the door behind her softly and came into the living area of Hail’s suite. "I think that sedative Commander Sylvan gave him is really working on him."
Hail's place was bachelor neat and he was sitting on a large couch opposite a fire. There was a small blaze with blue and orange flames that made the slightly chilly room feel cozy and cast soft shadows on the dim walls.
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