True Nature

by Jae

  “And then?” Rue shook her head. “Even if I find Danny somewhere in the subway tunnel, I wouldn’t know what to do. I need you there to guide him through his First Change.”

  No, no! I can’t do that. Not down there. Just the thought of going down into that dark, damp tunnel, deep beneath the surface, made Kelsey’s heart race. Her throat tightened until she thought she would suffocate. She bent at the waist and gasped for breath.

  “You okay?” One of Rue’s hands settled lightly on her back.

  The contact made Kelsey’s lungs work again. She straightened. Rue’s hand slid off her back, and she missed the soothing touch. “I’m not an alpha. Only dominant Syak can mentor a pup through the First Change.”

  Rue looked her in the eyes, the intensity of her gaze forcing Kelsey to keep eye contact. “You’re the most dominant Syak available. I know you can do it.”

  “Rue, I...” Kelsey squeezed her eyes shut. “I can’t go down there. I...I’m claustrophobic.”

  Rue gripped Kelsey’s hand in both of hers. Her calluses rasped over Kelsey’s damp palm. “I know you’re afraid. I’m scared shitless too, but we can do this—together. For Danny. Okay?”

  The spicy ocean-and-pines scent increased, settling over Kelsey like a security blanket. She opened her eyes. “Okay.”

  “Then let’s think of a better way to get those two thugs away from the emergency exit,” Rue said.

  A sudden idea formed in Kelsey’s mind. She slid her hand from Rue’s and reached for her cell phone and the card in her coat pocket. Rafael Soto, she read on the otherwise unmarked card. Like her own business cards, the Saru’s card listed no academic degree, company name, or address. Just a cell phone number.

  “What are you—?”

  Kelsey pressed her finger to her lips, turned on her cell phone, and dialed. When the Saru picked up his phone, Kelsey cleared her throat. “This is...Cherry.” She glanced around frantically, searching for a faux last name. A few feet away, a teenager of about Danny’s age passed by, bouncing a basketball along the sidewalk. “Um, Balls. Cherry Balls. We spoke a few minutes ago when I was with the human woman.”

  The Saru snorted, and Rue clamped a hand over her mouth but couldn’t hide her grin. “Balls?” the man repeated. “And here I thought you specialized in women.”

  A flush raced up Kelsey’s neck, and she was grateful for Rue’s human hearing that prevented her from listening in on the Saru’s end of the conversation. “It’s a pseudonym,” she said. “I don’t want to shame my former pack by using my real name.” She put all the guilt and regret she had felt after Garrick’s death into her voice.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. um...Balls, but I’m in the middle of an urgent investigation, so whatever you want will have to wait.”

  “That’s just it. I’ve seen the boy you’re searching for.”

  “What? Where? Are you sure?”

  “Can’t be too many Syak pups wandering around New York, disoriented and all alone,” Kelsey said.

  Whispers filtered through the phone. The larger Saru had probably caught a whiff of his partner’s excitement and now wanted to know what was going on.

  “Where was he heading?” the Saru asked.

  “He was wandering north in the direction of the Rockefeller Center,” Kelsey said, grateful that the phone didn’t transmit the scent of her lie.

  “Thanks for the information,” the Saru said. “I need to go.”

  “Wait! There’s something else you need to know.”

  Rue gestured wildly and gave her a what-the-heck-are-you-doing stare.

  Kelsey patted her arm. “It seemed like the human cops are looking for him too.”

  The Saru ended the call among streams of curses.

  “Two birds with one stone,” Kelsey said as she turned off her cell phone and put it away. “I know how the Saru work. If they see any police in the vicinity, they’ll create a distraction to lure away the police officers from the area. If we hurry, we can get Danny out of the area without running into the Saru or the police.” She hoped her short phone call hadn’t allowed Tala Peterson’s team to locate her.

  “Brilliant!” Rue beamed at her. “I could kiss you!” She put her hands to both sides of Kelsey’s face and did just that.

  Before Kelsey could melt into the kiss, Rue moved back. “Uh, I…sorry.”

  Kelsey didn’t want apologies. She wanted Rue to kiss her again. The memory of Rue’s kisses made her skin burn. Cut it out. This isn’t the right time, and Rue is not the right woman for you anyway. Kelsey lowered her gaze and looked at her watch. Quarter to eleven. The quonilol Danny had received would wear off soon, if it hadn’t already. She peeked around the corner. “The Saru are gone. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 51

  Tala glanced at the screen of her tracking device while they marched down Seventh Avenue. Still nothing. She had lost the signal near Greeley Square yesterday afternoon and hadn’t been able to pick it up since. But Tala was a patient hunter. She knew Kelsey Yates had to turn her cell phone back on at some point. And then I’ll catch her.

  “You and your geeky toys,” Zoe said. “Didn’t Mama Fox teach you to use your nose for tracking?”

  Tala kept one eye on the screen and the other on the street, not even glancing at the panther-shifter the council had sent to assist her on this mission. “Mama Wolf taught me to use whatever means available to get my prey.”

  They made their way past taxis, cars, and vans caught in a traffic jam.

  “Mama Wolf?” Zoe echoed. “But you’re a fox-shifter, aren’t you?”

  Great Hunter, I didn’t know panthers are so chatty. Tala didn’t answer. She preferred to listen to any unusual sounds in the neighborhood. The honking of cars drowned out almost any other noise, though.

  “Would you look at that?” Zoe mumbled, pointing at the shop window to their right. “Is that mink?”

  Oh, why did they have to send me a wide-eyed cub fresh from the academy? Sighing, Tala took a look.

  Half a dozen fur coats and jackets hung in the display window of a store, some of them dyed in outrageous colors.

  “No,” Tala said. “That’s a fox coat.”

  Zoe stared at her. “How can you be so calm about it?”

  Tala grabbed a fistful of the cub’s shirt and dragged her to a stop, even though she had to reach up to do so. “Listen. I don’t like what humans do to our little brothers and sisters any more than you do. But it’s not Greenpeace sending us here. So focus on the mission, or I’ll replace you faster than you can say—”

  A beeping sound from her tracking device interrupted her.

  Tala let go of Zoe and glanced at the screen. “Kelsey Yates just turned on her cell phone.” The red icon blinked somewhere between Eighth and Ninth Avenue, around Twenty-Eighth Street. “That’s not far from here.” Tala started running and crossed the street in agile bounds. “Come on, cub. The hunt is on!”

  Chapter 52

  Kelsey paused in the light at the bottom of the stairwell and stared into the darkness ahead.

  Overhead, metal creaked. Steam pipes hissed, and somewhere, water dripped into a puddle.

  For a moment, she was transported back in space and time. The car roof groaned above her as it threatened to cave beneath the river’s force. Sabrina’s shout made her ears ring.

  “Kelsey!”

  A cool touch to her overheated cheek brought Kelsey back to the present. Rue. She filled her nostrils with the soothing scent of home—pine trees and ocean air—trying to focus on Rue and block out the stink of the subway tunnel. Her heart raced, and she sucked in as much of the musty air as she could.

  “Come on,” Rue said. “Hold on to my hand—just so we don’t lose each other in the darkness.”

  Despite her growing fear, a small smile tugged on Kelsey’s lips. Trying to spare my pride, huh? Not that Kelsey needed an excuse. No one was there to judge her, so she latched onto Rue’s hand.

  The flashlight on Rue’s keychain threw a narrow beam
into the dark tunnel, dancing over the gravel to their right, then to the left. “We need your nose now,” Rue said. “Which way do we go? Can you smell anything?”

  “Oh, yeah.” The tunnel was filled with odors—all of them unpleasant. The mix of urine, feces, and rotting garbage numbed her nose. From the left, the stink of a decaying animal drifted on the stale air. She focused on blocking out those smells and flared her nostrils to take in the finer nuances.

  Hints of peanut, fever, and fear tickled her nose.

  Danny was here! “Left,” she said.

  Her hand still in Kelsey’s, Rue stepped into the tunnel. “Careful,” she said. “Don’t step on the third rail, or you’ll be fried alive.” Her flashlight slid over the gravel, showing rats scurrying between the tracks.

  But electrocution or vermin were the least of Kelsey’s worries. It was being underground, beneath tons of concrete, that set her nerves on edge. Don’t think about it. Just don’t think about it.

  A sudden pull on her hand interrupted her thoughts.

  Rue had stumbled and nearly fell before she found her balance. “Shit. Sorry.”

  The scent of Rue’s nervousness made an agitated whine rise up Kelsey’s chest. She rubbed the back of Rue’s hand with her thumb. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Barely illuminated by the flashlight, Rue wrinkled her nose. “Just slipped on a dead rat.”

  “Yeah,” Kelsey mumbled. “Being down here gives new meaning to the saying ‘I smell a rat.’” The sickeningly sweet stench of the decaying rat made it hard to detect the subtle scent of peanuts.

  They ventured farther into the tunnel. With every step Kelsey took, the walls seemed to close in more and more. She tightened her fingers around Rue’s. Focus on Rue. She’ll keep you safe. Thick black dust filled her nose, and she gasped for breath through her mouth. She tried to penetrate the near darkness in search of the alcoves that had been cut into the tunnel walls every twenty feet.

  The sound of dripping water made images of being stuck in the sinking car trickle through her. No. You’re not in the car. You’re with Rue. Rue’s firm grip on her hand tethered her to the present.

  Then another sound that seemed to come right out of her nightmares echoed through the tunnel. Metal screeched behind them, catapulting Kelsey back into the car as it plunged over the bridge and into the torrent below.

  Panicked, Kelsey veered away from the sound and lost contact with Rue’s hand.

  Out, out, out! I need to get out!

  She drummed her fists against the car’s window, but it didn’t break. Pain flared through her knuckles. Fire raced along her skin, and the ache of an impending shift stabbed through her joints.

  “Kelsey! Kelsey, stay with me! We need to run!” Someone grabbed her arm, pulled her around, and shook her. “Look at me! Goddammit, Kelsey! Look at me!”

  The authority in Rue’s voice made Kelsey open her tightly closed eyes. She blinked as she realized she wasn’t in the car. The safe scent of home drowned out the stench of her own panic. The blurry edges along her vision receded. Rue!

  Rue grabbed her arm and pulled. “Run, Kelsey! A train! Run!”

  Metal shrieked over metal again.

  Kelsey’s head jerked around.

  The headlights of a train rushed toward them.

  “Run!” Rue shouted over the train’s whistle.

  With Rue’s steadying grip on her arm, Kelsey raced through the tunnel. Gravel scattered beneath their feet.

  The ground began to shake, but Kelsey refused to look back. Her gaze penetrated the shadows ahead, searching for one of the alcoves, but the tunnel walls stretched on and on.

  Brakes shrieked behind them.

  “There!” Kelsey shouted.

  A narrow alcove to their left.

  Rue jumped, pulling Kelsey with her.

  Kelsey flattened herself against the wall while Rue pressed against her back in the narrow space. Rue shouted something, but the noise of the train drowned out her voice.

  The train roared by less than a foot away. A rush of air blew Kelsey against the vibrating tunnel wall.

  Kelsey clawed at the damp stone, trying to get away. The haze of panic made her vision blur. Faded images of shattering glass and roaring water swirled in front of her eyes. She wasn’t getting enough air.

  Heat flooded her body. A ripple of fur spread over her arms. Her skin stretched. Kelsey screamed as her muscles convulsed.

  Then strong arms wrapped around her from behind, sheltering her. “It’s okay, Kelsey. The train is gone. You’re safe with me. Don’t shift.” The familiar voice came as if from far away, but the arms pulled her around and against a slender body. “Don’t shift! Do you hear me?”

  The authority in that voice pulled Kelsey back from the brink. Fighting against the urge to shift, Kelsey buried her nose against Rue’s sweaty skin and deeply breathed in the soothing scents. Finally, her convulsing muscles relaxed. She sighed and pressed closer. “Rue.”

  “Hey,” Rue murmured. She trailed her fingers through Kelsey’s hair. “You okay?”

  Kelsey opened her eyes and discovered that she was pressed against Rue in the cramped space of the alcove, clutching her as if she were a life preserver keeping her afloat. “Uh, sorry.” She hesitantly let go. Her knees shook, and her ears were ringing.

  “It’s okay.” Rue brushed black dust from her pants. “God, that was close.”

  “Thanks for not leaving me behind,” Kelsey said. If Rue hadn’t gotten through to her in the middle of her panic-induced shape-shifting and made her run...

  Rue caught her gaze in the orange glow of a lightbulb. “Nonsense. You don’t have to thank me for that. I’d never leave you behind. Come on. We need to hurry. I’m sure the engineer saw us and will send someone back to check.”

  They walked deeper into the tunnel, past a bricked-up archway.

  Kelsey longed to take Rue’s hand again, but she didn’t want to appear too needy.

  When Rue reached out and wrapped her fingers around Kelsey’s, a soft breath escaped Kelsey. She squeezed Rue’s hand and smiled at the return squeeze she received.

  “Are we still following Danny’s scent trail?” Rue asked.

  Kelsey rubbed her nose, willing the stench of her own fear to dissipate. She lifted her head and inhaled.

  Nothing.

  The tunnel in front of them held no hint of the peanut scent.

  Something scratched over the gravel behind them. At first, Kelsey thought it was the tiny feet of rats scrambling across the tracks, but her sensitive hearing told her otherwise. Whatever was behind them was much too big for a rat.

  Chapter 53

  Kelsey tugged on Rue’s hand and whispered, “There’s something behind us.”

  They whirled around.

  “Shit,” Rue whispered. “The batteries in the flashlight ran out.”

  Kelsey inhaled sharply, but with the biting scent of her own fear and the thick cloud of dust the train had raised, catching a whiff of whatever was behind them wasn’t easy.

  Something moved in the shadows. A dark figure crawled through a hole in the bricked-up archway.

  A wolf? Had Danny already shifted?

  Then the figure straightened and stood on two legs. Kelsey shook her head. A human. The person stared in their direction, eyes eerily glowing.

  Kelsey’s nostrils quivered. Was that a hint of peanut? Danny?

  The figure gave an excited yip and raced toward them.

  Rue pulled her hand from Kelsey’s and curled it into a fist.

  “No, Rue! Danny! It’s Danny!”

  Yodeling like an exuberant puppy, Danny threw himself at Rue. He pushed his nose against Rue’s neck, exactly as Kelsey had done just minutes ago. The biting odor of his fear slowly lessened.

  “Danny! Oh God, Danny!” Rue’s fingers flew over Danny as if to make sure he was still in one piece. Even in the dim light, Kelsey could see the tears glisten in her eyes. “Danny, are you okay?” Rue signed.

&nb
sp; He sniffed Rue’s shoulder but didn’t answer.

  “He’s past communicating the human way,” Kelsey said. Danny reeked of sweat and grime, and beneath that, Kelsey’s nose detected the scent of fever and agitation. His black hair was plastered to his flushed face. Shivers ran through his lanky body. Every now and then, his muscles convulsed and he groaned against Rue’s neck.

  “Rue!” Kelsey tugged on Rue’s sleeve, making Danny lift his head and bare his teeth at her. A growl rumbled up his chest.

  Kelsey took a step back. Her heart clutched. What did you expect? He’s thinking like a wolf. For him, there’s just pack, prey, or enemy, with little in between. She might be Danny’s aunt, but she was still almost a stranger to him. Even her smell being all over Rue didn’t help much. She needed time to get him to accept her as a pack mate—time they didn’t have. “We need to get him to a safe place. His First Change is close.” She sucked in a breath. “Very close.”

  Rue tightened her arms around Danny. “Let’s get him to the hotel.”

  “No time for that.” Kelsey had seen fellow Wrasa right before their First Change, and Danny looked exactly like that. Every muscle in her body cramped.

  “How long do we have?” Rue asked.

  “From the look of him, just a couple of minutes.”

  Rue pulled Danny over to the old archway, where Danny had appeared. Several bricks had been removed at the bottom. Rue knelt and peeked through the hole in the tunnel wall. “There’s some kind of room in there. Let’s take him inside.”

  Before Kelsey could protest, Rue disappeared through the hole, and Danny followed with an anxious whine.

  Kelsey nearly howled as she lost sight of them. She sank onto her knees and stared at the two-by-two-foot hole. The much larger tunnel already set her teeth on edge, and the thought of crawling into an even more confined space pressed the air from her lungs. What if I get stuck? Oh, Great Hunter, what do I do?

  The fear of something happening to Danny or Rue was greater than the fear of getting trapped in a tiny room underground. They needed her. She dropped onto her belly and stuck her head through the hole.