by Mel Todd
“That was twenty. From the amount of blood on the floor I might have over done it. I would advise you to not die, Officer. The children might not survive long if you do.”
Blackness wavered in and out, and it took the door clanging shut for her to realize they were gone.
Her mind blanked, pain the only thing she could feel. A high-pitched whine made her glance down, and Charley sat at her feet, ignoring the blood dripping on him.
“Char,” he barked, and she looked at him, wondering if she had died. “Char,” again. And a growl of frustration as he put his feet on the counter and licked her face. As his tongue trailed across it, she realized she’d been crying. “Chag,” this time, and her brain pulled out what he tried to tell her.
“Oh yeah.” She reached for the cat, but it came slowly, sluggish with pain, but as it flowed forward her back burned with a new fire, and she collapsed, hitting the ground as a cat. McKenna lay there panting, pain ebbing and spiking, but compared to the pain of moments before she could think.
Her eyes opened to see all of them surrounding her, Jalmer in his honey badger form sniffling at her, licking and whining. The cats piled around her, surrounding her body, and their heat helped give her something to focus on as she tried to breathe through the pain.
I need to shift back again, to help heal.
The idea seemed too hard to even attempt, and she just lay there trying to muster the energy, the courage to shift again. It took a few minutes, but eventually she reached for herself, and her body shifted and turned, again hot golden heat tracing her back and stomach where the whip had cut, but by the time she lay there fully human, it didn’t hurt. A low ache, but nothing more than that.
“Okay guys, let me get up and go check myself out in the bathroom. Then I’m going to need food.” She focused on the animals surrounding her and covered in her blood from it dripping on them and the puddles on the floor. “And apparently give you a bath.”
Jalmer whined and shook, and she pulled him to her, ignoring the blood, and her own nudity. “Jalmer, it is okay. You didn’t know, and given how fast he was here, plus with a whip of all things, I’d say he expected this to happen. It’s not your fault. We just have to follow the rules for a while.” She wanted to reassure them it would be okay, but right now she couldn’t believe it, and she really didn’t want to lie to them.
He rubbed against her, the bristly softness of his fur reminding her of her nude state. With shaking legs she stood and made it to the bathroom, shutting the door on the whines. She lifted her head and using the mirror inspected the damage. Lines of scars crossed her back, a few traces of red lines curling around her belly and the sides of her breasts. The blood coating her body made her look like an extra in a horror movie. Moving cautiously, she started the shower and stepped in, the heated water helping with the tension in her body. With a broken sound she leaned into the water and let the tears come, crying for her failure.
Be strong, you can’t let the kids dwell on this. You’re alive, they aren’t hurt. Suck it up, Kenna.
Scrubbing at her face with her hands, she focused on getting the blood off her body, then stepped out. Wrapping a towel around her, she’d left her clothes in the main room, she opened the door to a pile of focused animals, who all seemed to sigh when she opened the door. Charley moving over to rub against her.
“I’ll be okay. But I need food. And then, how about a story?” Her voice didn’t shake, too much.
There was a chorus of sound she took as approval. Moving to the kitchen she started to talk. “Some of you know my partner, JD. He’s a big lug, turns in a huge bear. But he has to be the unluckiest man alive when it comes to cooking.” She continued to talk, telling light hearted stories about JD, letting the memories wash around her, and give her something to hold close to her chest.
Where are you guys?
Chapter 34 - Compartmentalize
The emergence of shifter is still slowly becoming mainstream. New dating sites are popping up; so far the most popular seem to be furmatched.com and furlove.com both of which allow you to set not only age, gender, but species you want to be matched with. There are a few dance clubs popping up that are very shifter friendly and clothing optional, but make sure you bring your id. Twenty-one and over only, and it is very strictly enforced. Blogs dedicated to the shifter life styles are everywhere. The StarPack blog, is by far the most common, but it is very wolf centric and actively encourages pack formation. The other blog that seems to be the pulse of the shifter is MyInnerBeast. It is much more matter of fact with all of this going on, and mostly focuses on dealing with “the dichotomy of animal and man.” ~ TNN commentator
Days blended together, and McKenna had to believe they were keeping to 24 hour days, but that was just an assumption. Wake up calls signaled mornings and breakfast, and the lights being shut off signaled sleep. She was all too aware of how easy it would be to screw with their time sense, but she didn’t have any way to combat the manipulation. They moved through the exercises and could seek and stay on command. On what for her was the seventh day, there was a knock and creak at the door.
McKenna had just put the last of the dishes in the sink to soak when the sound filtered through the room. She froze and turned to look at the door.
Her attention didn't waver from the door as it swung open and the two same men as last time stood there, guns at the ready. She locked onto the one with the .45 Glock in one hand, the other holding the door open.
"Come out here. We need to talk to you." The one with the TEC-9 said, his voice cold.
"Kids, go to the sleep area. Curl up and stay there, don't move." They moved at her words, eyes and ears following her even as they were curling up.
She moved to the door, her eyes now locked on the guns that never wavered from her as she moved towards them.
"What part of come out here didn’t you understand. Move it." The man waving a TEC-9 at her ordered, his voice flat as his hair cut.
McKenna moved forward, her body taunt and ready for anything they might pull on her.
"Shut the door," TEC-9 ordered, a leer in his voice.
McKenna swallowed, bracing herself. Silence reigned in the small area as the man with the nine mil pulled the door shut. In her mind she called him Glock, but he didn't seem as dangerous as TEC-9 did. Something about TEC-9 had all her hackles raised, even metaphorically. Though the idea of being in animal form around him made her feel much safer.
The door clanged shut with a level of finality that vibrated her bones. The silence that fell, the lack of noises suddenly felt strange, almost empty without hearing the children snuffling in the background. Until the door closed she hadn't realized the constant presence of them created so much noise. She turned taking in the space. A landing like area with stairs leading up away from them. She could see the light at the top, but she figured they were still too deep for the tracker to work even out here. A few boxes sat in one corner, but she couldn’t tell anything else about them.
The men looked at her and she stood up straighter, sucking her stomach in, watching them, all too aware of Smiling Man still present and most likely watching them.
"So, how may I assist you gentlemen?" Her voice professional and measured.
TEC-9 smiled at her. "We have information for you, and an offer." His voice dripped malice and McKenna swallowed past the lump in her throat, just focusing on not reacting.
"What would that be?" She smiled, though her mind flashed up images of blood dripping off their bodies flashing through her mind. The image fascinated her, and she had to resist to focus on it and smile at the thoughts.
"We have a busy schedule and we’re stuck here watching you and the four-legged ones. Waste of time. I don't think you’re stupid enough to cause problems, because you know the kids would pay the price." TEC sneered at her. "But I started thinking about that. I saw your vid. You've got nice tits and an ass that needs to be smacked. I bet your cunt is just as tight as your control over your temper is."
>
McKenna lifted her eyes to him, staring hard, even as her stomach clenched in reaction to the look in his eyes. She caught the shifting stance of Nine who glanced at the floor and back at the door, and for a second she thought about turning to him for assistance. But that was squashed ruthlessly.
He won't do a damn thing. Just because he might not do anything, doesn't mean he'll help. Just stay the course, you can handle anything.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" she asked quietly keeping her eyes locked on TEC's.
"We'll have some more supplies for you tomorrow. But we’ve got some of what you need now, as well as a new training regime. The boss is happy with you. But as for me," he leaned close and leered. "I'm a bit bored, and all that pussy in there is starting to look attractive. I think I'm going to need something to keep myself from getting annoyed in the long hours of watching your ass on the screen."
In all her years of being a cop, she'd dealt with a harassment and sexist behavior. She'd learned to ignore it. This insinuation had no wiggle room, and she didn't bother to try to misunderstand. Instead McKenna turned it back on him.
"I don't have time for games. What do you want?" She never let her eyes drift from TEC's, to give him even the slightest hint he intimidated her or made her scared.
"Simple. I want to fuck that pussy of yours. Or if you aren't interested, I'm sure one of those little girls would love to know what a real cock feels like. Or are they fucking at night when we can't see everything as clearly. Are those little perverts getting it on under the cover of darkness?"
Information, their visibility is limited in the dark. It’s something.
McKenna tilted her head. “Your boss know about this?”
While she didn’t trust Smiling Man as far as she could throw him, figuring out where he stood on this might matter. Maybe.
TEC shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. He’s gone to deal with stuff and I doubt he’d care anyhow. Our other guy is up there keeping an eye on the kids. Hell maybe he’ll watch this and want some too.” TEC leaned closer, and she could smell stale cigarettes and beer on his breath.
Her mind filed the information away, still with no idea of if this would ever be useful at all.
Knowledge is the only power I have right now.
The thought filtered through as she braced herself, part of her hoping all of this was being recorded so when they finally got out of here there was evidence of everything. Evidence she planned to make sure would bury all of them. Having video of her being raped would not even rate on the worst of the things that could happen.
“Let me make sure I understand this perfectly.” Her stomach clenched, but it didn’t matter, letting the kids get hurt wasn’t a valid option. “If I let you rape me, you’ll leave the kids alone. If I refuse, you’ll attack them.”
TEC smiled, showing teeth stained by tobacco and meth usage. “If you agree, it’s not rape. And I’d much rather fuck something with boobs, but I’m not picky.” His breath washed over her and she had to fight not to gag. “So, you going to let me fuck your pussy, kitty cat?”
McKenna shrugged looking at him, but she noticed the other guy was paying very close attention to the stairs up. Part of her almost replied to let him know that wasn’t how the law read. If he had intercourse with her using the safety of the kids as leverage, the law considered it rape by coercion. But in the long run, the way she defined it didn’t change what would happen.
“Sure. Here?” Letting him inside, and the kids seeing this she would avoid at all costs.
His eyes lit up, and she swallowed trying to push down the nerves. She could deal with this, she could.
You’ve had sex before. Let him rape you and get it over with. The only thing that matters are the kids. Maybe you’ll get a chance to take them both out.
“Gary, switch weapons with me and then move over to the side. If you see her start to fight, or shift, put a bullet in her skull.” TEC said, his eyes never leaving hers.
“You sure about this?” Gary asked shifting his body weight back and forth.
“Pull off your pants and get down on your knees,” TEC ordered McKenna as he stepped away. The gun didn’t waiver as Gary followed TEC’s orders. They moved far enough away she could never reach them, and his eyes never left the two of them.
“Oh hell, yes. I’ve thought about this pussy since I saw her on the vid. Besides, I’ve heard cops make the best bitches.”
McKenna watched them out of the corner of her eyes as Gary took the TEC-9 and the other guy took the Glock, walking back over to her as she finished stepping out of her pants and underwear, setting them over to the side.
Making this hurt is stupid, you don’t know when you’ll press charges. Being in pain will let the kids know something is wrong, and they can’t know.
She looked around as her mind raced frantically trying to think of a way out of this, but Gary stood watching them, his face blank and the gun never moved.
TEC put the Glock to the back of her head. “I don’t care if you enjoy this or not, but struggling will get you killed, and then where will those poor animals be?” His voice dropped to a sadistic whisper as she felt him pressed against her. “But then, either way, I get to have my fun.” With that last comment he thrust into her.
It hurt, but compared to the first time she shifted, the bullet impacting her body, her mother’s body on the floor with blood pooling from the hole in the back of her skull, the rape didn’t compare in her private list of worst pain. McKenna just let him do what he wanted, the tearing of her fragile tissues distant discomforts as she focused on Gary. The man stayed alert and his weapon didn’t stray, but if he pulled the trigger the odds were he’d hit TEC as well as her. She’d risk it if she thought TEC would get killed, but she’d probably end up dead or so badly wounded she couldn’t fight either. Not an option. Leaving the kids at these monster’s mercy would never be an option.
At least his dick is as small as his IQ.
The black humor made her smile even as she gritted her teeth and suffered through his attentions. Rape must have really gotten him going, because he was done a few minutes, pulling out of her with a sound that turned her stomach.
“You want a turn? I’ve got her nice and lubed up for you,” TEC offered as he stepped back, the gun pulling away from her skull.
“Nah, I’m not into animals,” Gary’s voice was dismissive and casual.
Oddly the casual way he dismissed her as an animal got more under her skin than the rape did, but she only stood up and pulled her clothes back on.
“We done?” Her voice flat, she refused to let them see that anything they did could affect her.
“Yeah. Here, this was stuff you needed.” TEC walked over, to the boxes and pushed them towards the door. “Open the door step in and we’ll push them in there.”
She followed instructions, taking the time to note the way the door opened and locked, ignoring the burning between her legs, and the liquid that oozed out. As she pushed the door open McKenna made sure her face revealed nothing of what had occurred.
The kids were all waiting for her, and she could hear the sigh of relief as she walked back through the door. One of the jaguars made as if to come near her, but she shook her head and the cat froze in mid motion, then sank back down to the ground. Charley inhaled, then jerked upright, his ears laying back even as his lips pulled back from his teeth, a low growl she felt more than heard rattling from him. McKenna shook her head at them again, and none of the other moved, though Charley kept up the low growl. From their indifference McKenna figured the men didn’t hear him.
Swallowing and compartmentalizing everything she turned watching Gary push the three large boxes in even as TEC kept the gun on her, a leer clear on his face.
“Go get your trash,” he ordered, and she hesitated a minute as it would leave the kids as his primary targets. “It wasn’t a request, pussy cat.” He emphasized the pussy, his leer growing.
McKenna moved towards the kitchen,
grabbing the large bag of trash and walking it back to the entrance, ideas flashing through her mind as to how she could use this. But by the time she got there, both men had backed up and there was no way she could get near them.
“Set it down and then go back and close the door. There’s more instructions in there for you and the animals.”
Bowing to necessity at this point she pushed the door closed and heard it click. She turned around to six bodies almost close enough to touch and six sets of eyes staring at her, tails lashing and ears laid back in most of them.
“I’m fine. I’m just going to go take a shower and then we’ll see what is in the boxes, okay?” She pushed calm and cheer into her voice, but something cracked at the far edge of it, and Jessi started to shift to a human. Charley pushed against her whining and licking her hand.
“No, don’t. You know the consequences.”
The girl halted mid shift and her entire body shrank in on itself, then melted back into her cat form. The jaguar sat lashing her tail until a white wolf pushed her out of the way and stared at McKenna. It wasn’t a glare not quite. His body language implied something else, but McKenna didn’t have the energy to figure out it.
“I’m fine. I just need a shower, nothing more.”
She stalked into the bathroom and shut the door firmly. There weren’t any locks, but it didn’t matter. The only people she wanted to lock out, she couldn’t. With iron control that had got her through the years of foster homes, she stepped out her clothes and washed her only pair of underwear in the sink, scrubbing the blood and semen off of it with the soap there. She wrung it out to dry, then turned on the shower. Once hot, she stepped in, letting the water wash over her. With shaking hands she washed between her legs with the soap, enjoying the burn of pain of soap in the tears on her lips.
Once she couldn’t feel or smell him on her, she let the tears come. The water cascaded over her face, and they disappeared into the rush of water, invisible. She cried until she couldn’t anymore. Not letting a sob or scream past her lips, just the tears at what had been taken.