Under the Midnight Cloak

by S. Y. Thompson

  Jamison looked around, but the trail continued straight ahead. Her pupils elongated, allowing her feline vision to make out the underground entrance just back off the path. Nostrils flared as she took in the air around them, but all that came to her was musky humus and the tang of the leaves.

  "They're inside?" The words came out roughly, like gravel against a stone. Just the small shift with her eyes had been enough for her beast to edge nearer to freedom. She wouldn't be able to contain it much longer; any provocation would send her into change, permitting the glorious transformation that would destroy those who dared threaten her and her counterpart.

  For an answer, Dalton shoved the barrel of the gun between her shoulder blades. She stumbled forward a step and snarled as inky black pelt shimmered over her hands and down the center of her abs. The muscles in her arms, back and shoulders expanded until the material strained, but still she fought against her cat, not wanting Lee to see her in that regressed state. She wanted to look into the eyes of the woman she loved so that Lee would know her before justice was dispensed to the animals that so richly deserved it.

  Jamison saw the monster leaping toward the exit of the caverns at the last moment and he didn't look very pleased. Great puffs of hot air burst from his nostrils in the cool night air and the ground trembled slightly from his thunderous approach. She dodged to the side, flinging her body amid the wet vegetation as Bruce plowed into Dalton and took him off his feet. She got her first full look at the monstrosity that had once been a lion shifter. Nothing remained to indicate he'd ever stood upright.

  "Have you lost your mind? What the hell are you doing?" Dalton demanded.

  "Where you take?"

  "Take what? I haven't even been here."

  "Kadin gone."

  "You let her get away? You fucking moron! I went after that damned book of yours and you let her escape. Brilliant."

  "You have book? Book have spell. Give."

  Jamison didn't know what book he meant and couldn't have cared less. She heard Bruce's silent speech and let out a sigh of relief that Lee had eluded them, but now what? She didn't have a hope in Hades of taking on these two by herself. Lions carried twice the strength of a jaguar and Dalton wouldn't exactly be on her side. Her beast insisted she change and confront them, but the logical side urged her to slip away and find reinforcements. Dalton decided the issue for her.

  "I don't have the damn thing. I found Kessler creeping around the woods and brought her here for you--a midnight snack. Look at her, doesn't she look good?"

  The twisted features swiveled toward her for only a second, but Bruce had no interest in her. His jaws parted and he issued a roar that shook the very air.

  "Told you get book!"

  Oops, looks like you messed up, Dalton old buddy, Jamison thought with a touch of satisfaction.

  She had no warning when Bruce buried his tusks into the meaty flesh between Dalton's neck and shoulders. He gave one quick twist and the sound of crunching bones and a bitten-off scream made her flinch. Jamison sensed his hunger as Bruce gulped down mouthfuls of a fresh kill. She didn't feel sorry for Dalton and Bruce's actions were justifiable for a jungle cat. He had taken down the prey and now he would feed. But she felt cheated that Dalton's death had been so easy and that he hadn't had the chance to resist. Without a fair fight there was no victory.

  Unfortunately, it also meant she didn't have a choice what her next move would be.

  Dalton would have been easier to track than this creature, but he was gone. She couldn't sneak away and hope to bring the hunting parties down on the pair. They might never find Bruce again and this had to end. Outmatched or not, she had to take the creature out here and now.

  Jamison moved slowly, climbing to her hands and knees to facilitate her own transformation. It was possible to change while lying on her back, but the position would make things more difficult for a feline body. The freakish thing lifted its head and the dripping muzzle turned in her direction, ready for her.

  LEE AND DARLENE froze as a ghastly roar reverberated through the woods. Fear skittered up Lee's spine and she tore off heedless of the thistles that grabbed for her jeans, latching hold and trying to keep her from crashing headlong through the trees. A branch reached out and snagged her shirtsleeve, but she didn't notice when it ripped away, fluttering in the night breeze.

  Darlene was Jamison's mother and Lee might have expected her to lag behind. Instead the woman easily paced her, arms pumping. In her hand she still carried a cell phone. She had used it to call in the reinforcements twenty minutes ago, but had neglected to put it back in the case at her side. Rather than do so now, Lee watched out of the periphery of her vision as Darlene flung it away into the darkness.

  Lee couldn't really see how the loss of a few ounces would speed their response time any, but if Darlene wanted to incur the cost of replacing her phone that was entirely her decision. She was more concerned with leading the elder and, by extension, the hunting teams to where Bruce could be apprehended. Hope encouraged her to believe that Jamison was out in the woods by herself innocently searching, but reality dictated that she would have contacted someone by now if she hadn't been apprehended by the forces of evil.

  Instinct told Lee they should be reaching the trail by now and seconds later it came into sight. She took a running leap to clear a large boulder jutting up through the forest floor in her bid to reach faster ground but miscalculated in the dark. The hem on one leg of her jeans snagged as she soared over the huge rock and she went crashing face first into the muddy oak leaves and pine needles.

  Way to impress your girlfriend's mother.

  Spitting out a mouthful of dirt, Lee pushed herself upright and pounded down the well-known path as fast as she could go, ignoring the sting of multiple cuts and bruises. She caught up with Darlene at the next bend, the desire to chastise the woman for coming to an abrupt halt stifled by what she saw in front of them.

  The sound of a snuffling grunt emanated from a shadowed hulk farther along the wooded game trail. Wisps of fog swirled through the air, preventing her from seeing exactly what was ahead of her and somewhere droplets of water trickled, residue from the recent shower. The temperature had dropped considerably while they were searching for Jamison and the conditions combined with the bellowing challenge only served to heighten her dread.

  Weak light issued from the inside of a cave, telling her that they had arrived and served to outline the creature before her. The beast's fur had been darkened by rain and she could detect the foul, musky odor of gore and decay. The head appeared to be round with a full mane ringing his neck and shoulders and the sight of it filled her with fear.

  Then she saw Jamison and a sense of déjà vu hit her so strongly that she almost doubled forward. She had seen this same sequence before, but watching it in real life or in her dreams wouldn't change the outcome.

  Jamison wore jeans and a ragged white button-down shirt that was splattered with blood. She squatted near the entrance to the hollow and appeared to be sifting through a pile of torn, bloodstained clothing, searching for something Lee couldn't fathom. She tried to cry out, to warn her, but the sound caught in the back of her throat. Then she realized that the mangled pile Jamison hurriedly searched was what was left of Aaron Dalton.

  What the hell is she doing?

  Finally, she found her voice and screamed out, urging Jamison to run. The killer was closing in, its mouth gaping in a parody of a maniacal grin, teeth razor sharp and forked tongue lolling to the side like some kind of crazed serpent. It rushed forward, muscles straining to close the gap before its prey could disappear.

  Not considering the consequences, Lee hurried to get there before the creature could attack, to somehow save Jamison from this hellish freak of nature. Her lungs burned, breath burst from her chest as she strained against her own physical limitations.

  Then she was different, more than she was before. Lee heard her bones shift wetly, felt the elongation of her spine and the rending of
cloth. She expected pain, but felt only the driving need to defend what was hers. Claws tore into the ground as she propelled herself along on four amazingly strong legs. Her clothing fell away, ripped into shreds from the force of conversion.

  The forest burst upon her like a new reality, the tastes and smells and sounds more intense than anything she could ever remember. Lee felt the heartbeat of the raccoon hovering in the trees overhead. She tasted the muskiness of the deer that had traveled the path scant hours before and experienced a freedom of which she had never conceived. The sensations would have been exhilarating if she weren't so intent on death.

  She leaped for the creature, trying to get to it before it could harm Jamison. A tremendous roar of challenge burst from her throat as her powerful haunches gathered, preparing for the fatal leap onto the monster's back. He turned at the last moment and swiped at her with a heavy paw. Razor-like claws came away stained red and Lee screamed with the pain, the sound twisted in vocal chords that were no longer human.

  Four parallel grooves had been carved into her shoulder, but the beast had missed anything vital. Jamison started to shift, to come to her aid, but the monster moved faster. He lashed out again and her body careened through the air, impacting solidly with a one hundred year old pine. Jamison hit the ground, her head falling to the side, and the sight of her blood filled Lee with a maniacal kind of wrath. Reason left her and primal savagery was pushed to the fore.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  DAZED, HER VISION blurring, Jamison watched the white jaguar as it pounced toward the monster. For a second she wondered if she imagined the beautiful creature, like a human fancying a guardian angel had miraculously shown up to defend her. Pure alabaster was broken up by uniformed black rosettes and she knew without question it was Lee. She would recognize her anywhere and in any form.

  Jamison saw Lee engage with the beast and even with the ringing in her ears heard the howl of pain and outrage. Crimson stained the pearly jaguar's pristine coat, wounds tearing deep into Lee's flesh and Jamison's heart. She shook her head to clear the mist and struggled to get up. Why the hell had she tried for Dalton's gun anyway?

  Because I'm not strong enough to take this freak on by myself.

  But she wasn't on her own anymore and Lee had actually transformed to save her. Just the idea that Lee was a shifter thrilled her beyond words, but she didn't have time to think about that right now. Jamison would focus on that miracle later.

  Before the creature could strike again a small missile from high overhead hit him on the snout. A cat's nose was an extremely sensitive part of the anatomy and Bruce snarled in annoyance as more objects hurtled from the treetops. The miniature assault gave Jamison the time she needed to shake off her disorientation.

  With a superhuman effort of will she launched herself from the saturated loam, morphing in mid-flight. She struck from one side while Lee attacked simultaneously from the other. Jamison heard the sounds of others converging on their location; human shouts and jaguar coughs and snarls. The hunters had arrived but this fight belonged to her and Lee. A blur of midnight and snow danced in the dark forest, rushing forward and hastening back. Time and again they tore at Bruce, leaving damage in their wake, but they didn't come away unscathed. Searing pain lashed through Jamison when he ripped through her poorly healed gash. They were taking too many injuries and if they didn't end this soon, Bruce might win.

  Jamison backed up a pace to take a deep breath, grateful to see Lee do the same. It would give the predator time to regroup, but they needed to take a breath and Jamison needed to communicate, to try to implement a plan even if it was hastily thrown together.

  Lee, together. Go high. I'll go low.

  The ivory feline grunted back, as much confirmation as Jamison could reasonably expect. Then they struck, such a blur of movement that Bruce didn't have time to react. Lee's fierce jaws clamped onto his neck, crushing down with the full two thousand pounds of force unique to the jaguar.

  Jamison had rolled underneath the mammoth beast. The position rendered her vulnerable to attack, but left Bruce open to her own assault. He choked as Lee bore down on muscles and major arteries, seeming oblivious as Jamison raised her back legs and tore into the soft underbelly with both hind legs. Claws dug deep as she ripped through hide that should have been tender, but was armored like an armadillo. It gave way reluctantly and Bruce surrendered with a whimper because Lee's grip prevented sound from escaping. At the last minute Jamison sprang away from his falling weight.

  Silence reigned in the forest and then Lee shook Bruce one final time before moving away. She took a deep breath and surprised Jamison yet again by issuing an earsplitting victory roar. Then she shook her head and glared around at the others standing nearby. They were strangers to her and she was still in full battle mode. Both were covered in bloody wounds and their flanks heaved with the effort to catch their breath, but Jamison was coherent enough to feel Lee's need.

  A few of the Panthera carried industrial strength flashlights, lighting up the area all around. She shifted quickly back to her human form and approached Lee on her hands and knees. Lee's titanic head swiveled in her direction and a low growl emerged, but it was in acknowledgment and not reticence.

  Darlene cut into the silence; her worry for her child outweighed the tense situation. "Jami, honey, are you all right?"

  "Fine, Mom. Just give me a second." Jamison's voice was weak from exhaustion and all she wanted was to lie down and sleep, or eat a huge meal and then lie down and sleep. But she had been a Panthera all her life and was accustomed to the change and the toll it took on her body. Already, Lee's head nodded on her mighty neck. She craved rest, but the blood lust was still full upon her. There would be few she would allow near her.

  "It's over, Lee. We're safe and we did it. He's gone."

  Jamison reached out carefully, hesitating a few inches away before eclipsing the remaining distance. Her fingers sank into soft thick fur and she moved until their eyes met. Pale blue reflected back at her, holding Lee's intelligence and compassionate nature in their depths. They also carried confusion and wariness. She turned to gaze at the hunting teams surrounding them and took a step back, ready to bolt.

  "Shh, it's okay. They're my friends, my family, and we're injured. Let them help us, Lee."

  She had the jaguar's regard and continued talking softly, reassuring Lee that they were safe and among others of their kind.

  Eventually, Lee's body began to relax and the suspicion in the eggshell blue eyes faded. Jamison sat on the ground, heedless of her nudity that was so common among the feline-based culture or the twigs that dug into sensitive skin. Gradually, she encouraged the gore splattered cat to lie down and rest her head across Jamison's thighs.

  "You have to shift back, my love." Her eyes were getting heavy and her stomach growled in protest. "The public can't see them taking a jaguar out of the forest and the hospital would have a hard time treating you. You'd probably cause a panic."

  She noticed that some of the hunters in skin form carried backpacks. They would be loaded with supplies in case of emergencies and Jamison could think of a good use for them, but she needed someone Lee wouldn't be threatened by.

  "Dinah, can you bring a blanket? She won't be comfortable being naked around all these people."

  The rustling of gear carried to her sensitive ears and then her sister approached from the side. Dinah was careful to stay completely in Lee's field of vision and not move too quickly.

  "Hey, Lee. Welcome to the family." She gently laid a utilitarian green horse blanket over Lee and then backed away.

  Jamison wasn't thrilled to hear Dinah's familiarity, worried it would cause a negative reaction, but she needn't have worried. Lee breathed easier, her battered body sinking into the ground as it rippled and shimmered. Scant seconds later Jamison looked down on her familiar human features.

  Lee wearily opened her eyes and looked up.

  "Hi. You are one beautiful cat, you know that? A snow jag
uar, who would have thought?" She stroked pale blonde hair back from the cool forehead.

  Lee swallowed with some difficulty. "Is that really so rare?"

  Jamison chuckled, relieved she could be curious about such mundane things considering her injuries. It was a good sign. "More than you know."

  "You okay?"

  "Fine. You saved my life."

  Darlene ruined the tenderness of the moment by stepping forward and taking command. "Dinah and Travis please take a few others and get our girls to the hospital."

  She knelt down and touched Jamison's face very gently. "I'm so sorry I didn't believe you. I feel like this is all my fault."

  Jamison shook her head. She was angry that her mom hadn't listened to her, but now wasn't the time. "You didn't do this. Dalton and that monster did."

  "Thank you. I'm glad you're all right." Darlene kissed her forehead and then looked into her eyes.

  "Thanks to Lee."

  The Caber winced and then smiled self-deprecatingly, allowing the slight insult. She rested her hand over Jamison's where it rested on Lee's shoulder. She appeared to be asleep. "She is special." Then she looked overhead where the raccoon still hung in the trees. "And so is her icon."

  Jamison smiled up at the brave little animal. "You can come down now, Benny."

  "Benny?"

  "Yeah. Lee named him."

  But Benny stayed in the trees. Apparently traipsing around with the Kadin and her mate was fine, but so many jungle cats milling around in such close quarters was more than his sensitive nerves could bear. Jamison thought he showed a tremendous amount of intelligence.

  Travis bent down and easily lifted Lee from Jamison's arms, blanket and all. He treated her with reverence, like she was a precious object that would shatter at the slightest jolt. Jamison lost sight of the pair when someone dropped a blanket around her shoulders. She groaned as she stood, swaying precariously. Old Hal Walker caught her off guard by sweeping her off her feet.