Shifter

by Jennifer Reynolds

  “You would be surprised by the many types of people who are lonely,” Devan says, giving me a look that I can’t believe. I can’t imagine that anyone who looks like him can be lonely. The look in his eyes, though, contradicts my assumption.

  “No, a woman that beautiful is only lonely because she either A) chooses to be or B) knows she is that beautiful and instead of treating it as the gift it is, she is a bitch to everyone she knows. Gorgeous people don’t know how good they have it. Wait, look whom I’m talking to. You have no idea what it’s like on my side of the fence.” Damn it, I’m doing it again. Why can’t I shut the hell up? Why is it that when he’s around, my mouth runs ninety to nothing? Why would I say such things, when I can see the truth in him? Why do I always feel the need to attack?

  “Look, I’m sorry,” I say, letting the guilt in my voice seep out. “I’ve been overly stressed about this and worrying about when she is going to show up next. I don’t normally ramble on like a self-pitting idiot.” I tuck my mail under my arm and take in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. However, I nearly choke on it when he smiles his perfect mind-melting smile.

  “It’s not a problem. And you don’t know how lovely you are,” he says, reaching up to tuck a bit of hair behind my ear. I step away as soon as the hair is in place, not giving him a chance to let his fingers linger anywhere.

  “Sorry,” I say at his hurt look. “I’m all sweaty. I just finished working out, and figured I should do a little housework before I bathed, then I remember I hadn’t checked my box in over a week, and…”

  His eyes look me up and down. The heated look in them makes my body flush an even darker red than it already is.

  “Are you still searching for your brother?” I ask, nodding toward the house, indicating that he should follow me.

  “I am. We’ve had a few other sightings of him in the area.”

  “Really. Where?”

  “One woman said she saw him in a car over on Davidson Ave, about two blocks from here.”

  “I know where that is,” I say curiously.

  “Another person said they saw him over by the animal shelter on Darby, walking down the street. They are kind of sketchy leads, but I have to check them out.”

  “Huh.” Opening the front door, I reluctantly motion for him to enter. Inviting him into my house might be a big mistake, but he seems harmless. I also don’t want our conversation to end, but I don’t want to stand out here under the prying eyes of my neighbors. Although, having him come inside might stir up more gossip.

  “What?” he asks, noticing the hesitation in my voice.

  “I don’t know. I think it is odd for a person whose picture is plastered on every utility and phone pole for miles to be wandering around in broad daylight like that. He has to know you are looking for him. It would piss me off to know that my sister knew I was looking for her yet she doesn’t bother to at least call and say she is fine. I mean, it sounds to me like he left willingly. Not to be insensitive, but your brother sounds like an ass.”

  “He can be,” he replies, smiling at my diatribe about a man I don’t even know. “I think something is going on. He wouldn’t up and leave, even though that is what it looks as if he has done. I think someone has done something to him.”

  “Like what?” I ask and motion for him to take a seat on my sofa while I roll my desk chair around to face him.

  “I don’t know, but if you are right and he is seeing the posters, than someone is keeping him from contacting us.”

  “You mean you think someone has kidnapped him?” I ask, thinking it is a possibility, though highly doubtful.

  “Yeah.”

  “Who would kidnap a grown man? Why would someone kidnap a grown man?”

  “People wanting money. My family isn’t poor,” he says, leaning forward.

  “I know,” I unthinkingly reply before taking a drink from a bottle of water that is sitting on my desk.

  “Excuse me,” he says, a look of accusation clouding his face.

  “Sorry. I sort of Googled you after you left the last time you were here. I wanted see what kind of people your family are, and to see if I could get a better picture of your brother. All I found is your father’s business website, of course. Your family has quite an empire.” Shame filled me at having to reveal that I had researched him and his family.

  He nods and visibly calms. “My father built it from the ground up. All of my brothers and I work there along with other family members.”

  “I saw.”

  He laughs and says, “I’m not lying when I say family is important to us. All of us. We try to be the best in our field so that everyone in the family has a place to work.”

  “You seem to be holding your own quite well.”

  “We do our best, but we have a lot of competition.”

  “But not in this area. And that’s what I don’t get. Why would someone around here kidnap him? Your business isn’t threatening any of our local businesses.”

  “That’s what I have been trying to figure out.” The defeat in his eyes and words make me feel for him, and I reach out to touch his hand. When I do, my Dimitri comes out of nowhere and jumps into my lap.

  “Jealous much?” I say to him and scratch his head. “Have you gotten many of the neighbors to talk?” I ask, turning my attention back to Devan.

  “Not really. Most won’t even come to the door. I know it’s because of me. I’ve been told I can be intimidating.”

  “It’s because you’re big. I’m not saying you’re fat. That would be like the pot calling the kettle black. I just mean you’re extremely tall and well built. That intimidates most people. Wait here. Let me clean up a bit, and I will walk with you around the neighborhood. See if we can get a few people to talk to you.”

  “You don’t have to,” he says, but I can see gratitude bursting from his eyes.

  “I know I don’t have to. I want to. If it were my sister out there somewhere, I would want as many people as possible helping me.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem. Just wait here in the living room. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

  -----

  We spent nearly two hours canvassing my street and those surrounding it. Because of the time of day, many people weren’t home. On the doors that no one answered, we left flyers stuck in the creases of the door and the frame. Those that were home were still reluctant to talk to us, but they opened their doors, smiled politely, and shook their heads, no, they hadn’t seen his brother or anyone matching his description around the neighborhood.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t very much help,” I say as we walk back up my driveway.

  “It’s all right. You actually got more people to answer than I spoke with last time I came through.”

  “Good. I can’t believe that with three different sightings of him no one we spoke to has seen him.”

  “They’ve probably seen him; they just don’t remember seeing him.”

  “Oh, they would remember him. He has a face that no one, especially a woman, can forget.” As I say this, I see a look of jealousy flash across his face. Knowing he didn’t need an ego-boost from someone like me I say, “All you Sullivan boys are big and handsome. There is no way on earth a straight woman or gay man would be able to walk by you and forget your face.”

  At my front door, it takes everything I have not to touch him, not to pull him into my house and screw him on every surface I own. I can’t do it, though. I’m not that type of person, and I don’t want to have to suffer through his rejection. I’m sure he would let me down easy, but I still can’t handle it.

  “Abby?” he asks timidly.

  “Yes?” I answer, cursing the need in my voice.

  “Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?” He asks the question with a straight face, but I don’t trust his words.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Dinner…tomorrow night. I don’t know what is good around here, but there’s bound to be some place ni
ce we can go.”

  “You don’t have to do this. I helped you out of the kindness of my heart. Not for…”

  “I’m not asking you because you helped me. I’m asking you because I want to spend more time with you. I want to have dinner with you.” He steps a little too close to me.

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean, why?”

  “I mean why would you want to be seen with me? Why do that to yourself?”

  “Being seen in public with a beautiful woman is every man’s dream.”

  “I know. So, again, I ask, why would you want to be seen with me?”

  I can see the irritation in his eyes, and I know I’ve pushed him away with my self-deprecation, but when he speaks, his words are calm and honest. This I’m thankful for because I know I’m being ridiculously annoying, but this type of thing doesn’t happen to me, and I don’t trust that he is being honest with me.

  “Because I think you’re beautiful,” he says, lightly touching my arm. “And I’ll have words with any man who says otherwise.” He says this with so much anger in his voice that it almost frightens me.

  Giving him a quizzical look that says I don’t buy what he is saying, I say, “Okay.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes, I will go out with you. There’s a nice Italian place on Main St. The place has a casual atmosphere and great food. We can go there,” I say and pull my keys from my pocket.

  “Wonderful. I love Italian.”

  He steps closer to me. For a second I think he is going to kiss me. I wonder if I’ll let him. I wonder if I’ll stop it there. But he doesn’t, and I sigh with relief and regret. Instead, he brushes his fingers across my cheek and sweeps back another strand of hair. “I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow night.”

  I can’t breathe. He is serious about this. “Tomorrow night,” I say and open the door.

  I watch as he heads back down the street to where he has parked his car.

  Chapter 10

  ~~~Dimitri~~~

  “Yeah, I heard it all,” I say as I look up into her glowing face with bit of jealousy. She is a good woman, and my brother deserves a good woman, but why does he get to have this woman.

  From the moment they walked out the door to the moment I heard them walking back up the steps, I have paced the living room floor waiting, wondering what could be taking them so long. My heart had warmed at the thought of her caring enough about me to help my brother search for me. In truth, I know that I’m not why she is helping him. She doesn’t know me from Adam. Devan is the one she is worried about. Devan is the one she is helping, and Devan is the one taking her out to dinner tomorrow night. If he thinks he is bringing her here for sex afterwards, he is sadly mistaken.

  Pouting, I follow her throughout the house as she finishes picking up and gets ready to shower. The smile she wears angers me. I will kill him if he does anything to hurt her.

  “Dimitri,” she yells. I jump at the sound of her voice. The annoyance in it sounds as if she has heard every word that has been running through my head. Without thinking, I follow the sound of her voice into the bathroom where I freeze. My eyes lock on the sight of her.

  She is peeking through the shower curtain. Her head, neck, part of a breast, and her left arm is showing. The rest of her is shadowed behind the white curtain. Water has soaked her hair and caused it to stick to her face. The water is also running down her exposed arm and partially bared breast. I can’t move. This is as close as I have ever come to seeing her naked. What part of her body I can’t see clearly through the curtain is still outlined in shadow and my imagination is recreating the image and letting me see her fully naked.

  “Why is one of your toys in my drain?” she asks, breaking me from the mental images swirling in my head. God, I need to get out of this body and into hers. If only my powers were working properly. I mentally curse, but my cat body doesn’t move.

  I can’t shift yet, I tried right after they left. If I could though, I’d shift into a man and take her while she is all confused by the sight of her cat changing into a human. I do attempt to slip into her head, but all I get from her are feelings of frustration, no actual words or thoughts. This new breakthrough with my powers gives me some hope. I’m finding that as the days pass it is easier getting into people’s heads and hearing their thoughts. Every once in a while, I can hear the things people are thinking at me without having to go in their heads for the information, but not often. Moreover, it isn’t as if that many people are thinking that much at me.

  Her sister has mentally warned me not to jump up on her. She isn’t a cat fan, but she doesn’t want to upset her children or Abby by saying anything aloud. I’m also able to catch bits and pieces of Abby’s emotions and the occasional hint of a word when she wants me to be more affectionate or wants me to play with Sebastian. I have no problems licking her face or nuzzling her hand, but I’m not about to play with another animal. I don’t play with my brothers when I’m in wolf form or any of the other forms I take, and I’m not about to play with a damned house cat.

  While lost in my thoughts I feel the wind of the toy as it flies by my head. “I don’t mind you playing in the tub, but please don’t leave your toys in here,” she says and pulls the curtain closed.

  “But I didn’t.” Why am I even bothering to argue? I glare at her as she goes back to washing herself. I try to turn away, but I can’t. The sight of her slowly running that soapy washcloth over her body has me mesmerized. I watch as she washes her breast, her stomach, her… Then she moans very, very softly, and I see and hear the cloth hit the porcelain tub. One hand stays between her legs while the other goes to her breast. I didn’t see this coming. How quickly did she forget I was here?

  Without meaning to, I take a few steps toward the tub. The white curtain is nearly see-through, and the further I walk into the room the more light shines through it, and I can almost see exactly what she is doing. My mind refuses to think about whom it is she is daydreaming about while she does this. I only register that she is doing it out in the open. I knew she did it. I can hear the muffled sounds of her pleasure through her bedroom door at night. However, she always did it in her bed. Never outside of her room. And never in my presence.

  She moans again. Louder this time, and I can see her body shuttering. She is about to… Then pain rips through me. My legs go out from underneath me, and my body begins to shutter. Through the pain I think, I’m about to shift. Shifting hasn’t hurt this bad since I first started doing it. Even when my body has forced itself to shift out of anger or fear, it didn’t hurt this bad.

  “Oh, my God,” I hear her scream, but I can’t look up at her. She rushes to me. My mind barely registering her nakedness. The pain coursing through me is beyond anything I have ever felt, but I’m not shifting. I feel like I’m shifting, but I’m not. My body stays in this beginning stage. My bones feel as if they are splintering, healing, then splintering again. My muscles are tearing, stretching, ripping, cramping. My insides keep shifting and re-shifting from animal to human. I’m in so much pain that I feel myself trying to lose consciousness. Just as everything is about to go dark, something else breaks, something else reforms, something else sends flames through one part of my body while ice runs through a different part. I can’t keep doing this. I will myself to pass out, to die even, but I can’t. The agony keeps forcing me awake.

  “Smith County Animal Hospital and Shelter, this is Jody, how may I help you?” the voice on the end of her cell phone says. I’ve been slipping in and out of consciousness for a minute or more, but it appears that once she realized there was nothing she could do for me, she threw a towel around herself and rushed to her bedroom to change clothes and find her cell.

  “Jody, this is Abby Sinclair.” Abby’s voice is loud and panicky.

  “Hi, Abby, what can I do for you?”

  “Is Dr. Smith still there?”

  “She is. What’s wrong?” the other woman asks, suddenly aware of the terror in Abby’s
words.

  “It’s Dimitri. He’s having a seizure or something. Can I bring him in?”

  “Yes. We’ll wait on you.”

  In less than five minutes, she has finished dressing and is loading me into the car. In another five, we are at the hospital. Dr. Smith and Jody are waiting at the door for me.

  “When did it start?” Dr. Smith asks as they rush us into the hospital area of the shelter.

  “Fifteen minutes ago maybe. I was in the shower, so maybe longer. When I pulled the curtains back to get out, he was lying in the middle of the floor looking like that,” she says, pointing down at my convulsing body.

  “Okay, have a seat in the waiting area, and we will have a look at him.”

  She sits, and Jody goes over to ask Abby more questions. They are trying to get a clear picture of what happened, but since she wasn’t watching me when this started, she doesn’t have much to give them. Jody asks what kinds of foods I eat, what kind of water I drink, what kinds of cleaning supplies she uses. She asks if Abby has changed anything in my diet, in my routine, in the chemicals she uses around the house. The room they wheel me into is right next to the waiting area. With my superhuman hearing, I try to focus on their conversation and not on what is going on with me.

  “Did I do this to him?” Abby asks. I can tell that she is trying her best to hold back tears.

  “No, I’m pretty sure you didn’t, especially not on purpose, but at this stage we can’t rule anything out. He could be having an allergic reaction to something or it could be something else altogether. This could be something that has lain dormant in him since birth and is just now showing itself. These questions are simply procedure.”

  “Dimitri. Dimitri. Can you hear me?” Dr. Smith asks, pulling me away from Abby and Jody’s conversation.

  I can hear her, but I have no way of communicating with her. I try to meow in acknowledgement, but only a slight whimper escapes my lips. I hurt everywhere.