by Lia Davis
Where the poison produced almost instant results, the antidote took some time, but his mind cleared, his strength increased and slowly the sensation returned, the one that told him he could change. Porter took his time studying Alyssa's papers and reminded him repeatedly to relax while they were able.
Julian wished Alyssa would heed Porter's words, but when not tending to them, she simply sat holding their respective hands and squeezing tighter if the ship's tossing worsened.
"Let me fix this." Alyssa tore off another piece of medical tape and secured his bandage.
"Thank you." He didn't mind her taking it upon herself to personally dress both their wounds, and he found he enjoyed her consistent checking. Yes, he kept picking at the tape when her back was turned to have her fix it again.
"Is it tight enough?" She pushed down the edge of the tape once more.
Before he answered, the boat tilted up and came down with a crash, causing the contents on the floor to slide and slam against the wall.
"Please." Alyssa put her hand up to her mouth.
Someone yelled from the deck and they all looked up at the ceiling.
"Watch this." He did his best to keep their end of the bargain and worked to distract her. Hell, he needed to distract himself. The three of them together in the tiny space with no ventilation set off every alarm in his body. His animal side longed to jump up and break free, but with the storm and Alyssa he remained trapped.
She stared straight ahead.
"Hey, I want to show you something." He hoped could pull off his next trick. Like earlier, he held his hand out willing the change. His blood rushed, muscles swelled and the build up began. The release of pressure resulted in the transformation, and his arm morphed into his wolf form. He exhaled. Even the minor shift gave him a bit of euphoria.
"Oh you can shift again." She sat up and reached for his paw, stopping short.
"You can touch me." He craved the touch as much as he craved the change. Alyssa presented him with the perfect combination of scared, smart and stunning. He wasn't sure if he wanted to stare at her, listen to her talk or pull her in for a hug or something else.
She licked her lips and ran her fingertips across his fur. A slow smile, the first one he'd seen, crept across her face.
"What is it?" He shuddered, her light caress giving him the chills and a whole different kind of pressure built.
"Amazing." She stroked him again.
"Do you like it?" He cleared his throat, trying to keep his mind from wandering.
"What does it feel like?" She kept her hand on his arm and looked up at him.
He opened his mouth, almost telling her that when she trailed her nails through his fur, tickling each one of his nerve endings, it felt like the foreplay humans enjoyed. Her eyes were blue, dark blue. Blue eyes didn't happen with Lykans. Yes, dark blue eyes to match dark pink lips and her light skin. It was apparent she didn't go in the sun too much. As much as her beauty intrigued him, the fact she tried to hide it pulled him in and he couldn’t get enough of the conversation. "It feels like a need."
She nodded and turned to Porter. "How are you doing?"
Porter stared at her. Once Julian was coherent enough to care who was staring at who, he noticed Porter wouldn't take his focus off her. While Porter did not go out of his way to entertain her, he went into medical mode ensuring she drank water and ate something. In fact, he swore Porter checked her pulse, but it may have been an excuse to feel her neck and her wrist.
"Porter?" Her voice was that of a little bird looking for a seed.
"Do you need something?" Porter narrowed his eyes at her.
"No, I wanted to know if you did."
"What could I possibly need? You've provided everything."
"Well, you have been shot up with a ton of chemicals and Julian told me you threw up." She crossed her arms.
Julian bit the side of his mouth to stifle a laugh. For the little female who shook at the thought of water or small spaces, she stood up to a shifter who could crush her with one blow.
"Julian got sick three times." Porter set his jaw.
Julian frowned.
"Can you shift now?" She leaned toward him.
Without warning, Porter shifted. Not his hand, not an arm or even his leg, but his head. His nose elongated, teeth turned to fangs, ears pointed, his hair lengthened and covered his skin with a lush covering of brown fur. He was nothing but a wolf's head on a human body.
"Ahhh." Alyssa recoiled. "Oh God."
Julian pulled her in and hid her eyes with his hand. The bastard always had more control than he did. Her trembling accelerated, and he swore she might be crying. "You jerk! Change back!" They finally found a human who was not only interested in them, but one who was a liaison with the higher ups.
With a chuckle, Porter returned to his human state."She asked a question, and I answered it."
He shook his head and lowered his hand.
Porter groaned. "Alyssa."
She raised her head slowly, as if to ensure Porter was back to normal when the ship veered to one side. "We're going to capsize." The scent of her fear took over the miniscule space.
Porter grabbed her. "Julian."
"Something is definitely wrong." Energy surged through him and he jumped up, bracing himself on the wall to stay upright.
"All hands on deck!" A man screamed from above.
"They are going to sink this thing. We have to go up there." Porter pointed toward the door and stared into his eyes.
It took only a quick glance for Julian to pick up his thoughts. They had been handed their only chance to take over the vessel and free themselves. He tilted his head. "We need to help them."
"No." Alyssa clung to Porter.
A huge crash from the deck vibrated their walls and the ship continued to rock.
They needed to act. He kneeled in front of Alyssa. "You need to stay down here, it's the safest place right now."
She shook her head. "Please don't leave."
"I promise we'll come back for you." He stared into her tear-filled eyes. "I promise."
Her complexion paled. Those pretty pink lips turning the color of the rest of her skin.
"I promise," he repeated.
The ship seemed to let out sick wail with the next series of dips.
"Alyssa!" Porter wrapped one arm around her waist, lifted her and put her in the corner. "Don't move from that spot and close your eyes. We will get you."
She glanced between them. "Don't forget me."
Her words landed in the center of his chest. He stepped back. "Never."
"Close your eyes!" Porter pointed at her.
At last she obeyed and hid her face in her hands.
Porter pulled him over to the door. "You're better with the boat and need opposable thumbs and I have extra aggression right now."
"I'm the Captain, or will be, stop telling me what to do." He straightened up. "Everyone goes but the girl."
They both glanced back at Alyssa and Porter shifted into his complete animal form, a massive brown beast down on all fours with his fangs already bared, eyes glowing. The only items left from his human form were the scraps of ripped clothing left in his wolf's wake.
Julian stepped aside and Porter lunged for the door, knocking it down and ripping it off the hinges.
Wind hit them the second the door collapsed. Cold, cutting wind, the kind that brought with it chaos and mayhem. The sizzle of electricity, seawater and rain pelted them. They raced up the stairs to the deck.
The storm raged, bringing with it massive waves that crested over the sides of the ship and soaked the deck. In less than a second, he was drenched, but he welcomed the water, the air and the open space, anything normal, natural and organic was a treat. Never again would he be caged.
Porter stalked away, staying in the shadows to complete his job while Julian assessed the scene of mass hysteria unfolding in front of him. "They need to take down the sails." At least someone had the sense to turn the
ship into the storm. He made his way around the deck counting the crew. A huge strike of lightening illuminated the entire situation for him.
Apparently in times of emergency whatever code the humans conjured to control shifting was disregarded. Several Arktosian guards transformed into their bear form, standing upright with their long fur covering their entire body and using the strength only an animal possessed to attempt to bring the ship under control.
Even in the midst of devastation, the human crewmembers stood by doing nothing but holding lanterns and watching the animals with their weapons ready.
He smiled. The crew and the guards numbered less than ten. With the antidote, the numbers were on their side.
"Take down the sails!" A human came out on the deck.
Julian fought a laugh. The human was a little late.
One of the bears lumbered ahead and climbed up the mast, but before he reached the sail, the ship veered the other way and shot the animal into the sea.
"Someone let the dogs out." A uniformed human came forward. "I order you to help us now."
"I don't answer to you." He kept his focus on the sails. Another bear attempted the climb up the mast only to meet the fate of the first.
"You answer to who I say you answer to." The man prodded him with the butt of his gun.
In the holding cell on land, he had prayed for the opportunity to be handed to him. With a grin, he caught the gun, twisting out of the crewmember's hand. The man fell, and he stomped over him. "I hate rats on my deck." He lifted the man by his collar and threw him over the starboard side.
Another wave careened into the ship and he crouched down to keep his balance. The water washed over him, dulling his senses. With the numbers thinning on the deck, he waited until the water retreated to sneak into the quarters, performing a quick search to ensure no stragglers were left behind.
Again, the ship let out a groan, the wood weakening under the stress.
"Ready the lifeboats!" one of the humans screamed from outside.
With mayhem breaking out, he entered the bridge and smiled. Not everyone listened to the Captain, one human lagged behind, a coward. He took hold of the gun, spun around and aimed the weapon in the face of the leader.
The Captain held his hands up. "You should have stayed down below. We need no help from you."
A shudder ran down his spine and he caught the faint waft of a stench as another entity entered the bridge. The distinctive odor of his own personal torturer would be forever imprinted on his mind and he vowed he would never breathe in such foulness again. "Looks like your little plush toys need some assistance. I hear they get pretty soggy in the water, almost as pathetic as humans." He cocked the weapon and glanced over his shoulder to find the guard, the one who injected him and Porter. Unlike his Aktrosian cohorts, he remained in his quasi-human form. The Captain's pet obviously suffered from some human complex.
"But not quite as useless as you after we gave you some much needed medicine." The guard charged toward him, a syringe out and ready.
If the needle even grazed him, in their precarious situation, death would be certain. He fired the gun, but missed his mark. He and the guard collided.
They wrestled on the deck, shifter against shifter, yet neither transformed. Their human fingers kept hold of their respective weapons.
"Get him!" The Captain commanded.
Julian slammed his elbow into the guard's face.
The guard grinned and held up the injection.
He would take his enemy down, tear him apart by the throat. In need of all his strength, he prepared to shift right as a flash of brown fur jettisoned into the fray and in one swift motion threw the guard off him.
The guard let out a growl and shifted into his bear form. With his huge paw, he dropped the syringe. The needle landed in his foot.
Another flash of lightening lit the scene. Porter's golden eyes, the bear's white teeth, the silver of the syringe.
Julian jumped up and hit the plunger down, injecting the bear with the swill.
"Ahhh!" The bear collapsed back and writhed on the floor as his body transformed back into his more human state. He convulsed, twitching and squirming like a bug until at last he stiffened and passed out.
The click of a gun cocking echoed through his ears.
"Useless animals." The Captain chuckled. "Why even bother with medicine when I could have your head hanging on my wall?"
Another scent, one of fear graced Julian's senses. "An animal just killed you." He wouldn't give the man a second chance. Once more he spun toward him, and without pause he fired the gun, purposely hitting him in the leg.
The Captain's cries of pain took over the pounding of the storm before he passed out. Julian kicked the gun away, inhaled and with nothing inhibiting him, morphed into his wolf form in a blast of freedom. His clothes tore away and the power took over.
He glanced at Porter and they each took one of their enemies in their jaws. Together they made their way to the side of the ship and rid themselves of the true poison.
The release subsiding, their mission complete, they returned to their human state. At least one of the bears succeeded in lowering the sails before departing the ship. Even with their strength they couldn't stop the boat from drifting, following where the wind and the water led. Death lingered throughout the ship.
Nude, soaked, and exhausted, he took a moment to collect his thoughts. No matter where they ended up, he failed his task and now those on his island were in more jeopardy. How would they ever get medicine to them?
"Let's get the ship under control, or what's left of it." Porter saluted him. "At least it's only us aboard."
"Us and the girl." His chest seized. In the pandemonium he forgot about their little charge. "I can only hope we're not taking on any water." If water flooded the ship, or if the bottom of the ship were damaged, it would be the end.
"Let's get the ship secure, we can't do anything about her right now." Porter stomped away. "Damn it!"
Julian ran toward the bridge, but before reaching the safe haven of the door, the ship heaved in a sudden slow down, and he fell against the deck. The vessel ground to a stop. The grinding of wood against stone overpowered the crash of thunder and reverberated throughout his entire body.
He turned to find Porter. "We ran aground." Where the hell were they? He pounded his fist into the deck. They told Alyssa the hold was the safest place for her, but for all he knew their latest disaster could have washed her to sea. She saved their lives, and he prayed that none of the death he sensed came from her.
Chapter 3
"Unbelievable." Porter stared up at the sky. The rain lightened a bit and the glow of the nearly full moon radiated through the cloud cover. His body sizzled, the shift, the exertion of the last few hours not enough to satiate him.
"Get up!" Julian yelled. "Go get her."
"Don't tell me what to do. You're not my leader." He closed his eyes, shutting out the optimist, the one who thought they could steal medicine, thought the humans would understand, thought he could rebuild Lykos and rule. Apparently, he also thought the weak, little human who couldn't swim had survived a storm and running aground on some ridiculous island. However, he couldn't gather the courage to go find out for certain.
In an instant Julian pounced on him, grabbing his shoulder and getting in his face. "I am as long as I’m the one with the sailing expertise. Go get her while I secure the ship, assess the damage and make sure we're still alone."
"If you're in charge, why don't you go get her?" He lifted his chin. Maybe for once he didn't have to be the one to walk in on the horrors.
"You made the deal with her, you know healing, go fix her." Julian dragged him into a standing position. "Noah says a true Lykan never goes back on his word, especially to someone who helped for no reason."
"One day maybe Noah will tell you to stop quoting him." He ground his teeth together at the mention of the elder who spouted his own brand of propaganda even faster than Julian.
Something happened to their world. One moment their kind were working at building something new, the next illness devastated them. One second they were on a ship sailing and free in the sunlight, the next standing naked in the rain wondering who else they’d hurt. In one instant he was getting ready to take on a mate, and in a flash he was burying a body.
The image of how Alyssa held onto both of them, shaking but trying to stay calm remained clear in his mind. For someone terrified of water and small spaces…and human, she did well. Exceptional. She probably died for them. If she were alive one of them would sense it, but the energy around him was flat, devoid of anything. "Julian." The power that rolled through his body before was replaced with nausea.
"Please, no matter what, just get her." He turned away.
"Fine." The rain continued to fall, soft tears like the ones Alyssa tried to hide. Even after he scared her with his unexpected shift, she continued to hold his hand. Her hand fit right in his palm. She paid an equal amount of attention to Julian and to him with her big blue eyes searching out his as if he had the power to stop the storm.
He pounded his fist on his leg. They had work to do, their own were dying and they had to repair this rattletrap. If she were alive, they would have to deal with her every step of the way. He would be the one who ended up taking care of her.
"I should have never promised to protect her." He sprinted toward the hold, some errant shards of wood cutting into his bare feet, but with his goal in mind he ignored any pain. Water from the storm streamed down the stairs to the hold. If she were knocked unconscious she could drown in a couple of inches of water without ever having to learn to swim.
Call it adrenaline, or panic, but a surge ran through him and he jumped down the stairs into the pitch black hold. He allowed her to be hurt after he promised to keep her safe, and he delayed in getting to her. "Alyssa!" He lost his footing and stumbled into the darkness, splashing in some water and colliding with the cot.