by V. Vaughn
Caitlyn’s elbow cracks against the side of the truck as we swerve around a corner, and pain radiates through her arm. The shocks of the vehicle squeak as we bounce down a dirt road. Her heart rate increases, and I wonder where we’re going that makes her afraid. She glances out the window, and I don’t recognize the area. It makes sense though, since I doubt hunters would hang out in Ouellette territory.
I yell in my head, “Somebody! I’m stuck in Caitlyn’s body. Help!” I’m screwed though, because my alpha is Tristan De Rozier and he’s too far away to hear me. The only other person I can communicate with would be my mate, but René and I didn’t seal our bond with a bite yet. I fight the panic that wants to overwhelm me, because I need a clear head to figure out how I’m going to get out of this.
As the truck slows, Caitlyn sighs. I don’t think she likes this life, and I wonder how she became a hunter. I notice a line of cabins before we pull into a parking spot. The dark haired man turns to face her. “What’s the matter? Don’t like target practice?” He and his friend chuckle as anger fills Caitlyn’s thoughts.
She says, “You won’t be laughing when I beat you.” The truck stops, and once Caitlyn gets out I take in the scene before me. A large building that looks like a camp lodge is before us. There’s a wrap-around porch, and a few men are on it smoking cigarettes. As we walk toward the building I notice an old sign is over the doorway, and I can make out faded paint that reads Camp Whynot. I get the sense this is an old summer camp for kids as Caitlyn’s boots thud up the wooden stairs.
Caitlyn’s mood improves greatly when she enters the lodge, sees an older woman, and crosses the room toward her. “Am I glad to see you.”
“Tough morning?”
“Only because I was with dick and dickhead,” says Caitlyn in a quiet voice.
The woman grins as a man’s voice calls out, “Linda!”
“C’mon,” says the woman as she waves a hand at the man. “It’s our turn on the range.”
I grin to myself, because while I haven’t figured out how I’m going to get out of Caitlyn’s head, I am getting an up close and personal tour of a hunter’s camp. And I plan to use it wisely.
16
Kelsey
“Ready, set, go!” I release my lobster at the same time Val does and we step back to watch them race across his kitchen floor.
He chuckles as his remains still and mine slowly moves. “No fair. Mine doesn’t understand the rules.”
I lean down to cheer my lobster on “C’mon Laura! Kick Larry’s spiny tail.”
Val shakes his head as his contestant still doesn’t move. “I think this race was fixed. Did you drug Larry?”
I glance at Val and say, “Maybe he’s so mesmerized by Laura he’s love drunk.”
Val grabs me by my hips and tugs me against his body. The heat of him is searing as my desire ramps up. He holds my head in his hands and leans down as he says, “They must be true mates.” He kisses me, and I forget all about our dinner I pulled up from the ocean floor earlier today on my excursion with Henri.
The cover on the large pot for steaming begins to rattle, and we break apart to tend to cooking. Val grabs the lobsters from the floor. “Laura wins. Does this mean we throw her back in the ocean?”
“No way. I slaved over a long rope to tug her up.” I grin at Val as steam swirls when he lowers the lobsters into the pot.
He asks, “You had fun with your father, didn’t you?”
“I did. I never expected him to be so great, but it’s like we’ve always been friends. We have so much in common.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“I know. I think I could get used to having a father after all.” I think about how easy it is to be with Henri. He treats me like an equal and we can spend hours talking about boats. I love how connected he is to the nautical world, and how knowledgeable he is about the history of boat building. I say, “Next week I get to work with him. I can’t wait.”
“Abby’s going to miss you in sales. She told me you’re not bad for a human.”
I break off a piece of blueberry muffin Val insists goes with lobster, and before I put it in my mouth I say, “She’s smitten by one of her big client’s sons. He’s human, so I think we’re growing on her.”
Val’s eyebrows rise. “Really? Abby and a human?” He shakes his head, and I wonder if maybe Abby’s new guy is a half.
I swallow the sweetness of my muffin and say, “The guy is a triplet. Maybe they’re true mates and she can’t resist him.”
“Stranger things have happened.”
“Yeah. About that.” I place my hand on Val’s chest, and the cotton of his T-shirt is soft on my palm. “When can I be changed?”
“Do you think you’re ready?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you, and the sooner I’m a werebear the better.”
“You say that now, but I’m not so sure you’re thinking this through.” He slides his hands up my arms.
“What’s left to think about? You’re my true mate, and for us to have a family it makes sense for me to change so our children can be werebear.”
“You still haven’t seen me as a bear.” A growl rumbles in his chest. “What if you think I’m ugly?”
I chuckle. “Then I’ll just have to deal with it. For all you know I could be butt ugly too.”
“Good point.” He scowls. “I’m not sure I like this. You get a preview, but I could be stuck with--”
I slap at his arm. “Stop!”
He grins at me. “You’ll be gorgeous, just like your human form.”
I step back and cross my arms. “Since we’re on the subject. I think you should shift fully for me so I can see what you look like.”
The buckle of his belt jingles as he undoes it. “If you insist.”
As he strips out of his clothes I say, “I think I like this part.”
Val winks at me as he steps out of his pants. “I know I do.”
He tosses his shirt at me, and I clutch it to my chest as I stare in awe. Hair sprouts all over his body as his face elongates into a snout and his limbs grow. The process only takes seconds, and his feet thud on the floor as he drops to four legs.
I stumble back. “Wow.” He’s huge, and while I realized that as a bear he would be, it still surprises me to see it only feet away from me. I ask, “Can I touch you?”
Val the bear nods, and I step forward as I reach out to pet his head. The fur surprises me. It’s thick, and slightly oily like some dogs can be. He has a distinct odor, but it’s not offensive. As a matter of fact I’m drawn to it, and I realize it’s because it’s a stronger version of Val’s musky scent. “You’re amazing.” I scratch behind his ears, and he leans toward me. “This is kind of weird.”
Val steps backward and shifts to human again. He asks, “Am I hot as a bear, or what?”
I chuckle as I step closer and let the heat of him seep into my palms, and I slide my hands up his torso to stop at his chest. “Dead sexy. Although I kind of wanted to take you home to cuddle.”
“Cuddle?” Val lets out a low growl before he leans in to nip at my neck. “I’ll show you cuddle, woman, but first we eat.” His zipper hums as he fastens his jeans. “You’re going to need the energy.”
After everything is ready we sit down to a meal of lobster, corn and blueberry muffins. I sigh when I finish as I lean back with a comfortably full stomach. “I saw you shift and didn’t run, so what else do I need to do?”
Val’s arms thud on the table as he leans forward. “We need to discuss hunters. As a werebear you are going to be in danger, and it’s not something the police can protect you from.”
“Right. You have warriors instead.”
“We do. But as you’ve seen, the rules are a bit wilder than the human world. Killing isn’t always punishable.”
“I get it. It’s certainly neater than having to wait for lawyers and judges to make decisions.”
“It is. But it’s no
t always fair. Sometimes people get killed for no good reason. You need to understand that just being a werebear makes you a target for numerous human groups who want us gone.”
“I got it, Val. But you’ve lived without that danger for decades, and while there’s a group after the Ouellette clan now, they won’t be forever.”
“Sweet, Kelsey.” He sighs as he leans back. “There’s more than one group, and I think this is the beginning of a new era that means we’re going to be in danger for a long time.”
I know Val isn’t trying to be condescending, but it feels that way and anger simmers in me as I say, “I’ve made up my mind, Val. I want to be a werebear, because the idea of not being with you for the rest of my life is more awful to me than any danger I might put myself in by becoming a one.”
He sighs in resignation. “I’ll talk to Jean Luc about making arrangements to change you.”
“Thank you.” I reach across the table and place my hand on Val’s arm. His body temperature warms my fingers as I say, “I know this is a big deal, but I can’t imagine walking away from the life I was meant to live.”
He places his hand over mine. “I wouldn’t want you to either. I just hope that choosing this world doesn’t end up being something you regret.”
I shake my head, “No. Never. I love you, Val, with all my heart.”
“I love you too, Kelsey.” Something flashes in his eyes that’s not human, and I imagine his bear lingering below the surface. “With everything I am.”
17
Tally
“Somebody! I’m stuck in Caitlyn’s body. Help!” Nadia’s voice is a soft whisper in my head, and while I’m fascinated that her telepathic signals are reaching me, I’m frustrated I can’t seem to talk back to her. After Julie cried out her pain over Henri telling her they’re done, she hardened her heart. The woman is definitely a survivor, and bright light from her cell phone illuminates the dim trailer as she researches black bear habitats in the Pacific Northwest. While we get occasional runaways from other clans, Jean Luc always gets their background before letting them join us. I suspect Julie isn’t going to be welcomed with open arms into another clan once they discover her crimes.
Julie gets up to riffle through a backpack and pulls out a protein bar and water before she returns to the ratty couch. When she sits back down a squeak makes her jump. Julie partially shifts so quickly I’m shocked when her paw slams down on the floor and she squashes a mouse. I shudder when she lifts it up by its tail and tosses it across the room. It thumps against the wall before it falls, and I hope this isn’t a long term residence for her.
The sofa bounces under Julie as she stretches out and closes her eyes for a nap. I discover that when you occupy someone as an unknown visitor, you fall asleep too. The both of us awake with a start when there’s a rap on the door. Julie listens carefully as she sniffs and recognizes Caitlyn’s scent. She gets up, and quietly lifts the chair out of the way before she opens the door without a word to let Caitlyn in.
Caitlyn scrunches up her nose and speaks through her hand. “God, this place is disgusting.”
Julie ignores her and says, “Thanks for coming.” This is my chance to try to grab Nadia and return. I chant an attachment spell with the hope I can get Nadia to join me in Julie’s head. But my magic is dead, and nothing happens.
Caitlyn blinks as if the air hurts her eyes too. “What do you want?”
“We miss you. Henri still talks about you,” says Julie. “So do Randy and Rosie.”
Sadness clouds Caitlyn’s eyes, and I think about how Henri doesn’t talk much about it, but I know he and Caitlyn’s siblings never got over her running away. The pain is evident in her voice as she says, “I miss them too. Do they want to see--”
“I need your help.”
I watch Caitlyn stiffen and a cold mask covers her face. “Right, Mother. I’ll get right on that.” She lifts her chin and says, “Unless you’d like the kind of help you gave me. I’ll gladly buy a bus ticket to nowhere and let you figure out how to live in a world you don’t know.”
“I sent you to prep school,” spits out Julie. “But I see you didn’t exactly use your education wisely. A hunter? Really?”
Caitlyn rushes toward Julie to grab her by the throat with one hand. The trailer shakes as she slams Julie against the wall. “You told a twelve-year old girl she was a freak and had to run away or die because of what she was!”
Julie clutches at Caitlyn’s hand and croaks out, “It was true. I saved your life.”
“My savior.” Caitlyn tosses Julie to the side and the older woman’s bones crack on the floor. “It could have been worse I suppose. I could have been found out as someone without parents by a pimp instead of the headmaster who also happened to be a recruiter for the Eradicators.” Caitlyn chuckles dryly. “Do you know I’m here to help kill the Ouellette clan? How ironic is that?”
“Go ahead,” says Julie as she stands. “They’re dead to me now.”
“Is that so?” Caitlyn stalks toward Julie, and the woman steps back. “What did you do, mother dear? Take in another illegitimate child to claim as your own?”
Julie says, “I need money. Will you help me or not?”
“No!”
Caitlyn turns to leave and Julie says, “If you don’t I’ll tell Jean Luc what I know about you.”
Caitlyn whips back around and her eyes flash with anger as she spits out, “Ooooo. You’re gonna sic the alpha on me.”
“You really think you’ll win against werebear warriors? Did you hear about what happened in Maine last fall?”
“Lucky for the eradicators, I’ve got a nose for your kind.”
Julie laughs, “You do, because you’re a half.”
“A lot of good that does me. I haven’t got any werebear traits.” Pain flashes over Caitlyn’s face before she says, “I should have known this was all about you needing something from me.”
“I saved you!” Julie grabs Caitlyn’s arm. “If Jean Luc had found out you couldn’t shift he would have had you killed for knowing about us. I sent you away so that wouldn’t happen.”
“You sent me away because I was no longer useful! You had your own babies and didn’t need me to keep my father from leaving you. You were right. He never loved you.”
A strange pricking sensation floods Julie’s body that tells me she’s shifting, and she growls. “Get out of here before I kill you myself.”
A gun clicks as Caitlyn points it at her -- and me! My heart freezes. Oh god, no. How do I get back home if Julie dies? “Go ahead. Make my day.”
Julie switches gears so quickly my head spins. She sighs and lies in another attempt to get what she wants. “Let’s not do this. I know you don’t believe me, but I always loved you. I only wanted what was best for you.” She reaches out to Caitlyn. “I am sorry I had to send you away.”
Caitlyn’s stance relaxes a little as she says, “There had to have been another way.”
Julie shakes her head, and I want to be sick at the way she’s trying to manipulate Caitlyn. “No. People were noticing you couldn’t shift. I had to save you before anyone found out. Don’t you see? I had no choice.”
“What about Dad? He wouldn’t have let Jean Luc kill me.”
“He wouldn’t have been able to stop it. I swear on my grave your father never could have lived with the guilt if he’d had to give you up to Jean Luc.” Julie sighs. “Do you want me to help you run away from the Eradicators? We could go together.” Caitlyn lowers her gun as Julie says, “What we did was best for everyone, and I think you know that.”
The gun’s safety clicks back on, and Caitlyn says, “You never told me why you’re running.”
Julie steps closer to her. “It’s a long story, and instead of putting Henri in another difficult situation, I thought it would be best if I left.”
Caitlyn steps back as she demands, “Tell me what you did.”
“There’s another child like you. A friend of mine confided in me that she got
pregnant by a human man, and I helped her send her son away.” She swallows hard as is she’s trying not to cry, and I want to warn Caitlyn that she’s lying. I try to cast a spell to make the lights flicker, anything to be a sign. But I’ve got nothing, and Julie says, “I thought I could save him too, but we got caught.” She takes a shaky breath as if she’s not shamelessly lying. “They killed him.” Oh my god! She’s actually faking tears. And I can’t do a thing about it trapped in Julie’s body.
Caitlyn sighs, and I think she bought the story. “I can’t leave with you.”
“Are you sure you--” Julie stops speaking as if she’s knows it’s no use to plead, but I can feel she’s afraid Caitlyn might agree. “Will you help me?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Now Julie is fighting her impatience and forces her voice to remain calm. “Thank you. I can’t wait long. I should leave by tomorrow night.”
“Fine. If I don’t come back before then it couldn’t be helped.”
Julie’s urge to lash out is strong, but she manages to tamp it down and say, “I understand.” She mentally flinches as she adds, “Is being a hunter terrible?”
Caitlyn squints at her in disbelief before she stands a little taller. “You get used to it.” She turns and walks out without bothering to shut the door.
Julie watches her walk away before she reassembles the door. Once it’s secure, she clenches her fists and lets out a low growl in an attempt to control the urge to shift and do some damage. I’d be impressed with her self control if I weren’t focused on what I just learned. Caitlyn didn’t become a hunter by choice, and perhaps that means she can be saved. I imagine how happy it would make Henri to see his daughter again. But first I have to figure out how to make my magic work again.
Julie has managed calm down and returns to the couch. She lies down, and I take the opportunity to focus on clearing my head so I can try to get my magic to work beyond inside of me. I run through every spell I can think of, but nothing works. If I could cry, tears of frustration would come. Dread chills me to the bone, because I know I have to return without Nadia. I speak in my head to her even though I’m sure she can’t hear. I say, “I’ll come back for you!” I turn inward and move toward the glimmering hole of golden light that is my portal, it hums with power as I get closer, and I dive in to go home.