by Sky Winters
"Nothing but my dreams."
Adeline was a little curious as to why, exactly, Aaron was so curious. Did these visions mean something other than that Adeline was meant to come here? She hoped Aaron would be able to let her know.
‘Well, who's to say what that means; when I turned eighteen I vowed to get as far away from this world as I could, to live a normal life. I thought I'd done it, but…"
"…your past has a way of pulling you back," finished Adeline.
"That's right. But enough talk, my goddamn daughter's been kidnapped by those wolves. I can't even think straight."
"Well, what can we do? How can I help?"
Aaron thought it over for a moment.
"We have to find my cousins. The reason this place is empty has to do with the wolves; there's no other reason why they'd leave so abruptly."
"But you have no idea where they might've gone?"
Aaron shook his head. "No clue. This land has been in my family for over a century; it'd take quite a thing for them to just abandon it."
"Maybe we could ask around town?" asked Adeline.
"Ask who? As far as I know, my family's the only group of shifters around these parts. The only shifter groups I even know about in the state are in New York, and I doubt the city shifters are too concerned with what goes on upstate.
Adeline thought about the coffee shop and the odd woman who owned it.
"There's a place in town, a coffee shop. The woman there seemed to know about shifters…she even said something to me about being a fox."
Aaron's green eyes widened. "Wait, here in town?"
"Yeah, this little place somewhere down the road; I stopped there my first day in town, right before I came here."
"I had no idea there were other shifters here. But it's not too crazy to think about; we seem to have a way of finding each other."
"Then maybe they can lead us to your family?"
Aaron uncrossed his arms, standing straight and ready.
"Then let’s not waste another second."
CHAPTER 14
"This it?" asked Aaron, pulling the car up to the quaint coffee shop that Adeline had stopped in that first night in town. "'Jenny's Coffee and Tea'."
"Yeah, this is the place," said Adeline, looking over the strange, squat building that seemed to have come from another place and time.
Aaron pulled his car into one of the many open spots and the two got out, both walking up to the place with hesitant steps. Opening the door, a bell chimed as they stepped inside. Looking around, they saw that not a soul was there.
"Oh, hello?" called out a voice that Adeline recognized as Jenny.
"Welcome! Wel-"!
The woman emerged from behind the counter, ready to greet the pair, but as soon as she laid eyes upon Aaron, her speech stopped mid-word.
"My, my," she said, a knowing smile forming on her face. "A bear. I thought all of your kind had left this place by now."
Aaron's eyes went wide.
"How do you know what I am?" he demanded.
Jenny simply raised her hand. "Sit, sit," she said, gesturing to a small table nearby. "Have a seat; I've been waiting for one of your kind to arrive."
Adeline looked at Aaron with an expression that seemed to say, "see?" Not knowing what else to do, they two took a seat at the table.
"Get comfortable; I just made a fresh pot of coffee," said Jenny, disappearing behind the counter.
Moments later she returned holding three mugs, all different sizes and colors. Placing the three cups on the small, wooden table, she took a seat.
"Bear and fox, fox and bear," she said, her watery eyes flicking back and forth between the two. "Quite an odd combination, if you ask me."
"Tell me how you know all of this," said Aaron, in no mood to waste time.
"How do you think? I'm one of you," said Jenny.
"A shifter?" asked Adeline.
"What else would I mean?"
But before either of them could respond, Jenny held up her right arm. Within seconds, orange and black fur sprouted from her skin, her hand forming into a large claw- a tiger's claw. Adeline almost jumped out of her seat at the sight.
"See? One of you. Though you're lucky; not too many of my kind in this part of the country; even this part of the world."
"And you can just spot shifters?" asked Aaron. "I've been one my whole life and I can't even do that."
"I've been around for years and years," said Jenny. "Longer than you'd think. Just new to these parts, is all."
"And why are you here?" asked Aaron, his voice growing more insistent now that he knew this woman was the real deal.
"Just drawn to the area, I suppose. Lots of power in the shadow of Bear Mountain. But you two know that already, I'm sure."
"Then you know my family?"
"Ah, you're a Swift!" said Jenny, lifting her mug and giving the curling steam a gentle blow. "I was wondering when you all were going to come back to this little town. Shame to let that nice place up in the woods fall to rot."
"No. I mean, yes," said Aaron. "I mean, I'm a Swift, but not one of them."
"Extended family, then?" Jenny said, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Exactly."
"And you must've run into those wolves that've been running around the area."
"You know about the wolves?" asked Aaron, surprised once more.
"I do; I do. Moved into the area a while back. Though maybe ‘invaded' is a better word."
"Tell me everything you know about them," said Aaron. "They have my daughter."
"That so?" asked Jenny, more curious than concerned. "What would wolves want with a little bear girl, I wonder?"
"She's…not a bear," said Aaron.
"What?" asked Adeline. "She's not like you?"
Aaron tensed up, shifting in his seat. "She's…something else; I don't know what. Her mother was a panther."
Jenny's eyes lit up. "Then that would explain it."
"Explain what?" asked Adeline.
"Hybrid shifters are very rare," said Aaron. "Extremely rare."
"And extremely powerful," added Jenny.
"So, that's why the wolves want her?" asked Adeline.
"Yes," said Aaron. "Her mother was never supposed to have a child, as much as we wanted one. But one day, she was pregnant, against all odds."
"A little miracle," said Jenny.
"And now those wolves have her," he said.
Then, he turned his attention to Jenny, forcing the topic back on his terms.
"My family- where did they go? You have to know something."
Jenny thought for a moment, her wizened hands wrapped around her mug. "Have a sip of your coffee while I think; it's good and fresh. Go on."
Adeline and Aaron shared a glance before lifting their mugs and sipping. Adeline was surprised; the coffee was wonderful- hot and refreshing.
"Ah, I remember something. There was one of those Swift boys, the long-haired one; the brooding boy."
"Ian," said Aaron.
"That's his name. Well, they had a little incident with a pregnant woman a while back, ended up going north to Vermont, hiding out in some property there. Can't remember the name of the place, exactly. All happened a little before the wolves started lurking about."
Aaron's eyes widened in realization. "That's right; the family has that place up in New England; I'd forgotten all about it."
"And the wolves," said Adeline, finally managing to speak up. "Why are they here? Why did they take Bethany?"
Jenny took another slow sip of her drink. "There's something special about Bear Mountain," she said. "It's drawn shifters for centuries. Or so I hear. Wolves are always scheming, always up to something. I wouldn't be surprised if this is all some plot to take control of the mountain- and God knows what else."
"And if Bethany's really a hybrid shifter, they could use her for this," said Aaron.
"'If'?" asked Adeline. "You mean, you don't know for sure?"
"It's…hard to
say. The mating of two shifters has been known to produce powerful combinations, but it can also result in a non-shifter."
"Or a shifter with the power of only one of the parents," added Jenny.
"Right," said Aaron. "I just assumed that Bethany was without powers since she'd yet to show any."
"But the wolves seem to think differently," said Jenny.
Aaron's jaw clenched again. "We need to go to Vermont. That could be where the rest of my family is; we have to find out."
"Then you'd best get on with it," said Jenny, draining the last of her coffee.
Adeline and Aaron finished their drinks and got up, ready to leave.
"Coffee's on the house," said Jenny. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
"Thank you," said Aaron.
"And that goes for you too, my little fox," said Jenny, a twinkle in her eye.
But before Adeline could ask her to explain, Aaron led Adeline out to the car. Soon, they were back on the road, the mission clear before them.
CHAPTER 15
The pair made a quick stop to the house to grab a few belongings, and soon after they were back on the road. Aaron drove steady and fast, the car rushing down the highway at well over the speed limit.
"You think your family's there?" asked Adeline, her eyes on Bear Mountain behind her as it descended past the horizon.
"I can't think of where else they'd be. We Swifts are a practical sort, not the kind to just run away without a plan."
"And what do we do when we get there?"
"We tell them what we know, and get my goddamn daughter back," he said, his eyes narrowed on the road ahead.
They drove for hours, finally reaching a small town near Green Mountain National Park. Stopping into town to ask directions, they were eventually pointed into the right direction by the bartender at one of the local watering holes, who told them that there'd been some big group of people who moved into one of the larger vacation properties on the outskirts of town. He seemed a little confused by the group, wondering why they all lived together in the way they did.
"Seems like a cult or something to me," said the bartender.
"That's got to be them," said Aaron as they walked back to the car.
Looking around the town as they drove through it, Adeline noted that it was a little nicer than Branlen; it seemed a little more like an exclusive vacation community than the sleepy hamlet that Branlen was.
Night descended as they made their way to the location of the house. The sun began to dip behind the horizon, a brilliant sunset of orange, blue, and white filling the sky above. Trees seemed to stretch forever around them, though there was nothing like Bear Mountain looming over everything the way there was at the other home.
Soon, they arrived at the home, a massive, wood cabin-style place that rivaled the compound in size.
"Well, there're definitely people there," said Aaron, noting the several cars parked out front and the orange illumination of lights in many of the windows.
"Are we just going to walk in?" asked Adeline as Aaron pulled into an open area in the yard near where the rest of the cars were parked.
Aaron said nothing, his eyes on the large set of double doors that were now opening, black figures stepping out to see who had just arrived.
"Looks like we're not going to have to worry about that," said Aaron.
"I hope this is your family," said Adeline, "and not people with guns who're feeling protective of their property.
"One way to find out," said Aaron.
They stepped out of the car, a tight feeling of tension forming in Adeline's stomach. There we now four pairs of silhouetted figures in front of the house, their faces shrouded in darkness.
"Who is that there?" called out one of the men in a brisk voice that sounded almost southern to Adeline's ears.
"This the Swift's?" called back Aaron.
"Again, I say, ‘who's out there'?"
The eight figures stood close to one another, and Adeline could now tell that it was four women and four men. And as she looked closer, she could see that the women were all holding children.
"I'm Aaron Swift," said Aaron, his palms raised before him.
A moment of silence passed.
"Aaron Swift, huh?" said the man. "Got any proof of that?"
Aaron looked back at Adeline as he tried to determine a way to prove his identity. Finally, he raised a hand while closing his eyes, the arm shifting into that of a bear.
"As far as I can tell, being able to do this is pretty unique to the Swifts."
The group of men and women seemed to talk among themselves for a moment. Finally, one of the women ducked into the house and flicked on the property lights, the long span of the front yard now illuminated under a clear light. From where she stood, Adeline could now make out the features of the men and women. The men all had the same handsome features as Aaron, their bodies strong and strapping, their heads topped with sandy-blond hair in different styles.
Aaron shifted his arm back to human form as the men stepped closer. As they drew nearer, Adeline could see the expressions of the men soften as they looked upon Aaron. She scanned the men, seeing that one was taller and beefier than the rest, his hair a simple, short style. Another, a man with longer hair down to his shoulders, was lean and reedy, though still in very good shape. The third was strapping and well-dressed in a professional outfit of a button-up shirt and slacks, his hair in a slicked-back, business style. The fourth man, the man who seemed to be doing all the talking, who was walking just a few feet before the other men, was tan and handsome, his sandy-blond hair shaggy around his face, his outfit a casual look of loose-fitting jeans, brown worker boots, and a plaid shirt unbuttoned down to just below his chest.
"Well, I'll be goddamned," said the man ahead of the rest, "if it isn't my little cousin Aaron."
The man approached Aaron, throwing his arms around him, the two men embracing.
"Good to see you, Atticus," said Aaron, patting his cousin on the back.
"It's been years," said the man in a nice professional voice, giving Aaron a more business-like greeting of a handshake and a quick pat on the back.
"So good to see you," said the tall, burly man, wrapping his arms around Aaron.
"Though I must wonder what's bringing you here," said the slim man with long hair, giving Aaron a quick hug.
"I could ask you all the same thing," said Aaron, looking his cousin over.
"Well, I'm sure we all have plenty of questions for one another," said Atticus, his eyes flicking over the Adeline, who suddenly felt very out of place. "Why don't we just head inside for now; I don't know where you all came from, but I'm willing to bet it was a hell of a drive."
Atticus clapped his hand on Aaron's back as they walked towards the house, Adeline following just behind him. The rest of the Swift men went back to their wives, who were looking over the pair with skepticism. Soon, Atticus led them through the front doors, Adeline still apprehensive about what was to happen next.
CHAPTER 16
The group was gathered in the spacious, well-lit living room, the space adorned with cozy, rustic furniture, tall shelves packed with books, and a fire crackling in the large, gray stone fireplace. Adeline was settled into one of the many chairs in the room, Aaron at her side, the men all next to their wives. Olivia, the wife of Ian, the longer-haired brother, served wine. Settling into her seat, a glass of wine in her hand, Adeline felt a little more at ease than she did a moment ago. The women returned their children to their rooms, and the adults were alone to discuss the matters at hand.
After making introductions, Atticus explained to Adeline just what was going on at their home.
"It's a place for people like us, shifters, to have a refuge away from the world."
"So, you're all shifters?"
"Not all of us," said Tessa, Atticus's wife, a woman of red hair and striking features. "The women aren't."
"But our children will be," said Winnie, the wife of Cly
de, the brawnier of Aaron's cousins.
"Lot of people in one home," said Aaron.
"We make it work," said Roland, his arms crossed over his chest, a glass of red wine on the coffee table in front of him. "We have plenty of space, though not as much as we did at the compound."
"Well, now's as good a time to ask as any," said Aaron, sitting back in his seat. "Why'd you all abandon the compound?"
The group grew grim, the gazes of the men and women shifting.
"When Bethany and I showed up, it looked like the place had been ransacked," said Aaron.
"The wolves," said Ian.
"The same ones that took your daughter," said Atticus.
"What's with them?" asked Adeline. "Didn't you all live near Bear Mountain for years?"
"We did," said Atticus. "Pretty peacefully, actually. Until the wolves arrived."
Adeline watched as Aaron's jaw clenched at the thought of the men who stole Bethany from him. She could sense that despite the cool façade he was putting forward, it was taking every bit of control he had to not peel away in his car in a mad frenzy to find the wolves, even if it meant returning to the compound and goading them into a fight that he couldn't win. It was only the possibility of gaining the help of his family that kept him calm and in his seat.
"Murderous assholes," said Ian, Olivia rubbing his leg with her hand to calm him down.
"Tell me what happened," said Aaron. "Tell me anything that could help me find my daughter."
Atticus took a long sip of wine and leaned forward. Silence hung in the air, disturbed only by the crackling of the fireplace, as the family thought back on the memories that mention of the wolves called forth.
"There were more of us," said Atticus. "Those cabins, the ones on the compound grounds, more of our kind lived there. Dozens of men and women. Then one night, without warning, the wolves came."
"We'd heard there'd been packs of wolves in other parts of the country, roving groups of shifters taking territory that had long been held by other species. But we assumed that these rumors, like any rumor you'd hear, were overblown. But one night, one horrible night, we found out that the rumors were all too true."