He stared down at his thick, furry legs and moaned. He was still in bear form. Chance shifted back, and slipped his pack to the ground. He grabbed a rock from the dirt and flung it through the trees. “Rah!!”
While his pulse slowed and he calmed himself, his thoughts raced. He didn’t understand the meaning of the memory. How could Nastas become so evil? No one had been able to explain to him how shapeshifters just changed after they contracted the sickness. It didn’t make any sense.
Does it need to make sense?
He supposed it didn’t. Not really. It didn’t matter how it happened because he didn’t need to worry about it now. He was safe and protected. No one would be able to hurt him because he was powerful.
Chance’s consciousness twisted away from him and he slipped some clothes on before flipping his backpack over his shoulder. One footstep after another led him forward on his trail north, closer to home, but after too many hours of stumbling ahead, he was exhausted. He considered tucking up under some brush and taking a nap. He wasn’t confident he was doing the right thing, so maybe sleep was the answer.
No, do not stop. Keep moving. I know you’re tired, but it will all be worth it.
He knew the voices of Balam, Niyol, Markus and Nastas in his head, but the loudest one, the one that pushed him the hardest, he’d never heard before. Almost as soon as the thought occurred to him, it was gone. Chance moved on without considering a rest.
Chapter 3
Chance, he yelled at himself, don’t let yourself get pushed around by some dead psycho, whoever it is. Take control. His fists clenched and his muscles tightened. He remained this way until his thoughts quieted and his heartbeat slowed.
It had barely been a day since he’d taken on the imprints and memories of Markus, Balam, Nastas (and who knew who else) and it was beginning to unravel his sanity. Markus had appeared to argue with himself the day before, and now it all made sense.
Chance couldn’t allow himself to go mad like his cousin had. There was no way he’d ever make it back to Ana if he did. He’d have to find a way to overcome the madness. Until that point, he’d have to be smart. His foot caught on a rock and Chance realized just how exhausted he was. Instead of resting the night before, he’d stayed awake and kept on moving, but now his body was limp and his mind, mush.
He was at his weakest point right now, and he didn’t want to open himself up to the influence of Markus, Nastas or whoever else was in there pushing him around. Time to find a safe place to rest. Maybe he’d feel clearer after a nap.
Again, a very loud, resounding no echoed through his thoughts. You must keep moving. You are stronger than any average man. You can handle it. There could be other shifters tracking you. You are not safe.
Chance stopped as he considered a terrifying thought. If shifters could follow him, then what about Ana? He wouldn’t be there to protect her if she was discovered by a shifter with the sickness. By someone like him.
You had better go back and check on her. Just to make sure she’s safe.
He grunted in agreement, forgetting the reasons why he should stay away from her, and turned around. For at least an hour, he ran through the wilderness, retracing his steps back toward Balam’s house with Ana’s face clear in his mind.
It wasn’t until the faint echo of a familiar voice broke into his thoughts that he slowed to a stop so he could focus on it better.
You must stay in control of yourself and your actions. It is always you who will make the choice. The choice to let yourself be swayed is yours.
Balam. His voice was distant, but Chance understood every word that traced through his thoughts. He didn’t understand any of this. It was all so different from the fusion of his grandfather’s memories. So much more interactive.
Awesome. How was he going to know which voice to trust? Or if he was truly making choices for himself without being influenced by another, less trustworthy personality? He questioned his choice to find Ana. Maybe staying out in the middle of nowhere was the best option. Find a desolate island in the Pacific somewhere and protect the world from…himself. There was always one other choice. A choice that was so final, he dare not consider it yet.
A gentle breeze picked up. He stretched, letting the air current wrap around his sweaty body. Birds fluttered on nearby branches and he stopped. A familiar scent.
I’m surprised you’ve survived this long! Self-preservation is weak in this one.
Chance ignored the comments and sat bolt upright. He scanned the dry landscape for anything out of place. The hairs on his arms and legs stood on end. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt a powerful source of energy nearby. He’d never experienced anything like it before.
“I know you’re there,” he shouted. “Show yourself.” He scanned the landscape. Chance called to his power and his blue core of light reacted quickly, ready to respond at his will. The abundance of energy gave him confidence and he puffed up his chest, almost eager for a fight.
A blue bird swooped down and hovered in front of Chance before disappearing behind a small grove of trees. He held still, anxious to see what would happen next.
I told you to be careful of being followed. You feel that power? Strike first, ask questions later.
A pale leg stepped out from behind the tree and Chance’s eyes widened as a black-haired woman emerged. She was breathtaking, ageless. Her black hair curled down her chest like a sheet of silk. He swallowed hard, realized she was naked and forced his gaze away.
“Hello, Chance.” Her voice was mesmerizing and her face familiar, somehow.
How did she know his name?
“I’ve been looking for you.”
He was fairly confident he would have remembered her if they had met. But he couldn’t shake the sense that he’d seen her, though he definitely would have noted meeting another shapeshifter. Wait, she’s a woman. A woman shapeshifter. Like Ana. How was that possible?
She’s tasty. Maybe you should keep her as your pet.
Chance looked at her again and felt a hunger growing within. Her power radiated out and it was all that he could do to restrain himself from shifting and attacking. He told himself that it may come to that, but his curiosity won out. He wanted to know how she knew his name . . .and how she’d come into existence.
“Who are you?” Chance asked.
“My name is Lifen and I have been following your mate’s growth over the last few months. I have been tracking you and Ana.”
Ana? Her face flashed in his thoughts and his chest squeezed so tightly it pained him. “Where is she? Is she safe?”
“Yes, she is safe. I had to leave her behind because she asked me to try to help you.” Lifen stepped toward him. “I can help you Chance. I am a healer.”
He didn’t like this at all. How did he know he could trust what she said? His senses were telling him he was in danger. “Stop—don’t come any closer. Stay away from me.”
Don’t trust her. All of the voices in his head seemed to be in agreement.
Lifen paused, mid-step. “Ana asked me to come. You’re safe with me.”
Anger roiled up in him. “I don’t know that. For all I know you, killed Ana first and came after me, or you’re lying now and you’ve never met her. I have no proof you are who you say you are. I have no reason to trust you.”
Just hearing Ana’s name put him on edge. His instinct to protect her fought against his memories of the insatiable hunger he’d experienced when he last saw her. The internal argument went on until he thought he’d go insane.
“I can help quiet the voices in your mind. I can see that you are wrestling with them now.” Lifen spoke quietly, as though she were speaking to a deer that was ready to bolt.
She wants your power. Pay attention to your energy levels—feel them slipping?
Chance focused inward and did, indeed, feel his blue core begin to crackle and dim.
“I bet. And that wouldn’t involve killing me? I’m not stupid.”
“I only want to
help you. You have to let me—if you fight against it then it will only harm you.”
“So you do mean to hurt me. Stay away unless you want a fight.” Chance rose to his feet and the muscles in his arms flexed.
She is special, very special, but too old. If you can’t tame her, then take her.
Chance completely agreed. He pushed past his sapped energy and fur rippled across his body. His shorts tore and fell to the ground as he relished the size of his favorite form. A growl reverberated in his chest and poured from his maw.
Lifen didn’t seem surprised or threatened at all by his display. Her lips curled up, almost in sympathy, which only confused and angered him.
“You are quite powerful indeed. Very impressive. You may be more powerful than myself—you may not be, but I did not come here to end you. I came here as a favor to my new student. If you were not poisoned with the shifter sickness, you would be of some value. You’re damaged goods.”
Any small modicum of doubt in his mind vanished after her speech. He wasn’t damaged—he was empowered, and ready to give her a good show. How dare she judge him.
Instead of using bear form, he decided it wasn’t impressive enough. He gathered up his energy, concentrated on the thunderbird mapping in his mind and let the transformation take over. Cinnamon feathers rippled down his arms and legs, and his beady eyes settled on the thin-framed woman before him. He snapped his beak and lifted his talons to display the length of his weapons. This would frighten anyone.
“Ah, the thunderbird,” Lifen said. “You are not the first to show me this form. It had its place with your ancestors. If only they had spent more time perfecting it . . . It is really only a large eagle with a lightning rod for a beak. Directing lightning is only useful if there is enough electricity in the air.”
This woman was infuriating him. Did she think she could just toy with him? Belittle him? All she’d displayed was the ability to shift into a small finch. She claimed to be a healer but hadn’t shown any amount of power. He could feel her energy from where he stood, but that didn’t mean she was any kind of threat.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “I’m just a weak woman. Well, youngster, I don’t feel the need to show off like a fool. I don’t need to. I know I am the one in control of this situation. Take your human form and just walk away. I do not need you. I do not want you. I only wish to keep my promise to my newest, most talented student.” Lifen blinked and stared at him with such intensity he wondered how many fights she’d been in and won.
We are unified and strong together. Take her. She belongs to us.
Chance stepped forward and Lifen’s arm shot up. Before he could take another step, his heart began to squeeze in his chest and his breath caught in his throat. Pain radiated through his abdomen and he stumbled back. Air hissed from the holes in his beak and he grew faint. Unable to stand any longer, he tipped over, his wings spread haphazardly.
As his consciousness failed and he fell into darkness, he heard Lifen’s voice beside him. “You are not good enough for her. I told you Chance—you should have just accepted my help. You are on your own now.”
Chapter 4
Ana paced frantically along the bank of the stream and stared up at the sun through the trees. She had impatiently watched it arc across the sky and now knew it was mid-afternoon. She was completely powerless and hated being left behind. How would Chance react without her there to gain his trust?
It was an odd sensation, but it almost felt like he was there with her, which was both soothing and agitating. She was done waiting. Ana didn’t really care if she got herself lost in the jungle, she wasn’t scared. Balam had taught her about the fauna and wildlife. She was confident.
Ana snatched up her backpack and Lifen’s belongings. She adjusted the talisman Balam had given her along with Chance’s necklaces so they wouldn’t pinch her neck under the straps and then set off in the direction Lifen had flown.
Before long a bird swooped down and squawked at her. She stopped. “Lifen? Is that you?”
The bird scurried forward across the leafy ground and lifted to peck at the edges of the blue fabric she was carrying. Ana took that as a yes. She spread out the cloth before her and Lifen’s head rose above the top.
“Thank you, Ana.” Lifen wrapped it around her body as if she had done it thousands of times before.
“Where’s Chance?” Ana asked and tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.
Lifen reached out and held her hands, which made her fingers tingle. Her face grew serious.
Ana couldn’t read her expression, but she was confident her mentor didn’t have good news for her.
“I found him, Ana.”
Her heart skipped a beat, but then she acknowledged the obvious. “Is he okay? Is he hurt? Why didn’t he come back with you?”
“He was safe and from what I could tell, unharmed.”
Ana was filled with anxiety and could have burst. She was starting to question if Lifen had any experience giving bad news. Rip the Band-Aid off already!
As if she could hear Ana’s thoughts, Lifen pulled her into a gentle hug and whispered, “I am sorry. I was not able to convince him I was there to help. He is too sick to know what is good for him.”
Ana pinched her eyes shut and tried to accept the news. Things were falling apart and only getting worse. If she had only been able to shift and gone to see Chance, she was sure things would have turned out differently. Her pain began to turn into anger. No amount of crying, sobbing and feeling sorry for herself was going to change things. Chance had saved her life twice. Had given all of himself for her and it was her turn to save him. Now that things were getting rough, it wasn’t time to fall apart. She pulled away from Lifen and wiped away the last of her tears. She was tired of feeling powerless and it was going to end now. Chance had given her life when her body had given up. Now, she was going to use her amazing powers to save him.
“Well then, let’s get to work. If anyone’s going to help him, it’ll be me and if I need to be more powerful and more experienced, then I need to get started. We’ve gotta get out of here immediately. I have to stop home on the way, or otherwise there’ll only be more problems. C’mon.”
Ana handed Lifen her pouch, jogged back to the stream and carefully stepped across the fallen tree trunk. Lifen stayed close behind in human form, even when Ana ran along the trail. Branches slapped against her skin and she pulled vines loose while she sped past. She had a singular focus, and there wasn’t time to waste. Even if it killed her, she would save Chance.
Thankful to fly home to Idaho, Ana didn’t care if it used up the rest of her savings. She just wanted to get moving. She put the golden snake hairpin that Balam had given her into the front pouch of her bag so she could keep it close. Ana wasn’t about to let anything happen to it.
After they were waved through U.S. customs at Spokane International Airport, Lifen pulled her aside near the women’s bathrooms. “Ana, I think it is best if I do not go to your home in human form. There will be too many questions and I admit I do not socialize with people without powers anymore. I would be more comfortable in canine form, if you do not mind. I think it would be easiest.”
Ana was relieved that she’d said something. She had been worrying about how to introduce her to her mother. She hadn’t said anything to Melissa about traveling with Lifen, only that she was coming home.
“Yeah, I think you’re right. If you don’t mind being a dog for a couple days, then that works for me.”
“Just remember, Ana, we need to leave as soon as possible. If we are going to drive north, it will take us even longer to get back and I need to get home to my other students. I cannot ensure their safety while I am gone.”
“I understand. I want to start training too—maybe we could fit in a little along the way?” Ana asked hopefully.
Lifen’s lips upturned. “That may be possible.”
“Fantastic!” Ana’s excitement died as she thought of
Chance. “What do I do about Chance? What do I tell my mom?”
“It may be painful for you to do, but what if you tell her you broke up? It is not that far from the truth. You are not together.” Lifen said it factually. Ana knew she was only being helpful, but her words stung.
“Yeah, I guess that’s the easiest thing to say. Mom asked if Chance was coming home with me and I changed the subject. I think she knows something’s up, so she didn’t push it.” Ana adjusted her backpack and sighed. “Well, you ready to get going? Mom’ll be waiting outside. Where do you want to change?”
Ana found it amusing, saying it like she just needed to change her clothes or something.
Lifen started into a nearby women’s room. “Here is fine.”
Ana followed her inside and was relieved to see there were only a couple of women fixing their makeup at the mirrors. They walked over to an empty section and entered two neighboring stalls. Lifen handed Ana her pouch from under the stall and then a moment later, her scruffy nose poked underneath too. She crawled onto Ana’s side and wagged her tail happily.
Ana chuckled and slipped Lifen’s purse over her neck. “Oh! What about a leash? No offense, but you kinda look like a stray.”
In response, her mentor dropped her snout to the ground and lifted the blue sarong in her mouth. Ana shrugged. “That’ll work.”
She looped one end around the dog’s neck and tied it off in a loose knot. Lifen looked up at Ana with her dark eyes and gave a soft yip. It was time to go. Ana stepped out of the stall with her new pet and into the airport hallway. They wandered toward the exit and passenger pickup.
“Mom should be out here if she left on time,” Ana muttered to Lifen. “She said she’d have to leave early from work and since it was late notice she wasn’t sure if her boss would give her a hard time or not.” A man in a business suit brushed by them and gave Ana a funny look. When the automatic doors opened for them, a burst of humid air brushed past her and Ana’s favorite smell met her nose. Rain. The gray Northwestern skies made her feel justified in her depressed mood.
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