by Sierra Brave
He led her past the school buildings to the student parking lot before he unlocked the door to an amazing silver sports car and threw his stuff in the backseat. Suki didn’t know much about vehicles but just by looking she could tell this one was expensive, and the little horse and GT emblem told her she was about to ride in a Mustang. “Wow. This is yours?”
“Nope. It belongs to my old man. I’m not supposed to drive it.” He held the passenger-side door open for her.
“Won’t you get in trouble?” She looked up at him with wide eyes but he shrugged.
“Doesn’t matter. Get on in.”
Suki obeyed, sitting down on the luxurious, gray leather seat before buckling up. He slid behind the wheel. “Are you sure it will be okay?”
He glanced her way and for a second, she saw a wince of pain before he slammed the sign of weakness behind a steel door. She leaned closer, hopeful he might share another one of the secrets brewing below the surface. As their gazes locked, he sighed. “When it comes to my old man, nothing matters. Even if I take top scores and do everything he wants, he’ll treat me the same way he would if I stole his precious car. Nothing I do or don’t do will make a difference. He’ll always be cold as ice before the bottle and violent after.” He flashed his perfect teeth and lifted his eyebrows as he smiled. “I might as well at least get to drive the car.”
Suki returned his smile, but her stomach felt funny. Mal didn’t look like he’d been beaten up, but she didn’t think he’d lie about his dad hitting him. Her parents didn’t spank her, but she remembered her grandmother recounting how she had been punished with a switch when she was a girl. Maybe she’d figured out why Mal had flinched when he sat down.
As he cranked the car, the radio blared Dani California. The engine roared as they headed for the parking lot’s exit. “I forgot to ask if you know the way home.”
Suki smiled. “I do.”
“Awesome or we’d have to turn back around.”
“My family’s farm is a few miles out past the old, country store where they sell tacos on Tuesdays. Do you know how to get there?”
He nodded. “Hardings Depot. They sell the only thing that comes close to passing for Mexican food in these parts for super cheap. Of course, I know exactly how to get there.”
“Good, just keep going past them, and my place isn’t far.”
“I always reward myself with veggie tacos after I finish barrel racing practice on Tuesdays.”
She gasped. “That’s where I’ve seen you. You competed against my cousin.”
“Who’s your cousin?”
“Collin Marks.”
“Ah, he’s good. Almost beat me once. Nice kid too.” He glanced at her, and as she looked at his face, a light of recognition hit his eyes. “Is that why those guys were targeting you? Because you’re a Marks?”
A small sense of indignation and hurt brewed in her belly. Does he think along the same lines as Tony and Ollie? Do I disgust him? She nodded, her chin pressing down toward her chest as she stared at her lap. “Yeah.”
“Those idiots!”
Her head jerked up and she caught a glimpse of his knotted eyebrows in the rearview mirror. A smile spread across her face as her heart swelled to near bursting. “Why do you think they’d say I’m deformed?”
He smacked his lips, looking at the road as he drove. “Because they’re stupid.”
“They said my eyes were shaped funny too.”
“Morons. Your eyes are the same as theirs—your eyelids are different. You shouldn’t pay attention to the opinions of ignorant people.”
Fresh tears broke through and Suki whimpered. “They ruined my birthday.”
He glanced at her, still high-tailing it down the road. “Seriously? How old?”
“Ten,” She sniffled.”
“Double-digit birthday. Congrats.” He slowed down before pulling over on the side of the road. “Alright. Since you’re not a little kid anymore, I guess it’s okay for me to tell you but only if you promise to stop crying.”
“I want to know!” She wiped her face with her palms as she blinked away the last droplets and widened her eyes in an attempt to stay strong.
“Before I say anything, I want you to fully understand it’s all bullshit anyway. Got it?” He stared straight at her face as he waited for her reply.
She nodded vigorously and he continued to watch her expression for a few seconds before speaking, “So, I don’t have all the details, but more than a hundred years ago, one of the daughters from the Banks Clan was married off to a man of means by the last name of Marks. They had a baby, and due to a naturally occurring mutation, their child was born with a deformity. Back in those days when people couldn’t explain something tragic, some jerks would try to convince themselves it never could have happened to them by blaming the victims. Along those lines, the Marks were accused of certain…” He paused and blew a breath through his nose before he said, “Taboos.”
“What type of taboos? What’s a taboo?”
He grimaced, squirming in his seat. “The kind of thing I’m not especially comfortable talking about with a little girl.”
“Please tell meee.” She nearly choked on the last word.
He pushed his hands up through his hair, holding his head. “Ugh, what have I gotten myself into?” He ran his palm along the back of his neck as he sighed. “Okay, I guess you’ve got a right. You already know what we are, don’tcha?”
“Shhh—Ummm. Is it okay to say?”
“Only because I’m one too. You smell it on me. Right? Just like I smell it on you.”
She averted her eyes, her cheeks burning. She could definitely smell shifter pheromones wafting off of him, but none ever smelled like his before. “Yes, but humans can’t smell them.”
“Yep. Smart girl.”
She grinned. “Are you a horse like me?”
He laughed. “Hell no, ain’t no filly. I’m a stallion.”
“Well, of course.” She giggled.
“But yeah, we’re shifters…and your ancestors were accused…” He placed his palms together, lightly clapping his fingertips as he looked off to the side. “Hmmm, how do I explain this without...Did you ever see a mare have a foal?”
“Yes.”
He smiled, pumping his fist as if he’d won some small victory. “Okay, great—halfway there. You know how a mama and a daddy have a baby?”
“Ew, gross. Yes.” Suki scrunched up her nose.
“He held up his hands. Okay, don’t get squeamish. Those ancestors of yours were probably a little too closely related—back then, cousin-lovin’ wasn’t as frowned upon as it is now.”
Suki’s jaw dropped and her bottom lip folded over, showing her tongue. “Ew…no wonder.”
“Yeah, it’s gross, but there were fewer people back then so marriage between first cousins was a fairly common practice.”
“And everyone thinks my family is like that?” A lump filled her throat.
Mal shook his head. “No, no, no. What I mean is in the case of your ancestors, each parent carried a recessive gene that caused the mutation. When the baby turned four and tried for the first shift, it could only do it halfway, bottom-half horse, top human. People were upset and scared and soon after, the couple was accused of trying to create the baby while one of them was still in their shifted form.”
Suki’s eyes widened and her mouth opened on a gasp just before she gagged. “That can’t be true.” She held back the bile trying to force its way up her throat again.
Mal’s eyebrows lifted and he put his hands out in a halting motion. “Don’t puke in the car. Don’t do it!” He opened his door and jumped out before running around and opening her door, unbuckling her, and helping her out of her seat. “Breathe, little lady, breathe.” Suki sucked in air through her nostrils, filling her lungs. “You okay?
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s not true. It’s just what I said. My dad’s an ass but a damn good doctor. I read about the condition in one of his
journals in his study. I can’t remember the scientific name, but it’s a real medical condition caused by recessive genes, not taboo boot-knocking, and it’s not actually that uncommon or it wasn’t before shifter birthrates started tanking.”
Suki huffed and puffed, taking in more air. “Really?”
“That’s right.”
“In fact, they didn’t know it back then, but scientific studies have shown it would be impossible for conception between a shifted and non-shifted to have occurred. The old clan split out of prejudice, ignorance, and fear. People took sides with about a fourth of them sticking by the Marks man and his wife. They formed their own clan with those others. You and your family are not and never were abominations.”
Suki threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. He placed a hand on her head and gently patted her back. “Alright. Quit now. Come on—back in the car. I need to get you home before your family starts getting worried.”
For the rest of the ride, they rolled down the windows and turned up the radio, singing off-key as the wind blew through their hair. As the car pulled up to Suki’s house, her father and uncle were already jumping the fence to come to see who was kicking up so much dust.
She hurried out and thanked Mal for all his help, knowing she’d remember him for the rest of her life. He put the car in reverse and turned around in the driveway. Just before pulling off, he called out the open window, “Happy birthday, Suzie Q!”
I never corrected him on my name. Before she could speak up, the engine purred its loud melody and he took off in the direction in which he came.
“Who was that boy, baby?” Her father placed a hand on her shoulder, likely concerned about her dirty dress and messy hair.
She looked up into his eyes and grinned. “That’s the boy I’m going to marry.”
Her Uncle Jaime grimaced. “I’m so glad I only have sons.”
Her dad elbowed his brother. “You got in the car with a stranger?” He knotted his eyebrows.
“No. He saved me from two bullies, and he said his name’s Malcolm Patterson. We’re not strangers anymore.”
Her dad palmed his face. “Patterson…Is he Doc Patterson’s boy?”
“Yep.” Suki nodded.
The lines around her father’s eyes looked deeper than usual as he pursed his lips into a line. He shook his index finger at her. “If you miss the bus again, go back inside the school and call me to fetch you. No more hitching rides. Not everyone’s nice, especially not to our family. Okay?”
“Yes, sir. Has Grandma finished icing my cake yet?” She turned away, looking toward her house.
Her father placed and hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him again. “I’m serious, Suki. I think it’s about time your uncle and I start teaching you some tricks for getting out of scrapes and staying safe. Number one is not ever accepting a ride with anyone you don’t know, especially a boy.” She could tell he was upset because his voice was a little louder than usual but not enough to be considered yelling.
She looked down at her feet. “He saved—”
Her dad tapped her under her chin with one finger, encouraging her to look at him as he spoke over her. “What if he’d been in on the game the whole time?”
She shook her head. “He wasn’t!”
“I said what if? Be smart; stay safe.”
“He’s special.”
Her dad’s eyes widened. “How?”
“He was so nice and handsome, and he smelled so good.”
“What?” Her uncle’s voice boomed, and he exchanged a look with her father she didn’t understand.
Her father’s nostrils flared, both firsts clenched at his sides. “Did he do anything to you?” He knelt down so his face was in front of hers.
She shook her head. “No.”
“Promise not to ever take a ride from someone unless I’ve arranged for them to pick you up.”
“Okay.”
“Promise.”
She nodded. “I promise.”
Her dad’s face softened and he hugged her before looking over his shoulder at his brother. Her uncle spoke up. “Sorry. Next time Collin has an appointment, I’ll have his mama pick Suki up early too.”
The corners of Suki’s mouth turned upward in response to the great news. “The cake?”
Her dad patted her head as he stood upright. “Go check.”
“Okay.” Suki skipped toward the main house, humming the last song on the radio before she left the car.
Chapter Two
Three days before Doctor Patterson’s funeral
Harley panted, running through the forest as fast as she could. The heavy metal collar the two men who’d kidnapped her had fastened around her neck prevented her from shifting. Having her hands tied behind her back wasn’t helping either. Sweat drenched her lime green tee shirt, and her legs ached, but she didn’t dare stop or even slow down. She squinted, barely able to see her way through the woods, having lost her glasses when the two men snatched her out of the parking garage across the street from her office.
“Don’t let that bitch get away.” The gruff voice of her captor—the one with the larger blur and bad grammar—was closer than the last time she’d heard him speak. She increased her speed, attempting to take larger strides. She made some ground but then stumbled over a tree root and fell on her knees.
Shit. If I could shift, I’d be able to hide where they’d never find me. Damn this collar. As soon as she struggled to her feet, she took off like a shot, zig-zagging through the tall blurs created by the trees. As she rounded a large trunk, someone stepped in front of her, knocking her to the ground with a hard thud. A searing pain ran from her tailbone up her back. She groaned before begging, “Please, help me. Help me up.” She squinted, attempting to bring the person’s face into focus.
“She’s here.” A man with an unfamiliar voice called out, alerting the two who’d taken her. Harley’s heart sunk and tears flooded her eyes. “Aw, poor little whore thought she’d found a friend?” His cruel laugh filled her chest with anger, her nostrils flaring. “Oooh, she’s pissed.” Her scalp prickled just before he yanked her up by her ponytail.
Harley heard a twig snap behind her just before one of her kidnappers grabbed her around the chest, placing his face by her head. She could smell the coffee and cigarettes on his breath. “Got you.” The voice matched the man who’d called her a bitch. He wasn’t much taller than her, but his body was as hard as a rock. “I bet you thought you were being real cute, running from us, but now we’re going to have to punish you.”
Nausea whirled in her stomach and an icy chill ran up her spine. He whirled her around before pushing her, demanding she go back toward the dilapidated shack where they’d been keeping her for the past few hours. She couldn’t tell a lot about the place, but the one with the posh voice had asked the other if he was sure the roof wouldn’t fall down on them and had referred to the building as a filthy shithole. Harley slowed down, digging her heels in. “Look, my glasses fell off when you guys took me. I haven’t been able to see what you look like—if you let me go now, everything will be okay. I won’t say anything, but if you hurt me, my step-mom and sister will come after you.”
One of the men who’d abducted her grabbed her around the neck over the strangle collar. “Oh, your step-mother, you mean that cougar-shifting whore who married a filthy house cat, and your slutty cougar sister that’s fucking a horse shifter? Those two bitches are the reason you’re in so much trouble. Either of them would have been too dangerous to risk a direct confrontation so you will have to pay the price for your sister’s crime.”
“What crime? My sister is a good person!” She tried to pull away but he tightened his hold before slapping her face. She cried out.
“Contaminating our race with her feline DNA.” She trembled as he shoved her through the door before he pushed her down on the old worn-out mattress on the floor. “Please. Just let me go.”
“You bastards didn’t start
the party without me; did you?” The new arrival’s question along with the sound of the jingle of his belt buckle sent Harley into panting sobs.
“Hell no.” She could hear the disgust in her abductor’s voice. “Neither of us would lower ourselves to lay with her type. Since you’re a half-breed and therefore already tainted, you’re ideally suited for the task.”
Chapter Three
Malcolm bristled at the chill in the air as he stepped out of his burgundy Prius. He’d forgotten how harsh the climate on the mountain could be. After reaching into the back seat and retrieving the heavy coat he’d debated packing, he slid into the garment’s comfortable warmth before closing the door. He lingered by the car, staring out across the graveyard at the green tent embossed with letters that spelled out Gate’s Funeral Home. He watched the breath from his sigh materialize in front of him as he observed hundreds of people pouring out of their cars and lining up to see his father, the man he’d thought too hateful to ever croak, be lowered into the ground.
A memory assaulted his brain with flashes of long-ago violence he’d mostly trapped behind a dense fog of amnesia until his subconscious forced bits and pieces of the past through the abyss in the form of nightmares or sudden flashes of jumbled information. He shuddered while balling his hands up within the pockets of his coat. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried to reconcile the swirl of conflicting emotions battering his senses. So many people showed up to see that SOB off.
“You okay?” His best friend’s voice pulled him from his intrusive thoughts.
“Huh?” He stared at Dash’s face blankly, noting the worry in his dark eyes just before he felt the half-Native American wolf shifter’s hand on his shoulder.
“You look kinda sick. Do you need to sit down?”
That’s right. I’d followed Dash and Mama Carol here. They’d wanted me to ride with them but I couldn’t bear any conversation. He placed his hand on the back of his neck as he shook his head. “Nah, I’m fine. I guess I should go sit up in front by the casket? Will you and Mama Carol sit next to me?”