by C L Amos
Sasha opened up her suitcase and took out the magical bottle of pheromones; she would have him eating out of her paw and before morning he would be bound and gagged and ready for collection. She smiled as she dabbed it on her neck … “Resist this, you prick!”
She stripped naked for the second time that day and flapped up to the perch on the bedroom window. It was already dark, the farm around her eerily still, and she took in a deep breath to calm her fears and slowly closed her eyes before taking flight in the direction of P’s campsite. As she broke through the tree line, she saw the fire at the campsite. She marveled at how well hidden it was from the valley floor… but from her new vantage point, everything was crystal clear. As she got closer, she could see a tall shirtless man stoking the fire. She circled overhead twice checking for weapons and traps before landing in the small clearing.
The man looked up, put the stick down, walked over to his bed and picked up a bucket and threw the water out over Sasha. She cawed loudly in shock and disgust and as she started shifting back, she was equally surprised when mid-shift he threw her gown over her body to cover her nakedness. Sasha half cawed and scowled him as she finished her transition. “What the hell are you doing!”
The man casually made his way back to the fire, picked up his stick and continued stoking the fire…he looked up and touched his nose, “I could smell the pheromones the minute you flapped out the cottage window… I am a bear, you know.”
Sasha grimaced, annoyed that once again P had the upper hand. She draped the gown over her shoulders and demanded, “Give me my cell, I don’t need this shit from you.”
The man raised his hands in submission, “Sorry, I just wanted to chat,” he pointed to a log next to the fire… “Please sit with me…” he took the bottle of wine out, popped the cork and handed the bottle to Sasha, “Please just have a drink with me, and after that I will give you your phone and you can be on your way.”
Sasha took a seat on the log, grabbed the bottle from him and took a swig, “Who the hell are you and why are you stalking me?”
P sat down, stroking his fiery red beard with his hand, “That is a fair question. My name is Pete and I am very curious as to what you are doing on the farm…”
Sasha tried to speak, “I am there …”
But Pete raised his hands and cut her off, “Don’t give me that councilor bullshit, you might be working for the High Council but there is no way in hell that you are a counselor.”
Sasha grimaced, “How dare you try and tell me who I am! You are the one hiding in the shadows stalking them…”
He chuckled, “Don’t worry about me! My intentions …unlike yours… are pure.” He passed Sasha the bottle and caught her stare, held it and asked pan faced, “How is Jim doing these days? You must be very important to him because he doesn’t usually drive his operatives to their jobs.”
Sasha broke the stare and felt her face flush, took the wine from him again and swigged it, “You have obviously drawn your own conclusion about who I am and why I am here. Why are you playing games with me?”
Pete straightened his beard again… “I should have killed you the second Jim drove off… in fact, that’s why I came down to your cabin last night.”
Sasha smiled, “You could have tried…”
Pete sat back, bouncing his pecs, “You aren’t the only one Jim trained… I reckon I would give you a decent run for your money.”
Sasha jumped to her feet, preparing to strike, “Well let’s stop playing games and get this over with.”
Pete shook his head and motioned for Sasha to sit back down, “Here, have some more wine… I didn’t invite you to fight. Like I said I want to get to know you a bit better because there is something in my mind that just doesn’t add up about you… you are a bit of an enigma to me.”
Sasha held his gaze, “What doesn’t add up?”
Pete smiled, “I watched your interactions with the twins and I honestly don’t think that you have it in you to kill them.”
Sasha cut him off, “Why would I want to kill them?”
Pete touched his nose, “The High Council is afraid of them… whether or not their fear is justified is yet to be decided. You don’t strike me as someone who has their head up the Council’s butt, which means that they have another hold on you…” he paused to let his words sink in… “They own you and have probably promised you your freedom if you complete this job…” he paused again and lifted the beard from his neck, revealing a deep, rugged scar… “They promised me the same a long time ago and this was the only freedom they gave me.”
Sasha looked at the scar; she recognized the distinctive pattern and knew only one person who carried such a blade, “Jim? Jim would never hurt me.”
Pete shook his head, “Jim has one love and that is Marcelle, and if you don’t realize it by now then you are in for a serious wake up call.”
Sasha took a swig of wine and stared into his eyes, searching for a hint of deceit, “Why should I trust you… I don’t even know you?”
Pete nodded, “You don’t know me, but I saw something in you when you were in the paddock. You have a gift with changelings…” He sat back and smiled mischievously, “You might want to do your own meditation beforehand so you can stay in control of your urges though…” He winked at her, “I gather Jim didn’t warn you about the bond between a changeling and their mentor.”
Sasha flushed red remembering her first session with Julia, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Pete laughed, “That’s between you and Julia… it’s perfectly normal in training though.” He raised his hands, “Jokes aside… I have watched them train for at least a month now and that is the first time either of them has actually made it through the course and on top of it managed to kill the bull. I don’t think you understand how rare it is for a mentor to achieve that on their first lesson.”
Sasha sighed deeply, not sure what to make of Pete and everything he told her. He was obviously part of the Faction and maybe this was their way of manipulating people into their organization. Sasha might have despised the Council but that didn’t mean she was ready to betray everything she had ever known.
Just then her phone began to ring. Pete took it out of his pocket, looked at the screen and passed her the phone, “It’s Jim.”
Sasha was surprised that he gave the phone to her, knowing she could bust him and have the hills crawling in a matter of minutes with Jim’s other operatives, and she let it ring for a few seconds and took a deep breath before answering, “Hi Jim.”
Jim sounded annoyed, “Sasha, is there any news on the intruder? I have had Marcelle on my case the whole day!”
Sasha looked up at Pete sitting only a meter from her, he looked relaxed… too relaxed for her liking. Was he that confident that she wouldn’t bust him? Or did he want her to bust him? She couldn’t decide and shook her head, “Sorry Jim, I did a sweep of the property this afternoon and there was no sign of him or any makeshift campsites on the property. I will head out again at first light and check further down the mountain ridges and work my way back up the valley bottom. If he is hiding out, it will probably be there.”
Jim flustered, “You should have caught him by now… do I need to send someone in who can do the job?”
Sasha lowered her voice, “Relax, Jim, I will find him. Remember I am sticking to your game plan… I had a training session with Tom this afternoon and it left me with only two hours to sweep the grounds without attracting unnecessary attention. Remember we’re supposed to be playing the long game, and counselling the twins is more important than a rogue bear stalking the countryside.”
Jim relented, “I suppose you are right; we can’t afford for the pack to get suspicious. You have 4 days to sort this out, failing that I will have no choice but to send in the troops and sweep the entire area.”
Sasha protested, “That is insane, it would attract the attention of every wolf pack on the Eastern Seaboard.”
“So? Do your job and
find that fucking bear!”
“Okay! Okay! I got the message loud and clear I will get you the bear.”
Pete waited for her to kill the call and lock her phone, “I remember those charming calls… frantic to blind rage and back again in 0.2 seconds… do you think he has anger issues?”
Sasha picked up a small rock and threw it at him, “That is the first time I have ever lied to Jim and I don’t even know why I lied… I should have given him your location and let him send in a team.”
Pete slapped the stone away and raised his right eyebrow, “Then why didn’t you?” He raised his hands in submission, “Don’t answer that!” He leant in close, “Open yourself up and give yourself just one month with the twins to discover who you are… there is a connection between the three of you and you need to explore it.”
Sasha shrugged, “One month? I have 4 days to turn you in before the mountains swarm with operatives and all you are concerned with is my relationship with the twins?”
Pete nodded, “Pretty much, you were obviously meant to guide them.” He stood up took a stick from the fire and threw it onto his bed.
Sasha turned to him… “What the hell are you doing now?”
Pete shrugged, “You are going to call Jim in the morning and say you found my burnt out and abandoned campsite. You will ask him to send in a covert team to sweep the area and place traps and perimeter sensors around the borders to alert you to my presence should I return, and you will suggest that the covert team spend the next week out here to search the nearby farms.”
Sasha laughed, “So what now… you trust me just to betray Jim and fall in line with your plan? I don’t even know you… all you told me was your name and that Jim trained you… why the hell would I betray him after all these years?”
Pete walked over to Sasha and engulfed her with his enormous arms and pulled her in close. She tried to fight him but he held her firm until she quieted down, and spoke to her softly, “I do trust you, you have a good heart and if you take my advice – not my orders - you will see that there is more to life than the killing for hire… ignore Jim and follow your own instincts.” He looked down and kissed her on her forehead… “Protect the twins until I return.”
Sasha felt a sense of warmth surround her, dissolving the fear and anguish of her sudden uncertainty. She could feel the power and strength in his big, muscular arms and the rhythmic pitter-patter of his beating heart. If nothing else he had a very calming and comforting way about him, and as he kissed her on the forehead, she felt a sense of belonging. She reached up and stroked his soft beard, while gazing deeply into his dark green eyes, “What have you done to me? I was ready to kill you and yet here I am falling for your every word like a love-struck teenager.”
Pete chuckled silently as he broke off the embrace, “I am simply offering you what you have always desired… true freedom.” With that he stepped back and flapped his arms as they shifted into the wings of a large American Eagle. The two stared into each other’s souls for a few long seconds before he looked up and took to the skies. She watched him circle higher and higher until he eventually faded into the night sky.
Sasha felt a sudden chill over her; she was all alone out in the wilderness at night and it was eerily silent. She looked over the campsite. Her scent would linger here too if she didn’t act swiftly, so she grabbed the empty bottle of wine and her cell and carefully wrapped them in her gown, then took the log they had sat upon and threw it onto the burning pile of leaves and twigs which, only moments before, had been his bed. She closed her eyes and shifted, carefully grabbing her gown with her talons, and took flight down to her cabin.
Chapter 9 Back to the Game Plan
Sasha wracked her brain all night. She couldn’t help but feel drawn to Pete; she wasn’t sure if it was the kindness in his dark green eyes or the sincerity in his voice, or if it was just his pheromones intoxicating her brain… he did say he was trained by Jim, so maybe he was playing her? She shook the thoughts from her head; the only thing she was sure of as the first light of dawn broke through her window was that Pete had become as much of an enigma to her as she had become to him.
She climbed out of bed and tore up the note and flushed the pieces down the toilet, and then proceeded to clean her phone with an alcohol-based solution. She could have no trace of Pete on or near her if she were going to convince Jim. Finally, she placed her phone in a small satchel, opened the window and closed her eyes as she transformed back into a Raven. She picked up her phone and flew up to the campsite on the ridge.
The last few embers smoked away as she landed in the blackened clearing, the green shrubbery keeping the flames contained. Sasha landed in the clearing and changed into her human form, and she called Jim.
Jim answered groggily still half asleep at this ungodly hour, “Yes Sasha!”
Sasha rattled off the instructions given to her by Pete and Jim seemed more than happy to oblige; most of it was standard protocol, after all. She sent him a pin to mark the location and within 15 minutes saw the stealth chopper breaking the hues of the early morning sky. The team dropped in with military precision and shifted into their animal forms… they picked up his scent and began sweeping the countryside. She recognized a few of them from her training and was especially surprised to see Damien land. He had a glass jar with him, and he collected a sample of soil containing Pete’s scent. He walked over to Sasha and slapped her naked butt.
Sasha returned the favor by slapping him almost off his feet, “Still slow, I see.”
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and laughed, “One day, daddy won’t be there to protect you.”
Sasha shook her head, “I look forward to the day you swallow some cement and grow a pair of balls!”
Damien spat on the ground, “Fuck you!”
A voice came from behind Sasha, taking them both by surprise, “Now play nice you two…”
Sasha felt flushed as she turned to Jim, “This must be big if you are out here.”
Jim nodded, “We will know how big in a few moments,” He took the jar from Damian, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. His eyes shot open and his facial expression went cold. “It’s impossible!” He sniffed it repeatedly for a few seconds before throwing down the jar, instantly shattering it into a thousand pieces.
Sasha watched his reaction and remembered the scar Pete had shown her the night before, “Who is this bear and why are you so rattled?”
Jim drew his knife, “I killed him once… but I will do it again if I have to.”
Sasha placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him, “Relax, Jim, we have the guys sweeping the area, if he is still in the vicinity, they will catch him.”
Jim looked around, frantically, “Call the guys back; Pete is long gone, he set these fires for you to find… he is always one step ahead, the bloody bastard.”
Damien began to whistle, calling back the sweepers.
Jim put his arm around Sasha, “You are going to have to be very careful; Pete is a threeling like yourself but has bear, eagle and alligator. He is crafty and won’t be found until he wants to be.” He knelt down and picked up some earth and raised it to Sasha’s nose. “Remember this scent, focus on it and ingrain it into your brain; he may come in any form and try to deceive you… you need to strike his human form with venom, it’s the only way you will be able to kill him. No games though… he will see through your tricks and deception, so strike first and strike fast.”
Sasha inhaled deeply and finally nodded, “I have his scent.” She looked down at her phone and saw the time, “Oh, crap, my lesson with the twins.”
Jim nodded, “It is imperative you gain their trust and stop Pete from getting close to them… we can’t afford to lose them to the Faction.”
Sasha nodded, “I got this, Jim, I have never let you down before and I don’t intend to start now.” She started flapping her arms as she changed, and she grabbed her phone with her talons and flew down to the cabin.
Chapter 10 Fledglings
Sasha rushed over to the paddock and just before she ducked under the pole to enter, she glanced up at the mountainside. From down here the fever of activity seemed almost non-existent although she could still feel their presence, eerily watching her every move. She couldn’t give them any reason to doubt her loyalty. If they wanted a show, then she would give them one to remember.
Jim took out his binoculars and stood next to Damien, “Something seemed off with Sasha this morning. I want you to stay behind and do a little investigation of your own.”
Damien smiled and feverishly rubbed his hands together, “If she is hiding anything, I will find it!”
“Good,” he raised the binoculars and focused in on the paddock below… “In the meantime, you get to watch a master at work... you would do well to pick up a few of her moves.”
Back in the paddock Sasha swung out her yoga mat and flopped it down in front of the twins and sat cross-legged facing them. She reached out with her right hand and grabbed Tom’s hand, and with her left she grabbed Julia’s. She took in a deep breath and could faintly smell the twins intoxicating pheromones, and she spoke soft and slowly, her voice almost hypnotic, “Let the energy flow freely between us, we are one in spirit, we are one in motion, let us control our urges and channel our deepest desires into the power of transformation.” Sasha took another deep breath, “We are the chosen children, blessed with more than one form, it is our divine duty to harness each form we are permitted and honor the animal as it has honored us, we give thanks to the wolf…”
Tom and Julia responded, “We honor the wolf within us! Blessed are we who nature has chosen as her own.”