by Eve Langlais
“It’s more than just the NDA. This entire project I’m doing… It’s wrong. I’ve suspected it for years, and now that I’m working at the very heart of it, it’s been confirmed.”
“Walk away.”
“I can’t. He’ll kill me.”
She blinked at his statement. Johan didn’t appear to be jesting. Still… “You’re exaggerating. It can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, but it is. I’ve been doing evil things, Nanette. Things I’m going to Hell for. But what I’ve been asked to do now? I can’t. I just can’t.” His head drooped.
She put a hand on his shoulder and leaned close. “Can’t do what, Johan?”
His expression remained bleak as he lifted his head to say, “I can’t kill a child. It’s not his fault he didn’t manifest, that he’s one hundred percent normal.”
She reeled. “Kill a child? What have you gotten involved in?”
“Something bigger than me and you.”
“Then tell the authorities.”
“I can’t,” he exclaimed. “Or I’ll end up like the previous doctor if anyone ever finds out I told you.”
“How am I supposed to avenge you if I don’t know what’s going on?” was her weak reply.
“No one would believe you if you told them. I still struggle with it myself.” Then, as if he’d made a decision, it emerged in a rush. “I’m working on the creation of huanimorphs.”
“A what?”
“Huanimorph. The term coined for those who can morph from human to animal.”
“Why would anyone want to do that?”
“Ask those in the hundreds of werewolf movies and books. Humans have always wanted to be more. Stronger. Faster. Taking the best of humanity and mixing it with the physical traits of another.”
“That’s gross.”
“It’s already happening. Werewolves are real. And not just real; the government knows about them. Even uses them as elite soldiers. But being the military, they want more. And not just wolves. They want soldiers that can swim great distances undetected or that can climb or move stealthily through jungles.”
“You’re making monsters for the government.”
“Not very well,” he admitted. “While we’ve had some successes with the Ursine genome, reptile, and even in tweaking the wolf to create better huanimorphs, we’ve failed to trigger the same shifting gene in those twisted with feline and avian DNA.”
It struck her then. “You’re experimenting on children.” She gaped at him. “Is that what you meant by killing a kid?”
“The splicing occurs before gestation, during the embryonic stage.”
“I’m confused. Who are you going to kill, then?”
“DK04. He is the only one of the panther litter that survived. He’s also just over four years old and still hasn’t manifested.”
“So, he can’t shift into a—a—?”
“Panther.”
She blinked. “So what if he can’t?”
“He’s a failure, and I’ve been told to terminate.”
She gaped at her brother. “You can’t kill a child.”
“I know.” His shoulders sagged. “What else can I do, though? If he doesn’t disappear, by my hand, then I will.”
She could see that he truly feared for his life. Felt he had no other option. But a recent divorcee with a bit of money to buy a place and settle down did.
“Give him to me.”
“What?” Johan’s turn to blink at her.
“I said, give me the child. I’ll raise him.”
“That might not be a good idea. We don’t know what will happen as he gets older. He could become dangerous.”
“He’s a kid in need of a protector.” A mother. And she had a chance to make a family.
That night, under the guise of darkness, DK04, who would become Dominick, was smuggled out, and Nana drove across several provinces before settling in Ontario. She started out in Sudbury, but the long winters sent her fleeing within a few years, along with a second son and a daughter. They moved to Ottawa, where she bought a farm and continued receiving kids until Johan died.
There was silence in the kitchen as she finished.
Nana glanced at Dominick. “I’m sorry I lied to you. To all of you. In my defense, I just wanted to give you the home and love you deserved.”
“You saved me. You saved all of us,” Stefan murmured.
Whereas Raymond was on his laptop. “Says your brother died in a car crash.”
She nodded. “He was about to retire and feared for his life. But he didn’t want to leave until he managed to get one last child out.”
“Daphne?”
She shook her head. “He died the night he was supposed to meet me. I never got the kid.”
“Does the secret lab he worked for know he smuggled us out to you?”
She shrugged. “I always assumed no since they didn’t show up on our front step. I changed your names. Even mine isn’t the same anymore. I kept my married one. I stopped visiting him publicly, but we kept in touch via secure chat systems. Every few years, he’d ask me if I could take another one. How could I say no?”
“Your brother would have killed us if you’d not rescued us,” Maeve pointed out, slamming the oven door shut. “And you didn’t stop him.”
“He would have died if I’d told anyone. And I feared what would happen to you,” Nana explained. It sounded weak, but Dominick agreed.
“Mom did the right thing.”
Tyson added, “We’ve all seen the X-men. I don’t know about you, but I ain’t letting no one lock my ass up to use me as a guinea pig for testing.”
“So, are we all panthers, then?” Maeve asked.
“No. You’re each different.”
“I’m a tiger,” Stefan offered, which actually made sense with his ginger locks.
Tyson sounded sheepish when he admitted, “When I was high, I thought I was a lion.”
Nana nodded. “That’s correct. Raymond is a lynx, and Maeve, you and your brother are bears.”
“That explains a lot,” muttered Tyson.
“Watch your mouth, or I’ll bite off your tail,” Maeve growled.
“What about me?” Pammy asked.
“You’re a tiger-mix like Stefan. Jessie got wolf, and Daphne is our falcon.”
“She can fly?” Tyson exclaimed.
“Not that I know of. The avian huanimorphs never succeeded, as far as I know.”
“This is insane.” Dominick rubbed his face. “This morning, I was just a nice, normal guy, waking up with his girlfriend.”
“Since when do you have a girlfriend?” Tyson asked.
“Since he ran into his high school flame. It’s true love,” Maeve drawled.
It was, and Nana loved the blush on his cheeks. She just wished she didn’t have to offer the following warning. Had hoped she’d never have to say anything.
“Now might be a good time to mention that with a few of you manifesting, there have been issues with the whole baby-making aspect.” According to her brother, humans couldn’t handle a huanimorph fetus. The mothers miscarried them early on. As for the huanimorphs themselves? The females appeared infertile.
The news sent Maeve fleeing.
But her boys…they had a lot more questions. She cooked while she answered them.
Didn’t need any salt, though; her tears did the trick.
20
Anika meant to go home after leaving Dominick. She also thought about turning around and going back because, dammit, she wanted answers, too.
But as she neared town and saw the sign for her work, she decided she didn’t want to be alone. Despite having texted Darryl that she might not make it in, she parked and threw on the clothes she kept in her back seat. Might as well work. The dull drone of it would help clear her thoughts. Maybe.
How was she supposed to reconcile what’d happened? Her boyfriend was a jungle cat.
How did that happen? Why?
On her break, she conducte
d searches on people who could change into animals. She mostly got stuff about werewolves, but Native Americans used to speak of them, as well. In their legends, they became many different animals.
But the one common themes among them was that it could be contagious, and they were dangerous.
However, even she had to admit Dominick was the gentlest of pussycats compared to Thomas, who waited by her car as she exited the store—sent home a half-hour early because she told Darryl she wasn’t feeling well. When he dared question, she asked him if he had any spare underpants and tampons she could borrow.
Darryl couldn’t let her punch out quickly enough. She’d hurried to her car, having decided to call Dominick and talk things out. Seeing Thomas with his angry brows slowed her steps.
Not him again.
“Shouldn’t you be recovering from your alley cat encounter?” She mocked him despite knowing the truth.
“You think you’re so fucking funny. Sending that thing after me. Joke’s on you. The cops might not believe me, but she does.”
“Who?” As if it were a signal, a door opened on the car Anika had just passed.
She whirled. Too late. Her arm was caught before she could properly struggle, and then both of her hands were snared in front of her.
“What the fuck?” was her exclamation, the reply being her ass getting shoved into the passenger seat of a car.
What the hell just happened?
Thomas smirked as he neared. “That was nicely done. Now, she can’t fight me.”
“Don’t you lay a hand on her.” A woman’s voice. The same one who’d just captured Anika. Sleek dark brown hair, cut in layers a few inches past her shoulders. Slim-figured and looking at Thomas with a don’t-give-a-fuck stare.
Thomas didn’t like her command. “I’ll do whatever I like to my ex-whore.”
“You really are a piece of shit.” The woman grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed it off her knee.
Thomas dropped, and she stepped over him to slam the car door shut.
Oh, shit.
The woman got in on the other side, and Anika pressed as far away from her as possible.
“Who are you? What do you want with me?”
Eyes of the most amazing hazel-gold peered at her. “I’m not actually after you. But I do have questions about your boyfriend.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” was her faint reply.
“Are you sure? Because your ex-husband says you do. A big dude who turns into an even bigger cat. Sound familiar?”
“No.” Whispered through dry lips.
“Are you lying or just ignorant? Guess we’ll soon find out. Text him.”
“Who?”
“Who do you think? Tell your boyfriend you’ve been kidnapped and he’s to come to the cemetery by the church. Alone. If he doesn’t, bad things will happen to you.”
Because her day hadn’t been shit already…
21
Around eight thirty, Dominick and Stefan ended up outside. His brother to have a smoke, Dominick to grip the rail and try to contain his anger that warred with relief. He finally had a reason for his blackouts and the pressure he felt.
He had something inside him. An animal. Another entity that wanted out.
Which led to anger that his mother had lied.
Hurt, too. Along with disappointment that Stefan had known but hadn’t told him. Then again, without proof, would Dominick have believed? He still had a hard time wrapping his head around it, and he’d seen the video of himself emerging from the woods, changing in Anika’s lap.
No wonder she’d run away the first chance she got.
“What do you think of the story?” he asked his brother, who blew smoke rings.
“I don’t think Mom is lying. I believe it’s exactly as she said it happened. With one difference. I have a hard time believing they didn’t know.”
“What?” Dominick gave his brother a startled glance.
“Come on. Surely, a company as secretive as the one our uncle worked for would have noticed this uncle of ours smuggling something kid-sized out of there. Add in the fact that a bunch of kids suddenly appeared in his sister’s life around the same time they rid themselves of failures, and...”
Dominick winced. “Ouch.”
“Truth. They tossed us out like garbage because they thought we weren’t good enough to be in their monstermorph club.”
“Guess they were wrong,” was his wry reply. “How long have you known about the catnip thing?”
“First time it happened was in high school at a sleepover. Cat dropped a catnip toy on me. Next thing I knew, I was tearing it open, eating it, and acting crazy.” Stefan shrugged. “I was addicted to the stuff for a few years. Used to wake up in the weirdest fucking places. Always naked. You should see my juvenile arrest sheet. All of them had indecent exposure.”
Dominick blinked at him. “How did I not know?”
“You enlisted at eighteen. Mom thought I was on drugs and grounded me. I cleaned up and graduated with honors. That fall, I moved into a dorm at university. One with a park and a zoo I could use to safely explore what happened to me when I took catnip. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I didn’t just think I was a tiger when high, I actually turned into one.”
“Hold on, are you saying you hung out with the tigers at the zoo?”
“I was exploring my other side. Thought maybe I could communicate.”
“And?”
Stefan rolled his shoulders. “They aren’t crazy about outsiders.”
“You said you were addicted to the catnip. But I saw you with the plant. You didn’t go nuts like me and Tyson.”
“Because I learned control. Which wasn’t easy. I’ve always been more into the vices than you. However, you can’t let addiction control you.”
Dominick pinched the spot between his eyes. “I don’t know if I can help myself. Even smelling it makes me go a little nuts.”
“Give it time. You’re still new to it.”
Dominick snorted. “Time. Do you think that will help Anika not think of me as a freak?”
“She appeared a tad upset when she left.”
“She hates me,” was his morose reply.
“More like she experienced a great shock. Once she realizes you’re still the same annoying dumbfuck as before, she’ll get over it.”
“You think?” he asked, not sure why Stefan’s appraisal meant so much.
“She will, but don’t let her stew too long about it. Go see her. Talk to her. Maybe mention keeping it a secret. If I’m right, and the lab that made us is keeping tabs, then we can’t have them finding out their experiment worked.”
“Guess I’d better ask Mom to borrow the keys to the van.” He grimaced. The damn thing was epically emasculating.
Stefan took pity. “Take my bike.”
“How you gonna get home?” Stefan wasn’t one for public transit.
“I think I’ll spend the night. After all, it is Thanksgiving tomorrow.”
Dominick grinned. “And that means blueberry waffles for breakfast.”
“With whipped cream.”
They both drooled for a second before finding their respective balls. “I’ll be back by tomorrow with it.”
“Just three rules. No crashing. No sex on my seat. And fill up the tank with the premium shit or die.”
Dominick left his brother and welcomed the throb of the bike, the growl of its engine, and the speed that helped clear his mind. He was heading to Anika’s apartment when it occurred to him that she might still be at work. He whipped around and pulled into the parking lot, the light on his bike illuminating a body on the ground.
Holy shit. He parked and jogged over, only to slow as the person slowly lifted himself, groaning and holding his head. “Fucking whores.”
“What did you do?” Dominick growled, feeling his fury bubble. His fists clenched as he stalked close enough to swing.
Thomas scrabbled back. “Don’t you fucking touc
h me. I know what you are.”
“You know shit, asshole. Where’s Anika?”
“I don’t know.”
“And yet, here you are, in the parking lot of her work, looking like someone smashed your face in.”
“It was that cunt. The one who sprang me from the hospital. Said she’d give me a thousand bucks to meet Anika.”
The words ignited a prickle of unease. “And you, of course, sold her out. Who is she? What does this woman want?” Why did he have an icy fear that it had to do with him?
“Fuck you. I’m gonna find her first. Bitch fucking stiffed me for the money.”
Dominick’s phone vibrated. He ignored it. “What did she look like?”
His phone rang, and wouldn’t stop ringing, annoying him enough that he answered with a snapped, “What?”
“Do you not check your phone?” It was Raymond. “You got a text from Anika. She’s been kidnapped, dude.”
Dominick didn’t reply but checked his messages.
There it was, in bold text. But he didn’t believe it. He hung up on Raymond and called Anika.
A man with a deep voice answered. “You must be the boyfriend.”
“Where is she? What have you done with Anika?”
“Nothing. Yet. So, hurry up before that changes.”
Click.
Calling back didn’t get a reply, and with a yell of frustration, Dominick flung the phone only to hear it start ringing.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
He located the cracked just as Raymond’s call went to voicemail.
A text immediately followed. Don’t do anything stupid.
Too late. Knowing Anika was in danger? All sense and reason went out the door.
He knew the cemetery he’d been told to go to. He crouched low over the bike, gunning it hard to make it there fast. In his haste to park, the kickstand didn’t engage properly, and the bike fell over. Stefan would beat him black and blue. He didn’t care.
He had only one thought: Anika.
Nothing good could come from being in a cemetery at night. He still went through the gates and had to rely on starlight and a three-quarter moon to guide him.
Even with his military training, he missed them at first. Whoever had taken Anika knew to stand downwind and in a pocket of shadow deep enough back to keep them hidden until Dominick got to a certain point.