Savage Heart

by J. E. Cluney

  I plopped down on the end of the last bed, resting my bag on the floor as I pursed my lips.

  “Have you ever been stabbed with a golden blade?” I asked curiously as I stretched out on the bed.

  “Once. Burned like a bitch,” Samson admitted as he pulled a pain face at the memory. “You?”

  “Nope. Don’t think I’d like to experience it either,” I scoffed softly.

  “It sucks ass. Takes a while to heal too.”

  “What was it like, growing up with our dads? Do you remember mom?” I asked as I pulled a pillow down and under my head as I lay on my stomach, my head turned towards my brother.

  He remained staring at the ceiling, his arms folded behind his head as he pursed his lips.

  “Mom was sweet. You were the fourth child, the second youngest. I was first, then Lachy. Benny was next, then you came along, then Chris. I was almost seven when mom died, so I remember her well. Lachy was only a year younger than me, Benny was nearly four, you were barely three, and Chris was just a baby. I remember how she used to read us all bedtime stories, and when she’d sit on the couch and braid your hair. She even taught us how to do it, Lachy and I. I used to help her by taking care of you guys while she tended to Chris while our fathers were busy. David was around a lot though, helping out around the house. Mom used to love playing the old piano in the back room of the house, and you used to love it. It was like you became entranced, going completely quiet as you listened to her play. You were a fighter even as a kid too, never took shit from any of us,” he scoffed as he shook his head.

  I smiled as I imagined my mother playing piano as I listened.

  I wished I could remember such moments, but I had been too young.

  “When mom and Dave died, our fathers began training us to protect ourselves. We were trained quite well, and even Chris knows some self-defense and how to use a gun. He can’t shift and fight like the rest of us, doesn’t have much added strength, so we were told to always look out for him. We didn’t want to lose him like we’d lost our baby sister,” he murmured, finally turning his head my way, those startling blue eyes sad as he gave me a thin-lipped smile.

  “I’m sorry,” I said softly, but he just gave me a stupefied look.

  “Don’t be, you’re alive, things turned out better than we could have imagined. We have our little sister back. I know our dads were ecstatic when they learned you were alive. They were pissed and stressed when they then found out the Collector had you. But it all worked out in the end,” Samson smiled, showing me his pearly white teeth.

  “I wonder what it would’ve been like to grow up with you guys. With our dads,” I said as I let out a heavy sigh. “I grew up always on the move, training every single day, be it out on my own in abandoned warehouses or skateparks at night. I used to train with Jackson, but I quickly surpassed him when I was a young teen. I was trained like a soldier, stealing to get by. I was a pro with that, never getting caught even with cameras,” I smirked.

  “Lens flare of the eyes makes identification difficult,” Samson chuckled.

  “This is a lot like how we used to hunt together, except with you guys, I don’t feel off. I guess the feeling was that I was an outsider. Like a deep part of me knew it wasn’t who I really was. Hunting with my mates though, that feels right. And this,” I said as I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling and the botchy paint job. Someone had really failed at their job here.

  “Do you miss them? Your adoptive family?” Samson asked carefully.

  “Not Thomas, although I wonder if we’ll ever talk again and have some kind of relationship. I still talk to Jackson though. He’s made it his job to educate other hunters on the truth about supes, how only rogues are bad. I think it’s risky, and he could get into some trouble doing it, but I’m proud of him for trying. And Thomas has changed ever since he was shown the truth by Dominic. He still won’t talk to me, but Jackson thinks it’s due to guilt mainly,” I said as I frowned.

  “Do you think it’s guilt?” Samson asked quietly.

  “I think so. There were times where he treated me like a daughter. I enjoyed those moments, but at some point, it was like he’d suddenly remember something, now I know it was that I wasn’t his, that I was a supe, a monster, and he’d pull away. I’d feel like I’d done something wrong, upset him somehow, and I’d try harder to please him,” I muttered. The things I’d done to try to keep Thomas happy with me, and now I’d learned that nothing I did would’ve sufficed.

  “Well, I hope he comes around. For your sake. As much as he’s hurt you and you have mixed feelings for him, he still raised you,” Samson said. “Sure, he did a shit job, but he could’ve just killed you instead.”

  “Being turned into a weapon against my own kind is pretty shit though,” I growled. I still hated that, and guilt gnawed at me the other deaths I knew hadn’t been rogues.

  Innocent supes I’d slain due to Thomas’ beliefs.

  “Were you mega horny as a teenager? Like, insatiable?” I changed the topic, smirking as he snorted in surprise.

  “Yeah, I’m guessing you were too. Izzy was pretty bad as well. I slept around a lot, but only supes did it for me. Humans, well, you just don’t get that extra magic that you get with supes,” he chuckled softly. “Then I bonded with Izzy, and everything changed. We were chosen to be her mates, dad and her parents were good friends, and it was all planned to carry on the kitsune lines.”

  “You guys were planned?” I shot him a surprised look.

  “Yep, but it worked out. She was perfect. Now all I can think about is protecting her and starting a family. Chris takes care of her along with Lionel while we work. It’s good to know she’ll always have someone around to protect her while we’re busy. Lionel will work on cars in our shed out back, and his old Harley. We like to have one predator shifter with her at all times, for added protection. Lionel is more than happy to do that. I know he’s secretly excited to have grandchildren, to play a fatherly-like role again,” Samson smiled.

  “I bet,” I chuckled, imagining the old, grumpy werewolf being a doting father. Maybe he was like Damien, soft and sweet under all the egotistical bullshit.

  We spoke about many more things about our family, and how Samson was quick excited to be a father, but a little scared.

  I assured him he’d be fine and that he had nothing to worry about.

  At some point, I drifted off, waking when Soren returned to inform us he’d found the werewolf pack, and it was time to hunt.

  My adrenaline kicked in, and I was wide awake in moments as I prepared myself, slipping on my boots and snatching up my kitsune blade.

  Time to kill some rogues.

  20

  I slipped down the darkened alley, slinking in the shadows as I followed my father.

  He’d found their warehouse, but we’d tracked some of them into town, and we were under the belief they were out hunting too.

  Hunting for their next kill.

  We’d deal with these ones first before continuing back to the warehouse and dealing with the remaining werewolves.

  I flicked my eyes up to the waning moon that struggled to light our path.

  That was fine by me, darkness would be better for this hunt.

  Soren paused up ahead, indicating to Samson and I that we weren’t far off now.

  I relaxed, allowing my kitsune to shine through enough to enhance my vision and senses.

  Yep, I could smell them. Not as welcoming as the scent of my werewolf mates, this was more rabid and wild, tinged with blood. Evil, that’s what it smelled like.

  I creeped along after my father, and upon his signal, we took to the rooftops, soundlessly dashing across them as we followed his lead.

  We paused at the edge of a strip of old shops, peering into the alley behind them.

  I could see movement in the darkness, and as I honed in, the swirling yellow aura of the werewolves flickered down below.

  Along with a lone woman on her nightly jog, earphones in
as she pulled her hoodie up.

  Great.

  Guess this was their next victim.

  Soren quickly pulled out his crossbow, nodding to us to make our move as the woman reached midway behind the buildings.

  Three werewolves were tailing her silently in the shadows, while another two were waiting up ahead for her, perched on the rooftops.

  We’d hung far enough back to avoid detection, but as soon as we moved in, they’d sense us.

  We were hoping their pack mentality would make them come after us rather than their prey if we attacked them.

  I watched as Soren readied his crossbow, and Samson held his bow and arrow at the ready.

  Soren nodded his signal, and they fired at the same time.

  I watched in awe as two of the wolves tailing the woman collapsed against the back walls of the buildings, both struck right through the chest.

  Practically soundless too.

  Well, to any human.

  The remaining werewolf whirled around, its eyes glowing yellow in the darkness as it let out a low growl.

  She looked to be not much older than me, but I didn’t let that stop me as I leaped off the rooftop and hit the ground running.

  The two werewolves up ahead on the rooftops shot our way, heading for my brother and father, completely forgetting their prey, who was oblivious to everything going on around her.

  I darted towards the rogue werewolf as she bared her fangs at me, preparing to take on a partial shift.

  I shot out my aura arm, knocking her down before she could complete the shift before pouncing on her and preparing to slam my kitsune blade into her chest.

  She snarled, hurling me off her with insane strength that I hadn’t expected.

  Right. Enhanced soldier werewolves.

  Wonderful.

  I caught myself on all fours, blade in hand as I dashed at her again.

  I wouldn’t underestimate her this time.

  I smirked as she snarled at me, and I slashed out with my aura arm again, this time grabbing her and yanking her forward.

  I drove my blade straight through her chest, hearing it crack through her ribs as she tried to angle herself away from a fatal blow.

  I turned to help my brother and father, only to find they’d slain their extra two werewolves already.

  Well, that had been easier than I’d thought.

  “So much for enhanced soldier werewolves,” I scoffed as they leaped down to join me in the alley.

  “Gotta remember, we’re kitsunes, more advanced than anything,” Samson chuckled.

  “I’ll call this in. The Council has a clean-up crew already in town, so they’ll get here quickly to deal with the bodies. Then we’ll head out to the warehouse and put down the others. Did you check the body for any booster injections?” Soren asked.

  Crap.

  I turned back, kneeling down as I checked the woman’s jacket and jeans, coming up empty.

  Not even a phone or wallet.

  “None on ours either,” Soren murmured before he pulled his phone out.

  Samson and I stood back as he called it in, informing us that a clean-up crew would be out here in the next twenty minutes.

  I was surprised at how quickly they were getting their asses together.

  We waited around, talking quietly about our plan for those at the warehouse.

  Soren had scoped the place out from afar, and it looked like the best way to deal with them was to go in and fight them in close quarters. No shooting them from afar sadly.

  This worked fine with me, and when the black van rocked up, Soren handled reporting everything to them before returning to Samson and I as we were waiting further up the alley.

  We headed off, and I glanced back for a moment, seeing two men in protective suits begin dragging the first body to the van.

  They’d clean the whole alley up so there was no trace of them from what my father had said.

  I kind of wanted to see them work, but at the same time, I wanted to finish off this hunt.

  Fingers crossed the others gave me more of a fight.

  I stared at the warehouse, scrunching my nose at the smashed windows and graffiti all over the exterior.

  Yep, this was awfully familiar to my old hunts.

  “So, just waltz right on in, huh?” I hissed as Soren stood beside me with Samson.

  “Yep, use your aura if you have too. With the three of us though, this’ll be a piece of cake,” my father stated, his mouth curving upwards in a knowing smile.

  I smirked as I started forward, pausing when Soren didn’t follow immediately.

  “You two see if you can handle this on your own, I’ll hang back a bit, step in if needed,” my father said softly, and I winked at Samson as he shot me an excited look. “Handle this however you want.”

  Yep, we were born hunters.

  This is what we lived for.

  Might as well make a grand entrance too if we were doing this so openly.

  I strode right up to the warehouse door, kicking it open with a mighty blow backed with my aura, practically blowing them off their hinges as I stormed in.

  “Here I am! Any other wishes?” I shouted into the darkened warehouse as I focused my senses.

  “Subtle,” Samson scoffed as he drew up beside me, holding a machete in one hand.

  “Dad said handle it how we wanted,” I snickered as I spied the werewolves auras in the darkness.

  All five of them, camped out at the far end around a small fire.

  All five now standing and snarling.

  Perfect.

  I winked at Samson, and we took off, our auras encasing us as the werewolves leaped into action.

  Three of them tore their clothes off, shifting quickly into their humanoid forms as they came at us, while the remaining two scrambled towards some boxes at the back.

  Weapons most likely.

  I leaped over the first werewolf headed my way, focusing on the two at the back as I spied one pulling out a rifle.

  Nope, no guns in this fight.

  I landed on all fours, gritting my teeth as an aura form broke away from me, shooting towards the two werewolves at the back.

  That’d deal with them.

  I spun around just as one werewolf snapped and lashed out for me with its wicked claws.

  I quickly moved to the side, twirling around it, scowling at how quickly this one moved.

  I’d been hoping to spin around behind it and slam my blade through the back of its chest, but it wasn’t going to give me the chance.

  Fine. We’d play it the hard way.

  I dodged another nasty blow, flicking out an aura arm to throw the werewolf off balance as I leaped into the air.

  It dodged my aura arm, but gave me the opening I needed as I slammed my blade down into its head.

  The nearly black werewolf sputtered as it crumpled to the ground, but before I could pull my blade free from its skull, I was rolling out of the way of a deadly stomp by another werewolf.

  I launched to my feet, using both aura arms to distract it as I bounced into the air, capturing its head between my thighs as I sat on its shoulders.

  One harsh twist, and we both fell to the cement floor.

  I clambered off it as it shifted back to a naked man covered in tattoos, but I was too busy checking on Samson, who was just hacking off his werewolf’s head.

  I spun around, wanting to see how the other two werewolves were fairing with my aura kitsune.

  She was easily handling them, but struggling to land a killing blow.

  Time to help her out.

  I shot off, everything whizzing by as my aura flared bright.

  Samson raced alongside me, and we slammed into the two werewolves, dragging them to the floor.

  My aura kitsune helped me pin mine down, and I ignored him as he snarled and snapped at me, instead focusing on driving my blade through his chest.

  I leaned back, allowing my aura to die down as the life faded from the werewolf’s eyes, sm
irking at Samson as he sat atop his own werewolf, blood splattered all over his face and clothing from where he’d chopped its head off.

  “Nice work,” I stated.

  “Likewise,” Samson said as he dragged himself to his feet and offered me his hand.

  “You have an interesting way of hunting. Not very low-key,” Soren stated as he joined us.

  “Declaring we’re here really isn’t the best way to hunt, y’know,” Samson added, but I could tell he was amused.

  “Well, we still got the job done, right? And we knew what we were walking into. Yes, it wasn’t very subtle, but I’m sure we both wanted a decent fight. Taking them by surprise was too easy,” I stated.

  “You do surprise me, Sav. But the job is done, how it’s handled doesn’t matter too much in this instance,” Soren murmured.

  “Yeah, we’re away from the town, no civilians in the area. No need to go for a sneak attack. They’re rogues, attacking is their go-to,” I stated. I wasn’t stupid, I’d checked off everything that called for a silent attack. It wasn’t necessary here.

  “Well, I’ll call it in. See if you can find any of those booster injections here,” Soren stated as he pulled out his phone.

  “Not really that enhanced if you ask me,” I muttered as I headed over to the boxes and crate along the back wall.

  “You’ve got five tails. Even an enhanced werewolf is still pretty easy for you,” Samson chuckled.

  “I miss a real fight sometimes. Ever since becoming a kitsune, everything has actually become a little too easy,” I grumbled as I opened up the crates and boxes.

  Sure enough, one of them held a bag of syringes, which I handed over to my dad. He relayed this to the person on the other end of the phone call, and I sat down on one of the crates, cleaning my kitsune blade on a rag while Samson wiped the blood off his face.