by Ovidia Pike
“It’s not the witches,” the woman said. “But I—”
“You can’t tell us. Right,” I said. She gave me a dirty look and nodded.
“Okay,” Alicia said, pulling something out of the bag she had been carrying over her shoulder, a cotton swab and a bag to put it in. I watched her slip into a pair of gloves and swab the inside of the woman’s cheek. When she was finished labeling the bag, she slipped it carefully into her pack and stood up.
“Thank you, Mrs. Flay.”
“You’ll really go look for my husband?”
“We’ll be going all over the caves, plus back and forth from the wolf village,” Alicia said. “We may as well try.”
“We still need something of his to catch the scent,” I said, and again, she shot me the same dirty look.
“It would help to see a picture,” Alicia said. The woman stood up and went to the other side of the room, bringing back a photograph and a scarf. When I saw who it was, I exchanged a glance with Alicia. It was the man who had been killed in the woods, the one who had mauled a wolf.
“Got it,” I said, taking the scarf from her. She didn’t look at me.
“Thank you,” the woman said, and a moment later we left the cave, not pausing before going to the next one. Every time I opened my mouth to speak to Alicia she started walking faster to get away from me, and eventually I stopped trying, standing with her quietly while she took swabs and asked questions. By the time we had made it around the first level of caves it was late, and we had made no conversation as we finally headed back to the cave we shared. Alicia went inside and I followed her. She glanced at me over her shoulder.
“Turn around,” she said.
“What?”
“I want to change. I don’t want you watching me.”
“Okay, Alicia,” I said to her, turning my back to her. I looked straight ahead as she got undressed behind me, feeling how tight and tense she was even though I wasn’t looking at her.
“Okay,” she said when she was finished, and I turned to find her wearing a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt. I almost smiled at how adorable she looked in something so casual but forced myself not to, instead meeting her eye for the first time all day.
“We have to talk about this,” I said to her. She pressed her lips together, cheeks going pink.
“No, we don’t. I don’t want to talk about it. Please forget it even happened.”
“You think I could forget that?” I asked her incredulously. “I will never forget how it feels to be inside of you.”
“Stop,” she said, blushing even deeper. I felt a sadness for both of us well up within me, and fear when I thought about the princess’s threat. She must have seen it in my features because she frowned even deeper, looking just as sad as I felt.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We just...can’t mix. We’re not supposed to mix.”
“Mix?” I asked in confusion. She took a deep breath.
“I mean, I’m a human. And shifters...”
Her voice trailed off. My sadness turned into a fuse of anger, slowly burning.
“What about shifters?” I asked her.
“You’re half an animal,” she blurted, and looked immediately regretful, covering her mouth with her hand.
“I see,” I said, feeling the fuse draw closer to the bomb inside of me.
“I’m so sorry,” she said in a soft voice. “I just—I can’t be with a shifter.”
“But you can fuck one?” I asked her, my voice coming out sharp and dangerous.
“I didn’t mean to do that. I just woke up and—” she cut herself off, looking embarrassed and ashamed. This time, I didn’t feel sadness for her. The look on her face forced the explosion, and I felt fury overwhelm me.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked her. “You didn’t mean to do it?”
“No,” she said in a small voice. “It just happened. I don’t do things like that. I don’t do things like this.”
“Well, you did it,” I said, taking a step toward her. “And you’re not going to be able to forget it, either. I’ve never felt a woman so eager to be fucked in my life.”
“I’m sorry.”
I didn’t say anything to her, but started to get undressed for bed. I heard her sigh as she lay down on the mattress, taking the pillows from beneath her head to form a barrier between us on the bed. I lay down silently next to her, staying awake for a long time even after I heard her breathing slowing and evening out.
Chapter 7: Alicia
I woke up before Jackson, found myself laying on my side, one of my legs flung over the pillows that separated us. I stared at his face for a moment, frowning when I saw that his features were tense even in his sleep. I wondered if I’d ever see his grin again, or if I had ruined any hope of something amicable between us. I tried not to think of it as I stood from the mattress and quickly got dressed. I heard him stir behind me and when I looked over my shoulder he was staring at me intently. He looked away as soon as I met his eye and I felt guilt and shame all over again, the same feelings I’d had since I’d repeated the words to him that I had heard all my life.
“I need to go back to the village today. I’m having dinner with my parents,” I said to him without looking at him. He grunted in response, saying nothing as he got up to get ready. A few moments later we were leaving the caves, making our way to the woods.
“Are you going to sniff around for the man who’s missing? Mr. Flay?”
“Yes,” he said, and stripped out of his clothes, shifting before saying anything else. I followed him as he started to sniff at the ground, moving swiftly along the ground on his quiet paws. I had to half-jog to keep up with him as he circled around the base of the cave, obviously having picked up the scent. We split from the entrance then and ventured further out into the woods, walking for close to half hour before he shifted again, staring forward.
“What is it?” I asked him.
“A fire. One was burning close by. It masks his scent somewhat.”
“Do you know where it is?”
He nodded, gesturing ahead of us.
“Stay behind me,” he said as we continued to walk, emerging into a small clearing where there was indeed the remnant of a fire. There was a bottle of liquor, empty, leaning against a log that had been clearly used for sitting.
“He was here,” Jackson said. “But I think it was a while ago. The scent is very faint.”
“Do you think this might be where that group meets?” I asked him, looking around to see shoe and paw prints in the mud.
“It might be. I can stake it out when we come back this way.”
“I want to come with you,” I said to him.
“No,” he said shortly, and shifted back into wolf form, staring at me over his shoulder before beginning to walk away from the meeting place we’d found. He stayed in animal form until we got back to the village, parting ways with me. I stared after him for a moment, feeling my shoulders slump as I went back to my hut to wash up and change. A few moments later I was ready and heading over to where I knew Sophie would be, knocking on Lily’s door. Sophie answered it and smiled at me.
“Hi, Alicia,” she said.
“Hey,” I said to her. “I was wondering if you could give me a ride back to the ranger station. I have to get back to the city.”
“Of course,” she said, then looked over her shoulder.
“I’ll be back, Lil,” she said, shutting the door behind her. We started to walk in the direction of the Jeep and she looked over at me.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You look tense,” she said with a frown. “And upset.”
“Oh,” I said. “I’m just...not looking forward to seeing my family.”
“You don’t get along?”
“Not exactly. They don’t approve of what I do for a living.”
Sophie scoffed.
“You’re a doctor. A specialist.”
&nb
sp; “They have a problem with the shifters specifically,” I said to her. “I was always told that shifters are below humans.”
“The shifters are good people,” Sophie affirmed. “Most of them.”
“They are. I know that. But I can’t convince them of that.”
“Why did you decide to study them even though you knew they wouldn’t approve?”
“I just always had a fascination with them when I was growing up. I had a couple of friends—my dad didn’t know it at the time, but I had made some shifter friends at school. We spent summers running around. They were both cats—house cats, and sometimes they would stay in animal form all day.”
“You snuck out to play with them?”
“Yeah, up until my mom caught me. She pulled me out of school when she found out.”
“Pulled you out of school?” she asked incredulously. “Because of your friends?”
“Because they were shifters,” I replied back, the bitterness I felt coming through in my voice.
“Why do they hate them so much?”
“My father—I—” I cut myself off.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me,” she said. “I was just wondering.”
“It feels horrible to say it aloud. There’s so much hate in my family. It drains me to see them.”
“How often do you see them?” Sophie asked as we climbed into the Jeep and she started it.
“Once a week. Sunday dinners,” I said. “I mostly go so I can see my sister. She’s sixteen. They won’t...let her go out with me. They’re afraid I’ll introduce her to shifters.”
“That is so crazy,” Sophie said.
“Tell me about it,” I grumbled. “She has no freedom.”
“That’s terrible,” Sophie said sympathetically.
“It is what it is.”
“Are you going to come back here tonight?”
“I plan to. I want to get up early to start our trip back to the caves.”
“How’s that going?” she asked.
“It’s going...okay. We didn’t spend much time there before we had to come back.”
“How are things going with Jackson?”
I met her eye and blushed, not answering.
“Ah,” she said knowingly. “Never mind.”
“It’s nothing,” I said to her.
“I believe you,” she said. “But if you want to talk, I’m open.”
“Thanks,” I said to her as we pulled up to the ranger station. She turned to me in her seat before I got out.
“Call in from the ranger station when you get back and I’ll come pick you up.”
“You shouldn’t be in the woods at night. Just send Harley.”
“You sound like Gabriel,” she muttered.
“It’s because we care.”
She chortled. “Good luck with your family,” she said as I got out of the Jeep. I waved her goodbye and shut the door behind me, going to the ranger’s station and grabbing my things from the locker I had there. I went out to my car and a few moments later I was headed toward the city, my mind wandering to Jackson, a knot in my throat when I thought about him. I couldn’t believe that I had said the words aloud—that he was half an animal, but it had slipped out as something I had heard my whole life.
I pulled up to my parents’ house and smiled when I saw Ashlyn on the porch waiting for me. I got out of the car and she threw herself across the lawn, wrapping her arms around me.
“Thank god you’re here,” she said quickly. “They’re in a horrible mood.”
I groaned.
“Great,” I said. “Sounds like it’s going to be a good time.”
“At least you get to leave after dinner,” she mumbled.
“I’m sorry,” I said as she led me up the porch steps and inside, where my mother stood near the door. When she saw me, she frowned.
“Go upstairs and wash up,” she said in a cold voice. “You look filthy.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to be late,” I said to her.
“It’s disgusting. Go into the bathroom,” she snapped.
“Sorry, mother,” I said, hurrying past where my father already sat in the dining room. In the bathroom I saw that I indeed had dirt smeared across my cheek, that my hair was tangled and had leaves and twigs sticking out at odd angles. I picked them out of my hair, washing my face and hands before I went downstairs again to find the rest of my family sitting at the table, waiting for me to join them. My father gave me a disapproving look as I sat down, and then cleared his throat.
“Alicia,” he said. “Good of you to join us. You’re late.”
“I’m sorry, I was busy at work,” I said to him. His lips pressed into a thin line, as it usually did when I mentioned my job, and I immediately regretted saying anything.
“So you’re still working with animals?”
“They’re not animals, Dad,” I said to him, feeling a pang in my stomach when Jackson popped into my mind again.
“They’re no better,” he said. I gritted my teeth but didn’t respond to him, instead loading my plate with food and starting to eat in silence.
“So, Alicia,” my mother said after a moment. “I was talking with Mrs. Richmond today—do you remember her son, Tony?”
“Yes,” I said in a hesitant voice. “Why?”
“I thought it would be nice for the two of you to go out next weekend. I’ve arranged it so that he’ll pick you up here at eight next Friday night. I want you to come early so I can look over what you’re wearing.”
“Mom, no,” I said, my voice raising despite myself. “I don’t—I’m not interested in Tony.”
“It will be good for you to get out, be around people,” my father said. I shook my head.
“I’m not going to do this,” I said to them, feeling incredulous despite the fact that it wasn’t the first time. “I’m twenty-seven.”
“Twenty-seven and single, spending all your time with dogs and rats,” my dad said in a dry voice as he forked a piece of steak into his mouth. “You’re never going to get anywhere with that.”
“I don’t want to see Tony,” I insisted.
“You can do this one thing for me, Alicia,” my mother said. “Your father and I paid for medical school. We allow you to come here on Sundays and join the family despite what you’ve chosen to do as a profession. We’re willing to overlook it if...you stick to some rules.”
“Meaning I date who you want.”
“You don’t have to date him, Alicia, just give him a chance. Spend some time with a human,” my mother said.
“You’re starting to smell like a dog,” said my father with a look of disgust on his face. I swallowed hard the lump in my throat, looking down at my plate. It went silent again and remained that way for the rest of the meal. The longer it went on, the more frustrated I got, until I was afraid I would scream if I didn’t get out of there. As soon as I finished, I stood up.
“Thank you,” I said to my mother. “It was good.”
“You’re welcome, Alicia. I’ll see you here next Friday.”
“What if I don’t?” I asked her, and immediately regretted it. The look on her face told me everything I needed to know—that if I didn’t come when she wanted, I wouldn’t be welcome back, would have no contact with my sister.
“I’ll be here,” I said to her, my voice shaking, holding back tears. “Goodnight.”
I hurried out of the house, the tears pouring down my cheeks as I made my way to the car.
“Alicia, wait,” I heard my sister say, and turned to look at her, wiping my cheeks with my hands.
“I’m so sorry, sis,” she said, reaching for my hand. “I’m sorry about them.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I should expect it by now.”
“It’s not fair that they manipulate you like that,” she said in an angry voice.
“You have it worse,” I pointed out. She shook her head.
“We both have it bad.”
“I wish I could
get you out of here. If I don’t do what they say, they won’t let me see you.”
“Please don’t let that happen,” she said, her voice coming out strained. “I need you.”
“I’ll never just abandon you, I promise,” I said to her, wrapping her in a hug.
“I guess I’ll see you Saturday,” she said as she pulled away. I grimaced, thinking of Tony.
“See you Saturday,” I said, and got in my car, preparing to head back to the village.
Chapter 8: Gabriel
I woke up to a knock at the door and slipped out of bed, opening it to find Jackson and Sophie on the other side. My eyes skipped past Jackson and landed on Sophie’s face. There was her usual frown there, but it didn’t matter—I took a moment to drink in every beautiful feature of a face I thought about almost constantly.
“Sir,” Jackson said after a moment of heavy silence. I pulled my gaze away from Sophie and looked at him instead.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We got back from the lion caves last night,” Jackson said. “Alicia and I are headed back, but I wanted to speak with you first.”
“And why are you here?” I asked Sophie.
“I’m ready to get into the woods,” she said. “We’re going this morning.”
“Okay,” I said, gesturing for them to come in. They sat down at the table and I went to the kitchen to start coffee. I emerged with mugs for them a few moments later, setting one down for myself. Sophie wrapped her hands around hers and sipped at it before looking at Jackson.
“So?” I said.
“Have you checked the graves of those who have died?” Jackson said. “Has anyone thought to?”
“No,” I said. “No, they’re dead and buried. Why would we dig up the graves?”
“The lions are burning their dead. We were told that the bodies have been disappearing. The princess Selene wanted us to ask you to check the graves.”
“We can do it today,” Sophie offered. I didn’t argue with her.
“We’ll do it today,” I confirmed. “If more die, we’ll have the graves watched.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll tell the princess she should do the same. Maybe we can find out where they’re going.”
