by Sky Winters
Hoxson realized that there was no way he was getting out of this mess without shifting. He leaped out of the way of the approaching bears, the two beasts stumbling as they reached the spot where Hoxson stood only a moment ago. Once Hoxson was clear of the bears, he closed his eyes and began to shift. Moments later, he stood before the bears in his ten-foot-tall dragon form, his silver scales the same shade as the moonlight now pouring in through the trees.
"Come on, you hairy fuckers," he said, his voice deep and booming, a small jet of fire shooting from his nostrils. "You want to play? Let's play."
Hoxson stood tall, his golden eyes shifting from bear to bear as he waited for one of them to make the first move. He knew that the bears would hardly be a match for him, and all it would take was one well-placed swipe of his claw to take either of them out. Maybe both.
The bears shared a look at that seemed to say that they were both unsure of what to do next. But then, before any more time could pass, the bear on the right moved in hard toward Hoxson's flank. The bear on the left let out a wail, as if warning the incoming bear.
Hoxsen flapped his wings, the gust of air staggering both of the bears. Then, he carved through the air with one of his claws, hoping to knock the right-most bear off his feet. The bear juked his large, furry body out of the way at the last moment, but Hoxson's claw hit where he wanted. Hoxson's claw thudded against the bear and knocked the beast backward.
The right-most bear stumbled back to his feet, and Hoxson hoped his move would be enough to get him to surrender. But before Hoxson could do anything else, the two bears turned their bulky bodies around and took off in the opposite direction, smashing through the branches in front of them as they fled the scene.
"Get back here, you fucking cowards!" called out Hoxson, as he buffeted his wings and raised a handful of feet into the air.
He titled his body forward and prepared to rush through the air and catch up with the fleeing bears. But before he could move an inch forward, a shrill scream cut through the air.
It was Adie.
Hoxson whipped his head around and turned his attention back to the house. He couldn't spot what was going on from this distance; all he could make out were the lights through the side windows. But he wasn't about to wait around and see what he could spot. Rising above the forest canopy, branches breaking all around him, Hoxson tore through the air back to the house. Another scream sounded, and he felt his heart pound in his chest.
He soon landed on the front lawn of the house and scanned the area for signs of trouble.
He found them right away.
A crash sounded through the house, followed by another shriek. Hoxson didn't feel up to smashing in through the roof, so he shifted back into his human form and rushed in through the front door. Inside, he found Adie huddled in the corner, a biker in human form looming over her.
"Hey, asshole!" shouted Hoxson. "You want her, you gotta go through me."
"You!" shouted the biker. "You've made a goddamn big mistake coming to this town."
A tinge of anxiety ran through Hoxson's spine as he realized that he'd been marked. The bears in the woods had only likely gotten a clear sight of him in human form, but this biker now had him dead to rights. If he was able to make it back to whoever he worked for with a description, then Hoxson could kiss his recon op goodbye.
"And you've made a goddamn big mistake threatening her."
The man growled, his eyes shifting into bear form as he started toward Hoxson. With a sudden leap, he cut the distance between the two of them and flew straight at Hoxson.
The fight was quick and brutal. The biker had the upper hand at first, but Hoxson soon overpowered him. After some struggling, Hoxson managed to lift the nearby coffee table and bring it down hard on the biker's back. The wood shattered to pieces and just before the biker was poised to bring down his fists hard, Hoxson managed to grab a stray piece of wood and shove the broken end deep into the biker's chest. He let out a gasp of air and collapsed at Hoxson's side.
It was over.
"You okay?" asked Hoxson as he stood over Adie, reaching down and lifting her up.
"I…think so," she said, clearly shaken by what had just happened.
"Is he…" asked Adie, looking down at the body of the biker.
"He is," said Hoxson, "and there were more in the woods. And that means we gotta get the hell out of here as fast as possible."
"Are you serious?" asked Adie, her eyes going wide with fear. "And go where?"
"I got a place downtown," said Hoxson. "We can stay there."
"Leave?" asked Adie. "We don't have any idea what the hell is going on!"
"We have enough of an idea," said Hoxson. "Whoever sent these assholes got word that some new shifter was in town and wanted to find out just who he was. And that means someone in this town, someone who's got these bikers on their payroll, is keeping a close eye on things. So, I've gotta keep a low profile, and you've gotta stay with me so I can keep you safe."
"B-"
"No ‘buts'," said Hoxson. "I'm keeping you safe, and that's all there is to it. Now, time to go."
CHAPTER 6
Adie sat huddled up in the passenger seat of her old Buick. Hoxson steered the car through the narrowed streets of downtown Starwood, and soon, the two of them arrived at a converted loft apartment building near the center of the city. Shops of various types lined the roads, and a few dozen pedestrians, most of them shifters that Adie recognized, made their way down the sidewalks.
A few minutes later, the two of them crossed the threshold of Hoxson's apartment. Adie looked around at the modern loft space, complete with fashionable furniture and décor, and a sweeping view of the modest downtown.
"Nice place," she said.
"Didn't know how long I was going to be in town," said Hoxson as he slipped off his boots. "And I don't do shitty motels."
"You must be making a hell of a living in the mercenary game," said Adie.
"I do all right," he said. "Work for some pretty elite clients who prioritize safety over money. And the Silver Talons are one of the best crews in the city. If not the best."
Adie thought back to the fight she'd just witnessed. Considering how quickly Hoxson was able to dispatch the biker, Adie figured that this estimation of his talents wasn't an exaggeration.
However, the fear she'd felt at almost falling victim to whatever that biker had in mind came back to Adie, and now that she was safe, she felt weak at her knees. She stumbled over to the black leather sectional couch in the middle of the room and collapsed onto it.
"You okay?" asked Hoxson.
"What do you think?" she asked. "First, you come back after all this time, then I get my house broken into by these prick bikers who think they can just take over the town. And now I can't even go back to my place. So, no – I'm not okay."
"And what am I supposed to do about my work?" she continued. "What if those people know that I'm with you?"
Hoxson approached Adie and took a seat next to her. In his hands were two glasses of vodka, ice, and soda. Adie glanced at the glass for a moment before taking it and bringing it to her mouth for a long sip.
"First of all," he said. "You don't need to worry about a thing. I'm here, you're at my place, and I'm going to keep you safe. I swear to it."
"Just like you swore you loved me, and that you'd never leave me?" she asked. "How you told me that we'd get married someday, and even made a stupid pact for it? I know how much a promise from you is worth, Hoxson."
"Then you're just going to have to give me the chance to win back your trust," he said.
His voice was stern, and Adie knew she didn't have it in her to press the point.
"As far as your job, well, there's no way to know who knows what. We don't even know if those people at that mansion are part of whatever's going on."
Adie nodded; he was right. Sure, she had a hunch, but they had nothing to go on so far.
Then, she glanced around the apartment, wondering
just where she was going to spend that evening. Part of her wanted to be in bed with Hoxson, if only because she felt safer that way. But she knew this was a bad idea.
"You can have the spare bedroom," said Hoxson, gesturing down the hallway. "We'll keep a low profile until your next shift at the mansion comes up."
With that, he finished his drink and left the room. Adie was alone, and unsure of just about everything.
***
Soon, it was Friday, and Adie stood in front of the mirror in Hoxson's spare bedroom putting the finishing touches on her outfit. It was a black-and-white getup, with lace around the fringes; a bit of a modern take on the French maid outfit, and a little more tasteful.
"Someone's got a little fetish for the maid-thing," said Hoxson, watching Adie finish putting up her hair and check her makeup.
"Ha ha," she said, her eyes flicking over to Hoxson. "All some kind of joke to you, huh?"
"Just never thought I'd see you in a job like this," he said.
Adie turned on her heels and put her hands on her hips.
"Not all of us can be super-cool New York mercenaries, you know. Though, I suppose if I didn't have any problems just picking up and leaving a decade ago, my options would've been a little more open too."
Hoxson crinkled his brow, as if surprised by the little outburst. He set down his drink and walked over to Adie.
"Just lightening the mood, kid," he said, placing his hand on Adie's upper arm.
Adie shook off his touch.
"You're not the one about to start her first shift as a spy," she said. "I don't even know what I'm looking for in this place."
"Anything suspicious. Anything that would give you any hint that the owners of the mansion are shifters who're planning something. And definitely keep an eye out for any bears. I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that they're linked with the owners, like they're using them as their own personal army."
"And what if I get into trouble?"
"You don't need to stick your neck out; just keep your eyes peeled. And I'll be nearby, so you'll know you've got someone looking out for you."
The idea did make Adie feel a little better. Up until the other night, Hoxson's skills as a mercenary had just been words. But he'd shown that he was more than capable of protecting her.
"Okay, fine," she said. "I just hope this all doesn't end up with me getting involved in some kind of danger. I know you're a big-city dude, but I'm plenty happy here in Starwood, you know. Just got my job, my friends, and that's it."
"Sounds boring," said Hoxson.
"It's safe."
He finished off his drink and looked to the clock on the wall.
"Time to go. You head off in your car, and I'll be following close behind on my bike."
"You've got a bike?" Adie asked.
"Only way to get around," said Hoxson with a smirk.
Adie shook her head, wondering just how Hoxson could be so cool and calm with all of this going on.
Once ready, she took off in her car toward the house, looking back in her rearview mirror for any sign of Hoxson. After a little way down the main road leading out of town, she spotted the form of a black bike following her from a distance, the leather-clad shape of Hoxson riding it.
After a twenty minute or so drive through the woods surrounding the town, Adie eventually arrived on the street leading to the mansion. The home was a massive place, an old style colonial manor which was a sharp contrast to the ultra-modern places that the wealthy from San Francisco and LA tended to build in the area.
After giving her identification to the speaker box at the tall, black steel gate that surrounded the place, Adie pulled her car into the little lot where the rest of the service staff was parked.
"You ready for another wild shift?" asked Sam, trim redheaded fox with elfin features, and Adie's closest work friend.
Adie glanced nervously over her shoulder, wondering where among the thick-trunked redwoods around the property Hoxson was at that moment.
"You know it," said Adie. "I'm gonna polish the hell out of some statues of naked people."
"Just try not to wear the marble dicks down to a nub," said Sam as the two of them approached the stairs leading up to the massive double front doors.
The massive guards on both sides of the doors, who were two suited men with shades that hid their eyes, turned toward Adie and Sam.
"You ladies know the drill," said the one on the left.
Adie sniffed the air but couldn't get a whiff of shifter from them. It was strange – she didn't smell shifter or human; she smelled nothing at all.
Adie and Sam handed over their purses and the guards took a thorough look through them. Over her shoulder, Adie spotted the dozen or so rest of the staff lining up on the stairs, all of them waiting their turn to get searched. Once the guards checked out the purses, they gave Adie and Sam pat downs – Adie's least favorite part of the shift.
After the guards were done, Adie and Sam were allowed to enter the house, stepping into the massive entrance hall, a grand staircase to the second and third floors dominating the room.
Adie looked over the place with fresh eyes, keeping watch for anything that might be out of the ordinary. But, just as always, the place seemed to her like nothing more than a rich people's retreat, a massive but empty home far too big for whoever lived there.
"What're you standing around for?" asked Sam as the rest of the staff filed into the entry hall. "You thinking about what you'd do with the place?"
"Um, yeah," said Adie. "Just thinking how the place could use a little less marble."
Sam let out a snort-laugh.
"No marble would mean this place would be empty as an old storage unit," Sam said, referring to the overabundance of marble sculptures that packed the place like some old Italian church.
"Maybe a ficus here or there; anything to make this joint homier," said Adie as the two made their way to the small staff quarters where they could store their things.
Once ready for the shift, Adie quickly tried to think about where the best place to look would be. Glancing up the stairs, she realized that the third floor seemed to always be someone else's job, so she volunteered her and Sam for the duty. The supervisor agreed, and the two of them were soon off and heading up the stairs.
"What's up with the change in plans today?" asked Sam as they stepped onto the third floor. "We're usually on kitchen duty."
"Wanted a little bit of a change of scenery," said Adie. "Seeing the same thing over and over again makes your brain rot. Or, that's what I've heard at least."
"Whatever," said Sam. "How about you start down that hallway and I'll start on the east? Then we can meet in the middle around break time."
"Sounds great," said Adie, eager to be alone and do her snooping.
Sam gave her a nod and they split up. Finally alone, Adie hurried down the hallway toward the furthest-most door at the end. A small window looked out onto the vast stretch of property and, again, she found herself looking at the trees, hoping to spot Hoxson. She hadn't done anything wrong yet, but she knew she was doing a terrible job at keeping her calm; it was clear even Sam could tell she was acting strange.
Okay, she thought, looking at the doors that lined the hallways. Find something suspicious, something that might give a hint as to what these people are doing here in Starwood…
She placed her hand on the nearest doorknob and opened it up. Inside was a simple bedroom, very neat and tidy with nothing out of place. She spent about twenty minutes dusting the space before moving on to the next door, which was another sparse room that didn't seem out of the ordinary.
However, one of the doors she checked was locked. She knew that a locked room meant it was off-limits, but her curiosity got the better of her. Fumbling through her hair for a pin, she slipped it out and into the door, quickly opening up the room.
It was a study, a large room with a big desk at the end and bookshelves lining the walls. Papers were strewn on the desk and tables, and
the room, unlike the others, looked like it had been recently used.
Adie hurried into the space, shutting the door behind her, and rushing over to the desk to see just what sorts of information could be found.
"What the hell am I even doing?" she asked herself. "I'm gonna get in some serious fucking trouble, and for what, so Hoxson can do his mission or whatever?"
Standing in front of the desk, she thought back to the man who had loomed over her the other night, the man who would've done God-knows-what before Hoxson managed to come and save her.
She shook her head and turned her attention back to the information. The first thing to catch her eye was a list – three lists, to be more precise. Each was a list of names, dollar amounts in a column on the right. The first list was titled "Red Claw," the next was titled "The Howlers," and the final was titled "Shadow Fur."
It struck her right away as a list of gangs – potentially the biker bear gangs who'd been in the area. Adie, wishing she had her phone to snap a picture, committed the names to memory. But before she had a chance to do any more looking around the room, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard out in the hallway.
Adie realized, right away, that they were coming in her direction.
She scanned the room, looking for someplace to hide as the footsteps stopped in front of the door and the knob began to turn.
"Oh shit, oh shit," she said to herself, her face turning a deep red.
She turned and placed her hands on the windowsill, preparing to open the window and climb down to the balcony below. But before she had a chance to get the window open even an inch, the door opened and the looming figure of a man stepped into the frame.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
CHAPTER 7
Adie didn't know what to do.
The man standing in the doorframe was tall, with broad shoulders and dressed in a stylish, well-fitting suit. His hair was jet black and slicked behind his ears, and his skin was the color of a fresh latte. His features were sharp and handsome, his chocolate-brown eyes narrowed into skeptical slivers.
