by Leia Stone
I laid the bone knife in my lap and put my hands out in front of me to form a wall. Taking a deep breath, I felt for my magic. It was there! Pulsing and strong.
“Conceal,” I said in the barest of whispers and pushed my magic out. I had no idea if this was going to work. My wolf sure as hell wasn’t with me anymore but suddenly a hazy magical wall went up in front of the tree opening just as a huge, menacing black wolf walked in front of me and stopped. My breath caught as the wolf’s head turned and pinned me to the wall with its glowing red eyes. That was not a natural wolf … it was three times the size, and gave off an aura of evil. Skin Walker. I knew, I felt it, it was him. Mother-effer. I wanted to jump out and slit his throat for Haseya and Gavin. But I had to be realistic, I was basically a mid-level half witch hiding in a tree waiting for some animal powers to find me and hopefully make me a badass again. I barely breathed as it continued to stare at me, nostrils flaring. I slowly took the knife in my hands, ready for anything, but the wolf just gave a low growl and moved on, nose to the ground, sniffing and scouting.
I released my breath and leaned back, letting my head rest up against the tree. For the first time in my life I wanted someone to be talking inside my head. Being a twin and an Alpha’s daughter didn’t lend too much privacy but now I was desperate for companionship. Maybe that was the point. Being out here alone, I was supposed to find something more.
“Spirit, please guide me,” I whispered softly and waited but nothing happened. Sighing, I tried to brush off the sleepiness that was settling into my limbs. I was a fit chick but the ten hours of walking wasn’t exactly normal for me and with the fever sitting just under my skin, it exhausted me. Losing my wolf to my mate this morning, being sniffed out by a Skin Walker, that shit hit me like a train. I was so tired, I just wanted life to ease up a bit because it was coming on pretty strong right now. I allowed my lids to close for a second and that was it. Lights out.
Nahuel came to me in a dream. We were standing out in the same beautiful meadow I had eaten my berry and flower dinner at earlier. Nahuel had a full-feathered headdress on and a fire was lit. As I approached, he acknowledged me with a nod.
“Evil is afoot,” he said ominously.
I looked down at my body because it felt warm and heavy and I was shocked to see that thick patches of dark brown fur covered my arms and legs. What the? I shook it off. It was a dream.
“What am I supposed to do?” He was my guide, right?
Nahuel dropped down into a crouch and began to wordlessly trace in the dirt with a stick. I tried not to lose my shit, but I really needed some help here. I was hungry and tired and sleeping in a fricken tree while some evil raping bastard looked for me!
“Nahuel!” I shouted in anger.
His head snapped up. “Who are you? What’s your purpose? What can you offer the world?” Each question cut into me like a whip. I flinched as I pondered over his questions, but I had no answers for him. I didn’t know who I was anymore, or what the hell I was doing. I wasn’t even 100% certain that I had anything to offer the world.
Suddenly, the fur on my arms disappeared and was replaced with bandages, an I.V., and a medical gown. I started to panic and ripped out the I.V., fumbling backward.
“No!” I screamed and jerked awake.
My grip on the knife tightened and I looked around my small space in the tree. It was just a dream. The sun had started to rise above the tree tops but I couldn’t get that dream out of my head. My stomach grumbled and as much as I never wanted to leave the safety of this tree again, I had to pee wicked bad and I needed more fresh water. I dissolved the magical wall concealing my safe space and my joints groaned as I adjusted my position and slowly left my hole in the tree. Standing, I looked around wildly for any sign of danger but it was just me, the birds, and the rising sun.
*
After peeing, and getting fresh water from the stream, I was at a loss for what to do next. That dream wigged me out and something had firmly settled in my gut. Some icky gnawing feeling that shit was about to hit the fan. I desperately needed a bath, but there was no way I was stripping down to wash in the creek while the pervy Skin Walker was out there.
Nahuel’s questions were rattling around inside my brain. Who am I? I’m a girl, I’m a Matefinder, a daughter, a twin, a … what? Was this a fricken riddle that needed solving? Before I could give anymore thought to it, the fever slammed into me with enough force to knock me over.
“Ahh,” I screamed and clutched my head while falling to my knees. Oh shit, oh God. My wolf was no longer with me and my frail human body was taking the brunt of this fire. It raged inside of me threatening to make me pass out. Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out, I told myself. My hands shook as I tried to think of a healing spell or anything that would lessen this ache between my eyes and the fire the licked across my skin. But my brain wasn’t working. I felt delirious; I had double vision and slow reflexes.
My brother’s howl rose up into the air and with it a small amount of the headache eased. Jaxon. Panting, I tried to stand when a splashing noise from the creek behind me caused me to spin around and come face to face with a big-ass bear. Oh, shit. She was huge, 300 pounds with dark brown fur and beady eyes. I blinked a few times trying to clear my vision, but the fever was pressing down on me and my cognitive functions were going. I was ready to drop, I could feel my legs weakening. No, no, no. The bear had me in her line of sight, and she growled, making her lips pull back and exposing her teeth. Oh, frick, this was it, I was done for. Then Gavin’s howl cut through the woods and my headache lessened a bit. I was able to stand steady, to breathe evenly.
Slowly, I began to back up and that’s when the bear charged, running full out, faster than a damn car. I knew that if I ran I would trigger her hunting instincts, but I didn’t care. She was already trying to hunt me. Turning quickly, I decided to just book it. I wouldn’t die without a fight; it wasn’t in my nature, but I would run my ass off for as long as I could. That’s when I came face to face with the Skin Walker. Standing naked in his human form wearing a cloak of black wolf-skin fur. Blood and dirt streaked his body and scars marred his torso. He was a white man, which surprised me. Blonde hair and blue eyes, fair skinned and evil to the core. He scanned my body with lust as the bear pounded the ground behind me. Pulling my dagger out in front of me, I readied myself for a fight to the death. His manhood would be on the floor if he tried to get it anywhere near me.
“You’re half dead already. I can save you. Give you a long and happy life with Gavin and your mom and dad. Make you a wolf again.” His voice had an airy trancelike quality and his eyes glowed fiery orange when he spoke, but I shook my head as I felt the bear’s vibrations behind me.
“I’d rather be mauled to death by this bear,” I told him and did a quick pivot holding my arm up, ready to dagger the bear in the chest. She was right there in front of me, eyes glowing silver … Wait, what? I dropped into a crouch at the last second just as she sailed over my head and landed on the Skin Walker with the force of a bullet.
Pain exploded in my chest and I turned to look at the commotion behind me. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the fight. The Skin Walker shifted instantly into his wolf form and began to attack the female bear, biting into her shoulder. I dropped to the ground in excruciating pain. Shaking, I peered at the throbbing in my shoulder and was shocked to see blood gushing from an open wound. What the? The bear took the Walker in her jaws and tossed him ten feet up into the air. Just before he landed, he transformed into a huge 400-pound black bear. No cracking of bones, no effort, just poof! Shape change.
The smaller female bear stood up on her hind legs, unafraid. She wailed a growl that vibrated in my chest; it broke every wall inside of me, it shattered my entire existence and left me raw, enlightened. As she charged the Walker I was sure of two things. One, this bear was me, mine. And second, I knew the answer to Nahuel’s questions. Who was I? Whatever the hell I wanted to be. Nobody decided for me. What’s my purpose? To u
se my power for good. Not like this evil prick. What can I offer the world? Justice.
I gave my biggest battle cry as I ran with everything I had, fist raised into the air, and jumped high sailing through the air and landing on my bear’s back. I held on tightly to her fur as magic seeped from my pores. A blue super-fine mist coated my entire body, my bear, and even covered the Walker pinned beneath us. Meeting his eyes, I saw a flash of fear but then it was gone, replaced with cold, hard anger. His teeth came down, taking my bear’s neck into them and biting. I wailed as the magic poured out harder and I began to feel my skin fizzle and pop and … break down. I was losing myself. My human form was … meshing. And then I was looking out through her eyes. My bear, we were one. So much stronger than my wolf, so much more powerful, more brave. I used my huge claws to rake into the Walker’s stomach, opening those scars back up. He released his jaws from my neck and backed up glaring at me with glowing red eyes. My right hind leg was broken, my shoulder and neck bleeding profusely but I had a new-found courage and strength that wasn’t there with my wolf. I roared in his face spraying spit in a fine mist in front of me. His bear grinned and looked ready to charge again but then the air charged with something and I smelled a familiar scent. Sage. The sound of drums was beating on the perimeter of the trees. Nahuel, the warriors, Gavin, my twin, they were close. They were fighting their own battle, I could feel it. But their closeness gave the Walker pause. They were coming.
‘We will meet again, young Keeper, and I will have you like I had Haseya.’ His voice in my head was a total unwelcome violation. Then he turned and ran off. When he was twenty feet away, he just … disappeared. Shit. Now that the adrenalin rush was gone, I surveyed my injuries. It was bad. Really bad. I eyed the ground, finding my mother’s torn protection pouch necklace, and my dagger. Scooping them into my jaws, I left my shredded clothes and began to walk toward the sound of the beating drums. Blood was gushing from me and I had a limp but my bear was ruthless; she pressed on no matter the pain, no matter the blood loss. I was mystified to find that my wounds seemed to be slowly magically healing. Like a werewolf but slower, they itched as I walked and the blood lessened.
As the drumming sound came closer, I broke into a run ignoring my limp, tearing through the trees, leaping over fallen logs. The ground shook with the force of my weight. Then I saw them. Lina, the warriors, Gavin’s and Jaxon’s wolves, Nahuel. As I approached, they all stopped and stared. Gavin and Jaxon hit the ground in a submissive gesture and growled. When I was standing ten feet from them, I dropped the protection necklace and dagger from my mouth and took a deep breath, forcing my bear to retreat and take my human form. Blue mist leaked from my pores as my fur retreated, my bones shrunk along with my mass and suddenly I was a naked human, swaying weakly with gashed injuries and a broken foot but with a grin on my face. Nahuel and Lina bowed in my presence and approached me.
Lina placed both hands on my shoulders and sniffed. Then she grinned. “Welcome home, Keeper.”
That’s when I fainted.
*
When I awoke, I was groggy and in a shit load of pain. Glancing down, I saw that my shoulder and neck were bandaged and reeked of some type of herbal paste. Wearing a clean cotton tunic with no underclothes, I saw that I was in a tent and Gavin’s arms were firmly around me.
“Hey,” I croaked, and his eyes snapped open. Sitting up slowly, I winced as Gavin’s face swam into view.
His fingers traced my cheeks, my lips. “I nearly lost my mind while you were out there. When Nahuel said he smelled the Skin Walker … I … my wolf … we went crazy. I couldn’t get to you. There was a magical wall … I’m so sorry.”
I reached out to him. “Shhh, it’s okay.” Resting my head on his bare chest, I breathed him in, letting my fingers trail down his rock hard abdomen. He growled lightly, in an aroused way as I smiled looking up at him.
“Miss me?” I teased. Having a near death Skin Walker experience had made me realize life was short and you should cut through the bullshit and insecurities and go after what you want.
His voice was husky, eyes yellow. I know now that his wolf instincts to mate would be in full force. “You have no idea,” he countered.
Before I could act on my instincts, the smell of food in the tent made my stomach let out a growl that could be heard miles away.
“Food,” I muttered like a zombie and Gavin flashed me a dimple-filled smile. He reached across the small tent and produced an amazing, mouthwatering burrito that would put Chipotle on their knees. I dug into the burrito like a cave man and Gavin laughed. Omg … was that bacon? Black beans, eggs, salsa, and crispy fricken bacon. Hell yes. My mother was a vegetarian but Jaxon and I took after my dad. Carnivore all the way. I moaned again and Gavin cleared his throat.
“Sorry, you didn’t want any, right? Because I am so not sharing.”
He just laughed, shaking his head. “No, but people are here to see you.” He motioned outside the tent.
Hmm. Wolfing down the last bite, I nodded and let him help me stand. He unzipped the tent and helped me out as my eyes scanned the open area. Jaxon was tending the fire and it was dark out, then my gaze fell on two familiar figures. I was shocked to see Avery and Mason were here.
“Avery!” I shouted and limped over to her, relieved to feel my ankle healing. What were they doing here?
Avery looked frazzled like she had been crying. She ran toward me but slowed as she neared. Smelling the air, she scrunched her face.
“You smell …” She started, then she turned her nose in Gavin’s direction and smelled some more. “He smells ...”
I swallowed hard, not really sure if I wanted to grapple with my new-found … whatever. I needed to talk to Nahuel and Lina about that.
“A bear. I’m … a bear. He’s a wolf now. My wolf, well, it’s his now. Long story. Tell me what’s up?” I urged her because now that I had my bear form, I felt whole again and I was beginning to feel the pack again. My father, mother, Avery, everyone, but it was faint, hiding behind static and what I could feel was not good.
Avery shared a look with Mason, her lip quivered and something sank in my gut.
“The pack was attacked. Twenty wolves kidnapped, including your father. Your mom is Alpha now.” Her words ripped me open emotionally and lit a fire of anger inside of me.
I dropped the water canteen I was holding, and my mouth hung open. Jaxon and Mason had been whispering off to the side, they came to join us now.
“WHAT!” I shouted and my bear rose up so fast I had to tamp her down for fear that she would shift and scare the shit out of my friends.
Mason had a gash on his arm and his clothes were bloody and torn. He met my eyes. “Your dad fought like a maniac trying to protect the females, but there were too many.”
The anger was pressing down on me so hard I let a growl leak from my throat and everyone stepped back a foot. A bear growl would make even the toughest of men piss their pants.
“Who. Who did this?” My words were stone. Give me a name and they were dead.
A tear leaked from Avery’s eye. “Humans.”
I gasped, not expecting that. Sure, there were a few rebel humans that didn’t agree with us but not to do something like this. Not a full on attack taking twenty wolves. Females. The Alpha. No. It was against the way of things. We protected humans. They shouldn’t harm us.
“There’s more,” Jaxon told me before I could respond.
Mason ran a shaky hand through his hair. “It’s not just your father’s pack. Wolves are being taken all over the country. The humans have turned their back on us. It’s going to be an all-out war.”
I staggered back in shock just as Lina and Nahuel came out of the sweat lodge tent. I couldn’t contain my bear any longer. She wanted to run, to roar, to rage. It was happening, like in the vision with Nahuel; the humans against the wolves. Never in my life did I think this would happen.
My clothes tore as I began to shift, my muscles bulking, fur flaring out on my
arms and legs. Once I was finally on all fours, everyone stared at me with a mixture of fascination and fear. Gavin was the only one who looked at me with pride. Rising up on my hind legs, I roared for my people, roared for the death of the beautiful treaty my father had worked so hard to build with the humans. I roared for the beginning of what was sure to become an ugly war with the one species we were sworn to protect.
“Holy shit,” Mason commented as Gavin stripped down and shifted. Then Jaxon, Avery, and finally Mason followed suit, all shifting before me. Nahuel surprised us all by shifting into a jaguar. Lina simply stayed in her human form, the only one I assumed she had. But we ran, all of us. A bear, a jaguar, a human, and four wolves. Our own little pack ran through the forest, letting the fresh air and trees cleanse our mourning souls.
*
After a one hour run with our eclectic group, we made it back to the campsite feeling more focused. After shifting, I showered and dressed, ready now for the conversation with Lina and Nahuel that I was dreading. The conversation that I was sure would tell me I had somehow become something I wasn’t born to be. And I wasn’t talking about my bear form; I was talking about what Lina called me before I fainted. A Keeper. I was also hoping there were five more burritos in my near future because it seemed with a bear to feed, one wasn’t enough.
Making my way across the wooded area, I was happy to see Gavin was engrossed in conversation with Jaxon and Mason. They all seemed to be bonding nicely. Avery was asleep in one of the tents and I reminded myself that I needed to catch up with her tomorrow. Whatever she had seen traumatized her. We all wanted to get back home and help find my dad. But this needed to be dealt with first.
Lifting the flaps to Lina’s tent, I was a bit surprised to see one of the large warriors waiting with Lina and Nahuel inside. They sat in a small circle on a colorful woven rug and looked up as I entered. Lina smiled warmly and patted the carpet space to her right.
