Chapter Three
The dark haired stranger turned as I walked into the small kitchen. “Sit here.” He smiled and motioned to one of the three wooden chairs pulled up against a small round table. I sat down hesitantly and he handed me a steak knife, fork, and napkin. There was a pitcher of cold water on the table and he told me to help myself, so I drank down a glass, not minding the cold ache against my throat. He placed a large bowl of salad on the table followed by another with bread, then handed me a dinner plate laden with a steak and fries.
I watched him as he served up his own food, careful not to let him notice me doing it. His back was broad, but his waist was slim as were his long legs. He looked young when he smiled, probably around twenty-two or twenty-three. He’d managed to find the time to change his shirt and clean up while I was still in the bathroom. His movements were graceful like a martial artist’s, but I sensed that underneath the smile and the elegance was a dangerous man.
He sat across from me. “Eat, Jackie, and I’ll explain a few things."
He knew my name. Had he looked in my wallet? I glanced around the room hoping to find my backpack. My cell phone was in there, something else I hadn’t thought about. Jeez, I'd definitely been drugged if I'd forgotten about my cell phone. Taking a big bite of the steak, I realized I was totally starving. I forgot about everything else, shoveling in mouthful after mouthful as fast as I could chew and swallow.
His voice was soft and soothing. “Slow down a little. There's plenty. My name's Rob. I’m not going to hurt you, but I'll have to lock you up if you try to run away."
“I heard you the first time.” I glared at him over my water glass. Now that the drugs seemed to be mostly out of my system, my fear had turned to anger.
Still, he smiled at me, as if my attitude was no big deal. “Good. You understand. Makes things easier.”
“Easier for you, or for me?” I continued to scowl between bites.
“Both of us, but mostly for you."
I was annoyed that he wasn’t taking me seriously. I squirted out some ketchup and chewed on a fry, watching him as he took another bite of his salad. The food was making me feel a lot better, giving me the nerve to ask questions. “Why did you kidnap me?"
He just kept on chewing, watching me but not answering.
"They’ll find me and you’ll go to jail.” I bluffed, not sure at all that someone would find me in this remote location. “Are we in the Sierras?”
He swallowed, hesitating for a moment as if wondering how to proceed. “What I’m going to tell you will be tough for you to hear.”
“Spit it out.” I kept shoving food in my mouth. I’d need this energy later when I made a break for it.
“No one will report you missing. Maggie and Justin told your school that you were moving because Justin needed to start a new job in Colorado. They’ve already left town and a moving company is packing up your house. Your stuff is going into storage until you need it.
I stopped eating. “You’re crazy if you think I’m falling for that bull.”
“You’ll be able to see them again in a couple of months." I didn't respond. "They wanted me to tell you they love you. They felt terrible about not being able to talk to you first. But we had no choice. Your situation was becoming dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
“I’ll be calling them regularly to fill them in on your progress. They’ve actually helped us like this before, although you’re the only child they’ve adopted. They think you’re an amazing kid.”
I'd been holding my breath, unable to believe what I was hearing. This can’t be real. My family cared about me. They definitely wouldn’t leave town without me. They wouldn’t want me to get hurt or to be frightened or to be alone.
It was suddenly way too much to deal with. “You’re full of shit,” I yelled, standing and knocking the chair over. I started backing away, holding my steak knife in front of me and searching for a way to get around Rob and out of the cabin.
Rob moved so quickly I had no time to react. The knife clattered uselessly to the floor as he secured my wrists in a tight grip, his face only inches from mine. My nostrils filled once more with his cool wintergreen scent and I shuddered, my muscles relaxing against my will.
Intrigued by his strange ability, I looked up into his dark brown eyes. Who is this guy? I panic, and he soothes me. I was ready to explode ten seconds ago and now…
Oh no, I wasn’t some weak little girl he could control with some spooky cologne. I gritted my teeth. "Let go of me,” I demanded, trying to pull away without success. I hoped he didn't think I was really going to stab him with the knife. I’ve never been a violent person, but this experience was stressing out my sanity circuits.
He was having absolutely no trouble holding me in place. I tried a couple of moves I’d learned in self-defense class, but nope. No luck. And he was smiling at me. What a jerk. “I’ll let go if you sit down and eat more of your meal.”
“Fine.” No use letting a perfectly good steak go to waste. I’d spent too many nights as a kid feeling hungry. “But I still don’t believe anything you said.”
He’d somehow righted my chair without me noticing. How was that possible? I sat, but didn’t feel all that hungry anymore. I pushed the plate away.
“If you don’t eat, it’ll take longer to recover from the meds.“
“What did you give me?” It had actually flashed in my head for a whole thirty seconds that Rob wasn’t so bad, but then I remembered the dizziness, the nausea and the blood. I narrowed my eyes and fantasized about seeing him led away to jail.
He seemed to be amused by my anger, which annoyed me even more. “It’s a new drug created for a specific purpose. You had your first dose a few hours ago and didn’t exactly react the way the other trainees did. You ran off and I couldn’t find you for an hour or so.” He laughed at his own private joke. "You're pretty damn fast."
“You've done this to others?”
“Yes. There’s a good reason, if you’ll just listen.”
No way was I listening to Mister Minty Fresh the serial kidnapper. “I should have kept running. You wouldn’t have caught me.” Slapping my hands down hard on the table, I glared directly at him, too angry to be afraid.
Rob leaned back in the chair looking kind of smug, but his voice was soothing. “You’re wrong, Jackie, I would have found you." He pointed at my plate. "Keep eating." He frowned so I took another tiny bite. "I know this is very difficult, but the sooner you can recognize the truth of your situation, the easier it will be for you to adapt.”
There was something compelling about him when he spoke in that calm clear way. I wanted to believe that he didn't want to harm me, but I was afraid to let down my guard.
My stomach growled again. I looked down at the delicious steak and decided to keep eating. I’d need my strength to escape, I reasoned, so if he wanted to talk while I ate, I guess I could pretend to listen. Later I’d run. Then he’d be eating my dust.
He handed me a clean knife and picked up the one I'd dropped, tossing it into the sink.
"I wasn't going to stab you. I was…what you said…hurt."
"Try to trust me, Jackie. I won’t lie to you."
"Where are we?"
"We’re on Isla Solitaria, which means lonely island in Spanish. We locals call it Solo Island. You’re miles from mainland California—pretty much stuck here no matter how fast you think you are." He smiled at me and I crossed my arms. Huh. I knew exactly how fast I was and it would probably blow his mind. “You're here to be trained. When I'm satisfied you're ready to leave, you’ll be able to live almost anywhere you'd like. I don’t want you to think of yourself as a prisoner.” He took another bite of his food and waited for my reaction.
I stopped eating as I tried to process what he’d said. He’d just told me that he was going to train me to do something and then let me go. Yeah, like that wasn’t total BS. As I watched him eat, I tried to figure out what he did want. He hadn’t tried to
touch me, other than to keep me from running and to help me into the cabin, which was a good thing ‘cause I didn’t think I could fight him off for long if he wanted to rape me. I took another look at his biceps and broad muscular chest. Nope, my only chance was to run.
Rob glanced down at my plate then back at me, raising an eyebrow. I shoved a French fry in my mouth to placate him, then chewed and swallowed. “What do you want me to learn to do? And who the heck are you?”
“I'm getting to that. Think of me as a recruitment specialist. I work for a diverse group who share a similar interest. One person in particular has observed you on and off the last few years and is very interested in your potential. He called me in specifically to train you.” He buttered a slice of bread as he spoke.
I snorted and almost choked on my next fry. “My potential? As what, a runner? That’s about the only thing I do well."
“Running fast is one of your gifts.”
Another non-answer. Must be one of his so-called gifts. "This friend of yours was watching me?” He nodded. I pushed away the stray pieces of salad and took a bite of the bread he'd handed me, shuddering as I remembered another day and other men who’d watched me.
“Have you ever heard the term shapeshifter?” He seemed to be scrutinizing my expression carefully.
“What, like werewolves?”
“No, not like wolves, although shifters do take the form of animals. Shapeshifters aren’t ruled by the phases of the moon and are able to shift under almost any circumstances, as long as they’ve gained enough control and are physically strong. Also, shifters don’t live under such a rigid societal structure as wolves, enjoying a lot more freedom within their communities. Werewolves are more powerful physically, at least when they’re healthy, and are definitely more volatile. They make dangerous enemies but can also make loyal allies. It’s important for a shifter to know which variety of wolf they’re dealing with.”
This must be some kind of weird joke. “You’re talking like werewolves and shapeshifters are real creatures. Are you taking your own drugs?” Why is he telling me this ridiculous crap? I tried to figure out his motives as he sat and watched me. Maybe he’s just nuts. That thought did nothing to relieve my anxiety.
“They are real. Vampires, witches, sorcerers, the fae and many other supernatural beings inhabit the world with humans. I know you don’t believe me now, but in a few months it'll all seem pretty mundane.”
I was not gonna be anywhere near this guy in a few months. “You said the fae? Like…fairies?” I almost laughed at him, but then thought better of it. He could be seriously crazy and laughing at him was probably not a good way to get him to let me go.
“They’re more like Galadriel than Tinkerbelle. The ones I’ve met are extremely powerful. Many of them have lived for thousands of human years.”
"Oh. That’s interesting. Like Tolkien elves, huh?" Speaking softly, I asked, “But what’s the training for?” Keeping him talking was probably the best strategy, at least until I could think of something else.
That eyebrow had arched up again, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “I see the wheels turning. I’m not crazy.”
“Oh, yeah, I know.”
“I’ll be training you to shift, to feel comfortable in your new skin.”
“New skin?” Whoa, that sounded really creepy.
“You’re a shapeshifter. Usually shifters make their first change a couple of years after puberty, but some are late bloomers. You and I are here on the island to force your first change away from anyone who could get hurt. It’ll happen eventually anyway. I’m just going to bring it on a little faster. That’s what the drug is for. I’ll get you through your first shift as safely as possible.” He watched me carefully, waiting for me to bolt or cry or react in some way.
Wow. This guy should design role-playing games. I decided to pretend to play along with his strange little fantasy. “Why not just wait until I change naturally?” I pushed my fries back and forth, my appetite having suddenly disappeared. I glanced at the door and he laughed.
Rob continued, "Two reasons: If your first change occurred in school or your home, you’d have been terrified and could've hurt someone. Also, shifter populations are thinning out. We’re always on the lookout for shifters, like you, who’ve slipped through our radar. We have dangerous enemies and most of us feel that bringing strong young recruits into the mix will only help strengthen the community.”
Rob stood up and moved slightly away from the table. “I’m a shifter. A black leopard.”
I felt a strange electric charge in the air, my body tingling pleasantly as energy filled the small room. I watched in complete astonishment as Rob’s hands turned into enormous black paws with lethal looking claws. He flexed them slightly, retracting the claws when he noticed my wide-eyed expression. Just as quickly the paws transitioned back to his large human-looking hands. The change seemed effortless. He wasn't even breathing hard.
Stunned, the reality of the situation hit me like a two-by-four in the face. “But I don’t want to change,” I pleaded. ”I’m human, not an animal. I won’t let you drug me again. You can’t force me to change!” I'd stood without thought, rage and fear smoldering in the bonfire of my jumbled emotions. There was no way I was going to let this pseudo-nice creep inject me with some weird drug to make me turn into a bird or a bear or whatever. Maybe this was some kind of governmental test site, although Rob didn’t really look like a scientific geek. More like a Land's End model.
“Please sit down.” His soothing voice and comforting wintergreen scent made most of my tension float away. Suddenly my knees were bending and I was sitting again.
He rubbed his hands, maybe massaging away the effects of the transition. "The drug I've given you doesn't turn you into a shifter. Shapeshifters are born, so you must have had at least one shifter parent. The drug simply encourages your body to do what it would probably do in a few days or weeks anyway. I just don't see the point in waiting around for it to happen. You shouldn't have to stay on the island any longer than necessary." He smiled kindly. "I know this is rough for you to take in."
I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down, trying to bury my fear where he couldn’t see it. His hands had definitely changed to a leopard's paws. That wasn't some hallucination. I should have been screaming or crying, but instead I wanted some answers. I lifted my chin. "Where did all the blood come from? I don't have one cut. And why can’t I remember anything?”
“Amnesia is a side effect of the tranquilizer I gave you outside your house. You probably won’t ever remember your trip to the island. You struggled quite a bit after I administered your first dose of the experimental meds four hours ago. Your hands began to shift and you did some damage with your claws. Some of the blood was yours from self-inflicted injuries and some of it was mine as I tried to subdue you, but most of it belonged to my other guest in the back bedroom. Come, I’ll introduce you.”
As I followed him, my head was spinning with ideas. Someone else was here? Was there another prisoner like me? Maybe we could team up and get off this island. Of course I only had his word that we were even on an island. He might be lying. What did he say about my hands changing? I looked down at them and they looked perfectly normal to me, except for the missing scars.
We walked quickly to the back of the cabin, opening a door on the left. I couldn’t believe what I saw.
Rebirth - Book 1 Rogues Shifter Series Page 3
