Alice was so happy! That’s what really mattered to Missy and filled her heart with joy. Her friend was bursting with emotions, babbling to Mark about all the things she’d been forced to keep quiet about. And, Missy could tell that Mark was seeing a lot of things all fall into place. He now had answers to many of those questions he’d previously not even asked about since he’d been willing to just accept things without knowing -- all because of how deeply he loved Alice. This full disclosure was indeed a good thing for the two of them. Alice didn’t want to keep any secrets from Mark ever again and Missy was certain that wouldn’t happen. She was also certain the two of them would guard her secret and never reveal anything to those not fully aware of just what she was.
Once she’d finally left the two of them and raced off, she’d put all her human thoughts away and allowed her cat instincts and cat needs to fully manifest. She’d long ago learned how to compartmentalize things in her mind and considered this to be just one more of her special abilities. Her enhanced senses allowed her to experience things in ways that went far beyond what any human or cat might experience, but she could also control herself and go places in her mind and deal with all of it. Pain? She could ignore it. All her wild, predatory instincts? She could control them as well.
Until recently, of course, she had always restrained her huge sexual appetite, something she had noticed getting stronger and more demanding as each year had gone by. She’d reached full sexual maturity at fourteen, while living as a cat. Now, with Mike, she was complete and fulfilled, and that carried over to both her natures. She was the happiest she’d ever been and today, she was really enjoying everything.
That is, she was until she suddenly scented another big cat. A male mountain lion had been in this same area and not that long ago. Since she knew there weren’t really any mountain lions in this region that could only mean one thing. Carlos. The other werecat who’d moved up here and who must have come out to this State Forest for the same reason she did. To have a place where he could be a cat.
There really weren’t that many areas in and around Boston. She’d been to most of them and had found this one suited her needs the best. It was 3,000 acres and the only places this large in Massachusetts were further away, west and south of Boston. So, it wasn’t all that surprising that Carlos would find his way to this place. And, now that he had? He certainly knew about her, a female cat who’d been running wild and free. Since he’d quickly do some research and verify there really weren’t any mountain lions -- he'd know. Strange as it might seem, he’d know there was a female werecat who occasionally roamed this State Forest. How long would it be until he was able to track her down?
-----
Carlos Mancini had indeed noticed. When he’d scented a female cat, he at first had assumed she must be a normal mountain lion that had somehow managed to migrate down from further north. But, her scent was a bit unique and it made him very curious. He’d spent extra time exploring the area and he’d noticed she was an infrequent visitor, rather than any animal that had actually moved in and made this her regular territory. This was not the behavior of any normal animal. But, a female werecat? Was that even possible? Then again, why not?
He’d grown up in the mountains, with his family ranging back and forth from Colombia to Peru, and he had an Uncle who had warned him how being a werecat might be possible. It was in their family. Every few years, someone in the family would show they too had inherited this strange affliction. When he’d hit puberty at fourteen and had Changed that first time, he’d been very upset. Why him?
Then, because he’d already known it was possible to Shift back to human form, it hadn’t taken him much time … in just a few days, he’d Changed back. After that, he’d tried to avoid Shifting. But, for the first year or so, if he didn’t Shift, it would be forced on him. As he got older, he could avoid it and go for months at a time but, eventually, he’d feel the need so strongly it was just easier to give in and Change. He needed to satisfy his cat nature. He considered it an affliction, a family curse, but he learned to live with that.
As an adult, he’d kept his two natures separate, never really growing comfortable at all with being a cat. He did, however, appreciate the enhanced abilities which being a werecat had given him. His strength, speed and agility had been a huge factor in his rising to a position of leadership. He was six feet tall, weighed two hundred pounds and was very fit. He hardly needed to exercise at all and managed to stay fit. Going furry every two or three months, running as a cat for a few hours each time, seemed to help with that in addition to satisfying his cat nature’s need. He didn’t really enjoy it that much and definitely kept it a secret from almost everyone. He doubted the criminal organization in which he’d thrived and prospered would trust him if they knew he was a werecat.
His ferocity had helped him get where he was, as much or more than his enhanced abilities. Most people had learned to fear him and he had a reputation for dealing violently with anyone who got in his way. He had the ability to control his temper, though, and this had helped him avoid making mistakes. Rather than strike out in anger, he’d always been very careful and would bide his time. But, eventually, he would always find a way to take care of those who had opposed him. His rise in power had been steady. He’d earned respect for being a cool head and his willingness to do whatever was necessary in order to get things done had impressed a lot of the right people.
He’d migrated to the US and had quickly found a place where his contacts with various drug lords up in the mountains back in Colombia were valuable and appreciated. In a few short years, at the age of twenty eight, he’d taken over a huge organization in Miami. And, he’d run that very successfully for ten years. He’d never been arrested and had not spent any time in prison. But, he’d known the FBI was watching him. He’d been looking for a way to move on. He’d wanted to get out of Miami and away from a number of associates whom he no longer trusted.
Carlos had never married anyone and had no intention of doing so. He had perfect teeth and was rather handsome, with his dark hair and hazel eyes, swarthy complexion and overall good physical appearance. His prowess in the bedroom was legendary and a lot of girls had been very willing to be his consort. His appetite for women was insatiable, however, and he never allowed anyone to stay long or get too close. He was careful and, even though he’d forced himself on a few young girls, he’d always avoided being accused of anything. Most of the time, he’d simply paid them off or else he’d paid off their families. There had been one incident, however, when he’d accidently killed one girl. He had buried her where she’d never be found and had not been a suspect for her disappearance.
He had supplied Frank McCarthy’s organization with drug shipments on several occasions and had met with several mob members in and around Boston who were all well connected. When the FBI had arrested Frank and eight others, he was quick to make his move. After a couple of meetings and some negotiations, he was being welcomed up in East Boston with open arms. At first, that had all seemed pretty good.
As it was turning out, it had maybe been a little too good. Suddenly, five guys just vanished? They all had been long time members in the East Boston organization and were trusted associates of Frank McCarthy. Soon afterwards, it was obvious the Feds had them, probably in some kind of witness protection program, since there were bodies being dug up and two more guys had been arrested. Even the guys he’d brought up here with him from Miami were getting nervous and jumpy. He’d been working his ass off trying to hold everything together.
But, discovering a female werecat was probably somewhere in the area? That was the first good news he’d had since coming up here. There were a lot of things he’d be interested in finding out once she was located. Now, all he had to do was find her.
Chapter Eleven
May 2018
It was after midnight and Aaron and Michelle were driving through Lynn, returning to Boston. Saturday had been fun, a nice break from school, but they would e
ach be studying all day Sunday. Final exams were coming in just a few weeks now and those were typically worth half the grade for the whole semester. They were taking different courses but were both at the same university.
She’d followed him there after they’d been dating for most of their high school years. Aaron and her brother had first met as Freshman at the Prep in Danvers. She’d gone to a different high school, since the Prep was for all boys, but what had started out as occasional dates with her twin brother’s best friend had ended up being exclusive for the last two years they were in high school. Being at the same school in Boston had enabled their relationship to reach several more levels and they’d been intimate since last December.
While Michelle still had a roommate, Aaron’s roommate had dropped out after the first semester and no one had replaced him. She now found herself sleeping in his room for more nights than she was spending in her own room. What had been an experiment, living together, had actually been working out very well and they were already planning to get their own place off campus next year.
As Aaron braked for the red light, Michelle said, “I’ll be so glad when this semester is over. College is a lot harder than it was in high school and days like today, when we didn’t spend all day in the library or else doing some paper, have been few and far between. I can’t wait for summer vacation.”
Aaron glanced over to look at her and then looked back ahead, waiting for the light to change. “Yeah, today’s our last free day. I’m going to be so busy from now until the end of exams, I don’t know if you’ll even be seeing that much of me. I’m so glad you insisted we take time out for enjoying ourselves today, though.” They’d actually just relaxed at his house, with his parents away for the weekend, so it was just the two of them. Getting away from school and just watching TV in familiar surroundings had been nice. Chasing her around his bedroom, without worrying about some classmate barging in on them, had been even nicer.
The light turned green and he slowly accelerated forward, after glancing both ways. He never saw where the other car came from; it raced out of some side street, turning onto the street perpendicular to theirs, and then accelerated straight towards them. It never even slowed down for the red light and only at the last moment was there the screech of tires on pavement as it tried to stop. The police never did learn what the driver might have been thinking, since he died on impact. They did determine that his blood alcohol level was way over the legal limit, however.
The impact was on the passenger door of their car and it pushed their car all across the intersection. Aaron was okay but when he looked over at Michelle, she had smashed her head on the passenger door window and it was obvious she was badly injured. She was out cold and the window glass was broken where her head had impacted. He knew this was serous and was afraid to even more her. He kept calling her name, hoping she’d respond, but to no avail.
It only took about ten minutes before a police car showed up but by then Aaron was frantic with worry. He’d managed to get out of his side of the car and had come around to her side, but her door was completely crushed in and wouldn’t open. When he’d looked over at the other car, it was obvious the driver was hurt pretty bad. He didn’t actually realize the guy was already dead but he could see there was no movement. When he couldn’t get Michelle’s door open he’d raced back around and scrambled inside through the driver’s side but then he didn’t know what else he could do. He’d gently started to pull her up in her seat but then had stopped, realizing there might be neck injuries that he’d be compounding. Just as he climbed out of the car again, the police car drove up.
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Missy woke up and knew immediately that something was very wrong. She could feel it inside but didn’t recognize what she was feeling. She only knew it was bad. Then, she thought of Mike, without knowing why. She immediately pushed her thoughts out, desperately hoping he’d respond. Her instincts were somehow telling her this was related to Mike and the panic that realization caused to well up inside her was something she’d never experienced before. She was very frightened. And, very worried about Mike.
What seemed an eternity but was actually only less than a minute later, her cell phone rang and it was Mike. She was so relieved and she cried out, “Mike, are you alright? Please tell me you’re okay?”
Mike said, “Yeah, I’m okay … but what’s happened? You woke me up and I could practically hear you screaming inside my head.” His head was actually aching now and he couldn’t believe how forceful her words had felt inside his mind.
“I don’t know what’s happened, Mike. I only know something bad has happened … and, I think it’s related to you. This crazy bond that I feel with you … I just don’t know. I can feel you there but I can also feel … something. Something else. Are you sure everything’s really okay?”
Mike was now fully awake and he was trying to think. His head was still really hurting even though she wasn’t pushing her words into his mind any more. It was all on the right side of his head, almost as though … Michelle! Without knowing how he knew, he just knew. Something must have happened to his twin sister. “Missy, I think my sister may have injured her head. Could that be what you’re getting, somehow? Maybe because she’s my twin and you’re now bonded with me? I really don’t understand any of this supernatural stuff but …”
Missy asked, “Where is she? Can you call her? Or, call Aaron? Hang up and then, after you reach them, call me back. Okay?”
Mike had already disconnected before she’d finished talking and was dialing his sister’s cell phone. When it went to voice mail he hung up and called Aaron’s cell. After four rings, he heard Aaron’s voice come on the line.
“Mike? Where are you? Why are you calling?” Aaron then went on to say, without waiting for any response, “Mike, it’s bad. Michelle’s hurt. We were in our car and we got hit. The police just came and they’ve called for an ambulance. She’s unconscious and … I just don’t know. I’m so worried.”
Mike talked to Aaron for only a couple of minutes and then assured him that he was on his way. He knew where the hospital was in Lynn and he didn’t want to waste any more time talking. He called Missy back and told her what he’d learned. She agreed to rush right over there. She was closer than he was and could get there even before he did.
-----
Two hours had passed and Missy was really concerned. She’d arrived right after the ambulance had brought Michelle in. Then, Aaron and a policeman had arrived right after that. Since there was a fatality, the police were doing a thorough investigation. However, they had agreed to bring Aaron over to the hospital, sending along the policeman to take his statement there, once Aaron had calmed down enough about Michelle to even think straight. Mike had shown up not long afterwards and they were now all waiting for news concerning Michelle. Since Mike was family, the hospital staff were directing all their reports to him first. Mike had insisted on waiting until they had some prognosis before calling his parents.
Michelle’s condition was still unknown. She had never regained consciousness and they’d already given her an MRI examination. It had taken the rescue team several minutes to get the car door ripped off so they could treat her at the scene. But, other than the massive head injury, nothing else was apparent. Still, her head had sustained a severe blow and everyone was very worried. Aaron had finished giving his statement to the police and, now that he didn’t have any specific task, he was slowly going crazy. He kept second guessing his own actions, reviewing the accident over and over. His concern for Michelle had him agonizing over every detail and there was nothing anyone could say that would console him.
Mike had learned from the policeman that another car had been behind Aaron’s car and the couple in that car had seen the whole thing quite clearly. They’d stopped and had given their statements at the scene. They were excellent witnesses and once the police had understood how the other car had run the light, their attitude towards Aaron had been very understanding. Ther
e would not be any charges pending for him since he’d clearly been exonerated.
Missy was growing more and more concerned and wanted to do something. She kept asking if they could see Michelle but no one had been allowed to see her, as yet. They were waiting for the neurosurgeon to review the MRI results. Finally, a Doctor Arvin Messina came out to see them and looked for Mike. When he asked where Michelle’s parents were, they knew this was not good.
“I’m really sorry, Mike, but your sister’s condition is critical. We want to operate sometime very soon … can you have one of your parents come in to sign some forms?” Doctor Messina was not very encouraging and would not say whether or not any brain damage had occurred. He wouldn’t even say whether Michelle would survive. So, this was serious. Mike called home and broke the news as gently as he could. His parents said they were both on their way to the hospital.
Mike asked, “Can we see her, Doctor? Please, just let us go in to see her? While we wait for my parents to arrive?”
Doctor Messina frowned but then, since it really wouldn’t matter at this point, he agreed. At first, he wanted to limit the visiting to just Mike but when he saw how insistent all three of them were, he said okay. They could only stay a minute and were not to touch her but they could stand next to her bed and see her.
When they entered Michelle’s room and saw how pale she looked, Aaron went to pieces. After only a minute, Mike took him outside and had him sit down. Missy stayed and looked at her friend. Inside, her feelings welled up and … suddenly, she just knew. Without knowing how or why, her instincts were convincing her. She could help Michelle and she was absolutely certain of her ability to do that. Just then, Mike returned and she turned to him.
“Mike, I’m going to try something. I feel pretty sure it’ll help but I may need you here. I’m going to give Michelle my healing energy. I’ve never done this before and I don’t know why I believe this is possible. But, I just do. Let me try, okay?”
Missy Goes to West Point Page 10
