by C. E. Black
I had thought I was stunned speechless earlier, but nothing could have prepared me for what I walked in on. I blinked several times, as I took in the scene, but it never changed as I’d hoped it would.
Had I hit my head recently, or did sex with Paul make me more mindless than I thought? Because I swear I just witnessed Stone slamming ME to his desk, bending MY arms behind my back. I shook my head, closed my eyes and opened them again. Nope, still there.
I, or rather she, swung around and clipped Stone in the jaw, throwing him off balance. As her arm came free from his grasp, she pulled a gun from the back of her pants and pointed it at him and that’s when I finally unfroze, ready to launch myself at... Myself? I shook off the weirdness, but was suddenly tripping over myself, as Paul came rushing in. What the hell?
“Look out!” he yelled, pushing me to the floor, as a bullet flew over my head. Damn, that was close, I thought as it slammed into the concrete wall behind me.
Paul and I looked at each other, confusion clear across both of our faces, as we turned in unison back to the disturbing picture.
She was standing back, aiming the gun at Paul and me, as she eyed everyone in the room. “Get up, and drop your weapons!” she called out and we stood up slowly, my hands lifting to show I had no weapon. Paul placed his gun on the floor before standing next to me.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked, as my eyes ran over my clone.
My nose wrinkled, as I took in her appearance. For all intents and purposes, she was my twin, even down to her clothes, black cargo pants, white tank and black boots. I glanced down at my own outfit. Besides the fact that my tank was gray, it was like we dressed out of the same closet that morning.
“Shut the fuck up, Foxy. I’ll do the talking here,” she snarled and just like that, I knew who she was, but how?
“Little rabbit,” I smirked, “What the hell are you?”
She smiled and licked her lips suggestively. “So, you figured out who I am, good for you, bitch. Now, shut the fuck up before I blow your brains out.” She waved her gun and I held my hands up higher, “Alright.”
“She may know who you are, but do you mind enlightening the rest of us?” Stone asked. He stood on the other side of his desk, hands in the air like Paul and me, but his chin was held high, as he looked down at her.
“It’s me, Cassie. I thought if I looked like her, you’d want me,” she whined. I couldn’t hold back my snort. Paul’s shoulder bumped mine reproachfully and I rolled my eyes.
“But you knew instantly that it wasn’t her,” she seethed.
I suddenly understood what I had walked in on. Cassandra thought she could seduce Stone by playing me, but he must have seen right through her. There really was only one Foxy, I mused to myself and grinned.
Cassandra was too busy batting her eyelashes at Stone to pay any attention to us, which meant we needed to make our move.
“Cassandra?” Stone asked in disbelief. “What? How did you...”
I glanced at Paul and he nodded, having made the same decision and slowly leaned over to pick up his gun.
“What am I?” she finished for him. “How did I change my appearance? Everyone thinks I’m just some stupid, weak human, but I am so much more than that,” she growled. “I may not be a beast, but I am a shifter.” Suddenly, she turned and shot off a round. I ducked and the bullet hit the wall behind me again. “Don’t move!” She yelled.
Holding out my hands again, I straightened, “So, you’re a human shifter, big whoop,” I said, though I was seriously impressed. As far I knew, no one even knew something like this existed. “But why the dramatics?”
“I’m just following orders,” she replied with a smile. “The boss doesn’t like what’s happening here, Stone,” she turned to him as she spoke. “Things are getting sloppy, letting traitors disappear along with missing shipments. He’s not happy.”
“Who’s your boss?” I asked, but she ignored me, as she sauntered up to Stone. “I think we can make a deal, though,” she said to him. “Don’t you think, Stone?” He looked down at her with disgust, but she was too busy playing the bad bitch to notice.
“But first, they have to go,” she snarled, turning her attention to me just before Stone disarmed her from behind. I was seriously impressed with how quickly he took her down. A pistol whipping knocked her out cold and she fell to the floor unconscious.
But just as I began to relax, Stone held up the gun and pointed it at Paul. “Who the fuck are you?” he asked.
“Stone, I can –”
“Your worst nightmare,” Paul snarled, interrupting me, before shifting quicker than I’d ever seen, his clothes falling to shreds around him, as he launched himself at Stone.
“Oh, for fuck's sake!” I yelled, adding an eye roll for good measure. Damn those testosterone filled assholes!
The gun went off as Paul slammed into him, but it went wild, hitting the ceiling. Then things really went to shit.
The room was suddenly filled with men and when they saw Stone and a very large black jaguar rolling around on the floor, they moved in. Most went to Stone, but a few came at me.
The first guy went down easily enough. The human couldn’t withstand a solid punch to the head from a shifter and fell at my feet. I swung around just in time to dodge a punch and knelt, sweeping my foot out, taking the shifter down. He was back up in no time and I grinned when I realized who it was.
“Smiley!” I exclaimed. “I’ve missed you, where’ve you been?” I laughed when he growled and reached out for my neck. Twisting, I grabbed his arm and bent it backwards. He screamed in pain, but slipped away, only to backhand me. I stumbled back into something big and solid. Swinging around, I came face to chest to puckered lips.
“Hey, Smiley,” I called over my shoulder. “Here’s your boyfriend.” That earned me a punch in the gut, but I didn’t play fair and kneed him in the balls, then swiftly twisted away as Smiley lunged behind me. The two collided, but I had no reprieve, as two more men came at me, ready for a fight.
The air turned thick, as the shifters began to change and I knew we were in trouble. There was only two of us and eight of them. I continued to fight, though, until I heard the cry. It was loud and full of pain and I instinctively knew it was Paul. I rushed toward him, my rage palpable, as the faces swimming in my vision turned red. My claws came out and I sliced any who stood in my way.
When I finally reached Paul, he was human again, lying naked and covered in blood, not a single inch of skin unmarked.
Cassandra cried out behind me and I looked to see she was awake and the men and shifters left standing stood frozen, looking back and forth between the two of us.
She pointed at me, “Get her!” she commanded, but no one moved.
I noticed Stone laying off a few feet away, knocked unconscious. Part of me wanted to go to him, but there was no time, as the men decided to take both me and my clone.
When I thought about it later, I couldn’t tell you what happened or how I did it, but as if in slow motion, I looked down at Paul, bleeding, and half dead lying next to me and my mind snapped, becoming nothing but a ball of rage.
Hatred filled me and I jumped up, slashing my way across the room, dragging Paul behind me. I was almost at the window, ready to launch us forward, when I was taken down. I fought, kicking, and plunging sharp claws into their soft flesh, but one after another, more men came at me.
A deafening roar filled the room, causing everyone to still, then Bear lunged into the room, knocking out man after man with his brutal strength.
“Get out of here!” he yelled. I hesitated, not wanting to leave a man behind, but with a glare aimed my way, he growled, “Paul needs you. Now, get out of here, Foxy!”
With a nod in his direction, I wrapped my arms around Paul and flung us toward the window. We crashed through the glass panes and landed heavily on the gravel, as glass ripped through our skin. Ignoring the pain, I stood quickly and lifted a barely conscious Paul into my arms and ran for th
e dense tree line.
We didn’t get far, before I heard someone come up behind us. I dropped Paul to the ground and turned in time to see a knife slicing down at my face.
I grabbed his wrist, knocking the knife out of his hand, before my knee connected with his stomach. The dark haired man bent over and I grabbed his head, twisting sharply, snapping his neck. He fell to the ground just as a lion leapt over him, knocking me down. He roared in my face and I held my hands at my sides, my fingers reaching for the knife.
“Levi,” I said, recognizing his scent. “You don’t want to do this.” He growled, letting me know he’d be more than happy to. I shook my head. “I’m on your side, Levi. Let me go and I’ll look for Danika.” He stilled above me, his eyes searching mine and I nodded, “I promise, Levi. I promise.”
I let out a breath, as he stepped back, giving me room to breath before he began to run away. He came to a sudden stop and turned back, his feline eyes pleading with me to help. His pride would see a world of hurt, if they found out he hadn’t attacked.
I nodded to him, conveying my promise with my own pleading gaze. With a shake of his head, he leapt away.
Sitting up, my mind began to clear as I looked around. No others were coming, but they would soon. Hopefully, Bear made it out. Though I saw no other way. He wouldn’t be taken down easily.
After slipping the knife into my boot, I helped Paul up and began walking slowly up the incline. We were on the edge of the mountains and the only way was up.
“Forget this shit,” I thought, as Paul slumped further. He was dead weight and I was hauling all of it anyway, so I hefted him up and over my shoulder, fireman style. I jostled him a little, getting myself comfortable. “That’s better,” I said to no one, breathing deeply before continuing up the mountain.
Chapter 25
We’d gone a few miles before I felt the need to stop. The sound of a stream nearby had me changing directions and as soon it came into view, I slowly slid Paul off of my shoulder and laid him on the ground with a grunt. Breathing heavily, I stumbled to the water and dunked my whole head in.
Flicking my hair out of my face when I came up, I wiped the water from my eyes before cupping my hands into the stream and drinking deeply. I was hot, sweaty and covered in dirt. My muscles screamed and I was exhausted, but we had to find somewhere safe, before I could take more time to rest.
Looking around, I saw no one, of course. We were in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains where nature ruled. It made humanity almost seem surreal. As a fox, I’d fit right in, but my human side felt out of place.
Tall pines surrounded us, blocking most of the sun, but the heat from walking while carrying over two hundred pounds over my shoulder was killer.
Cupping more water, I brought it to Paul, pouring it over his mouth. He didn’t respond, and I rubbed his lips with my wet fingers, hoping some would seep through.
“Come on, Paul. Wake up,” I murmured to him.
His eyelids fluttered and he groaned before his eyes suddenly snapped open and he gasped. He tried to sit up, but I eased him back down. “Shh, it’s okay, Paul.”
His confused gaze met mine. “Terry?”
“The one and only,” I smiled warmly, over the moon that he finally woke up. I wasn’t sure I could have carried him much further, but damn if I wouldn’t have given it my all.
“After today, I’m not so sure,” he tried to joke and I smiled.
“You need to shift, try and heal some of this.”
“I can’t yet,” he grumbled, “too painful.”
“Okay, but I need to shift and contact T...” A twig snapped behind me and I spun around, knife in hand, as I searched the woods surrounding us.
“Who’s there?” I called out. I could hear him breathing. It blended with the sound of the stream, but I wasn’t fooled.
The silence stretched, as my eyes darted from one tree to the next. “I know you’re there! Come out where I can see you!”
After a deep sigh, he finally stepped out from behind a tree. I growled and crouched low, ready to lunge for the kill.
Stone held up a hand, “Foxy, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Sure, like I’d believe that.”
He shook his head, “I just want to help.”
“I don’t believe you. Look what you did to him,” I pointed to Paul. His skin was marred by multiple deep gouges and who knows what else.
“I don’t know who that is to you, Foxy, but he was the one who attacked me. All I did was defend myself and that wasn’t going so well,” he gestured to his ripped and bloodied suit. “My men did that to him, not me.”
“Right, and they’re your men, so that means you’re the cause. Come any closer and I’ll gut you,” I warned, as he took a step forward.
“I know of a safe place, not far from here,” he said calmly. “I can help you, Foxy. You and your friend, but we have to be quick.” He nodded his head behind him. “They’re not far behind.”
My nostrils flared, as I took in his scent. He was calm and his eyes pleaded with me, but I sensed no lie. I could have been wrong, though. “Why?” I asked.
He sighed, his hands dropping to his sides, as he took one more step forward. I shifted on the balls of my feet, ready to pounce if needed.
“I could never hurt you, Foxy. In any way.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying... You’re more important than that damn organization.”
I narrowed my eyes, “You’re saying you love me?” I asked, skepticism lacing my tone.
He shook his head. “I don’t know about love, but I do care about you.” His tone, his expression, everything screamed sincerity, as his gray eyes burned intensely into mine, and I sighed.
Swallowing hard, I nodded and stood, “Okay.” I looked down at Paul, he’d watched the whole scene silently and when our eyes met, he nodded his approval of the plan to trust Stone. I hoped we wouldn’t regret it.
Putting away my knife, I helped Paul up, placing his arm around my neck and mine around his waist for support. “Want me to help?” Stone asked, moving toward us.
I shook my head no. He was my teammate to take care of. “You said you had a safe place,” I said, “so lead the way.”
He stared at me briefly, before giving a sharp nod and walking away, as Paul and I slowly followed behind.
Chapter 26
An hour into following Stone, we stopped so Paul could shift. Once in jaguar form, his injuries began to heal faster and we were able to pick up the pace. Paul didn’t shift back, feeling more comfortable, especially around Stone, I was sure. His eyes darted around the forest, but mostly focused on the man in front of us. Stone walked stiffly, his shoulders and back like granite, and I could tell he could feel Paul’s eyes on him, but he never turned around, acting completely focused on the phone in his hand. His GPS led the way to the safe place he mentioned, though, I was hesitant about how safe it would actually be.
It finally came into view right at sunset. The small, rustic cabin blended nicely with the forest. The aged wood looked similar to the fresh bark of the tall pines surrounding it and the size was small enough not to garner attention. The only way someone would know the place was there, was by the small road that sliced through the trees leading up to the home.
Once we gave the outer perimeter a once over to make sure we were alone, the three of us silently climbed the old wooden steps to enter the cabin. Surprisingly, it was completely furnished, but I only gave it a cursory glance before flopping down on the dark blue sofa with a sigh.
Paul sniffed around, checking every nook and cranny, which didn’t take long. The living room led into an open kitchen and from what I could tell, there was only one bedroom.
Sweat trickling down my neck had me wiping it off and when I saw the caked dirt on my hand, I jumped off the couch. My clothes were ripped and black with dirt.
“Shower?” I asked.
Stone gestured toward the hallway. “There’s two
. Take your pick.”
I hurried down the hall and chose the first door I found. It was the bedroom with a bathroom attached. Closing the door behind me, I turned on the hot water, stripped and jumped in.
I took my time, feeling the hot spray pounding against my aching shoulders, messaging the kinks right out. I sighed in contentment and washed myself slowly, twice.
Once finished, I wrapped a towel around my body. I completely forgot that I didn’t have any clean clothes, but I would rather be clean and naked, than wear those nasty rags.
The steam poured out of the bathroom, as I opened the door to see a naked Paul waiting. He smiled slightly before pushing past me. I watched as he stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed. I would have loved to step right in behind him, wash him clean before giving him the mother of all tongue baths, but that would have been pretty awkward with Stone in the next room.
“By the way, I talked to Teij when I shifted,” he said from the other side of the curtain. “They’ll be here by sunrise.”
“Okay,” I sighed, with a mixture of pleasure and reluctance. I was ecstatic that we’d be home soon and as much as I wanted to ask more about what Paul and Teij talked about, I needed to get out of that bathroom before I did something stupid.
I found Stone in the kitchen, freshly showered, wearing a clean pair of jeans, but no shirt. I watched the muscles in his back stretch, as he pulled cans out of the cabinet. He had a couple of white bandages on his chest and bruises were beginning to form. One on his side, near his hip, and a few scattered across his arms. He didn’t look too bad off, though.
“After that long walk, we need to eat. I have soup,” he said over his shoulder.
“That’s fine. So, this place is yours?” I asked as I sat down at the small table, trying not to stare.
“Yeah, I like the quiet every once in a while.” I nodded, knowing it was part lie, but not really caring at that point.
There was silence after that. I think we were too stunned or exhausted to do much talking. Once the soup began to simmer, Stone sat down across from me. We stared at each other a moment, before he lifted his hand and cupped my cheek. Reluctantly my head pressed against his hand, liking the way his skin felt against mine. He didn’t speak and neither did I, but his eyes told me everything I didn’t want to know. He wished we were alone and I was freaking glad we weren’t.
