by Kelly Goode
‘Well they’re not animal remains, and they’re also too big to belong to a child. I’d heard a little girl’s body was found in the area. Is that true?’
Raider paused, as if weighing up how much to share. She gave him her warmest, non-threatening smile and it seemed to work.
‘We found the body of a child over there,’ he confirmed, nodding towards the white tent. Carson caught Finch’s eye and he motioned that he was leaving. She discreetly nodded at him, and he turned and headed towards his car.
‘That’s awful,’ she replied, not needing to try very hard to inject sadness into her voice.
‘Yeah, we think this might be her father. Early indicators from the shape of the pelvis and the length of the bones seem to suggest an adult male.’
Carson looked down at the bones again. There was no flesh remaining, just the skeleton. They looked like they’d been licked clean and the chips on the bones resembled teeth marks. Possibly the work of a desquamater, as they usually ate the human’s flesh after they’d skinned them.
‘Have you identified the victims yet?’ she asked.
‘Not yet.’
‘Would you call me when you do?’
Carson rummaged inside her pocket and retrieved a business card. She handed it to Raider who only gave it a cursory glance before placing it in his own pocket.
‘I’ll think about,’ he said, which was a better answer than she’d expected. A rumble of thunder overhead made them both look up at the sky.
‘The heavens are about to open, Towers. I need you to leave, so my team can preserve the crime scene.’
Raider called a few of his team together and they began covering the bones and the surrounding area with plastic sheeting.
‘Ok, I can take a hint. I’m going. Call me,’ she said.
Raider raised a dark eyebrow and Carson felt a flush creep across her cheeks.
‘About the victims. Call me once you identify them,’ she clarified. Her head was starting to hurt again and she needed another painkiller, but had stubbornly left the pill bottle at home.
‘Did you notice the marks on the bones?’ Raider asked. ‘I’ve had casts taken so I can check for human bite patterns. I want to rule out a ritualistic killing, you know like black magic and all that.’
‘You could do that,’ she replied. ‘Or you could save your resources and believe me when I say it wasn’t a human who did this.’
‘So it was definitely an animal? Any idea which one?’
A desquamater, she wanted to say but couldn’t because then she’d have to explain about alien invaders that enjoyed killing little girls and wearing dead human’s skin.
‘No, I can’t say for sure but I wouldn’t rule out that it was more than one.’
‘What like a pack?’
Carson nodded and Raider pushed his hand through his slicked hair, tousling it slightly.
‘Are you saying there could be a pack of rabid dogs roaming our town? I’m glad animal control was so quick to respond. Guess you’ll have your work cut out finding these animals. Probably won’t have any spare time.’
Carson couldn’t tell if he was mocking her or not.
‘Don’t worry; my partner is an expert tracker. He’ll find them.’
‘Partner, as in boyfriend?’
‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ she answered sharper than intended, but Sheridan’s accusations were still playing heavily on her mind.
‘Should I warn people, you know about the dogs?’ Raider asked.
‘This place is miles from civilisation, but if you feel you need to remind the general public to take care when crossing through the surrounding forests then by all means, do it. I would say no women and children should be in there after dark anyway.’
Carson realised she should stop talking before she blew her cover, but she couldn’t stop rambling about imaginary killer dogs.
‘What about us poor men folk?’ he teased, but Carson didn’t smile. She wanted to tell him women and children tasted sweeter to a desquamater, but refrained.
‘I didn’t want to insult your manhood by insinuating you couldn’t take care of yourself.’
‘Takes a lot to insult me or my manhood.’
Carson nodded, unused to this attention from a man. She moved away from the crime scene, aware of the crunch of his footsteps behind her. Kneeling had caused her body to seize and she gritted her teeth against the nagging pain. Raider must have noticed her distress, as he took her arm and lifted the crime scene tape.
‘Thanks,’ she mumbled, feeling that embarrassment flare again as he held her hand and turned her arm over. He once again assessed the pattern of scars.
‘Didn’t realise animal control was this hazardous.’
‘It’s not. Most of these are from an accident I had when I was small,’ she lied.
‘And some are fresh and deep, like claws.’
She snatched her hand away. ‘Animals have claws. It’s part of the job. Good luck with the investigations. It was nice meeting you.’
‘You too, Carson. I’ll be in touch…about the bones.’
29
Blake stood at the edge of the forest - away from the warehouse, the police, and the straggling reporters. The twisted, ancient trees provided ample cover but his heart still pounded when Carson looked his way. She couldn’t see him but he sensed her heart quicken, as if she knew someone was in those trees watching her.
Blake was supposed to be resting, but the desire to see her again overrode logic. It had taken all his resolve to stay hidden when that swanky detective had taken her hand in his. There was a mutual interest there, whether she realised it or not. He sensed the way their bodies had responded to each other with an innocent flick of the head, an angle of the body, or a lick of the lips. Even though he knew he was being unreasonable and that she did not belong to him, he found it hard not to let his resentment fester.
Was this the type of man she picked up in bars after a mission?
Blake pressed his back harder against the tree, trying to alleviate the burn that shot up and down his spine. The bark scraped his skin through the cotton shirt he wore, but he didn’t flinch. Although it was a cold and wet morning, he only wore his shirt and jeans. His body temperature was sky high, and it felt as if he was slowly boiling inside. He knew it was because he hadn’t shifted forms for days. Not since the damn jaktten had escaped.
Blake felt a growl vibrate inside his throat when the detective examined Carson’s arms. He wanted to vault the crime scene tape and rip the man’s head off, which meant his animal was already gaining control. He needed to leave before he revealed his true nature and became the number one suspect in the current murder investigation.
He slowly tracked through the forest, careful not to tread too deeply so as not to leave any footprints behind. He was far enough behind the police tape for it not to be an immediate concern, but there was always the chance they would expand the search. Especially with no real clues as to whom or rather what had left the bones. His anger intensified as he thought about the tiny victim’s body hidden beneath the white tent.
The need to run engulfed him, but he fell to his knees instead. He clutched his head as pain radiated through his skull. He tried to time the rhythm of his inhales and exhales, but he couldn’t fill his lungs with enough oxygen. Colours swirled before his eyes, as they always did before he shifted. The desire to surrender to his nature was immense, so he lifted his head and howled. Blake wasn’t expecting a responding howl, but he got one, which meant another jaktten was close by.
Blake jumped to his feet, as the sound of hooves scurrying through the undergrowth grew closer. The animal that burst through the trees was smaller than he anticipated. A brown deer, a doe as it had no antlers, locked eyes with Blake and came to a stop. While its natural instinct was to freeze, as most predators reacted to motion, its eyes widened as if recognising Blake for the threat he really was and it twitched nervously. Blake’s heart pounded against his ribcage as if at any m
oment it might burst, just like the rest of his skin.
‘Don’t run,’ he whispered. ‘Please don’t run.’
The doe inclined its head to one side as if contemplating the instruction, but another rustle in the trees forced it to make a break for it. It seemed just as scared of what was pursuing it and Blake responded to the scent of that fear.
‘Don’t run,’ he growled. ‘Otherwise I’m going to chase you.’
Blake felt his muscles constrict. The need to hunt, to kill, and to feed was too strong to ignore. The part of him he tried so hard to repress fought its way to the surface. His bones liquefied beneath his skin, allowing him to contort his body and mould to his true form.
His jaktten.
30
The rain came down hard and fast as Carson drove away from the warehouse and its unnerving forest. For a moment back there, it had felt as if the trees had eyes and she wondered who or what had watched her examine those bones. She’d sensed she wasn’t alone, but had it been friend or foe? Either way, it had made the proverbial hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She shivered and tried to push the feeling aside, as she traversed the narrow country roads without following a predetermined route. She wasn’t ready to report back to Tom on the victims, especially knowing there was another name to add to her list.
Liv, Tisha, Amy, Bonnie, and the little girl in the tent.
Carson turned on the radio and shamelessly sang along to any songs she recognised in an attempt to quash the guilt that threatened to consume her. Another family had been torn apart by an alien that she hadn’t been able to stop. The police were at an unfair advantage; leading an investigation for a killer without knowing they weren’t searching for a human.
DI Raider’s intense dark eyes suddenly came to mind. She wasn’t sure if she’d read his interest in her correctly, but she’d felt a connection. He’d studied her scars as if they would reveal a great secret about her, which she conceded, if interpreted correctly would tell him all about the aliens she’d slain. He seemed like the type of man that would understand the need to fight the creatures threatening mankind’s existence. Not for the first time, she wished more people knew about the aliens invaders. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so alone, so isolated, but she knew that the mass-hysteria that would develop after such a revelation would do more harm than good.
Carson pressed the accelerator pedal to the floor, craving the spike of adrenaline the increased speed brought. The rain eased, as thick trees bowed their branches from both sides of the road, creating a canopy of sorts. Lush greenery spilled for miles, but she was driving too fast to appreciate it. She switched down a gear, as the road ahead suddenly narrowed into a sharp turn. At the same time, an acute pain pierced the front of her head and it took her a few seconds longer than normal to react to the animal running into the road.
Carson slammed on the breaks and jerked the wheel to the left. She felt the tyres lock and screech. Her shoulder slammed against the window as the car skidded. She ricocheted side to side, until the car finally hit the verge and slid to a halt leaving her rigid in her seat. Her breaths came out in short erratic bursts and her knuckles were white from where she gripped the steering wheel so hard. She hesitantly looked in the rear view mirror, and was relieved to see the deer was still standing in the middle of the road. It seemed frozen to the spot, as it stared back at her with huge dark eyes.
‘Lucky escape for both of us,’ she said.
The animal seemed to suddenly come to its senses and it galloped into the safety of the surrounding trees. The adrenaline left Carson’s body and she deflated in her seat like a balloon with a hole. She put her head in her hands and drew in a shaky breath. That had been too close. What if there’d been another vehicle on the road? She could’ve killed someone.
As she turned her head, she spotted an envelope sitting amongst the other junk on her passenger seat. During the course of her breaking, the glove box had fallen open. The catch had always been dodgy and the force of stopping must have worked it loose. The handwriting on the envelope belonged to Blake and she recalled the time he’d given it to her. They’d been sitting in her car after an assignment.
‘Here’s a key to my new place,’ he’d said, handing over the envelope. ‘I’m in the process of renovating, so if you ever feel like coming over, just call first so I can check its safe. You should cut me a key to your place too. In an emergency, I’d be there in five minutes ’
‘Thanks, but I’ll be fine.’
‘I don’t like the idea of you living alone.’
Carson rolled her eyes, ensuring he saw it. ‘I can take care of myself.’
‘I know that. It’s just these aliens, these creatures we hunt, if they ever found out where you lived, they wouldn’t hesitate to attack. You know that, right?’
‘I do, and I’d be ready for them.’
She’d taken the envelope and put it into her glove box, and that’s where it had remained until today, as she’d never had a reason to use it. Blake’s address, which was neatly written on the front, was only a few miles away. She could feel the contents inside practically burning through the paper. Carson ripped open the envelope and took out the key. The metal glinted like a precious treasure and the question that rolled through her mind wasn’t whether she was going to use it, but when.
31
At the sound of screeching brakes, Blake shifted effortlessly from wolf to man. He contemplated putting himself between the deer and the oncoming car to ease the collision, but the driver managed to swerve and avoid the animal at the last second. The vehicle hit the verge and came to an abrupt stop. The deer stood motionless, probably wondering whether Blake was going to pursue it, but his instinct to finish the hunt faded once he realised the car belonged to Carson.
‘Shit,’ he cursed, wiping the dirt from his hands across his bare chest. He couldn’t just stroll over and offer assistance, as she’d want to know what he was doing running around naked in the forest, but the thought of her being seriously hurt tugged at his conscience. The deer took advantage of his hesitation and bounded back into the forest.
‘Shit,’ he repeated. Carson’s wellbeing was more important. He’d just have to come up with a good excuse for how he’d lost his clothes.
‘Her heartbeat is steady and her respiratory system is fine.’
Blake’s head snapped to his left at hearing a stranger’s voice beside him. He hadn’t heard the man approach, which meant he wasn’t really a man at all.
‘Who the fuck are you?’
‘I heard you were looking for me.’
The stranger was tall and lean, with long dark hair that hung below his shoulders. He seemed vaguely familiar, but as Blake didn’t stay in contact much with the colony, he couldn’t say if he was friend or foe. The fact they were both naked might have been an issue for human men, but for their species, clothing was usually optional. Blake found his eyes drawn towards the newly formed scar tissue on the other man’s thigh, as it looked exactly like a bullet wound.
‘Are you the jaktten that Carson shot?’
The man nodded. ‘I’m Viktor. I’m also an Alpha and yet you do not demonstrate the respect I deserve by kneeling.’
‘You’re not my Alpha.’
‘I’m Prince of Jakttera, Blake Holloway. That makes me everyone’s Alpha, but I forgive your oversight. You’ve been living amongst the humans for so long that you’ve forgotten the colony’s ways.’
‘In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not on Jakttera anymore. Your influence died when your father did.’
Viktor’s hands clenched into fists and Blake automatically adopted the same stance. This man was used to being obeyed – revered even – but Blake was not about to bow down to him. Politics was one of the reasons he avoided living with his kind. He didn’t believe in the outdated hierarchy, so human democracy suited him better.
‘I am well aware of where we are. I was the one who gave the command for the fleet to land.’
‘Th
at was your first mistake.’
‘My father, your King, was dying. We couldn’t afford to explore the solar systems any longer for a habitable planet. Earth was the only option.’
‘Not the only option. Maybe the easiest for you, but not the humans, as the desquamaters eventually followed us here. It’s our fault they’re killing humans now.’
‘The King lived fifty further years because of my actions,’ Viktor growled. ‘I won’t have you questioning my command. I may have been young when we left Jakttera, but my father told me about you, Blake. He said you led his army to many great victories against the desquamaters. You were a good general, but like any good general, you answer to royalty and not the other way around.’
‘That’s your second mistake: you still think you’re in charge. Last time I checked, the humans controlled Earth. We’re chasing our tails in the forest, while our enemies continue to infiltrate the planet like a disease.’
Viktor absently stroked his scar and Blake nodded towards the healing wound.
‘And that was your third mistake.’
‘What?’
‘Letting one of them shoot you. Jaktten have lived on Earth for nearly a century without attracting the scrutiny of the humans. What the hell were you doing meeting with a desquamater? As a former prince, didn’t one of your advisers stress the dangers of mixing with such murderous creatures? Creatures that kill and eat human children for fun.’
Viktor looked over at Carson’s car with a scowl on his face.
‘Not just human children, but the bitch didn’t give me a chance to explain. She tranquilised me and left me tied up with the very alien scum I’d planned to interrogate.’
‘She’s not a bitch,’ Blake replied, straightening to his full height, which was still a few inches shorter than Viktor. ‘She’s mine.’
Viktor didn’t appear concerned with Blake’s aggressive posture.
