by M. D. Grimm
“Easy there,” Genii said, patting her back. “It’s all over.”
“Wouldn’t be so sure,” the large agent said. His voice was deep and commanding. “The sheriff still hasn’t returned. Neither has his sister.”
“Dammit,” Genii said. “I’ll try to get a read on him. I touched him, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”
Shannon looked up as Genii closed her eyes.
Jack felt a strange vibration inside his skull. It was unpleasant, like a low-grade headache, and he ignored it, still struggling to get out of the car. The gunfire had stopped, and Jena had turned the car around and was speeding down the road back to town. He was too panicked to shift, and what help would that be? He was too easy a target as a human.
Jack? Can you hear me?
Jack stopped clawing at the door and twitched his ears. Who was that? Was that in his head?
Sheriff Jack Ulger, can you hear me?
It did come from inside his head. Who the… Who is this? He framed the thought clearly, amazed at his own ability to focus, considering the terror that fluttered in his breast.
This is Agent Genii. I don’t have time to explain, but I can hear you if you think clearly. Where are you? What is your status?
Jack didn’t know what to think, but he planned to use this new advantage. Travis and I were attacked. He thought as clearly as he could manage. Assailants unknown, but I think they might be from the Knights. Numbers unknown. They are after Travis. He ran off to lead them away. We’re in Glacier Park, heading back to town. I need to save him!
He mentally shouted the last, hoping that damn agent could hear the urgency in his thoughts.
We’re coming. Another agent will come with me. Stay where you are!
Jack took a breath and finally managed to control his wolf and shift. He grabbed the wheel and pulled the car over to the side of the road.
“What are you doing—!” Jena screamed.
He slapped his hand over her mouth. “Agents are coming. We are going to turn around and go back to the park. We are going to wait for them, and then we are going to save Travis.” His voice became a snarl. “So help me Phoenix, Jena, if he is dead, I will never forgive you for leaving him there.”
Jena’s eyes widened and there was a flash of anger, though she nodded.
He removed his hand. “Now drive,” he said and shifted back into his wolf.
Travis was exhausted. There was pain in his side and back leg, but he ignored it. He was slowing, his body protesting. He’d stumbled several times over fallen tree trunks and protruding roots. But at least the bullets had stopped, so he must have lost them for the time being. He suddenly smelled water and ran for it, thirst burning in his throat. He would have to be careful. There was always danger for an animal drinking. He would be exposed for whatever time it took to drink, a few seconds at the minimum.
Travis moved out onto the field. The scents were familiar—it was the same field where he and Jack had first played together in animal form. Cautiously he approached the stream, paused, and sniffed the air before taking greedy gulps, his heart pounding in his ears. Out of the corner of his eye he could make out the silver shape of the moon in the sky and the mountains in the distance.
He finished before he’d quenched his thirst. As he turned there came the sound of a shot, and his left shoulder burned with pain. He snarled and leaped to one side. He managed to dodge the next shot. But the silver in the bullet worked quickly, and the burn traveled from his shoulder down into his chest. He felt the connection with his cougar spirit fade, and he trembled.
Silver. Anathema to shifters. It disrupted the ability to shift and fractured the connection between the two spirits that resided in a shifter. He had to get it out before it caused permanent damage.
There were two shooters. Travis sensed them and hoped to Phoenix they were alone. Sticky blood matted his fur, but he forced himself to keep moving to where he knew there were boulders against the side of the mountain. He could hide in the tunnels. If he could just make it there—another shot rang out. This one hit his right back leg. He crashed to the ground. He could see the outline of the mountain’s base ahead, and he managed to stand despite the pain. He growled in determination and stared in the direction of the shots, seeing faint figures in the dim light of the moon. Travis turned his head, determined to face his attackers and die like a true shifter—defiant to the last. Two figures approached. They lifted their rifles.
Then a sound pulsed through the air, an unnerving roar that must have come from a demon of fiery Hell. It made Travis’s teeth chatter and his bones rattle. He swore he felt the very earth shake. The two figures jerked and stumbled, and Travis, acting on instinct, took advantage of the assassins’ panic. He didn’t know what had caused such a fierce sound, but Travis saw it as a gift. Despite the excruciating pain, he kept moving and staggered over the wet ground to slip behind the man on the right before he knew what Travis was about. Travis managed to dodge around him and attack from behind, his jaw latching onto the man’s neck. Yelping, the man fell and Travis bit down hard, hearing bone crunch under the pressure.
“Get off!” the other assassin yelled. The butt of the rifle slammed into his head, and Travis released his hold. The pain in his head coupled with the searing agony of the silver bullets, and he couldn’t fight it anymore. He stumbled away, and his legs gave out. He panted hard, feeling the silver insidiously making its way through his body, destroying him from the inside out.
“Die, freak!” the assassin grunted and lifted his rifle, inches from Travis’s head. But then Travis felt a presence that overwhelmed him, a presence he knew at once he would never forget and would haunt him forever.
The pounding of a large animal swiftly approaching caught both of their attentions. Travis gathered his dwindling strength and looked over his shoulder. For a moment he could see perfectly. A larger-than-life white bear was charging toward them at full speed. The bear was like a light in the darkness, a beacon of hope and strength. Of protection—a terrifying guardian angel. The bear kept charging and the assassin backed away, his rifle raised, but he looked too shocked to remember how to use it. Travis flinched as the bear shot past him and then skidded to a halt right in front of him. It was standing between him and the assassin. Shielding him.
Who…?
Nordik.
The answer struck Travis like lightning. He stared at the massive shifter in awe. Nordik was bigger than any modern bear should be, a prehistoric creature with pure white fur. Even Travis, with his damaged eyes, could see him with complete clarity. The very air around the beast pulsed with power and authority, age and wisdom.
Nordik approached the assassin. His head was down and a menacing growl bubbled out of his chest. Travis could imagine the barred teeth, the sharp claws, and wondered why the assassin didn’t run or shoot. Apparently, he was wondering that as well. The assassin jerked into motion and lifted his rifle, aiming it at Nordik. Nordik charged him, moving far too swiftly for such a big creature. He swatted the man’s rifle away and mauled him with his claws and teeth. Travis closed his eyes, hearing the crunch of bone, the screams of agony, the rending of skin. For a second he shuddered, but the bullet wounds burned, and the blood loss made him so dizzy it was hard to be aware of anything else.
Then he felt hot breath on his face. Breath tinged with the iron scent of blood. Travis opened his eyes and flinched again. He was looking into Nordik’s enormous face and smelled the human blood that coated the bear’s fur. But all the violence in Nordik was gone. The master shifter made soft noises and nudged Travis with his snout, rubbing his fur. Nordik was trying to soothe him. A large, warm tongue licked at his wounds. Travis let out a pathetic sound of pain. Nordik nuzzled him again.
A howl split the air, and life surged back into Travis. Jack! He was alive!
Travis tried to make a sound in response, but by now any such effort was beyond him. Nordik lifted a large paw equipped with wicked claws and tenderly pressed it into Travis’s s
ide, holding him down. Then the bear turned around and roared loud enough that Travis wished he were able to cover his ears. The response was another howl, closer this time. And then Travis smelled his mate, sensing him nearby. And there were others. Jack was bringing reinforcements. Nordik turned after the second howl and started to leave. Travis, with a great effort, growled. The master shifter stopped. Travis, with the last of his strength, managed to purr loudly, hoping Nordik understood his gratitude.
He closed his eyes, fading fast. He smelled the bear’s breath again, and a large tongue suddenly licked his face. Then Nordik was gone, heading back toward the mountains. Travis struggled to remain conscious. The pain intensified, the bullets still burning where they lodged deep inside his leg and shoulder. He was growing numb, but his last thoughts were only of his mate.
Jack. You found me.
Jack burst out into the field in time to see an enormous white bear trotting away from his mate. He could see Travis lying not far ahead, but for a few seconds Jack remained frozen in astonishment.
Had that been—could it be?
Then the smell of blood and death hit Jack’s nose. He ran forward past what was left of the two assassins to reach his mate and reassured himself Travis was alive. A wicked glee at this victory combined with fear and concern inside Jack. Blood leaked from Travis’s shoulder and leg. He wasn’t moving.
Whining, Jack nuzzled Travis with his nose, licking his face, but still Travis didn’t move. Jack howled and turned to where Genii, Jena, and a large agent—who had been introduced to him as Captain Odin—were running toward him. Genii dropped to her knees beside Travis and opened a large bag before quickly pulling items out of it.
“He’s alive, Jack,” she said, moving quickly and efficiently. The wounds had swelled and were a nasty green color with pus leaking from them. But that was common when silver touched a shifter’s skin. It was even worse when a bullet was lodged inside. It would start to fester immediately and eat like acid through the skin and tissue. Not only that, it disrupted the act of shifting, acting like a barrier between the twin spirits. If exposure lasted too long the shifter would die an agonizing death. As it was, Travis would have some painful, sick days ahead of him. If he survived.
Jack paced beside his mate, his eyes never leaving Travis’s face. He couldn’t die, he just couldn’t. Jena dropped to her knees beside Jack and grabbed him around the neck, holding him still. He buried his face in her chest, needing her strength right now. She stroked his thick coat and scratched his ears, soothing him as best she could.
Genii managed to extract the bullets after several tense minutes. Jack noticed that the bullets weren’t fully silver. Apparently only the tip was coated in the deadly substance. That made them easier to shoot but a bit fussier to make. She squeezed the pus out, then cleaned and patched the wounds. Her movements were quick and trained, and Jack had reason to hope that she would be successful and that Travis would be all right. It was an agonizing wait, but Jack managed to keep himself in check and not harass the medic. At last, Genii sighed and leaned back on her heels.
“He’ll live,” she said as she turned to Jack. “But he’ll be sore and sick for a few days, as you know. I don’t dare stitch his wounds closed. I don’t want any infection stuck in a pocket. Make sure he doesn’t shift during that time, okay? I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but I can’t emphasize that enough.” She filled up a syringe and poked it into Travis’s ass. “Just some antibiotics.”
Jack’s tail wagged fiercely as he licked Travis’s face with infinite tenderness. He believed Genii, but he still wished Travis would wake up. Captain Odin draped a blanket over Travis and wrapped him up before gently lifting him. Jack stayed beside him, watching every movement closely, vigilant but reassured by what he saw. He sensed only concern from the captain. Still, he kept close as they headed back to the car.
Chapter Fourteen
Jack had never witnessed firsthand someone sick with silver poisoning. And he never wanted to again. Travis had hacked and shivered as if with a fever for a couple of days. Diarrhea also ravaged his system. Jack’s poor cougar had moaned and snarled, only quieting when Jack would hold him, rock him. They had to wait for all the silver to pass out of his system before he could shift again. Unfortunately, vomiting wasn’t easy on a cougar’s system.
Jack took a week’s leave to care for his mate. Jena took over as acting deputy.
After three days Travis finally managed to shift and then he promptly fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. Jack joined him. A knock at the door early the next morning had him cursing and rolling out of Travis’s bed. He dragged his feet over and looked through the peephole. He sighed before opening the door.
“Hello, Agent,” he said with a tired smile.
Genii smiled back. “You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine.”
Genii nodded. “How’s the patient?”
“Fine now. He’s still sleeping.”
“That’s the best thing for him right now.” She walked inside, and Jack closed the door behind her.
“Tell me something I don’t know. I need coffee.”
She followed him into the kitchen.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you. I can’t stay long.”
“Thank you for all your help. I didn’t get to say that before. I owe you a lot.” He reached for her hand, but she shook her head.
“You don’t owe me anything. It’s my job. But I do have a question for you.”
“Just one?” He walked to the couch and sat as the coffee machine hummed. Genii sat on the arm of the chair across from him.
She smiled at his response. “Was that Nordik I saw leaving our Travis?”
Jack grunted. “Might be.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Interesting answer.”
He eyed her. She never flinched.
“Don’t go hunting for a master shifter,” Travis said as he stepped out of the bedroom. His voice was weak and raspy, and he was still pale and sweaty. “You’ll get slashed to ribbons.”
Jack sprang up and was at Travis’s side in two seconds. “What are you doing out of bed? You should go back—”
“Bullshit.” Travis waved him away and made his way over to the couch. “I’m fine. Sore and I need a bath, but fine. Mother.”
Jack glared for a moment, but then he got Travis some water and sat next to him, arm over his shoulders protectively.
“I wasn’t going to hunt him,” Genii said.
“Uh-huh.”
She pursed her lips. “You both did well out there. And I’ll admit that I’m jealous you got to meet Nordik.”
Travis shuddered. “Well, in all honesty, I wouldn’t want to repeat the experience. He’s too—powerful. He’s scary.”
Genii nodded, eyes a bit too inquisitive for Jack’s liking. “Yes, he is. Still, it would be nice to meet him. He’s the only master shifter the Agency knows the whereabouts of. We don’t even now where your Imelda is.”
“Best that no one does. Travis is right. You go tangling with a master shifter and you might not come out alive.”
She made a noncommittal noise before standing. “Well, thank you for all your assistance and for trusting us to help you.”
They shook her hand and as Jack walked her to the door, he remembered something.
“What about Shannon?”
“Oh, she’s converted, trust me,” Genii said with a slight laugh. “If she wasn’t partly there before the assassination attempt, she sure is now. Oenghus is a strong empath, and we like to say that he can see into people’s hearts.”
Jack wondered what it would be like to live with people with that sort of ability. Telepathy, seeing into someone else’s heart—shifting made more sense to him.
Genii turned to Travis. “And Shannon wanted me to tell you she is truly sorry for what happened to your family. She says she understands.”
Jack tensed and worried about Travis’s reacti
on. But when he turned to Travis, a small smile touched his mate’s mouth. “I know she does.” He sighed. “Tell her I forgive her, Genii. We were both victims, after all. Now we’re survivors.”
Genii’s eyes shone with respect.
“What about the other assassins?” Jack asked.
“Only one survived. We’ll deal with him,” she said grimly. “And Shannon’s given us a lot of good info on the Knights. They’ll be stopped, I promise you.”
“But the Knights know the location of Haven,” Jack said. He took a deep breath to stifle his fear.
“I’ve talked to your father about that, and he’ll talk to the city council,” Genii said. “The Agency will be working closely with them to secure the safety of everyone here. Patrols of agents have been suggested.”
Jack nodded slowly. “It would be wise to inform our citizens of the situation. To conduct our own patrols.”
“I agree,” Genii said. “But be assured that the Agency will never give up until the Knights are brought down. It’s our purpose. We will help you protect Haven.”
Jack nodded and shook her hand again before shutting the door behind her.
“It won’t be easy,” Travis said ominously. “Who knows how big that organization is? How many members are in it? Something that big is hard to bring down completely. Hate never dies, and it breeds like flies.”
Jack walked over, sat next to his mate, and pulled Travis gently into his arms.
“That’s why we keep fighting, Travis. We never stop fighting.”
Travis nuzzled his neck. “I love you, Jack. I wouldn’t have survived this without you.”
“Same here, mate. Let’s get you back to bed.”
“After a bath.”
“All right, after a bath.”
The following day, Jack and Travis stood in the parlor of the pack’s house. The alphas stood before them while the rest of the pack lined the edges of the room, silent and observing. A town meeting was scheduled after the pack’s meeting, concerning how they would deal with the Knights. Travis didn’t have any good ideas, except for moving everyone out of Haven, but that would be admitting defeat. They had to fight fire with fire.
