Rebirth (Rogues Shifter Series)

by Gayle Parness

  I quickly wiped away a tear with my sleeve before he noticed. I couldn’t imagine what he must have felt, cut off from his family, thinking of himself as a vicious monster. It made me think about how kind Rob had been to me and how much effort he was putting into making my first shift as easy for me as possible. I reached out to squeeze his arm and he tried to smile back.

  “I was wild at first. For everyone's safety, they kept me in a safe room. They taught me the basics of living as a shifter and how to cope with the anger. I learned to trust them and they helped me gain full control. I was free to leave, but I’ve stayed with them by choice. Maya, she’s on the Shifter Council, noticed that I had this calming effect on others and recommended that I become a recruiter. At first I declined the offer, but—,” he hesitated,”—for various reasons I ended up changing my mind.

  “I eventually returned to my hometown to find out if my parents and sister were alright. They were fine, although they'd been told that I was dragged off and killed by the same ‘wild animal’ that had almost killed the other men. None of them remembered anything from that night. I never spoke to any of my family again.”

  We sat silently, both of us lost in our own memories of a life left behind. I finally crawled into bed around midnight, feeling sad, yet somehow hopeful.

  Chapter Nine

  The next morning I woke up to the persistent hammering of a woodpecker outside my window. It was still really early so I rolled over, covered my head with my pillow and tried to go back to sleep. What seemed like only seconds later, I heard a knock on my door. Annoyed, I got up to open it. Note to self: start a shopping list and head it up with earplugs.

  Ethan was standing there holding a bag of clean laundry in one hand and what looked like a corn muffin stuck with a lighted wooden match in the other. He started singing “Happy Birthday” making me wince, not because he was off key, but because it was still very early. Putting my finger over his mouth, I leaned over and blew out the match. I felt badly when I saw his hurt expression, so I smiled and gave him a friendly hug.

  “Thanks. I appreciate the thought, really. It’s just kind of early and I’m not a morning person." I glanced at the tree outside my window, thinking to myself that maybe my animal, whatever it turns out to be, will like the taste of woodpecker.

  ” I didn’t have the ingredients for a cake, sorry”, Ethan said, handing me the muffin and throwing the laundry bag on my bed.

  “This is perfect,” I said, smiling again and biting into the corn muffin. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. “You made this?”

  “Yep…from scratch. I like to cook."

  “Huh…so you’re the Wolfgang Puck of the shifter rejects?”

  He twisted up his mouth and shook his head. “We’re not rejects yet…there’s still a little hope.”

  I felt bad. “For you, maybe.”

  Make a wish…maybe a miracle will happen.” Ethan grinned and turned away, twisting back halfway down the hall to say “I am available this week to make your wishes come true.” I almost threw the muffin at him, then realized my horrible error and grabbed my pillow and threw that instead. I took another bite as he caught it gracefully, and buried his nose in it, breathing deeply. “You know you’re not getting this back.” He sauntered off down the hallway toward the small living room. Huh.

  I giggled and headed for the shower. When I finished my morning rituals, as basic as they were without any makeup or hair supplies, I followed Ethan’s path down the hall and turned toward the kitchen, all the while nibbling on my birthday muffin. Rob and Ethan were seated at the table eating breakfast. I joined them while Rob poured me a glass of orange juice.

  Rob smiled. “Happy birthday! Eat a light breakfast today. It works out better when you shift on a half empty stomach.”I slumped in the chair, suddenly losing my appetite, putting the remains of my muffin down and sipping the juice.

  Ethan smiled and pushed playfully on my shoulder. “So now you’re legal.”

  “Legal?”

  “Yeah, you can vote in community elections, own property, you can get married, too, although we call it mated. You’re considered an adult at seventeen by all the supernaturals. Its ‘cause most shifters transition for the first time between thirteen and fifteen and have to become responsible citizens, keeping their nature a secret from humans. If you mess up and hurt someone, you're tried as an adult. We mature a lot faster.”

  "Oh yeah...you seem really mature." He pretended to glare at me, but then what he'd said hit me and I looked at him in shock. “How do you know all that? Weren’t you raised by humans like me? Didn’t you just get here, too?”

  “Nah, my parents are both cougars, still in Sacramento. I’ve been living with Rob for a few months in Crescent City.” His expression had changed from happy to tense.

  “But…” Ethan moved away from the table and looked out the window, crossing his arms over his chest in a protective gesture. It was obvious that he didn’t want to talk about it. I let it go.

  Rob cleared his throat. “There’s one other thing I haven’t actually mentioned about shifting that every one of us has to deal with. When you change form, your clothing usually rips to pieces and hangs on you in shreds, which makes it difficult to run, so we undress before we change. When we change back to our human form, we’re naked again. Nudity is a natural part of the transitional process and it’s nothing to feel uncomfortable about, although it can be awkward at first.

  "I'll need to stay human in form when you shift in case anything goes wrong and you need help. Let’s face it; paws get in the way during a medical emergency. But Ethan’s going to stay in cougar form and follow you if you run off. New shifters like to test their limits, it’s perfectly normal to take off. Just stay on the usual paths.“

  This newest information made me roll my eyes and twist my mouth up in irritation. I wasn’t particularly self conscious about my body, having been naked in many a women’s locker room. Not being blessed with one of those curvy, womanly figures, my running kept me lean and muscular.

  I raked my eyes across both of their faces. They looked really uncomfortable. If Ethan or Rob had been leering at me I might have felt differently, but for some reason I trusted both of them, although I’d only known them a couple of days. After my initial shock and temper tantrums, Rob had been understanding and considerate and Ethan had practically saved my life getting me down that tree.

  I looked from Ethan to Rob and then sighed. “I think being naked in front of you two will be the least of my problems today. Let’s get this over with,” I walked back to my bedroom, stripped and threw on a robe. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and walked to the front porch.

  Rob grabbed his medical case and headed out after me. Ethan was already prowling around in cougar form. I sat on the porch step and Rob sat next to me giving me a reassuring smile. He pulled out a nasty looking syringe and I closed my eyes, trying to be brave. I hoped that it would all be over with quickly.

  About ten seconds after the prick of the needle, I experienced a flash of nausea and then sharp shooting pains throughout my body. My robe felt heavy and uncomfortable, so I jumped up, letting it slide down my arms and pool at my feet. Every inch of my skin burned, even my earlobes and eyelids. Through slitted eyes, I glanced at my hands, watching in horror and fascination as they began to change shape. Bones broke and rearranged themselves into a different scheme, making my skin heave with the motion. I cried out in pain as tan paws speckled in black appeared where I used to have hands and feet. I suddenly needed to crouch on the ground and flex my muscles, so I fell, hitting it hard with four feet instead of two. My jaw jutted forward as sharp teeth exploded from my gums, the long canines appearing last. Bones all over my body began to shift and fracture, elongate and bend, causing more excruciating pain. Fur erupted in waves of hot agony to cover my bare skin as a tail exploded out from my lower back. The transition took no more than a minute, but I felt like I’d been thrown into a giant mixer, ground up and spit out aga
in. Ow.

  As my body transformed, some senses became significantly more acute. I heard the bees in their hive forty yards behind the cabin and the beating heart of a small rabbit hiding under the porch. Salt air from the north shore of the island filled my nostrils, urging me to run toward the ocean.

  Feeling sore from the violent transition, I stretched out my newly-born shifter body and glanced at Rob, who was staring at me with a strangely astonished expression. I tried to laugh but only managed a strangled huff. Shocked by the odd sound, I trotted closer, interested to see what Rob thought of the new me. He crouched down and stretched out his hand. I rubbed my face against it and purred, allowing him to scratch me behind the ears, confirming the big cat theory.

  He stopped scratching and then laughed when I growled in irritation. “Your shift went well. You won't need the drug next time. Run with Ethan and stretch your legs. It’s what you were born to do. Just try not to lose him. I'll shift and meet up with you."

  Ethan, my much larger cougar companion, blinked, growled playfully and took off running. Huh, still cheating. My nose picked up his spicy scent so he was easy to track. I paced myself at first, growing accustomed to the movement of my feline form. I was sleek, with strong legs to carry me quickly over the ground and a long tail which acted as a rudder, helping me steer. I leapt over a fallen log and practically flew headlong into a tree, twisting easily at the last second to avoid the collision. My leaping ability was amazing; I was flying through the air for yards and yards.

  What startled me the most was that I was still me, still Jackie; only in a very different form. Ethan growled , probably telling me to hurry up, but instead, I churred with pleasure and relief, enjoying the primal noise that expressed my tremendous happiness.

  Up ahead I caught a glimpse of cougar-Ethan's tail as he dove behind a cluster of large rocks, perhaps waiting to ambush me. Not wanting to end up on the bottom of a furry pile, I turned on the jets and flew past his hideout, leaving him too far behind to catch up. I skidded to a stop when I reached the shoreline of Solo Island and took in a deep lungful of the fresh sea air. My senses were so sharp they overwhelmed me with sounds and smells and even vibrations: sea lions barking at each other on the far side of the island, the sour smell of skunk cabbage from a swampy area to the west, the shuffling scrape of a crab making his way across the sand. I forced myself to sit and breathe in slowly, concentrating on finding a way to sift through the barrage of sensations and pull in my focus.

  Ethan straggled onto the shore, cuffing me with his huge paw and plopping his furry body next to mine. He leaned his head on my back and growled, probably worried because I’d run off on my own and not stayed close to him. I flicked my tail in annoyance. He’d run off first! After a few minutes of resting comfortably together he got up, tossing his head to indicate that I should follow him. He led me to a still, clear pool of water and nudged me toward it. I drank my fill and when the water stopped rippling, wasn’t at all surprised to see the reflection of an exotic cheetah staring back at me. My eyes were still emerald green, and the black tear stripes running down my face made them stand out beautifully. I admired my tan, sleek body spotted in black and my lovely tail covered in symmetrical black rings.

  My long legs gave me all the advantages over the other big cats when it came to sprinting. I was the feline version of a thoroughbred and felt quite pleased with myself as I flicked my tail back and forth and twitched my ears. Ethan’s reflection next to mine was destroyed the minute he stuck his enormous paw in the water and pulled it back to splash me on the snout. In retaliation I flicked my hip out to the side, knocking him off balance.

  He was about to pounce on me when we both caught Rob's scent. Magnificent and terrifying, he strode toward us with stealth and grace, appearing out of the shadows as if he were a part of them. His muscles moved strongly beneath his velvety black fur and when he stopped to stare at us with his golden flecked eyes, my cheetah shivered. He turned, growling softly, and we followed him back to the cabin, Ethan and I batting and nipping at each other like little kids.

  The two larger cats disappeared when we got to the clearing in front of the cabin and I suddenly realized that I had no idea how to change back to my human form. The cabin door opened and Rob, clad in navy sweatpants and a gray tee shirt, walked over to me holding my robe. “Ok, Jackie, I’ll help you transition back. Relax and concentrate.” He put his hand on my head and I felt instantly calmer. “Close your eyes and visualize yourself in human form again. Hear your human heart beating, breathe through human lungs…”

  Rob's rich deep voice took my mind where it needed to go because I began to feel that now expected static attacking my body, then terrible pain as my bones shifted into a more familiar shape. My skin swallowed the fur, stretching and burning, the process taking less time in reverse. Just as I started to shiver, Rob draped my robe over my shoulders and helped me stand. I wrapped it snugly around myself and was grateful when he offered me his arm to help me into the cabin.

  Sore from my first shift, I dressed slowly in my bedroom then snagged a sandwich from a plate on the kitchen counter and sat down next to Ethan who was sprawled in his usual position on the old couch, my stolen pillow shoved behind his back. He grinned at me over the top of the book, threw it down and grabbed one of my bare feet, pulling it into his lap to start massaging it.

  “Your muscles will be stiff and sore for a while, Speedy, especially your feet and hands. You were breaking the land speed record today,” he laughed loudly without a touch of jealousy. I watched Ethan work the kinks out of my feet speculating on what events brought this generous, funny young man to Rob’s boot camp. I wondered if he was still in touch with his parents, or if, like me, Rob and I were becoming family.

  Rob sat in the arm chair writing about the day’s events on his laptop. “Tomorrow Ethan and I will show you how to hunt. You did very well today, Jackie. It’s extraordinary for someone to adapt so quickly to their new body. Cheetah shifters are rare. I only know of two others.”

  I stared at him open mouthed. “Did you say hunt? You mean like a real cheetah hunts; killing and then eating a RAW animal?”

  I must have looked a little green, because Rob tried to reassure me. “Once you’ve hunted you’ll understand. It’s not something you do daily, but the raw food eaten in animal form strengthens your body faster than our human meals do.“

  Ethan piped in, “It’s really great. You hear their bones crunch in your jaws and the blood runs down your chin and their little hearts beat faster and faster until they stop forever, “ He actually smirked at me.

  I jerked my foot away and kicked him right in the stomach. “Ow,” he pretended to groan, I knew I couldn’t really hurt that rock hard body with a half-assed kick.

  “You’re a jerk!” He was just trying to get a rise out of me, but I was still feeling a little nauseous from his colorful description. I sat in the chair next to Rob. “What do you mean assigned a job?”

  “Your particular abilities may make you perfect for a project I’m working on with Garrett. Besides incredible speed and tracking abilities, cheetahs usually have other unique gifts. We’ll talk about this more when you’re finished with your training here on the island.”

  After resting for an hour, Rob took us back outside. We worked on the usual martial arts defensive moves, most of which he was happy to see that I was already skilled at, and learned multiple hand signals so we could communicate silently.

  After dinner, Rob let me log onto his computer. I’d asked how it was that he got reception on the island and he mentioned that we had two serious tech geniuses on our team. He told me in no uncertain terms not to sign in to my email or social websites, but that I could listen to music or watch movies.

  I did what he said because, well, you just did with Rob.

  Chapter Ten

  That night, I woke up to the murmur of male voices coming from the direction of the front porch. I recognized Rob's right away, but the other was unfamiliar.
It was late, after 2:00 A.M, and Ethan was softly snoring in the room across the hall. Curiosity got the better of my common sense, as I shook off the last vestiges of sleep and sat up.

  I slid from under my sheets, threw a robe on over my sweats, opened my bedroom door, and crept as silently as I could manage down the dark hallway. The only light in the empty front room came from the glow of dying embers in the fireplace, causing ghostly shadows to move along the floor and the walls. I hesitated when I heard the conversation on the porch stop abruptly. Knowing I'd been discovered, I thought about turning around, but then a larger shade loomed in the open doorway. I took a quick step back in fright. The shadow moved with a graceful purpose, drawing slowly closer, and I was suddenly facing a man I didn’t know.

  My eyes had adjusted to the ambient light and I could see him more clearly now. He'd halted about four feet away, standing unnaturally still as if waiting for my reaction. I guess he didn't want to scare me.

  Sensing immediately that he wasn't human or shifter, I grew anxious. I bit down on my lip so hard that I could taste blood in my mouth. His eyebrows arched in surprise as his full lips turned up with amusement. His thick auburn hair shined in the dying fire light, windblown from his meeting with Rob on the breezy porch. Although dressed casually in a leather blazer, button down shirt and jeans, he looked perfectly put together. He was a few inches taller than me, maybe 6', with lean muscles, long legs and the most incredible blue eyes I'd ever imagined.