Steal the Sun: (Book 1)

by Stephanie Kelley

  “Going soft on me?”

  “No.” He paused to brush his hair out of his face. Even with a beanie he couldn’t keep his hair tamed and out of his face very long. “I might have been pissed about the past, but you don't deserve what he's done. Or what Foxy did that caused all of this. I just want Dez’s ass handed to him for once. He’s an asshole that needs a reality check. He can’t control everything. He still believes Foxy can do no wrong aside from being a seal.”

  I closed my eyes and sucked in a cold breath. I wished it had been salt air, but icy air would have to suffice. I tried to center myself as it all sunk in.

  “So my twin is a manipulative bitch, the things you learn coming home. Anything else you’ve held back from me that matters?”

  He thought for a moment as he checked his knife, making a dramatic moment of it. I rolled my eyes as I waited.

  “Nice tattoo on your thigh.”

  “Saw that did you?” I fought a laugh.

  “And I’d prefer not talk about the rest of what I saw.”

  I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic back, but a cackling howl came from the woods stopping my thoughts and making us both turn towards the trees.

  “That was sufficiently creepy.”

  “Work calls. You got my back, Raven?”

  When I didn't answer he smacked me upside the head. ”Get your shit together. Where's that fire you used to have?”

  I just stared at him.

  “What, you've gotten good at finding gold but hunting skills suck for anything but fish, huh?”

  “Fuck you, Kenai.”

  “Better.” He threw his head back and howled.

  Zom had stopped barking behind us in the truck. “Watch yourself.”

  Kenai opened the door and the red and white fluff ball jumped out while Magi sat still. Zom growled at me before laying its ears back and cocking its head, teeth still showing. Its eyes were almost as white as its fur, the little upturned markings above his eyes making him look angry as he started wagging.

  “He’s a weird one. Come on, Zom.”

  That evil grin Kenai always had right before we’d get into shit over our heads as teenagers was back. I cracked a smile myself despite my immediate hatred toward my sister and his brother. I didn't doubt she was capable of everything he said, I just didn't want to believe my own blood would do that.

  I’d never imagined it possible Willow could be that deceitful toward me. She had a dark streak, I never denied that, but if she truly did sabotage my relationship with Koda, I couldn’t comprehend right now where that would leave us. This talk when I got back to Seattle was looking less and less appealing.

  Reality set in as I threw the safety off the shot gun he'd handed me and took a deep breath. Last time I’d gone with him on a job I was eighteen. Michael Sesi called it off, hauling us back out of the snow cave before we were attacked.

  “Caleb said this wasn’t the Amaroq and the bar tender at Broken Tusk said it was a loup something.”

  “Loup garou. I want to agree with both of them.” He checked the clip on his own gun before checking the tracks by my trashed SUV. “At least I am hoping it’s not the Amaroq. How do you kill a god?”

  Point taken.

  “What do you know about Caleb?” I asked, my eyes on the tree line, trying to distract myself. Not that Caleb was a much better subject.

  “Trouble. Boss is out of Washington. Not much else. Pops up at bad times. Way too into Bear.”

  I didn't bother to hide the growl. “I don't like that they were together. He can’t seem to leave her alone.”

  Kenai just stared at me from his crouched position. “What are you talking about?”

  “Her tattoo with his initials. CMR. Damn fish.”

  “Those aren’t his initials.”

  I was dumbfounded. “You going to tell me who's they are?”

  “You’d have to ask her. I don't know who it would be, but it's sure not the fish.” He hesitated for a moment before adding “or the bartender.”

  Why had she let me think that? Was that what she was referring to when she says she wasn't ready to tell me?

  “Think he's behind this?”

  “Doubt it. The fish is annoying but this isn’t his deal. He lost one of his guys to this thing. It's just taking shifters.”

  “When did you know we were shifters, Kenai?” I softly asked as the three of us followed the huge tracks into the snow. The husky, nose to the snow was vocalizing quietly.

  “When Monster bit you. Pop figured it out. Knew you were harmless so it didn't matter. No one ever told Kodiak. We just kinda forgot by the time she was old enough to understand, by then you weren't going anywhere.”

  My heart sank. All those years worried and wasted, they had already known. Gods, I was so stupid.

  The creature howled again and Zom’s fur stood on end before howling back.

  “No time like the present.”

  Ken waved me to one side of the tracks, and he took the other. He intended for us to circle the beast. I was decent with a gun when needed, but unless I was in the water, my tracking skills were non-existent.

  We followed the trail in the snow, it circled back on itself. I saw from the furrows on Kenai’s face this thing, this creature, was nothing like he had ever tracked before.

  Zom stopped in his tracks and growled toward a thicket of bare trees. I saw a black tipped tail leading up to the dirty white body of the creature that had attacked Koda and I. My heart began to race again, my teeth getting sharp as I felt my lips peel back in a snarl. Kenai backhanded me as he came up beside me.

  “That it?” he whispered.

  “Yeah, that’s what chased us, alluded to the fact it has a boss.”

  He shook his head. That meant more work once we took care of this.

  “Foxy told me there was a loup garou up here for hire at the beginning of the summer, bigger than a grizzly, I didn't believe her.” His whisper was nails on a chalkboard. He was pissed at himself for not taking her warning seriously.

  “We’re gonna have a serious talk about your relationship with Will -”

  “I can hear you, Dinner! Oh and I can be persuaded to do just about anything any more if the price is right. But you are not alone, Dinner. You've brought someone. That one beside you, he’s new. Kinda smells like Lamb, but not quite the same. I’m over being nice, your blood was tasty tasty. I still want some Lamb though. Why did you leave her behind? She smelled sweet. Or did she freeze to death? Wait, wait,” the thing paused and sniffed the air before a chuckle rumbled from it, its massive head turned towards us. “No, oh no, she’s alive. I can smell her all over you, seal.”

  It rose from where it had been in the snow, blood and gore dripping from its lips. As it turned to us, I saw the remains of a black tailed deer in the bloody nest. Fear ripped up my spine sending my hair on edge. I should have smelled the blood, but I still didn’t. That couldn’t be good.

  “Tsk, tsk. Your friend doesn’t smell so scrumptious, Dinner. He smells like burnt lamb. Not so appetizing, but give him time, he will burn like the stars. We can’t all be food.” It dipped its head around some trees to get a better look at us. “Oh, guns, how quaint. Silver, I’m assuming. Guess we’re not playing this time are we?”

  I saw stars and the blue sky. The loup garou had pounced, driving me back into the snow. My head slamming into the frozen ground and I saw a flash of stars. It had my arms pinned with its huge paws.

  “Did you really think I’d just let you sneak up on me? You don't believe me that foolish.” It barked and snapped a few inches from my face, its weight pressing me further into the snow and ground as its hot breath washed over my face. Its jet black claws flexed and curled into my forearms sending hot pain through my body. I lost my grip on the gun.

  “Oh no, I wouldn’t do that, but I will enjoy having you for dinner. Such a delicacy to have seal meat. Maybe I’ll save your hide for my next pair of snow boots. I think gray would look good on me.” It cocked
its head at me.

  Zom grabbed onto the hind leg of the loup garou, going for its tendon. The husky latched on and started tugging backwards, the dog’s paws slipping in the snow. It swiveled its head to look at the annoyance before kicking him off violently. That huge paw came to rest on my thigh, digging those razor like claws into the muscle there. I couldn't hold back the scream as one of those claws hit and dragged along bone.

  Kenai was square in the creatures line of sight as the massive beast turned its head toward him while it took pleasure in my pain.

  “And you,” it growled, “will watch and wait your turn. You’ll have better manners than Lamb one way or another.”

  This massive creature laughed in my face, deer blood slick on its fur and dripping on me.

  “Maybe I should force you to shift and Roast Lamb can watch?”

  “Who hired you?” I ground out the words between the pain. Every movement I made those razor claws dug in. A small part of me me was grateful this thing hadn't decided to plant that back foot in my stomach. I could survive these wounds as long as he avoided an artery.

  I hoped.

  “Oh, it speaks.” The loup garou drawled as it dug it curled its claws deeper in my thigh, its breath condensing in the cold air and obscuring my vision. I heard the claw scrape against my thigh bone. The unnerving sound made me want to puke. I was panting with pain. “Are you going to shift for me on your own or am I going to have to take matters into my own hands?”

  Where the hell was Kenai?

  I lifted my head in desperation looking for him. I was in no position to defend myself pinned to the ground. Kenai stood there, gun in hand, but he was frozen in place. His eyes were glazed over, unfocused. I needed to find a way out of this. I felt my warm blood running down my arms and pooling on my thigh, soaking my jeans, running down my leg.

  “You can't force me to shift.” I didn't even believe the words that I forced out between my labored breaths. I hadn't smelled the deer blood when I should have, who knew what being in proximity to this thing caused. Had it caused my partial shift when it marked my trailer at the mine? Or when I had dove into the water to save Koda?

  The creature leaned its muzzle down to whisper in my ear, its hot breath melting the snow beneath my head. “You're mine. And you’ll shift. I don’t like eating humans if I can help it.”

  Its heavy paw hit my face. I tasted blood. I felt the loup garou breathing magic into me, trying to force the shift. Its voice was pouring over me slick as ice while it chanted ancient words. My body burned from the inside while my bones cracked and twisted as I fought against the shift. As my skin shifted to fur I felt it rub uncomfortably against the inside of my clothing. My canines elongated, cutting the inside of my lip as I tried to stay human. My scream of pain only came out as my seal bark, hoarse and rough.

  So this was how it had gotten the others, by forcing them to shift. If I shifted with this things claws in me, I would be ripped to shreds just like all the rest had been. Koda flashed in my head. I would not join those it had taken before.

  “Oh you make this too easy, Dinner. I expected this to be a bit of struggle to get you to shift. I shouldn’t have been able to get you to shift like this, not without your seal skin. But you, no, no, no, you shift like the rest of the mongrels.”

  In desperation I reached my free hand toward the shotgun, but its fangs were in my shoulder before I took another breath. The pain helped delay the shift, but my vision was fading as I neared the moment I could no longer control my own body.

  The rough tongue licking the blood from the side of my face gave me the surge of adrenaline I needed to fight and wrap my hand around the gun. I’d never been so thankful for having the safety already off a gun in my life as I shoved the shotgun into this things abdomen.

  “Go eat someone else.” I forced between my pointed teeth, my voice not much more than a bark. I pulled the trigger and the shot echoed through the trees as the creature howled in pain, rearing up off me.

  The cold air hit the open wounds and I fought not to pass out from the new influx of pain. A silent prayer escaped my lips that nothing vital had been nicked. I wasn’t light headed, but I was about to press my luck as I grabbed the gun with my other now free hand and swung it at the wounded creature.

  My head swam, but I heard Kenai yell the family’s attack command for Zom a moment before as I heard him fire two shots. It howled in pain as the shots ripped through its body. So did I as I caught one of the ricocheted silver slugs in my shoulder.

  “You’ll dig your own grave, hunter!” The loup garou roared as it whipped toward Kenai. Zom latched onto the creature by the wound I had given it in the stomach and began jerking its head, ripping at the flesh.

  “I’ll dig yours first.” That wasn’t a threat from Kenai, those words a stinging promise.

  Four more shots rang out and I was coated in a spray of feverish blood. I was thankful it wasn't anymore of mine. The creature fell in a bloody heap beside me, steam coming from its wounds as its blood poured onto the snow. I tried to stand but I couldn’t move. My leg failed me. With my forearms tore up, I couldn’t even crawl.

  “What the hell happened to you?” My voice still held a sharp edge of a bark, it was only tempered by the pain that was running through me.

  He cocked his head at me as if he didn’t understand what I had said as he started reloading his gun.

  “You were right beside me when it took me to the ground, what took you so long to shoot?”

  “What are you talking about? I fired as soon as it was on you.”

  His skin had an odd sheen to it, like a mirage, as he offered me his hand to try to help me sit up. My vision swam and I fought not to puke.

  “You look like a damn chew toy. I think you've taken one too many hits to the head today. I'm sure those seal eyes aren't helping you. Let's get you up on your feet. Those selkie powers don't heal you super fast do they?”

  “No, I wouldn’t be that lucky.” I healed faster than a human, but not nearly as fast as a were shifter. The wounds from the orca bite had taken nearly a week, this would probably take a week and a half because of the depth of the puncture wounds and the sheer volume of my injuries. Blood was dripping down my forearms, shoulder, and thigh. I didn’t want to move but I tentatively touched my cheek where I had the the scar from childhood. My fingers came back slick with two separate colors of blood. Mine and the loup garou’s. Just one more scar.

  “Are you sure that thing is dead?”

  Kenai nudged the thing with the toe of his boot. Zom danced around the carcass and yipped. “Pretty sure. You want the skin?”

  “Gods no, help me to my feet.” There was no way I was going to be able to stand on my own with that wound in my thigh, and with a quick glance at me he realized it, too.

  Thankfully those razor claws had left me with a nice clean cut. I’d never been so ecstatic to see my own blood in my life, it kept me from seeing the exposed bone.

  “Shit.” He ran his hand over his face as he tried to assess just has bad my leg was. “It split bone. We're going to have to get you to the hospital.”

  “No. Can't.” I panted as the adrenaline started to wear off and the seriousness of my injuries set in. “Can't take the chance of them wanting to put a bar or screws in it. I need you to splint it.”

  He stared me me down before it dawned on him. “You couldn't shift.”

  He was definitely the faster of the three siblings when it came to connecting the dots. I wouldn't be able to shift ever again. My body couldn't manipulate the metal, I would be in danger of puncturing an organ when I shifted forms.

  “Give me your belt, but do it gently. You’re not going anywhere with that leg like that. If it doesn’t break first, you’ll bleed out.” He tucked the gun in the back of his pants before stripping off his own belt. He knelt to straighten my leg. I didn't know that two belts would be enough to make a difference but it was better than an open wound.

  Nothing in my body wanted t
o function, I’d lost enough blood that I was starting to go into shock. And shock meant shifting. I didn’t know how long I could fight it since the damn creature had started the process for me. I was going to do my damnedest to hold on to a form and it was exhausting.

  Very few things in this world could force a shift on someone, I knew of three things: drugs, a shaman performing a ritual, and a Collector with the right charm. This thing had been none of those and that scared me. If it had figured out how to attack and force us to shift, there was no telling what else it could have done. And if one creature could do it, what was stopping someone else? Even though my sister and nephew were thousands of miles away, it worried me for their safety. My parent’s were close by, I needed to give them a call.

  “Just breathe, Raven. I'm not carrying a damn seal back to the cabin. Your fur is soft though.” He had torn my jeans open to get a better look at the wound on my leg. My silver gray fur already beginning to make my skin look blotchy.

  “Pet me one more time and I will bite you, I don't care if you're saving my ass or not.”

  He snorted at my bad joke as he worked.

  I hissed as he cinched the belt tighter around my thigh, keeping the edges of the wound closed, and already slowed blood flow to a minimum.

  “Think you can walk?”

  I was unsteady on my feet as he helped me up, but I didn’t have a choice, there was no way he could carry me, nor would I let him.

  A few tentative steps later, and Zom stopped yipping.

  “Holy-” Ken cut himself off.

  “You got lucky, hunter.”

  That was not the loup garou's voice.

  Standing over the creature was a man, his exposed skin was tinged a shimmering green criss-crossed by thick roping scars as if he had been sewn together.

  “Shooting you won’t do any good. What do you want, Cy?”

  “Want? Nothing from you, hunter,” the man laughed as it laid a hand on that bloody white and gray fur. “See you in the stars.”

  He was gone in a mist, the creature gone with all that remained to show that the creature had existed was the blood spatter.