Summer Shifter Nights

by Harmony Raines

  Hopeful words—but false. I stared at the darkening wall of her cell and felt those words turn cold and hard in my gut. None had fought the wolf and survived. The alternative… a horrible death. “That’s it. That’s it, Sasha. Fight her.”

  The overhead lights buzzed and flickered. I shoved my head against the bars, straining to see her face. Wide silver eyes stared at me. Her skin blended with the concrete floor, even the bloom in her lips was gone.

  Her labored breaths filled the space, punctured by a whisper. “I can’t hold her back, Mia. I’m not strong enough.”

  My head smacked against the steel as I shook. “Don’t say that. You’re strong enough. You can do this. You can fight her.”

  I craned to see the slow nod. But the silver glare of the wolf was all I saw in her eyes. My mind ticked like a timer. Sasha whimpered and thrashed, fighting an enemy no one could see. I didn’t need to see the beast. I felt its presence with my own.

  A moan sliced the air. Sasha’s body bowed. Her eyes went wide. Her mouth parted, revealing long pointed fangs. She opened her mouth in a silent howl. Bones shattered, then fused, forcing her nose forward. I swallowed my heave at the sight of her misshapen head.

  I clawed the air, stretching, searching for her fingers. “Fight, Sasha. Fight her.”

  Dark fur pierced her skin, the strands growing thicker and thicker as I stared, until no skin showed at all. Claws sprouted from Sasha’s delicate nails. A boom cut through the air. Metal screamed against metal. My heart lunged against the cage inside my chest. Guard glared through my cell door and held up the long metal weapon. I felt his gaze slide over my body. Guard. Pain. His dark eyes shone with cruel intent. “Get away from her.”

  I held onto the bars and kept my eyes down. Last the night, that’s all she had to survive. Just last the night.

  “I said, get away from her.”

  My hands trembled, still I held on as the snap of my cell door sounded. Sharp nails sliced my hand as Sasha’s fingers grasped mine. I felt her pain as whimpers turned to guttural grunts.

  “Are you deaf, you savage little bitch? I said, get away from her.”

  Guard’s heavy boots dragged my attention away. The heavy smack of the baton against his palm sent my pulse racing. I ground my jaw, readying for the impact and snarled. “No.”

  His mouth curled in a sneer, Guard swung. The blow of the baton smashed against the back of my legs, buckling my knees. Sasha’s fingers tore from mine as I scrambled for a hold.

  His heavy chest crushed me. My spine flattened against the wall. Sasha’s cries were all I heard. The wolf inside howled, ready to tear and kill. Guard’s greasy skin shone as he leaned in, his lips so close to mine. “I told you to stay away from her. Don’t make me have to tell you again.”

  He slapped his hand over my breast and squeezed. Heat flared, followed by the sting as his fingers pinched my nipple. “I wouldn’t test my patience. Not tonight. The doc says any type of pain will bring on the shift. I’ve a mind to test that theory.”

  His breath blew hot against my cheek. I turned my head, listening to the cries of my sister fill the air. Fight the change. Fight the change. Sasha’s haunting cries puckered the hair on my arms, then the sound stopped.

  Guard’s head turned. The silence was deafening. Something wasn’t right. “Sasha.”

  I whimpered as her scream severed the air. The cry rang inside my ears, filling this concrete hell with paralyzing sound. Guard stumbled backward, his eyes wide with terror. He spun and raced for the door. I was frozen, staring at those bars. The shrill cry ended.

  “Mia.”

  Her choked whisper echoed as her cell door slammed open. The boom drowned out her call. Guard’s panicked voices filled the space. There was no laughter, not anymore.

  “Hold her down. Jesus, hold her down.”

  Shadows moved between the bars. I forced my feet to move, sliding closer to the gap. Guard lifted his head as he passed her bed, staring at me from the other side of the grate. His hair fell across his face as he leaned over her.

  “Mia.”

  Her voice turned deep and warped in a half growl, half whimper. My wolf surged to the surface. Underneath the smell of sweat and blood, I felt her wolf, rising… forming. The change had come.

  “Mia… run.”

  That guttural sound filled me with terror. Mia… fight the change… and run.

  Sasha’s voice filled my head. I yanked my gaze to the metal grate between us. Guard’s panicked voices filled the air. “Jesus… what is that. What that thing?”

  Something heavy hit the floor in the cell next door. Run. The distorted voice in my head no longer sounded like Sasha’s. Runnnn….

  The slight movement wrenched my gaze to my cell door. The edge of the door moved, just a fraction… just enough. Guard forgot to lock it.

  I moved quickly, digging my fingers between the jambs, and eased the steel door open. Sasha’s next howl muffled the squeal of the hinges. I scanned the open space outside my cell, then stepped out.

  There were too many guards to fill in her cell. Their thick bodies crammed the doorway. I glanced at their backs, then whirled the other way. I left behind the harsh overhead lights and headed for the green exit sign.

  Sasha’s screams followed me. I grabbed the door handle. It wouldn’t be long now. I’d be the only one left, of ten. I bore down and the lock clicked open. The night waited for me. The forest was my only hope.

  I stepped outside and eased the door closed. The gravel crunched under my feet as I moved heading for the fence. The hurried beat was drowned out by the thud of heavy boots before a voice called behind me.

  “Stop right there. Don’t move.”

  2

  “Stop right there, Mia. You’re not supposed to be out here.”

  Guard held up a hand, then glanced toward the building and the open door behind me.

  Fight the change, and run.

  Those words ran through my head as the blast of sirens filled the air. I wrenched my head to the left and took one last look at my home. Yellow flashing lights strobed against the side of the building and splashed onto the ground. They were coming. I lunged forward, teeth bared, growing like the beast inside and barreled Guard into the fence. The beast took over. His whimpers echoed inside my head. His breath was hot against my neck. I wrapped my legs around him, riding him to the ground as I speared claws into the soft, vulnerable cavity of his belly.

  He grunted and cried out. I mashed my mouth over his and swallowed the cry. I was the beast they made me, the beast born not just from who I was, but what they made me.

  I stumbled to the fence and focused on the wire, gripping the strands with one hand while I clawed the ground with the other.

  Dogs barked in the distance, their howls savage and hungry. I glanced toward the horizon. The granite mountain pierced the sky with a towering peak. I shuddered as Guard’s voice wormed its way inside my head. The dead wait for you there.

  Stars sparkled above. I settled on the bright glint of the North Star.

  Keep me away from the mountain. Keep me safe.

  My fingers trembled, buckling under the dirt. Nails tore. The sharp pain brought tears to my eyes. The clang of metal bars echoed behind me, speeding my heart and sending tremors through my hands. Guard would search the cages first, then the halls and the stairwells. Eventually, they’d look outside.

  They’d hunt me then, and lock me away. There’d be no hope, no chance of escape. There’s only be the end until I was dead.

  My vision blurred. I risked one quick glance behind me. Guard lay quiet, one leg bent, the thick tread had once left patterns in the ground. But not anymore. Not anymore. The other leg splayed outwards, I glanced to his crotch and the dark wet patch between his legs. His blood was on my hands, his skin under my nails. His chest no longer rose under the uniform. He was still and silent.

  I scanned the trees, finding the lighter hue of a track in the darkness. Head for the mountain and the harder terrain. The
dogs won’t track me there. That’s the only way I’ll survive.

  A snarl tore through my head. I gripped the bottom strands and bent my knees, driving my body upward. My fingers burned under the strain, swelling around the taut strands until the dirt gave way.

  Cold seeped into my skin as I hit the ground. I shoved the dirt aside until the hole grew wide enough for me to try to get through. I shoved my head forward, chin tucked, eyes closed. Jagged edges wound through my hair, tearing strands as I shoved through. Gravel filled my mouth, coating my lips. I inhaled dirt as I kicked against the ground, driving my body through the fence and out the other side. A twang sang through the wire as I released it. I scrambled to my feet.

  My feet slipped on the sodden leaves, so I ended up crawling more than I walked. Rough branches slapped my face as I grabbed branch after branch, using fallen trees to pull myself up the steep incline. Fallen trees gave me something to hold onto. My heaving breaths were white in the cold air, burning my chest and stealing the moisture from my mouth. The sirens faded behind me. I dared not turn around. That place was no longer my home. Those I left behind weren’t my people.

  My steps speared through sunken holes, jarring my ankles and knees. I slid backward more distance than I gained as I raced for the peak. A howl ripped through the air. The faint sound brought tears to my eyes.

  The beast inside answered, filling my head with a sorrowful sound which turned savage. I could feel her, waiting for a chance to shred this skin, stalking my mind. Not yet, you don’t.

  The soft dirt gave way to sharp rocks as I climbed. My ankles buckled as I stumbled, driving forward, refusing to look back. Howls cut through the air. I stopped, listened. Their savage snarls turned louder blending until the night was torn and bloody. I closed my eyes and felt them. Guard was there. Guard unlocking their cages. A chorus of need. The need to hunt. The need to be free.

  They were coming.

  My feet disappeared through wisps of fog. The ground was harder, jutting rocks eased by compacted dirt. I pistoned my legs, driving them faster as I widened the gap between me and them. My path turned hazy and distorted. A canopy of trees above my head blocked my ability to guide by the stars.

  The beast guided my steps. The scent of pine and dirt turned crisp. I followed those silent urgings and travelled higher. Tumbling stones followed my every step. Those sounds echoed through my head. A beat of wings replaced the tattoo of my heartbeat. I needed a track or a road, anything to clear the leaves and quicken my steps. But those would be filled with hunters. Guard would be everywhere.

  The low ridge ended abruptly. The sunken north face was littered with fallen trees and craters. I kept to the trees, moving along the rise, then down to the valley, only to find myself climbing again. I rubbed my arms, the thin shirt useless against the bite of cold air. Keep moving, keep warm. Fight the change and run.

  Sasha’s voice worked its way inside my head. My sister… an ache spread like poison in my chest. In my heart I knew she was gone.

  Fight the change and run, her words echoed.

  The roar in the distance was filled with howls. My steps slipped as panic took flight inside my chest. I scanned the darkness. Trees crowded the way, none beckoned. The beast inside was restless, flattening her ears at the sound. Her sharp whimpers drilled through my head. Get away from me. Stay away.

  She bared her teeth. Those amber eyes filled my mind. Inside I felt her presence. She was stronger and more determined.

  The wolf was coming and she wanted me.

  I spied a clearing and a curtain of black. I slipped and shoved my hands against the ground to protect my face, something tore through my belly. Rocks and dirt scattered. I thrashed and rolled onto my back, reaching for my side. The forest swallowed my cry. I stared into the shadows, rolling through the pain. Warmth coated my fingers. The metallic scent of blood followed.

  My hands trembled, sliding around the shard. The howls in distance were getting closer. I couldn’t run, not like this. Tremors tore through the barbed wood—my tremors. I gripped the stick. The bright-hot pain impaled me, rooting me to the spot. I kicked the rocks from my way, trying to find some crevice in the ground to stand. My knees turned from rigid bone to hot jelly. I dug in, and gripped the stick in my belly. On a shuddering breath, I yanked. The shard dug its talons into my flesh and hung on.

  I dropped the broken branch, listening to the howling draw close. The black curtain waited, hovering so close. I closed my hand over my wound and tested my weight. My leg shuddered, but didn’t give. One slow step turned into another. The dark curtain moved closer. Trees parted and I reached into nothingness. The night turned to ice, hard under my fingers. Stone waited for me. I skirted the surface, finding ledges and cracks deep enough to grip.

  My heart was deafening in my ears, drowning out the baying hounds as they led Guard closer toward me. The smooth surface gave me nothing to hold onto until I hit the narrow ridge.

  The ground shook underneath me. I pierced the rock with my claws and mashed my cheek against the rock wall. The mountain was angry. I’d felt the tremors before. I held on while the earth snarled and snapped. Dust and dirt kicked into the air. Rocks raced down the sheer face to smash into my head and back. The drop underneath was an easy fall. All I had to do was let go, and let what would be, be. I inhaled the grit, taking this mountain into my lungs. The wolf inside raised her hackles. I could see her, silver and black. She held me in those amber eyes. She drew back her lip and my own mirrored the act. We were one and the same. Yet, I was still the enemy—one to devour—one to replace.

  My thighs quaked. I clawed the edge of the rock, clenching until I felt the pain, until I felt something.

  The granite wore the skin on my feet until my toes stung. Gritting my teeth, I skimmed the rocks, finding footholds in the sheer face, grabbing what roots I could find. A tremor raced through my left side. I gripped the surface and closed my eyes. Please not yet, just a little longer.

  The sweet smell of blood lingered all around me. I left a trail in my wake, like heavy footprints in the mud.

  “You’re getting weak, Mia. You can’t keep running like this forever.”

  My heart thundered at the sound of their voices. They were closer than I’d realized. I slid my foot along the slick wall, lighting slashed the pads of my toes. The scent of fresh blood saturated the air.

  I risked a glance to the dark curtain that awaited. A few steps more was all I needed. I slid my left foot toward my right. Easing to where the trees crowded the edge of the rock face. Leaves smacked my face. I clawed for a hold. The roots reached out, ensnaring me. I pulled myself forward, as my left leg gave out. I speared my fingers into the earth and raked my body forward. The earth felt soft as I stepped free of the hard rock face. Damp leaves stuck to my face as I crawled. My legs dangled in the open air. I dropped my head and kissed the dirt, then scrambled to my feet.

  My back strained, bending to her will, urging me to scramble along the forest floor on all fours. I stumbled away grabbing low hanging branches, keeping my feet under me.

  Something crashed through the trees behind me. Their hurried steps rustled the leaves. I was hit from behind. Hands gripped my shirt. Cloth tore as I rolled, then scurried to my hands and feet.

  The wheeze came from the left. “Grab her legs.”

  I straightened and spun, caught in the crossfire of those who had once been friends. The whites of Guard’s eyes were like the twin beam of flashlights in the dark and I was caught in their glare. My heartbeat was deafening. Harsh gasps of air did nothing but ravage my throat. I tasted blood.

  Another clenched and released his fist, tensing his muscles. I jerked my gaze from one to the other, waiting for one to make their move. Their chests rose and fell in short, sharp bursts—mirroring my own. I wrenched my gaze to their outstretched hands, then back to the glint of terror in their eyes.

  That same horror had me by the throat—ready for the kill.

  My hands twitched, remembering the fire
in my sister’s body as I held her hand. The fear in her eyes still imprinted on my soul. I couldn’t escape her gaze. No matter how far I ran, or how hard I fought. I couldn’t escape.

  The night air was cool on my teeth as I lifted my top lip. The warning shook my chest like a sickness and tore along my throat to slip into the air. The hair on my arms stood under my own ominous sound. Gone was the tenor of my own voice. It was now replaced by something deeper, something feral.

  The twinge in my side made my breath catch. I covered the wound with my hand and felt the slickness seep through my fingers. I didn’t dare look down.

  I didn’t need to.

  This was what death felt like.

  Navy overalls barred my escape. I reached out, pleading. My gaze dropped to the code on the inside of my arm. They wanted their property back. “Please, don’t do this. I’ll die with the change anyway. Just let me go.”

  “We have to take you back, Mia. We’ve invested too much. We can’t let you go.” Mark’s jaw bulged. His blonde hair stuck to his forehead under a sheen of sweat. “You can’t fight the change and you’re not getting away again.”

  I backed away, kicking up the forest floor. The dirt under my feet felt different, harder. My legs trembled. My hands…. I clenched a fist. I couldn’t keep running, not like this. If I could only hide, burrow myself in this cold earth, maybe I could ease the burn. Then I’d be okay.

  Guard inhaled. I could hear the thundering of his heart. I could feel the blood pumping through his veins, pounding inside my head like the heavy beat of a drum. “Easy, now. We’re not going to hurt you. We just want to help. Come back with us. I promise you won’t be punished.”

  I raised my hand. My blurred fingers were not yet claws. Somehow I expected them to be. Something slipped from my eye. The tear chilled on my cheek. “Like you helped the others? Like you helped Sasha?”

  He licked his lips. He was nervous. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

  Tears welled in my eyes and slid down my cheeks. “She was screaming, clawing her own skin. I saw what you did to her.”