Commander

by Mel Todd

  McKenna swore Perc smirked but he picked up JD easily and carried him out of the room.

  ~Bring him in here with me. I can use the heat and will make sure he eats.~ Toni sounded at least a bit more aware and McKenna grabbed the tumbler and drained it, knowing she’d need the energy shortly.

  ~Should I do the same thing with Cass?~ It took a bit of courage to leave the connection open, but she did.

  [It would not make a difference. Her mass is so low unless you waited past a point where it was safe to change her, she would not have the time to build up any significant amount of fat stores. Perc has more mass and with three to four hours can pack away a decent amount.]

  McKenna frowned, time had lost all meaning. ~How long has it been since we started?~

  ~Four hours, twenty minutes, give or take.~ Cass responded promptly. ~Do your exchange with Perc, then get him here to watch the cameras. I’m seeing some movement and we had probably better be ready to deal with it. Perc has the most mass and he is the scariest of us at this moment.~

  Perc walked into the room and McKenna swallowed. "So how do we do this?" Her voice sounded odd, especially as this time she spoke English not the nanobot driven Spanish.

  "Do you always over think everything?" Perc asked stepping up to her. "It’s just a kiss. I’m not proposing."

  McKenna snorted and he moved, not letting her freak out anymore. The killing and everything else she had handled but this, a kiss from a man she rather thought she might like, made her want to run and flee. He apparently sensed it and took the choice out of her hands. Tilting her head up, he lowered his muzzle towards, her, mouth open, and tongue darting in, dancing between her razor sharp teeth, and kissed her.

  Stunned. Unable to process. She stood there, even as he rotated his head a bit to deepen the kiss and she felt her body start to respond.

  [Transfer complete. You may stop.]

  She felt his claws prick through her fur for a brief second, then he pulled away, a last lick at her nose, before he stepped back.

  McKenna looked at him and the clash of emotions locked her into immobility.

  ~Headed your way, Cass. Get here and get it done. You’ve been eating?~ His voice sounded in her head even as he walked out the door and she couldn’t take her eyes from his tail and ass they moved out of her view.

  God, McKenna, what the hell is your issue?

  She kept the thought private and ate mechanically. If nothing else this experience totally killed her pleasure in eating food. Right now she'd love to have the super high calorie bars but she'd take what she could. Cass came in holding another tumbler and sucking on it, a look on her face as if she hated what she drank.

  ~I'm shutting and locking the door. We're going to be too thin to handle any issues. The women still think we're the next thing to gods so if we can use that for a while we should be good.~

  ~Thanks. JD, Toni? How are you two doing?~ Her stress level lowered as Toni responded.

  ~Exhausted, could sleep for a week. But better. Eating as I can. Sounds like I need those shakes the women are making but for now as long as I don't have to shift I might be able to walk in an hour or two. Maybe.~ Her light dimmed even as she talked. Sleep, they all needed it and time to recover. How in the world would they get home?

  First problems first.

  Lifting her head she looked at Cass. ~Ready?~

  The woman snorted, an odd sound in her current form.

  ~No but dying and this pain also sucks. So, let's get this over with.~ With a shrug of her shoulders she shifted into a human, and McKenna was caught off guard by how small she was. With all the animal forms and the power that radiated out of them she'd forgotten the tiny woman from that first day. Cass took a long drink of her food. Her mouth twisted in a smile. "Feels weird to be human again." Then she shifted into the wolverine. A deep breath and back to human.

  McKenna sat next to her, letting her do it at her own pace. Cass knew how important it was to not give the poison a chance to spread through the cells again at a faster pace. But by the third time she got to human tears streaked down her face.

  "Hurts. Really hurts."

  ~I know. You can do it. Change.~ McKenna tried to keep her thoughts and words warm and comforting but she didn't think she succeeded.

  Cass swallowed, jerking her head up and down in something that might have been a nod but mostly looked like a muscle twitch. Changing back to wolverine took forever and McKenna thanked everything JD still slept. If he saw Cass's pain, he might not be able to handle it.

  She lay on her side in animal form, sides heaving. ~You can do it, Cass. Come on.~

  [Have her get to human and shift. Test her then.]

  The wolverine whined but began to shift and McKenna wanted to take the pain from her, to pull it in, but all she could do was watch.

  ~Can't I do anything to help.~

  [No. This is the only way to defeat the poison. It is an insidious concoction and shows signs of laboratory creation. It hides in the blood which is often not changed, so each shift spreads it and lets it attack more organs faster unless you destroy all of it. It is a cruel weapon.]

  Human once again, Cass lay there, her whole body twitching convulsively. McKenna tested her and tried to get some of the drink into her even as she waited feeling like a mix between a vampire and a sadist.

  [Two more and she'll be free, but she needs to push through it.]

  ~Cass, can you hear me? You have to, twice more.~

  A long low whimper. ~Let me die.~

  ~No. Change.~ She forced the bots to obey her and Cass screamed as her body morphed. Needing it over, McKenna let her get to animal form and then forced her back to human. Cass's link went dark.

  ~Cass?!~ McKenna dove for her and put a finger on her pulse. Nothing. Her heart didn't beat. ~FUCK! Perc, her heart stopped.~

  ~Oh, shit~ She felt him tearing through the house as she shifted to human with reckless speed. As human she dropped to her knees next to Cass and laid the frail woman out flat on the floor. CPR lessons flashed into her mind as she started to do compressions on her chest.

  ~Wefor, can I do anything else?~ Her voice tight with stress as Perc slammed into the room.

  [You are a Commander. Tell the bots to fix her heart first. But she must be tested.]

  McKenna tried to wrap her mind around what she needed to do as Perc reached out and made a small wound on Cass’s thigh. He held the blood claw up to McKenna’s mouth.

  "Here." His voice a low grumble. She opened her mouth sucking off the blood even as she tried to order the bots. It wasn’t words. It was more intent and thoughts and she thought she felt them respond.

  She kept pumping, counting in her head even as she willed the bots to save Cass. Doubts she might have about the woman but she’d pulled her weight. She didn’t think anyone working for the ass that had done this to them would kill herself to keep her cover.

  [Cass is clean. Get her heart started and she should recover.]

  ~Breath, three times,~ her words a snap command and she cringed as Perc shifted without his initiating it and breathed into Cass’s mouth.

  ~Sorry,~ the thought as a whisper as she paused, checking for a pulse. Wanting to sob, she couldn’t find one, then thump-thump. Low, barely there, but a pulse. ~Yes!~ She knew it was a scream when Perc flinched grabbing his head. ~Let’s get her wrapped up, and in with the other two. Body warmth will help. I’ll go get more food, those shake things for all of them.~

  Not bothering to look at him she stalked out headed for the kitchen and hoping none of them saw how bad she was shaking. McKenna stalked in, both women had their backs to her as their hands flew, chatting away making food.

  "I need more of the shakes, ASAP, and some more blankets." Her voice sounded weird but the bots still over rode the English with Spanish.

  The women spun to look at her, their eyes widening as they stared at her. McKenna had no time or interest to figure out what their problem was.

  "Do you have the food?"


  Eyes still wide, they bobbed their heads and pointed to a large glass pitcher filled with a thick cloudy liquid.

  "Bone broth with goat meat, vegetables, then pureed, so you can drink it." The older one swallowed, and in a meek voice, "Would senorita like some clothes?"

  McKenna glanced down and realized in human form she was nude and didn't care. "Won't matter. Thanks. Please make as many more of these as you can. I promise, we won't hurt anyone if no one attacks us."

  That used up her caring and she grabbed the large pitcher and the glass next to it, filling it up and draining it, forcing herself to swallow. It tasted good, but thick, oddly rich.

  [This is excellent. Full of nutrients. This should help all of you with the nutrients the bots will need to help rebuild muscle and fat deposits.]

  "This is exactly what we need. Make much more. Gallons, please."

  The women nodded still watched her. But their shoulders had relaxed and the older one wasn't wringing her hands as McKenna strode out, the pitcher in her hands.

  Chapter 42 - Past Limits

  Reality star known as Fatty Patty, famous for her rolls of fat, has come out of her house for the first time in two months, and you’d have to see her to believe her. Wearing a size ten dress, she attended a local charity event, and she looks incredible. She only smiled and waved at the cameras when asked how she lost over two hundred pounds, looking tone and fit in only two months. Rumors are either extreme surgery or she’s a shifter. At this point no information is coming forth. ~ Excited Entertainment News

  She followed the thread to Perc and found him in one of the big bedrooms, Cass wrapped up in blankets and ensconced in between JD and Toni. Toni looked better, but still they all looked horribly underfed.

  "Here." She poured the glass full of the liquid and handed it to Toni. "Drink this. All of it." Toni did even if she looked like the idea of eating or drinking more made her stomach turn but it went down quickly.

  "That actually helps." Her voice rough.

  "Yeah. Wake JD up, he needs to drink this too, then we need to get some of this into Cass, she used up every bit of reserves she had. We can't lose her."

  I can't lose her, I need her. She's become pack.

  The knowledge settled into her mind and McKenna didn't even bother trying to argue it.

  ~I'm awake.~ JD's voice rang as he opened and held out a hand for the glass. McKenna filled it half full and handed it to him; he didn't look like he could sit up. He drank it slowly, getting faster as he drank. She took it back and half-filled it again. He drained it this time, then lay back down, pulling Cass into his arms almost unconsciously.

  "JD, we need her for a minute." He opened eyes blinked at her, then unwound his arms from her. Toni helped lift her body up to a point Perc could hold her up without either sitting on anyone or shoving body parts into faces.

  "Cass, wake up." McKenna poked at the mental link and saw it dim but there. McKenna bowed her head for a minute, blinking back tears. Being in warrior form made it easier, no ability to cry. ~Cass, wake up.~ this time it came out as an order, not a request, and she felt the resistance but Cass opened her eyes.

  ~You're a demanding bitch.~

  McKenna choked back a laugh and held the glass up to her lips. "Drink this and I'll let you go back to sleep."

  ~Kay,~ she replied, even as the liquid started to flow down her throat. Cass struggled to drink but after a few minutes of coaxing, she managed to get a full glass down. ~Can't, need rest.~

  [That should give her some support. But you and Perc need to drink it and start changing. The shifts you did to save her are working against you as the poison is spreading again.]

  The pitcher held one more glass of liquid. McKenna filled up the glass, drank half of it, then handed it to Perc. He drained it without argument.

  "Let me go see when they can have more. But I don't want all of us out of commission. Toni when do you think you'll be up to moving?"

  "Another hour maybe two. That stuff helped, but please gods don't ask me to shift for at least a day."

  McKenna thought about that. "Can you use a gun?"

  "Yes."

  "Give me a few. Perc, can you go follow up on food?"

  He nodded grabbing the pitcher and strode out. None of them even cared about nudity anymore. It didn't matter. But at least three of her pack would survive. That left Perc and herself.

  ~Wefor, how much longer can we delay?~

  [Every hour at this point reduces your chances by 2%, approximately.]

  ~And our current chances for survival?~ Perc asked, his tone almost nonchalant, but the bitter taste of worry coated it.

  [Seventy-three percent for you, seventy-six for the Commander.]

  McKenna tipped her head back and fought not to scream. She took three deep breaths then headed to the bedroom where the dead leader's body still lay. A minute of digging through the drawers, ignoring the headless body that had flies buzzing around it, turned up two large shirts and two pairs of drawstring pants. She then headed to the bedroom they all lay in and dug around in there and came up with three long, shift like dresses. Not fancy and probably meant to wear under other clothes but they were similar to sun-dresses at home.

  Perc walked in with another pitcher full and a smirk on his face with a bit of color tinting his cheeks.

  "They enjoyed the show did they?"

  He refused to look at her, instead handed her a glass of the concoction. She took it and started to drink ~Can you go outside and get a few guns, at least one rifle and one handgun, with some ammo?~

  "Sure." He turned still nude and headed out the door. McKenna knew the poison had slammed into her hard when she didn’t care enough to look.

  I’d better deal with this fast or I might as well be dead.

  "Come on, Toni. You sure you can do this?" She asked as she pulled a chaise lounge to face the door.

  "Yes. I’m feeling better but it will be a bit until I’m up to anything really strenuous." She paused and quirked a smile. "Okay, even anything up to the level of walking to the bathroom."

  Her humor helped McKenna feel better. "Just sit here, watch the door, and shoot anyone that comes in."

  She just finished lugging the chair into a good angle when Perc came back. His left arm wrapped around three rifles, holding them close to his body, while in his right hand he held two guns. McKenna walked over to take them. A .45 ACP and a Glock .9mm, both in decent condition, and he had an ammo belt looped on his arm.

  "Sorry. Guns aren’t my thing. I grabbed what I saw."

  McKenna nodded absently, cleared both guns, and then checked the ammo belt. It had .9mm rounds in it.

  "This is what you’re using , Toni." She set the belt down and ejected the magazine and checked it. Full. The man who had this did not even keep a round chambered. With quick movements, she put the magazine back in, chambered, ejected the magazine, and topped it off. "This has eight shots now. All you have to do is pull the trigger. You got that?"

  Toni nodded slowly. "I can handle that."

  McKenna laid the weapon on the lounge and together, she and Perc got Toni out of the bed, slipped a shift over her, and got her comfortable on the lounge with blankets and pillows to prop her up. Then Perc grabbed a side table, filled up a large glass of the concoction and set it there.

  "You need to drink. All of you do."

  Toni looked at the glass wrinkling her nose. "Food has never looked less appetizing." But even as she said it, she reached for the glass. Half way to her mouth she paused looking at them. "You two next?"

  "Yeah. The closet over there is pretty big. I checked it out. I’ll grab some of the blankets from the shelf. The faster we do this the faster we all heal." McKenna smiled as she said it. Her smile fake as her stomach did flips. "This way we’ll have a warning if anything goes wrong."

  Toni looked at them, her green eyes dark as she bit her lip. "Be careful. We can’t lose you."

  McKenna just looked at her and didn’t know what to say
.

  "She will. I’ll make sure. But time is ticking. My stomach is stuffed, so let's kick this poison."

  McKenna glanced at Perc but didn’t say anything as she headed to the closet and started to pull down the blankets. For the first time in days her nudity blazed in her mind and she almost craved the covering of fur but spending any time worrying about that now would be stupid.

  "I’ll go first then you." She said, her voice quiet.

  "You can’t. I have to go first."

  McKenna jerked up her head at his comment and she narrowed her eyes at him. At this moment all she wanted was to have this done.

  "No. I should go so that I can then get you done and we can get out of this hell hole."

  "And if you die? I don’t have anyone to force me through. You have to be last, because you are the only one that can control us, which means you have to be the one to wait."

  His words hit like hammer blows on her soul and McKenna turned away, staring at the wall. She closed her eyes and smoothed all expression out of her face. Then she turned back to him. "You’re right. Ready?" Her voice flat as she locked everything away."

  "No. But I'll go anyhow." Perc took a deep breath, never taking his eyes off her and flowed into his animal form. In this small space the homotherium seemed ever larger and scarier than it had in the jungle. But he only held that form for a minute, then pushed back to human.

  She had the drink waiting for him and he took three big gulps, counted to ten, then, started to shift again. She leaned back drinking a little but the bots couldn’t change what she drank as fast as she could drink it. So mostly, McKenna watched. Animal, human, animal. On the third human he collapsed to the floor, pale and shaking.

  "How many more?" His voice raspy. With a quick move, she’d become all too adept at this, McKenna cut a slice and tasted the blood.

  [Two full. Animal, human, animal, human. But you need to hurry.]

  "Got it." Perc swallowed, fighting to get the lump down, she could see his throat struggling, then he shifted. His first two had been fast, smooth almost; this time the form caught and dragged until a panting cat lay in front of her. McKenna dropped her knees and petted the fur, ignoring how rich and thick it felt.