by Lia Davis
"We won't be able to save the others if we are dead." Porter's curt tone cut through him.
"Five…four…three…" the voice counted down.
Give up? Never. He stared ahead thinking of something, anything.
"Two…"
At last an idea sparked, something an elder told him long ago. "We demand to see an Ambassador! It is within our rights!" A great comeback never started with the leader surrendering.
"Julian!" Porter yelled.
He put his hands up.
"Hurry up, they're waiting for you." Secretary Girard's assistant pointed down the hallway toward the secure area. "Have you seen them yet?"
"I'm on my way." Alyssa Wilkinson rushed past the woman and attempted to ignore the way the heel of her pump stuck in the carpet fibers with every step she took. At last they wanted her.
She hugged the official guide to human-shifter relations to her chest and headed toward the set of double doors that would open to her greatest moment.
With her next few steps she would enter as the expert, the liaison, the conduit between the humans and the shifters, and if she performed well she would leave as the Ambassador. No one was better prepared to undertake the task.
She reached for the doorknob and glanced down in one last final check to ensure she had everything. Once more her heel stuck in the carpet and she stumbled. While she managed to catch herself on the door, it flew open and slammed against the opposing wall with a sick thud. "Damn."
Several members of the Security Council clapped, and she shut her eyes. Ambassadors didn't fall into a room full of important officials. She exhaled and turned toward the center of the room.
"Hello Ms. Wilkinson." Secretary Girard motioned toward an empty chair. "Please join us."
Before moving forward she prayed her shoe would cooperate. With all her research, she forgot to have them repaired. She looked over the room.
The Secretary's top staff sat in chairs while Aktosian Guards lined the perimeter of the large wood paneled space. Though in their human form, their height, girth, thick legs and snout betrayed their bear-like origins. A Saurorian Diplomat whipped his tail and sat back. No one would ever mistake the lizards in their human form or not. Where were the pirates?
"I believe we're who you're looking for."
She moved around the door and froze at the sight of the two males before her, close enough to humans that she almost glossed over them.
Almost.
Yes, she studied shifters her whole life, but never dreamed of having not one but two of the forbidden species here. These shifters weren’t like the rest in the archipelago, easily distinguished from humans and reliant on them for technology. Rather these shifters rivaled humans in every possible way. If the tales were true, there weren't many left, and those still alive were said to be dangerous, diseased, killing thieves. Lykan shifters were strictly forbidden on any island in the Federation, and if any were captured they were to be immediately detained at the Filaki Island to await trial.
Her throat dried out and she tried to take a breath. "Hello."
"Hello." The one who waved answered. "You must be the liaison."
She nodded, or thought she did, she couldn't stop staring between the two of them. Maybe gawking was a better word.
Both perfectly dressed in suit pants and white shirts, these men or shifters might look like humans, but most humans she knew would die to look like them.
Her cheeks heated and she pressed her hand to her forehead in an attempt to cool down.
"I'm Julian Chalis, the head of foreign relations for New Lykos Island." With his hand out, he stood, towering over her, but not imposing, rather the appearance of a strong ally, with his black hair brushing his shoulders and his green eyes practicically shining telling her his species wasn't terrible only misunderstood. He tilted his head back to the other man. "This is Porter Galen, head of research for our medical team."
The second one stood as well, but didn't offer a hand. Rather than Julian's sparkling star, Porter's light was dimmed, his gold eyes lacked the vibrance of his fellow Lykan, and his brown hair short and sensible. His presence was much more guarded, a tower of strength one could hide behind and never get lost.
Three of the Aktrosian Guards stepped forward. One let out a low animalistic growl.
She swore the one named Julian winked at her, but she remained frozen to her spot and not due to her heel stuck to the carpet.
"As I said, I am Julian." He plucked her hand off her face and shook it. "I needed to remind your government it was well within our rights to request a meeting with an Ambassador. With none available they said they would bring you."
Always the Liaison never the Ambassador, she held her breath. His touch didn't serve to abate any heat. In fact, she swore a trickle of sweat trailed down her spine. She shuddered. Yes, most humans would die to look like them, or be with them.
"It's a bit warm in here. Maybe we can get Secretary Girard to adjust the temperature." He kept her hand in his. "Then maybe later we can fix your shoe. "
At that moment her body decided it needed the oxygen denied it, she inhaled too quickly. She choked and was wracked with coughs, but at least she succeeded in retrieving her hand.
"Why don't we get you something to drink?"
"Why don't we get on with it?" Secretary Girard pointed to an empty chair directly in front of his desk. "Ms. Wilkinson."
She caught her breath and willed her feet to move, saying a silent prayer of thanks when her feet and shoes cooperated and she made it across the room and sat down with a lot less fanfare than her entrance. "Of course."
"Let's give them their moment." Secretary Girard leaned back in his chair. "Why we give thieves any rights at all is beyond me."
The two shifters returned to their seats. Porter perched at the edge of his chair and stared at her while Julian crossed his legs and glanced at his nails.
With a nod, she rifled through the documents until coming to the section on the Lykans. The words her father drafted blurred on the page, not that it mattered as she knew the laws by heart. She paused, willing her heartbeat to slow an acceptable level. "What would you like to discuss with me?"
"We only came here for medical supplies," Julian answered.
"How does that explain your constant rampage on the other islands?" Secretary Girard shook his head. "Your ship was loaded with stolen goods."
"We needed some supplies, and it wasn't like we had somewhere to go to ask for aid." Julian turned to her. "Could we?"
"Our laws dictate there are to be no relations between the Lykans and any other species of the Okeanos Federation." She wrinkled the paper with her tight hold. No doubt the Lykans knew the law, only extreme circumstances would have brought them here. It was their duty to hear the intruders out and not dismiss them.
Julian cupped his hand over his mouth as if whispering but he raised his voice. "I think that’s a nice way of saying mating."
One of the guards lumbered up behind him.
"Our laws have served us very well," Secretary Girard interjected.
"Don't you find them a bit paranoid and antiquated?" Porter spoke his first words since she entered the room.
"I find no law that keeps our citizens alive and untainted antiquated or paranoid." The Secretary picked up a pen and tapped it on his desk. "I find it necessary."
"Then we are only asking for the same treatment." Porter squeezed the arms of his chair as if he were trying to hold himself back. "We only came for medicine."
"What's wrong on your island?" Medical aid needed to be taken under special consideration no matter if they were friend or foe.
Neither shifter answered.
"If you don't tell me, we can't help you." She softened her voice.
"We caught you doing what you do best." Secretary Girard tossed his pen aside and let out a low chuckle. "Rather than getting medicine, we think you were here to spread disease and disaster again."
He put his hands up and took a step back. Porter st
ood as well.
Alyssa pressed her lips together, refusing to let the words she wanted to spew out escape. There had to be more, many more of the Lykans, and if they were ill, their duty to provide aid superseded everything else.
"Your kind of poison is not allowed here, we tried it before to disasterous results." The Secretary pushed his chair back and got up. "You think you can blend in and as you call it mate with our females when you know it is a death sentence designed to eliminate every species but your own."
Around the room the Aktrosian guards nodded, but she couldn't help but shake her head.
The story of the ill fated daughter of their Prime Minister marrying the leader of their Lykans only to end in her death had taken on fable-like proportions over the years with the Lykans being the villain.
"Do you even know what happened during that union? How do you know the malfunction wasn't on the human end?" Julian pounded his fist on his leg.
"The human died, the Lykan lived."
Julian glanced at her, almost daring her to speak.
"Maybe if we help the Lykans we can find out what happened before." With the words out she covered her mouth with her hand One day she would learn to wait.
"Miss Wilkinson, your opinion is not needed!" Secretary Girard pointed at her. "Whatever is happening on their so-call island has nothing to do with what happened before."
The guards closed in on them.
"I thought she was your Liaison, isn't her opinion the one that matters?" Julian turned back to the guard. "Maybe they can't be mistaken for one of you, but they are still watching, controlling you even though you think you're the leaders. Should I make it easier for you?" He thrust his hand out.
The room stilled.
Julian's hand changed, his fingers lengthening, his nails turning to claws, black fur covered his skin..
She only witnessed a true shifting a handful of times. Nothing compared to being only a few feet away, watching the metamorphosis trail up his arm, turning everything up to his elbow into something distinctly wild. "Wolf."
Two more guards surrounded them, each changing as well, the bear emerging. In an instant their hands became huge paws, their faces covered in hair, snouts elongated with sharp teeth.
A flash of silver caught her eye. One of the guards had already prepared a syringe. "No," she gasped.
"Julian." Porter reached over and took hold of Julian's upper arm. "Stop it."
With a shake of his head, Julian jerked his arm away from Porter and his arm returned to that of a human.
"Guards." Secretary Girard pointed.
The Aktrosians retreated back to their normal state.
"Miss Wilkinson, will you please enlighten these criminals as to what happens when they break Code 843 on Anthros?" The Secretary returned to his chair. "From what I hear this is the second time."
"Code 843?" Julian shoved his hand into his pocket.
Without a word, Secretary Girard rocked his chair back.
She swallowed and recited the law trying to keep her voice even. "Shifting on the mainland is prohibited, punishable by chemical inhibition."
Porter glanced around the room, pausing at her. "You’re so brainwashed you have your laws memorized."
He might as well have thrown boiling water on her. His words burned through her the same.
"What about your grizzlies?" Porter inched closer to Julian.
"They aren't the instigators here, they are protecting us." Secretary Girard motioned for the guards. "We are going to abide by to our laws, something foreign to you. You will be inhibited and taken off our island by tonight."
The guards inched ever closer. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and shuddered. Along with watching transformations she also watched the administration of the Antiamorphis injection that would temporarily prevent any changes. The various species here, lizard, bear, all of them, would know the horrors, yet they didn't move. "Sir." She gathered the strength to raise her hand.
"With the position of our Ambassador vacant, Ms. Wilkinson will accompany you to ensure things move smoothly." Secretary Girard pushed himself back from the desk. "As our intruders made it clear, you know the protocol better than anyone. This is something your father would have done with pride. "
Julian lifted his chin at her and Porter turned away as the guards led them out a separate exit.
When the door closed she raised her hand. "Excuse me." The horror stories associated with chemical inhibition were well documented.
"Is there any question on what your duties are, Ms. Wilkinson?" Secretary Girard stood. "If you want to be an Ambassador it's time you finally get off this Island and actually saw the Archipelago."
Yells of pain rang through the walls.
The injection must have been administered.
She pressed her hand to her chest. No one should be tortured. They said they only came for medical supplies. What if they really needed help? The one shifter had looked back at her.
"Ms. Wilkinson, is there a problem?"
Another deep wail, almost howl drove right through her.
Not one person in the room flinched, not even the shifters.
Tears heated her eyes, but she swallowed them back. "No sir, I understand."
Chapter 2
The ramp leading to the large sailboat may as well have been a gangplank to drop them in the middle of the ocean. Thunder rumbled off in the distance and grey clouds hid the setting sun. A perfect time to get rid of two errant wolfs trying to save the few left of their kind. Porter tried to lift his head, but at the moment it took every bit of effort he possessed to continue walking. The least the poison could have done was let him remain in his hallucination. Unfortunately he was lucid enough to realize what was happening to them.
"The two of you will be going down below." The guard shoved Julian.
Julian stumbled and fell, taking Porter down as well. They hit the deck of the boat with a thud and dull pain vibrated through him, like someone strumming on a tightly wound string. The ache took over his entire body.
"Porter." Julian let out a low growl and pulled at the shackles binding them together.
"Don't fight it now." He shut his eyes to stop his head from spinning.
"We're not on our ship," Julian whispered.
At least his cohort gained a bit of coherence and lost some of his confidence. One day Julian would face reality and learn to simply survive like the rest of them. All the speeches in the world wouldn't help them. "No, we're not. Try and focus."
"Shut up and get up!" The guard kicked him, catching him right in the stomach.
With the blow he swore he heard the pain. He doubled over, his face scraping on the wood dock, his ears ringing.
"I'm going to kill you." Julian fought to get up, but fell back.
"Are you, tough one?" The guard stepped forward. "I said stand up."
"Give us a minute." A light rain fell down upon them, light, cool sprinkles his body needed. Porter raised his face, letting the droplets hit him and cleanse the dirt off his face from the holding cell they threw them in after their dose of medicine. The thought of being stuck in the stagnant hold of a ship for at least three days twisted his stomach. If he had anything left to vomit it would have ended up right on the deck.
If he could shift, his claws would have sliced the talking toy into several neat portions. He ground his teeth, longing to give in to the other side of his DNA. With transformation not an option, he needed to keep his wits about him.
"Beg me, and maybe I'll throw you a bone." The guard smiled. "Or maybe you would like a little more juice." He lifted the oversized case which no doubt contained more poison. If he could only get hold of one of the vials he might be able to figure out the antidote.
"I thought she was coming with us." Julian managed to sit up and offered his hand.
The girl. Of course Julian noticed the girl because she caught his attention with a few simple sentances, but it was enough to have Julian think she was some sort of
ally. Damn, if he didn't think it as well. Most likely she was only trying to better herself, all humans were selfish and spiteless.
"She's not here and she didn't help us." He took Julian's offering.
"It doesn't matter." Julian shook his head.
"Unless you want me to lead you down by a leash, I would get going." The guard pulled a baton out of his belt loop.
"All right." He glanced around the deck. Several other Aktrosian guards as well as humans in uniform gathered around to gawk. He took a breath, trying to fill his lungs with a last blast of cool night air before they were quarantined to the bowels of the ship. No one on their island would search for them, not with the illness running rampant.
"Now are we going to stand or do I have to get you down there myself?" The guard lifted his baton.
"Stop!" A woman's voice yelled behind him.
He turned. The girl stood on the far end of the ramp leading to the ship waving some papers above her head and holding a large suitcase.
"She's here."
Julian glanced over his shoulder. "What is she doing?"
He wanted to ask the same question. She continued to stand at the edge of the ramp with her papers while peering off to one side and then the other. More than once she lifted her foot as if to board the ship, but stopped mid air and put her foot back down.
"Sit pretty for the official, and maybe I'll pour you some kibble." The guard swung the baton and stomped toward her.
Porter wiped his brow thankful for the moment to take a breath. Humans chose odd specimens for enforcement. On any other day neither of them would even have to shift to break every bone in the big galoot's body.
"I'm going to get sick again," Julian groaned.
"Don't touch me." She fanned her papers at the guard.
Porter tensed, the girl's words wanting to send him into action. She must have had the same effect on Julian. For the first time since the administration of the human's special elixir, he straightened up.
"Are you coming aboard?" The guard bowed and reached for her bag. "Let me help you."
"I'm coming aboard, but not until you step back and keep your mouth shut." She pulled her suitcase closer to her.
