by Sky Winters
"That's a weird story," said Bethany, interrupting. "No one can do that."
"I don't know," said Adeline, "this sounds pretty convincing to me."
Bethany made a silly face at Adeline before resting her head on her shoulder and continuing to read. Getting to the end of the story, she looked over to see that Bethany was fast asleep, her head now nuzzled into Adeline's chest. She slipped a bookmark between the pages and shut the book, setting it on the nightstand. Looking up, she saw that Aaron was standing in the doorframe, a warm smile on his face.
"So much for not being tired," he said, looking at Bethany as she slept.
"No kidding," said Adeline. "She was out before I even finished the first page."
"She talks big, but she's not the party animal she makes herself out to be."
"I can see that."
Aaron walked over the bed, slipped off Bethany's shoes and began the process of getting her into her sleeping clothes.
"Care for a nightcap?" he asked.
"That sounds great."
"Awesome. Go pour us a couple of glasses of wine while I get this one into bed."
"Sure," said Adeline.
She left the room, casting one last glance back at Aaron, watching the loving, delicate way that he put Bethany into bed. Walking to the kitchen and opening a bottle of red wine, she thought about how unique Aaron was; he was sweet and loving with Bethany, but Adeline could tell that there was also a strength to him, an inner toughness that she knew he'd be able to call to the forefront if necessary to protect the ones he loves.
Then, for reasons she couldn't understand, the coffee shop that she went to her first day in town flashed into her mind. She recalled with perfect clarity the faces of the strange woman who ran the place and the even odder clientele.
"You OK?" asked Aaron as he walked into the room.
"Yeah," she said. "I just got lost in a daze."
Aaron took the bottle of wine from Adeline's hand and poured two glasses of crimson wine.
"Thinking about anything in particular?"
"Just…this weird coffee shop in town that I went to when I first got here," she said as Aaron led them out onto the deck. "It was run by this weird lady who said that I was a fox."
"A…fox," said Aaron, not asking, but saying. "That's…odd."
"Yeah, and she said that she and the people there were animals, too. It was so weird."
"That's strange," said Aaron, looking off into the words, his tone striking Adeline as oddly flat.
A moment of silence passed as the two sipped their wine.
"Listen," said Aaron. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're here. I know this is an unorthodox arrangement, but I think that you've proven yourself trustworthy. You can stay here as long as you'd like while you get everything sorted out."
"Thanks," said Adeline. "I'm glad that you feel that way. But what if your cousins come back?"
"That's a bridge I'd love to cross," said Aaron. "No sign of them…just the strangest thing."
"Any way we could look for them?"
"We could, but I wouldn't know where to begin."
"Hmm," said Adeline, her eyes scanning the now well-lit perimeter of the property. "I'm sure we can figure something out."
Before she could say another word, Aaron slipped his arm around Adeline's shoulders, bringing her tight and close to his body. She looked up into his green eyes for a long moment, parting her lips slightly. Aaron then leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. They kissed long and slowly for a time, drawing on each other's warmth against the bracing chill of the evening.
"Round two?" he asked, a sly grin on his face.
"You're on," said Adeline.
With that, they were back in the house, running off to the bedroom like excited teenagers, eager to spend the evening in one another's embrace.
CHAPTER 12
Adeline awoke in the night to a loud clatter. Her eyes flicked open and her body shot up spear-straight. Aaron lay to her left, his eyes opening slowly, roused by the same noise.
"What was that?" asked Adeline, running her hands up her forearms, as if making sure that this wasn't a dream.
Before Aaron could answer, another noise sounded, a loud bang that jolted Adeline where she sat. The noise was followed by a strange skittering, like claws on a wood floor. Adeline's pulse quickened, as she sat listening, the bed frosted silver by the moon, which hung round and silver in the evening sky through the bedroom window, wisps of thin, curled clouds passing before it.
"There's someone here," said Aaron, jumping out of bed and snatching his pajama bottoms and shirt from the floor and quickly stepping into them.
"W-what?" asked Adeline, her voice panicked.
"Just do what I say," said Aaron, reaching under the bed and withdrawing an aluminum baseball bat.
Before either of them could act further, the electricity to the house cut out abruptly, the house filled instantly with a dark black, the floodlights outside cutting out, the moon the only source of light.
Then there was a scream.
"Bethany!" shouted Aaron, dashing out of the room and down the hall.
Adeline stayed in bed for a moment, too panicked to move. But once the blood began rushing through her, she managed to jump out of bed, slip into some clothes, and run down the long hallway towards the end of the house where Bethany's bedroom was.
Another crash sounded, followed by another scream, the scream this time diminishing in volume, as though Bethany were being moved. As she ran down the hallway, Adeline saw that several of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the house were shattered, broken though, muddy animal prints tracking in through the house.
They were being invaded.
Adeline found Aaron at the threshold of Bethany's room, a look of shock on his face. Rushing to his side, she saw that the room was a wreck, the bed pulled away from the wall, the sheets strewn here and there, the same muddy paw prints as outside on the carpet.
"Daddy!" Bethany yelled again, her voice coming from outside of the house.
Aaron ran out through the front door, kicking it open and stepping outside. Again, Adeline followed him, staying close behind. She saw that Aaron was standing frozen still just outside of the front door, his eyes fixed on something, or someone, in front of him. And as soon as Adeline reached Aaron's side, she gasped at what she saw.
It was the same four men, all clad in suits, standing in a row, just where they'd been before. They looked at Adeline and Aaron with the same shark-smile, Bethany held in the clutches of the man on the far right one arm holding her squirming body still, the hand of the other covering her mouth.
"Who the fuck are you?" demanded Aaron, brandishing his baseball bat.
But the men were silent.
"I said, who are you?" shouted Aaron once more.
"Aaron Swift," said one of the men in the middle, his voice a sinister tone. "I think you know who we are."
"I don't know, and I don't care. But if you don't let me daughter go right the goddamn second, I'll kill every one of you."
Adeline's mouth was open, her eyes wide, her body near Aaron's. She'd never seen him this angry before, but something about the rage emanating from him made her feel safe. But she was terrified for Bethany's safety, Adeline's eyes on the girl as she desperately tried to break free from the man's grasp.
"Who's the girl?" asked the same man, pointing a long, thin finger at Adeline. "Someone who doesn't understand what she's gotten herself into, I suppose. But she'll learn; they always do."
"What's he talking about?" asked Adeline. "Aaron, who are these men?"
But Aaron said nothing, his attention fully on the men.
"None of that matters, however. We've got the girl, and that's that."
The man stepped forward, one hand slipped into his pants pocket, the other in front of him, gesturing with sweeping, slow motions as he spoke.
"Interesting choice with the bat," the man said. "Really concerned with keeping the façade up fo
r the young lady, I see."
What is he talking about? Adeline thought.
She'd been suspecting that Aaron was hiding something about himself from her, but right now, at this moment, she was sure of it.
"Normally, I'd kill you and the girl, but I'm in a…generous sort of mood. So, here's what I'll propose. Come with us, and I'll make sure you and your daughter are safe. Your little friend has seen too much, so she's forfeit, I'm afraid. But you'll, at least, be certain that your daughter is in good hands."
Kill…me? thought Adeline.
"This is your last warning," said Aaron, tossing the bat aside, the thing hitting the front porch with a thin, metal clang. "Let her go, or I kill every goddamn one of you."
"I wished it wouldn't have had to come to this," said the man, shaking his head and standing aside. "But I should've known you Swifts were all the same."
With that, he snapped his fingers, the man on the far left stepping out of the row. He was a lanky, slim-faced man with long dark hair that draped over his shoulders. A wicked smile on his face, he slipped out of his suit jacket, then his shoes, then the rest of his clothes until he was standing nude, his ropy body glowing with moonlight.
Then, to Adeline's shock and horror, the man turned his head up, looked at the moon, and let out a long, low howl.
It was the howl of a wolf.
When the mournful howl finished sounding, the man stepped forward. Adeline, now braced with fear, looked over at Aaron. To her surprise, he didn't seem to have been shaken by the animal sound that came from the man's mouth. Instead, his eyes narrowed, as if it were something he'd been expecting.
Her gaze whipped back to the howling, nude man. Now she saw a darkness covering his body. At first, it appeared to Adeline to be a shadow covering him, but as she looked more closely, she could see what it really was, fur.
The man was transforming. His skin covered completely in fur, his limbs thinned and lengthened, and his body changed shape. Moments later, he was in the form of a fearsome, growling wolf.
Adeline wanted to turn to Aaron, to demand that he tell her what's going on. But she was too gripped by fear. The wolf drew closer to the pair, its lips pulled back in a horrible sneer, a low growl sounding from its throat.
"Stay back," said Aaron, stepping forward.
"What?" asked Adeline, shocked. "That…thing will kill you."
"Just stay back."
Aaron approached the wolf, standing with his back straight, his shoulders stretched out. Then a similar process began. His body began to change shape; thick, black fur grew from his skin, his limbs thickened and increased in size, his torso began to take on a bulky, stocky shape. And he grew, growing bigger than a man, his clothes tearing to shreds as his body grew.
When he was done, standing before Adeline wasn't Aaron as a man, but Aaron as a massive, growing bear.
"That's the spirit," said the suited man. "I was worried you'd go down without a fight. But I should've known you Swifts are always ready to protect those you love."
Then he stepped back from the two animals as they faced off.
"I'll leave you two to it, then," said the man. "We'll keep your daughter safe, don't you worry."
The three remaining men then disappeared into the woods behind them, seeming to melt into the shadows. Seeing this, Aaron let out a loud, booming roar that shook the branches of the nearby trees. He moved forward, his paws stomping on the ground before him. But the wolf positioned himself in front of Aaron, blocking his path.
Adeline realized in horror that the two beasts were squaring up for a fight.
The wolf made the first move, leaping through the air at a blinding speed and swiping at Aaron. But Aaron, despite his bulky bear form, was too quick for him. He moved to the side, the wolf flying past him and landing onto the ground, a cloud of dirt kicking up and into the air. But the wolf's landing was awkward, and he struggled to right himself and face Aaron.
Aaron then closed the distance between him and the fox, swiping his paw through the air, the sound a low woosh. The wolf pivoted to the side, moving away from the paw and chomping the air, hoping to sink its teeth into Aaron's massive arm.
Adeline was more fearful than she'd ever been in her life. She had some distance from the fight but knew that all it would take was a single misplaced swipe or lunge for her to be grievously harmed. Her eyes darted here and there, looking for a place to hide from the battle. Finally, as the wolf and bear fought, she spotted a cluster of trees where she could take shelter.
But as he moved away, the wolf's eyes, those horrible red eyes that she recognized, fell upon her. Breaking away from Aaron, the beast began to make a run for her. Adeline watched in horror as the creature closed the distance between her and it, leaping into the air, its razor-sharp claws glinting with moonlight. Adeline covered her face, preparing for the impact of the animal, but before it could set upon her, Aaron swiped his paw through the air, connecting with the wolf. The impact knocked the wolf to the side in mid-air, the side of its body now facing Adeline.
But it was still coming towards her. She closed her eyes shut, a rocking thud hitting her body the last thing she remembered before everything went black.
CHAPTER 13
The bedroom where Adeline awoke was bright and sunny. Her eyes opening, she scanned the room frantically as she sat up, not recognizing it. But soon she realized that it was simply one of the bedrooms in the house that she hadn't used before. Resting back against the headboard, a low, aching pain began to throb through the right side of her torso. Pushing the covers away and lifting her shirt, she saw a large purple and yellow splotch on her side- a massive, deep bruise.
On the night stand next to her was a glass of water and a small pair of pills, which appeared to be aspirin. Her head now aching too, she downed the pills and the water, the liquid cool and delicious on her dry mouth.
"Good, you're up," said Aaron, standing at the bedroom threshold.
Adeline's eyes went wide at the sight of Aaron. She curled up into a small ball, fear gripping her as she remembered the horrible scene that had happened just before she'd been knocked out.
"What..." she said, stammering, "…what the hell are you?"
"I'm a shifter," he said, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.
"A what?"
"I have the power to take on the form of an animal," he said, his arms crossed over his chest. "The ability to become a bear at will."
The words sounded strange to Adeline, as though she were hearing them from underwater.
"How? How is that possible?"
"That's…hard to say. To be honest, I don't know; it's just how things have always been in my family. We've had this gift, but can't explain why."
Aaron's calm tone put Adeline somewhat at ease, but she still didn't know if she could feel safe around him.
"And you can control it completely?" she asked.
Aaron nodded. "Total control. If I get angry, like I did...just a little while ago," he said, his jaw clenching as he thought about Bethany and the wolves, "it can come out a little quicker than it otherwise might. But other than that, it's only when I want."
Adeline thought about Bethany, her heart aching as she remembered that the girl had been taken.
"Who were those men, those…wolves? Why did they take Bethany?"
Aaron looked away for a moment, Adeline realizing that he was composing himself before speaking on the subject.
"They're another shifter group. There's many of our kind, from bears to wolves, to tigers; thousands of us, just in this country. Those were wolves…a breed known for their cunning. They've wanted my daughter for years."
"Why?" asked Adeline.
"They think she's something special," he said, shaking his head. "Anyway, we don't need to get into that. I just need to get her back as soon as goddamn possible. I won't let those fuckers have her."
He took in a long, slow breath.
"You in pain?" he asked.
"A little," said Adeline. "My side…"
Aaron nodded. "That wolf winged you pretty good; you're lucky nothing's broken."
"What happened to the wolf?"
"You don't have to worry about him," said Aaron, his tone grim.
So, he's a killer, thought Adeline. But it was to get his daughter back; I can't really blame him for that.
"Can you stand?" asked Aaron.
Adeline put her feet on the ground and got out of bed. Her side throbbed a bit, but it was tolerable.
"Good," said Aaron, "because it's not safe for you here anymore. You're going to need to get your things and get back to Philadelphia before those wolves come back."
"No way," said Adeline, her voice stern.
"What?" asked Aaron, surprised.
"I'm not going to leave you to get Bethany on your own. I don't know how I can help, but I'm going with you to get her back. So, unless you want to lock me in this room, I'm coming with you."
Aaron was silent for a long moment before speaking.
"You don't know what you're getting into. This world of mine is dangerous. Why do you think I lived so far away from my family? I wanted to keep my daughter safe."
"I don't care," said Bethany. "I was called out here for a reason, and this just might be it. I'm not going to turn tail and run when it looks like things might get rough."
Aaron took in a slow draw of breath, thinking over what Adeline had said.
"So, you learn about a world that, until a few hours ago, you didn't even know existed, and now you want to throw yourself into it headlong?"
"The visions I've been having, the dreams –everything- have been leading me to this…world. When I saw you change it was terrifying, but it…almost made sense, as strange as that sounds. The dreams I've been having aren't just hallucinations; they're someone…or something's way of letting me know about…all this."
"You've been having dreams," said Aaron, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms over his chest. "And you're just a human in them?"
"No," said Adeline. "I'm not just a human; I'm something like a fox."
"A fox?" said Aaron, more than a little surprised. "And you're sure you've had no knowledge of the shifters until you saw me and that wolf change?"
