HOTSHOT BROTHERS: Coyote Shifters

by Hunt, Sabrina

  “I don’t want you,” it began to laugh. “I asked myself why Sorvang was so hell-bent on destroying these three and now I see why. But these two aren’t as important as she is.”

  My mind’s eye flashed back to Hazel with a knife at her throat in the middle of the Montana Mountains, and then Kalin with a knife at her heart at Lake Mead.

  Did this creature know nothing else? It was the worst of history repeating itself. Only now, I wondered if third time was the charm and my stomach dropped.

  “I won’t kill you, Willow.” The Crooked Man sounded almost pleading and my face tightened. “No, no. You can join me. Do what you did for Burr for me. And I’ll let your brothers go. I’ll never bother your family again.”

  There was something strange about the Crooked Man’s voice, something I couldn’t place.

  Willow nodded. “Just let me say goodbye.”

  “What?” I growled, turning her to me.

  “Willow, no!” Juni said in a strangled voice.

  “Shut up, shut up,” the Skinwalker hissed, before changing back into a blond human with the lower half of his face covered. “Your sister is wiser than you know. She knows the winning side.”

  “You can’t do this,” I hissed at her.

  “Just like you couldn’t?” Willow asked, raising an eyebrow. Then she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck. Pressing a kiss to my cheek, she whispered, “Moonstone.”

  I crushed her against me and the Skinwalker tutted. “Enough.”

  Turning, Willow clasped her hands in front of her and walked forward. “You’ll leave them all alone?” she asked.

  “Yes,” the Skinwalker breathed, staring at her like it couldn’t believe its good fortune. My jaw tightened. But behind me, I could sense the others and I walked back until I found the person closest to me. It was Wes.

  “Hazel, Moonstone,” I whispered.

  He gave me a startled look and then easily slipped around behind her. He leaned down, muttering, and Hazel reached out, gripping Kalin’s hand.

  Juniper was being shoved forward and he scooped up Fox, throwing an anguished look at Willow. “Burr, how could you? I trusted you!” He cried out.

  In that moment, Hazel and Kalin vanished, before appearing next to Willow. The Skinwalker started and then snarled. But before it could react, the three of them had placed their hands on the Moonstone. Light exploded out, hitting the Skinwalker, who let out a horrifying shriek.

  “What?” Juniper gasped as I ran forward.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, glancing between him and the scene. “It was Willow’s idea.”

  Juniper gave me a mischievous look. “I know. I was faking. I had a feeling…”

  Ben appeared on the other side. “Is your brother–”

  Fox lifted his head and winked. Faking too. I had a feeling it might come in use…

  Suddenly Wes let out a strangled yell and we looked up.

  Black shadows were flashing from the Skinwalker’s hands, driving back the pure white light of the Moonstone. Storm clouds cracked above us and the earth shook. We pitched forward, my knees slamming into the earth as I whipped my head up.

  “Kalin!” Wes’s voice was full of fear as he charged forward.

  At that moment, a flash of what seemed to be black lightning exploded in front of us and I heard yells and screams. Mechanically, I began to move forward, watching as ash mingled with the falling snow, my chest heaving as I stared around.

  All four of them were gone.

  Chapter 18

  Coughing hard, struggling for air, I sat up and stared around. Next to me, Kalin was unconscious, her breathing unsteady and a red gash on her hand.

  Wincing, I saw the same line on my own hand.

  Hazel was nowhere to be seen.

  Behind us, I could hear the boys calling for us and the scene seemed to flicker. One moment we were in Alaska, with clouds overhead and gray snow falling, the clean woods and the mountains.

  The next, we were in an endless wasteland, where everything was bone-white, dead-black, or red as blood. Trees jutted up like claws, strips of skin hanging from the branches. And the sky was nothing but a void of burnt stars and a coal-black sun.

  The Deadlands.

  In front of me, I could see the Skinwalker, somehow looking more vulnerable, more human. His eyes filled with fear and rage as he gazed around at this land.

  “At least I won’t be alone,” he growled.

  “Who are you?” Hazel suddenly appeared and asked. “I can see you were human once. You’re human here! Tell me your name, let me free you!”

  “Hazel, no, don’t bother.” Groaning, I reached out for Kalin and then for her. “We have to go back. We will die here.” Looking down, I saw the ends of my fingertips turning white and ashy, the color spreading up arm. Eyes darting around, I saw the same thing was happening to Kalin and Hazel, as well as the Skinwalker.

  He was staring down at his hands, his face white as a bone and muscles straining around his eyes. Then, as though sensing my gaze, he looked up and clenched his fists.

  At that moment, Kalin moaned, waking up. Then she let out a piercing cry. “What the hell?”

  “Something like that,” I said, grimacing and dragging her to her feet. “Come on, hold on to me. We have to get out of here. Hazel?”

  Kalin’s face tightened as she glared at the Skinwalker. “At least you’ll be trapped here.”

  “You wouldn’t really leave a fellow human here?” he asked, brushing a hand through his hair. “Maybe being here, a human again, I’ve realized all I’ve done. Seen how wrong it was.” There was a sorrow to his voice that gave me pause. “Nothing like death to wake you up to the truth.”

  “Oh? And what truth is that?” I asked, as my heart struggled between pity and rage.

  Willow! Where are you?! Burr’s voice crashed into my mind and I winced.

  “Love transcends,” he said softly, with a sneer playing around his lips.

  Kalin! Kalin, can you hear me?

  Kalin eyes squeezed shut at the anguish in Wes’s voice. “Shut up! You know nothing! Don’t try to trick us. I’ve spent enough time with you to know you nothing of that. After all that you’ve done, you expect mercy? After what you did to those people – what you did to my sister!”

  I slipped an arm around Kalin’s shoulders. “He knows death waits for him here. He won’t survive. And now we see him grovel.”

  Hazel? No! Hazel! Ben’s voice echoed around us and Hazel flinched.

  “Hazel,” the man said, holding out his hands. “You’ve always been so gentle and sweet.” There was real fear in his eyes as he fell to his knees. “I’ll do anything. Anything at all.”

  “Tell me your name and I’ll bring you back with us,” Hazel said, her eyes burning.

  “Ha! You think me a fool?” His face twisted. “Bring me back and I will. I’m weak. I won’t be able to escape. You’ve won.” He bowed his head, but I thought I saw a smile and I tensed.

  “Hazel, I don’t know…” Then I glanced down to see the whiteness had spread to our elbows.

  “What is this?” Kalin gasped, holding up her hands. “What’s happening?”

  “We’re dying,” I said bluntly. “Deadlands?”

  Kalin let out a sound between a laugh and sigh. “Ah, well, when in Rome.” A howl echoed across the landscape and she sagged against me, coughing.

  “Hazel, you’re the shaman. It’s your call,” I said.

  “What?” Her blues were blazing as she looked up at me. “Why me?”

  “As he is aware, you’re the one who can get us out of here. That means it will be your will dictating who comes back.” I paused. “And your instincts are good,” I said. “If my mother told you about my father, then she trusted you. I trust you. Do what you think is right.”

  Hazel gripped my arm and moved the Moonstone in front of us. Trembling, Kalin reached for it and so did I.

  “Please let this be the right choice,” I heard her
murmur.

  There was a flash of white, blinding light, and then the smells and sounds of Alaska crashed down on us. I saw people moving towards us as Kalin held onto me and Hazel gripped my other arm.

  “Stop!” Hazel cried out. “Everyone be quiet. You! Tell us your name. Now.”

  The Skinwalker looked at her and the blue of his eyes turned red. In an instant, it had knocked Hazel to the ground and then Kalin. There were cries and then a terrible stillness as it gripped my hair and pulled my face close.

  “You betrayed me, you little bitch. And to think you almost destroyed me. Hazel wasted your one shot of getting rid of me.” Fetid breath brushed my face. “Her mercy will be your undoing.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of red and I clenched my jaw, my entire body poised. “Now you’re going to die just like your daddy did.” It raised a black arrow. “And Burr gets to watch.”

  As its hand drove down, I heard Burr and Juniper cry out. But Fox appeared, twisting his body, throwing a blast of snow into its face. In that same instant, I brought my knee up into its stomach and then twisted away. The black arrow was spiraling through the air and Fox slashed at it.

  Ash Walker blood is poison for shifters. It’s poison for most creatures.

  Catching it, I drove it down into the Skinwalker’s thigh. “Survive this,” I hissed.

  It let out a scream of agony and fell, gripping its thigh in both hands as it glared up at me. Red had faded to blue and it looked young and human. But I couldn’t sense the Skinwalker’s humanity as I had in the Deadlands. Here, it was a being of pure corruption, hiding what it perceived as weakness well.

  Fox was dragging me back, as Burr and Rayner surged forward. Burr slammed it flat to the ground with his paws, snarling in its face and Rayner had a knife aimed at its throat.

  “Tell us your name. Now. You would do well to remember the Old Laws. Bartering for passage does require retribution. If you don’t tell Hazel – you will come to regret it.”

  Pain and fear were in the Skinwalker’s blue eyes, but amusement as well.

  “You know my name,” it spat and black blood hit Rayner’s cheek. “You’ve always known.”

  Rayner’s face contorted, but then the Skinwalker moved so fast, both of them were knocked aside. There was a howl of noise and then he vanished, as if into a crack in the universe.

  Moving to go after him, Rayner was stopped by Burr, who held him back, saying something in his ear I couldn’t catch. His shoulders slumped and Burr gripped him for a moment.

  “What the hell?” Ben yelled, appearing in front of us, an arm around a pale Hazel. “No! We had it! No! Dammit.”

  “I shouldn’t have brought it back,” Hazel said, her eyes filling with tears. “What have I done?”

  “What have any of you done?!” exclaimed a familiar voice, one usually filled with melody and amusement, but was now enraged. “What is going on here?”

  Aunt Sil, her gray braids streaming behind her, and my mother were striding towards us across the snow, Big Bear and Crowfoot on either side.

  “Wes, bring Kalin over here now,” Aunt Sil barked, before placing a cool hand on my forehead. We all fell silent as she did the same to Kalin, then Hazel. Her eyes flashed. “You three are lucky. What were you thinking? Going into the Deadlands! You could have died!” She shouted.

  “We were trying–” I started to say.

  “Oh, I know what you were trying to do. Crowfoot and Big Bear told me about what happened in the woods, Willow White-Eagle.” I jumped as Aunt Sil glared down at me. “I know that idea hatched between you and Hazel.” She fixed a look on Hazel who cringed. “Don’t try anything so reckless again, you two, you hear me? Dragging Kalin into it as well.”

  “Uh, what are you talking about?” Cree interrupted.

  “Wielding the Moostone like a weapon! Using it here to try to wrangle the Skinwalker. It doesn’t work like that! You’re lucky to be alive and that being in the Deadlands didn’t cause any lasting harm. Although, Ben, if you could look at the girls’ hands.”

  Aunt Sil moved away, her gestures agitated as she strode back and forth. Ben knelt by me, his touch instantly bringing relief to my hands. One had an angry red burn and the other was blackened with soot. But it began to fade as Aunt Sil began to speak again.

  “Do you understand what would have happened if you left the Skinwalker there?”

  “You know about that?” Kalin exclaimed.

  “Of course,” Aunt Sil snorted. “If you’d left him there – another human, no matter how corrupted he may here – there would have been a balance to be met. One of you would have been left as well. Or all three!”

  Kalin, Hazel, and I exchanged looks.

  “Good thing you trusted your instincts, Hazel,” I said in a shaky voice.

  “What am I going to do with you young’uns?” Aunt Sil cried, throwing up her arms.

  Cree had come up on my other side and folded his arms. “Well, everyone is okay, Auntie. And besides, Willow got a hell of a parting shot. Man, what a satisfying sight!”

  “Auntie,” I said slowly. “I pierced him with an arrow dipped in Ash Walker blood.”

  Astonishment came over Aunt Sil’s face, but my mother butted in angrily. “You’re lucky you weren’t poisoned as well! That could have killed you instantly, Willow!”

  “Will he perish?” I asked, exuding a long breath. I couldn’t help but see the man in the Deadlands and knot formed in my stomach.

  “No,” Aunt Sil said. “It will be painful and it will weaken him, but he has a bond with the Ash Walkers that will keep him alive.” Aunt Sil shook her head, her expression clearing as she gazed around. “Forgive me. My fear for your lives clouded my judgment. You’re all exhausted, some of you are hurt, and what you need now is some of my cooking.”

  Cree let out an assenting sound. “Yes, that. And how about we don’t have anymore disappearances for a while?”

  There was a ripple of laughter and then everyone began to move towards my house. I could see my mother fussing over my two brothers and them rolling their eyes.

  Burr came over and took my hands. He gave Ben a grateful look, then murmured to me, “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” My eyes were fluttering shut. Fox and Juniper had come up behind me and I smiled at them. “Thank you, you two. Especially you, Fox.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay, Willow?” My mother was now next to me, running her fingers across my forehead. “You look pale.”

  “I’m tired,” I admitted. “Here, help me up.”

  “Nah, let me,” Burr said, scooping me into his arms in one fluid motion.

  “Burr, we talked about this,” I said, my head drooping against him.

  “I know,” he said, his arms tightening around me. “But aren’t you glad I don’t always listen to you?”

  Chapter 19

  Later that night, after leaving Nikita nodding off in a chair next to Willow’s bed, Willow sleeping with a smile on her face, I made my way into the living room. There sat Big Bear, devouring a large bowl of popcorn, Crowfoot reading, and the rest of my brothers sprawled on couches or on the floor in front of the fire. As well as Fox and Juniper, leaning against each other in an armchair, nodding off.

  “Quite a family we have,” Aunt Sil said, coming up next to me, and I slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Burr, I didn’t get a chance to tell you how relieved I am that you’re alright.” Her eyes twinkled at me. “I knew if anyone could survive being lost in Alaska, it was you.”

  “Well, I had help,” I said, glancing over my shoulders.

  “Is that nonsense over with?” Aunt Sil asked, jabbing me in the stomach, and I winced.

  “Yes, Auntie,” I said and rolled my eyes.

  “You know, I hope you’re not letting Willow take all the blame. Man up and admit you should have told her a long time ago.” She went and sat next to Big Bear, stealing the bowl of popcorn. “Right Bear?”

  “Hey – what? Yes, yes,” he said, trying to take
it back. “Sil, I made that.”

  “How nice for you,” she retorted. “I made everyone dinner. Go make more.”

  I was still gaping at Aunt Sil, but I decided keep quiet and sat down for what felt like the first time in hours. I’d even eaten dinner sitting up.

  “You too tired to tell us what happened?” Ben said, sitting up from lying on his back in front of the fire and staring at me. “I’m betting it’s a wild tale.”

  “Worthy of the Wildman,” Wes said, yawning.

  “Where are the girls?” I asked, wondering if they’d like to know.

  “Fast asleep. Hazel’s exhausted from all her…” Ben paused. “Teleporting?” He shook his head. “Remember when shifting was simple?”

  “I made Kalin go to bed, too,” Wes growled and I suppressed a smile. Usually Kalin had Wes wrapped around her little finger, but if she hit that protective Young nerve, even a feisty Montero sister knew when accept defeat. “Never should have gotten her involved.”

  “Wesley Young, how many times do I have to explain this to you? These connections and events are beyond us all. You would not have the victory you had today without her. Without any of those girls.” Aunt Sil had set aside the popcorn and sat forward. “Every person you meet is part of the tapestry of your intertwined destiny.”

  Wes groaned good-naturedly. “Yes, Auntie, destiny, blah blah, tapestry. I’ve heard this a million times before.”

  “What about us?” Fox piped up, his eyes bright in the firelight.

  “Of course,” Aunt Sil said. “You saved Willow’s life and in doing so, you saved Burr, as well as the integrity of the Hotshot Brothers.” I flushed and looked down. “We’ve all seen what happens when one of you goes missing.”

  “I hadn’t,” Ben said in a low voice. “Now I think I fully understand why you were so angry back then, Burr.”

  I looked up and shook my head at Ben. “Hey, it’s okay. What’s done is done.” I paused. “Speaking of which, though, I am sorry for what I put you guys through.”

  “Ah, I never thought you were dead,” Cree said cheerfully. “Just in trouble.”