“Do I have to be naked?” She rocked her head as she mimicked Buzz’s deep voice.
“Can I have a drink?” Dawn whined.
“Can I have a fire?” Evie growled—badly.
“Where’s my stuff?” Dawn deepened her voice.
“Hey, I never asked—”
“Why did you try to drown me?” Evie grumbled.
“What? That as an accident!” Buzz protested. “Wasn’t it?”
“Of course it was an accident, you big lunk!” Dawn turned and threw her arms around his waist.
“We didn’t mean it. We only wanted you to come back,” Evie added.
“You wanted me to come back? I was chased here by a half-crazed leopard.”
“I didn’t mean—” Evie began.
“Well, lucky for us that it did,” Dawn said quickly. “Otherwise we’d have never seen you again.”
“Hmm. Aren’t you ladies worried it might find you in here? It looked pretty fierce.”
“You really think so?” Evie asked with a smile.
“We’re not worried about a leopard,” Dawn said. “Everyone knows cats don’t like water.”
“That’s a fallacy,” Evie muttered. “Sometimes they—”
“Anyway, we’re not in any danger, not from the leopard.” Dawn lowered her voice. “It’s the wolves you have to watch out for.” She frowned as Evie snorted, then continued. “They roam around here at night. But they prefer to hunt their prey in the open.”
“Because the wet dog smell is too overpowering when they’re indoors,” Evie said.
“Meaning they stay away from the cave.” Dawn’s voice was low and dangerous, but Evie ignored her glare.
“Because they might fall in the pool and actually come out smelling fresh.”
“If you’re trying to say something…” Dawn growled.
“Me?” Evie feigned innocence.
“Look, if you ladies want to fight about something, I’ll get busy and build us a fire.” He glanced around for tinder, but the cave was empty.
“We’re not fighting.” Evie fluttered her eyelashes as Dawn’s chest heaved. Buzz had wriggled out of her embrace and was creeping toward the cave entrance.
“Where are you going?” Evie asked.
“To get some wood.”
“Be careful the leopard doesn’t see you,” Dawn warned. “Her claws are vicious and sharp.”
Evie raised an eyebrow. “Better than being trampled by a clumsy forest dog. Their eyesight is so bad, they could walk right into you without noticing.”
“Ooo-kaaayyy…” Buzz muttered. He stepped out into the sunlight, feeling oddly vulnerable without his pants, but missing his boots in particular. Fortunately the ground was littered with twigs, which would be enough to start the fire. But they’d need branches to sustain even a small fire, in order to dry his clothes, and to cook with.
*****
As Buzz gathered kindling, he re-ran the dreamlike events of the past hour, during which he’d been chased by a big cat, drowned and then fucked twice.
Weird. And now the women were having a fight over something which made no sense to him. He didn’t want to see them come to blows, but his instincts told him he’d live longer if he let them settle things between themselves. Stepping between them was likely to be hazardous to his health.
“Sorry,” Evie said in a small voice. Her chin was on her chest as she calmed her racing heart.
“I’m sorry too. I should never have said—”
“It was my fault. I made the snarky ‘wet dog’ comment. I should never have—”
“Come here, you sweet thing.” The pair fell against each other and hugged tightly.
“Oh-oh,” Buzz said. “Bad moment? Do you two want to be alone?” He raised an eyebrow, making it clear he’d much rather watch whatever the naked pair were considering. But they ignored him, holding each other tightly.
“I’m sorry,” Evie said again. “I always get cranky right after sex.”
“Me too. I think it’s the rush.”
“And I was so desperate for a fix, I climbed right on top. I didn’t think you might—”
“It’s fine. I was first last time, remember?”
“Yeah. He was so shocked when you bent over and spread your cheeks.”
“Oh, don’t say it like that.” Dawn shuddered.
“Why not? It was hot stuff.”
Dawn pinched the top of her nose. “I think it’s the sudden release. It gets me a little crazy. I shouldn’t have been so touchy with you.”
“I was the same. I think I’m over it now.”
Dawn pulled back and gazed into Evie’s amber eyes. “So you don’t think I smell bad?”
Evie pretended to think about the question. “Not all the time.”
“Hey!” Dawn slapped Evie’s arm—lightly—as her friend laughed.
“Laughter is good,” Buzz said cautiously.
Dawn smiled and released Evie. “We’re good now. Eh?”
“We’re good,” she replied. “You old dog.” Evie smirked.
Dawn gaped at her friend, then relaxed. “Well, I hope you’re ‘feline’ better.”
“I’m sorry I hounded you so much.”
“Did the cat have your tongue?”
“Ladies?” Buzz dared. They both turned to him with eyebrows raised. “Sorry to interrupt… whatever that was, but do you think I could have my matches back? The ones from my gear bag?”
“A good woodsman could make a fire by rubbing two fingers together, surely?”
Buzz considered her words. “I could. But it would take ten minutes less if I used a match.”
Dawn nodded. “Sure. Your stuff is at the back of the cave.”
“Oh.” Buzz peered into the inky blackness. “How far back does this thing go?”
“About a hundred yards?” Evie guessed. Dawn nodded.
“Great.” Buzz began his quest, walking slowly with his arms outstretched. “I’m gonna die again…”
“You forgot,” Evie whispered to her friend. “Humans don’t see well in the dark.”
“I didn’t forget.”
“You old dog!”
“You already said that one.”
“Uh… he might hit his head on the woof?”
“Major groan.”
Evie shrugged. “It’s all I got left.”
“Ow!” Buzz cried from the darkness. The women cringed, guilty grins stretching their faces.
“Think of it as a new adventure,” Dawn called.
“I had plenty already,” he replied. “Enough for one day.”
“I’m gonna have to get them, aren’t I?” Dawn sighed.
“It’s for the best,” Evie agreed.
“I’m coming,” Dawn called.
“It’s okay, I can manage—ow!”
“Stop where you are,” Dawn cautioned. ”You’re going to fall into the damn chasm.”
“What chasm?” Buzz cried. Evie stifled a laugh as her friend headed off to rescue their captured woodsman. He was fun, she decided, and would have made a good companion. It was such a pity they had to release him back into the wild, and such a shame they had to wipe his memory. But Dawn was right, they couldn’t allow the world to know their secret, or the pair of them would end up back in cages as curiosities to be poked, prodded and studied. No way in hell was she going back to that miserable life.
*****
A deep rumble echoed through the cave. Evie peered into the darkness, wishing she had the eyesight of a cat. What were they up to? Another rumble echoed from the walls. Was Dawn giving Buzz a blow-job? A surge of jealousy rippled through her, but she fought it down, wishing she didn’t turn tetchy every time she had sex. Whatever the pair were doing, she would have her chance. They’d have to keep Buzz here overnight, and release him in the morning, for his own safety.
The next rumble was louder, and much closer. She stiffened at the sound. It hadn’t come from the darkness at all. It was behind her.
“
Evie? An unseen Dawn called. “Is that you making—oh my god!”
It was bad, then.
Evie dared to look over her shoulder. Ten yards behind her defenseless, naked ass stood a grizzly bear, still on all fours, but with her teeth bared. Possibly the companion of the large male she’d encountered a few days ago, the grizzly must have been three or four times her weight.
“Evie!”
“Matches, matches!” Buzz yelled. “We need fire! And where’s the dart gun?”
“Too late for fire…” Evie whispered to herself. “And Jim took the gun.” If she was outdoors, as a human, she might be able to outrun the grizzly, but trapped in a cave? There was nowhere to run.
“You have to shift!” Dawn yelled.
“I can’t do this alone. This will take both of us,” Evie called back, not taking her eyes off the approaching bear. “And our secret will be out.”
“Better out than dead.” Her voice fell into a growl.
“Secret? Dead? What the fuck?” Buzz yelled.
“Okay, Mrs Grizzly,” Evie said softly. “You need to turn around and go back to the forest.” Moving slowly, she turned her naked body to face the approaching bear. Behind her, Buzz cried out his disbelief. Evie extended her hands and the bear’s huge nose sniffed the air. But instead of acknowledging the scent of a fellow wild creature, her lips curled back and she bellowed out her anger at the small, pale creature standing in her way.
“You know what I did to your mate, don’t you?” It had crushed Evie’s heart to kill the big male, but he had appeared out of nowhere and practically fallen over her. She’d reacted instinctively, ending the creature’s life in a second.
“I don’t want to hurt you too, but you can’t stay here.” Evie’s form blurred, and she melted downward, reforming on all fours as a sleek, lithe leopard. The bear’s shock was obvious. She stiffened, staring at the big cat. But she didn’t back away, growling deeply at the interloper.
And then the wolf appeared alongside the leopard, teeth bared. The bear considered her position, then backed away slowly, still growling. The unlikely pair remained steadfast, defending their territory. Only once the grizzly had left the cave and fled into the forest, did they relax.
Buzz watched, stunned to the core as the gray wolf and the sleek leopard melted back into the naked women he’d coupled with earlier. Both lay prone on the cave floor, laughing with relief. Dawn rolled onto her back, her hands pressed to her face as the tension poured from her body. Evie lay on her front, her legs apart, and her face turned toward her friend. If the situation hadn’t been so bizarre, Buzz might have found the sight a turn-on. But his head was reeling with the evidence he still didn’t want to believe.
*****
Eventually, the women’s laughter died away, and Dawn sat upright, watching Buzz with careful eyes.
“I’m so sorry you had to see that, Buzz.”
“Yeah, we were becoming fond of you,” Evie added.
“Say what?”
“Do we always have to do this to them?” Evie asked.
“It’ll be quick and almost painless,” Dawn said. “He won’t feel much.”
“Such a shame.” Evie rose to her feet. “Okay, let’s get it over with.”
“Hey, now!” Buzz backed away, his hands spread defensively. “Stay back.”
“Don’t fight us, Buzz. It’ll only distress you.”
“Lie back and accept it, like a good boy.”
“Oh, shit…” Buzz waved his feet as he backed into the darkness, hoping to locate his bag, and the knife inside. It was his only chance. Without a weapon, the women could tear him to pieces in seconds.
“We have to do this,” Dawn said. “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“Do we have to?” Evie asked.
“We can’t have him blabbing our secret to the world.”
“I wouldn’t,” Buzz cried. “I promise.”
“Hmm. You say that now. But the first chance you get—”
“It’s the only way to be sure,” Dawn agreed.
“But there has to be another way.”
“How could we sleep at night, knowing you and your buddies might come back with nets?”
“Is this what you did to Jim? Did you tell me you’d wiped his brain, but really you tore him to pieces?”
“Why would we lie?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you forgot to tell me you’re wild animals?”
“We’re not wild, not really.” Dawn glanced at her friend. “Except maybe when you’re fucking me. I can scratch and claw you.”
“And I do bite,” Evie added.
“So couldn’t you make me forget, and not tear me apart?”
Dawn stopped. “Why would we want to tear you apart?”
Evie shuddered. “Ew. Imagine the mess it’d make.”
“So you’re not planning to kill me?” He remained still as the women flanked him.
Dawn trailed her fingers across his hard chest. “I was planning to jump you again, and then maybe let Evie have sticky seconds before we wipe your memory and set you free.”
“Hey, why do I have to get sticky seconds?”
“Because you had him first, remember?”
“Oh, right. I guess that’s fair.”
“Ladies, please… if you’re not going to kill me, can you please explain what I just saw?”
“You saw what you saw,” Evie said. “Two uniquely talented women saved your tight ass…” She slapped a hand to his butt and squeezed hard. “…from being eaten by a bear.” His muscle was so hard, it didn’t give way.
“Uniquely talented?” Buzz echoed, his voice tight.
“Have you ever met anyone like us?”
“No, never.”
“Then we’re unique in your experience, right?”
“But… you… fucking… shape-shifted!”
“We did.”
“Into a leopard? And a wolf? How does that even happen?”
Dawn shrugged. “It happens. And more than you think.”
“But I never heard of such a thing.”
“Not even in fiction?”
“Of course in fiction.”
“And doesn’t fiction have its roots in fact?”
“Roots?” He pondered the word. “That would imply there are more of you, and that you’ve been around for a long time.”
“There are,” Evie confirmed.
“We have,” Dawn added.
“Holy shit.”
“So are you going to be a good boy and make love to us again?”
“Please, I need to get this straight…”
“It feels plenty straight to me.” Dawn squeezed his semi-swollen cock.
“I need to know I’m not in some crazy dream.”
“Has it been such a bad dream so far?” Dawn’s other hand stroked his balls.
“Uh… no?”
“Then stop worrying.”
“But have you always been able to… to…”
“To shift?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Only since puberty. The shifter gene kicks in then. Otherwise there would be kids running around in the form of wild animals.”
“Kinda hard to keep a secret when that happens,” Evie added.
“Of course. But why are you living in a cave?”
“Because this is where we escaped to.”
“Escaped from where?”
“Remember when I said the leopard had escaped from a private collection?”
Buzz caught on fast. “You were in a cage?”
Evie nodded. “For as long as I can remember. I never knew my mother.”
“And you?” Buzz glanced at Dawn.
“I was in there too, for about eight years, trapped in the same collection.”
“But you escaped.”
“Obviously.”
“Were there others?”
“Hundreds. But we were the only ones to get out. We’ve been hunted since then.”
“No, we were looking for a bear-killer.”
“And who hired you?”
“Abe McKenna, the billionaire.”
“He’s the one who collected us.”
Buzz staggered. “He kept you both prisoner?”
“All my life,” Evie said. “And eight years of Dawn’s.”
“But that’s…”
“Monstrous?”
“Inhuman?”
“Yes. You said there were others?”
“Hundreds. Maybe even a thousand. But we never met more than a dozen.”
“We have to do something.”
“We?”
“Yes, we. Both of you, and me. With help.”
“And do what, exactly?”
“Tell the world what McKenna is doing.”
“So our fellow inmates can be moved from a cage into a lab?”
“No, of course not. They would be taken care of.”
“I’m sure they would.” Dawn patted his arm.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Well, let’s just say… No, I don’t. When the true nature of his collection is uncovered, scientists—geneticists—will take so much blood from our friends, they’ll shrivel into raisins.”
“It won’t be like that.”
“Won’t it?”
“There’s got to be a way.”
“There is,” Evie finally spoke. “We bust them out.”
Dawn pressed her hands into her hips. “Evie, you saw the security. An army couldn’t get in there.”
“Maybe they wouldn’t notice just the three of us.”
“Or maybe we’d end up back in a cage again. Or worse, in a breeding pen.”
“Let me help,” Buzz pleaded. “I’ll think of something.”
“I’d already thought of something.” She squeezed his uninterested cock. “But the moment seems to have passed.”
“Sorry, but I’m angry at the thought of McKenna keeping hundreds of people prisoner. Zoos are bad enough, but when the cages are filled with people like you…”
“It makes your blood boil?” She squeezed him again, hopeful.
“Let me get a fire going first. Let me dry my clothes, and maybe eat.”
Dawn sighed. “Heat, clothing and food. What kind of priority list is that, compared to fucking?”
“Language!” Evie chided.
THE HEALING HEART Page 120
