Shiftless: Tuatha Series Book 1

by Linton Bowers

  “How is this possible?” Rodriguez asked. “Are you guys fucking with me?”

  “No!” I threw my hands up. “How many times do I have to tell you? We are not fucking with you and we’re not the normal pack you are used to.”

  “Whatever!” Rodriguez snapped. “Let’s just get going.” She pointed at Tabitha. “What’s the deal? Why change now?”

  “I didn’t want to get my clothes dirty,” Tabitha said.

  “Well then you’re on recon duty. Get in the woods and go ahead of us. Report back if you find anything and don’t get seen.”

  “Okay,” Tabitha said. “What am I looking for?”

  “There should be a building in the woods somewhere. I don’t know what it will look like, but I’m guessing it will be big. That is all I know.”

  Tabitha took off at a run. There was a small game trail but she went to the side and disappeared into the tree line. We followed the trail into the trees.

  Chapter 19

  We walked for hours, or, you know, twenty minutes. It was hot and uncomfortable so it felt like a long time. Don’t judge me.

  After Tabitha ran off we didn’t hear or see anything of her. Rodriguez remained quiet as did Miranda. That left me with a lot of time to think. Which brought me to Tabitha and her unusual transformation. It was something I thought she chose to do, but turns out it was a surprise for her too. That was the second surprise transformation in a row.

  My eyes wandered to Miranda several times. As I watched her tight ass move with the grace of a dancer I wondered if maybe her own transformation was different. That lead me to wondering how, if it was. Maybe she would be bigger and scarier. If that was the case I was going to point her at Arnold and let her go. I had a feeling that wasn’t to be though.

  I was stopped by a sudden burning in my chest. I fell to my knees at the intense pain. My hand found the serpent icon and I rubbed at it. Touching it brought the awareness that it was the source of my pain.

  “What’s wrong?” Miranda asked. She dropped to her knee next to me and placed her hands on my head and shoulder. “What is it, Terry?”

  “I. Don’t. Know.” I said through clenched teeth. “Serpent icon. burns.”

  A scream tore through the woods. It was feminine but that was the only thing I could tell about it. Red flashed across my vision and suddenly Tabitha was there in my mind. I felt fear and pain coming from my serpent in waves. I could tell she was to my left and getting closer fast.

  All pain I felt was forgotten. I leapt to my feet and turned to face the direction Tabitha was coming from. “She’s hurt,” I said. “Coming from there.” I pointed to where I knew Tabitha was.

  I took off sprinting to get to my serpent. My body moved in ways I didn’t think possible to dodge and go over or under the obstacles the forest presented. In short order she came into view.

  Tabitha was still in her hybrid serpent form but she held her right arm close to her body and blood ran down a gash from her shoulder. There were numerous scratches on her legs that oozed blood and a gash along her head that sent a stream of crimson down the side of her face.

  “NO!” I roared.

  Tabitha stopped short at the sound and so did I. It was half deep human scream and half bestial roar. The moment passed and I ran to my serpent.

  “Are you okay?” I asked as I wrapped her up in my arms careful not to touch her shoulder.

  “They’re coming,” Tabitha replied. “We have to go. Too many of them.” She panted to catch her breath. “I failed, Terry. I’m sorry.”

  “You did great, Tabitha, don’t worry about that. I got you and I won’t let them hurt you any more.” I walked her to Miranda and Rodriguez who were running at us.

  “What happened?” Rodriguez asked.

  “Something is coming,” I said.

  Rodriguez turned her attention to Tabitha. She grabbed my serpent’s chin and lifter her head so she could look her in the eye. “Did you see the building?”

  “Hey!” I twisted my torso to move Tabitha out of reach. “She is hurt enough without you making it worse.” I could feel Tabitha’s pain and knew the truth of my words.

  Rodriguez held up her hands palms out. “I’m sorry. I just need to know so we can report. We know there is enough to get a lot of guns out here. Let’s go back,” She said.

  “We won’t make it,” Tabitha said. “There are so many, and they’re coming.”

  “So many what?” I asked.

  A roar tore through the woods cutting off Tabitha’s reply. We all turned toward the sound. A tree not far from us snapped and fell over. Twigs and branches snapped under the weight of something big. Brown fur rippled between the trees and leaves. A Lycan unlike anything I have ever seen stepped out from between the trees.

  It stood twelve feet tall and five feet wide at the shoulders. It’s snout was a cross between a wolf and a gator with a couple rows of shark teeth. It was covered from head to toe in matted brown fur with a bald spot over most of its chest revealing grey skin.

  “I know I’m new to this, but that doesn’t look right,” I said.

  “Because it isn't right,” Miranda said. “We should leave.”

  “Yeah,” Rodriguez joined in. “We need to go.”

  We turned as if controlled by one mind and ran. The beast behind us ran as well. It was fast. Fast enough that a moment later it was in the trees above us. Then it dropped to the ground in front of us cutting off our escape.

  “I’m ready for plan B,” I said.

  Miranda threw her hands to the side Wolverine style and roared. Hair sprouted from her body and her claws grew, and that was it. She didn’t grow taller and her face didn’t elongate to form a snout. She looked back at me for a second and I saw that her face was mostly her. Golden wolf eyes were as they should be but her face was almost hairless. Her fur covered her throat and stopped under chin. Some crept up under her ears and onto her cheeks. Her snarl showed her fangs ready to rend flesh. Since she didn’t get much bigger her clothes were still intact.

  Miranda was also changed. There was no doubt it was caused by our bond and I suspected it had everything to do with the amulet she wore.

  Miranda charged. She leapt at the monster and was batted aside. My wolf landed on her feet with her arms crossed in front of her. She slid across the ground digging furrows in the earth. She rushed at the monster but stayed low to the ground. It swung it’s massive arm but she ducked under and jumped. Miranda’s claws racked across the beast's face and chest. It roared. A powerful blow sent Miranda flying.

  “Take her,” I said to Rodriguez as I handed her Tabitha.

  I rushed at the monster screaming my battle cry. As I ran I pulled back my right arm and closed my fist. I jumped letting my fist lead the way. The monster swung. My fist hit forearm and there was an explosion of force. I was thrown back. The beast was thrown back.

  Miranda jumped on it as it sailed through the air. Her arms moved like jack hammers pounding away at the beast. it screamed with each blow.

  I hit the ground and rolled to my feet. I ran at the monster. It hit the ground and stayed down. Miranda kicked off of it and back flipped. She landed a few feet away from it in a crouch with her clawed hands ready to strike.

  I reached her side and stopped. The chest and neck of the monster was shredded and looked like raw hamburger. I looked at my wolf and noticed the blood dripping from her claws. The coppery scent hit me a second later. “Damn,” Was all I could say.

  “What the hell are you people?” Rodriguez asked.

  “We told you,” I barked at her. “Pay attention.”

  “He’s changing,” Tabitha said. Her arm went up and she pointed at the downed monster.

  The creature shrunk down to the size of a normal man and the hair fell off his emaciated frame. His snout popped and cracked as it collapsed in on itself. When it was done a boy of no more than fifteen lay in a pile of hair. The wounds Miranda inflicted on him healed as we watched.

  “Oh god, he’
s just a kid.” Miranda placed her hands over her mouth. Through our link I felt the shame and guilt from her. I moved closer and put my arm around my wolf. Much like the boy she shed her hair as she shifted back.

  “What did I do,” Miranda whispered.

  “He’s a boy now, but a moment ago he was a monster,” I said. “You saved us, Miranda. You did the right thing.”

  She sobbed. I pulled Miranda into my chest and held her as she cried. I understood why she felt terrible but her reaction seemed a little over the top considering the given situation.

  “I have to tell you what I did,” she thought at me.

  “Later, my love,” I replied. “Let’s deal with this now. We can talk later.”

  Miranda pulled back. She took a couple deep breaths and calmed herself. Once she was steady she flashed me a smile and turned back to the boy.

  “If this is what they are doing to those kids we have to stop them,” Miranda said.

  “Yes we do,” Tabitha joined in. She limped over to stand next to Miranda and locked arms with her. “We’ll put an end to this atrocity and those responsible.” my chest swelled with pride at seeing my women standing together in solidarity.

  “No we won’t,” Rodriguez said. “Our mission is to get information so law enforcement can move in and handle it.” She crossed her arms and took a wide stance.

  “No,” I said. “How many cops are lycans?” I asked.

  “Not many,” Miranda said.

  “Yeah, so?” Rodriguez asked.

  “So,” I replied to Rodriguez. “If we lead the cops here these things will tear them apart. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  Rodriguez opened her mouth to reply but stopped. She looked at the young man on the ground then shook her head. “Okay, fine. But you follow my lead!”

  “What? No way!” Miranda snapped.

  “It's Okay, Miranda. We’ll follow her lead. After you, Rodriguez.”

  “Damn right,” she said. “Give me a damn minute then we’ll get going.”

  Rodriguez went to the unconscious boy. I could hear the shallows thumping of his heart with my new and improved Lycan hearing. She grabbed his arms and pulled him to a tree. She then used her cuffs to secure his arms together around the narrow tree trunk.

  “Now I’m ready,” she said “Follow me!”

  Chapter 20

  We followed Rodriguez for all of three steps before more roars echoed through the woods. They had us surrounded. “That doesn't sound good,” I said.

  “You think?” Rodriguez snapped.

  “You two get a room already,” Miranda flashed Rodriguez a nasty glare. “Shut your mouth and focus on helping us get out of here alive. By the sounds of it we’re going to have our hands full in a minute. We need all hands on deck, A-Rod.”

  “Don’t call me that,” Rodriguez said. “And your right. I’m sorry. It’s time to circle the wagons and try not to let this become our Alamo.”

  “A western reference huh? Nice,” I said. “In that case, it’s time to cowboy up! Yee ha!”

  “Wow,” Tabitha said. “Please don’t do that again. You make me question my life decisions.”

  Miranda snorted and Rodriguez pointed at me as she laughed.

  “Fair enough,” I said. My ears picked up the sound of a twig snapping behind me. “Incoming!”

  I spun in time to see the next monster spring from the trees. It had the lower body of a serpent with a hairy torso and the head of a hippo. It came at me with its mouth wide open. I caught it by one of it’s lower and one of it’s upper teeth. leaning forward trying to stop it did nothing as it pushed me back sliding my feet across the dirt.

  Tabitha struck from my right. She bit into its neck and pulled back with the speed of a rattlesnake striking. The monster’s strength gave away quickly. No more than three seconds passed before I was able to stop our movement. Another two seconds and I was able to push it back. Five seconds later and the monster dropped unconscious to the forest floor.

  “Damn, Tabitha. That was AWESOME! Remind me never to piss you off,” I said.

  “That goes double for me,” Miranda said.

  Tabitha blushed, which was something we could see while she was in serpent mode due to the effects of Miranda’s medallion. She kicked at the ground and avoided looking at us.

  The moment was short lived. Two more Lycan-amalgamations jumped out of the brush. Miranda changed in an instant. Tabatha followed me to attack the one closest to us. Miranda and Rodriguez darted toward the other.

  Tabitha shot out past me. She dove and hit the wolf-cat-armadilo in the legs. As it fell I lashed out smashing its head down with a hammer blow. Its face bounced off the ground. It lifted its arms to rise, but I jumped on its back and drove its head into the ground with three more blows from my fists. The Lycan shifted back to human so I jumped off and turned.

  Miranda knelt with one knee on a human teen girl’s back. Standing next to them stood a woman about six feet tall with green and brown mottled skin and a large tan shell on her back. Her face was very much the rounded continence of a turtle with a beak and all. The front of her torso was covered in the armor of the bottom of a turtle’s shell, but with curves to indicate where her breasts were.

  “Um, ok. Yeah. A wereturtle. Yeah,” I said. “I kinda want to start looking for master splinter.”

  Rodriguez flared out her hip and put her fist against it. Her eyes narrowed and I felt lucky that looks couldn’t kill.

  “Sorry,” I said.

  A roar the likes of which I never heard broke through the tension. Then a monster twice as big as the others broke through the forest and felled a tree with a shrug of its shoulders.

  “Oh shit,” I said. “Everyone on me!”

  There came no arguments just the rush of Lycans as everyone came at me. Tabitha was by my side in an instant. Miranda crossed the clearing in a blink to take up position on my right and opposite of Tabitha. Rodriguez was another matter. True to what I knew of actual turtles Rodriguez was slow. She lumbered forward giving it all she had, but it wasn’t enough.

  The new monster, which stood about twenty feet tall, was covered in the hide of a gator. It also had the long snout of a gator with ears that stood up about a foot above its head. The creature spread its arms and veiny wings like a bat spread out to its sides. That explained the ears. It turned its head to follow Rodriguez then turned and lunged teeth first.

  “No!” While Rodriguez wasn’t mine that didn’t mean I would let her get hurt. I ran but I was too slow.

  Jaws snapped around Rodriguez and I heard a crunch as its teeth penetrated her shell. Rodriguez screamed. The monster lifter her up and swung its massive head from side to side. Rodriguez’s screams grew higher in volume and pitch. She beat frantically against the creature to no effect.

  I was then close enough so I jumped. I came up even with its head and let loose a flurry of punches. I managed somewhere in the neighborhood of twelve punches before my arc started back down. Then the monster backhanded me.

  I flew through the air until a tree trunk was kind enough to break my fall, and just break. It then fell on me as I fell to the ground. The tree trunk crushed me beneath it stopping my ability to breath or do anything other than feel intense pain. Darkness quickly crept in around the edges of my vision covering the thick green foliage that blocked everything from view.

  The tree lifted and I gasped. Air filled me and the pain dulled. The leaves and branches moved far enough away from my face that I could see Tabitha with her arms wrapped around the trunk.

  “Hurry,” She said. “We need you, Terry.”

  I rolled out from under the tree trunk. It groaned and cracked as it fell back to the ground. I gasped a few more breaths into my lungs before I could talk.

  “Where is it?” I asked.

  Tabitha grabbed my shoulders and turned me so I faced the beast. It was down on all fours facing off against Miranda as she moved around it in a crouch. Rodriguez was still in it’s mouth but she no longer move
d.

  “Are you okay?” Tabitha asked me.

  “I have to be,” I said. “They need us.”

  I ran not waiting for a response from Tabitha. I heard her steps as she ran behind me. “Miranda, get it to turn its back to me,” I thought to my wolf.

  “You got it!”

  Miranda changed direction. When the monster didn’t immediately follow she lunged forward and swiped its nose with her claws. It growled and followed.

  I slowed so the timing would work. Once it was in position I kicked of the ground and sailed through the air. I planned to land on its back but I underestimated my strength and landed on its snout. I grabbed on tight stopping myself from falling off as I pitched forward.

  The beast shook its head and I dug my fingers into its skin. Rodriguez still dangled from its mouth and the shaking brought a weak scream out of her. Her response gave me some hope that she was still alive, but I knew time was running out.

  I let go of the monster with my right hand and raised it up above my head. I brought my fist down against its thick skull so hard a boom echoed through the clearing. The monster stopped shaking its head but didn't drop rodriguez.

  Taking advantage of the monsters stunned state I dropped down the left side of its face and planted my feet on its lower jaw between its teeth. I put my hands between its upper teeth. With everything I had I tried to stand.

  Nothing happened. Its jaw was incredibly strong. I pushed my legs and pulled with my arms so hard that my limbs shook. The monsters jaw creaked as it fought against me.

  “I hate to press you, love, but you have to get her out of there now. It's a miracle she hasn’t shifted back and her shell is the only thing keeping her from being bitten in half,” Miranda thought at me.

  “Working on it!” My mental voice sounded like I was speaking through clenched teeth wich made sense considering the strain I was under.

  Miranda was right about Rodriguez’s time running out. For as much shit as the lady cop gave me I still liked her. The last thing I wanted was for my failure to equal her death.

  I sucked in a sharp breath, pushed against the monster’s jaw pumping energy reserves I didn’t know I had into my legs and arms. The muscles felt like they were going to snap but I kept on.