by Helen Harper
I’m busy.
Goddamnit, Mack! I tried – and failed – to keep the desperation out of my Voice. I need to see you to make sure that you’re alright.
It took her a moment to answer, which worried me. And I’ve told you that it’s not your concern.
I thought about the red fever and prodded her just in case. You’re not feeling ill in any way?
I assure you that I am perfectly fine and I thank you for the thought. But it’s not necessary. Now, with all due respect, fuck off.
And then – yet again – she was gone.
Chapter Fourteen
Before I hailed a cab to take me back to the Brethren headquarters, I used my Voice to contact Lucy and Logan, instructing them to get to the Ministry and to keep an eye out for Mack. She’d stated quite categorically that she wasn’t a prisoner and, if that really was the case, then she’d have to leave some time. Something was going on and I was determined to find out exactly what. It meant the pair of them would miss out on the ‘fun’ of seeing me pull up in the ridiculous dragon onesie but I was fairly certain enough hilarity would ensue from everyone else to make up for their absence. I wasn’t disappointed. My only saving grace was that at least Staines didn’t see me. After I’d changed and gone looking for him, I found out the reason why.
“Doctor Higgins is in there,” the gruff werebear said, nodding towards a closed door.
“Is he asleep?”
“No. He’s quarantined.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes, my Lord. In fact, he insisted on it.”
I was tempted to screw the quarantine and go straight in. He’d already seemed confident that, despite the sudden lapse of the last few days, Somerset was getting the disease under control. I wasn’t about to gainsay an esteemed member of the medical profession though. Besides, Staines had been right before; as Lord Alpha, I couldn’t afford to allow myself to get sick too.
I knocked on the door and called through. I could have used the Voice but I felt it was necessary to let him know I was there if he needed me. “Higgins? Is everything alright?”
“Quite, my Lord,” came the reply. “I left the Somerset pack in the care of their own medic. It really does appear that the worst of the red fever is over.”
“I’m glad to hear it. How long are you planning to stay in there for?”
“A couple of days should do it.” At least he sounded cheerful.
The good news made me hungry so before I checked my daily messages, I wandered over in the direction of the kitchen. Unfortunately, however, I didn’t get very far. I’d just crossed the main lobby when, right in front of my eyes, a small werehyena called Jeannie collapsed. I rushed over to help. That’s when everything started going wrong all at once.
“I’m fine, my Lord,” Jeannie protested. “I probably just need to eat something.”
I stared down at her pale face. “How do your eyes feel?” I asked quietly.
“Itchy and sore.” She blinked at me. “You don’t think it’s conjunctivitis, do you?”
Looking at her red eyeballs, somehow I didn’t think so. I picked her up as gently as I could manage and carried her back to where I’d just left Higgins, laying her down on a bed in a nearby room. Before I could speak to the doctor, however, a breathless Philippa appeared.
“One of the lab techs is here. In person. They said they have to talk to you immediately.”
The sick feeling in my stomach intensified. “Keep this door closed,” I told her. ‘And don’t go in.”
She nodded, a troubled expression on her face. I opened up a Voice communication to every Brethren member.
Go to your rooms and stay there. The keep is under quarantine until further notice. And no-one is to come near me.
There was an immediate ripple of scared uneasiness. I broke off the communication so I could avoid answering any difficult questions that I didn’t yet have answers for and began striding out towards the front.
“Lord Corrigan!” Staines shouted, running towards me. “What’s happened?”
“Stay away,” I growled.
He didn’t stop. Cursing under my breath, I used the Voice to compel him. I said stay away.
He halted in his tracks but the strain of the action, along with his unhappiness, were palpable.
“I might be infected,” I told him flatly.
He gaped. “But Higgins said…”
“I know. Don’t move. Someone from the lab is here. Maybe they’ve finally managed to get their arses in gear and come up with some answers.”
I left him where he was, continuing on until I spotted the technician. “Don’t move,” I told him, “and don’t come any closer.”
His eyes widened. “You think you have it? Do you feel unwell?”
“No. I feel fine. But I’ve just been in contact with one of our shifters…”
“Who?” he snapped.
“Jeannie. She’s…”
The technician nodded, relief all over his face. “That’s alright then. You don’t have it.” He looked away and dropped his voice. “Yet.”
I eyed the slump of his shoulders and the shadow across his eyes. “Talk to me.”
“It’s mutating. The red fever, I mean. Jeannie can’t infect you because she’s a hyena and they’re dogs. You’re from the cat family.”
I was puzzled. “You mean cats are immune?”
“No. Only cats can infect other cats now. And dogs other dogs. It’s the same for every species.”
“Higgins is a damn rat. He’s the only person who’s been near Somerset who’s in London right now. How else could she have caught it?”
“From a dog.”
“But…”
“No, my Lord,” he interrupted, his previous terror of speaking up in my presence now all forgotten, “a real dog. They’re carriers but they don’t get sick.”
“The Cwnn Annwn…”
“Are Otherworlders with genetics close to our own.”
“They were getting better in Somerset!” I almost shouted. “They had a lapse and now they’re on the mend!”
The technician wouldn’t meet my eyes. “The lapse was the fever mutating. Now that ordinary animals can carry it…”
Jesus. Every shifter in the land was at risk. “What can we do? How do we stop it?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I really don’t know. It’s airborne though and the particles are so small,” he swallowed, “well, unless you have thousands of hermetically sealed chambers, no kind of quarantine is going to help. We can’t escape this.”
I put my hand over my eyes and reached out for Andrew in Somerset. How are things?
My Lord! He gasped. The lubber fiends you sent here are growing crazy. They’ve said we’re all dirty and they need to leave. I’ve never seen anything like it!
I took away my hand and gazed at the technician. “The end is nigh,” he whispered.
*
“The herbal woman from Cornwall is on her way,” Staines said.
“Julia.”
“That’s the one. And I’ve made sure everyone knows that the quarantine isn’t compulsory. I did suggest they still kept themselves closed away but it appears that no-one is doing it.” There was a faintly irritated edge to Staines’s voice but I felt kind of proud. We were in this together, one way or another.
“What do we do, Staines? How do we beat this?”
“I don’t know. But we will. The lab is still looking for some kind of antidote. Any maybe the disease will mutate again.”
“Maybe.” I flicked him a look. “Still, as a werebear, you have a good chance of staying infection free for a long time. Surely the only real bears in the city are at London zoo.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “The more exotic shifters might do well.” He massaged his shoulders. “When was the last time you saw a real cat?”
I thought of the friendly black one I’d come across barely hours before and decided it was best not to mention
it. “I’m not sure,” I lied.
Staines gazed at me suspiciously but didn’t comment. For that, at least, I was glad.
“There might not be an antidote,” I said, “but the lab has at least come up with a blood test. It’ll let us know how many of us are already affected.”
“I’ll get right on it,” he replied. “Everyone is essentially here. We can probably get them all checked before the day is out.”
I nodded distractedly. “One thing to be thankful for,” I interjected, aiming for an air of optimism, “is that we’re an island. The disease doesn’t seem to be affecting any other countries just now. I’ve spoken to all the British Alphas. They’ve agreed to compel their Packs to stay where they are. We should be able to contain it and keep the disease within these shores.” I sighed. “We’ve already had reports of symptoms appearing up and down the country. How does it spread so quickly?”
“Humans and their pets,” Staines said. “They take them bloody everywhere.”
“I don’t suppose there’s much we can do about that,” I said, half to myself.
Staines shifted his weight awkwardly.
“What is it?”
He coughed. “The Packs aren’t the only shifters in Britain, my Lord.”
“You mean rogues? I got word out to that trio in Northumberland. They’ve said they’ll cooperate and the Pack there will keep an eye on them to be sure.”
“Those three aren’t the only ones, my Lord.”
I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “Mack.”
“You need to force the mage to give her up. Whatever it takes. Our alliance with the Ministry means nothing now. What’s important is making sure she stays put. The woman is a law unto herself and if she decides to up sticks and go abroad, we might not be able to stop her.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t…”
“And she’s friends with the sodding faeries,” he spat. “Watching the borders isn’t going to help us. One flick of their fingers and she’ll be in goddamn Timbuktu.”
“My Lord?”
Both Staines and I jumped. It was Tom, standing in the doorway and looking incredibly unhappy.
“What’s wrong?”
“Lucy just checked in.” He licked his lips and glanced down at his feet.
“Well?” Staines demanded.
“Mack’s left the Ministry,” he answered in a small voice. “She’s at Hampstead Heath.”
I met Staines’ eyes. “Speak of the devil. Let’s go and get her.” Unfortunately I couldn’t find even the slightest part of me that was happy about it.
Chapter Fifteen
“Your orders, my Lord?”
I ran a hand through my hair. This was a delicate situation in more ways than one. It was imperative we brought Mack in – not just because Staines was worried she might skip off to the continent. Real hamsters weren’t exactly known for travelling long distances. It was possible Mack could stay isolated for long enough until either the damned disease died out or someone found a cure. I could only keep my fingers crossed that being essentially a rodent wouldn’t make matters worse. There were plenty of rats around. If that was the case, then she’d be better off with us anyway. No-one else was going to stumble across an antidote. She’d made it very clear, however, what her feelings were regarding both myself and the Brethren. There was no way she was going to be brought in without a fight. In fact, I didn’t see how it could be avoided.
I sighed. “You have my permission to attack. But,” I said, in warning, “only if she makes a move first.” It would be nice to think she’d calmly give herself up. Somehow it didn’t seem likely. “She’s stronger than she looks but don’t hurt her,” I cautioned. “And don’t let her hurt you either. If she’s outnumbered, this will go easier.” I hoped so anyway.
“Don’t worry. She’s a werehamster. We’ll bring her in without a scratch.”
“Yes, she’s a werehamster. A werehamster who was brought up in the basement of a nuclear power plant and who eats steroids for breakfast. Reason with her first. We can’t afford any broken bones right now. The doctors are busy enough as it is.”
“Yes, my Lord.” There was just the faintest hint of a sneer in the werewolf’s voice.
A deep sense of foreboding filled me. He was probably going to regret being so flippant.
“You can shift if you need to,” I said.
He started. “But it’s daylight.”
“From what I hear, she’s already in an isolated area.” Besides, I added glumly to myself, it was very possible that it wouldn’t matter in the slightest if a human did see a shifter transform. Even without the mages doing their mojo to encourage forgetfulness, we could all be gone by the end of the year anyway. And then nothing would matter at all.
He bowed and darted off to join the others. The ridiculous floor length black coat he was wearing billowed out behind him. I watched him go then turned to Lucy.
She cocked her head. “Are you sure this is a good idea, my Lord? In a fight, she’s quite, um, …”
Magnificent? Awe-inspiring? “Rabid?” I asked.
“I was going to suggest scary,” she answered, “but rabid works. She likes you. Maybe it would be better if you went to her yourself.”
I let out a bark of sudden laughter. It was short-lived. “She doesn’t like me at all, Lucy.” I was pretty sure she might have the hots for me sometimes. Especially when I thought of the way her eyes had darkened when I’d almost kissed her in my bedroom. ‘Like’ was something else entirely though. “The sight of me is more likely to whip her into a frenzy than anything else,” I continued. “It makes more sense if I keep back.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I disagree. She knows you. And I think she does like you. Although perhaps it is best if you don’t get involved in the fight. It wouldn’t look good if she beat you up.”
I raised my eyebrows slightly but didn’t comment.
“You should be there, my Lord,” Lucy insisted. “Your presence might help keep her calm.” Then she added in an undertone, “and keep the others alive.”
I met her eyes. I’d promised Staines I wouldn’t get my hands dirty. He didn’t trust me as far as Mack was concerned. It wouldn’t hurt to act as witness though. At least I might finally get to see Mack herself in her werehamster form. The thought added a slight silver tinge to what was a very heavy cloud.
Suddenly grinning, I took off, yelling behind me to Lucy to tell her to keep the van’s engine running in case we needed to leave in a hurry. I wouldn’t enflame matters by approaching the fight head on. I could easily skirt round and come up from the back. That way, if I were needed, it would be easier to jump in and help Mack. I shook my head slightly. I meant help catch Mack, of course.
I’d almost reached the site when I heard an anguished howl. I couldn’t help wincing. It appeared that Mack was already living up to my expectations. I sped up, finally emerging through the trees to see the overly confident wolf doubled up on the ground and clutching two broken wrists. Mack had her back to me while two other Brethren shifters faced her. I wasn’t sure they’d be enough. It was quite possible I’d have no other choice than to jump into the fray myself even though she still hadn’t bloody well changed into her werehamster form. She’d be far stronger if she did. I was starting to think it was nothing more than bloody-minded pride. If she could best three members of the Brethren while they were in their animal bodies and she remained on two legs, then her legend would grow even further.
Mack’s weight moved to her left side and, sensing she was about to turn round, I leaned against the nearest tree to put on a show of nonchalance. There was no need to let her see how nervous I was. I was vaguely aware of the Brethren weretiger freezing but it wasn’t until a slight breeze gusted in in my direction that I realised what the reason was. I snapped my mouth shut, the clever comment I’d been about to make dying on my lips. Then I inhaled more deeply. No. Way.
Mack smelled human. Almost human anyway. Or at least more fucking huma
n than shifter. I stared at her in disbelief. That was where the strangeness I’d caught from Tom had come from. It didn’t make any kind of sense. How could she use the Voice? How could she be that strong? And why hadn’t I scented that part of her before? The sheer blind panic in her eyes and the way she stumbled away from me made it clear that my nose wasn’t betraying me though. It was Mack who’d done all the betrayal. Her and every damn shifter in Cornwall. I thought of the way she’d always avoided shifting and the snide comments I’d had from Anton that were essentially alluding to this. I’d been so stupid.
I took a halting step forward. There wasn’t any real coherent thought in my head – simply that I had to grab her and tie her up and find exactly what she was and what had really been going on. Before I could get any closer, however, there was an odd crackle and a sudden flare of strange green light. I was forced to lift my arm and shield my face from the heat. Horrifyingly, Mack seemed to be on fire.
“Mackenzie!” I yelled.
Green flames licked at her skin and her hair. The dry grass around her lit up like a beacon. She started screaming – an agonised, anguished sound that tore right through my core. I tried again to rush forward. Maybe the mages had placed some kind of strange spell on her. That was why her scent was different now. They’d wanted her to act as some of kind of bomb, detonating at the worst possible time for the most possible impact.
I ducked my head down, my clothes ripping from me as I shifted. Without paying another attention to the other two – or to the flames – I bounded forward just as Mack collapsed to the ground. I ignored the searing heat and leapt onto her body, hooking my paws round her back and rolling with her clasped to my belly in a bid to extinguish the flames. Her strange smell had gone. Now the air was filled only with my singed fur. Mack hadn’t been burnt at all.
“My Lord!” someone yelled.
Realising that the flames were now doused, I came to a halt, keeping Mack underneath me. I pulled up onto my front paws and glanced over. Logan and another shifter were running towards us. Both were still fully clothed and still in human form. It occurred to me that they’d been there all along but that I’d been so focused on Mack, I’d not even noticed. I moved my head and looked down at her again, nudging her cheek with my muzzle. She was definitely unconscious. Her hair had fallen across her face and I could smell blood and humanity and something else. There still wasn’t any shifter scent though. And it wasn’t a spell as I’d so rashly hoped. Furthermore, while I might be covered in raw burns, she really was entirely unharmed. Several unpleasant thoughts hit me all at once.
