Hisss

by Skye MacKinnon

  “That’s impossible,” Beth interjects. “Nobody knows who the Fangs are. They hide in plain sight and it’s said that they’re everywhere. For all we know, they’re spread all over the country. We could never kill them all, as much as I would like to.”

  “No, but maybe there’s another way,” Gryphon says slowly. “We could try and infiltrate them. Gather information from the inside before we strike.”

  Ivy laughs. “And then we’ll all ride on unicorns.” She turns to me. “Your team reflects badly on you.”

  “No, it doesn’t. Show them, Gryphon.”

  “With pleasure.”

  He gets up and clears his throat. Knowing what’s about to come, I steel my mind. I don’t want to fall under his spell and start kissing him again. Or stabbing him like the first time showed me his siren powers.

  Gryphon opens his mouth and begins to sing. Music chimes in my head, not just the siren’s voice, but an entire orchestra. I close my eyes and let the beautiful sounds wash over me. I relax for the first time in days. I’m safe. Loved. Happy. I don’t resist the music. I could, but I don’t want to. I soak it in like a drug. Happiness is sparse right now and this is a chance to feel good.

  Images appear in my mind. Gryphon, smiling at me. Dimples line his lips. His eyes full of warmth. A kiss, soft yet claiming. Me in his arms. The love in his touch as his hands roam across my body.

  The music stops without warning and I open my eyes. Everyone is looking dazed but happy, except for Four. She’s on Gryphon’s lap, her hand at his throat, her claws extended. Fuck.

  She turns to me, her face contorted with fury. “You let one of them into your house?!”

  I get up and calmly put a hand on hers, pulling her away from Gryphon. She lets me, luckily. I don’t want to fight one of my sisters.

  “He’s not like the rest of his kind,” I explain gently. I’m still in a happy, calm mood; otherwise I would have probably reacted very differently to her threatening one of my guys. “He’s on our side, and he’s proved it. I trust him implicitly.”

  She stares at me defiantly. “You can’t be serious. He’s enchanted you.”

  Gryphon chuckles. “It’s her who’s enchanted me.”

  “Not the time,” Ryker groans “Stop flirting with Kat.”

  Ivy looks around the room. “You’re all okay with him being here? You all trust him?”

  My team nod as one. I smile at them. “See? He’s part of M.E.O.W. We can’t choose our family nor our upbringing. The three of us should know that better than anyone.”

  Four wriggles out of my grasp and joins her sister on the bench. “What does M.E.O.W. stand for, anyway?” she asks.

  I let her change the topic. For now. If she attacks Gryphon again, I’m not going to be so lenient.

  Lily snickers. “We don’t know.”

  “How can you not know?” Ivy asks, incredulous. “Who came up with the name?”

  I raise my hand, grinning. “I just added the dots to make it look more professional. The original idea was just to call it ‘Meow’. The sound I make when I kill someone. We’ve come up with a few versions since then, but none of them has stuck.”

  “Such as?”

  “Murder, Eviscerations, Obliterations, Wounds,” Benjamin supplies. “That’s my favourite version.”

  “Men endanger our world,” Lily chuckles.

  “Oi!” Benjamin waves his hands at her.

  She laughs dismissively. “You’re not a man. You’re a boy.”

  Bethany clears her throat. “My Eyes On Wealth. Or Willies, if we’re talking about Lily.”

  “Oi! I’ve not done any seducing in ages.” Lily rolls her eyes. “Been too busy playing with pussies.”

  The twins stare at us. “You’re weird,” Four says.

  I laugh and my friends join me. Yes, we are. But we’re M.E.O.W. Murder, every one wants.

  Chapter Two

  The wagon really isn’t big enough for us. Lily and Bethany share one small bedroom at the other end, Benjamin is sleeping on the bench in the kitchen and I’m crammed in between Ryker, Gryphon and Lennox on our giant mattress. We need to get ourselves a proper house again, but right now, it’s not worth settling somewhere before we know what’s going to happen next. This wagon is portable. If we get some horses, we can use it to travel to Attenburgh or some other town we need to go to.

  The twins have left. They refused to tell me where they’re staying and only said they’d be back tomorrow. I get why they don’t trust me. I don’t trust them either, yet. We might be the same physically, but who knows what goes on in their heads. If they’re anything like me, they know how to lie and deceive. That’s the scary bit. I don’t want them to be that jaded, but after talking to them, they might be even more broken than I am.

  Ryker slides an arm underneath my shoulders and pulls me closer. I give in and snuggle against him. Lennox growls in protest and shuffles close to me from the other side. Gryphon is already fast asleep next to Ryker; otherwise he’d probably try and join the cuddle party.

  I never used to like being in a bed with a man after shagging him. I had sex because I have urges, because it was fun, but I didn’t really care about the man attached to the cock in me. Now, I have three men in my bed and I don’t want to kick them out. How quickly things can change.

  Now that I’m no longer in heat, I don’t feel like I have to screw the guys. I’m content just snuggling with them, enjoying their closeness. Yup, I’ve changed. I’m losing my edge. If I had any sense of self-preservation left, I’d run now before I get even more attached.

  “Don’t,” Lennox whispers.

  “Huh?”

  “I know what you’re thinking. You’re scared of being happy. You want to run. You don’t want us to get too close. You’re worried we’ll break through the walls you’ve built around yourself.”

  “You’re wrong,” I mutter, even though he’s hit the nail on the head.

  “Is he?” Ryker asks softly. “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t you get involved as well. It’s bad enough when the doggo starts going all emotional.”

  Lennox growls. “Who are you calling a dog?” With a speed that must have been increased by his shifter abilities, he rolls on top of me and pins me down. I struggle, but not as much as I should. If I wanted, I could get away from him, but I want to see what he does. Call it professional curiosity.

  My pulse is speeding up and for once, I’m unable to control it. These boys are going to be the death of me. If they break through my walls, my protection, then I might not be strong enough to deal with the Pack. I need to prevent that. Saving my sisters is more important than my own happiness.

  Lennox bends down, but just before his lips touch mine, I buckle and throw him off. And across the bed. He lands with his back against the wall, staring at me in surprise. Oops. I’m not used to my new strength yet. Whatever happened in the blue house with Boris the scientist, my body is a lot stronger now. Raw power is pulsing within me, wanting out. I’m no longer tired.

  “Kat?” Gryphon sits up, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?”

  The worry in his gaze makes me want to puke. I scramble to my feet and run out of the room. Through the kitchen and out of the wagon I run until cold night air hits my face. I close the door behind me, making sure nobody is following me. I breathe in deep and look at the starry sky. With the wagon parked at the very outskirts of the town, we’re far from any light pollution. I never got to see this many stars from the M.E.O.W. headquarters.

  Footsteps inside the wagon tell me that I won’t stay alone for long. Fuck. Why can’t they leave me alone?

  I take another deep breath and shift. It feels like I’m letting go of a mask and putting on my true skin. I hadn’t realised how much effort it had been to stay human. I’ve not had time yet to figure out what happened to me in that lab, but I’m starting to think that I really need to do that soon. I’m stronger, but I’m also more feral. I keep having to control my feline temper.
/>
  After Mystery Man – no, Professor Lakefield – had taken off my collar, it took me weeks to get used to the feeling of no longer being caged. The feeling of freedom. Now, it seems like I’ve got to go through a similar process all over again.

  I pounce and run. Instead of taking to the roofs of the town like I usually do, I turn the other direction, away from the houses and towards the fields and forests. Tonight, I feel like I need to breathe. I need space, not the confinements of town.

  I race across the uneven ground, revelling in the way my body moves. Muscles stretch and relax, stretch and relax. Wind strokes my black fur that makes me one with the night. I’m a lethal killing machine, built for strength and violence. Tonight though, I’m not going to kill. I’m just going to run and run until I’m tired.

  Morning sun kisses my face.

  No, wait. It’s a kitten.

  She licks my nose with her rough tongue. Weirdo.

  I growl and she backs off a little, but doesn’t seem scared in the slightest. Most kittens would be frightened of a massive panther, but not this one. I’ve not seen her around, but she smells like one of Ryker’s clowder. He’s taken in not only the kittens that Benjamin had been looking after in our house, but also some new strays. It seems he can’t help himself. His heart is way too soft.

  “Go away,” I groan and put a paw across my eyes. It’s not that I’m still tired, I just want to be alone for a little while longer. I can already feel that it’s going to be a day where I don’t want to be around anyone, neither cats nor humans. I think I’ve been surrounded by people far too much recently. My feline side doesn’t like it.

  She doesn’t listen and lies down on the wet grass, snuggling against my side. Seriously? Have I lost my intimidating vibe now too?

  “Fuck off,” I snarl.

  “Bad language,” she mutters in a high, childish voice. “Ryker says we need to talk proper.”

  “Well, Ryker can kiss my furry arse.”

  “Why would he want to do that?”

  I’ve never been so tempted to eat a kitten.

  I sigh and glare at her. “What are you doing here? I’m busy.”

  “He told me to find you and make sure you were alright.”

  “Well, you’ve found me. Now go away.”

  The kitten gave me a disconcerting frown. Were cats supposed to have that much control over their forehead muscles?

  “You’re not very nice, you know?”

  “Piss off.”

  Finally, she gets the message and walks away. I’d love to sleep some more, but thanks to that evil fluffball, I’m wide awake. I hate cats, and yes, I’m allowed to say that because I am one.

  My stomach growls, telling me it’s time to leave. Maybe I should have had the kitten for breakfast. Just kidding. I’m not into cannibalism. I get up and look around. I ran far last night, further than I’ve gone in ages. It’ll take me a while to get back to the town. Annoyingly, that gives me more time to think. I did a lot of that yesterday. Now I just want to get on with life. Find my sisters. Create us a new home. Be happy. And yes, eventually I might be able to decide what to do about the guys too. Not now, though. The thought of analysing the way I react to them gives me the urge to cough up hairballs.

  I sate my thirst at a small stream separating two lavender fields before making my way home in a gentle trot. It’s a beautiful day, with sunlight warming my fur and butterflies bumping into my face, but I don’t feel as happy as I perhaps should. I’m alive, all my friends are alive, yet there’s a pit in my stomach that grows the closer I get to the town. I wish I knew what was wrong with me.

  If I still had our old house, I’d sneak into the kitchen and indulge in some catnip. That always makes the world seem so much better. Catnip for the win. I doubt any of it survived the blaze though. I need to get more soon, for these dark moments when I need a little boost. Maybe Ryker has some, but that would mean being in his debt. No, I’ll contact my usual suppliers, even if that takes a little longer.

  I have to cross a narrow river before reaching the outskirts. There’s a bridge, but people would see me, now that I no longer have the cover of darkness. I look at the cold, fast water. It’s not just house cats who don’t like water. I despise it too. I dip one paw into the river. Icy. Yuck. Perhaps this is a sign to stay on my own for a while longer. Not return to the others, just roam the wilds as a panther, live off the land, ignore my human problems. Oh, if life only were that simple.

  Just when I’m about to gather my courage to leap into the water, a faint meow makes me turn towards the sound. I know that voice; it’s the little kitten who woke me. She’s in pain and she’s scared. Fuck. Guess it’s time to play saviour once again.

  Chapter Three

  I follow her pitiful meows, away from the river and towards a small forest. Why the heck did the kitten even go here? It’s not the direct way to the town and definitely not a shortcut.

  When I get closer, a new scent hits my nostrils. Wet dog. No, not dogs. Wolves. Like Lennox’s scent, but a lot more menacing. There are shifters out here and they’re not the nice kind. This is getting ever more intriguing. Judging from the scents, there are at least three werewolves out here. If they’re all the size of Lennox, that could be a bit of a challenge. Luckily, most wolf shifters are smaller than him and less powerful. There’s no way around it, anyway. The kitten is in danger and I’m the only one around to help it.

  Why can’t people get themselves into trouble when I’m not nearby? That would be so much easier for me. Not for them, but still… sometimes I deserve to be selfish.

  The forest gives me enough cover to slowly sneak up on the wolves. I was right, there are three of them, surrounding the little kitten. She’s got scratch wounds all over her little body, but they don’t seem deep enough to be life-threatening. They’re playing with her.

  Anger fills me. I like torture as much as the next assassin, but I only do it to people who deserve it, not to innocent kittens. She’s got her paws above her head, shielding herself from the next attack.

  No more.

  I leap out of the foliage and land on one of the wolves, pinning him to the ground. By the time the other two realise what’s happening and turn towards me, I’ve already ripped out this one’s throat. Blood fills my mouth, hot and sweet. I freeze, realising I shouldn’t find it this…delicious. I shouldn’t want to drink my fill from his bleeding throat.

  One of the other wolves, a dark grey one, pounces and I react by instinct, rolling onto my side, evading him easily. The other joins the fray and then we’re fighting, biting, clawing at each other. Every time I bite one of them, their blood joins that of the first in my mouth. I swallow it down, greedily drinking their life essence. The frenzy makes it hard to think, so I give my instincts free rein, fighting wild and dirty.

  When one of them jumps into the air to attack me from above, I roll onto my back and extend my paws, slicing open his abdomen. Entrails rain down on me and all I can think of is how good they might taste. Hunger burns through me, a deep craving that won’t be controlled. The wolf’s body falls on top of me like a flying buffet. I open my jaws wide, catching whatever organs are tumbling towards me, but then the other wolf is there, his teeth sinking into my side.

  I roar and roll to my feet, facing the ashen wolf who’s growling at me. In slow motion, I see his hind legs lower, readying for the jump, but I’m faster. Before he’s even left the ground, I’m on him, my claws racing across his back, my teeth at his neck. He’s dead before he can take another breath.

  Alright, this has never happened before. I’m fast, but not that fast. The wound in my side is throbbing, but the pain is already lessening. As if I’m healing at record speed.

  The kitten meows pitifully. She licks blood off her little paws before progressing to the wounds she can reach. She seems fine though. A little shaken, a little bit injured, but nothing dramatic.

  I turn away from her to focus on the wolf corpses. They smell delicious. Sweet, raw, with
an echo of life. I want to sink my teeth into their flesh and rip them apart, wolfing down the fresh meat. Drink their blood.

  “Please don’t eat me.”

  The kitten’s trembling words pull me from my frenzy.

  I stare at her in shock. Blood is dripping from my fur, coating the inside of my mouth, filling my stomach. What the fuck have I done?

  I stumble back, away from the corpses. Even though my head is slowly getting clearer, their scent is still tempting me. This is so much more potent than catnip. If the kitten weren’t watching me with wide eyes, I’d devour them all until only bones are left.

  “I’m not going to eat you,” I mutter, retreating further. “How badly are you hurt?”

  “I’ll be fine,” she says bravely, but her voice is weak.

  I sigh and lower myself to the ground. “Climb on. I’ll carry you.”

  She looks at me with fear reflecting in her large eyes. She’s afraid of me, one of her own. I’ve really messed up.

  “Do it now or you’ll have to walk home,” I snap, more harshly than I want to.

  With another cautious glance, she does as I said, climbing onto my back, her little claws pressing against my skin as she finds a secure spot to hold on to. I carefully get up, making sure she’s not about to slip. When I’m sure that she’s safe up there, I increase my pace, hurrying towards town. As much as I want more solitude to think about what just happened, I’ve got a kitten in need of help.

  By the time we arrive back at the wagon, the midday sun is burning down hard. The blood on my fur has dried and little flakes of it fall to the ground, leaving a bread crumb trail behind us. The kitten is holding on, but her grip is getting looser. She’s not going to last for much longer.

  Ryker’s scent hits my nose moments before I can see him running towards us, shifted into his beautiful feline form. And then I’m surrounded by cats, a dozen of them, circling me like prey. I lower myself to the ground to let the kitten climb off, but she clings to me.