Hisss

by Skye MacKinnon

  "Your Pride?" Lily asks. "Isn't that what you call a group of lions?"

  "Yes, but since the Pack already exists in this town, Mr Moon decided to steal that term and make it his own. Proud to be the Pride, that's his motto."

  "Bah. I don't trust him." Four's voice is dripping with disgust. "He worked for them and knew what was happening. He could have stopped the experiments, yet he left and turned a blind eye."

  "I agree," her sister mutters, staring into her cup. "Things could have been very different for us if he and people like him would have stood up and done something. He may think himself to be a good guy because he left and built a better organisation, but he's still a coward and a selfish bastard to me."

  "Hear, hear." Four holds up her mug like a beer tankard. "Let's drink to that."

  Lily chuckles. "Beth, did you put something in their cocoa?"

  "I might have overdone it on the sugar," Bethany admits. "But they looked like they needed a little pick-me-up."

  She's going to spoil them, I can see that already. Just like Benjamin spoils Ryker's cats, the kittens especially. I bet there are several of them on his bed just now, keeping him company while he's sleeping off his cold.

  "Did someone check on Benjamin?" I ask the girls, reminding myself that I'm supposed to be a good employer.

  "Yeah, he's getting better," Bethany says with a yawn. "And K2 is still out of it. We'll have to decide soon though if we want to keep her sedated or take the risk of letting her wake up."

  "We can't keep her like that," I protest. "That's like something the Pack would do."

  "Did you remember that she tortured me?" Ivy glares at me. "She's not safe to be around. She'll kill us all as soon as she gets a chance. Gryphon won't be able to control her forever."

  "No, but we might be able to find a way to cure her," I respond, trying not to sound too harsh. Ivy is right to be afraid. K2 is unpredictable and seeing that she almost killed me, I should be scared as well. I'm not, though. All I feel for her is pity.

  I sigh. "Let's talk about what happened last night. I'm missing a lot of what happened, just like you don't know what occurred between K2 and me. Who wants to start?"

  "Me." Lennox grins. "I was hit by exploding brain." He sounds really happy about that. Is this the moment where I question my choice of boyfriend?

  I smile at him. "I'd be more interested in the lead up to the brain exploding. What happened after I left?"

  "He started being more cooperative as soon as Lennox returned with the collar," Four says with a cheeky grin. "Almost pleasant. But of course we weren't sure if he was telling the truth or not, so we put the collar on him despite his protests."

  "He wasn't happy about that," her sister adds.

  "Not at all. He did a lot of screaming and begging, but Lennox was great, he simply ignored him and put the collar around his neck. As soon as it clicked shut, the guy went all glassy-eyed and drooled on his shirt."

  Ivy chuckles. "He looked hilarious. I really enjoyed that bit."

  "So did I. After a minute or two, he kind of came round, looking a little more alert. He was able to answer questions, although he spoke in a bizarre and slow way. Like. This. Two words. At most." She giggles.

  Oh my. My sisters are weird.

  Luckily, Lennox takes over before I have to tell them to stop laughing.

  "He told us that he wasn't part of the project at the very beginning, so you and K2 were already born when he became Professor Lakefield's assistant. He was assigned to her, but he also worked on a couple of experiments that involved you or other clones. Sisters, sorry. Some of the scientists focused on the behavioural side of the project, but he was more interested in the physiological. How he could change your behaviour with drugs rather than with the collar or by training you."

  I lifted my mug to take another sip of tea, but it was empty. Oh well, I wasn't in the mood to get up and make more.

  "Let me guess, he created the drug we were given? The one I found in the lab?"

  Lennox nods. "It's one of several he experimented with. I don't know how many drugs you and the others were exposed to, but he led us to a filing cabinet that is supposed to have all the answers."

  "Don't worry, we removed that before we set the building on fire," Four says with a wide grin. "It's hidden near the lab, waiting for us to collect. We would have carried it here, but then the cat came and told us that you were injured, so we didn't have the time. We carried it outside while Ivy played with her matches and hid it before following the cat."

  "Thanks for prioritising me over some files."

  She smiles as if I'd been serious. "You're welcome."

  "That was when he'd started talking about the effect this drug had on K2," Lennox continues. "How it made her unable to shift while turning her more feral at the same time. But as Four said, then the cat came and we asked him for the antidote like the note instructed. He knew immediately what we were talking about. I bet he instructed K2 to poison you."

  "And then his head blew off," Four interrupts. "Exploding into tiny bits. There wasn't as much blood as I expected, not until he fell down and it started squirting from his neck. You know, because there was no head to keep it in."

  "Yes, thanks for the explanation, I know about anatomy," I quip. I can't help myself; I hate being patronised. I've decapitated more people in my life than most assassins ever will. I'm an expert decapitator.

  Lennox chuckles. "So then we followed the cat until we got to you." His smile disappears. "You were unconscious and barely breathing. While I tried to make you drink the antidote, Ivy looked after your wound."

  She licked it, he means. My sister licked my arm. Totally cat behaviour.

  "When you were recovering, Gryphon told us to take Ryker home. The twins wanted to stay with you, but I wasn't sure if Ryker might not need Ivy's help, so we all went together. The rest is history."

  He wanted Ivy to lick my Ryker. And she's already licked Gryphon. This is getting out of hand.

  Lily gets up and puts the kettle on the stove. "Sounds like you had all the fun while we were bored out of our minds," she complains. "Next time, I'm insisting to be in on the action."

  "Ryker's heart stopped, Gryphon's stomach was slashed open, Kat got injured and poisoned, and they were all almost gassed," Bethany summarises. "I think I'm rather happy I stayed home."

  Lily shrugs. "When you say it like that..."

  "Your turn, what did K2 tell you?" Four asks me, ignoring the two humans. I should really stop counting Lily as human, but she looks like it and besides her skill in seducing guys, it's not like she's very powerful. I'm so glad she can't read my mind just now; she'd kill me. She hates being seen as ordinary.

  "First of all, you have to know that she was completely coherent," I start after Lily has refilled my mug. "Not like when she was behaving like a zombie or fighting us like a robot ninja. No, she was like a real person, with feelings and expressions and life."

  "You're such a poet," Bethany snickers.

  "Shut up. She told me that she sometimes had moments like that, when she was fully in control of her own mind, but that these moments were getting rarer." I fill them in on the rest of what K2 said, kind of regretting that Gryphon had been my only witness. The twins look as if they don't believe me. Or at least like they don't believe that K2 could have behaved in such a lucid way. I understand their side, of course. Ivy was tortured by K2 and they were both attacked by her several times. It's only natural for them to be cautious.

  "Maybe we can find something about the siren net she mentioned in the files," Gryphon says once I've finished. "Who wants to come help me collect them? I'd rather not be here when the wolf shows up again."

  "I'll come," Ryker, Ivy and Four say at once. I can't help but laugh. They all seem desperate not to have to deal with the wolves. I'm the same, but it's not like I have much of a choice. I just hope that it's worth it, that Mr Moon really has the information he says he has.

  I check the time. "We still hav
e a few hours until he comes back. By then, K2 will be awake. What shall we do with her? Gryphon, do you think you can control her?"

  He frowns but then nods. "Yes, but only while I'm awake. I hate to say this, but I agree with sedating her while I'm asleep. It's safer for all of us this way, until we've found a solution. But if we can wake her up now, I'll sit with her for a bit and see if I can experiment a little with how best to control her.

  Uh oh. That sounds dangerous. "Want some company?"

  He shakes his head. "It'll be easier to focus if I'm not distracted by you wearing my shirt. But if you hear me scream, please come and save me. You can even do it without a shirt."

  The twins start giggling while I imagine how nice it would be to disappear into thin air.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dusk comes sooner than I would like. I'm snuggled against Lennox's chest, breathing in his scent. We're in the living room, so I can't touch him in the way I want, but it's better than nothing. I've changed into my usual black attire. Sadly it's not my favourite leather suit; that needs a lot of repairing, if it can be saved at all.

  I feel a lot more comfortable having my knives in all their usual places, plus some poison darts and a garrotte. You never know who you may have to suffocate.

  Gryphon, Ryker and the twins left as soon as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. I doubt they'll be back until the wolves have left again. Benjamin is still in bed, as is K2, now sedated again. I never got to see her while she was awake; Gryphon spent several hours trying to figure out a way to reach her mind without letting go of his control over her. He's not had any luck yet, but as frustrated as he seemed, he's not given up hope yet. And who knows, we might find something helpful in the files they're retrieving.

  Lennox stiffens behind me. "They're coming."

  I extend my senses but can't hear or smell anything. "How do you know?"

  "It's a wolf thing."

  Well, that doesn't explain anything, but I let it slide. We have more important things to do tonight. Like finding some mutant wolves so that Mr Moon can tell me where my remaining siblings are.

  It takes another five minutes for him and his companions to arrive. Instead of letting them into my wagon, we wait for them outside. I don't need wolf stink all over my furniture. Lennox is the only one allowed to mark this home with his scent, and even then, I'm glad that us cats are in the majority.

  "Miss Feln, I'm glad you didn't change your mind," Mr Moon says instead of a greeting. He's got five wolves with him, all of them clad in black and all of them very, very big. It's like he only allows the strongest wolves to join his Pride, or maybe the others are at his home, doing the less exciting work.

  "Are you ready to go?"

  I nod. "Let's do this."

  "First, I'd like you to lead us to where you fought the wolves. I know most traces will be gone by now, but we might find something other people would overlook."

  I try not to roll my eyes. Sure, let's go on a wild wolf chase through the woods. A group of testosterone-filled shifters with me as the only feline. What could possibly go wrong?

  Three of them shift into their wolf bodies, but Mr Moon stays human. He smiles pleasantly. "Lead the way."

  By the time we reach the forest, darkness has taken over. Even to me, a creature of the night, the woods in the dark are a creepy place. It’s taken us ages to get here. I hadn’t realised it was this far. Last time, I was a panther filled with adrenaline from a fight. Being human is making me slow.

  Mr Moon hasn’t tried to initiate a conversation, and I don’t feel like talking to Lennox while having an audience, so we walk in silence. The wolf hasn’t introduced his companions, but I don’t really care. After tonight, I’ll never see them again.

  When we get closer to where the wolves had cornered the kitten, I extend my senses, sniffing the air, listening to the sounds of the forest. Many animals have passed through here since and the faint smell of rain predict that no traces will be left for us to find.

  I easily recognise the place, even in the dark. And just like I told Mr Moon, there’s nothing left to see. Wet leaves cover the ground where I left the bodies of the mutant shifters.

  “Spread out, search the area,” he commands nonetheless. I stay close to Lennox, watching as the wolves get to work. The ones who’ve shifted walk around with their noses close to the ground, while those who haven’t inspect the trees and lift rocks. Stupid, if you ask me, but nobody does.

  After a while of watching his men work, Mr Moon steps into the centre of the crime scene. His dark eyes start to glow red, like lit coals, as he slowly turns in a circle. This must be some kind of creepy wolf thing I don’t know about.

  “What is he doing?” I whisper to Lennox, but my wolf is frozen in place, his eyes fixed on Mr Moon. They’re glowing a little too, not as much as the older shifter’s, but enough to freak me out. “Lennox?”

  He doesn’t react, doesn’t even blink. Fuck. What kind of magic is this? None of the wolves is moving; they all seem to be in some sort of trance. I’ve never seen anything like it, not even at the Pack which was full of wolf shifters. I thought I knew everything there is to know about them. Seems I was very wrong.

  I step over to Mr Moon, waving my hand in his face. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  “Silence,” he growls without looking at me.

  I won’t let him shut me up. He’s got my friend, my mate, under some kind of mind control. I won’t allow that.

  In one fluid motion, I draw a knife and hold it to his throat. The steel glints in the night, a familiar sight that eases my worry somewhat. Most things can be solved with a blade and determination.

  “Let him go,” I hiss, baring my teeth. I feel my incisors grow into fangs as I glare at him.

  He doesn’t respond, doesn’t even flinch. I press the knife closer against his skin until I draw blood.

  “Stop,” he groans, suddenly sounding exhausted even though his expression doesn’t change. “Just a bit more.”

  A bit more what? Time? Blood? My mate’s life energy? I listen out for Lennox’s heartbeat just to make sure he’s alright. It’s a little faster than it should be, but nothing dangerous.

  “One more minute, then I’ll cut your throat,” I announce, but I lessen the pressure a little. I don’t want him to injure himself accidentally if he makes any sudden moves. I don’t like Mr Moon but I’m intelligent enough to know that killing him would get me into deep trouble. He’s powerful. Besides, Lennox might be a little upset if I killed his boss.

  I count the seconds, readying myself to make good on my threat, but just before the time is up, Mr Moon’s eyes stop glowing and he steps back, his shoulders slumping and his breathing heavy. He looks as if he’s just battled a pack of rabid dogs or run a marathon.

  “Kat.”

  I swirl around and run to Lennox. He’s leaning against a tree trunk, looking just as exhausted as his employer.

  “What the hell just happened?” I demand. “You scared the shit out of me.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know he was about to do that,” he huffs, holding his side. “Or I would have warned you. Gosh, I forgot how rubbish I always feel afterwards.”

  “After what?”

  “The Linking,” Mr Moon explains, no longer sounding as boisterous as before. “It’s a practice not known to many. I’m probably the only wolf in this town who knows the technique. The Pack certainly don’t, or they would do all sorts of evil with it.”

  “But what is it?”

  “We connect our minds to extend our awareness and find echoes that we may not see otherwise. Echoes of consciousness, traces of whoever’s been in this place. It only works for other wolves and I was doubtful whether the mutants were still wolf enough, but luckily, they are.”

  I’m flabbergasted. Echoes of consciousness? That sounds like a load of hogwash.

  Lennox takes my hand. “I know you’re about to attack him, but please don’t. He’s speaking the truth.”

  “
I wasn’t,” I mutter, but I’m not quite sure. Mr Moon is irritating me and I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself in his company for much longer.

  “We saw the wolves,” Lennox continues and I stare at him in surprise. “It’s hard to explain, but imagine it like shadows. They’re gone but their shadows are still here, lasting longer than any scent ever could. You ripped out two of their throats and sliced open the other’s belly, am I correct?”

  I nod, slowly. The taste of the wolves’ blood fills my mouth, a sweet memory that should repulse me. Well, my mind finds it disgusting, but my body is betraying me. My saliva glands go into overdrive and I have to swallow, forcing myself to think of something else.

  “We didn’t see you in the Linking, but we did see them die. They lay here for a while, and then they were carried away. Not by wolves though. Again, we couldn’t see whoever it was who moved them.”

  “Which means we’re looking for either humans, sirens or something else entirely,” Mr Moon says loudly, sounding more like himself again. The other wolves are gathering around him, all looking a little worse for wear. I wonder if he warned them before he did the Linking. I feel like it’s something that consent should be given for.

  "Sir, I saw something." A wiry man steps forward, his white goatee shining like a light in the darkness.

  "Yes, Jake?"

  "It may be nothing, but there was a shimmer, like the one I told you about before."

  Mr Moon sighs. "Which turned out to be irrelevant."

  "But what if it is?" Jake asks defiantly.

  He sighs again, even more dramatically this time. "Alright, tell me exactly what you saw. Where was this shimmer?"

  Jack walks a few steps towards a large tree. I remember jumping past that just before I ripped out the first wolf's throat. Once again, I smell his blood on my tongue. I tighten my hands into fists, squeezing my fingernails into my skin. The pain makes me focus.