Shifter's Moon (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (11 page)

             
Irma looked back up at Jake as she fiddled with the underside of Lorelei’s arm, looking for a vein.  “See, unlike fairy tales, our friends here don’t change only under the full moon or a shifter’s moon as we like to call it.  I have no idea where that part of their mythology came from.  Most folks can change at will, or it can be triggered if they have a strong emotional reaction to something.  Lorelei here is wounded, so it’s more difficult for her to change.  Over the years we’ve developed some serums to assist with their transformation, healing processes, and the like.”

             
“You’re going to change right here?” Jake exclaimed.

             
“Don’t be alarmed,” Lorelei smiled dreamily as the needle went in and Irma injected the serum, “but you and Lia had best get the curtains.  It’d be hard to explain a large wolf dozing in your living room.”

             
The two obeyed and covered both main windows and hit the blinds on the kitchen’s before returning.  Irma had zippered up her medical kit and was standing back.  Jake took the cue and joined her, watching as the old woman turned and her eyes closed tightly, almost as if she were in pain.

             
“Here it comes,” Irma said, “I’ve induced her wolf form, it will help her heal faster.”

             
There was a sound like fabric being torn and Lorelei squirmed.  Jake was about to rush forward but Lia put her arm in front of him and shook her head.  He watched as Lorelei’s face contorted, and then another sound, like muscle being ripped and reassembled, shook the air, and the old woman began to transform in front of them.  The dress around Lorelei’s frame burst, causing little clouds of ash to erupt from the fabric, and he saw a thick blackish grey fur sprout from her flesh.  He was reminded of time-lapse photography of seeds sprouting from the earth, twirling frenetically toward daylight.

             
It was all over in a matter of minutes.  Where Lorelei had once been lying a massive grey timber wolf now rested, its long hair cascading over its gaunt limbs.  But it had the same eyes as Lorelei, deep penetrating yellow irises that looked at him with a degree of understanding and compassion.  But there was also a warning in her gaze. 
If you are friend, I will protect you to the end.  If you are foe, I will kill you without a second thought
.

             
It was a primal sort of understanding.  One which was dictated by the laws of nature, and he found himself not only compelled to return the promise, but as his hand slid down and found Lia’s fingers, he knew he would do whatever it took to protect them both. 

             
“Go ahead,” Lia said, motioning him toward the wolf.

             
Slowly he made several steps toward the wolf, and it lowered the massive lope of its head.  The couch creaked under the weight of the creature, who was now probably a good four feet on him if it had stood on its hind legs, and who easily met him at eye level as he approached. 

             
“I guess,” he gulped, “I owe you an apology.”

             
The wolf pulled back its lips to reveal glistening fangs in what he imagined was Lorelei’s cunning smile, and extended his hand.  The wolf sniffed it and licked it in a gesture of friendship.  He noticed that its front paw was still injured and that it was limping.  Its muzzle wrinkled in an expression of pain and he reached out and touched the creature’s head.

             
“How long will it take for her to heal?” he asked to no one in particular.

             
“It depends,” Irma said after a moment, and walked forward to examine the wolf with the same demeanor you’d approach a house pet with and scratched her head. “She’ll be vulnerable until then.  I don’t know how long the serum will let her stay in this form.”

             
“We can’t stay here.  If the others found us this easily, it won’t take them long to pick up the scent and come here.  We need to get here somewhere safe,” Lia said.

             
“We need to get you both out of here,” Jake said.

             
“No.  No, she may let me off the hook, but I can’t believe that I didn’t somehow lead them here.  The first time I saw them at the store, I should have picked up on it.  I’ve let my senses dull, I’ve let my guard down… this happened because of me,” she said defiantly.

             
Jake turned and was about to grip her by the shoulders when she flashed him a scowl and he dropped his arms.  “Lia….”

             
“Irma, are there any sanctuaries nearby?”

             
Irma looked up from her examination of the wolf’s paw and her eyes darted around in her skull before she finally answered.  “Now that you mention it… there is an old church, up past Carter, but that’s half a day from here.  I know the pastor there, though, he’s a friend.  He knows the situation, and he could probably get Lia somewhere safe… there’s a number of other communities to the north near Seattle and into Canada.”

             
“Then that’s where you’ll take her,” Lia said. 

Jake slapped his knee.

             
“Listen!  I don’t know what we’re up against, granted… but you’re coming too.”

             
“I can’t… they’re looking for exiles.  They have too much of a lead on us.”

             
“So what are you planning on doing?”

             
“I’ll give them an exile,” she said flatly, and before Jake could argue added, “it’ll give Irma enough time to get grandmother to safety, and for you to get out of town.”

             
“I’m not just
leaving
you,” he replied, but there was a helpless quality in his voice. 
Can I really stop her
, he thought.  He hadn’t planned on getting involved in a supernatural blood feud, but as soon as he had stepped over that invisible line in the sand everything else had fallen away.  He stepped in front of her, and for once she was startled by his steadfastness.

             
“Jake, this isn’t your fight…”

             
“Bullshit,” he said, “I know it’s crazy.  Hell, this is definitely
not
how I planned to spend my time writing my book.  But I’m here.  And you’re here, and I’m not leaving you.”

             
Lia turned her head away quickly and he reached out and gripped her shoulder.

             
“You don’t understand.  They’ll kill you… just to get to me, and I’m not…” she choked, and tried to turn away again but he grabbed her other shoulder and forced her to look at him.

             
“Maybe I just met you.  But I love you, Lia.  That’s all,” he said with finality.

             
Lia didn’t know what to say and merely blinked.  He wondered if anyone, other than Lorelei, had ever told her that they loved her, and by the look of surprise and guilt that washed across her eyes he imagined it was very few.  Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to look away but he held firm until she finally met his own gaze.  She was trembling uncontrollably with her attempts to hide her fears and appear brave, but suddenly it had all crumbled away and he felt a twinge of pain. 
I just want to protect you
, he thought.

             
“If you love me… then you’ll trust me,” she finally managed to murmur, “I’m the only one that can stand against them.  I don’t intend to die.  But I need you… to protect grandmother.  Please.”

             
That
please
crippled him and he stared helplessly at her.  The part of him that knew she was right, that he had no chance of standing against the other wolves, that he would only be a hindrance, that the most logical decision would be to ensure that Lorelei made it to safety, fought a battle with the other side of him that now loved Lia.  He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, and his hands tightened around her shoulders.  She knew it too.

             
“Lia…” he repeated, and he felt her hand cup his cheek.  He looked at her and there was a sadness in her eyes, but she smiled anyway.

             
“I’ll catch up with you… I promise,” she said, and he bent down and kissed her. 

They held each other for several long moments, and felt Lia cling to him as if it were for the last time, and he squeezed her, trying to will time to slow down so that he could live within their embrace.  Behind him he heard Irma clear her throat, and he slowly pulled apart.  Lia’s cheeks were wet with her tears and her eyes were like black pools.  He wished he could plunge into them, but the imminent danger that surrounded them pushed its way to the front of his mind.

“Okay,” he finally said, “the Ford is busted, how’s your pickup?”

“It works well enough,” Irma said, “I imagine Lorelei will turn back in a quarter of an hour.  We should leave now, there’s likely not much time.”

“If I drive we can make the church by evening,” he said, and kissed Lia’s forehead, “and you, whatever you’re planning on doing, we should agree on some place to meet up.”

“I’ll join you… as soon as I can,” she said.

He felt another lump rise in his throat.  He hated the feeling of helplessness, even if Lia could handle herself.  But against four of them?” he said.

She grinned at him.  “I think I’ll have to borrow your car, though.  I’m fresh out of motorcycles this round,” she said, extending her hand.  It was true, they’d had to abandon her bike back at the acreage.  He reached in his pockets and placed the keys in her hand, and his fingers wrapped around her small fist.  She nodded, and without looking back turned and walked out.  Jake felt something pierce his heart and bit his tongue.  He turned and faced Irma and the wolf in his living room.

“Alright.  Let’s run,” he announced.

Chapter Ten

The road out of Barrelgrove was eerily absent of traffic, and as Jake maneuvered Irma’s pickup down the dusty road back out onto the freeway he couldn’t help but keep casting a sidelong glance in his side and rear view mirrors.  What he hoped to see was obvious, even though he knew it was impossible – part of him wanted to believe that he’d see Lia pulling in behind him, but he knew that was only foolish hope. 
             

             
He had a promise to fulfill to her, to bring Lorelei to safety at the church, and he’d do it.  But he also wanted to get there as quickly as possible so he could return, even though he knew he’d be useless to Lia.  What did she hope to do?  He had deliberately not asked, but the sick sensation of worry continued to grip at his stomach and he felt sick thinking about it.  Most likely she’d try to lure them away.  He hoped that’s all she’d try to do.

             
In the back seat Irma was caring for Lorelei who had returned to her human form and was wrapped in a blanket he’d scoured from the pantry.  Occasionally she’d look up and then promptly pass into unconsciousness again.

             
“Irma, tell me about this church,” he said at one point, hoping to distract his thoughts from Lia.

             
Irma reached into her Carhartt jacket and pulled out a small spherical flask.  She had changed in personality, from the bumbling small-town baker with a big smile to a stolid soldier of a woman who barely cracked a grin and seemed constantly on edge.  And yet there was a maturity to her, as if she’d suffered enough in the past to know exactly what to do now.  She took a hearty sip from the flask, handed it to Jake who shook his head before finally accepting it.  He tasted something caustic pour over his tongue and handed the flask back.

             
“What the hell is that?”

             
“Moonshine,” Irma replied, “mostly.”

             
“I see,”

             
“Doubles an antiseptic,” she pointed out, “but to answer your question, the church belongs to an old friend.  He used to live in Barrelgrove.”

             
“I didn’t realize there was such an underground,”

             
“You didn’t realize there were individuals like Lia and Lorelei here until a few days ago,”

             
“Good point,” Jake said, “can we trust him?”

             
Irma nodded.  “Barrelgrove isn’t the only sanctuary for exiles.  Like I said, there are a number of small communes all up the West Coast, reaching as far into Canada.  They keep a low profile, keep themselves off the grid… and for the most part they never have to worry about anything.  Very occasionally they’ll have summits to share information… but they’ve managed to survive this long precisely because they just to be isolationists.”

             
“Where do people like you enter the equation?” Jake asked.

             
Irma’s pickup handled like a dream and he pressed his foot down harder on the gas as they zoomed up the freeway.  “There are a few of us… who are trusted by them.  We help them… try to keep them safe from the tribe.  But we have to be equally careful… we’re just at their mercy, and they don’t take kindly to ‘normal folk’ abetting exiles.”