Silverbow (17 page)

I cried out as I felt every bone in my body ripple and shift, on the verge of snapping in two. My back hunched and my neck lengthened. A supernatural strength flowed into my arms and legs as I braced myself against the inside walls of the cabin and my cry changed into a rabid barking howl as I convulsed for a split second. Before he could re-aim and fire again, my carnal fever took over me and I was on his thrashing frame.

He fought wildly beneath me but with two lithe hands and a sickening snap, his neck went limp along with the rest of his body. My body slid around his as I sat over his lap, facing his carcass with the steering wheel at my back. I pushed his head back and watched it roll forward with wicked pleasure and then buried my face in his neck. His fear and panic seasoned flesh made my stomach growl as I let my tongue trace his nonexistent pulse. Hunger surfaced and defeated any human instincts I once had as I drew my head back and then brought my mouth back to his throat; tearing it, ripping it and devouring every last bit.

As I fed the starved animal inside of me, my mind went numb to my surroundings. The driver’s side door was suddenly yanked completely off its hinges and sent flying into the desert. I barely looked up and my new instincts fought against me as I tried to stop feeding and turn to see what was going on. When I was finally able to tear my mouth from the corpse, I witnessed another creature snarling only inches from my face as he hung in the doorway.

CHAPTER 14

Incandescent fierce blue eyes bore a hole straight to the back of my skull with rage. I felt blood gush from my mouth as my lips peeled back and I snarled at the creature. Its elongated muzzle wrinkled as he bared his razor sharp teeth and growled deeply. Suddenly hands were on me and we both fell away from the truck and smacked into the pavement below.

My body rolled a couple of feet away as the animal pushed off of me and I found myself on all fours. I watched as it paced back and forth in front of me on two legs, hunched over and sneering. Pointed ears, glowing eyes, razor sharp claws, strong hands, a demonic snout and the size of a man; I should have been running away scared. However, a burning desire to defend that which was mine had me hunched over and ready to gut my opponent. My mind buzzed with the realization that this is what I must look like now; a monster.

“My turf,” hissed the creature through a tight jaw and I was slightly taken aback that it was communicating with me. I began to pace back and forth, mirroring the beast and shook my head. It jolted forward and flipped me over to my back with its claws dug deep into my shoulders and I howled out in pain. “These are my hunting grounds,” it barked in my face and I remained on the ground beneath it without a reply.

The gut churning growl in the beast’s chest began to let up as the animal leaned into me and began to sniff. After a moment or two, its hold on me was released. Sauntering away from me and allowing me to pick myself up off the ground, it began to laugh. It started off as a choppy growl and turned into something a little more human. I stood there confused as my anger started to subside and the tension that had taken over my whole body earlier started to release. Confusion took its place.

I fell to my knees when my body shifted again and fire flared down my spine. My back felt straight again and I could easily roll my neck once more. I coughed and watched as blood sprayed over my human hand. Ignoring the blood, I was happy to see my wicked witch hands were gone. My ears itched and as I scratched them I noticed they too had changed back.

The only thing that had not changed back was my senses and I became acutely aware of the fact that my opponent was now inching towards me, his laughter had stopped and his heartbeat was increasing. Still quick on my feet, I stood straight up and cut my eyes at him. My gaze quickly widened when I found someone I knew standing before me naked and smiling.

The town’s beloved teacher, Mr. Hines had a look of bewilderment in his eyes and an amused smile smeared his lips.

“Are you fucking kidding me,” I whispered and let my body relax as I felt my gun against my side under my jacket. I wondered if that was really all I had to say. I had been brutally violated, forced to shoot myself in the head, left for the vultures in the desert, turned into a fucking freak, ate a man and now this. There was little that could shock me at the moment.

“My, my….look what we have here,” he said as he reached out and patted my shoulder. I shrugged away from him and he held his hands up. “Now, now. I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured me and laughed. He glanced down at himself and smirked. “Don’t be shy. You’ve seen it before,” he taunted and then turned around to jog across the road. He collected something off the ground and slid into it. He returned wearing black coveralls and flip flops.

“Really,” I asked sarcastically and arched a brow. He nodded and flashed his charming smile.

“I had no idea that you had matured, Miss Dakota” he said as he walked to the truck and leaned against the front grill.

“Matured,” I asked as I remained in the middle of the road. It had to be after midnight and I was sure that playing in traffic was the least of my worries.

“Matured, changed, shifted…” Hines’s look made me wonder if he thought I knew something I didn’t. I shook my head as though I were not catching on to what he was talking about. A big smile spread across his handsome face and he crossed his arms over his chest. “You have no idea what’s going on, you do?”

“Care to fucking fill me in,” I asked and tossed my hands up.

“Wow. I figured you would have been informed by now since both of your parents were shifters,” he started. My eyes widened and I almost choked.

“My parents were what?”

“Come on, Dakota. You don’t think this town was really created out here in the middle of no where by low life ex convicts without a penny to their names, do you? They had to have a major start to get it rolling. Someone knew about them. Someone knew their secret, their strength and the strength of keeping their secret. That fence line didn’t come without incentives and…threats.” My head was spinning and I was ready to puke. He pushed away from the truck and jogged over to me as I keeled over and vomited. After everything that happened tonight, this was what would make me sick?

“Tell me you are kidding,” I said against the back of my hand as I wiped my mouth. He rested a hand on my back as he held my hair back and kept on with the lesson.

“Once the government learned about us they figured they could use it to their advantage. In order to keep ourselves a secret we hid behind the grey cloaks of sinners to keep people out of our town. The government supported that and fed funds into the town. They gave us jobs watching their test sites because it was a trade: their silence for ours. If you only knew half of the shit that goes on out there! Civilians have their suspicions but they haven’t even begun to graze the top of the iceberg.”

“Get to the point, Hines,” I commanded through a clinched jaw.

“Werewolves, love. Werewolves.” I stood straight and cut my eyes at him. I wanted to beat the shit out of him for lying to me but after tonight’s events I wasn’t sure that he was lying. “Your father didn’t mature until your mother came along. Those of us with one Were parent can change when we are young, some in our 30’s and some never do. A rare few have the genes from both parents and don’t mature until they are bitten. It usually happens when they meet their mate,” his last sentence was spoken softly and I arched a brow.

“This doesn’t mean I am fucking you again,” I snapped and he shook his head.

“Who bit you,” he asked bluntly. I turned on heel and started walking in the direction on Silverbow. He was on my heels, not allowing me to walk away from the question. “It was that stranger, wasn’t it? I knew he smelled like a wet dog.”

“Murphy,” I replied without slowing. “He fucking ate me alive, shot me in the head and left me out here. Some way to fucking mature.”

“Dakota, not all of us get to make the change with the help of a pack or a teacher. Most people are left to do it alone. It weeds out the weak and forces you to cope with it hardcore. If you are strong, you survive,” he informed me.

“Then why are you helping me,” I growled and refused to look at him.

“I had no idea I was going to run into you out here. I was hunting and well…” he shrugged. “Would you like me to go away,” he asked.

“Hunting…” I whispered and stopped dead in my tracks. “Out here,” I asked and he nodded with a curious look in his eyes. “Are you the fucking E.T. Murderer,” I asked bluntly and his curiosity faded into the look of a guilty man.

“A man’s got to eat,” he said shamefully. “I can’t do animals. I vomit every time. Its human or I starve!”

“For fuck’s sake, Hines!” My hand’s rubbed my face and then clasped over my mouth as my eyes went wide again. “Mrs. Yates?”

“No. Oh, no, no, no!” He waved his hands in front of himself defensively. “That was not me. I swear to God, that was not me. Smell her, it wasn’t me. I promise.”

“Smell her,” I asked with a disgusted look. “She is rotting by now.”

“She smelled like wet cedar,” he claimed.

“Wet cedar,” I asked and started walking again.

“We all have our own scent…” he schooled me and matched my pace.

“Let me guess, I smell like roses!”

“Actually…” he mumbled and something dawned on me.

The necklace my father had given me came to mind. I could almost hear Murphy speaking, “Desert Rose”. Reality was starting to sink in and before I knew it I was running. My father had known all this time and never told me before he died. Why didn’t he? What was he waiting for? Would he have deserted me too? Wait…he did. I suddenly hated my father. I already hated my mother but I found myself hating her even more. I feverishly thought of who else knew about this and before I knew it my thoughts had outrun me and I was on my knees in the middle of the desert.

Tears streamed down my cheeks and my senses flared wildly. “You better calm down or you are going to frenzy,” he said in his calm and collected voice. He wasn’t even out of breath. “Frenzy or change…whatever you wish to call it.”

“Who else,” I asked.

“I’m only sure of a few. I know ninety percent of Silverbow has the genes but I am not sure who has made the shift. You can smell it on them, you’ll see.” He placed his strong hands on me and lifted me back to my feet. I stood before him and tried not to pass out. Focusing on his blue eyes, I calmed my nerves and took a deep breath. “I was pretty certain that you had not shifted yet when we met. Your nature wasn’t pouring into the bedroom yet. You will find sex to be much more enjoyable now,” he laughed.

“I didn’t need the help,” I pouted and turned to look around us. “Fuck, how far from home are we,” I asked him.

“A ways but if you tap in,” he tapped his temple. “Running is a lot easier now.”

Sighing, I reached down and yanked off my stiletto boots and tossed them. I closed my eyes and picked up my feet. Suddenly I felt the wind on my face with increasing speed and an innate sense of direction pulled me towards my home. The whole way to Silverbow I could hear Hines barrel across the desert with me but I never glanced back over my shoulder. When I finally opened my eyes the world was awash with cool blues and greens. My second vision had set in. Every now and then I would see small flashes of orange and red when wildlife scampered across out paths.

Before too long I was approaching my house from the backside and my pace began to slow as I heard Hines change direction and leave me. The house was dark and empty. I recalled Greyden having moved out and the fact that I was all alone now. No Greyden. No Murphy. No truth to my past. No trust. I wondered how I still had any sanity.