Authors: Colleen Gleason
“Here.” Bree stood on the stairs. “What do you want?”
Seamus growled. “I know what they want. How did you find us?” he asked Broderick. “No way you tracked us.”
Broderick shrugged. “No way
most
Shifters could have tracked you. You went to ground fast and pretty good. But there are trackers, and then there’s Tiger.”
Tiger stood quietly, offering no explanation. “There is a cub here.”
“Seamus, who the hell are they?” Francesca demanded, scared. She was afraid for Katie, terrified the cub would be taken. Her mission, and Seamus’s, was to keep the cubs free. Tiger should not have known Katie was here. Seamus hadn’t betrayed her existence with word or deed. He hadn’t even told Bree, as much as he’d been tempted to trust her, until he’d brought her here.
Broderick hadn’t known—he looked surprised. “Tiger just seems to know where cubs are and when they’re in trouble. He has this this search-and-rescue thing going on.”
Tiger started for the stairs. Seamus grabbed for him to stop him, but found himself holding empty air.
Bree got in front of Tiger and blocked the way up the stairs. “You leave her alone!”
Seamus went for Tiger again, landing on the bigger man’s back. He remembered the cops shooting Tiger at the house, and Tiger just staring at them. Seamus knew it was a mean thing to do, but he jabbed his hand where he remembered the bullet wound had been.
Tiger snarled. He swung around—fast—then rapidly became a tiger, his clothes splitting and falling away. Francesca came off the sofa again and tried to tackle him. Seamus ended up on top of her as Tiger threw them both off.
Bree was yelling. Tiger simply bumped her out of the way as he flowed up the stairs. Bree grabbed his tail as he passed, but Tiger kept going, pulling Bree along with him.
Seamus was up and after them, Francesca right behind him. Broderick leisurely brought up the rear. “She’s got Tiger by the tail,” he said. “Not a great place to be.”
Seamus reached the second floor to see Tiger moving unerringly into the bedroom where they’d left Katie, Bree clinging grimly on to his tail.
Seamus made it to the door. Inside, Katie was standing up on the bed, her bear eyes wide. When the enormous tiger stopped at the bedside, Katie reached out and put one paw on his nose.
Tiger rumbled low in his throat. He closed his eyes and let Katie sniff him then give his huge face an inquisitive lick. Bree let go of Tiger’s tail, staying very still as she watched.
Seamus held his breath. He felt no distress at all from Katie. Curiosity, wonder, trust. Amazement that Tiger was so big, but no worries at all.
Tiger sank down on his belly with a huff of breath. He was so big that, lying down, his back was in line with the top of the mattress. Katie kept sniffing him, then she climbed on his back, clinging with her little bear claws, and rested her chin on top of his head. Tiger huffed again and settled down, doing nothing that would disturb Katie.
“See what I mean?” Broderick said behind them. “The cubs, they love him. It’s some program, or some genetic whatever-the-hell-they-did-to-his-head kind of shit in the lab where they raised him. Anyway, let me cut to the chase.” He leaned his big Lupine body against the door, tatts moving on his upper arms as he folded them. “Tiger was sent to track you down, me to talk—Tiger sometimes talks and sometimes doesn’t. Dylan wants you to come in. To Shiftertown, I mean. We’ll fix you up with fake Collars, and Sean will put you in the database so it will look like you’ve always been there. He’s probably already done it. You stop running, the cub is safe.”
Francesca growled at him, glaring with gray wolf eyes, testing his dominance. Broderick returned her look without concern. Seamus could tell Broderick was pretty high in the dominance chain himself, about level with Seamus. Not as high as Sean Morrissey, definitely not in the same class as Dylan.
“Like hell I’m taking Katie to a Shiftertown,” Francesca snarled. “She’s only two years old. I’m not letting you put a Collar on her—ever. She’s not living in captivity. She’s a wild bear, and she’s staying that way.”
Anger flashed in Broderick’s eyes—a Shifter who didn’t like backtalk. Well, he’d always get it from Francesca. She’d acknowledge her place in the hierarchy, but if she thought someone above her was an asshole, she’d say so.
“You think I’d stick a real Collar on a baby?” Broderick asked, voice harsh. “No Collars for cubs. Dylan and Liam won’t let it happen. She’ll get a fake when she’s around five or six, to keep the humans fooled. You and Seamus here will have to wear fakes too. We can’t let on that you’ve never been Collared.”
“How about this?” Seamus countered, his calmer voice a contrast to Francesca’s fierce one. “You give us a ride somewhere far from here, where Katie will be safe. Then turn around and leave us alone. We have things to do.”
He felt Bree watching him. Now was the time for choice. Would Bree come with him if he asked? Or refuse? And then what would Seamus do? Run with Francesca and keep Katie protected, or stay with Bree, who was bonding with his heart?
He couldn’t leave Katie, a helpless cub, but taking Bree with them would put her in danger as well. Bree also had a life, a mom, friends, a home. She’d be secure and happy in her normal existence—as long as she stayed away from Shifters.
Katie isn’t yours,
a voice in his head whispered.
She’s not even a Feline. You have no reason to take care of her. Bree is your mate. Grab her and don’t let her go
.
If Seamus listened to the voices, he’d truly go feral.
Katie made a small, happy noise. Seamus remembered coming upon Katie’s mother, dead and cold, her tiny cub crying out in distress. Katie had clung on to Seamus when he’d picked her up, her mouth seeking food from his shirt. She’d become Seamus’s right then and there. He couldn’t abandon her, and he knew it.
“Take Bree to safety,” Seamus said to Broderick. “And let us go. Those are my terms.”
“Screw that.” Bree faced Broderick, hands on hips. “Go away and leave them the hell alone, all right? Why can’t you pesky Shifters mind your own business?”
Broderick didn’t look intimidated. “What, are you going to slap me on the nose, like you did Dylan?” The air vibrated with his chuckle. “I’d have paid to see that.” His gaze returned to Seamus. “There’s no choice, my friend. I know you’re waiting to join up with Kendrick again, but he’s not coming back. Not for a while. Dylan did something with him—we don’t know what. We’re trying to round up his Shifters, make sure they’re all right. That means you three—unless there’s more of you hiding in the basement?”
Seamus’s mouth went dry, Broderick’s last words fading into garbled syllables. Dylan had captured Kendrick? When? How? Kendrick was as hard-ass and dominant as Dylan was—he wouldn’t simply lay down his sword and bow his head, not even to Dylan. Kendrick was a good leader. He’d never leave his Shifters to fend for themselves.
Francesca was furious. “You seriously want us to believe that?”
Broderick gave her a nod. “I’ve got one of the un-Collared ones from your bunker living in my house already.” He grimaced. “Mate of my girlfriend’s sister. Well, maybe she’s my girlfriend. This Shifter, he’s half feral, and we’re nursing him back to health. He’s driving me batshit crazy, and I can’t wait until he’s better and
out
of there. But what do you do? My girlfriend would kill me if I tossed him out while he’s still nuts.”
Seamus knew exactly which Shifter he was talking about. A Feline called Aleck had started to deteriorate into the feral state they all feared. He’d hooked up with a groupie one night—Nancy, Seamus thought her name was. She’d stayed with him, helping him. Aleck had disappeared the night Kendrick’s compound had been raided.
Now Broderick was saying Aleck was at
his
house. In a Shiftertown.
“How is he?” Seamus couldn’t stop the question.
“Aleck?” Broderick considered. “Better. Being with Nancy helps him. We’re hoping we won’t have to put a real Collar on him—Sean thinks it might make him worse. But we’re working on it.”
Seamus felt the weight of Francesca’s gaze. She was waiting for him to make the decision, to choose whether they’d let these Shifters take them or fight it out.
Shite
. There was Katie to consider. If Seamus let the Collared Shifters have her, she’d be stuck in a Shiftertown the rest of her life. She’d never be allowed to leave. Katie’s mother had fled her Shiftertown to have Katie, presumably hoping Katie would be forever free. Could Seamus break the silent promise he’d given to the dead woman to make sure Katie was unharmed and happy?
On the other hand, where would Seamus take Katie now? If Broderick spoke the truth, and Kendrick wasn’t coming for them, at least not right now, then Seamus needed to find another place for her. But he sure as hell didn’t know where.
He’d put together the safe houses while he’d been living in the compound, against the day they’d have to flee. He’d been careful, finding places that were abandoned or secluded, making cash deals under the table with the owners when he needed to.
All his hiding places were burned now. Bree’s house likewise was compromised. Seamus could take Francesca and Katie and run for it, but they’d have to get past Broderick and Tiger. Seamus was willing to bet there were more Shifters outside, like Spike and Ronan, waiting to sweep them up if they ran.
The indecision—or the futility of his choices—nudged the feral in him to life. Seamus felt the surge of adrenaline, his fight-or-flight instinct rising to take over. He could fight, kill, run. He turned slowly to Broderick, feeling his body ripple, wanting to change, his sight shifting to his lion’s.
The world took on curved edges, slightly fuzzy. With that curving vision, Seamus saw Broderick straightening, coming alert, his wolf’s eyes tinged with red. Fight, crush, break,
kill
...
A touch jerked him away from the spinning thoughts. Seamus looked down to see Bree next to him. The only thing left of her cat makeup was smudges around her eyes, a bit of black on the tip of her nose.
Her scent was warm. Violets, he’d thought last night. Now she was more honey-like, tinged with lemon.
Bree’s blue eyes held him, pulling him in. He could drown in that blue.
“Seamus,” she was saying, her voice soft. “I’ve hung out with a lot of Shifters. I stalk them, remember?” Her little smile tore at him. “One thing I’ve learned is that no matter how wild they get, or how badass they pretend to be, Shifters don’t hurt the cubs. They protect them against the entire world. Humans, Shifter Bureau, other Shifters. If there’s a safe place for Katie to be, it’s a Shiftertown.”
Seamus’s mouth was stiff, but he made himself answer. He was surprised he could still talk. “Once she goes in, she’ll never be let out.”
“Hey, we’re working on that,” Broderick said. He spoke calmly, but his wary stance hadn’t changed, and he wasn’t taking his eyes off Seamus. “Shifters won’t be captives forever. At least, that’s what the Morrisseys are always spouting. I know you all liked living in your crazy-ass underground bunker with no windows, but someday, we’re going to walk around in the light without Collars. You want to be around when that happens?”
“Sounds like a speech you’ve made before,” Seamus said.
“Yeah, well, you got me. I’m not good with words. And you should hear my girlfriend complain about
that
. Anyway, it sounds better than
Come with us or we tranq you and take you anyway
. Doesn’t it? You don’t have a choice, my friend.”
“I think Tiger already decided,” Bree broke in. “And I think Katie likes him.”
Tiger had climbed silently to his feet and was making for the door. Katie clung to Tiger’s back, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement.
Tiger didn’t wait for anyone to get out of his way. He just went. Bree and Francesca had to scuttle aside, and Broderick stepped quickly into the hall as Tiger moved through the door. Broderick didn’t try to stop Tiger or even talk to him.
Broderick
did
try to stop Seamus going after Tiger, stepping in front of him as Seamus left the room. Seamus abruptly shoved the Lupine against the nearest wall. He saw the flare of fighting rage in Broderick’s gray eyes, and then Broderick’s deliberate decision not to do battle, not right now.
Seamus released him and skimmed down the stairs, Bree behind him. Tiger was already in the kitchen, making his silent, swift way out of the house, Katie hanging on to his back.
Seamus charged out of the house ... and straight into a ring of waiting Shifters. Ronan, Sean the Guardian, Spike of the many tattoos, another Lupine dressed like a cowboy. Seamus sensed more Shifters in the front of the house, others hidden all around the property. They were taking no chances.
Tiger simply walked past them, carrying Katie away. Ronan, the bear Shifter, lifted a tranq rifle and pointed it at Seamus.
Bree barreled out of the house behind him. “Wait! Don’t shoot him!”
Sean gave Ronan a nod and spoke in his dark, Irish-accented voice. “Stand down, Ronan. I don’t think we’ll be needing that.”
“No,” Seamus said. The word held finality, and also great sadness. “You won’t.”
They rode to Shiftertown in a series of vehicles. The cowboy, Ellison, who introduced himself to Bree with the tip of his hat and a big smile, drove a black pickup with Tiger hunkered in the back, covered by a tarp. Katie was under there with him, with Francesca, who refused to go unless she could stay with Katie.
Sean had Seamus and Bree ride in a small white pickup with him. The others came on motorcycles or trucks, none of them pulling out of the neighborhood at the same time. They dispersed, rather than riding in a convoy.
“We’ll have to figure out where to put you all,” Sean said, sounding cheerful as he turned onto a street that headed downtown. It wasn’t a main street, and Bree wasn’t sure where they were.
“Katie will probably go in with Ronan and the bears,” Sean went on. “Ronan and Rebecca foster orphaned cubs, and they know how to take care of little bears, who can be a handful, I don’t mind telling you. We
might
have room for you, Seamus, at our place, but you’d have to live with Dylan, and even scarier, Glory. You haven’t lived until you’ve stumbled into Glory first thing in the morning before she’s had her coffee. My brother, Liam, might be able to squeeze you in, but Tiger lives in his house, and so does Tiger’s mate, who’s expecting. But don’t worry, we’ll find somewhere.” Sean relayed all this while zipping expertly through the narrow streets, heading ever eastward. “You, Bree, already have a home. Unless you want to stay with Seamus ...”