Authors: Marissa Farrar
CHOGAN HAD BEEN on the news again.
Blake gritted his teeth in fury.
How did the man seem to have the ability to appear everywhere else, but yet eluded Blake? He liked to appear, drop a bombshell, and then run and hide to observe the fallout from a safe distance. Even more maddening, during the interview, the redhead reporter put Chogan through the mill, twisting his words to show shifters in an even worse light. Blake discovered himself to be partially responsible for that. Footage of him as a wolf had been shown to back up the reporter’s point. Though he knew he hadn’t hurt anyone, he had to admit he’d appeared savage, snarling and snapping at the protestors. Of course, what they didn’t show was how those same people had been attacking the lioness-shifter, raining blows down on her with their homemade signs. The footage was completely one-sided.
Chogan should have kept his head down, but instead he’d made everything worse by attempting to get people to understand what they were. Why couldn’t his cousin accept that the majority of humans would hate and fear them? Going on television to try to explain how they were ‘spiritual creatures’ when the news channel had such violent footage was never going to work.
An idea sparked in Blake’s mind. If he couldn’t find Chogan, perhaps he could force Chogan to come to him. His cousin had been using the media to get his point out. He saw no reason why two couldn’t play at that game.
Fired with determination, he headed across the city, toward the location of the news studio. At least the riots of the previous couple of days seemed to have burned themselves out, though he didn’t doubt that they would start up again given the slightest nudge. He hesitated. Would what he was about to do be that nudge? No, if he didn’t take control, Chogan would. He couldn’t allow that to happen.
Blake tried to use his new focus and determination to keep his mind away from his personal life. He was still hurting, a dual ache—one part from the news of the baby and the other from the loss of Autumn, which he had instigated. Had he done the right thing? He told himself he was only thinking of her, but then why was he experiencing this constant, sickening doubt? He worried he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.
Perhaps
when he got his emotions together, they could be together then, he thought with hope. But quickly the hope died. He would never say such a thing to Autumn. How could he ask someone like her to wait around for him while he sorted his head out? Not only would he not ask that of her, he also thought she would laugh in his face and tell him to get lost.
He’d left the rental car at home, preferring to be on foot. At least that way he didn’t need to worry about parking. Before long, he found himself pushing
through the glass doors of the building. A tired-looking security guard manned the front desk. He lifted his head as Blake stalked across the floor toward him, and the man’s eyes widened in alarm.
Look pleasant,
he scolded himself, and forced his shoulders to relax and a smile to twist on his face.
“Hi, I’m here to—”
“I know who you’re here to see,” the man replied, before picking up the phone and hitting a couple of numbers. “Ms. Christie, there’s another one of
them
here to see you.”
How did the guy know? The only thing he could think of was that the man had had the p
leasure of meeting Chogan and had picked up on the family resemblance. Blake held back a scowl. He hated the idea of being tarnished with the brush Chogan had created.
A
nother thought jarred through him. He’d shifted in public too. What if the moment had been captured on someone’s phone and released? Then he’d really struggle to fight the point he needed to make, to try to turn this whole thing around.
But I had no choice.
He couldn’t have just sat and watched while those people beat the lioness-shifter. It was bad enough that he’d had to hold his tongue for so long with Dumas, and look how that had ended up. While he didn’t want shifters to be public knowledge, he would never again stand by while one of his own was being hurt.
The security man studied him warily before putting down th
e phone. “Take a seat. She’ll be right down.”
Blake was too anxious to stay seated in one place. Instead, he stood, fidgeting and walking the small space.
A red-haired woman appeared at his side. “I believe you’re here to see me?”
He turned to her.
“Ms. Christie, my name is Blake Wolfcollar.”
She nodded. “Please, call me Annabel, and I know who you are. You were all over the news not so long ago for the abduction of that young scientist, if I remember correctly.”
“You remember the news report correctly, though it was bad information. Autumn Anderson was not abducted. She left with me willingly.”
“Yes, of course.” She bowed her head slightly in an
apology. “I am aware of that.”
“Are you also aware that Chogan
Pallaton is my cousin?”
She studied his face, “I guess that should have been obvious. The similarity is striking.”
Blake narrowed his eyes. “Hmm. Perhaps so. I’m here today to talk about Chogan, about the things he’s saying.” He gave what he hoped was a charming smile. “I hope you’re not falling for all of my cousin’s tricks, Ms. Christie?”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Chogan has always been an attention seeker. This time he’s gone out of his way to get attention, and frankly, I’m amazed so many have fallen for his antics.”
She returned the smile, though it was wary. “You forget that I was there, Mr.
Wolfcollar. I know what I saw.”
“Do you? How many times have you seen amazing feats of
magic
performed by magicians and not been able to explain them away, though you know it’s a trick? What makes you think Chogan is any different?”
“You’re saying your cousin is a magician?”
He heard laughter and disbelief in her voice.
“Is that stranger than believing he’s what? A shape-shifter? A werewolf?” Blake made no attempt to hide his amusement, and the woman’s cheeks
colored.
“What about all the footage?”
“Any fool with a decent laptop can doctor those kinds of special effects these days.”
“Well ... I ...”
Inwardly, Blake rejoiced. That was all he needed, just a little thread of doubt that this whole thing was a big hoax. People would always want to explain the paranormal away. It was built into their genetics. If someone was told about a ghost story, and then offered the choice whether to believe the paranormal phenomenon was down to an actual ghost or proven away by old pipes or an electrical surge, they’d jump on the practical option every time. People were naturally sceptical; only a very few he’d ever met were completely open to the paranormal world, and most of those had been shifters.
“So what is it you want me to do, Mr.
Wolfcollar?”
“I want the same opportunity you gave my cousin. To go on television and tell people what’s really going on.” He paused, “The problem with Chogan, Ms. Christie, is that he likes to pull these pranks and then disappear from public eye, witnessing everyone else’s fear and disbelief from a distance.”
She gave a nod of understanding. “I did notice how he’d made himself scarce after the last time.”
“Exactly. All I want is an opportunity to explain to everyone the reasons they shouldn’t panic, to pull my cousin up as the fraud he is, and to call him out on it. The man is a coward, I want him to show himself and accept the consequences of what he’s done.”
Would Autumn see the broadcast?
Would she think badly of him for essentially lying about the existence of spirit shifters to the whole nation? When they’d last spoken, Chogan had gotten under her skin, he’d sensed it. Just a few moments with his cousin had made her wonder if Chogan’s way was right, even though she’d been caught up in and witnessed for herself the chaos his way of thinking had caused. His heart felt like a solid lump in his chest. He’d done the right thing by pushing her away. He had to believe that. She deserved more than a guy who was still lost in his past.
“And when would you like this interview to take place?”
“As soon as possible, if that’s all right with you.”
“I should warn you that I’m not a sweet as I seem. Don’t expect me to give these ideas of yours an easy ride.”
He smiled back. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
THE TOES OF Autumn’s boots scraped across the ground as the people who had taken her hauled her along, each person holding her by the upper arm as they did so. At least she was out of the trunk of the car now. For that, she was grateful. Her abductors had driven her somewhere, and her exhaustion combined with the rocking, bumping motion of the car had unbelievably put her to sleep. When she’d woken, she’d done so with more fear than she’d ever experienced in her life. Unable to open her eyes or mouth, she’d first thought she’d gone blind and then would suffocate, then the memory of what happened came back to her and she forced herself to calm down.
She didn’t know how long she’d lain in the trunk, but the car had no longer been in motion. When someone finally popped the trunk, her bladder had been in agony with the need to urinate. With no other choice, she’d then gone through the humiliation of having someone else pull down her pants and hold her up while she peed against some shrubs, the leaves and twigs scraping against her upper thighs and bare buttocks.
She had long since given up struggling. Her fight had only left her exhausted and even more terrified. The people who held her were far stronger than she was, especially the man. She didn’t stand a chance in a physical fight, not dumb and blind and with her arms and feet bound with tape.
Her other senses hadn’t failed her, though. From the musty odor of damp earth and the rustle of leaves above, from the uneven terrain and the hoot of an owl somewhere in the distance, she discerned that she was being dragged through some woods or forest. Night must have fallen already. She’
d lost track of how long it had been since they’d taken her.
The motion of the people dragging her slowed
. The arms released her suddenly, and she plummeted face first to the ground once more, mashing her nose against the dirt. Pain exploded across her face and behind her eyeballs, and she tasted blood at the back of her throat. She groaned, turning her face to the side.
Through her pain, she heard a metallic cl
ick and a creak of wood. She barely got the chance to recover. Instead, rough hands grabbed her again and hauled her back up. The material beneath her feet changed to solid boards, creaking beneath their combined weight. The atmosphere around her changed, the acoustics dampening on her ears, and she realized they’d brought her inside somewhere, though she had no idea where.
B
lood congealed in the back of her nose and suddenly she found herself struggling to breathe. The small amount of air she was able to inhale past the clotted blood wasn’t enough to sustain her. Her lungs began to burn. Fresh fear ran through her and she tried in vain to breathe, but her airways began to close over. She could hear herself making strange whistling noises, though they seemed far away.
This is it.
She’d suffocate beneath this goddamned blanket.
The people who had her
must have noticed something was wrong, for the blanket miraculously lifted off her head. Fresh, cool air kissed her skin, though her breathing didn’t improve. She felt so light-headed, detached. Her fear vanished and suddenly she found she no longer cared.
The woman spoke. “
Get that goddamned tape off her mouth. She’s not breathing.”
The tape was ripped with force, taking the top layer of her lips off with such pain she cried out in shock
, bringing her back to reality with a bang. She flicked out her tongue, wetting her poor, dry mouth, and tasted blood afresh.
“You fucking bastards,”
she said, hoping to scream the words, though they came out as a hoarse croak. “What the fuck do you want?”
Someone chuckled and her rage grew.
“We want your blood,” said the man, amusement behind his tone.
The fluid they’d mentioned froze in her veins. She remembered what her father had told her the previous day, how shifters had killed her mother when they’d found out about her abilities. Was that what was happening now? Did they want her dead?
“You plan to kill me?”
Again, someone laughed, except this time it was the female voice again, the one Autumn had felt sure she recognized, but couldn’t place
.
“No, you’re more use to us alive. After all, when you’re alive, your body will keep producing blood. Once you die, we’ll only be left with a finite amount, even if we drain you.”
“Drain me?”
She really didn't like where this was going.
“Enough of the questions.” T
he woman seemed to redirect her tone to address her co-abductor. “Get her strapped down.”
Big hands grabbed her again, hauling her backward. The
backs of her knees hit wood, forcing her to sit. A rip cut the air as the tape binding her arms was removed. She almost groaned in pleasure at being able to move her shoulders into a different position, but the relief didn’t last for long. Someone grabbed an arm, holding it to the armrest while someone else strapped it down with her palms facing up. The same thing was repeated with her other arm. Autumn yelled out, yanking her arms against the restraints, but it did no good.
“Hold still,” the woman’s voice came again. “If you don’
t keep still, I’ll blow the vein.”
Fresh alarm raced through her and she renewed her struggles, filled her lungs
, and screamed as hard as she could. “Help me! Someone help!” She screamed even though her throat burned.
Something elastic
was stretched around her upper arm and tightened, snapping into place. A tourniquet. Deft fingers flicked at the crease where her upper arm met her lower arm, and then something pricked her skin, a sharp stabbing pushing inside her arm. She renewed her struggles and her screams.
The woma
n spoke again, sounding irritated. “Help me out here, will you?”
Man’
s hands, rough and broad, grabbed her from behind, his palm cupping against her face in the same way it had done at the apartment. She remembered that she’d bitten him then, but no longer had the strength. Suddenly, all the fight drained out of her, what strength she’d had literally draining from her body.
My blood,
she realized.
They’re taking my blood.
Her ears had been sharpened by the lack of sight for so long and she thought she could hear the trickle of blood as it hit whatever vessel they were collecting it in.
How much would they take? En
ough to make her weak, she didn’t doubt. The more they took, the more compliant she would be, the easier it would be to take more.
Autumn let out a
sob, her head hanging forward. Her nose began to bleed again and blood from her wounds trickled down her face, dripping from her chin.
In her dazed state, she was just aware of the sound of a door opening, the creak of wooden floor boards as more people entered the room.
“Jesus!” A different voice.
“Who the hell is that?” Another voice again.
Now one older, as rich as velvet. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The woman’s voice spoke up, “
This is the one he was talking about, the one who has the power to change people into spirit shifters.”
Autumn struggled to trace the number of different voices, which direction they came from and who said what. She felt as though she was surrounded.
“Seriously?” The chocolaty tone again.
The first different voice she’d originally heard spoke again. “How the hell do you know that?”
“Of course I know! He’s my cousin, isn’t he? I’ve known him my entire life.”
Another woman’s voice, younger this time. “
But what are you doing to her? There’s so much … so much
blood
!”
“
The secret is
in
her blood. My uncle used to tell me stories about her kind all the time. I think he did it to make me feel better, perhaps keep my hopes up that one day it would be my turn.” Her voice took on a bitter tone. “Well, guess what, I’m all grown up and I’ve learned nothing comes to those who wait. You have to go out and grab what you want with both hands. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“But he’s going to go nuts.”
“Why should he? He says he wants shifters to rule humans. He might not realize it yet, but I’m helping him.”
Autumn had a horrible feeling she knew exactly who
they were talking about.
Chogan.
Surely Chogan wasn’t involved in this?
But she called him her cousin, just like Blake was
—
The knowledge of who had taken her sprang into her head as if someone
spoke the woman’s name in her ear.
Tala!
She didn’t want to believe Blake’s sister would do this to her, but she couldn’t deny what was right in front of her.
“
Tala?” Autumn called out, twisting her face in the direction she thought the woman might be standing. “Why are you doing this?”
Tala
laughed, cold. “I think I just explained why.”
“
You won’t get away with it. Blake will go crazy when he finds out.”
“
If
he finds out, don’t you mean? And how is he going to do that?”
“He’ll come looking for me.” Autumn blinked tears from her eyes,
though the wetness only served to loosen the tape. But then she remembered their last conversation, how he’d told her that he didn’t want them to be together any more, how she’d basically walked out on him. How would he even learn about her abduction? Would he check up on her? He’d said he still wanted to protect her, he just didn't want them to be romantically involved. And what about Chogan? What would he do when he found Tala holding her captive, bleeding her out like this? Would he support Tala? Autumn didn’t think she’d been imagining things when she’d felt some kind of connection between her and Chogan. He cared for her safety. He wouldn’t let his cousin keep bleeding her in order to create a whole heap of shifters. In a way, what they were doing was no worse than what Dumas had been trying to achieve.
“She’s right,” the older man’s voice said. “People will come looking for her.”
“Not necessarily. Not if they think the government had something to do with her disappearance.”
“Is that likely?” A different woman’s voice.
“It’s possible. Let’s just say I have some inside information.”
The combination of blood and tears started to loosen the tape across Autumn’s eyes. She managed to twist her neck, and, using her shoulder, rubbed at the edges, working them loose. Before anyone had noticed, she’d worked one side loose, so it hung from the side of her face. She blinked, her vision blurred by the blood and tears which, ironically, had also returned her sight.
She blinked several times and her vision began to clear. She could make out the backs of several people standing talking animatedly to others. One glanced over their shoulder—a big man with a shaved head and tattoos running up his neck—and as soon as he spoke, she knew he was the one who’d hit her.
“Oh shit. Now she’s seen us!”
The back of a slender woman with long dark hair turned, and Autumn immediately recognized Tala. Her heart sank. She’d been right. Bizarrely, she was more upset for Blake than herself. He’d be so disappointed that his sister was involved in something like this.
The other woman took several steps toward Autumn, and she cringed at the aggressive stride.
Tala reached out a hand, and Autumn was sure she was about to hit her, but instead she gripped the loose end of the tape and tore off the rest. She took some of her eyebrow hair and eyelashes with it, leaving Autumn’s skin stinging. But Autumn was glad of the removal of the tape. She no longer felt so claustrophobic, even though she was still bound.
“It doesn’t matter now. She knew who I was anyway, thanks to you and your big mouths,”
Tala said. “We’ll just have to make sure she never gets the chance to report any of us.”
Autumn looked between the different faces—an older black man, a young girl with a partially shaved head, a tall, beautiful, ebony-skinned woman. Some appeared nervous, others determined.
She knew one thing. Apart from Tala, they were all shifters, and according to her father, shifters would want her dead.