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A loud alarm blared throughout Sheila’s foggy mind, waking her from a dreamless sleep. Her head was pounding like she had tiny people hammering at her brain. What in the world had she been drinking at Eva’s party? The sound continued. Sheila groaned, shifting on the bed.
“Please stop,” she mumbled. The sharp sound was aggravating her headache. The scent of blueberries and clean linens penetrated her senses, bringing her mind back to happy childhood memories. Odd. The bed sheets in her cottage smelled of pine and forest.
Sheila cracked open her eyes, seeing the soothing green of her old bedroom’s walls. Why was she sleeping at the main house? Then she remembered, and she stood up in horror, ignoring the pounding in her head. Her stomach roiled. Sheila ran for the bathroom, vomiting the bile in her stomach.
The siren still rang in the compound. She ignored it. Vague images of a killing rage filling her came into her mind. She faintly remembered her ten-year-old sisters scream in fright when she lunged for them, intending to murder. Why had she done that? They were just playing! Why couldn’t she control her own actions and emotions? What was happening to her? Crying, sobbing, Sheila let her head hung over the toilet bowl.
“Sheila! Sheila!”
She jumped in surprise at her father’s urgent voice. His footsteps pounded in the room.
“Dad?” Her voice was a weak, broken whisper. John came into the bathroom, lowering to give her a quick hug.
“What’s going on?”
“Intruders. Ian contacted me telepathically five minutes ago. He has found the signs of humans in our territory. Armed humans. He’s tracking them.”
For a moment Sheila’s mind blanked. They never had human intruders on their lands. Other shifters? Yes! But never humans. She cleared her throat.
“Does he know where they are headed?”
Her father nodded in agreement.
“Ian said they’re headed this way.”
John’s tone was grim. He raked a furious hand through his onyx black hair. The cat inside him was close to the surface, peeking out through human green eyes.
“Dad, what the hell is going on? We never had humans trying to reach us. Why now?”
“I don’t know, baby. But I’m going to find out. Now let’s get you up and to the safe house. Can you stand? The sedative-”
“I can stand,” she interrupted her father, getting up slowly. She didn’t want to think about what had happened that day. Or was it the day before?
Sheila took stock of her body. Her head felt woozy, but the sick sensation in her stomach was gone. Her legs shook, but they kept her upright. Pushing back her black, middle-length, straight hair, Sheila avoided her father’s knowing eyes.
“How many hours have I slept?”
“About five. It’s the middle of the day.”
“And humans are entering our territory in the middle of the day?” Sheila asked with incredulity, meeting John’s ruthless expression. Her father’s lips pursed in anger.
“There is the possibility they had been on our lands for a long while. That they had been just very good at sending us diversions and at hiding their scent.”
“That doesn’t speak well of our patrols and animal senses.”
“No, it doesn’t. If the news gets out that we had humans on our pride lands and we could not detect them for a long period, the pride will become vulnerable. Other Alphas will challenge me until I either step down and leave the area, or I am killed. Exactly what the humans want. Dissension between the clans.”
Sheila took a deep breath, hugging her father quickly. “What do we do now?”
“Now, I go take care of things and you go to the safe house and keep the kids entertained and as quiet as possible.”
“John?”
Maria’s whispered voice came from the bedroom. Sheila released her father. They exited the bathroom, facing a scared and pale Maria. Sheila stayed still, waiting for her mother’s reaction to her earlier fit of rage. She had tried to kill her own sisters, for the Mother’s sake!
“Oh, baby, come here,” Maria crooned, taking Sheila into her arms.
Sheila broke. She sobbed into her mother’s tight embrace. She let out the panic and fear tightening her chest, crying until all her tension was gone. Despite the urgent need to leave, her parents didn’t rush her. Her mother kissed her head and her father caressed her back, making her feel like a small child again.
“Come on, Sheila. Escort your mother and sisters to safety.”
“I need to clean my face first.” Sheila wiped away the tears covering her face.
“No need. Your mother cleaned the paint off your face while you slept.”
“Oh,” was all she could say.
The three of them went down to the Alpha’s office. The door was closed. Ricky and Nicky stood talking, guarding the hallway. Sheila felt shame tighten her gut.
She had lost her mind in front of so many dominant males. How could they look at her and not see a weak pride-mate? She was an Alpha’s daughter! She should have control over her emotions. Instead, she was spiraling into madness.
Reaching the two Rangers, Sheila ducked her head in shame. Large, male hands grabbed her into a tight embrace.
“Hey, darling. How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she mumbled into Ricky’s chest. Though she felt anything but fine.
“Don’t worry, babe. We had worse fits than yours. I still have the bite mark Ricky left on my right butt cheek.”
A half-laugh, half-sob escaped her.
“They need to go.”
Her father’s quiet voice was grim. Sheila pulled back from the warm embrace of her friend and trainer, wiping away her tears. She needed to buck up. The pride was in danger. As a dominant member of the pride, and soldier in training, she had a duty to protect her pride-mates.
The office door opened. Sara and Sasha came running, lunging for her. They hugged her waist, crying.
“We are sorry, Sheila,” Sara blubbered through her sobs.
“Please forgive us. We didn’t mean to make you mad,” Sasha completed her twin’s sentence.
“Hey, hey. I’m okay. I’m sorry for getting so mad, and for scaring you.”
“Girls, you need to go. Take the tunnel under the house and don’t stop until you reach the caves. Corinne is waiting for you. She’ll tell you when it’s safe to come home.”
“Yes, sir.” Sheila moved to her mother’s side, facing her leader. In that instant, John Black wasn’t only her father, but also the Alpha of Dark Claw Pride, and she recognized his authority.
“I have to join the search and protection teams. I love you girls.”
John pulled his women into a group hug, kissing them on the head.
Sheila hugged him tight, afraid to let him go face danger. Pulling back, John looked at them one last time, then turned and left. Ricky and Nicky followed him silently.
“Let’s go.” Sheila led her mother and sisters down to the kitchen. She pushed the pantry door open, almost hitting a pride mate in the face with it.
“Hey!”
“Sorry, Ben. I thought everyone from the main house has left for the caves.”
“Oh, yes. I was just... I forgot something.”
Sheila lost her polite smile. Ben was a shifter that wasn’t able to take animal form. A small percentage of their kind had that characteristic, and she was part of it. It wasn’t clear why the animal was trapped, and they might never find out. The human research was long gone. Was that inability to shift tied to her loss of control? The thought gave Sheila nightmares.
Ben cleared his throat. Sheila’s invisible hackles rose. Every time she was around the man, she felt on edge and her aggression levels rose. It felt like she was preparing for a fight. It had been that way ever since Ben had been accepted into their pride ten years back. But it enhanced n the last couple of years.
The submissive man seemed nervous, fidgeting with the ring on his finger. Well, they were in real danger for the first time in... forever. Of course, he was nervous.
“Whatever it is, it can wait until the danger is gone,” Sheila muttered, scowling at the man.
“But-but-”
“Ben, you lead the way.”
She didn’t want him behind her. The middle-aged male nodded, letting out a resign sigh. He grabbed the shelf full of cans, pulling it out from the wall. A steel door and an electronic panel waited for the correct code.
“Let me.” Sheila pushed her way next to Ben, entering the code to unlock the door. With a metallic sound of steel gliding over steel the door opened a crack. Humid, dirt-smelling air came from behind the door.
Sheila drew back, letting Ben go first. Then she nudged her mother and sisters inside the barely lit corridor. They went down the few stairs leading to the first tunnel. She followed her siblings, turning to pull the fake shelf back into place and close the door behind them.
Interconnected underground tunnels and caves formed a maze. For the Dark Claw Pride, it became a safe house. When the siren sounded, the pride knew to go to the nearest entrance to the maze. Just as Sheila and her siblings were doing.
Ten minutes through the tunnel and they reached the first intersection. Voices reached their ears. Women and men talked, and children giggled. Ben turned to face them. His somber face puzzled Sheila. What disturbed her more was his scent. It was acrid from the anger and distaste Ben was trying to hide.
Sheila could understand being pissed because of the intruders. But Ben wasn’t out there, searching the territory. He was safe. Why the anger? He should feel worry.
“This is my turn, ladies. It was a pleasure and an honor to escort to safety such fine young women.”
“Thank you, Ben. Be safe.”
Her mom’s politeness to the man gritted on Sheila’s nerves. She had the wild urge to claw him, bite him, and have the coppery taste of his blood in her mouth. Sheila shook her head, focusing on the noises surrounding her. As Ben retreated, the baffling urge to kill dissipated.
Maria took the twin’s hands, continuing their journey, going deeper into the maze until they reached their designated chambers. Smallish, rounded caves waited for their occupants. They held the basics; cots for sleeping, pillows and blankets, a chest with clothes and some personal items. The Rangers in charge of the evacuation distributed the food and water.
Sheila looked around the barely furnished cave. It was the opposite of the lush decorated rooms in the main house. Unease settled in the pit of her stomach. The space felt empty of life.
“Mom, I’ll go find Corinne and see what is the status of the evacuation. I think you and the girls should stay in the nursery. You can help with the little ones and calm down the anxious mothers.”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea, too.”
Maria’s gentle smile told Sheila more than a thousand words could. Her mom loved her no matter how messed up Sheila’s head was.
With a swift kiss on Maria’s soft cheek, she headed out to find Corinne. On the way, she encountered one of her class-mates. Ryan was supervising the new comers. Sheila heard him directing the males to the most urgent chores; checking the ventilation system, the water supply, or the electrical generators.
“Hey, Ryan.”
Ryan looked up from his list, smiling when he saw her.
“Hi, Sheila.”
Sheila shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Ryan had a huge crush on her. Everyone in the pride knew it. It made her feel awkward around him because she wasn’t returning his feelings.
“What’s the status of the evacuation? Give me a quick rundown of what you know until I find Corinne.”
“Almost everybody is here. Corinne sent Tommy and Seth to do a compound search.”
“Who’s missing?” Sheila kept the discussion professional, ignoring Ryan’s puppy love stare. He looked down at his click board, checking a list.
“Eva and her mom, Marcus and Leah, are yet to arrive.”
Just as he spoke, Leah came into view, running to them. From her scared expression, something wasn’t right. Sheila tensed, preparing for the bad news.
“Guys, we have a problem,” Leah said before she even reached the place where Ryan and Sheila stood. “Eva’s mom just arrived at the secondary entry. She’s alone. She says Eva found her mate last night in Marcus, but she doesn’t know where they went to complete their mating. They’re not back and she’s scared that something happened to them. She wants to go out and find them.”
Leah panted through her explanation. For the briefest moment, Sheila’s heart filled with joy. Her best friend has found her mate! Then the thought of something bad happening to them made her blooming happiness wilt.
Sheila snapped her fingers. She knew where her best friend might have gone. During their many sleep-overs, they’d talked about their mating day and where they would go to complete the bond. Ryan and Leah watched her expectantly.
“Leah, go talk to Ana. Convince her to stay here before Corrine restrains her. I’m going to the waterfall. I know that’s where the love birds are.” Sheila took off for the exit leading up the mountain. “Take care of my mom and the two demons, will you?” She screamed back at her friends, trying to light up the mood. Running through the tunnels, she ignored the murmurs and yells of scared pride-mates.