Riley came to with the pitching of her stomach, only to have her head thunder with pain as it hit the roof of the transport. She came back down smashing her rib cage against the center console and was flipped backward and up, her spine absorbing the impact of another bone jarring slam into the roof. The world spun for a second more as she was tossed around. Then, complete stillness.
Her ears rang with the buzzing in her head, and she couldn’t draw in enough air. She felt like she was suffocating, and every breath brought a new wave of agony. She cracked open her eyes, and tears welled at the carnage she saw. Broken glass sparkled in the afternoon sun, casting a rainbow of colors over the two bloodied and broken men in the front of the car.
Darrell was twisted around the driver’s side seat, with his head resting on the back floor beside hers. One foot was pushed through the steering wheel, and she couldn’t see the other one. From her vantage point only the crown of Jerrod’s head and his gnarled hand draped over it could be seen.
She choked back a sob trying hard not to pull any more oxygen in her lungs than was necessary. She lost the shirt she was wearing somehow during the crash, leaving every inch of her skin bare. Riley slid her feet off the backseat, biting back a scream as broken glass dug into her skin. She could feel it ripping through her flesh and the warm fresh blood that poured from the wounds weaving a path down her legs.
She managed to get herself into an upright position and took a closer look at the front seat of the transport. Jerrod’s entire body was smashed into the small space of the passenger-side floor board. Blood poured from multiple lacerations on his face and head. She glanced over at Darrell again, although he looked pretty banged up, he was still breathing. In fact, small moans were beginning to escape from him. Jerrod, on the other hand, was perfectly still.
She could barely see the small movements of breath in his upper torso, and the deep hole in his chest oozing blood worried her the most.
“Jerrod, Jerrod, wake up.” She couldn’t remember exactly what happened, but she was sure they weren’t out of danger just yet. Her instincts told her they needed to get moving but Jerrod gave absolutely no response.
“I don’t think he’s going to make it.” Darrell slurred from behind her.
“Yes he will. We just need to get him out of this transport.” She said matter of fact. She couldn’t give into the thought that Darrell might be right. Her chest hurt in a new way, and she stifled another sob. No, she was a shifter. She would get them all out of this. She straightened herself as far as she could, feeling her ribs snap back into place. It eased the pressure on her lungs, and she took an unsteady breath. As soon as the bones were back in place her body went into overdrive trying to heal the most extensive injuries. She would need to shift to completely heal them, but she didn’t have time for that.
Darrell stirred behind her muttering a string of curses as he pulled his leg out of the steering wheel. She ignored the pain that wracked her body and grabbed Jerrod’s arms, pulling him up off the floor into the seat. Gods the man was pure muscle and as heavy as a slab of bricks.
“Come on Riley, we don’t have time for this. He’s dying; surely even you can see that. PIC will be here soon. We’ve got to go.” Darrell pulled on her arm, and her wolf roared in her head making the agony reach a peak. She turned on him and bared her fangs that had dropped down so fast they sliced through the flesh of her bottom lip.
“If you don’t want to help, then get the fuck out of here!” She snarled out. Surprisingly, Darrell didn’t even flinch; he only heaved a sigh and grabbed hold of Jerrod’s arm.
“Fine, then let’s get killed trying to save the dying.” At least they ended right-side up. As soon as Darrell had Jerrod pulled back far enough, Riley got into the passenger seat and placed her bare feet against the door panel. She sucked in a steadying breath, and in one swift motion pulled backward and kicked the door out with both feet. The silver paint flashed in the sunlight for a brief second before landing a couple of feet away from the car.
“Wait, put this on.” Darrell pulled his blood splattered shirt over his head and flung it at her. She stared for a second at the well cut muscled chest he sported, completely covered in the same swirling design that saturated every inch of his skin. The ink continued down disappearing beneath the waist of his jeans. His nipple rings glinted in the light, and she wondered briefly if he didn’t have any part of his body un-mutilated.
“Um thanks.” She said after clearing her throat and slipped the shirt over her head. She was swimming in it, but it was just as well, since she wasn’t going back inside the wreck to look for the other one. She twisted around and put her feet on the ground noticing too late that it was covered in glass. She barely registered the sharp sting of shards sinking into the tender flesh of her feet.
Taking hold of Jerrod’s ankles she pulled him across the seat. Darrell followed until the three of them were standing next to the twisted wreck at the bottom of a dry ravine. Jerrod sagged limply between the two of them, his head hanging and knees buckled. Riley took an instant to look around noticing that the ravine was covered in creosote brush and Joshua's trees. In fact, they were lucky not to have hit any of them on the way down. It seemed like the Lotus just happened to fall in the only clearing she could see. Good, it would be a great cover for them to get lost in.
“Okay, here we go. You ready Darrell?” She said hefting her side of Jerrod up so his feet were barely touching the ground. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, and she didn’t want to drag his feet too badly.
“Yeah, let’s move before PIC gets here.” He mimicked Riley’s movement enough that Jerrod’s feet didn’t even touch the ground. They trudged off into the thick brush; the creosote branches scratching them as they pushed their way through. They had managed to ensconce themselves completely in the vegetation before the sirens screeched out on the street above. They stopped dead, not wanting to give themselves away. Riley took a moment to lay Jerrod down and make sure he was still breathing.
“He looks really pale. I think he’s lost too much blood.” She whispered to Darrell.
“I told you he was dying but you didn’t want to listen.” He replied snidely. Her wolf let out a lonely heart-rending howl inside her head. The pain she felt bled into Riley, doubling the emotion of loss she was already beginning to feel. Her heart thundered in her chest as an idea came to her.
“I can save him. I’m going to save him.” She said, her decision going from unsure to positive in a matter of seconds. She bit into her wrist letting the blood flow freely. Before she held her arm over Jerrod’s chest Darrell stopped her, catching her wrist in a painful grip.
“No, it’s not your choice, and he can’t consent, so no.” It was the first time she saw true anger in his honey brown eyes. His lips contorted until he was baring his own set of fangs, but they weren’t the fangs of a shifter or a vampire. These fangs were thin and needle like; Riley had never seen anything like them before.
“What the hell are you?” She said on a whisper. “I’m nothing you have ever seen or will again, but what I am has nothing to do with what I will not, allow you to do to him.” Darrell nodded at Jerrod’s prone form.
“Please Darrell, I have to. You don’t understand. She has claimed him.” She whispered tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. She was finally ready to admit that he was her mate, and it may be too late.
“Gods damn it Riley.” He hissed out, his brown eyes flashing. He flung her wrist away and turned his back. He wasn’t going to stop her, but it was obvious that he wasn’t going to be a witness either. She didn’t say another word. She held her wrist above the hole in Jerrod’s chest and squeezed hard. Blood spurted from the already healing wound, their blood mixing into a crimson pool on his chest.
It wasn’t nearly enough. She bit down again, this time bringing the fresh wound over him so that her blood poured straight into it. She left it there long after the wound in her wrist had healed, the whole time praying to the Gods that so often abandoned her, that he would live.
Riley could hear PIC coming way too close for her comfort, the sounds of their boots scraping only a few feet from where they were kneeling. She held her breath and waited for the brush to part and be discovered. Darrell turned back to her, his eyes roving over her and then Jerrod. He shook his head and then did the unthinkable. He stood and took off in a full sprint.
Chaos erupted. Gunfire echoed around her and just over her head. The falling shells pelting her back as she covered Jerrod with her body. Guilt and relief mingled together as the agents took off after Darrell. The sounds of shooting soon faded, and she wondered if they had apprehended him. Darrell would surely be PIC’s best subject; unending torture awaited him if he was caught. A new species brought out the most sadistic scientists PIC employed.
She let the tears flow freely now, muffling her sobs with her hands pressed tightly to her mouth. After a few minutes, with resolve, she dashed away the wetness that clung to her face. As much as she wanted to, now wasn’t the time to lose it. She allowed herself a few moments, but she needed to pull it together. Her best defense of Jerrod was going to be in wolf form, so now was the time to heal those injuries.
She stretched her hands above her head and loosened her muscles the best she could. The change was painful enough without adding stiffness to the mix. When she felt sufficiently limber, she blew out a breath and un-caged her beast. The wolf was swift in coming to the front, stretching her muscles and skin, popping her bones. It was so rapid, it was over before a howl of pain could even make its way out. The world faded into black and white and the horrid stench of Vegas became disgustingly clear. With a snort she cleared her nose even knowing the smell wouldn’t go away. She shook out her honey-colored fur and followed the beast’s instincts to go to Jerrod.
She gave him a good sniff, noticing the slight change in his scent. An excited yip passed her maws before remembering that she hadn’t yet heard the agents come back through. That meant they were still out there somewhere. In compromise, she decided to clean him up a bit. She could at least do that much. With long languid strokes she cleaned him of the blood that coated every inch of him, her rough tongue sliding over his skin.
A sound pricked her ears in the distance. It was faint at first, but got louder fast. The sound of brush being moved around reached her ears, and she pin-pointed its direction. Placing her front paws on either side of Jerrod’s head, she stood her ground, fangs bared and a warning growl vibrating her chest. The sound ceased, and she swiveled her head trying to figure out where it went.
“We can go now.” It was Darrell’s voice, it even smelled like him, but she was in protective mode. She turned around, her massive jaws halting only inches from Darrell’s throat. She backed down after one look into his bloody face. His eyes were a pale yellow, the pupils drawn into narrow slits. His nose was nearly nonexistent, almost completely flat on his face. Only the oblong holes where his nostrils were remained in place. The skin she could see looked like the under belly of a snake. Smooth yet rough at the same time. He stared at her for a second as his forked tongue snaked between needle thin fangs to touch the tip of her muzzle.
He shook his head from side to side like he was shaking out his dreadlocks. When he finished, his face was the same array of swirling tribal tattoos and eyebrow piercings. Brown sugar eyes stared at her and a ghost of a smile tilted his lips.
“I told you. You’ve never seen the likes of me. Consider yourself privileged. You’re the only person ever to see my true face and live to tell someone. But if you do, then I will kill you, so don’t.” He said, pushing past her to haul Jerrod up and over his shoulder. As a wolf she couldn’t voice the millions of questions that were running through her brain. She thought briefly about changing back to do just that but decided against it. Her body was still trying to heal, and another shift would do more harm than good.
Darrell started off pushing his way through the brush, and she had no choice but to follow, as if she would consider doing anything else. He had proven himself to be more than just a snide remark wrapped up in a useless waste of flesh. She had never seen anyone do what he did earlier, there must have been half a dozen PIC agents chasing after him. Even an Other couldn’t take on that many without a weapon. PIC had experimented on enough of them to devise weapons that would ground any Other Kind instantly. Two things were certain though, it was bloody and quick enough to be silent. She didn't hear a single scream.
She couldn’t stop the shudder that rolled up over her spine. As soon as Jerrod woke up, she was going to have to impart a bit of preventative wisdom his way. He had it out for Darrell, and even with the change, she wouldn’t guarantee Jerrod would come out on top.
Darrell led her up the ravine for miles, neither one making a sound. The silence stretched on as the sun slowly turned the sky brilliant shades of pink and orange. She thought they would be walking forever. Surely they missed uncle Happy’s six o’clock deadline. Would the plane even wait for them? She was so full of questions, and she had about enough of the quiet. She stopped Darrell with a yip.
“Go on then, but be quick about it. We need to find a car and get to the damn airport.” He laid Jerrod down on the ground and rubbed at his neck. With a deep shuddering breath, she pulled the wolf back into her cage. She’d been out long enough that she didn’t put up a fight; she simply receded into her consciousness silently. She took a second to orientate herself to stand on two feet again.
“Okay, I’m good now.” She took a few steps ignoring the twigs and thorns that pricked at the soles of her feet. Those were minor in the grand scheme of things. She strode up beside Jerrod and ran a hand through his matted hair.
“He’s burning up.” Darrell said. The lack of concern in his voice made Riley shake her head. The two of them would never get along.
“Yeah, it’s the change. It’ll get worse before it gets better. At least he has been unconscious through it. It’s a pretty excruciating process.” Riley followed the line of his jaw with her fingertips. The tiny bit of stubble scrapped at her skin.
“We should probably wake him up then. He’s missing the party.” Darrell chuckled at his own distasteful joke.
“Can’t you learn to at least tolerate one another?”
“What do you think we’ve been doing for the last couple of months? Tolerating each other. This is as good as it gets princess.” He shrugged and bent to retrieve Jerrod from the ground.
“Fine, just be nice when he wakes up could you? He’s going to have enough to deal with without you ripping him apart.” Riley said as she stood up straight and pinned Darrell with a pleading look.
“Trust me Riley, if I could rip him to pieces I would have already. I take orders from Happy. Happy says no killing allies. He doesn’t say anything about treating them in the manner I prefer.” He threw Jerrod over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Fine, if you have to be such an asshole.” She retorted crossing her arms across her breasts. It was the wrong thing to say. Darrell was in her face instantly, pressing his nose against hers. His eyes flashed pale yellow, the irises narrowing.
“If I was a true asshole Princess, I would have left the two of you there to fend for your Gods damn selves. Now if you’re done being a snippy little bitch can we get moving?” Darrell turned his back to her and stalked off without waiting for an answer. Riley stared after him for a few seconds battling with the urge to shift and give him a piece. Her wolf raged at the challenge he put forth, but she knew at this moment Darrell was their best hope of getting out of Nevada alive. She calmed herself and took off after him. She had to sprint to catch up.
“Shhh.” He motioned her down the minute she came up behind him. They crouched together behind a large bush that barely provided any cover. Its spindly branches and drought thirsty leaves were so sparse she could see right through to the street just on the other side. Riley watched as several PIC transports rolled by. She couldn’t see any walking around, but she knew Darrell was playing the better safe than sorry route. After several minutes of nothing but the everyday human passing by occasionally, they stood.
In tandem, they moved into the street heading for the nearest transport. A black mini rover with blacked out windows that reminded Riley of something a drug dealer would use. Under normal circumstances, she would have avoided it like the plague. She may be a shifter but didn’t like to invite trouble. Unfortunately, these weren’t normal circumstances.
“You’re going to have to be look-out unless you know how to rig the doors.” Darrell said as he laid Jerrod down a little too roughly on the hard concrete sidewalk. Riley cringed as she listened to his head bang against the sidewalk.
“No, I don’t know how to rig them, and you might want to quit banging him around that way before my wolf decides to take offense.” Not that she thought she would be any match for him, but it felt good to say it. Darrell snorted in her direction before sidling up to the driver’s side door. He popped the panel to the fingerprint lock with a fingernail and dozens of multi-colored wires spilled from the cavity. He pulled a small pocketknife from his pants and sliced a couple, stripped them, and then twisted them together in a few different places. Thirty seconds after popping the panel, the door sprung open.
“What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation Princess?” Darrell picked Jerrod up and held his hand out toward the open door.
“Ha ha, funny.” Riley snapped at him and climbed inside. She headed for the back seat; she wanted to be there incase Jerrod woke up. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be long now. He’d been out cold for hours, and the change would be at its peak soon. She didn’t even think the dead could stay unconscious with that kind of pain.
“What’s the matter? Did I piss you off princess?” Darrell snarled at her as he stuffed Jerrod inside the transport. Riley grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled him back into the seat beside her as Darrell pushed his legs in.
“You know I’m getting really tired of you calling me that.” She gritted out trying to control her temper.
“Too bad.” Darrell slammed the door shut and began working on the fingerprint panel on the steering column. The transport trembled to life, and Riley leaned back against the seat cradling Jerrod’s head in her lap. His breathing was increasingly labored, and he was hot enough to make her skin burn. She could hear soft moans coming from him now. She blew out a deep breath and pushed some of the blond hair back that had fallen in his face. She had no idea how he was going to react to what she had done.