Shifted Perceptions (Alpha Division) (16 page)

Chapter 30

Stone

The light of dawn began to peek through the Blue Ridge forest
, chasing the darkness back into hiding. At first, it was only the slightest lightening in the shadows around me, then bright rays of the rising sun began to strengthen, bringing with it life. My mind was clear and calm as I walked, listening to birds chirp their good mornings, as other creatures began to stir as well.

Leaving the cabin wasn’t
such a struggle; not that I didn’t particularly like leaving Foxy alone with David, if that was even his real name. Unlikely, I thought, but it was plain to see she was comfortable with the man.

Even more surprising was that she seemed to relish his demands on her body. I’d been both shocked and awed at the way he was able to command her pleasure, and not a little jealous.

But it wasn’t to be. I knew that and was okay with the outcome. We both held secrets and those secrets stood in our way. Or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I was more inclined to believe that to be true, from the ease in which I was able to leave her.

Though
, as I continued my stroll through the peaceful forest, questioning whether I should hide out a little while longer in another secret location I’d kept hidden just in case, or if I should get in touch with my boss; get the ball rolling once again, the hair on the back of my neck began to prickle and my steps faltered. The sensation that something was wrong grew, causing my shoulders to tense and I soon came to a complete stop.

Pivoting, I turned back towards the way I’d just
come. Something was wrong. What, I wasn’t sure, but I felt the need to get back to that cabin, and quickly.

I shook my head, trying to loosen the crazy thought. It hadn’t helped
, so I began to rationalize my actions, as my feet began to walk forward, Then, as the smell of something burning hit my nose, I moved more swiftly, until I was at a fast paced jog.

Even if Foxy was alright, shouldn’t I have hung around to see that she left safely? I hung on
to that rational thought, as I picked up speed. Though, I knew from years of experience to never ignore my gut instinct.

Because I had been taking my time leaving, enjoying the walk and the cleansing air that seemed to only surround you in the early hours of the morning, I found myself not too far from the cabin and quickly came upon them.

Stevenson had an unconscious Foxy thrown over his shoulder, Chris following behind him, as they moved quickly through the trees. I could hear fighting coming from above me and glanced up. I couldn’t see anything but thick plumes of smoke. Obviously, the men had shown up, attacked Foxy and her friends, and lit the cabin on fire.

My eyes narrowed on the two
men running off with Foxy. She’d taken them down before, easily, so it must have been some fight for them to have taken her out. In fact, the last time had taken tranquilizers to get anywhere near receiving the upper hand on her.

I knew Stevenson wo
uld be able to hear and smell me, well before I could sneak up on him. So, lifting my chin, I walked right up to them, my eyebrows raised, taking control of the situation as usual.

Both men stopped walking when they saw me approach. “What the hell is going on here?” I asked, my voice deep, demanding them to answer or else.

Stevenson nodded at me. “Sir, we didn’t know where you were, but I knew you’d want us to follow them. I caught your scent earlier and assumed you decided to do the same.” His eyes were narrowed, speculative, as he stared me down, no doubt noticing my change of clothes.

I glance
d back at Chris standing as still as the trees surrounding him. His expression said the same. They didn’t believe for a second that I was just following Foxy and David. The situation no longer called for evasive action.

My hand shot out,
punching Stevenson in the nose. Foxy fell to the forest floor, as he covered his bloody nose. “You’re right, I did follow them and you ruined my cover.”

“Bullshit!” h
e screamed, sputtering blood all over my shirt.

I stepped back just as he rushed me.
Ignoring the way my knuckles screamed, I flexed my hand, sending a palm strike to the center of his chest. Knowing he was a shifter, I was quick with my movements, keeping him down as long as possible, but there was only so much I could do. The palm strike caused him to fall backwards, but he was up and charging me in no time. I braced myself and when he hit, I flipped him on his back.

I quickly spun around just in time to see he’d jumped right back on his feet. I’d pulled my knife from my b
oot, but he never noticed. Not until it slid into his chest, as he tackled me to the ground. Blood seeped from the wound, bathing me in the thick warm liquid, as he slumped on top of me.

I hadn’t forgotten about Chris,
but as I fought with Stevenson, he hadn’t tried to help his buddy. Instead, I turned to see a limp Foxy bouncing across Chris’ back, as he jogged away.

With a grunt, I pushed Stevens
on off of me. As I retrieved my knife, I stood and looked down into his sightless eyes. He wasn’t getting back up. I wiped the blade off on my jeans before tucking it back into my boot, as I pulled the gun from my ankle holster. The first bullet hit Chris’ calf and with a cry, he fell to his knees.

I rushed forward
, as Foxy once again fell to the forest floor. She was going to have one hell of a headache, and worse, when she woke up. Her genetics would save her from most of the pain, I knew. That gave me comfort, though not much.

Before I reached them, Chris had pulled his own gun and fired.
He missed, hitting the tree to my right. I winced as bark shot out, slicing a couple of nice size cuts across my cheek.

“Shit!”
Chris yelled, trying to stand, but failing, as I aimed and fired back. He slumped forward, but I kept my gun pointed in his direction, as my steps quickened.

I
knelt down next to Foxy, my fingers sliding over her neck, searching for a pulse. Her heartbeat was a little too slow for my liking, but she was alive. Chris was dead and I didn’t feel too sorry about that.

I holster
ed my gun and lifted Foxy gently as I stood. Looking down at the pale red head unconscious in my arms, my breath exhaled in relief, or frustration, one.

“Finally figured you out, Foxy,” I said to the sleeping beauty. “You’re something, alright. Nothing but trouble.”

Chapter 31

Terry

I sat at a table; a long table covered with platters and bowls filled with food. Laughter echoed around me. It felt alive and welcoming. My family. They were all there, my boys, plus a couple of additions. I looked across the table at Sam. She held her baby girl, rocking gently, as she laughed at something Alex said. Jordan growled at him and took the baby from Sam’s arms, cuddling the little girl to his chest.

R
ed looked healthy, no signs of abuse, his skin no longer bloodied and bruised, as he threw back his head and laughed after throwing a good natured punch at Leo’s shoulder.

Teij winked at me before turning back to Hawk and
Sōm. The conversation looked solemn, but knowing them, it was only about the latest book they read.

A loud, deep guffaw grabbed my attention. Bear’s shoulders shook with laughter, his head thrown back. Then he pointed a
t Roman and shook his head. Roman slammed his fist on the table before pointing back, but his tight jaw gave way to a reluctant smile. Bear never lost an argument, I thought with a chuckle.

A warm hand wrapped around mine and squeezed, causing my smile to widen, as I glanced over at Paul. His gaze glowed with happiness, his teeth bright white against his tanned skin, as he grinned wickedly.

We stared at one another, in awe, in love. I never knew I could have this. As usual, I got
lost in his dark eyes, wondering when we might could slip away for a little alone time.

A
bruptly, my serene bubble burst, as the blood began dripping down his face. It startled me and I gasped, my eyes flickering up to see a black hole in the center of his forehead. Smoke curled out of the freshly burnt wound, as blood trickled down his nose and across his lips.

I felt it, before I saw it. The cool metal sat heavily in my palm and my stomach rolled with disgust. The gun
fell from my hand, clattering to the floor.

“No,” I whispered and turned to get help, but the table
was suddenly gone. My family was gone!

I
quickly faced Paul again, his smile was still in place, as if he didn’t know he’d been shot.

“What?”
he asked.

A sob caught in my throat,
“I’m so sorry.”

Blood began to pour steadily, covering his eyelids and he looked up toward the wound
, as if just noticing. When his gaze lowered back to mine, I cried out. They were no longer the dark orbs I loved. They were pale, sightless – Dead.

~

With a gasp, I woke, my heart pounding, as the remnants of my nightmare faded away. I took deep breaths, licking my chapped lips. Though it did no good, as my tongue was just as dry.

“Here, drink this,”
a deep voice said to my left, causing the rest of the sleepy fatigue to fall away.

“Where am I?” I croaked. My throat felt sore and tight
, along with my lungs, as air rushed in fast and painful. A sudden sharp pain slashed though my skull and I winced, gritting my teeth.

“You’re in
my home.” I turned to look at Stone, as he sat on the bed, careful not to jostle me. Was I hurt that bad? “Well,” he continued. “One of them.”

I glanced around the room for the first time.
Yes, I was in a bed, a comfortable one at that, with soft white sheets and a big fluffy white comforter covering me. Though the iron work on his footboard could have been considered feminine, the rest of the room took a more natural look. Mostly whites, creams, and light blues, gave off a peaceful feeling, and I couldn’t help but allow my head to fall back with a sigh.

“What happened?”

“Here, drink some water first.”

The first cool taste on my tongue had my slow sips getting stronger
, until I began gulping greedily through the straw. Stone pulled the cup away and I protested.

“Take it easy,” he murmured. “Not too muc
h or you’ll upset your stomach.”

Still a little bleary eyed, I watched as he placed the glass on the nightstand before turning to me. “I had a bad feeling and went back,” he said. “And found Stevenson and Chris running off with you. You were unconscious.”

I stared at him a moment, not understanding. My brain felt fried. “I don’t remember...”

“It looked like some men
from the organization attacked you and your friends. I found you down the mountain a ways from them. Other than that, I don’t know what happened.”

Images began bleeding through the cracks in my mind.
Kissing Paul. Hearing them come. Smoke. Fighting.
Death
.

My breath began to
accelerate, along with my heartbeat, as I replayed the morning over and over in mind.

“
What is it, Foxy?” Stone asked. “What happened out there?”

“
They attacked us. My friends tried to help, but we were outnumbered. I-I...” I didn’t shake my head because I knew that would only make the headache that much worse, but I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. Numbness began to creep through my limbs and I welcomed it with open arms. No feeling, only doing.

“Smiley got the jump on me and well, I remember fighting and him choking me.” I rubbed my neck and winced.

“You’re bruised pretty badly, but you will heal.”

“I know.
When I shift, it should help,” I said, then continued with my story. “I thought I’d gotten the upper hand, but then something hit me.”

“Chris. He was with Stevenson.”

I nodded lightly, “Yes.”

“I didn’t know what to do. You were hurt so badly and t
he fight was still going strong. I just decided it was best to get you out of there, so you could rest, heal.”

“You didn’t send them, did you?”

His brows lowered, the confusion in his expression looked real and made me feel a little more relaxed. “Send who? The men that attacked you? Chris and Stevenson?”

“Yes.”

“No, of course not.”

“I didn’t think so, but I wanted to make sure.”

“I understand,” he sighed, before standing up. “The bathroom is in there,” He pointed to the closed door to my right. “I’m going to make us some sandwiches, but if you need any help, just call. We’ll talk some more in a little while.”

Once he was gone, I slowly made my way to the bathroom. My muscles scream
ed and my head swam, but I finally made it. I looked down at what I was wearing for the first time, which wasn’t much. My clothes were gone and I wore only a dark blue button down shirt. It was long and hid all the important things, but I still didn’t like the idea of Stone undressing me while I was unconscious.

I pulled off the
shirt and shifted. In fox form, I stretched my tight, sore muscles, then shook, clearing the rest of the cobwebs in the process.

I di
dn’t stay in my other form long. The voices screaming at me all melded together, making my head ache even worse. Teij barked out orders for me to answer, but I ignored them and shifted back into my human form.

The need for a shower and food were pressing. The shift helped me heal and the shower relaxed most of the knots in my shoulders. My head still hurt, but not as much. Overall, I felt more alert after the cleansing shower, and that was a good thing while being under the same roof as Stone.

I didn’t have anything else to wear
, or at least I didn’t know where Stone had put my clothes, so after my shower, I put the same shirt back on and made my way through the house. It was much larger than the other cabin. You might call this a cabin as well. It was made of cedar and some of the decor had a rustic touch, but the high ceilings and large windows overlooking the lake, made it feel like there should have been a better, more elegant name for the home.

I made my way over to the windows to look at the view. It was breathtaking. The sun was setting, coloring the water a pinkish orange, and the mountains had gained that smoky appearance they were known for. It was a place I would be comfortable staying forever.

“Here you go,” Stone said from behind me. He sat a plate down on the table and I took one last glance out the window before joining him.

Stone watched me as I took a bite of my turkey sandwich. I chewed automatically, but the food was tasteless.

“Where are my clothes? Or I guess I should say your clothes, the ones I had on?” I asked him.

“They were
pretty torn up and dirty. I hope you don’t mind that I changed you. I thought it was best to dress you in something clean and comfortable.” His voice wasn’t apologetic, only realistic, so I nodded.

“You know, Foxy, you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want. I just wanted to get you somewhere safe where you could heal,” he said and I glanced up. “Those friends of yours, you can get in
touch with them whenever you’re ready.”

I blinked a couple of times and looked back down at my plate.

“Did you want to call David?”

“No,” I cleared my throat. “He, um, didn’t make it.”

The silence stretched and I focused on my heartbeat, then his, until I almost went crazy from the offbeat rhythms.

Stone’s hand covered mine. “I’m sorry,”

Looking up at him, I asked, “Are you?”

“Of course, Foxy. I’m not stupid, I could see how much you cared for him.”

“It wasn’t serious,” I lied.

He only nodded
slowly, disbelief in his eyes. “Well, you can stay as long as you want. Or leave. Whichever you prefer.”

“
For now, I’ll stay, if that’s alright.” I had nothing to go back to anyway.

My head swiveled, looking
out the window again to see the last of the sun disappearing behind the mountains. The night blanketed the forest like a long lost lover, ending my first day without Paul. Only the rest of my life left to go.