Chapter 11
ELEVEN
I tensed as they made their way toward us, and I felt Tia stiffen beside me. Her fear pulsed alongside my own heartbeat, beckoning my panther to the surface, a primal urge to protect and soothe her overwhelming me.
I held no fear for these Humans—bullies fuelled by arrogance and ignorance. In a true contest of strength, they wouldn't last a heartbeat. Even all four against me, devoid of silver, would find themselves woefully unprepared. But my fear wasn’t rooted in the physical confrontation.
It was the laws that haunted me, the biassed rules woven into the fabric of our existence, heavily skewed in favour of Humans. A Human could strike me down, mar my flesh, and walk away with barely a slap on the wrist. Yet, should I dare to retaliate with even the slightest aggression, I’d find myself shackled and condemned.
These were the chains that bound us, not just the physical but the societal shackles that held tighter than any metal.
So, as they approached, I suppressed the rising growl, the instinctive need to defend and dominate. I remained seated, my voice steady, cloaked in a veneer of calm I was far from feeling.
“We don’t want any trouble,” I declared, my eyes locked on the Human I had clashed with outside Spy Glass. The faint bruise on his face was the evidence to our last encounter—a lingering shadow of defiance.
“Oh, there’s no trouble.” He chewed on his gum, smirking with a cocksure swagger. Leaning against the table, palms down, his eyes weren't on me but on Tia—and not her face. She squared her shoulders, trying to mask the fear but it radiated from her as she sat up straight. But his gaze wandered from her throat slowly downward, lingering lewdly on her cleavage. His smile widened into a predatory grin.
I leant in, my voice low and lethal. “Back the fuck off.”
His movements were slow, almost teasing. I wasn’t sure what game he thought he was playing. This was just a crude contest of dominance, and although I might win in a physical showdown, he knew he had the societal upper hand. I could stand, push back, charge through him and his damned cronies to make them leave us alone.
But it wouldn’t matter. Not here in the diner with all these witnesses. Not one of them would vouch for me. None would admit he provoked me, that he came in and targeted us. No, they would all testify how the shifter lost control. How our kind should be eliminated at birth, because that was the Human agenda, wasn’t it? Every time we defended ourselves, justified or not, just provided them more evidence of our so-called danger. And anything deemed dangerous needed to be eradicated.
"You even think about touching her, I’ll?—"
"What?" He cocked a brow at me, his smirk daring me to continue.
Tia’s arms rested on the table. Where he stood meant she was trapt. She tried to pull her hands back to her lap, to shrink away, but he caught them, pressing down on her wrists. "Not so quick, sweetheart."
Her eyes blazed with the fierceness of her panther, the green in them intensifying. She yanked her arm, pulling away from him. She could handle them too. Maybe not all four, but him for sure. "Get off me," she said firmly.
The primal snarl that rumbled from my throat was uncontrollable, a visceral reaction as my panther sensed not just a threat, but a direct challenge to the woman I might one day claim as my mate. In the depths of my soul, I had already marked her as mine. Though we were young, and society's harsh laws loomed over us; my instincts screamed to protect her, regardless of the consequences.
"You forgot to say please," he said as he reached for her once more.
My reflexes were quicker, honed by both nature and necessity. My hand shot out, fingers clamping down on his wrist with an iron grip. Unlike Tia, he could only retreat if I permitted it. With a mere twist, I could shatter the fragile bones of his Human hand, reducing him to writhing agony on the dirty floor. The image of his pain flickered through my mind, a tempting siren call. I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to unleash the full wrath of my panther. He wasn’t worth the price of my life.
None of us noticed the woman who'd approached until she slammed a bat down on the table beside us, making each of us start in our own way. Yet, my grip on the man remained unyielding.
“There’ll be no fighting in here. I’ll call the police. I’m not afraid to,” she declared sternly.
“We’re not fighting, we’re talking, aren’t we?” the Human retorted smugly.
“They were leaving,” I countered firmly.
The woman, large and imposing, exuded an aura of authority that could instil fear in anyone, regardless of species or toughness. I could almost picture her at home, ruling over a brood of sons with an iron will that brooked no challenge. She placed her hands on her hips. “I think that’s a good idea.” She then nodded at me, “You two, finish that cake and then you leave. I don’t want to see you back here ever again.”
See, that was it. We were all asked to leave, but Tia and I? Banned. For what? Defending ourselves against some jerks? I despised them. Fucking Humans. It was so ludicrous. Sometimes, often really, I thought maybe we could achieve some kind of peace. Not me and those guys, but Humans and shifter species in general. Just to live. It was one world, and we were all part of it, crafted by whatever creator you believed in, each here for a reason.
But they were fucking idiots. All of them. They spewed lies, concocted stories, and seemed to thrive on vilifying us. When I came across Humans like these, no, I didn’t want equality; I wanted them gone.
“You need to let go of his hand, son,” a man’s voice interrupted my brooding thoughts, maybe the same age as the woman, possibly her husband and co-owner of the cafe. He held a gun, not aiming it directly at me, but the implication was clear, especially with the silver-laced darts it held—not bullets, but just as lethal to our kind.
Reluctantly, I released the Human’s arm, and the smirk that spread across his face was like that of a schoolyard bully who had just got you in trouble.
“Now, the four of you leave,” the woman directed them sharply. “And don’t come back here tonight.”
They eventually left, but not without a prolonged, calculating glare. The lead Human leant in, his eyes raking over me—not with the lust he'd directed at Tia, but assessing me in a crude display of dominance. If he wanted to play the dick-measuring game, so be it.
Before they cleared out, he locked gazes with me, his expression one of smug provocation. Reaching over, he deliberately plunged his finger into the centre of our cake, scooping out a piece and shoving it into his mouth. His eyes dared me to retaliate. I restrained myself, refusing to grant him the satisfaction.
After they departed, Tia and I sat in an oppressive silence. The man had disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving the formidable woman to watch over us. “Don’t go chasing after those four. They’re nothing but trouble. Keep your nose clean,” she cautioned, her tone firm but not unkind.
I nodded, silently assessing her. Maybe she was one of the rare Humans who genuinely advocated for equality and peace, who despised how we were treated. Maybe. But we were still banned, and her ambiguous warning lingered in the air like a stale scent.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Tia. “They ruined our evening. Are you okay?”
“It’s me who should be sorry. They wouldn’t be harassing you if it weren’t for me.”
She hesitantly placed her hand back on the table. I reached over and gently took it in mine. “They would have found a reason. You see it in them. This is what they do; they thrive on stirring shit and bullying those they deem weaker.”
“I know. I just …” Tia exhaled deeply, her gaze drifting out the window where the Humans had disappeared. Good riddance. I didn’t give a damn where they went as long as it wasn’t near us.
“Maybe we should head back?” The night was thoroughly spoilt. “Come on. We’ll take the long way home, shake this off. The evening’s still ours to enjoy.”
“Yeah.” Tia gave me a slow smile, and I would have kissed her right there if it weren't for the watchful eyes of the woman behind the counter.
We gathered our things and walked over to her. I set them down with a respectful nod. “Thank you,” I said. She simply nodded back, her expression unreadable.
The air had grown chillier as we stepped outside. Tia wrapped her jacket tightly around herself. I walked over to my bike to retrieve the helmets we had locked there. The lane was dark, devoid of streetlights or the glow from other vehicles—it was that kind of night. But my shifter eyes adjusted quickly, piercing through the darkness.
I had just grabbed the helmets when I realised we weren’t alone. The Humans hadn’t gone anywhere at all. The lead one was perched on a picnic bench in the car park, his cronies flanking him, still chewing his gum with obnoxious smugness. “Where are you going?” he called out to Tia.
I stepped back, positioning myself protectively in front of her. If they tried anything, she could make a dash back into the diner.
Or so I thought. The woman who had spoken to us earlier now came to the door, but she didn’t open it. Instead, she flipped the sign to 'Closed' and locked the door. A moment later, the lights inside the cafe flicked off, leaving us illuminated only by the dim glow from the car park lights.
“I don't want to fight,” I said. The last thing I needed was that.
Tia and I stepped back as the Human stood from the picnic bench. My panther prowled just beneath my skin, a familiar brush of fur against my consciousness. But mixed with that readiness to fight, there was something else stirring inside me—not quite panic or fear. It might have been coming from Tia, but entangled with my own heightened state, it was hard to decipher.
“But maybe we do owe you something,” he sneered.
They were prepared, more so than I expected. If they had left, it was only to arm themselves. Like a rehearsed dance, each of them pulled silver knuckle dusters from their pockets, slipping them on with a chilling synchronicity.
Then chaos erupted. They charged, and I met their aggression head-on. I lunged at them, my fists raised—claws still sheathed, but ready.
It escalated rapidly, each punch and block fuelling the chaos. I focused on the leader, knowing if he went down, the others would falter. But they were unnervingly coordinated, and their strikes were vicious and calculated. Each hit from their knuckle dusters felt like slamming against concrete.
As I dodged a particularly savage swing, another caught me off-guard, a heavy blow to my ribs that sent a sharp jolt of pain radiating through my body. I staggered, momentarily winded, my breath coming in harsh, ragged gasps. They used my moment of weakness, closing in like wolves on a wounded deer.
It was the silver. The fucking silver. It slowed me, weakened me.
“Tia, run,” I managed to yell, my voice strained with effort and pain. I didn’t need to see her to know she was hesitating, torn between fleeing and staying to help. But I couldn’t focus on her; every second was a battle to stay conscious.
The Human advanced with a grim smile, his eyes cold and merciless. As he raised his fist for another strike, I braced for the impact, trying to shield my head. The world tilted, my senses reeling under the onslaught. I was losing, and the ground seemed to rush up to meet me as I struggled to maintain my footing.
I had to fight. I had to keep standing, but the silver embedded in their knuckle dusters was like poison in my veins, each strike weakening me more profoundly than the last. Silver—a bane to my kind—sapped my strength, clouding my vision and slowing my reflexes.
Gritting my teeth against the searing pain, I forced every ounce of willpower I possessed to push back against the crippling effects of the silver. With a guttural roar, I allowed the shift to take hold where I needed it most. My hand morphed, bones cracking and reshaping, fur bristling through my skin, claws extending with deadly intent.
With a feral snarl, I lashed out. My clawed hand swiped through the air, catching the Human across the chest. Fabric tore and a howl of pain erupted as my claws found their mark. The sight of their Human faltering, wounded by my counterattack, sowed a moment of chaos among them.
“Leave us the fuck alone,” I managed to say.
It was only a flesh wound. He wouldn't die from it. But he screamed at me, a raw, agonising sound that echoed in the night. His friends pressed on, relentless. In the chaos, I lost sight of Tia; my focus narrowed to the immediate threats surrounding me. Then, suddenly, the night exploded with lights—big, blue, flashing lights and the wail of sirens that seemed to pierce through the darkness.
Police cars converged from both ends of the lane, their tires screeching as they skidded onto the forecourt. The Human police were out of their vehicles in a flash. I saw dart guns aimed in my direction. "Stop," they shouted at me. “Hold the fuck still.” “Do not move.”
I dropped to my knees, hands raised in surrender. Around me, the three Humans I had been fighting stood defiantly. The leader, with his shirt slashed open, was barely on his feet. Each breath he drew seemed to drain his strength, yet he pointed at me and gasped to the approaching officers, "He attacked us." His lips curled into a smirk—he was feigning his weakness.
It didn’t matter. It never did.
“On the ground,” the harsh command came at me. “I said, get on the ground. Face down.”
They didn’t give me a chance to comply. A firm boot struck the centre of my back, thrusting me face-first into the dirt. Hands grabbed my arms, twisting them brutally behind me. The cold bite of silver laced handcuffs snapped around my wrists, followed by a collar around my neck—not silver, for they wouldn’t be that overtly cruel in public, but a collar designed to prevent shifting. If I tried, or if my panther surged forward, it would break my neck.
“Tia,” I gasped. “Help her.”
The officers hoisted me up; it took three of them. All around, the air was filled with shouts, the Humans who had attacked me eagerly spilling their fabricated story. “He attacked us. We’d been to the café for a drink and a rest, and he came out here and attacked us.”
“You piece of shit,” I spat, lunging toward the speaker. The officers yanked me back harshly, the pull searing through my shoulders.
The Human laughed and stepped toward Tia.
“Leave her the fuck alone,” I screamed at them. “Get him away from her. He’s going to hurt her.”
“Who?” the officer holding me asked, his grip iron-tight.
“Him. Take her home. Please. I don’t care about me. Just take her home.” They had to. They were the police.
The officer arched a brow, his gaze flickering coldly between me and the group of Humans. "You boys planning on hurting this young lady?" he asked, his voice laden with a mock concern that didn't quite reach his eyes.
One of the Humans stepped forward, positioning himself unsettlingly close to Tia. With a grin that twisted his features cruelly, he said, "Not at all. We’re just going to ensure she's comfortable." His tone was sickeningly sweet.
"See," the officer turned back to me, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "He’s going to take care of her."
Panic clawed at my insides, the danger Tia was in making my heart race. "He’s going to hurt her. You have to protect her," I urged, my voice raw with desperation.
The officer’s hand clamped around my chin, jerking my head up to force eye contact, his grip punishing. "I don’t have to do anything," he hissed, his breath foul with disdain.
Tia made a move toward me, her eyes wide with fear. Before she could reach me, the Human snatched her arm, his grip tight and controlling. I thrashed against the officers restraining me, the silver coursing through my system sapping my strength, rendering my efforts futile.
"Don’t you fucking touch her,” I screamed, my voice raw with desperation and rage as I was manhandled into the back of the police van. The door slammed shut, the sound echoing ominously, a finality that chilled me to the bone.
Through the small, barred window, I caught a last glimpse of Tia, struggling against the Human's hold. She was left in the clutches of those men, her fate uncertain, her safety hanging in the balance. The van lurched forward, driving me away from her, each turn of the wheels a sharp twist of the knife in my heart. The darkness inside the van mirrored the despair swallowing me whole, leaving me powerless and haunted by the image of her being pulled away into the night.