Chapter 1 #2
“What the hell was that?” Heather whispered, scooting closer to Claire. “It sounded like a pissed-off bird.”
The sound rang out again, more distinct this time. It was sharp and resonant, definitely avian. But what sort of bird could cry that loudly?
A series of thuds drew Claire’s attention to the ceiling.
Either something heavy was being thrown at the building or a small army had just landed on the roof.
She tossed aside the blanket and reached for her boots.
“Get dressed,” she urged the others. “If help has finally arrived, we need to be ready to run.”
“And if another wolf pack is attacking?” Kylie objected, but she reached for her shoes.
“Then I’ll run even faster,” Claire countered.
Shouts and louder thuds warned that the assailants had breached the defenses and were inside the building. Desperate to see what was going on, Claire went to the door and tried the knob. As it had been since they arrived, the knob was securely locked. “Damn it,” she muttered under her breath.
The unmistakable zip of energy weapons made her heart miss a beat.
“That was a pulse pistol,” she said and raised her fist to the door.
“The wolves have very few military weapons. This must be the cats.” Her conclusion was far from absolute, but she could do nothing locked inside this room.
She pounded several times then called out, “Hello! Can someone let us out? Hello!”
The door flew open, but a tall, dark-haired hybrid blocked the exit. “Door’s unlocked,” he told her. “But stay here. I’ll return when it’s safe.”
She nodded yet crept toward the doorway as the rescuer jogged back down the hall.
Was he one of the feline shifters or was another wolf pack trying to establish dominance?
It had only been a few days since the Riverside pack killed the old guard and took control of the lupine village.
If she had to bet, she’d put her money on the cats.
But all the hybrids were large and muscular.
Feline shifters didn’t look significantly different than lupine or raptor shifters.
“Can you see what’s going on?” Heather was dressed and standing a short distance away.
Claire eased the portal open just far enough to give her a narrow view of the cabin’s main room.
The front door hung off its hinges, clearly having been kicked in.
Wind gusted through the room’s large windows and glass was scattered across the floor.
Half the wolves had shifted. The other half were unconscious or restrained.
The lions—except they weren’t lion shifters.
Tall, muscular, winged hybrids had come to rescue the females.
They fired pulse pistols and deflected the attacking wolves with effortless swipes of their massive wings.
“Are the lions winning?” Heather asked, creeping closer to Claire.
“They’re raptors, but yes, they’re winning. The fight is just about over.”
“Raptors?” Kylie asked, sounding as shocked as Claire felt. “How can eagles fight off wolves?”
All the males were focused on the fight, so Claire allowed the door to swing open.
“Holy fuck,” Kylie muttered as she joined Claire in the doorway. “Did you know they could do that?”
Heather squeezed in between the other two. “I thought it was all or nothing when they shifted, animal or human. These guys are something in between.”
Claire watched the fight with a mixture of wonder and dread.
The raptors moved with savage agility, attacking in pairs.
Their wings were powerful yet graceful, swinging with unbelievable power or folding against their backs to stay out of the way.
As the shock of their partial shift wore off, Claire noted other elements of their appearance.
Each male was tall and lean, tightly muscled as opposed to bulky like so many of the lions.
The raptors also had similar features, high cheekbones and square jawlines.
Were they related, or had the changes to their DNA altered their human appearance?
Most had gleaming amber eyes, but one had eyes like molten lava, a strange reddish orange.
Once Claire’s gaze landed on Mr. Orange Eyes, she couldn’t look away.
Golden streaks highlighted his dark hair, and the start of a beard shadowed his jawline.
He was ruggedly handsome, but that wasn’t what captivated Claire.
The grace in his movements made her think of the angels she’d been fascinated with as a teen.
No, a fallen angel. With his dark hair and flashing eyes, this winged being was definitely a fallen angel.
“Victor, behind you!” Orange Eyes shouted to the male who had opened the door.
Victor spun and kicked a charging wolf in the chest. The wolf yelped, but lunged for Victor’s throat.
Orange Eyes raised his blaster and shot the wolf in the head.
The wolf shuddered violently then dropped lifeless to the floor.
Pivoting to the side, Orange Eyes pointed his weapon at the final wolf.
The wolf dropped his head and released his shift.
As his humanoid form emerged, he held up his hands and slowly sank to his knees.
“Bind him,” Orange Eyes ordered the raptor standing nearby.
The soldier paused as his wings disappeared.
They didn’t fold in on themselves or slide into the hybrid’s back.
They turned translucent, then transparent as the matter gradually disintegrated and became pure energy.
Then he drew the wolf’s hands behind his back and secured them with magnetic restraints.
It didn’t matter how often Claire saw shapeshifters transform, it always filled her with wonder and discomfort. If it weren’t for the ambition of her unscrupulous colleagues, the hybrids wouldn’t exist.
“What happens now?” Heather whispered uncertainly. “Will they return us to the feline village or keep us for themselves?”
Claire was wondering the same thing. All the hybrids had made it clear that they wouldn’t open the gates of their villages out of the kindness of their hearts.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. None of the hybrids would endanger themselves without being rewarded in some way.
And the women only had one thing of value on this godforsaken planet.
Orange Eyes turned back to Victor, but Claire couldn’t hear what they were saying.
The wolves still in animal form were motivated to shift back by the raptors’ blasters. Soon all the wolf hybrids knelt in a row, their hands bound behind their backs. They were naked and glaring, but they’d clearly lost this fight.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to so many people walking around naked,” Heather whispered.
Claire looked at her and smiled. Shapeshifting had a way of destroying clothing, so the hybrids frequently stripped down when they were preparing to transform. “They all look like fitness models. I’m not sure I mind.”
“I second that,” Kylie added as her gaze swept over the line of naked wolves. “I like those bastards better in restraints, however. Especially that one on the end.”
The designated wolf had been particularly rude, taunting the women every chance he got.
“Raphael,” one of the soldiers called out. “Where do you want them?”
Orange Eyes turned his head and paused. “Bring the females out here and lock the wolves in their room. At least for now.” Raphael was obviously in charge of this mission.
It was likely he was one of the avian leaders.
Tara and Lexie, Claire’s original roommates, had mentioned the brothers who ran the raptor village.
Their personalities contrasted sharply, but both had angel names.
“Yes, sir.” The soldier nodded then turned toward the hallway.
Claire urged her friends back and quickly shut the door.
She didn’t want to draw attention to herself.
She knew nothing about the raptors. Were they resentful and brutal like the wolves, or stern but reasonable like the lions?
Had the lions sent this team in their place or were the eagles acting on their own? She had so many questions.
The door swung open, and the soldier stood in the doorway. “Everyone out.” He motioned toward the corridor, his tone clipped and impatient.
Positioning herself in the middle of the stream of frightened women, Claire walked out into the main room of the cabin. The seven women who had been locked in with Claire were joined by eleven from other parts of the house. That likely meant three had been claimed by wolves.
Claire was thrilled to be away from the vicious bastards, but she hadn’t yet determined if the raptors were better. Would the women be free to return to the feline village, or had the raptors only ‘rescued’ the women because they wanted access to breeders?
“Robert and Thom, go watch the trail leading up here. I don’t intend to hang around, but I want to know immediately if there’s any indication that the wolves are sending reinforcements.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m on it, sir.” Two of the soldiers spoke at the same time then headed for the front door.
The wolves were led to the largest of the bedrooms. It was the one Claire had been locked in for the past three days. There was a small bathroom, but no windows or exterior doors. One of the raptor guards could easily control the entire group.
Raphael faced the women and stated in a loud, clear voice, “It’s my intention to take you to Eagle Village. We can protect you better there. But you’re no longer prisoners. If anyone wants to stay here, we will not stop you.”
Claire’s heart was fluttering wildly, and she wasn’t sure why.
Raphael was handsome; most of the hybrids were.
But she had no interest in finding a mate.
Her brother’s death had shredded her emotions, left her feeling raw and yet numb.
She couldn’t return to Earth. No one on Rydaria could, but the thought of being claimed held no appeal whatsoever.
“There are skimmers out front,” Raphael told them. “We need to get moving.”