Agent Dune
CHARLIE LOWERS the scope of the sniper rifle and rolls to stand up. A crack of a twig has him snapping the gun back to his shoulder, whirling and aiming to shoot. Just as quickly, he lowers the muzzle.
It's a wolf. One of them.
A shudder of recognition runs through him, just as it did when he watched the group of humans shift and change. Not all of them are wolves. Nash is a lion and so is his girlfriend. He saw a tiger and an owl, too.
The wolf lifts its upper lip in a growl, showing its teeth.
Knowing there's a human behind the fangs, Charlie drops the gun and lifts his hands. "Easy. I just came to make sure you got the boy back. I'm not part of this operation."
The wolf advances, still growling.
A week ago, he might have shot the wolf first and asked questions later, but not now. Not after what he just saw. After what he felt.
Watching the men change into animal form did something strange to his body. His cells heated and rearranged, like they knew the pattern. Like they wanted him to change, too.
"I'm not with Santiago. I gave you guys the coordinates to find this place."
The wolf launches itself at him.
He throws up his forearm to block the bite, but it never comes. The wolf knocks him to his back and stands on him but doesn't go for his throat.
In a flash, the wolf transforms into an angry man.
Charlie's nose smashes under a brutal punch from Jared Johnson, the fighter he picked up in Tucson.
"What do you know about the boy?" Jared demands.
Charlie uses his legs to throw Jared off him and springs to his feet, hands up at the ready. He has another gun at his hip, but he doesn't go for it. Jared isn't trying to kill him.
"I saw them take the boy." The two circle each other. Jared's fists are up like a boxer's. "I was too far away to stop it, but I felt obligated to follow up. Make sure you got him back."
Jared lunges in for a punch, but Charlie dodges it and slips back without retaliation. It might be the first time he's fought a naked man.
"You work for the government," Jared accuses.
"I'm not on the job."
"Why are you here?"
"I just told you."
Jared drops his fists as abruptly as he first attacked. "Bullshit." He lifts his chin. There's a challenge there that sends the prickles of ice up and down Charlie's spine. "Shift."
Charlie doesn't understand the command, but his body heats again, the queer sensation of cells moving and rearranging happening again.
"Shift, asshole." Jared's voice carries more power than it should.
It seems to echo in Charlie's ears, go through his torso. A twisting, wrenching, shattering sensation tears his body apart. His clothing grows too small and rips on his body, and then he's closer to the ground, staring down at a pair of giant, white paws. The pain in his broken nose disappears.
What... the fuck?
But even as his mind reels, some small inner voice whispers I knew it.
He lifts his head and stares up at the human.
There's a triumphant gleam in Jared's eye. He crosses his arms over his chest. "Is this what you really wanted to know? Hmm, Agent Dune?"
Of course, Charlie can't speak to answer. All he can do is growl.
"Shift back," he commands again.
Just as inescapably, his body transforms again. Charlie's on his ass on the ground, his torn clothing twisted around his limbs.
"Stay off our trail. You want answers, come and ask me directly. You know where I live." And with that, Jared blurs and drops to all fours, loping off into the jungle on giant wolf paws.
Charlie lifts his hands and examines them. No trace of paws remains. "Well," he mutters aloud. "That was fucking weird."
An uncharacteristic smile creeps across his face and something, some animal part of him, celebrates.
A werewolf.
"No shit." He chuckles as he packs up his gun.
Nash
"IT'S NOT like I was actually there," Kylie's voice crackles on the microphone. We're back at the hacienda and the place buzzes with excitement, even though plenty of wolves are getting treated for wounds. Denali and Nolan are safe in their suite-I left them to do the rounds and debrief with the alphas before bed.
"I wouldn't put myself at risk," Kylie continues. Sam has her on screen on his laptop, Jackson is bent over him, frowning at his mate. Kylie doesn't seem too concerned, examining her nails which are all lengthened to claws. "I couldn't just sit back and let you rush into danger without me there."
"Nearly gave me a heart attack when I heard your voice," Jackson growls and waves a hand around the room at Garrett and his pack. "Do you see their mates rushing into battle?'
"Amber is human," Kylie points out. "And, knowing Tank, he chained his mate up so she wouldn't follow him."
"Tied her to the bed," Tank confirms, without looking up from the weapon he's cleaning.
"Nash." Sedona stands in the door, signaling me. A fat, beautiful baby sits on her hip, chattering away in baby language. I nod to both Garrett and Jackson and follow her out.
"Laurie, Declan, and Parker are asking about you, but I thought you'd want to see them."
"Thanks. How's Carlos and your pack?"
"Six wolves sustained bad wounds, but Carlos and most of them are fine." She suppresses a smile. "They've already started celebrating. I'm sure you'll hear them setting off fireworks later. The fiesta will probably last a week." She stops at a door and lowers her voice. "Layne and I checked them over and got their wounds cleaned up. Parker and Declan weren't shot, but Layne and Laurie found them passed out on the ground. Pulled them out of the action and got them back here."