The Last Shifter’s Baby

Chapter 7

She motioned him to bring the pup over so she could look at him. “He was by the river.” Luke said. “Alone, I didn’t see any signs of the rest of the pack.” “Where is he hurt?” she asked as he set him on the card table in front of her. Luke grabbed her flashlight and shone it on the back of Henry’s neck, revealing the deep, bleeding puncture wounds of a bite mark. Rebecca chewed her bottom lip nervously as she examined it, hoping it wouldn’t need stitches. Luke kept the beam of the flashlight on the pup’s neck. “I guess the pack did reject him.” She said and got to work disinfecting the wound as Luke held the squirming pup still. “And that explains why your chip stopped working, the wolf that bit him must have broken it.” Luke shook his head. “That bite isn’t from one of my wolves.” He said and leaned down to scent the wound. “It was a dog, a bloodhound.” “But how could a dog get into the sanctuary?” she asked, tearing open a pack of gauze to wrap up Henry’s wound. “And how could a dog get him away from the pack without the wolves killing him?” “I don’t know and that’s what worries me the most.” Luke admitted. “There’s something not right about this.” “There’s everything wrong with this.” Luke held up a hand, stopping her from continuing, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air. “That’s smoke. I smell smoke.” Rebecca sniffed a few times and wrinkled her nose at the thick, acrid scent of smoke. “I smell it too, it’s close.” She scooped up Henry. “We have to get out of here, we can just leave the tent.” She grabbed her satchel before freezing as a thought crossed her mind. “Luke, how could a fire start in this weather? Everything is covered in three inches of snow.” “Get Henry and get to the truck, get out of here and call the fire department.” he said firmly, pushing his keys into her pocket. “Tell me what’s going on!” she demanded. “Anything will burn if you use enough fuel.” He said slowly and her eyes widened as she caught on. “It’s man made.” Her breath caught in her throat, images of Wilson flashing across her mind. “Someone’s trying to smoke us out.” Luke said. “I need you to go, I need to know that you’ll be safe.” “Why can’t you come with me?” She asked. “I have to put the fire out.” He said. “For all we know they sprayed fuel across half the sanctuary. The animals can’t get out, Rebecca, and the smoke will get them before the flames do.” “But we don’t know who else is out there!” “Please, just take the truck and get out of here. I can’t concentrate if I don’t know that you’re safe.” “Okay, okay.” She agreed, not wanting to waste any more time. “Just promise me you’ll get out as soon as you can.” “I promise.” He said and pressed a firm kiss to her lips before ushering her out of the tent.

As soon as she stepped outside, she knew they were in trouble. Standing beside an alcove of trees, Agent Wilson had the barrel of his shotgun trained on them. He had a clinical expression on his face, looking almost bored as he stood there. Two bloodhounds flanked him, hackles raised, and teeth bared as they waited for a signal from their master. Luke was quick to shove her behind him, trying to shield her with his body. She had a hard time keeping the pup still as Henry began to squirm in her arms, probably sensing the rising fear and tension in the clearing. “You don’t have to do this.” Luke said, slowly raising his hands. “There’s no reason for anyone to get hurt.” Smoke drifted over them, thick and stinking, and Rebecca could see the glow of the fire as it burned. It’s so close, she thought. “I’m not going to hurt anyone.” He said. “Just putting down a couple of animals.” “There’s no reason for you to do this.” Luke said again. “The two of us, we’re a dying breed. Hunters, shifters, none of that means anything anymore. Can’t you see that? This isn’t the fourteenth century, you don’t need to hide behind your fire and fear what’s in the dark. I have a job, a home, and a family. I’m a person. What I can do doesn’t define who I am.” “You’re an abomination.” He said. “A demon. It doesn’t matter what you say you are, you’re a monster.”

At that moment, Rebecca understood. This man was insane. There would be no reasoning with him, the cold, dead eyes and clinical expression on his face told her everything she needed to know. She pressed up close against Luke’s back, trying to enjoy the warmth and the feel of his body against hers. We’re going to die here, she thought sadly. “At least let her go. She has nothing to do with this.” Luke said. “She’s not like me.” “I can’t do that. I let her go and then nine months down the road I have another shifter to kill.” He said. “She’s not pregnant.” Luke told him. “Can you know that for sure? That at this second, she’s not carrying your child?” He asked and Luke remained silent. “That’s what I thought.” “You know I can’t let you hurt her.” Luke said and Rebecca felt hope swell in her before she realized that it didn’t matter. She’s seen Luke shift, she knows how long it takes him and Wilson would be able to shoot both of them before he finished changing forms. “I think we both know it doesn’t matter.” Wilson said and trained the barrel of his gun on the center of Luke’s chest. “How did you find me in the first place?” Luke asked quickly and Rebecca knew he was trying to stall. She didn’t know why though; the fire was slowly moving towards them and if Wilson didn’t kill them than that probably would. “I talked to a hunter friend of mine; said he tracked you down to apologize.” Wilson scoffed. “He was pathetic and now I’m out here having to finish the job.” “Run to the truck.” Luke told her, his voice low. “What?” She hissed but the sound of deep, rumbling growls cut off anything Luke was going to say. The missing wolf pack emerged from the trees behind Agent Wilson, surrounding him and his two dogs in a half circle. Luke shoved her towards the truck, diving to the side as Wilson fired his gun. Rebecca ran to the truck, placing Henry inside the cab before crouching behind it. She knew she should leave but she couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Luke here.

Luke gave a sharp whistle and the wolves lunged, part of the pack tearing off to chase the bloodhounds while the others stayed with their alpha. Wilson spun around just as the leader of the pack lunged forward and fired the shotgun, sending a spray of bullets into the wolf’s chest. Rebecca screamed as the wolf’s body fell into the snow, blood leaking out onto the ground, staining the snow red. Steam rose from the body and Rebecca felt hot tears well in her eyes.

The distraction gave Luke just enough time to change forms, and she watched, eyes wide with worry, as a familiar black wolf snarled and threw himself at Wilson. Giant paws pressed against Wilson’s shoulders, knocking him down as his teeth tore into his throat. Blood sprayed across the snow, the shotgun flying from Wilson’s hands with the momentum of the fall. Luke staggered away from the body, shaking the blood out of his fur before changing back as blood bubbled out from the hole in Wilson’s neck. His rasping, stuttering breath stopped as Luke slipped back into his ruined clothes, and he reached her just in time to rub her back as she retched into the snow. He’s dead, she thought numbly, Luke killed him.