Onorio body is hot like Beast body. Do not understand coolio.
I smiled and didn’t contradict her. We fell asleep knowing we were safe and loved.
***
I slept until the smell of pancake batter and cooking bacon woke Beast and we slipped from the bed, leaving Bruiser sleeping. It was well before dawn and he was tired and sad and the circles beneath his eyes said he needed more sleep than he’d been getting.
We padded down the stairs, into the kitchen, where Beast proved that she could open the refrigerator when she really wanted. Ignoring Eli’s comments about her paw dexterity and the cost of cow when she could hunt deer, Beast sank her fangs into a five-pound roast, wrapped in plastic on a disposable tray, and carried it out the front door, into the dark of predawn and the new, snow-covered world. I stepped back from Beast’s control, thinking thoughts of war, and let Beast have full range of her body to eat, play, hunt, or whatever.
***
Took in world through eyes and nose and ears. Air was still. Wind had blown far away. Without wind to knock drifts off, snow stood more than five inches high on every branch, stem, and twig, rested on top of trellis and fence posts in nearby vineyard. Snow was brilliant, heavy whiteblanket, soft and sparkling in meager light. Snow had fallen many inches overnight. Many-more-than-five inches.
Beast tossed cow meat, jumped from covered front porch into deep fluff of snow, and rolled to back, looking at sky. It was still cloudy, but thinning haze said there would be no snow for a few hours. Turkey smell came on wind. Sound of hawk calling meant rabbits were out in snow, feeding. Was good time to be Beast. Rolled over and found roast. Tore through plastic and gripped cow meat with claws. Bit dead cow meat with killing teeth and ripped through flesh. Ate. Was good cow meat. Beast was happy.
Went into trees on south side of property to do morning business, spraying, leaving scat. Smelled Brute. Dog stink. Curled nose and chuffed.My place.Left scat on top of Brute scat. Was Beast hunting ground, not Brute hunting ground, and Brute scat and scent were everywhere under trees. Beast took much time to mark every place and to scratch into bark on many more than five trees, sharpening claws and claiming territory.
Then Beast raced around big space, throwing snow with paws. Rolled and scrunched and shoved and scooted in snow, grooming privates. Lay again in snow fluff, paws up, belly up and unprotected. Looked at gray sky. Wolf smell came on wind. Brute snuffled into snow next to Beast. Dropped heavy body and rolled. Lay in snow near Beast, panting, stupid dog tongue hanging out of mouth to side like dead thing. Wanted to bat at tongue with claws, but Brute was more than dog. Brute might be making trap, to catch Beast paw in wolf teeth. Beast was smart ambush hunter. Did not fall for stupid dog trick. Rolled to paws, shaking fluff away. Coat moved on skinny, muscular body, loose and warm.
Brute stood too, panting. Made downward dog to play. Beast leaped over Brute. Swiped at Brute tail and raced to porch. Brute followed. Beast raced through cat door and into house, to kitchen where bacon was cooking and Eli stood in front of stove. Eli was dressed as hunter, as warrior, with armor, killing claws, and white-manweapons. Was dressed in black with a white cloth called apron tied around waist.
Beast brushed by Eli. Eli said, “Hey. I saw you steal that roast. Out of the kitchen. Git!”
Beast ran to big, empty room like cave with tall ceiling, at door to front of house. Brute hip-butted Beast. Both tumbled and fell on slick floor. Wolf gave fake growl and batted Beast. Battle! Battle with Brute!Paws swatted. Fangs grazed through pelt. Grindylow jumped into play fight, steel claws hidden. Beast claws hidden. Brute claws not sharp, but dull and blunt. Grindy biting at snouts and chittering. Played and batted and growled and tumbled across floor as more bacon sizzled and eggs cooked and air smelled of best food ever.
Deep in mind, felt something. Felt... Edmund. Edmund pain rushed through Beast body. Heard panting. Smell of blood in mind.Pain,pain,pain, like pain of shift, filled Beast. Saw Edmund in corner. Saw through Edmund eyes. Saw thing with many teeth. Shadow thing. Creature thing with teeth.
Thing in Ed mind turned to see Beast. Was dangerous.Predator.
Ed?Jane shouted inside.Edmund?Panic like prey must feel in Jane heart. Panic like prey in Beast heart. Creature thing lunged at Beast.
Beast leaped away. Creature scored Beast-rump with claws. Beast swiped with claws and raced into dark.
Beast woke. Was standing four-paw-straddled, head down, shoulders raised, pelt standing on end. Was growling.
Stopped growling. Was safe. Creature thing was not here. Mock fight had stopped.
Kitchen had fallen silent. Was confused.Jane? What was predator?
***
Furious, I took over Beast’s body and turned for the stairs, catching sight of Brute. I skidded to a stop. His white jaw was bloody in the spacing of the points matching Beast’s claws. Eli was racing to clean up the were-tainted blood and apply pressure to Brute’s jaw. Pea wassnarling. At me. Her steel claws out and shining in the kitchen lights.Crap.
But the thoughts I had found...
It was dawn. I had to shift to human form now or be stuck as Beast all day. I raced for the stairs. For once Beast agreed.
Shift. Now!Beast demanded.No more inside Beast head.
I felt Beast open the Gray Between as I raced for the stairs. I didn’t make it.
***
I woke stretched out on the stairs, the treads pressing into my ribs and thighs. I was shaking, sick, and naked, and Bruiser was there beside me, folding me in an afghan, one I recognized from the house in New Orleans. It was soft and fuzzy and familiar as it covered me and wrapped around me. He lifted me from the stairs. Carried me to our room. Closed the door behind us. He placed me on the bed and raised the head of the bed upright. It was the fanciest bed I’d ever slept in. Bruiser had picked it out for us, a special cooling memory-foam mattress, the bed itself with all the bells and whistles. I pulled the sheets and blankets over me, making a cocoon for myself, and Bruiser found and turned on an electric blanket, instant warmth pulsing into the weave of the afghan.
He sat beside me. “Eli is bringing you a high-protein hot chocolate.”
I didn’t reply, the shock of the encounter a steady tremor within me. Because it had been an encounter, not a vision or a memory. It had been real. My connection to Edmund was severed. But Beast’s... Beast’s might be partially intact, like a frayed wire that sometimes still carried a current.
