“But if they’re separate entities, what happens when we finally shift?” my brother asks, for once actually letting his worry slip out from behind the confident mask he’d donned since our parents died. “If we can’t control them, they might never let us shift back. They could force us to just leave, to fly away and terrorize random towns until we’re put down. We’d be nothing more than savage beasts, trapped inside our own bodies and helpless to do anything more than watch.”
The color drains from my face as I visualize it, because honestly, that’s a pretty solid theory based off of the way things are going lately. Still, I listen to that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I’ve always assumed was my conscience, or survival instinct. Yet now, I wonder if that was actually my inner beast driving my actions, if he’s always been pulling the strings like I’m his puppet and he just wanted to keep me alive so he wouldn’t die with me.
“Even if that happened, you said yourself they’re trying to court Saige’s. So if one day we turn into monsters, at least they share the same goal of keeping her safe and happy. They might even be better equipped for the job, in all honesty.”
He looks at me like I have three heads. “You’d be okay with that? Someone hijacking your body and forcing you to watch them live your life? Completely taking away your control?”
Pinning him with a look, I try to convey just how dead serious I am. “Not my first choice, but if it’s out of my control, so be it. As long as our flight stays together, I really don’t care so long as we can all live a relatively content life. Might be a low bar, but in this world, that’s enough.”
I leave him standing there flabbergasted, striding back towards the others. Mid conversation, Saige pivots on her heel, sensing my approach. Her body stays tilted to where she isn’t exposing her back to the newcomers, but enough to show she’s confident to disregard them with Kinsley beside her.
Narrowing her eyes at me in suspicion, she gestures behind her. “If they were passing out equipment here, then why bring stuff from home?”
Kinsley’s devilish grin is enough to give him away, but seeing as he didn’t fill her in, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. “Well, they wouldn’t have accounted for you when organizing supplies. We couldn’t leave you defenseless, and we always trust our own equipment more than the communal pool that you can’t be sure are well maintained.”
She doesn’t demand any more details, though by that amused glint in her eyes, it’s clear she already assumes they’re rigged somehow. Yet she’s wise enough not to divulge any sort of potential upper hand in front of others, taking the words at face value and thanking us.
After the men drift away, I almost lean in from behind her to whisper in her ear, but second guess myself and step to the side first so she can see me in her peripherals. After the incident when Kahl startled her by covering her eyes, I don’t want to repeat the mistake. With as heavily as it’s raining, it’d be harder for her to rely on her scent, and I can’t swear her sixth sense that pulls her in our direction is enough to forewarn her of subtleties like that.
“Aren’t you going to ask what we were talking about?” Because really, the first question out of her mouth being about the guns threw me a bit.
“If you wanted me to know, you either wouldn’t have walked away or plan to tell me later. And if it’s something you’d rather keep to yourselves, so be it.”
A shiver rocks through her body as she reaches up to run her fingers through my hair before pulling me closer, rising on her toes to press her lips to mine. I can only imagine what the move costs her, keeping her eyes shut in the center of a sea of strangers with the storm overruling her senses.
“Oh come on,” someone boos, throwing a sopping wet glove that splats against my shoulder. “You got to rub our faces in it too?” Michael complains, flipping me off when I grin triumphantly in his direction.
“Pretty much, yeah.”
Cai whistles, drawing everyone’s attention. He looks far more serious than a game requires, a hard edge to him from being forced to fight in a war he doesn’t believe in. After nearly losing his flight a little over a year ago, it makes sense that he stepped up to take point on making sure the city is prepared, freeing up my brothers and I as we mourned the loss of our mate. And after getting her back, I’m more than happy to leave the brunt of the burden on his shoulders.
Half of the town thought we were over the top ridiculous for years, but went along with keeping our sister a secret because they’re good men. But that did not equate to doomsday prepping the city and making sure they knew how to fight to the death instead of just to burn off energy.
Cai’s seen firsthand what’s waiting in the wind to destroy everything they take for granted, more so than even we have, only experiencing a small taste of it. I just commend him for going about it in a fun way to coax people on board voluntarily like the Gauntlet instead of turning this into a drafted army like their home country. Mandated training to ensure people can protect themselves and their homes is a far cry from gathering an army.
“Why can’t we just reschedule for next weekend? This is ridiculous,” some man complains, and Cai’s glacial eyes lock onto him in an instant.
“Because no one is going to be kind enough to wait until it’s more convenient for you before slitting your throat, Gabe. A little rain is enough to take out the men around here? Just Mother Nature doing her own culling then, yeah?”
Still, Gabe isn’t ready to back down just yet, frantically searching for a reason to opt out without having to pay an obscene fine to go with the public shaming that doesn’t seem to bother him. “You just want to use us to protect your family’s mates. First you, now the triplets? Why should we put our necks on the line for you guys? They’re your flights, you take care of ‘em.”
There’s a heavy beat of silence only broken up by a loud crack of thunder. Subtly, I palm the handgun in my other pocket, thumb hovering above the safety. A few men start muttering, some clearly agreeing with Gabe for the sake of possibly getting out of this exercise and others wondering where the hell he found balls of steel to challenge a fully-fledged dragon like that. Cai lookspissedand about two steps from kicking the man’s ass,so Soren intervenes to keep the peace before things can escalate past the point of no return.
He doesn’t have a need to climb up beside his friend, standing above the crowd just fine on his own. “If we prove we can defend the town, are able to protect our own, then word will spread about Hadeon being a safe haven. Saige fled here for protection; you think she’s the only female in hiding? You all know as well as I do that the latest law getting passed was complete and utter bullshit. Females being reduced to nothing more than breeders to replenish our numbers, like they aren’t even people anymore? Being required to turn our women over to the ‘proper authorities’ to be handled?
“Most of us have lost the chance to ever shift, and when the slim chance actually shows itself, they want you to cede it over to the men already abusing their power to secure their positions, not that it will work like that and you all damn well know it. We haven’t kept hidden from any of you what we went through at that mountain, of the events leading to our abilities to shift. Interpret them as you will, but you’re not going to get there if you don’t give a damn about each other. It’s more than sex, and whatever the actual trigger, it isn’t going to happen to the men in charge of this ‘repopulation program’. Youknowwhat they’re really doing; giving themselves a blank check to rape women and force them to bare children for ‘the sake of the greater good’.”
He spits on the ground, face contorted in a snarl of rage and disgust that mirrors my own. “You want a shot at finding a mate, then get off your asses and prove you’re capable of taking care of one, that you’ve earned that honor. Don’t just mooch off of the rest of us willing to put in the work.” He scoffs dismissively, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at Gabe, waiting for a response.
The disgrace Soren lobs at him is far more effective, disappointment radiating off of him in tangible waves as he scrutinizes the man. Gabe’s neck tints red, from embarrassment or rage I’m not quite sure, but he doesn’t protest again, nor does he leave. He stews in silence, clearly put in his place.
“Damn, Ren,” Kinsley whistles. “Tell him how you really feel, why don’t ya?”
Soren rolls his eyes and picks up his paintball gun, voice carrying over the crowd easily even with the storm. “Come midnight, the team with the most men still standing wins.”
That’s the only signal we get before every light in the city is snuffed out, the blackout all-encompassing as the power is cut for the annual event. We don’t always do paintball, and this is the first time it’s compounded with a serious training exercise, but in the true spirit of Halloween, whatever we do is shrouded in darkness to add to the atmosphere.
Quickly glancing at Saige to make sure she isn’t freaking out, I’m beyond pleased to see her actually relieved, looking more at home. The brief flashes of lightning are enough to illuminate her features, an actual smile pulling at her lips as she scans the area in front of her, tiny blips of glow-in-the-dark red and blue swatches scattering with all of the grace of mice at a rave.
