So when the birdsand Kacisuddenly dipped out of sight, I totally panicked. My heart tripped so fast I thought it would explode, yet I couldnt urge my feet into motion fast enough. I lunged ahead, slapping aside branches with both arms now, heedless of my cast, barreling through the woods in the direction Id last seen Kaci. I could no longer hear Owen over the whoosh of my own pulse in my ears.
Until he roared, up ahead and to my right.
I put everything I had left into one more sprint, and seconds later, I burst through the tree line onto the side of a country road less than two miles from the ranch.
And froze, staring at the spectacle laid out before me.
Owen raced down the deserted street, already ten yards ahead, heading straight for a car parked on the shoulder a good three hundred feet in front of him. Over his head, both birds soared swiftly toward the car, descending as they came, Kaci still clutchednow struggling anewin the talons of the nearest bird.
I ran after Owen as the drivers side door opened and a man stepped out of the car. Owen huffed with exertion. My quads burned. The man pulled open the cars rear door. The first thunderbird swooped gracefully toward the earthand shock slammed into me so hard it almost knocked me off balance.
Three feet from the ground, the bird had feet. Bare, pale human feet, where there had been sharp, hooked talons a moment before. Then his head was human, but for the wicked, curved beak jutting in place of both his mouth and nose.
Surprised to the point of incomprehension, I slowed to a jog, my gaze glued to the most bizarre Shift Id ever seen in my life. I could perform a very limited partial Shift. A hand, or my eyes, or even most of my face. But this was beyond anything Id ever even considered. No cat could Shift so quickly, and what the thunderbird had just done was tantamount to a werecat Shifting in midleap!
This scary between-creature thumped gracefully to the ground several feet from the car, naked legs half-formed, torso mostly feathered, wings still completely intact. An instant later, Owen pounced on him.
Powerful wings beat the airand my brother. Long brown feathers folded around Owen, stealing him from sight for an instant before they spread wide again, and the fight began for real.
Claws slashed. A beak snapped closed. Blood flowed. Owen hissed. The bird squawked, a horrible, screeching sound encompassing both pain and fear, and other things I couldnt begin to understand. And a set of thin, gruesomely curved wing-claws arched high in the air, then raked across my brothers flank.
Owen howled, and his own unsheathed paws flew. The cars drivera short, bulging man with a sharply hooked nosestood carefully back from the melee, unwilling to intercede on either side in his current, defenseless state. Then his head shot up, and I followed his gaze to see the second bird swooping for a landing, twenty feet from the car, Kaci dangling from his talons.
I was running again in an instant.
The second bird dove lower and spread his huge wings to coast on a cushion of air. Then he opened his talons and unceremoniously dropped Kaci three feet from the ground.
The tabby landed hard on her left foot, then fell onto her hip with a dull thud. Her mouth snapped shut, cutting off a scream that had already gone hoarse. A heartbeat later, her captor simply stepped out of the air and onto the ground a yard away, on two human feet, his feathers already receding into his body, wings shrinking with eerie speed into long, pale arms.
He lunged for Kaci before his hands were even fully formed, but on the ground, she was faster. The tabby rolled out of reach, then shoved herself to her feet and raced across the road toward me. She had a slight limp in her left leg and her eyes were wide in terror, cheeks still dry. Though shed been screaming for ten straight minutes, the tears hadnt come yet. They wouldnt until the shock faded.
The now fully humanand nakedthunderbird started after the tabby, but I was already there. Kaci collided with me so hard we almost went over sideways. Her forehead slammed into my collarbone, and her shoulder nearly caved in my sternum. I spun her around in my arms, putting my body between her and the would-be kidnapper. Hed have to go through me to get to her, and claws or nothell, cast or notId go down fighting.
At the car, Owen had the first bird pinned, muzzle clamped around his human-looking throat. At some unintelligible shout from the driver, the naked thunderbird glanced back, then turned and raced toward the car, having evidently given up on Kaci.
The driver slid into his seat and slammed the door, and the cars engine growled to life. The last thunderbird glanced at his wounded cohort, hesitated, then dove into the backseat through the open door. An instant later, the car lurched onto the gravel road, showering Owen with rocks, and the vehicle raced around a corner and out of sight.
As soon as it was gone, Kaci seemed to melt in my arms, and it took me a moment to realize shed just eased the death grip she had around my ribs. I stepped back and lifted her chin until I could see her face, then spit out the only coherent thought I could form. You okay?
I think so. Color was coming to her face, and her teeth started to chatter.
What about your arms? I held her coat while she carefully pulled one arm free. Then winced when she pushed up the baggy sleeve. Just below her shoulder were three thick welts, two on the front and one on the back, already darkening into ugly blue bruises. Her other arm no doubt held a matching set. And your leg? You were limping.
I was? Kaci frowned and took a careful step forward, then winced. I think I twisted it when Ilanded.
A quick Shift should fix that. Kaci nodded, and I led her back across the street slowly, already pulling my cell from my pocket.
Faythe?
Hmm? I glanced down to find the tabby staring up at me, the shocked glaze in her eyes finally fading.
I think Im afraid of heights.
I laughed. I would be, too, after a ride like that. I autodialed Marc while we walked, and he answered on the first ring, as I stepped onto the shoulder a good ten feet from Owen, who still had the birdnow unconsciouspinned to the ground.
Faythe?
Were on county road three, less than two miles from the ranch, I said, and he exhaled heavily in relief. I have Kaci and Owen has a prisoner, unconscious and bleeding. Owens bleeding, too. From several obvious gashes on both flanks and across the left half of his torso.
Were on the way. Hows Whiskers?
Stunned, but okay. Her arms are bruised and she twisted one ankle, but its nothing a Shift and some hot chocolate wont fix.
Another relieved sigh, echoed by a satisfied noise from Jace. They were together?
Were on the way.
I hung up and slid my phone into my pocket, then extracted myself from Kaci so I could inspect the prisoner without dragging her any closer to potential danger. Wow. Good work, Owen.
My brother huffed in response, and whined as I knelt and ran one hand gently over his flank, angling my body away from the bird, just in case he woke up. Owens injuries werent life-threatening, but they werent comfortable, either. If the bird had gotten near his stomach, hed have been disemboweled.
Thunderbirds I whispered, standing to inspect the bizarre half-bird at my feet. What the hell did they want with Kaci?
Jace pulled up three minutes later, with Marc in his passenger seatMarcs car had been left at his house in Mississippiand they were both out of the vehicle before the engine even stopped rumbling.
What the hell happened? Marc demanded, running his hands along my arms, as if I were the one hurt. Jace paused almost imperceptibly beside me, and his heavy gaze met mine. Then he stepped past us to kneel by Kaci, inspecting her shoulders, gently prodding her ankle, and generally fussing over her as if she were the only tabby on earth. In spite of her shock, pain, and lingering grief, she blushed beneath his innocent attention and held herself straighter than in the moments preceding his arrival.
I almost felt sorry for Owen, all by himself and bleeding, still standing with his front paws on the unconscious bird-monster.
They just swooped out of nowhere and snatched her from the front yard. I gestured toward my brother, and Marc turned with me. We need to get Owen back to the house.
Marc followed me to the downed bird, as my brother moved away to give us a better view. Is that what I think it is?
If you think its a thunderbird, then, yeah, I think so.
Marc prodded one feathered half-arm with the toe of his boot and whistled. Look how big his wings are.
They were longer than that in flight, I said. He started to kneel, but I pulled him up by one arm. Trust me, if he wakes up, you dont want to be anywhere near those talons. I pointed at the curved two-inch claws, the points of which were finer and sharper than any knife Id ever seen.
Okay, lets tie him up and haul him in, he said as I knelt next to Owen, gently stroking the fur on his good side. He whined again and laid his head on my shoulder as Marc looked over my head. Jace, get some rope. Because handcuffs designed for humans would never restrain those narrow bird wrists.
Of course, if the bastard woke up, he could slice right through rope, or even duct tape.
But on the edge of my vision, Jace stiffened and made no move to follow Marcs order.
Well, shit. That was new.
Technically, Marc hadnt been accepted back into the Pride or formally reinstated as an enforcer, in large part because we were busy with other things, and Marcs return to the fold felt normal without official proclamations. None of the other enforcers would have hesitated to follow an order from him. Except maybe me.
Yet there Jace stood, arms stiff at his sides, jaw clenched and bulging. And he wasnt looking at me. He was staring at the ground, as if trying to control his temper.
But Jace didnt have a temper. Marc had a temper.
I stood, shooting Jace a silent warning, but he wouldnt meet my gaze. Kaci stared up at him in confusion, and a moment later Marc noticed that his order had not been followed. He glanced from the bird that had thus far held his fascination and raised a brow at Jace. What, you dont have rope?
And finally, Jace looked up. He glanced briefly, boldly, at Marc, then turned toward his car without a word.
Whats with him? Marc brushed a comforting hand over the top of Owens head, where my brother stood ready to chew the birds throat again, should he wake up.
I shrugged, hoping my casual gesture looked authentic. Hes probably freaked out by the giant bird attack. What is this, Hitchcock?
Jace came back with a coil of nylon rope and a pocketknife, and in minutes we had the thunderbirds human feet bound, and his wing-claws awkwardly tied in front of his half-feathered stomach. Even with his wingspan shortened to less than nine feet in mid-Shift, I didnt think wed ever get him wedged into the cargo space without further injuring him or waking him up, but Marc finally got his wings/arms bent toward his face and the hatchback closed. Barely.
Still, since we were far from sure the ropes would hold him if he woke up during the five-minute drive, Kaci rode up front with Jace, and Marc and I took the backseat, with Owen stretched over the floorboard at our feet.
Alphas and enforcers poured out of the house when we pulled into the driveway, and my father actually had to bellow for quiet to be heard. After that, my mother helped Owen into the house, and everyone else watched in silence as Marc and Jace carefully pulled the thunderbird from the back of the Pathfinder and lowered him to the dead grass in the arc of the half-circle drive.
Then the whispers began.
The Alphas made their way to the front of the crowd and my father stepped forward, pausing first to put a broad, gentle hand on Kacis shoulder. Are you okay? he asked, and she nodded, her eyes huge. Manx, can you take her inside and get her cleaned up?
Of course. Manx wrapped one arm around Kacis shoulders as she escorted the limping tabby toward the front door. For the first time since the allies had descended upon the ranch, Kaci wasnt the center of attention. And she seemed just fine with that.
Jace closed the hatchback and stepped aside to make room for his Alpha. My father knelt next to the bound, unconscious creature and began a slow, thorough visual examination, no doubt cataloging every detail in his head. If the council werent fracturedpossibly beyond repairhe would make a formal report of the incident as soon as possible. And though that would almost certainly not happen under the current circumstances, I had no doubt that he would record his observations.
Sightings of thunderbirds were rare enough to be historic, and Id never heard of a werecat making actual physical contact with one. Much less being snatched and carried off like a giant worm for a nest of monstrous chicks. A kicking, screaming worm.
What is that? Ed Taylor, Alpha of the Midwest territory, eased forward slowly, as if his curiosity barely trumped his caution and blatant disgust.
My Alpha stood but didnt take his gaze from the spectacle. I believe this is a thunderbird.
Greg, it has feet, Blackwell pointed out evenly, leaning on his cane from several feet away.
As do you, my dad said. Several toms chuckled then, and I couldnt disguise a smile. Hes obviously partially Shifted.
And theyre much better at it than I am. Than we are, I corrected, glancing around to see several of the toms who had already mastered the partial Shift. They can Shift in the middle of a landing. Rapidly. Thats why he has feet and wings at the same time. And they have these wicked wing-claws. I pointed to where his nonhands were tied, and several toms edged closer for a better look. Owen could tell you all about those.
What on earth do they want with Kaci? Uncle Rick knelt at my fathers side for a closer look. They arent known to attack people. If they were, wed know more about them. As would humans.
But no one had an answer to that, so I shrugged as Marcs arm slid around my waist. Maybe they didnt want her in particular. Maybe she was just the first one they saw. Because the rest of us had been under the porch roof. Or maybe shes the only one light enough to carry.
My father gave me a vague nod. But the truth was that we had no idea.
Marc started to say something, but Jace beat him to the punch, stepping up to my other side. What do you want us to do with him?
Marc scowled, but looked to our Alpha for an answer, as did everyone else.
For a moment, we got only thoughtful silence, as my father stroked the slight, graying stubble on his chin. For now, well put him in the cage, and when he wakes up, well question him. In the meantime, lets see what we can find out about thunderbirds.