had been he that had hurt Gloria, he who had brought the carnage back to his hometown, and he who had threatened both of them. Rodney intended to fight all the Tigers, but he had no intention of winning – he was just giving Kristen the opportunity to put Theo out of his misery once and for all.
The aging Tiger turned on his heels and took off in the opposite direction, and Kristen followed after him, hot on his tail. She couldn’t bear to look behind her, even when she heard the first angry growls and screams. She focused on Theo, letting the adrenaline flood her system as she careened after him. Theo had the advantage in knowing every nook and cranny of his makeshift hideout, but the damage that had been inflicted on his head and paws was slowing him down.
He broke left, following a switchback trail that led up the far cliff. The trees began to thin, and Kristen tasted fresh alpine air, the sweet scent of lupines and mountain air. Her breath was sagging now too, and she found it difficult to keep up with the giant Tiger.
Below them the small ravine fell off sharply into the creek, the same one that passed by the cemetery, and as they rounded the corner of a granite outcrop, she realized they were on the mountainside that overlooked Nelson. Far below she could just glimpse the perimeter of town, and could make out the blue sliver of the lake. The hillsides looked barren, as if someone had drawn a pencil eraser across them.
Have to keep going , she thought, forcing each leg forward. It was a chore even to do that, but her body responded automatically. She didn’t feel like she was in control of it any longer. She had just become a passenger, a disjointed consciousness watching as the body it inhabited moved of its own accord. She tried to stay focused on one thing – Theo.
There were too many other things that would defeat her if she weren’t careful. She kept the thought of Gloria, of Rodney, of the small life she had worked so hard to make her own, as far away as possible. The idea that she might lose all of it was a dagger, sinking further into her heart with each step she took.
Theo was struggling now, and Kristen noticed specks of blood against the cliff face. He’d led them both onto a skirting precipice, and she had to will herself to slow down to keep from tumbling off the edge. Loose rocks scraped free, tumbling over the side where they lost themselves in free fall hundreds of meters below.
The Tiger let out a frustrated growl up ahead as the trail came to an end and Theo found himself stranded on a small plateau with no way back and no way forward. He circled his small perimeter of stone and growled at Kristen as she made her way onto the ledge. Much to her surprise, Theo keeled over, and she saw the telltale signs of his transformation back into a human. He was hunched on his knees, and looked suddenly very frail, impossibly old and decrepit. His lips trembled, despite the fact he was still built like a giant. The veins in his arms bulged outward like upended riverbeds.
Reluctantly, she resumed her human shape as well. Her black hair fell lightly over her breasts, and she scowled at him, forcing herself not to succumb to compassion. She couldn’t bring herself to it even if she wanted to.
“This is the end ,” she stated.
“I always knew… always knew it would end like this,” he said, his head bent low, “please…”
“Please what?” she spat. “There is no please .”
She took a step forward and the fetal man cringed, his knees scraping the dust and gravel. “Please, please don’t kill me! I swear… I never meant to hurt you. Or your child.”
Kristen stopped and blinked. “How do you know I’m pregnant?”
“You’re a Shifter… it’s impossible to hide from others of your kind…”
“So you threatened me, knowing full well I was with child.” It wasn’t a question any longer, and she was adding more reasons to her list of wanting to kill the
The aging Tiger turned on his heels and took off in the opposite direction, and Kristen followed after him, hot on his tail. She couldn’t bear to look behind her, even when she heard the first angry growls and screams. She focused on Theo, letting the adrenaline flood her system as she careened after him. Theo had the advantage in knowing every nook and cranny of his makeshift hideout, but the damage that had been inflicted on his head and paws was slowing him down.
He broke left, following a switchback trail that led up the far cliff. The trees began to thin, and Kristen tasted fresh alpine air, the sweet scent of lupines and mountain air. Her breath was sagging now too, and she found it difficult to keep up with the giant Tiger.
Below them the small ravine fell off sharply into the creek, the same one that passed by the cemetery, and as they rounded the corner of a granite outcrop, she realized they were on the mountainside that overlooked Nelson. Far below she could just glimpse the perimeter of town, and could make out the blue sliver of the lake. The hillsides looked barren, as if someone had drawn a pencil eraser across them.
Have to keep going , she thought, forcing each leg forward. It was a chore even to do that, but her body responded automatically. She didn’t feel like she was in control of it any longer. She had just become a passenger, a disjointed consciousness watching as the body it inhabited moved of its own accord. She tried to stay focused on one thing – Theo.
There were too many other things that would defeat her if she weren’t careful. She kept the thought of Gloria, of Rodney, of the small life she had worked so hard to make her own, as far away as possible. The idea that she might lose all of it was a dagger, sinking further into her heart with each step she took.
Theo was struggling now, and Kristen noticed specks of blood against the cliff face. He’d led them both onto a skirting precipice, and she had to will herself to slow down to keep from tumbling off the edge. Loose rocks scraped free, tumbling over the side where they lost themselves in free fall hundreds of meters below.
The Tiger let out a frustrated growl up ahead as the trail came to an end and Theo found himself stranded on a small plateau with no way back and no way forward. He circled his small perimeter of stone and growled at Kristen as she made her way onto the ledge. Much to her surprise, Theo keeled over, and she saw the telltale signs of his transformation back into a human. He was hunched on his knees, and looked suddenly very frail, impossibly old and decrepit. His lips trembled, despite the fact he was still built like a giant. The veins in his arms bulged outward like upended riverbeds.
Reluctantly, she resumed her human shape as well. Her black hair fell lightly over her breasts, and she scowled at him, forcing herself not to succumb to compassion. She couldn’t bring herself to it even if she wanted to.
“This is the end ,” she stated.
“I always knew… always knew it would end like this,” he said, his head bent low, “please…”
“Please what?” she spat. “There is no please .”
She took a step forward and the fetal man cringed, his knees scraping the dust and gravel. “Please, please don’t kill me! I swear… I never meant to hurt you. Or your child.”
Kristen stopped and blinked. “How do you know I’m pregnant?”
“You’re a Shifter… it’s impossible to hide from others of your kind…”
“So you threatened me, knowing full well I was with child.” It wasn’t a question any longer, and she was adding more reasons to her list of wanting to kill the
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