Autumn's Blood: The Spirit Shifters, Book One Read online

  The sudden scent of blood filled the air, a tidal wave of copper and heat. The animal’s frightened bleat of terror, the savage tear of flesh.

  Blake skidded to a halt, ears pricked, eyes wide. Something had happened to the animal, but what? He slowed his pace and proceeded with more caution.

  Underlying the overwhelming stench of blood, he caught the scent of something else—someone else—a scent he’d not come across for several years.

  A low growl rumbled from his throat. He lowered his powerful neck and sniffed the ground. Yes, how had he missed it before? He must have been too caught up in the chase.

  The scent of wolf—not a natural pack—but a member of his own kind.

  He broke into a clearing and stopped short.

  The deer lay bloodied on the ground. Its hooves pawed the ground helplessly until the last of its life blood ebbed away, and then the animal fell still.

  Just behind, leaning against the thick expanse of a pine tree trunk, stood a naked man. Fresh blood coated his chest and chin. He shared Blake’s caramel complexion, dark eyes, and fringe of thick lashes. Long black hair fell down over his naked chest, back, and shoulders. His casual stance—arms folded across his chest, one ankle over the other—was the opposite of Blake’s drummed-in military posture.

  The man smiled at the wolf. “Hello, Cuz.”

  Chogan Pallaton.

  Blake growled again, lowering his big head, the hackles on his back rising, making his already huge form appear even bigger.

  But his cousin showed no fear. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow, one side of his mouth curling in a smirk. “You can’t intimidate me, Blake. I’ve known you since you were only a couple of years old. And you might be bigger than me, but you know I’m faster.”

  This was true. Though Chogan was still a big guy, a little over six feet tall with a well-muscled but lean body, he’d beat Blake in a race any day of the week. No wonder he’d managed to hunt down the deer before Blake had even gotten near. He’d simply outrun them both.

  Blake growled again. He’d not seen his cousin for several years, and he sure as hell didn’t want to be standing here with him now. But he couldn’t question his cousin’s sudden appearance in wolf form.

  Go, he willed his spirit guide. Leave me now.

  The energy sucked from his body and he tensed, waiting for the pain he knew would follow. The change from wolf to man was almost as painful as the other way around. The fur retracted from his body, leaving smooth brown skin. His ears folded against his head and seemed to melt away. His bones snapped and rearranged themselves.

  Naked, he stood before his cousin, experiencing no shame at his nudity. Growing up with a wolf-guide, he’d grown used to being without clothing.

  “Chogan,” he growled. “What the hell are you doing down this far?”

  “I’m here to find you, of course.”

  “Why would you want to find me?”

  “I need your help.”

  Blake snarled. “I’ve got no interest in helping you.”

  “I’m not like you, Blake. I didn’t turn my back on my people at the slightest hint of trouble.”

  “That’s because you are the trouble.”

  Chogan waved a hand dismissively. “Not all the time. Anyway, I needed to find you. I’m hoping you might be able to shed some light on a subject that’s got people concerned.”

  Blake frowned. “Like what?”

  “There’s rumors of spirit shifters disappearing.”

  “Why would I know anything about that?” he said with a scowl.

  “I don’t expect you to, but some of the elders have been urging me to get in touch with you, to see if you might use your connections to find out if anything has been reported.”

  “I don’t work for the police department.”

  “No. Even better, you work for the government. Those guys know everything.”

  “Not quite everything,” Blake muttered. But he needed to find out what was getting people all stirred up. “So what’s going on?”

  “One of the shifters who went missing is from the reservation. She went to bed as normal, but when her family woke, she was missing. No one has seen any sign of her and it’s not like her. She’s dedicated to her family and her community ...”

  Blake cringed at his words, his metaphorical hackles rising. He’d left the reservation for a reason; just the memory of the place brought him pain. Perhaps he’d only been young, but he’d thought he had the whole of his life mapped out before him. Then one single event had changed everything, and his cousin had played his part in that happening. He would never forgive him.

  “I’ll see what I can look into, but I don’t want you anywhere near me.”

  Blake turned on his heel and strode back through the forest, heading back to where he’d left his clothing. He had small bundles of clothes hidden around the forest in case his runs took him too far, but in this case his closest clothing was back where he’d started.

  He became aware of his cousin walking along behind him.

  Blake drew to a halt and Chogan stopped with him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  His cousin cocked his head, his long hair falling down to cover one brown shoulder. “What do you think? I’m coming with you.”

  Blake strode off, shaking his head. “No way.”

  Light footsteps followed. “I’m planning on staying around, Cuz. There’s something going on, and I plan on hanging out till you agree to help me.”

  Chapter Four

  AUTUMN FITTED THE key into the lock on her front door and turned it. The apartment door cracked open to a blast of music and the scent of food cooking. A smile tugged her mouth. She was glad to be home.

  “Hey, girl!” Her roommate Mia’s dark head popped around from the kitchen door. “How did it go?”

  Immediately, her thoughts turned to the beautiful giant of a man who’d touched her mouth. She could still feel the heat of his finger against her lip. “How did what go?”

  Mia’s fine eyebrows arched. “Err, let’s see. Could I be talking about this elusive interview you’ve been unable to speak about all week?”

  “Oh, yeah, of course.” She gave her head a shake. “It went well. I got the job.”

  Mia jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “Yay! I knew you would. Now why am I the one celebrating while you’re acting all mysterious?”

  Though the other woman was three years younger than Autumn’s own twenty-seven years, their mothers had been best friends and the two girls had grown up like sisters. After Autumn’s mom died, Mia’s mother had treated her like her own child and she’d spent numerous nights at their family home when her father had needed to work late.

  Autumn didn’t need a roommate for the rent. She was even a little embarrassed that she’d not taken the more adult step of living alone, but the truth was she found living alone to be unbearably lonely.

  Plus, Mia was like the wife Autumn would never have. Mia loved to cook, where Autumn was capable of burning water. The younger woman was more than happy playing the role of homemaker, but Autumn couldn’t think of anything worse. She hoped her friend would find a guy soon. At five-two, with her big dark eyes, tiny nose, and cropped hair, she was more than a catch for any man. Autumn knew Mia wanted a family of her own one day, and part of Autumn dreaded such a thing happening, as it would mean she’d end up alone. However, she’d still be overjoyed if Mia met the right man.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be. The experience was a little strange, that’s all.”

  She followed Mia into the kitchen. Her roommate opened the fridge and, without even needing to be asked, pulled out a chilled bottle of white wine. Autumn settled herself at the kitchen counter as Mia poured out a couple of good-sized glasses and sat opposite.

  “Strange how?”

  “There was a man who ...”

  Mia leaned toward her, her eyes bright. “Who, what?”

  She shook her head and looked down into her wineglass. “Who left a
n impression on me.”

  “Oh. My. God. He’s not going to be your boss, is he?”

  Autumn laughed and some of the tension ebbed from her body. She took a sip of the wine, enjoying the crisp taste. “No, nothing like that. Though we will be on the same team. He was just really ... intense.”

  “And sexy?” Mia waggled her eyebrows up and down. “Please say he was sexy.”

  “He was big and ... intense.”

  “Seriously, Autumn, you need to find yourself some more descriptive words.” She leaned even farther forward. “So how big was he?”

  Autumn frowned slightly, remembering. “Well over six feet, and buff as well. His biceps were as big as my head.”

  “Holy cow.” Mia grinned. “That’s big.”

  Autumn wanted to tell Mia how it had felt to have his finger press against her mouth, as though his skin had literally burned hers, and she could still sense its presence. She wanted to tell her how she couldn’t erase the memory of those almost-black eyes piercing hers. Yet, somehow she couldn’t bring herself to discuss those details over a girly chat, feeling as though it would diminish their importance somehow.

  Important? I barely said more than a few words to him. How could they have been important?

  “Oh, it was nothing,” she said dismissively. “Just a cute guy. So what’s for dinner? Can I help?”

  Mia hopped off the stool, went to the oven, and pulled out a dish of baked pasta. “Nope, you’re good. How does Italian sound?”

  “Perfect. You know I’d marry you, right?”

  Mia dropped the baking dish of steaming pasta onto a mat on the counter. “As much as I love you, honey, I’m afraid you just don’t do it for me.”

  Autumn let out an over-exaggerated sigh. “Shame. Me neither.”

  Her friend spooned creamy pasta onto both of their plates and sat back down. She lifted her wine glass and clinked it against Autumn’s. “To hot guys, right? And not needing to marry our girlfriends.”

  Autumn laughed. “I’ll drink to that!”

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Autumn entered the government building to find the same security staff waiting behind the dark glass door. She looked around, hopeful to see Blake Wolfcollar, but there was no sign of anyone else.

  One of the guards, a man in his late thirties, stood as she walked in. “Ma’am,” he said with a nod, handing her a security badge. This time, she noted, there was no visitor under her name. It seemed she was now a full-fledged member of staff. “General Dumas said to send you straight down to the labs.”

  “Down?” She’d assumed she had entered on the bottom floor.

  “Yes, minus one.” He nodded toward the bank of elevators.

  Autumn repeated the paces of the previous day and dropped her belongings into the tray. She walked through the metal detector and waited for her purse and shoes to come trundling through on the roller.

  The belt came to a stop, capturing her stuff inside the metal block of the scanner. Autumn frowned and tried to peer in, though the black rubber flaps which hung down over the exit blocked her view.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked, straightening to look at one of the guards. She was suddenly filled with an irrational fear that some contraband had been planted in either her suit jacket, which she’d run through the scanner, or her purse.

  The guard frowned and stared at the controls, his eyes flicking back up to the screen. He shook his head. “Damn thing’s been acting up all morning.” He made his way to the start of the belt, reached inside, and fiddled with something. A few seconds later, the belt creaked and juddered and got moving again.

  Autumn’s belongings appeared through the rubber flaps.

  “Sorry about that,” the guard said.

  Relieved she wasn’t going to be in trouble for something she hadn’t done, she grabbed her things and slipped her jacket and shoes back on. “No, problem,” she told him and headed to the elevator. Inside the mirror-walled box, she noticed what she hadn’t before—the minus number on the keypad. Below it was another button that seemed to only allow access with a pad, she assumed, for an authorized fingerprint. She shouldn’t be surprised. This was a government facility; she almost expected them to have secret floors.

  She hit minus one, the little light behind the silver key illuminating in red. The doors closed and she felt the downward motion of the equipment before coming to a stop.

  The doors slid open and she stifled a small cry of surprise. Dumas stood directly on the other side, a mere foot separating them. Just behind his left shoulder stood another man she hadn’t seen before. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, though something about his gray eyes—an intelligence—made him appear older. His brown hair was brushed back from strong features, flecks of white at the temples.

  The two men weren’t the only people waiting for her. Farther back, she saw the broad expanse of Blake Wolfcollar. His eyes rested on her face, his gaze clear and direct. His brown eyes were so dark and deep she felt like she was diving into twin cups of molten hot chocolate.

  Her stomach did a little flip.

  Behind them stretched a huge glass and chrome laboratory. Several rooms were cornered off. Near the back, she caught sight of a couple of people in white coats flitting from room to room like moths trapped in a lampshade.

  Dumas smiled his cool smile and stepped back. “Welcome to your new lab.”

  She stepped out, her eyes wide. She’d expected a busy, hectic laboratory, but this place was close to deserted. “Shouldn’t I have a team working with me?”

  “No, Doctor, it’s just you.”

  Strange, but what could she say?

  He turned to the men flanking him. “You’ve met Blake Wolfcollar, of course.” His attention moved to the other man. “This is Peter Haverly. He’s the head of our research department.”

  She smiled and stepped forward, offering her hand. Peter Haverly took it, his grip dry and firm. “Good to meet you,” she said.

  He smiled back, his expression warm, unlike Dumas’. “You too.”

  Dumas began to stride across the lab. “Please, come with me. I have something I need to show you.”

  He took her over to a bench lined with several stools. Large silver filing cabinets containing slide samples propped up one wall. Across another wall were a chemical extraction chamber, several centrifuges, and bottles of chemicals. On the bench stood high-tech electron microscopes, the most powerful she’d ever seen, together with electron, scanning tunneling, and atomic force microscopes used to view individual DNA molecules.

  The head of research handed her a white lab coat.

  Autumn waved it away. “Oh, that’s fine. I brought my own, but thank you.”

  Haverly shook his head. “You need to wear this one. I’m afraid I insist. We wouldn’t want any outside material tainting what work has already been done.”

  She took the coat, and he handed her a pair of micro-thin gloves and a pair of Perspex goggles. She glanced over to check the location of Blake.

  The big security man hung in the background, his expression unreadable, his arms folded across his chest, making his big biceps appear even larger. She didn’t want to feel like a total nerd in her work clothes, but she couldn’t do anything about that, so she slipped on the coat, gloves, and goggles.

  Dumas nodded at one of the stools. “Please, sit. I want to show you what you’re going to be working with.”

  She took a seat and Dumas sat next to her. Haverly stood behind them, flanking their shoulders. Dumas pulled one of the big microscopes toward him. From one of the filing cabinets, he took out a tray of glass slides, each slide about two inches in length by an inch in width. He selected one and slid the sample beneath the lens of the microscope. In front of them, a large monitor displayed the image of the genetic fragment.

  Autumn peered at the screen, a frown furrowing her forehead. “Is this what I’m supposed to be working on?”

  Dumas studied her face. “That’s right.”
r />   “These genes are clearly human. You must realize I would recognize that immediately.”

  He lifted a finger to stop her. “Just wait. First you must learn about what we need them to become.”

  Dumas removed the first slide and replaced it with another. “As you can see, the mutation starts small, an amino acid base pair substitution at position five of the polypeptide chain. The adenine-thymine pair for guanine-cytosine.”

  Autumn nodded her understanding. She hadn’t come across this particular mutation before, but she’d guessed that considering her involvement and the total secrecy surrounding the project, this would be something new.

  “Of course,” the General continued, “your predecessors have already figured out how to create this mutation, simply by using an expression vector to substitute one base pair for another.”

  Again, Autumn nodded. What he was explaining was simple genetic engineering.

  Haverly interrupted. “However, it’s the recombinant protein that is causing us problems.”

  She was almost surprised to hear his voice. She couldn’t help but wonder, considering he was the head of R&D, why Dumas was the one talking her through all of this. She got the impression this project was very much the older man’s baby.

  “That’s right,” Dumas said, regaining her attention.

  Autumn frowned. “The recombinant DNA isn’t producing the correct protein?”

  “Yes, it is, but the protein isn’t going on to have the same effect that we’ve seen in the genes of our live subjects.”

  “Which is?”

  Dumas pushed the microscope out of the way and reached across to the computer’s keyboard. “This is what happens to the human chromosomes once the mutant protein is released into the living subject’s body.”

  On screen, she recognized the familiar shapes of human chromosomes. Before her eyes, they began to divide, the normal number of forty-six pairs splitting and dividing. Autumn blinked and, almost comically, rubbed her eyes beneath her goggles. Surely she wasn’t seeing what she thought? On the computer monitor, strands of DNA replicated, creating whole new chromosomes.