Saving Autumn Page 5

  Chogan climbed out of bed and stood naked. It took him a moment to remember that he’d shifted back to wolf form to make the journey back from the warehouse to this nasty motel on the outskirts of the city. Thankfully, he’d rented the room and paid upfront for several nights before the meeting. Even though this was the sort of place that only accepted cash and didn’t ask too many questions, he didn’t think he’d have gotten away with trying to rent a room both naked and covered in blood. He’d not been able to afford much. The job he did on the reservation didn’t pay a lot—working on peoples’ cars and motorbikes when needed, fixing up houses that had seen better days. Was his life on the reservation over? Would he ever be able to go back to a simple life … a life a long way from Autumn?

  He pushed the thought from his head and strode across the room and entered the bathroom. A small frosted window had been placed high in the wall, positioned as if deliberately trying to deter errant lovers from making an escape that way. A grubby shower curtain hung from cheap plastic rings and a dirty line of grime traversed the rim of the bath.

  Autumn wasn’t the reason he’d hung around, he told himself. He had bigger issues to worry about than a woman, especially a woman who was already taken.

  He worried that he might have said too much last night in regards to her. He’d gotten carried away, desperately wanting to get everyone on his side. Of course, there was no way any of the shifters present could know who he’d been talking about, and even if they pinned him down and tortured him, he’d never give up her identity. Even so, it concerned him.

  Chogan switched on the shower and waited for the water to heat up. He stepped beneath the flow, not quite hot or strong enough, and tipped his head back to wash the last residues of blood from his long black hair. Using the small square of soap in the dish, he ran suds through his hair and across his body.

  As he stepped from the tub, a loud rap of knuckles against his door grabbed his attention. He wrapped the small, threadbare towel provided by the motel around his narrow waist, wet tendrils of hair still dripping down his back and chest, and went to open the door.

  Without saying a word, Tala pushed past him and into the room like a gust of wind from a hurricane. She spun to face him, her hands on her hips. “You have to tell me who she is.”

  Chogan glanced down at her empty hands and raised his eyebrows. “You come bursting in here and you don’t even bring me coffee?”

  “Don’t give me that. Who the hell is she?”

  He went unfazed. He’d grown up with Tala and was used to her dramatics. “Who the hell is who?”

  “This person you say is able to change humans into shifters. You know how badly I’ve wanted this, Chogan. My whole damn life! And now you’re telling me there’s someone who can do it!”

  “Whoa, slow down. I never said I knew their identity.”

  She stared at him, her dark eyes hard as two pieces of flint. “Don’t bullshit me. We grew up together. How could you even consider keeping this from me?”

  He ran a hand through his still dripping hair and shook his head. “Jesus, Tala. Don’t be so fucking selfish. Didn’t you see what happened last night? Shifters were hurt. People died! Isn’t it about time you looked at the bigger picture?”

  His cousin scowled. “That’s fine for you to say. You’ve already got what I want.” She paused and added, “Anyway, I am thinking of the bigger picture. You need shifters who will support you. I could be one of those shifters.”

  Tala had a point. Apart from Enyeto and a few others, he didn’t have a whole heap of supporters behind his plans. Even those who had appeared to support him last night after the attack happened may have grown spooked this morning and changed their minds. Getting behind a revolution when a person’s system was filled with anger and adrenaline was easy. Still supporting the cause in the cold light of day was a whole other matter. He needed more people who wanted to normalize what they were. Eventually, he planned to campaign government to recognize shifters as individuals in their own right and equals to any other humans, but first he needed people to simply acknowledge their existence. Hopefully, getting equality with the rest of humanity would only be the start. In Chogan’s mind, the final goal would be shifters ruling the humans and humans acknowledging their superiority.

  “What about my brother?” she said. “Does he know who this person is who can change humans to shifters?”

  “I don’t want Blake involved.”

  She sneered. “Why not? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of him?”

  Chogan scowled. “Don’t be ridiculous. But your brother can be very persuasive. He’s made it clear that he doesn’t think shifters should be mainstream. I don’t want him showing up every place I go and undoing all my hard work.”

  “Is that why you’re hiding from him?”

  “I don’t exactly see you knocking down his door,” he snapped.

  Tala folded her arms, shifting her weight to one leg so her hip jutted out. “I don’t even know where he lives.”

  “I’ll be happy to give you his address, but something tells me you won’t be paying him a visit any time soon.” Chogan had had enough of this bullshit. He still stood with nothing but a small, threadbare towel around his waist, and while nudity was something he was used to, he didn’t appreciate being quite so underdressed in a motel room in front of his cousin. “Let me get dressed. I’ll take you to Blake myself. I’ll be happy for him to take you off my hands.”

  At this, Tala lost some of her swagger, her shoulders slumping. “I’m not scared of my brother, if that’s what you mean. Blake is a coward. Look at how he ran away from all of us!”

  “There’s more to that than you know, Tala,” he said, making his tone a warning for her to back off.

  She didn’t know about the secret he’d hidden his whole life from everyone except Blake’s father and Sian’s family. In a way, he’d been thankful for Blake leaving. How could he have seen him every day with the secret that his cousin would have been a father dancing on his tongue? Yet, at the same time, the loss of both Sian and Blake had left a huge hole in his life. As children and growing up together, the three of them had been so close, even after it became obvious Blake and Sian were meant to be together. He hadn’t been jealous, not really. The two of them had always seemed made for each other and he’d taken it for granted that their union was as good as written in stone. He’d not asked for the secret he’d been forced to keep.

  “Fine. Let me prove myself to you,” she said. “I think you know who this person is—why else would you have mentioned her existence last night—but if you don’t want to tell me, I will respect your decision. Let me show you that you need me on your side. Give me something to do, to work toward your cause with you. You and I want the same thing, for shifters to be acknowledged as the superior species. Let me work for you and then, if you think I’m worthy, make me what you are.”

  He stared at her, trying to figure out if he could trust her. Tala was the sort of woman you wanted on your side, not against you.

  “Okay,” he relented. Then he quickly added, “Not that I’m saying I know who this person is, but I do have a way you can make yourself useful. I want to find out who those people are … were … who attacked us last night. Whoever they are, they must have some connection to the shifter community. One of our people must have let it slip about the meeting. I want to find out who.”

  Tala gave a brisk nod and tossed her sheet of shiny black hair over one shoulder. “Consider it done.” She picked up a pair of jeans hanging on the back of a hardback chair and flung them at him. “Now, for God’s sake, put on some clothes.”

  He only just remembered not to let go of his towel, and used the other hand to snag the pants from the air.

  She turned on her heel and stalked from the motel room.

  With Tala gone, Chogan got dressed. He needed to find something to eat and drink. He didn’t think the old vending machine standing outside of reception would cut it, especially considering
the contents looked like they’d been encased behind the grubby glass since the eighties.

  Tala’s interest in being turned had him worried. She wasn’t stupid and she’d already met Autumn, except at that point she hadn’t yet discovered about the existence of a descendant of the originals. His own big mouth had put him in this difficult situation. Now Tala knew the person she wanted was a woman, it wouldn’t take much to put two and two together, especially considering her brother’s interest in Autumn.

  He wondered if he should go and warn Autumn about people asking questions. He wasn’t sure how he felt about her abilities himself yet—though Tala did have a good point about the benefits of creating shifters who would be on his side. Loyalty in exchange for supernatural powers. He was sure that he wanted control over Autumn’s abilities, even if that meant needing to control Autumn.

  His one big problem was Blake. His cousin would be protecting Autumn with his life. If he were in Blake’s position, he wouldn’t leave her side for a moment. So how could he get to Autumn without his cousin interfering? If he got too close to Blake, he ran the risk of being sensed by his wolf, even if he was a couple of blocks away.

  Chogan thought for a moment. He remembered bumping into Autumn in the street near her father’s house—a moment he’d orchestrated himself to get near her—and figured he could try to pull the same trick twice. Or perhaps her father would know if Blake was still staying with Autumn, or Autumn with Blake?

  He told himself this was something he needed to do. It wasn’t just that he wanted to see Autumn again. He hated how she remained on his mind, how wrapped up she was in this whole thing. It would be easier if he never had to see her again. Instead, he found she constantly occupied his thoughts and would catch himself daydreaming, lost in the times when he’d held her close—when he carried her through the forest on his back in the shape of a wolf, when he’d found her crying in Blake’s childhood bedroom.

  But she’s chosen Blake, he chided himself for the thousandth time. She didn’t want you. You weren’t even in the running.

  Yet part of him knew that wasn’t true. Something had existed between them—a little spark that had never got the chance to burst into flame. If the flicker were nurtured, perhaps it would flourish. After all, fires started with a single spark and had the power to raze whole cities to the ground.

  He’d bought a disposable cell a couple of days ago and now had the numbers of those supporting him programmed in. He wouldn’t be able to use the warehouse as a meeting point again, but would need to find somewhere similar. A large number of people meeting was bound to draw attention, and he certainly didn’t want a repeat of the previous night. He’d always known what he was doing wouldn’t be achieved without a fight, but he’d imagined the fight would have been with the good old United States Government, not with other citizens.

  On his run through the forests bordering the city, he’d passed an old cabin, an abandoned lodge he could break into without too much trouble. That would have to do as a new rendezvous point. He just hoped he could trust everyone on his phone, especially the were-tiger; something about the big tattooed man got his back up.

  Dressed, Chogan headed out into the city. He remembered seeing a pancake place near the lake, and figured he could use a stack of pancakes accompanied by a vat of coffee. He felt like it had been a very long time since he’d last eaten, and shifting always drained him of energy, leaving him ravenous.

  As he walked, he passed a newsstand and something caught his attention. He grabbed a newspaper and stared at the headline—‘Are There Werewolves in Our Midst?’

  His mouth had fallen into a gape, and he forced himself to shut it. Werewolves? Seriously? Did people think they shifted when the moon was full and went around ravaging virgins? Chogan frowned. Or had he muddled up that myth with vampires?

  It suddenly hit him just how little people understood about what they were. People thought them monsters when they were spiritual creatures. What on earth had made him think people would automatically understand? He realized his first television appearance may not be his last. He needed to take command, and a way of doing so would be by harnessing the media.

  The number of nutcases around made his job more difficult. He’d need someone who would take him seriously. His thoughts went to the redheaded reporter he’d met outside of the government building, the one who’d first captured his shift on camera. She was the person he’d need to go to in order to put his point across to the public.

  If he wasn’t careful, this litany of hatred would spread from Chicago to other cities as well. He needed to put a stop to it or this whole thing would spiral out of his control.

  Chapter Six

  THE PHONE CALL from Mia and Peter had taken them by surprise.

  Autumn had only caught half of the information, something about them being at Toby’s house and Toby having found out something they needed to know. Blake had been the one to speak to Peter, but after Autumn’s initial thrill at her friend spending time with Peter Haverly, she found the excitement quickly solidified in her stomach and turned to dread. Peter said he couldn’t discuss things on the phone.

  They’d left right away and were now heading across the city.

  The city’s traffic drew to a standstill, a row of cars lined up ahead. They joined the back of the queue and waited, but the traffic didn’t budge. Blake sighed in frustration, his fingers tapping the wheel of the car he’d rented a couple of days earlier in order to help him cover a bigger distance in his search for his cousin. Autumn glanced at his profile, but he stared straight ahead, his lips pressed tight together.

  People began to get out of their vehicles, standing beside their open car doors to try to get a better view.

  “What’s going on?” asked Autumn, straining her neck to try to see farther ahead. “Do you think there’s been an accident of some kind?”

  Blake frowned. “I’m not sure. Let me check.”

  She’d expected him to join the others by getting out of the car, but instead, his features smoothed over, his eyes no longer seeming to see his direct surroundings, his full bottom lip falling slack.

  He’s making contact with his wolf guide, she realized. Sending the animal to relate back what lay ahead. She stared at him, trying to imagine what was going on in his head. How amazing to be able to see the world through another set of eyes. Would she ever get used to the things he was able to do?

  He came back around, his eyes refocusing. The hard expression had returned to his face.

  “We need to get out of here.” He twisted around, slung his arm over the back of her seat, and shifted the car into reverse. But as he began to back up, another vehicle pulled in behind them, blocking them in. “Shit.”

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Trouble is heading our way.”

  Baffled, she asked, “What do you mean? Has there been an accident?”

  His nostrils flared. “Not yet, there hasn’t.”

  Through the open driver’s window, Autumn became aware of voices, muffled shouting that rose in a crescent, becoming clearer. A chanting. She sat up straighter in her seat and the cause of the noise came into view. A crowd of people walked down the middle of the road, blocking the traffic. They held placards on sticks, thrusting them into the air as they shouted.

  Autumn frowned. A protest of some kind. She’d not heard of anything going on in the city today. The crowd was still too far away for her to read the placards.

  She glanced at Blake’s face. His jaw was locked tight, his normally generous mouth thinned. A line of worry had appeared between his brows. Why is a simple protest bothering him so much? It didn’t look as if things were going to get violent.

  But then the people got close enough for her to be able to read what had been written on the signs.

  Shifters are Freaks!

  Kill the Mutants!

  Humanity is Sacred!

  Men, not Monsters!

  “Oh, my, God,” she breathed, and
instinctively reached across to twine her fingers with Blake’s, giving his hand a squeeze of reassurance that was as much for herself as him.

  Someone yelled out from the street, “You’re protesting against a fairy story.” A ripple of laughter chased the comment, but another yell followed. “Bullshit! They’re real. I saw them for myself.”

  Autumn’s eyes sought out the new shouter. She thought she recognized the young man as having been from the crowd that had gathered outside of the government building when she’d raced out with Blake on the stretcher and into the back of the ambulance.

  Suddenly, people began to cry out in alarm, backing away and pushing past each other. Autumn turned her head to try to spot the cause.

  A huge lioness came at a sprint from around the corner, muscles rippling beneath amber fur. Her upper lip curled in a snarl to reveal long, white canines. Bystanders screamed and turned, shoving to get away, while others stood staring at the spectacle before them. She lifted her massive paws, standing on two legs briefly to swipe at one of the signs that read ‘Death to Mutants’. She tore the wood from the man’s grip and slammed it to the ground. Lowering her face, she ripped the sign to pieces with her lethally sharp teeth, as though it were made from no more than tissue paper. The wind caught the pieces and blew them down the street like confetti.

  One of the protesters, a man, flipped his placard over and lifted the wooden stick above his head. He brought it down brutally across the animal’s back. The lioness buckled in the middle at the impact, but quickly recovered and sprang back around, snarling.