Rayne

RAYNE

After packing the rest of my things and catching a few hours of z’s, I made the long drive to Featherstone.

A slew of energy drinks had helped me stay awake on the trip, but I could feel myself crashing as I finally pulled into the Rocky Springs Resort.

With a yawn, I stepped out of the Raptor and into the chilly night air. I was so happy to see the cold, snowy weather replaced by autumnal warmth.

Inside, a human man in his late thirties with a buzz cut greeted me.

“Welcome to Rocky Springs Resort. How may I help you?”

“Hello, I paid for a lodge yesterday. It should be under a Rayne Callahan.” I had used one of my many aliases. I doubted anyone there would know the name Rayne Slater, but I didn’t take chances.

He looked me over before checking through the computer to find my name. “Yes, we have you set up in lodge 20-B. Here are your keys, Ms. Callahan.”

He gave me a welcoming smile and added, “If you need anything, dial zero for the main office, and I’ll be happy to assist you.”

I gave him a smile of my own as he handed over a key and map. “Great. Thank you.”

The map’s directions led me to a lodge near a river bend sheltered by trees. Despite my exhaustion, I went taut as my other half went on alert. The faint scent of shifters had her bristling.

The scents weren’t recent, and there were no shifters in the vicinity, but it still made her anxious. With no real danger evident, I grabbed my things and went inside.

Chandeliers and nice artwork hung in every room. It had two nicely decorated bedrooms, a medium-sized marble bathroom and kitchen, and a fireplace in the living room.

Although it was a bit on the elegant side, it would still suit my purposes fine.

I pulled out my computer and set it up on the coffee table, then I unpacked my weapons to stash them around the lodge. One never could be too careful, especially when dealing with shifters.

If someone ransacked the place, at least my weapons would still be intact.

I would go to the uncle’s territory first thing in the morning to scout the area and hike along the perimeter, taking pictures and jotting down notes.

Then I’d stake out the entrance and see who entered and exited the premises.

I wondered if I’d get a glimpse of Reese. My other half hummed at the idea, and I mentally hushed her.

Being around shifters was making her livelier than normal. Most days, she was compliant and quiet, but once shifters were around, she forgot all her home training.

It was hard to focus with her like this. I was always on edge trying to keep her in.

Exhausted, I rubbed my eyes as I shuffled my tired legs to the master bedroom, where I clumsily planted my face on the pillow before going out like a light.

I was working late again at Sonny’s Seafood. It was nearly closing time, so Bree and I were in the back, cleaning. The other employees had left early, leaving us to lock up.

“So, what are you going to do tonight for your sixteenth birthday, Kota? Do the Petersons have something great planned?” asked Bree, sweeping the floors.

“If not, I’ll have Lance pick us up, and we’ll take you out.”

I had thought about going out, but from the moment my eyes had opened that morning, I’d felt sick as a dog.

I hadn’t felt like getting out of bed, but I knew that if I didn’t it would be eight hours off my paycheck. I needed the money, so I’d forced myself to get up.

My latest foster parents, the Petersons, had been so busy with the younger children that I’d escaped their notice, like every day of the five months I’d lived with them.

I’d slipped out the front door and headed for Sonny’s.

“Nothing that I know of,” I replied to Bree. “As for the Petersons, I doubt they even realize it’s my birthday.

“If not for the fact that I take up room in their house, they’d likely not know I even existed.

“Besides, I’m not feeling well. I think I’m coming down with the flu. It’s best I get back in bed.”

Bree gave me one of her “Are you serious?” looks as we locked up. The sun was almost down, and I had a mile to walk to get to the Petersons’ house. I sighed, wishing I had a car or even a bike.

I would have asked if Bree and Lance could drop me off, but I could tell she was determined to see me celebrate my birthday, and I wasn’t up for it.

“Bree, don’t look at me like that. Yes, I’m serious. Not all of us have to throw a big shindig every time a birthday comes around.”

She huffed. “You can be so boring, Kota. Have some fun once in a while. Let Lance and I take you out. Your sixteenth birthday is supposed to be special! If you can come to work, you can go out.”

I gave her a weary look. She couldn’t be more wrong. I had a splitting headache that felt like a jackhammer was pounding at my skull, which made standing upright a challenge.

“Sorry, Bree. I’m just not up to it. Maybe we can do something tomorrow. Tonight I’m going to take my boring butt to the Petersons’ and get in bed.”

She tried to protest, but I was already turning the corner.

I’d walked the same route from Sonny’s to the Petersons’ house for the past four months now, but tonight it felt different.

Noises and sounds were much clearer. I could hear televisions playing in houses, cats chasing mice in the alleyway, and Mrs. Tolley, the town’s gossip, running her mouth over the phone.

Smells were also more potent. The odors of asphalt, garbage, motor exhaust, and the smell of pine from thrown-out Christmas trees floated on the wind.

It all caused my head to pound more fiercely, so I pulled the hood of my jacket up over my head and quickened my steps, wanting to get to the Petersons’ faster.

Once there, I would drug myself with painkillers until the pain went away.

I was about two blocks away from the house when a strange tingly feeling went through my body.

As quickly as it came, it disappeared, but it was replaced with a pain so excruciating that I doubled over onto the sidewalk.

The pain rapidly intensified, which sent my body into spasms. Laid out on the concrete, I moaned and writhed in pain. Darkness soon crept into my vision, warning me that I was about to pass out.

I tried breathing steadily to buy myself time to alert someone to my dilemma, but I couldn’t force more than a whimper out.

As I strained to make a loud enough sound to draw a neighbor’s attention to my condition, my body continued to convulse.

When my bones and joints started popping and snapping at abnormal angles, I watched in horror as my body rearranged itself right before my eyes.

Scared senseless, I finally found my voice and screamed bloody murder.

With my brain unable to comprehend what was going on, my mind retreated into the darkness.