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She pushes me out, easing her hands through my fur, stroking me. “Shhh, you don’t need to see it right now. We’ll get it taken care of, just like Rachel’s broken arm.”
Rachel clears her throat. “Uh, missing parts don’t work quite the same way. There’s no growing body parts back.”
Body parts!?
“Shhh,” Vanessa whispers in my good ear. “We’ll sew it back on.”
Aw fuck, I lost an ear. Well, that explains the burning sensation across the side of my head.
Rachel is right, there’s no growing an ear back. I’m lopsided for life.
Deciding it can’t get worse if I’m human, I gently pull away from Vanessa and shift.
The pain grows as my skin stretches and reforms, then it settles into a dull ache.
“Keenan!” Vanessa throws herself at my chest, her tears raining onto me.
“Stelios?” I ask hoarsely.
“I saw him heading toward the trailers after he jumped off the stunt car,” Rachel says. “I thought he was going to cut the power to stop the train, but I think he ran off.”
I push to my feet, determined to go after him, but before I can lurch in the direction of the trailers, he comes rushing toward us, his expression panicked.
“What is he doing?” Wesselman asks, confused. “Shouldn’t he be leaving the scene of the crime?”
His strange behaviour becomes immediately evident. We watch as a group of animals chase Stelios toward us, screaming, barking, and biting at his heels as they herd him. He’s stopped from running any further by the train and when he turns around, he’s surrounded.
“Wow,” Vanessa breathes. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Neither have I.
The mouse shifter, Ginger Abbot, is riding a coyote shifter and they’re surrounded by more shifters of every variety. There’s an otter, an ostrich, a peacock, a lion, two groundhogs, a zebra… and a parrot.
As we watch, the parrot shifts into Hailey Whitmore. She storms up to Stelios and slaps him across the face, the sound echoing through the suddenly quiet set. “You are filth!” she hisses at him. “I want the video back and I will peck you to death if you don’t give it up, you shifter-hating asshole.”
The other shifters hoot, bark, roar and scream at him.
“So many shifters,” Vanessa whispers, her eyes wide.
“There’s an explanation for their presence.” I look at Rachel and she nods.
“What do you mean?” Wesselman looks confused.
“I’m known in the industry as a safe haven for shifters,” Rachel explains, her apologetic gaze on Wesselman. “I choose to work with you because I know you don’t harbour prejudice toward our community. You create a safe work environment for everyone.”
“Then why hide yourself from me.” He waves toward the shifters surrounding Stelios. “Why hide them? I would’ve protected all of you. I mean, I will protect you. I wish you’d told me, Rachel.”
She smiles at him, but it’s sad. “You don’t understand what it’s like, Zach. You can’t unless you’re one of us.”
“I can’t unless you tell me,” he says gruffly, pulling his jacket off and handing it to her.
She takes it from him, shoving her arms into the sleeves. “Look at them.” She nods toward the group of shifters, some of whom have shifted to human and are milling about naked. One of them asks Hailey for her autograph. “It’s rare to have such a variety and number of shifters in one place. Thanks to you, we’re able to give them jobs, housing, and food.”
Wesselman’s face lights up with pride. “We need to talk. I like the idea of being a safe haven for industry shifters, but I need you to be more honest with me.”
“I can do that, boss.”
Vanessa speaks up, “I don’t mean to interrupt but my mate is missing an ear and he’s bleeding everywhere.” She slips under my arm, pushing herself into my body, unbalancing me.
