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“You almost made it. You should take pride in that fact Rick, but you and Dalton are always struggling to keep up with me. I’m always going to be one step ahead.”
“Not this time,” Rick snarled. I had no idea what the history between them was, but from the tone of his voice I could tell there was no love lost between them. I stayed by the car; it would certainly make a better shield than my bed sheets, but I didn’t know how long I was going to be able to stay here for. What was I supposed to do if something happened to Rick? I recalled that he said he was protecting me, but why would he need to protect me from this man? I’d never seen him before and didn’t know what he’d want with me.
But, soon enough, the questions were driven from my mind and everything went blank. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Rick and this other man moved closer together and before my eyes they changed…shifted. It was as though the world shimmered in front of me and the laws of reality were broken. In a series of swift movements, my perception of the world and what was possible in it, changed entirely. I looked at Rick as something came over him. His body pulsed with energy and suddenly his clothes and flesh were replaced with golden fur. A thick mane sprouted from the back of his head and came around his neck. A tail curled and he fell forward, his limbs becoming sturdier and more powerful. All of a sudden he was in the form of a lion, and I was left speechless.
If I hadn’t been so afraid, I might well have fainted entirely at the sight of Rick turning into a lion
. It shouldn’t have been possible. Was I dreaming? I pinched myself and pain stabbed at my arm. The other man had turned into a lion, as well. They prowled around each other. The other lion was bigger than Rick, with darker fur and a more menacing look in his eyes. I was truly afraid for Rick in that moment. But it also dawned on me, now, how Rick and Dalton knew my parents. Somehow, some way, my parents had been proven right. They had found the lion shifters my father had been so obsessed with. All this time I believed my father had been a crazed man chasing a dream, but he’d found it. He’d found them.
The pieces started to fall into place, but it was still havoc in my mind, as I watched the two lions fight. They sized each other up, but then Rick charged forward with his jaws snapping. He barged into the other lion and the two of them were sent reeling. I could see how Rick tried to catch flesh in his jaws, but the other lion was agile enough to wriggle away. He brought his paw up and dragged his claws down Rick’s back, making Rick’s neck arch back. He roared in agony. I looked up at the houses, but nobody seemed to be disturbed by this. I wondered how much more I had missed while I had been sleeping. What other secrets did the world hold?
Rick pushed himself away and stepped back to collect himself, but the other lion wasn’t going to give Rick a chance. He charged and at the last moment twisted his body to the side, putting the full weight of his momentum into his attack. I winced at the impact, as Rick was shoved back, his limbs and tail flailed helplessly through the air as he was sent crashing to the ground. The enemy lion seemed to be smirking as he walked up to Rick, his terrifying features illuminated by the bright glow of the streetlights, and I genuinely feared for Rick’s life. Rick tried to push himself up, but he was just a moment too slow, as the other lion brought his front paw slashing down, swiping at Rick’s face. I saw the spurt of blood spray out and Rick was pushed back. The other lion was toying with him now, bringing his paw crashing down to try and pin Rick’s tail to the ground. Rick only just, managed to slide out of the way, but it seemed to be only a matter of time until the other lion made the final killing blow. It was a brutal attack and I wished that I could have done more to help, but about the only thing I could have done was distract him.
It was better than nothing.
I stood up and banged loudly on the roof of the car.
“Hey! Over here!” I shouted. The two lions looked up at me. Rick struggled to his feet, while the other lion had hunger in his eyes as he came towards me. I wasn’t prepared for the speed at which he moved. He galloped forward and fear gripped every part of my body. I quickly realized I had made a huge mistake and circled around the car, hoping that somehow, someway, Rick could summon the strength to protect me.
But Rick wasn’t moving quickly enough. I could see the darkness in the lion’s eyes as it approached, its mouth hung open and its sharp teeth were revealed, dripping with warm saliva. It wouldn’t be long now until those teeth were crunching my bones and slicing through my flesh. Just as I was about to close my eyes, I noticed movement coming from behind me. I twisted my neck and saw another lion who was just as majestic as Rick. His paws pounded the road and he snarled loudly. His presence, evidently took the other lion by surprise. This newcomer fought with a furious flurry and pressed his advantage, driving the other lion back, away from me. The new lion positioned himself between me and this other lion, and this allowed Rick a brief respite, to return to his feet and gather some of his vigor.
Now, the two lions circled their antagonist. Rick looked worse for wear, blood dripped down his face and there was an ugly gash in his flank, but he still looked capable of dealing some devastating damage. This other lion, who I assumed to be Dalton, was standing strong and proud, and the two of them fighting together were a formidable force, too formidable, it seemed, for this other lion. He turned his gaze towards each of them and then turned away, disappearing into the darkness. His swift footsteps faded and I was glad to see the back of him.
I ran out from behind the car, although I stopped when I saw the lions turn to face me. Now that the battle was over I was faced with the reality that lion shifters were real, my father was right. It was stunning, unsettling, and even a little exciting. They looked at me, then at each other, and then they shifted.
*
Seeing them turn back into men from lions was just as intriguing and astonishing as seeing them turn into lions from men. They were back as I knew them, although Dalton had a sheepish look on his face. My surprise quickly turned to anger.
“Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?” I yelled, my voice ringing shrilly through the quiet night.
“Would you have believed me if I had?” Dalton asked.
“You could have shown me. You sat there while I talked about my parents, while I told you everything, and you just hid everything from me. It’s not fair Dalton.”
“Yes, well, Dalton has never handled things in a direct manner,” Rick said, standing in between the two of us. Despite his transformation he still bore the wounds of the fight. Nasty claw marks were etched into his face and he held his side. He gasped when he spoke and winced constantly. I wrapped my arm around him and helped him to the car.
“Are you going to be okay? We should get you to a hospital,” I said.
“No, no hospitals. In the trunk, there’s a kit. Get it,” Rick said. I was willing to do anything for him because he had saved me and defended me. I wasn’t yet ready to forgive Dalton. I helped get Rick into the back seat where he laid down, and then I went into the trunk to retrieve the first aid kit. It had antiseptic cream, bandages, and everything else they would need to treat these types of wounds. Dalton climbed into the front seat.
“Do you get yourself into these situations often?” I asked, looking down at the kit.
“It never hurts to be prepared,” Rick said, smirking through his pain. I reached in and wiped his wound. “It’ll heal quickly, but damned if it doesn’t hurt,” he added.
“Who was that man?” I asked, “Or are you still going to act like I don’t deserve to know what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry Ellie,” Dalton said. Rick glared at him and interrupted.
“His name is Bruce.” Rick immediately winced.
“You need to rest. Let me tell Ellie everything while we’re on our way,” Dalton said.
“Our way? Where are we going?”
“We’re going home,” Dalton said. He turned around and gripped the steering wheel. I looked at him, and then turned my gaze to Rick, who had closed his eyes to try and brace himself against the pain. I had treated the wounds as best I could and it was just a matter of waiting for them to heal now, although I still felt the best thing to do was to go to a hospital, even if it would have been difficult to explain the nature of his injuries. He looked peaceful and I intended to thank him properly for what he had done to try and protect me, and it didn’t feel right to leave him. I was still angry, but I was also curious. After what I’d seen I couldn’t help but want to know more. I made sure that Rick was strapped in securely and then joined Dalton, sitting in the passenger seat. I glared at him as I settled into the front of the car. Dalton revved the engine. Two beams of light shot out in front of us, and we pulled away, moving out of the empty streets of the city.
*
