Page 4 of Shifter Island


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As I shifted, my bones relocated with a crunch. In human form I was naked, my clothes destroyed by my sudden shift into a bear but I wasn’t ashamed of my state of undress. Esteban and I had seen each other without clothes so many times that the sight was nothing novel.

I put my hand to my side. The wound wasn’t bleeding anymore, but the area was still raw and bruised. They had cut me deeply there, but not deep enough to destroy any vital organs.

“I don’t know whether to be happy or insulted that Victor didn’t kill us here. We really deserved it for going up against him with just the two of us,” my voice sounded raspy as I spoke my first words after the long silence.

I needed a drink. The woman’s backpack was abandoned in the middle of the road. I approached it. A side pocket held a bottle of water. I hoped she wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to some. I would have it refilled in Santuario.

I took the bottle and drank greedily. Behind me I heard the crunch of bones changing positions – Esteban was shifting too.

A moment later his deep rumbly voice answered my worries. “I don’t give a fuck what Victor thinks about us. We both know the guy is insane. He played with us here. He had fun beating us up.”

“So you think we’re like playmates to him, huh? He wants us alive because he likes fighting us and our sleuth.”

I passed the bottle to Ban. He drank the rest of the water. I looked my cousin up and down. There were numerous cuts from claws and bruises on his body, but overall he was in the same condition as myself – hurt but healing quickly. The sight made me feel even more relieved as confirmation that he was coming back to full health quickly.

“I don’t want to be a plaything for this fucker!” Esteban spit on the ground.

“Neither do I. However, I’m still glad he didn’t kill us here. Surviving makes it possible for us to retaliate. We need to go back to Santuario and organize our people for an attack on Fort Torres. We have to get the woman back before Victor does something to her.” The thought of Victor laying a hand on her was terrifying. The depth of the emotion was novel to me.

I had never shied away from opportunities to sleep with women. I was a sociable guy who many girls found funny; my personality was enough for them to throw themselves at me. And I had to admit, I loved fucking beautiful women. So I rarely refused their advances but after I had slept with them and had my fun, I never wanted anything more. I had never met anyone who made me want to pursue a relationship. The thought of being so deeply connected to someone else, unable to easily walk away, scared me. And yet…

“I felt something towards that woman…” I voiced my thoughts out loud.

I didn’t know how to name the feeling: a fierce protectiveness and desire to always have by my side the woman whose name I didn’t know. It was madness. Yet it was an insanity I wanted to feel. Why was I so attracted to her?

Esteban put the empty bottle back into the side pocket of the backpack. He lifted the woman’s things up and put the bag over his shoulder. Good idea – we would bring her belongings to Santuario.

“I felt something too.” Esteban turned to look north, following with his gaze what we could see of the road.

I stared at him, wide-eyed. “You… too? What is this feeling then?”

I already knew the answer deep down, but I was afraid to name it. Still, knowing that Esteban felt the same way calmed me a little. We were always together, he and I, and we had shared women before. The fact that we would both experience the same pull towards one person didn’t feel unnatural.

“I believe she’s my mate,” Esteban’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

I swallowed hard. The realization tilted my world on its axis. Even though I had always thought I would detest being so attracted to someone, to want to be with them and only with them forever, right now I didn’t feel disgusted at all. Knowing that I had finally met my mate was exhilarating and the thought that she was in danger made me want to run to her as quickly as possible.

“She’s my mate too,” I finally admitted. My voice sounded certain, and I knew that the words I had spoken were an undeniable truth.

I shared a deep look with Esteban. He nodded, a soft smile appearing on his lips. “I’m glad we share a mate.”

I returned his expression with a bright smile of my own. “So am I.”

This kindred discovery meant that Ban and I would be together forever, the woman completing our already great friendship. It was a wonderful thought, knowing that I would never have to be apart from my cousin. We already shared the role of the Alpha of Santuario, but having a mutual mate would bring us even closer to each other.

Esteban’s expression turned serious. “Right now, thanks to that fucker Victor, our mate is in danger. If you can run, we'd better make our way to Santuario and start organizing our people for a rescue mission.”

“Right. I’m good to go. Let’s run.”

I picked up my belongings from the pile of my torn clothes, and Esteban did the same. Then we started running along the road towards Santuario. My hurt side pulled at me from my quick movements, but I gritted my teeth and suffered through the pain. Getting the woman back was the most important thing right now. With every minute my wounds would mend more and more. I just had to wait for them to heal completely.

Half an hour later, Esteban and I arrived at the gates of Santuario. The village we called “sanctuary” was surrounded by a tall concrete fence. Only one gate provided entry into the comfort of our home. The village had once been a prison unit, hence the very defensible nature of the site.

The guards at the gate, Adans and Engel, looked us up and down then grabbed their rifles more firmly when they saw our injuries.

“Get everyone together. We have a situation on our hands,” I commanded in my Alpha voice; the tone that left no room for disobedience.

The guards ran into the village, and we followed after them. The houses inside were terraced, one-story with orange tiled roofs. They surrounded a village square with a well at the center. Palm trees were scattered around, swaying slightly in the wind. Almost eighty people lived here, all previous wardens of the prison and their families.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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