Kidnapped

Chapter 6

Fern slid off the mare while Thorne sniffed the leaves on the forest floor. They'd been churned up by something large, probably horses. "If we press on, we should catch up to them tonight," Thorne said.

Fern examined the leaves, noting how damp dirt still clung to them. Thorne was right. They were close.

With the moon only a couple days from being full, Thorne's size had increased until he'd be able to take on any black bear in the forest.

The hot feeling, like her blood had been warmed, shot through Fern. She leaned against the horse and rubbed the old bite on her arm. The sensation had been going on all day and had gotten worse when the moon rose. Unlike the feeling she'd had when she fought the vamp, this one refused to be pushed down, even when she rested.

"Is something wrong?" Thorne asked.

"I think I'm about to shift." Fern wrapped her arms around herself.

Thorne let out a low growl. "Maybe we should wait for the rescue until after the full moon. It'd be cutting it close, but I think we'd still be able to get Ash after the full moon." Thorne glanced north. "If your adrenalin kicks in, you'll shift. That might be lethal in a fight."

Tears burned in Fern's eyes. She'd be turning into a monster. "We need to get them tonight before I shift. I'm not letting that werewolf bite Ash." Even if she couldn't save herself, perhaps she could save her brother.

Thorne's ears drooped. "He's a werecat. I don't know how they turned him without a werecat, but they did."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Fern snarled. How could he keep it a secret from her?

"It wouldn't have done you any good to know," Thorne said. "You had enough to deal with."

"He's my brother!" Her hair bristled. Fern froze. The tingling sensation turned into full-blown burning. She fell to her knees. "Thorne, I'm turning!"

"Look at me, Fern." Thorne stood over her, his golden gaze boring into her.

Fern looked at Thorne.

"Now, concentrate on your human form. Think about breathing, not anger or excitement. Do it."

Fern focused on her human self. The burning eased. Finally, it went back to the tingling she'd felt before. She gazed at the moon. If the wolf fought this hard to get out, she wouldn't stand a chance on the full moon. "I'm turning into a monster."

Thorne growled. "You are not a monster. Neither is your brother." He stepped closer. "You're only a monster if you let your instincts control you. When you turn, you need to control your instincts. They're no different from human instincts. Some say prayer helps. It has helped me avoid ripping out a few throats."

Fern hugged herself. The hot anger had surged up so fast. How could she control that? "I saw someone who shifted," Fern said. "He killed my best friend right in front of me."

Thorne sighed. "I admit, I don't know much about halfbloods like you, but I do know Christ can help you fight any urges you feel, even bloodlust."

Fern nodded, but she still didn't trust herself.

"Do you want to go after your brother or wait until after you've shifted?" Thorne asked.

Fern took a few deep breaths. "We can go now." She climbed onto the mare. "I'm not taking a chance of them getting to Fort Roland first."

"Then let's go." Thorne trotted ahead. Fern followed after him as they traveled. Now that they were close, Thorne paused to sniff more often, then listened.

The moon hung high above them when Thorne stopped, his hackles on end. "Tie the horse here. From now on, we go on foot."

Fern loaded the rifle with silver rounds and tied the mare to a tree. Hopefully, if things went bad and they didn't make it back, the mare would rip loose and head back to Refuge. Fern doubted the vamps would get her. The mare had more experience with vamps than Fern did.

Fern followed Thorne through trampled leaves.

Wood smoke hung in the air. After a few more minutes of travel, Fern spotted firelight shining through the trees.

Fern and Thorne slunk into thicker brush and crept closer to the camp. Five horses stood picketed on the far side of the camp while five animalistic shadows slumbered around the fire. One was a short distance from the others, farther from the fire.

A man leaned against a tree, his head bowed. For a guard, he wasn't doing a very good job; then again, what did they have to fear?

Thorne sniffed the air. "I scent one pureblood werewolf, three halfbloods, a man, and Ash. The riders must have turned into halfblooded wolves. I can deal with halfbloods without trouble, but that pureblood's a real threat." Thorne sniffed the air again. He let out a low growl. "Thought so. They've got Ash drugged up on wolfsbane."

Fern's stomach turned to ice. "What does it do to him?"

"It makes us act like animals driven by instinct, and we're trapped in that form until it wears off. They probably figured it was easier to confine him if he was trapped in one form."

A growl rumbled in Fern's chest. "What should we do?" They couldn't leave Ash, not like this.

"He's going to be chained or tied up. You'll have to get him loose on your own. He doesn't know me so he might panic. Be careful when you go to him. Wolfsbane makes shifters forget they're people."

"Okay." Fern crawled forward, every muscle tense. Something wild welled up in her, telling her how to creep quietly. Her jaws itched to snap closed on her enemies. She shoved the terrifying instinct down.

"If you get in a bad situation and can't shoot, let the wolf side loose," Thorne whispered. "Once it's loose, you'll have trouble with control, but it's stronger and faster."

Fern clenched her jaw. God, please don't let me shift.