The Shifters Heart(not continued)

Chapter 8

My muscles are so sore, I don't want to move. I feel empty ever since I was taken from my herd. Hopefully Len was doing his job. I attack the whip wielder again, so I take all the jobs. I got a few more whip marks and bruises.

I don't know why I wasn't healing, but I don't care. Just taking me from my herd is enough to break me. Even as I worked, I knew that I would escape.

Once I figured out how to shift back, we would all be free. At night, I planned to escape, wanting the others out at all costs. Even if I get horribly beaten. I scrape my hoof along the floor, creating a chalk against white board like sound.

The stable hands cover their ears and squeeze their eyes shut at the awful noise. I knew these guys were wolf shifters. I thought that wolf shifters were noble beings, but I saw the wrong side of them.

The whip wielder walks in, angry and ready to strike. He was like a snake, strikes quick but hard. I instantly stop scraping my hoof, but I moved too late. He had seen me and is pulling me out of my cell.

His eyes are furious and I have no clue why.

"You stupid horse!! You were seen and someone called police on me!! Now your going to help me escape, or I will kill you!!"

I looked at him with dull eyes.

"We leave in 3 weeks. Don't give this horse any food or water. As soon as I escape, he will be left for dead."

I neigh and turn to walk back into my stall. Well, until a whip digs deep into my behind.

"You horse!! You will work double. I need you fit to run."

I'm yanked out of my stall and shoved to work. I do it without looking. I know how all the jobs are done by now. All the other horses have gotten better.

I don't pay attention to myself anymore. My fur isn't soft and I have become dull. My fur doesn't shine brightly, it looks like a gross brown.

As my hoof dig into the ground, I hear shouting. My ears fold but I push on. I'm already half way done, and if I don't finish then I will surely get beaten. I have only been here a week but I have already lost my spirit.

We need help. If we don't get back to our herd, we-

A shout comes out way and I rear, fearing the human. I turn to see that familiar girl chasing after the whip wielder. He sees me stopped and runs at me, whip raised. I rear again and the whip cracks across my eye. I neigh in distress and fall.

I feel gentle hands on my neck as I try to get up. They may feel gentle, but they could be hiding the persons true personality.

"You have no right to hit your horse like that!!!"

"It's my animal, I can treat it how I want!!!! Get off my property now woman!!!"

I stand as the whip cracks again. It's nearly impossible to see out of my injured eye, but I pull so I don't get hit again. Suddenly the restraints go slack and I stumble. I look back to see the girl had cut the restraints off me.

I neigh fearfully. He would surely beat me worse for this. I stay in place while she stares at me.

Run, while you can!!

Her voice enters my mind and I shake my head. She looks at me sadly, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Dad, I can't watch you get beaten. He can't hurt you if you run!

It's my turn to look at her sadly. I don't know who she is, and I will get beaten if I do run. I have to help him escape or I will be killed.

You'll be killed anyway. There's no escaping our fate.

When the whip wielder walks over, I bend down on my knees. He pats my neck.

"See. I own this horse. He follows my will and he will never leave."

"He doesn't leave because he fears you. Love is stronger then fear. He will eventually leave."

She turns to me.

Dad, I know you have a herd to go back to, and I'll follow with my mate. Just please, go.

I shake my head and jump up when the whip cracks against my back. I'm led to where my next job is.

Katie's POV

I can't believe that he wouldn't run. He looked so scared, so clueless as to what's happening. He must have amnesia.

But he looked at me sadly when I called him dad. He was my dad, wasn't he?

He seems like our dad, but he acts as he knows nothing of the human world. Dad would have known, he would have a herd in the forest.

I know. I mean, there was a wild horse herd that was outside of the forest, but they were wild horses.

Katie, come here. The wild horses are in the forest. They say that they were sent over by the moonlight pack.
Cody's voice startles me.

What did they say?

They said that their leader said to go to the forest of they were attacked. I don't see their leader in sight. They are weakening without him.

Only a horse shifters herd would do that. They are wild horses, right?

Yes, but they said their leader is a dun color with black hair and black on his legs and edge of his nose. They say he has chocolate brown eyes.

Oh god. Drake took their leader. We need to get him back, now!!

But he's my dad!! What if we got the herd and had them hold on until my dad returns??

That could work.

Cody, I have a plan. We are gonna tell the herd to hold on, then we're gonna free my dad and the other horses. We will get them tonight when drake leaves the barn.

Ok.

I slam my hands down on the table. Drake has hurt horses for too long.