Second Nature (38 page)

She rushed over to Jorie, grabbed her shoulder from behind, and dragged her up from her chair.

Pain exploded through her shin as Jorie kicked out. The scent of Jorie's fear and panic engulfed her and made her dizzy for a moment.

Her shin or Jorie's attempts to get away weren't the problem, though. The big gun that was suddenly pressed to her temple was.

Griffin froze but didn't let go of the struggling Jorie.

"Take your hands off her, bitch!" the man holding the gun bellowed.

Great. Jorie has friends in this dive. Armed friends.
Griffin took her hand off Jorie's shoulder. She knew she could disarm and overpower the human, but if he got a shot off before she managed to get the gun away from him, it would lead the saru right to them. "Listen," she said, giving her voice a soothing, almost purring timbre. "I need her to come with me."

"No!" Jorie shouted. Her voice trembled with fear.

"She and her money ain't going nowhere," the gun-wielding man said.

So this wasn't about friendship or defending a damsel in distress. This was about money.
No wonder.
Jorie had the largest stacks of chips piled up in front of her.
If I were a card shark, I wouldn't want her to get away either.

If she wanted to get out of here with Jorie in tow, she needed to give him a good financial motivation. "No," she said, "her money isn't going anywhere. But yours is. Didn't you realize she's cheating?"

The muzzle of the gun moved back half an inch. "What?"

"I never cheated in my life!" Jorie spat out. Anger now mixed with the scent of her fear. "You are the one who —"

"Oh, come on," Griffin said, ignoring Jorie. "How else could a little woman like that win against a bunch of experienced card players like you and your friends?" Slowly, careful not to make him feel threatened, Griffin half turned and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Don't feel bad. She tricked my buddies and me too. But don't worry; she'll pay. The cops are already on their way."

Within seconds, all the chips and dollar bills were gone from the table. Men scrambled to get out of the room.

The man shoved Jorie in Griffin's direction. "Get her out of here and never come back."

"Back door?" Griffin shouted over the din, struggling to ward off Jorie's kicks and jabs without hurting her.

Someone unlocked the back door.

"Help! She wants to kill me!" Jorie shouted.

It was no use. If the men even heard her over the chaos, they ignored her.

A vicious kick smashed against her kneecap, and Griffin stumbled as pain roared through her. The urge to shift threatened to sweep over the dam of her self-control.

Jorie slipped through her grasp and raced to the now open back door, disappearing from sight.

*  *  *

Pain flared through her hip as Jorie crashed into one of the parked cars behind the bar. She stumbled and almost fell. Only her fear kept her on her feet.
Run! Run!

Behind her, the back door banged shut. "Jorie!" Griffin shouted. "Stop!"

Jorie didn't. Another wave of adrenaline boosted her tired legs and screaming lungs. She ran at full speed, not looking where she was going, just away from Griffin.

"Stop!" With catlike grace, Griffin jumped over the hood of a car. Now she was blocking Jorie's escape route. "I told you. Don't run. Never show weakness to a predator. If you run, I can't help but give chase."

Jorie's whole body trembled with fatigue, fear, and anger. "What difference does it make?" she asked bitterly. "If I run, you hunt me down. And if I don't run, you kill me here and now."

Griffin looked down at her with a serious expression that Jorie would have taken for sincerity just a few days ago. Now she wasn't so sure anymore. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it while you were asleep in your bedroom, not here, out in the open," Griffin said.

"Oh, and I suppose you were in my bedroom just to show me your knife collection." Jorie snorted. Not only did Griffin think she was prey, she apparently also thought she was stupid prey. Her gaze darted around, trying to find a stick or a stone she could use as a weapon to ward Griffin off. She needed to keep Griffin talking to distract her until she found a way to escape. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want me dead? I thought we were becoming friends... or was that all just a lie?"

Jorie's gaze landed on a fist-sized stone on the ground to her left. Two quick steps, maybe three, and she could grab it.

"No! Don't," Griffin said. Her foot shot out and kicked the stone under a car. "Don't be stupid."

"I was stupid when I let you into my life and thought you were my friend." Jorie couldn't stop the bitter words. It was better than giving in to her fear and running in blind panic.

The whiskey-colored eyes darkened with what might have been guilt or regret. "I'm the closest thing to a friend you've got right now," Griffin said.

"Friend?" Griffin had the audacity to call herself a friend? "You lied to me, tried to kill me, and chased me halfway across the state. Why should I trust you?" Trusting someone had never been an easy thing for Jorie. She had trusted Griffin, though, and it had blown up into her face.

"Because you have no other choice if you want to live," Griffin answered.

Footsteps echoed through the darkness.

Griffin's head flew around. Her glowing eyes pierced the darkness.

She's a predator on the hunt... or on the run,
Jorie realized. She tried to make out whatever Griffin was seeing. Were there more shape-shifters out there?

Sticking around to find out was a bad idea. Jorie ran.

A large hand grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her to a stop after just one step. The collar of her shirt pulled tight around her neck. Panic rushed through her. For a second, she couldn't breathe.

Then Griffin loosened her grip and smoothed a palm over Jorie's collar, straightening it. "Stop running away from me," Griffin said in a low voice. "I can't protect you if you're running away."

A stranger stepped out of the darkness and into the dim light of a streetlamp. Though she wasn't quite as tall or as bulky as Griffin, there was something dangerous about her that made Jorie recoil. Her eyes widened when the stranger took a threatening stance in front of Griffin.

Is she going to help me?
Jorie held her breath, ready to escape should a fight break out.

"What are you doing with her, Griffin?" the stranger asked and pointed an accusing finger at Jorie. Something about the way she moved was oddly familiar.

Oh, no. The way she moves... and she knew Griffin's name. She's one of them.
The stranger wasn't here to help her. It looked more as if Griffin and the stranger where fighting over prey. Jorie took advantage of the stare-down between them to back away inch by inch.

"That's none of your business." Griffin snarled.

"Bullshit!" The other shape-shifter growled at Griffin. "You know that's not true. The dads sent me after you to —"

"Run!" Griffin shouted and gave Jorie a shove to get her moving. She tackled the other shape-shifter, who crashed against the car with an audible thump.

Jorie, already charged with adrenaline, ran. A large hand wrapped around her arm and dragged her along. She fought to break free, but Griffin's grip around her arm was like an iron shackle. "I thought you said don't run?" Jorie wheezed, struggling to keep up.

"Don't run unless I tell you," Griffin shouted back. "Now shut up and run!"

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't,
Jorie decided and ran. After a few steps, she threw a glance back over her shoulder.

The other shifter was coming after them in a loose-limbed run, quickly catching up. A frightening fire burned in her eyes.

Griffin's half-supporting, half-dragging hand disappeared from around her arm. Jorie almost fell. Panic flared. She could already see the predator pounce at her fallen body. But it didn't happen. Not yet. After two stumbling steps, she caught herself and continued to run.

Snarling and hissing from behind her drowned out Jorie's gasping breath. She risked a quick glance back over her shoulder to see what was going on.

The woman who had chased them was now writhing on the ground. Griffin had defeated her quickly and effectively.

One down, one to go.
Jorie didn't stop running, now away from Griffin. She dashed between two parked cars and out onto the street. Her gaze darted left and right, searching for an escape route or a hiding place.

Another shadowy figure emerged from the darkness.

Jorie froze. Then she took a second glance. Her eyes widened.
Isn't that...?
She took in the blond hair and friendly face.
The librarian!

Relief weakened Jorie's knees. She stumbled toward the woman, who was leaning against a van. "Help!" she shouted.

Before she could reach the woman, strong fingers grabbed her arm and pulled her back against a solid body.

Griffin!

"Let go!" Jorie kicked out, but Griffin evaded all her attempts to get away.

"Are you crazy?" the librarian hissed at Griffin. She stepped fearlessly up to the bigger woman.

"No! Get away!" Jorie shouted. No matter what would happen to her, she didn't want to put another person in danger.

The librarian ignored her, though, focusing on Griffin. "You and Leigh are acting like the stubborn brats you were fifteen years ago — only this time, there are humans around and the Saru are chasing you. What in the Great Hunter's name are you doing?"

Griffin lifted the hand that wasn't wrapped around Jorie's arm. A small object was almost hidden in Griffin's large palm.

"Don't you dare use that catnip shit on me, Griffin Westmore!" The librarian snarled.

Within a second, Jorie realized two things: the librarian was one of the shape-shifters, and Griffin hadn't hurt the tall woman who was still lying on the ground. She wasn't writhing in pain. She rolled around on the ground, then junped up and raced around in a circle. A weird rumbling sound rose up her chest.
I think she's purring. She's drunk on catnip. But why didn't the catnip affect Griffin too when she sprayed it on the... cat woman? Is Griffin a different kind of shifter?

Jorie hadn't stayed around to see into what kind of animal Griffin had shifted in her bedroom.

"Your fathers sent us to make sure you're okay, so why are you acting as if we're your enemies?" the librarian asked Griffin.

Fathers, plural?
Jorie wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
This is just too weird.

"Because one of you betrayed me to the Saru!" Griffin hissed.

The librarian urgently shook her head. "No, Griffin, we didn't betray you. A saru intercepted Patrick's phone call. There was nothing we could do."

More footsteps interrupted Griffin's skeptical silence.

Griffin's grip on Jorie's arm tightened. Jorie felt Griffin's body vibrate with power as she prepared to run.

Was there another predator from whom Griffin was running? Someone even more dangerous? Fear choked Jorie. She sucked in a lungful of air.

"Wait!" the librarian whispered. She rolled back the sliding door of the van next to them. "Get in!"

Griffin lifted Jorie and shoved her into the van's cargo area. A warm, heavy body landed on top of Jorie, pressing the air from her lungs for a moment.

"Sorry," Griffin whispered. Her weight disappeared from Jorie's back.

The sliding door snapped closed. Jorie was trapped.

*  *  *

Griffin lay still. Next to her, she felt Jorie's body tremble. Her shoulders were moving up and down in a quick rhythm.
Is she crying or just gasping for breath?
Griffin couldn't tell. The sting of the catnip and the chaotic swirl of emotions that emanated from the catnip-drunk Leigh rendered her nose useless.

At least she hoped that it would do the same to the two saru who were now talking to Rhonda outside the van. It might throw them off for a while, but it wouldn't work for long. Rhonda needed to get rid of them quickly.

Jorie rolled around. Her chest expanded, and her mouth opened.

Griffin surged forward. Her hand clamped over Jorie's mouth before she could scream.

Instantly, Jorie struggled and tried to bite her.

"Jorie, Jorie! Stop," Griffin said right into her ear, keeping her voice low. "Stop fighting me. I know you're scared, and while it might not look that way, I'm here to save your life. There are much worse predators out there than in here, so stay quiet."

The decision with which she had struggled for so long had been made. Griffin had passed the point of no return. She would try to save Jorie's life even if it meant fighting her fellow saru.

Still pressing her hand against Jorie's mouth, careful not to cover her nose too, she wrapped her other arm around the struggling Jorie and made soft shushing sounds. She kept contact with Jorie's wide-eyed gaze, hoping Jorie could read the truth of her words in her eyes.

One single tear escaped from the corner of Jorie's eye.

Guilt lanced through Griffin. She almost let go of Jorie before she got her emotions back under control. With the hand that wasn't pressed to Jorie's mouth, she wiped away the tear. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. Causing Jorie pain, making her fear for her life had never been what she wanted.

Finally, Jorie lay still next to her. Her heart was still hammering. They were pressed so close together that Griffin could hardly tell whether it was Jorie's heart or her own.

She lay quietly, listening to the interrogation going on outside.

"What's going on with her?" one of the saru asked.

Leigh was still purring. The scraping of clothes against clothes told Griffin that she was rubbing against Rhonda like an overgrown cat.

"We're on our honeymoon," Rhonda said happily. "She was a little nervous about it, and somehow, she got her paws on a little bit of catnip, just to take the edge off."

One of the saru growled. While some cat-shifters used catnip as a recreational drug, it wasn't commonly accepted. "You better stop acting so conspicuously in public," the saru warned. "Purring and kneading is not exactly human behavior, so if you don't want me to report you for breaking the First Law..."