Zena Wynn - Tameka's Smile

It just took over. She looked up to see Chad hovering over her protectively.

What happened ?

The combined energy of so many people shifting at one time brought on your change . That’s why Kiesha went inside .

He nudged her with his snout. Come on. Everyone’s leaving .

She rolled to her feet and took off running with Chad at her side. She’d never seen this many four-legged creatures in one place in her life. There were wolves of all sizes and colors, encompassing all ages from preteens to the elderly. She’d discovered that wolf shifters don’t experience their first change until puberty. For some of the pups, this was their first run. She could sense them all, felt connected to them in a way she never believed possible.

It was…exhilarating. Exciting. The world looked different at night with the moon shining down upon them. They ran and played. Occasionally, a scent would catch her nose and she’d run off to investigate. When she dangered of straying too far from the group, Chad would nip at her heels until she was back in position. She chased rabbits, not to eat, but for the thrill of it.

Feeling playful, she pounced on Chad, then took off running. He was hot on her tail, letting her stay one step ahead.

Then he tackled her and they went tumbling through the underbrush. She wrestled with him, laughing when some of the pups joined in on the fun. Chad was being such a good sport about all of it that she was startled when he shook everyone off of him, his fur bristling, a growl of pure fury emanating from his chest.

Meka, take the pups and go back to the house. Lulu will show you the way .

What’s happening? What’s wrong ?

Fire . I smell smoke .

He took off, leaving them behind. Several of the males ran with him.

Come along, child. Let’s get these pups back to safety .

Meka wanted to follow Chad, but remembering her oath to put their welfare above her own, she joined the others herding the youth back to the alpha’s house. Kiesha gathered all the children inside.

Meka dressed and was on her way to join them when Lulu came to her. “Your house is on fire.”

She felt the blood drain from her face. “My house?” she echoed hoarsely. “I’ve got to…” she looked around, “I’ve got to go. Where are my keys?”

“Here.” Lulu handed her Chad’s keys which she’d withdrawn from the pants still in her hand. “I’m coming with you. You shouldn’t be alone and that mate of yours is going to need his clothes.”

In the end, Lulu drove. Meka hadn’t been in Refuge long enough to be familiar with the roads, especially at night when time was of the essence.

“My things: my furniture, clothes, pictures . Oh God, everything I own is in that house,” she moaned. “Momma E’s things.” How do you replace memories? she wondered in despair.

“Quit your fretting, child. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think. Even so, it’s just stuff. Things can be replaced. Life is what’s important.”

It was worse. The place was an inferno. The volunteer fire department had arrived. There were people everywhere, shouting orders, running around. It was a madhouse. Lulu pulled to the side of the driveway near the road, out of the way of traffic.

“You stay here. I’ll go see what’s happening. No sense both of us adding to the confusion.”

It was a picture of hell, the black sky lit up by towering flames and plumes of water shooting into the air. The fire crackled and the water hissed. The smoke was thick; the scent strong enough make her gag. The heat must be blistering. She sent up a brief prayer for the safety of the workers.

Tameka got out of the truck and leaned against its side, arms crossed over her chest as she watched her life go up in smoke. She should be happy that they weren’t in the house when it happened, but all she could think of was she’d now joined the ranks of the homeless. The clothes she was wearing was all she had left. She was just grateful she had a little cushion in her savings. It should be enough to replace the essentials and tide her over until she could find another place to live.

The unmistakable sound of a rifle being cocked brought her out of her maudlin musings.

“Step away from the truck and keep your hands where I can see them.”

Meka froze as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind.

The strongest and loudest of them all was what she’d taught the women in her self-defense class. Don’t lose your head and you just might keep it.

“I’m good where I’m at, thanks.” She settled more firmly against the truck, eyes trained on the burning building, where help was just a yell away.

“Move or I’ll shoot.”

“No you won’t. I have something you want. You need me alive,” Meka spoke with a calm confidence she wasn’t quite feeling.

“I can shoot you without killing you.”

Her heart jumped, then reason kicked in. “True, but the minute you fire that gun, you’ll have all of them,” she pointed to the men fighting the fire, “after you.”

Silence was her response. Score one for me .

Lulu should be heading back this way soon. She just had to keep stalling until help arrived. “I take it this is your handiwork?” She nodded to the burning building. She debated calling the woman out by her name, then decided that might not be too wise.

“Yes. It’s amazing what a few cocktail bombs can do. Too bad that beast of yours wasn’t inside when the fire ignited.”

Her wolf bristled at the scorn in the woman’s voice. Not yet, wolfie . Calm down. You’ll get your chance . Let’s find out where she is first . She’d managed to pinpoint the direction the voice was coming from, but still couldn’t see her adversary. “You know, you’ve tried to buy me, scare me, and now you’re trying to intimidate me. Instead of all this…” she waved her hand, searching for the right word, “this…foolishness, why don’t you try talking. Simply explain to me why you want my land so bad?

I mean, it’s not like it’s the only land around. There’s plenty of property for sale around here. There’s a huge lot with more acreage and in a better location down the road a bit.”

“Just tell you why I want the land and you’ll give it to me?” There, in between those two trees about twenty feet away, was a dark shadow. When she moved, the firelight glinted off the barrel of the rifle. Her wolf bared its teeth.

“You think I’m stupid?” Meka could hear the anger in Frances’s voice.

“Since I don’t know you, I really couldn’t say what your level of intelligence is. I’m just saying, you’ve tried everything else. What could it hurt?”

“I know what you’re trying to do. Don’t try that psychoanalytical bullshit with me. It won’t work. I’ve been around shrinks all of my life.”

It obviously didn’t help . Meka bit back the retort, choosing instead to say nothing. Sometimes the best way to get a person to talk was simply to remain silent.

“This should have been mine, you know? He owes me.

They both do.”

Meka caught a flicker of movement out the corner of her eye, but kept her attention centered on the shadow. “Who are

‘they’?”

“Animals aren’t meant to mate with humans, Ms. Jones.

When they breed, the results are…unnatural, freaks of nature.

Like me.”

“You don’t sound like a freak. I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”

“Am I, Ms. Jones? Am I really? Do you know what a hermaphrodite is?”

Tameka searched her memory. “A hermaphrodite is an animal that’s neither male nor female, but both. They have characteristics and features of both sexes, including both sex organs,” she said slowly as her studies in biology came back to her.