Page 82 of A Cock and Bull Story

I blurt out this new, albeit deep-seated, fear, but they just chuckle.

“I won’t deny we’re in serious peril, but unless they’ve hacked Sian’s phone. . .” Jude trails off.

“They’ve made a drug that can change people into shifters—I doubt hacking phones is a problem for them!”

Jack nearly swerves into another car.

“You never told us that part!” he yells.

“I haven’t told you the half of it!” I screech right back.

“Park here,” Jude commands. “Everyone out—I need to shift and check out the ship.”

“What if they’re there, and you can’t smell them?” I remind.

“I should be able to tell who they are from before,” he theorizes.

I don’t point out a new shifter could be aboard.

We’re running out of options.

Jude steps out of the car and to the side, out of view from the bustling port. He shifts and zips off. The rest of us all huddle together, our backs pressed together tightly.

Suddenly, I feel like I’m being watched.

I narrow my eyes and squint against the bright light of the sun. Spinning around, I search in a circle, but don’t see anything amiss.

“Get back in formation,” Arthur barks like a military leader.

“Yes, sir,” I joke, saluting him before protecting my back again.

It’s then that I see it—a pair of familiar eyes staring.

The same eyes I thought I saw before under the car.

They blink and lurch forward as the creature saunters out of the darkened corner of a warehouse building.

“Guys—wh-wh-what’s that?” I ask, pointing a shaky finger at a semi-familiar looking animal.

“Fuck,” Jack curses. “It’s the Secondary that saw Jude.”

Oh.

So this is what a jackal looks like—I remember now, just like I remember the thingwinkingat me.

**dramatic sigh**

I knew this was too easy.

“What’s that red stuff all over its muzzle?” I talk out loud.

“Blood,” Theo supplies.

“You don’t know that—maybe it’s ketchup!” I counter in denial.

“It’s not,” Arthur bursts my bubble.

“Wait—he’s just a Secondary? That’s not bad, right?”