Page 24

Chapter 24

Animal House

KEENAN

T he sound of Vanessa’s scream has me fighting my way to consciousness. I need to get to her, find out what’s wrong. I try to send myself into her head, but I can’t see past the thumping pain.

The memory of hitting my head as I plunged between the flatbed and the train comes to me.

“Oh god, he’s bleeding!”

I try to lift a paw, to reassure Vanessa that my injury is minor, but she’s screaming in my ear, addling my already scrambled brain.

“Stop it!” Rachel snaps and I crack an eye in time to see her kneeling naked next to me. “I think he’s wrapped around something.”

I roll onto my back, groaning and Jessica crawls away from me.

As I leapt into the gap after her, I managed to fling myself on top of her, balling us both up in my fur as chaos ensued above.

“It’s Jessica… and she’s a…?” Wesselman’s voice.

“A squirrel shifter.” Rachel’s voice. Impatient as always. “Keenan, come back to us. I need Vanessa to stop crying so we can take care of you.”

“How’s Jessica?” I manage to croak.

“His ear!” Vanessa shrieks.

Shit, what does she mean about my ear? The ringing is bad and there’s blood matted to the side of my head. I push myself up onto my paws but the pain in my head is bad enough to drive me to my belly.

“Oh Keenan!” Vanessa buries her face in my shoulder, sobbing. “Why did you have to be a hero?”

I blink a few times until I’m able to focus enough to look down at Jessica, who’s pushing to her tiny feet, shaking her wiry body, bushy tail sticking straight out.

“Give her some space,” Rachel demands and the people gathering around us back up.

The air swirls as Jessica shifts from squirrel to human. Hoarsely, she demands, “Where are my pants?”

“Take this.” Someone wraps her in a coat.

Her bleary gaze lands on me. “You saved my life.” Tears gather in her eyes and Vanessa wraps an arm around her shaking shoulders. “I would have died.” She narrows her eyes. “Where’s Stelios?”

Wesselman looks taken aback. “He went to stop the train after you fell.”

“I stopped the train, boss.” Stelios’s stunt assistant, Jason, speaks up.

Vanessa lifts her head from my fur. “We think he might be the one causing the accidents.”

“This wasn’t an accident,” Jessica says angrily. “This was a murder attempt. He deliberately pushed me toward the tracks. I could’ve reached the railing if he hadn’t shoved me.” She shudders. “When I missed… I thought… oh Keenan, your ear.”

What the fuck is wrong with my ear?

I tilt my head, shaking it a little and another bolt of pain crashes through my skull. Whining, I lay my head in Vanessa’s lap and try to see myself through her eyes.

She pushes me out, easing her hands through my fur, stroking me. “Shhh, you don’t need to see it right now. We’ll get it taken care of, just like Rachel’s broken arm.”

Rachel clears her throat. “Uh, missing parts don’t work quite the same way. There’s no growing body parts back.”

Body parts!?

“Shhh,” Vanessa whispers in my good ear. “We’ll sew it back on.”

Aw fuck, I lost an ear. Well, that explains the burning sensation across the side of my head.

Rachel is right, there’s no growing an ear back. I’m lopsided for life.

Deciding it can’t get worse if I’m human, I gently pull away from Vanessa and shift.

The pain grows as my skin stretches and reforms, then it settles into a dull ache.

“Keenan!” Vanessa throws herself at my chest, her tears raining onto me.

“Stelios?” I ask hoarsely.

“I saw him heading toward the trailers after he jumped off the stunt car,” Rachel says. “I thought he was going to cut the power to stop the train, but I think he ran off.”

I push to my feet, determined to go after him, but before I can lurch in the direction of the trailers, he comes rushing toward us, his expression panicked.

“What is he doing?” Wesselman asks, confused. “Shouldn’t he be leaving the scene of the crime?”

His strange behaviour becomes immediately evident. We watch as a group of animals chase Stelios toward us, screaming, barking, and biting at his heels as they herd him. He’s stopped from running any further by the train and when he turns around, he’s surrounded.

“Wow,” Vanessa breathes. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Neither have I.

The mouse shifter, Ginger Abbot, is riding a coyote shifter and they’re surrounded by more shifters of every variety. There’s an otter, an ostrich, a peacock, a lion, two groundhogs, a zebra… and a parrot.

As we watch, the parrot shifts into Hailey Whitmore. She storms up to Stelios and slaps him across the face, the sound echoing through the suddenly quiet set. “You are filth!” she hisses at him. “I want the video back and I will peck you to death if you don’t give it up, you shifter-hating asshole.”

The other shifters hoot, bark, roar and scream at him.

“So many shifters,” Vanessa whispers, her eyes wide.

“There’s an explanation for their presence.” I look at Rachel and she nods.

“What do you mean?” Wesselman looks confused.

“I’m known in the industry as a safe haven for shifters,” Rachel explains, her apologetic gaze on Wesselman. “I choose to work with you because I know you don’t harbour prejudice toward our community. You create a safe work environment for everyone.”

“Then why hide yourself from me.” He waves toward the shifters surrounding Stelios. “Why hide them? I would’ve protected all of you. I mean, I will protect you. I wish you’d told me, Rachel.”

She smiles at him, but it’s sad. “You don’t understand what it’s like, Zach. You can’t unless you’re one of us.”

“I can’t unless you tell me,” he says gruffly, pulling his jacket off and handing it to her.

She takes it from him, shoving her arms into the sleeves. “Look at them.” She nods toward the group of shifters, some of whom have shifted to human and are milling about naked. One of them asks Hailey for her autograph. “It’s rare to have such a variety and number of shifters in one place. Thanks to you, we’re able to give them jobs, housing, and food.”

Wesselman’s face lights up with pride. “We need to talk. I like the idea of being a safe haven for industry shifters, but I need you to be more honest with me.”

“I can do that, boss.”

Vanessa speaks up, “I don’t mean to interrupt but my mate is missing an ear and he’s bleeding everywhere.” She slips under my arm, pushing herself into my body, unbalancing me.

Jessica grips me from the other side. “We’ll take him to your trailer and make him comfortable.” Her worried gaze searches my face. “He’s going to be a bit uglier, but he’ll be fine once he heals.”

“He’s never ugly!” Vanessa gasps, glaring at her stunt double.

“That’s because you only see beauty in the world.” My words are garbled to my own ears and spots float in my vision. Damn it, Vanessa does not need to see me pass out. Nor do all these people. “Trailer…” I slur, then swing my head toward Wesselman. “Stelios?”

“Don’t worry about him, my friend.” Wesselman grips my hand, squeezing. “The police are on their way. Go take care of yourself.”

Consciousness comes and goes as I propel my feet toward the trailers, Vanessa and Jessica on either side of me. It feels like hours pass before my back hits the soft mattress in Vanessa’s trailer.

“What can we do for him?” Vanessa whispers, brushing the hair from my face.

I capture her fingers and kiss them.

“We’ll clean him up and let him rest.” Jessica says, and I hear running water. “Sleep will heal most of the damage.”

The bed shifts as Vanessa sits next to me. “Your poor ear.”

“Do you mind?” I ask, my words thick in my mouth. “Lopsided.”

Vanessa’s lips tilt in a tremulous smile. “Of course not,” she says softly, running her fingertips down my face. “This is part of your tragic back story now. Audiences will love it.”

Jessica sits on my other side and hands Vanessa a wet cloth, which she takes and presses to the side of my head. It stings enough that the trailer comes into sharp focus for a moment before dimming as my body demands sleep so I can heal.

“A hero’s story,” Jessica murmurs.

I like that. A hero’s story.

Maybe I can save Vanessa’s life next.

“Sleep,” Vanessa commands, washing the blood from my face. “You need to heal, my love. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Trusting her, I allow the world to fade away.