Brody squats in front of her. “Magdalene, I would like for you to stay with us. Take time to heal and enjoy the island. Here you will be free to just… be.” She reaches up and plays with his hair.
“I would like that, but I will need a promise from you first,” she says in all seriousness.
“Anything.” He answers immediately.
“Show me your tiger,” he stands up abruptly and backs away from her.
“Anything, but that. It’s not safe for you.”
Magdalene follows him refusing to take no for an answer. “Show him to me, Brody.”
The beast in his soul responds instantly, demanding that he claim her, and Brody breaks out in sweat trying to fight it back.
“What are you afraid of? I have seen you in tiger form before.”
“No, you saw what I wanted you to see, I am no longer just a tiger shifter.”
“I don’t understand.”
Brody sighs and locks up the sat phone before leading her from the room. “I will explain, but not here.” He needs to be free, outside, on the beach where she can escape from him if the need arises.
Later, with his family nearby, Brody tells her the story of his people. “We were hunted to near extinction. The first shift came out of a need to hide from humanity. What better way to hide than in plain sight amongst them? We settled here on the island of Niihau because it is a critical habitat, protected by the government. Our family are ranchers. Here the boar and sheep along with cattle are abundant. There are no natural predators, save one. All our goods come by boat from a nearby island except our food. It must be grown or ranched here. Seafood, sheep, cattle and more. Our community was thriving. We branched out allowing hunting expeditions to provide extra income and help stem the livestock population.”
Brody paces as he speaks and Magdalene doesn’t interrupt him. In her soul, she is dreading what is to come. “The supply and demand for tiger meat, fur, and all parts, is out of control. The first poacher to come to the island did so under a false identity. He had heard rumors of the beasts who roamed free here. The first to be killed was my mother. She was protecting my brother.”
Magdalene takes his hand and offers what she can. “I’m so sorry, Brody.”
His eyes shift for a moment showing the beast inside. “We didn’t know right away. She went missing and no one knew exactly what happened. My father almost lost his mind. I tracked her to a ship docked on the other side of the island. I snuck on board and found what was left of her. She had stayed in beast form, so she wouldn’t give away our secret.” Brody stares off lost in his memory.
“What happened then?” she asks quietly.
“We lost fourteen more that year. They came in by ship and helicopter at different times. They used distraction and lured us away then struck. I allowed myself to be captured to find out who was behind this.”
“No!” She gasps and shoves him. “What were you thinking, Brody? You could have been killed!” she exclaims.
“That’s what we told him, too.” Pop walks up behind them with all of his brothers.
Brody turns and stares at them. “It had to be done. They used a dart trap to tranquilize me and the rest you already know.” They all fall quiet until Mag speaks.
“Not quite. How long did Caius have you?” she demands glaring up at Brody.
“Sixteen months,” Eric answers for him.
Magdalene steps forward reaching for him, but Brody snarls at her and backs away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“What did he do to you?” Mag knows the answer, but she wants him to trust her with all of it.
“It doesn’t matter now. I am a monster of his creation. He wanted to create a weapon and that is just what he did. He just doesn’t know how successful he was.”
His brothers circle him with his father. Magdalene is trapped in the center with him and she smiles at Pops. “Show me,” she asks quietly.
“What are you thinking? It isn’t safe for her,” he snarls at his family.
“Show her.” Pop demands. “No son of mine is a monster. If you are a new creature it will be only at the hands of our maker. The same maker who allowed us to shift in the first place. Caius, believes that he is in control, but the truth is much greater than that.”
Magdalene is touched at the solidarity of this family. “Show me, Brody,” she demands. Lifting her wrist, she punctures it with her teeth. The scent of her blood has his eyes switching instantly. Brody snatches her wrist and jerks her against his body. His tongue flicks out and it is not the tongue of a human but a tiger. He laps at her blood and her body reacts instantly to the sensation.
She leaps straight up into the air, vaulting over the men encircling them and lands on the sand behind them. Brody roars in outrage, his prey is getting away. He leaps straight up following her lead and lands on his feet lightly, but Mags is ready. She is Vampire. From an ancient and powerful bloodline.
“I am no one’s prey, shifter,” she hisses at him. “Show me what you are!” The men watch, amazed at her bravery. The first time, Brody shifted they all had different reactions. Pop smiles, watching his son meet his match.
Brody presses his hands to both sides of his face, struggling to hold it back. Mag wants to help him except the gifts he has. Using every ounce of her vampiric speed she rushes at him and slices his upper arm. He hisses in
