The Hunter and the Hunted (Bear Naked 3)

Chapter 17

Connor

After the run in with the Skinwalkers, Connor thought it was best if he and the others stayed and kept watch while Amanda shopped. She and Jay went in and came back with six big bags, loaves of bread, peanut butter, jelly, some cans of tuna and Mayo. Cheap but filling fare, she told them.

When they got back to the motel, Aaron had the room next door open and ready for them. It would be crowded, but Dad was right, they couldn't afford to blow a bunch of money. Connor didn't care, it was good to have his pack with him, even if it was crowded.

Dad left Connor in charge and took Vince with him to the airport to wait for Dr. Oleson's arrival. Connor thought it was sign that under his anger, Dad knew he was right, they needed the pack here.

Mitch was rested and physically seemed almost back to normal. Under other circumstances that would be great news. But awake Mitch was a lot of work. In human form he was lost and frequently hallucinating, yelling at people who weren't there to "shut the fuck up." Every couple hours he would go through a feral transformation. Sometimes he would come out confused but relatively calm. Those times Jay or Corey could often keep him entertained in otter form, as though he were a big dog.

Other times the transformations left him scared or angry. Jonathan and Tanner helped Connor wrestle him down and hold him until he stilled and untransformed.

Despite their best efforts, the motel staff was starting to get suspicious. Connor assured the day shift manager that they were watching Mitch closely and that, yes, he was under a doctor's care. When the manager interrogated him about animal noises, Connor just shrugged. "You can search our rooms if you want, but we don't have a dog, I promise."

When not on "Mitch duty" the remaining members of the pack would gather in their room, watch TV and talk about what was happening.

It was after five pm before Aaron and Vince arrived back with Dr. Oleson. Despite his earlier outburst about money, Aaron had ordered four large pizzas for supper. The weather was clear but starting to turn cold and the sun was already setting, the mountains casting long shadows over the town.

Dr. Oleson did a long examination of Mitch, one filled with many sighs and protests. "There's only so much I can do without proper equipment and tests. It's not like I can see his brain with my eyes."

She brought a small bottle with a dropper lid. Connor leaned in and read "Belladonna" on the label. "I prefer western medicine, personally," Dr. Olsen insisted to him and his dad. "But both Darren and Kathy Toumi insist that herbs work better on shifters. At first I thought it was just their clan superstitions, or personal philosophy. But I've found it's mostly true."

"Well, we've been using whiskey," Aaron admitted. Dr. Oleson raised and eyebrow. "Four shots and he sleeps for a couple hours." Dr. Oleson shook her head. She held Mitch's chin up. "Open up," she commanded. She poured an entire dropper full of the herbal concoction onto his tongue. He made a face and shook his head.

Vince laughed and handed him a can of Coke. "Here chase that taste out."

"I guess a spoonful of high fructose corn syrup and other chemicals make the medicine go down these days," Jay joked.

When she was finished with her examination she stepped out to call the local doctor who had cared for Mitch, to see what information and help she could get.

Just as she was stepping back in from the hallway, there was a knock at the outside door. "That'll be the pizza," Aaron said.

Connor opened the door. He was greeted not by a pizza delivery man but by an elderly Native American woman, with a heavy poncho pulled tight around her shoulders against the cold. He immediately caught the scent of Skinwalker on her. He looked out into the darkening night.