The Last Shifter

Chapter 3

The trip was longer than I expected. What I thought to be a few minutes run turned out to be a couple of hours of running. I was beat, and had a serious need for water, and we weren't even there yet.

Derrick must have noticed my slowing in pace cause he pulled his jeep to a stop. Popping his head out, he called, "Tired?!" A small smile making it's way onto his face.

No, duh! Wouldn't you be tired after running full-speed for several hours?

His head dissppeared back into the shelter of the jeep before it came back out again, followed by a hand, occupying a bottle of water. "Here," he said, "change back so you can have a drink. Or would you rather me pour some on the ground for you to lap up?

I gave a growl and sprinted - as much a sprint as I could - into the dense trees to change. Coming back out, I was soaked in sweat. I felt almost to the point of dehydration. Stepping up to his window I took the bottle and chugged the water until there wasn't a drop left. "Got any more?"

Another bottle appeared, and another, and another. Once I felt I wasn't going to pass out from water loss, I decided to sit down and rest.

Almost an hour passed before I was ready to start running again.

About forty-five minutes later and we were in front of a decent sized house. It was white with light blue shutters and matching door. Two small trees stood apart in the middle of the mowed yard. Bushes lined up against the windows. It was about two stories, maybe with a basement. Overall, it was a nice looking house, much better than my place.

"Are you sure you want to meet him?" asked Derrick.

Suddenly my anger towards the said hunter was back. I gave a firm nod. "Take me to him."

Derrick led me up the driveway to the door.

As we made our way into the house, Derrick came to a sudden halt. "Maybe I should speak with him before you make your presence known."

"That won't be necessary, boy," came a booming voice from behind us.

Both Derrick and I turned around to see the man I never thought I'd see again. My family's killer.

Before I was able to lengthen my claws, Derrick stepped in front of me. "She just wants to talk."

The hunter gazed at me, eyes narrowed. "She's a shifter." It was a statement, not a question. Just the way he was observing me you could tell he was thinking of what kind of fur I was hidding and the amount of money he could gain from taking it from me.

"She only wants some answers, no trouble."

The hunter's jaw clenched. "Shifter's are always looking for trouble, that's all they are, all they're good for. Well," he gave a humorless laugh, "besides their pelts, that is."

That did it. I stepped out from behind Derrick and lashed out at the killer with my enlongated nails. Before I was able to strike skin, Derrick pulled my arm back.

I shouted. "You murderer!"

"It's only murder if the victim in question is human."

I growled low in my throat, about to lash out again, but I was still restrained by Derrick.

"You should put her in the basement, son, before she makes a fool of herself."

Derrick frowned. "That's not necesary,dad."

"You killed my family! My whole pride was killed off, because of you!"

The hunter's eyes gleamed. "You're the white tiger."

My eyes narrowed into slits.

He had an evil smile. "Lenny! We got ourselves some gold!"

Just then a boy, or should I say man, with muscles to spare - though not in a digusting bodybuilder way - came into the room. He was obviously one of Derrick's brothers.

"Take her to the basement."

"No!" Derrick protested, pulling me behind him once again.

His father raised an eyebrow. "Give her to Lenny, Derrick," he demanded.

"No," he sneered back.

"Don't you dare disobey me, boy."

"I'm not going to let you hurt her. She didn't do anything to you."

"Lenny."

Lenny stepped forward. "Give me the shifter, Derrick, or she'll be the least of your worries."

Derrick didn't move. He stood there in front of me, glaring at his father and older brother. "I don't care what you do to me, I'm not going to let you put her in any more pain than you've already caused her."

I watched, as if in slow motion, a fist soaring forward and connecting with Derrick's jaw. Hands grabbed my arms and pulled me toward a body. Derrick gained his balance and flung himself at his brother. While they fought, a new pair of hands grabbed me, gragging me with them, to what I could only guess was the basement.

A/N: Sorry if there's mistakes and not much detail and such. I'm pretty sleepy after taking some allergy meds, so I really don't want to revise the chapter. I'll make sure I'm fully awake when I type the next chapter.