Hidden by Mason Sabre

you know her?”
    Cathy fought with her gaze—fought to let her emotions spread out across her face so that the Human wouldn’t see that he had hit the nail right on centre. She clenched herself, keeping her muscles tight, but the Human could tell. He laughed.
    “Always the nice ones, isn’t it? The quiet ones that fuck us right over.”
    “She is just a nurse. She doesn’t know what she is talking about.”
    “Yes, she is, isn’t she? Well, it seems your Tammy had quite a story.” He leaned forward to hook the tip of the gun under Cathy’s chin. “Oh, don’t look so startled, she didn’t betray you. No … the stupid girl thought it would be great pillow talk with our friend Benson right here. You know how it goes? Little kiss, little cuddle, boy tells girl he loves her, girl opens her legs, and then after, when she has given over intimately, she lies there and yaps and yaps on. Normally we aren’t interested in that kind of moment, but see now, this one was different. So I know you have a baby here and I know that he is special.”
    “He is just wolf. ”
    “Yes. That’s what you told the silly girl, isn’t it? But his eyes. She described them and you know, I've done enough research on your kind to know what that means. You’ve got yourself a diamond there. He’s the fucking jewel of your kind. He’s a mix-breed. Do you know how rare that is? How much he is worth?”
    Cathy swallowed. She could be sick. “You would sell the child?”
    He shook his head. “Oh no, no, no. You misunderstand me. It is a fool who let’s go of such a valuable thing. Do you know what he could teach us? The bloods of Others don’t mix, but something in his has, and he has made it this far. They’re like half-breeds, they don’t normally make it past a few days of their creation. Usually mix-breeds die in the womb, but this one didn’t. Which tells me there is something unusual about this child.”
    Science. That was what they wanted him for? To study him? To keep him like a lab rat so that they could study him. That was worse than just selling him. What Others suffered in the name of Human science. It was disgusting.
    A branch cracked behind the Human , somewhere in the shadows cast down from the trees. They all turned to see Malcolm emerge. Cathy was relieved to see him. More relieved than she even dared to admit. The Human backed up from Cathy and moved to the newcomer. “Can I help you? Are you lost?”
    “I have come for my friend here,” he said, pointing to Cathy.
    The Human smiled. “Cathy is busy.”
    Malcolm didn’t falter, didn’t step back. He showed no moment of backing down from the Human , but the Human did raise his gun this time and aimed it at Malcolm. “Do you know who I am?”
    The Human gave a slow nod. “Yes. That is why I know that you have no business here. I suggest you do the smart thing and leave. Whatever business you have with your friend Cathy here, can wait until tomorrow. Assuming she does as she is told, or I can't promise she’ll make it.”
    The deep, feral roar that came from behind them made them all turn again as the sound of paws pounding against the hard earth echoed around them. A flash of gold and orange fur leapt from the shadows and landed against the Human who had held the gun to Cathy’s side. A tiger. It was magnificent in all its glory, but not as big as a real tiger. No, this was a shifter, and it sank his teeth down into the Human’s hand and ripped the flesh away, knocking the gun to the ground. The man screamed, the sound loud and guttural as the bone was exposed where it had once been covered with flesh. He was silenced when the tiger leapt at him and slashed a paw through his throat, sending blood and skin everywhere as the Human fell down in a lifeless lump. One of the other Humans had picked up the gun and he aimed it at the tiger. The tiger spun on himself and then rose up on his hind legs. He was so tall. His big paws came down against the Human’s