Thank you to my readers. Thank you thank you thank you.
BTW: I listened to M83 for this chapter 3 They inspired this entire posting. I hit re-play several times on song "Too Late" and so Too Late is the chapter's name.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Mercy Thompson characters. BUT THIS STORY 'LONE COYOTE' IS MINE! GRRR…
MERCY'S POV
Darkness…
…pain
…fear…
My subconscious awakened the moment the overwhelming fear entered my senses.
I cringed when I felt their enjoyment…they loved this. They loved torturing. Their Werewolf stench made me uneasy. One werewolf in particular had a laugh that sent my nerves on edge. I still couldn't see my surroundings, but his voice was horrifying. His voice is one I will never forget. He was speaking to another male and were laughing and growling at something. They had Scottish/Irish accents and I held my breath.
One of these monsters might be related to Matty's dead father.
I could hear the Were's perfectly, but I couldn't see them. My eyes were unable to open –or were they open? Darkness was all I could see-I forced my ears to do the "seeing."
I tried to speak - I tried to use my eyes - I tried to move - I tried to growl – NOTHING.
I felt Emi – I felt the pull. He was pulling at my bond—I felt my entire pack pulling.
Just as fast as a wink, my pack's pull was gone – everything went black again.
…
…
I was pulled back to the nothingness, but in a flash I was able to see. But it wasn't "me." Her vision was hazy. It came and went. What she was doing was strange-and has never happened to me before. I was not physically in this room. I was her – yet I wasn't her. I was inside her - I saw and felt her heavy restraints-her pain-her fear. Immediately, my own worry set in, what the hell do I do-how do I help her? Was she doing this or was I? I wish Emi was here to help me.
If this is her doing, how the hell was she doing this and where the hell was my body? Am I dead? I tried to move – I tried to speak – nothing. To top it off, I had no control of her body. I was but a parasite in her mind.
I immediately stilled as her voice weak and faint echoed in my head. She spoke to me like my pack does.
"Please save them little Apisi…ikkaayi."
To my confusion I knew what she said. But, how did I know? Apisi means coyote in Blackfeet and Ikkaayi means run fast. How is it possible to know this without ever having learned my father's language?
"Tsa kitanikkoowa?" (She asked, what's my name?)
Mercy, my name is Mercy.
" Nitanikkoowa Sokanon" (I'm called Sokano. - which means Rain)…"Please save them…"
To show me what she meant by "save," she looked around and what I saw terrified me to my core. There were eight coyote-shifters including my "host." There was no question as to their race, all were Native American. Two of the eight shifters-female-were dead and were being… dismembered. My host focused on the two werewolves-in human form. The two werewolves had their backs to us and each had a dead female shifter, tearing and ripping apart the bodies. The ripping of flesh sent a chill through my entire being. For as long as I live, I hope I never hear a person being dismembered-EVER AGAIN. Body parts flew in the air sloppily – blood was splashed and sprayed on everything-everywhere. Blood seemed to stain every inch of the room. The werewolves were having an animated conversation and I tried to focus on their conversation but unfortunately I could only make out a few words as my host turned her attention to something else: I caught the words "rid"- "evidence"-"stillbirths"-"weak mothers." I assume both female shifters had given birth and died with their stillborn babies.
The tainted room itself was small, about the size of a small office. Six stainless steel tables were in the center- three tables stood side by side by side, and the other three were directly adjacent to those. There were two metal doors one on each side of the room. They were vault-like.
My host was on one of the center tables – she had no neighbors – I assume her neighbors were the two shifters that were killed. The three tables in front of my host held three captive females - still alive-just barely-and two visibly pregnant. Each female shifter was shackled to each table - shackled just like Matty's mother was; by the neck, left ankle and right wrist. They were clinging to life. My host's eyes then lingered on two young male shifters and she began to cry. The two teen males were hanging upside down attached to a torturous-looking contraption that stood against the far wall. Each male had metal cuffs on each ankle and each wrist. The male shifters were partially naked-only having black underwear on. Their partial nakedness showcased all their old and new bruises and hundreds of cuts and scars that were revoltingly visible.
I instantly realized that my host focused on one teen in particular. He had a festering wound that was bleeding profusely from his left ribcage. The other teen was half dead – he didn't have much time. His skin was even gray- and his breathing was extremely shallow. My host again focused on the teen bleeding from his ribs and a feeling of hopelessness engulfed her every thought. She began to hysterically cry.
"Save him, my son – save them all… ikkaayi."
My host then froze with fear. I too froze as the two werewolves faces finally came into view. Identical twins, these monsters were twins and were covered in blood – every inch of their body. I did not recognize their faces-they were not werewolves I have ever met. Their red bearded human faces looked wolfish with their grins confirming their evilness. Their bright green eyes glimmered in the low-lit room. If I didn't know they were wolves, I would have thought they were demons who come straight from hell. Their attention zeroed in on the bleeding teen. My host gave out a surprisingly loud growl. The two werewolves turned toward my host and flashed their teeth at her. Both werewolves forgot about the teen wolf and headed toward my host. Seeing their direction, the teen then let out a weak growl, but the two werewolves ignored him. The werewolves continued their direction toward my host. One Were' grabbed her unchained ankle and pulled so hard it snap her hip bone out of its socket. The other Were' grabbed her unchained wrist pulling the shoulder out of its socket. My host let out a weak yelp.
"Save them."
My connection then snapped. Cal, Mewok, Joseph, and even Ana's bonds snapped me out of my out of body experience. My eyes flashed open and I was gasping for breath. Those monsters were torturing her, right now, right this second. My limbs and body remained still, like I was frozen in ice. Ana, Mewok, Cal and Emi also remained still but their uncensored thoughts rambled uncontrollably, they were full of questions. I instantly answered their easy questions through our pack bond.
Yes, I am okay Ana. Thank you. I looked to her and felt our pack bond grip hold tight and secure. My bond clutched at hers without hesitation. Our bond was superglued together. She playfully growled at me.
I will be fine Mewok, thank you. Just like the superglued bond Ana and I shared- Mewok's bond latched itself to mine.
Cal was the most concerned and he was frantically asking if I was alright. Cal, please I am fine. I am fine. Cal's bond instantly felt like a parasite latching the strongest to mine.
Emi was the first to move as he placed his hand on mine. His expression was confusing. He was the only silent pack member, but I felt him in my head – he was prodding and poking looking for answers.
Ana broke the silence, "None of us can do this Emi. What does this mean? She can call other coyotes." With this being said, I instantly knew that through our pack bond they had all seen what I saw, felt what I felt, heard what I heard during my out of body experience.
Of all my pack, Emi continued to remain silent. He then went into action and pulled out his sage and sweet grass chanting his sacred song – he was attempting to call the tortured shifters. The entire pack stilled. I too remained still but not by choice-my motionless body still could not and would not move. Not only was my mind in shock but my muscles and limbs were in shock. After a brief struggle, I slowly began moving my limbs and bending my joints, finally standing up-with the help of Cal of course. We all then turned toward Emi. We circled around him attempting to create a pack force in an attempt to help him reach out to these shifters.
Immediately that strange twinge hit me again but this time an excruciating pain accompanied the force causing me to have a faint-like fall, flat on my back.
Her bloodcurdling scream had me hyperventilating, my host was screaming and then it immediately got silent. I looked to my left and Emi was lying down next to me with the same pained expression, he personally felt it too.
My host was dead.
