After Catalina finished the other three girls stared. Then came the array of question Catalina knew would follow.
"He's your soulmate?"
"What are you going to do?"
"What about you?"
"You kicked him out?"
"You didn't let him talk?"
"Why in the hell did he do that?"
"You kissed?"
"How was it?"
"How'd you find out?"
"What about him?"
"Stop!" Catalina yelled. The girls shut their mouths, two of them in mid-question. "Stop." She repeated more quietly. "I don't want to deal with this right now." She placed her face in both of her hands.
"But Catalina—" Etoile started but was interrupted by knocking. The four turned their attentions to the shack door, the one that leads outside.
Louve stood. "If that's Red Fern I'm going to kill him." She stomped over to the door and opened it without even bothering to check who it was. "Look you I—"A blast of light and Louve flew backwards. Then through the open door charged werewolves and shapeshifters of all animals. Then came two twin witches and Hunter Redfern behind them. One they were both exactly the same, they wore the same clothing and everything but one had black hair with brown streaks and the other brown hair with black streaks.
"Fan out and capture anyone who gets in your way." He told them and the werewolves and shapeshifters charged.
Demy stood but was tackled by a tiger. She tried fighting the tiger but one of the witches held her in a magical grip. The other witch grabbed out to Etoile. Etoile placed a shield to protect her but the other witch found a way around it and grabbed her. Catalina jumped out of her seat and out of the way of a werewolf. The werewolf changed direction and held Louve onto the ground. At that moment the other shack door was broken down and the horde went down into the bunker. Catalina ran after them but then was tripped by another tiger shapeshifter.
"Take them and put them in the cages outside." Hunter ordered again. He looked at the two witches. "Stay with me."
"Yes Hunter." They both answered. They followed Hunter into the shack.
Catalina pushed the tiger away from her and stood. She looked around and saw her friends being pulled outside. They struggled and yelled but they were still pulled outside. Then she looked at the busted down door and she saw Wynne and Ryan dragged by one werewolf. They both were knocked unconscious. She then looked at Hunter who stood and was watching over the situation. His eyes then met hers and she felt a pang of danger. "I'm not safe." She whispered to herself. "I'm not safe." She backed up into the wall.
Hunter approached her with the two witches close behind them. "And who are you? You don't look like your friends here."
She felt her joints lock up. Then she decided that she was Princess Catalina for God's sake. She can handle Hunter Redfern. She straightened. "I am Princess Catalina. The so called 'creature' everyone's looking for."
Hunter smile slowly crept onto his face. "Well, well, well." He said slowly. "Looks like Red Fern did a good job." She flinched. Did Red Fern tell Hunter where she was? Her heart started to ache at the thought. "Though tracking his cell phone was difficult." Catalina felt the weight being lifted up from her. Red Fern didn't tell him. Hunter had to track him down. Hunter looked around. "I'm guessing Red Fern isn't here?" He gave her a look.
"No. I… I threw him out when I found out why he was really here."
Hunter laughed. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard. It was evil. "You are really something Princess." It became harder for her to breath.
Then Louve in her werewolf form crashed through the open door and leaped. Hunter only looked behind his shoulder and smiled. The two witches on the other hand did the same destructive spell that is supposed to just push back an enemy. The combined forces of the two sent Louve into the wall and the wall crumbled on top of her. She dug her way out but the witches were already ready. One pulled Louve out using levitation and the other chanted a fire spell and shot it at Louve. Louve whimpered and yelled as her fur started burning. The smell made Catalina almost cry. "No…" Catalina reached out to her friend. Catalina ran to Hunter and stopped right before him. His head turned to face her, his wicked smile still on his face. "No! Don'! Don't do this to them, it's me you want!" He only chuckled. "Stop it Hunter! Stop it!"
The shack shook and everything just stopped. Catalina knew her eyes were purple. Louve fell onto the ruble and not a sound came from her. Catalina lifted a hand and chanted a water spell. Water fell onto Louve taking out the fire. After that was done Catalina could see that Louve was still breathing, barely. She turned her attention back to Hunter. He didn't do anything. He just smiled at her. Then he backed up and motioned the two witches. "Take her outside." He turned and exited the shack. The two witches came over and took an arm each. They pulled her outside. Catalina shot a look back to Louve. The last thing she saw was another werewolf take the back of her neck in its mouth.
Once outside the two witches let her go. Catalina was in shock. They threw all of the cars into the swamp leaving the whole area replaced with cages. In one cage she saw had a side ripped open. Etoile, Demy, Wynne and Ryan were in that cage and were being glared at by a werewolf. Catalina looked at the cages and saw that there were a lot but not enough to hold everyone inside. Catalina knew that these cages would be stuffed full and would be placed with a powerful spell so that no one would be able to get out. She looked at the shack door and saw all of her friends being pulled or dragged or pushed outside then into a cage. Louve was being dragged out then and was thrown into the cage with Demy and them. The witch with the brown streaks of hair fixed the broken side by replacing the bars with rods of electricity and placed the holding spell over the cage. Catalina then looked forward and saw Hunter looking at her once more. The witch that placed the spell on the cage was going to full cage to full cage and the other stood beside Hunter. Hunter gave a nod and the witch's arm went up and faced her. A light emanated from her hand and Catalina's instincts were telling her to run but to where? There must be hundreds of Hunter's followers surrounding the place. The light shot forward and Catalina closed her eyes expecting the worse. It moved to her right ankle where a single shackle started to weigh down her foot. Catalina looked at the two with confusion. That's it? I was expecting much—she didn't get to finish her thought because energy shot up from her feet to her head. It shocked Catalina and she screamed. Her friends in the cages yelled out for the witch and hunter to stop but they were ignored as the energy level rose.
"Show me why you are called a creature Princess." Hunter mused. "Show me all this power you have."
Catalina yelled out as she started to change. Her back arched and fine short hairs started growing from her skin. She struggled and stumbled onto the ground. Her mouth started to enlarge and grow longer to from a muzzle. Her eyes were changing as well as they became more like an animals'. Though this time Catalina felt something different. She blinked her eyes a lot of times. It's her eyes. Something is changing that's not the norm. She looked up and stared into the eyes of Etoile.
Her eyes! Etoile mind frantically yelled out. They're-they're red!
Red?! Catalina thought as she shook her head violently. Red's not normal. Red's not an eye color I have. She looked at Hunter and the witch. Hunter was smiling widely, almost laughing and the witch had an expression that was part fear part awe. It's the spell. Catalina realized. It's not just a reveal spell, it's a control spell. By now her werewolf body was almost completely changed. She closed her eyes which she still felt were partly human. Then with the last bit of her energy she yelled out, not only out loud but with her mind.
-*- Meanwhile -*-
Red Fern sat on a bar stool in the nearest bar he could fine. He toyed with the stir stick in his drink and stared absently into it. In it he saw his reflection. He groaned and pushed the glass away. Idiot. He told himself. Now she'll never want to see me again. His fingers wrapped around the glass and he chugged the drink down. He placed the empty cup next to his other one.
A human girl wearing a short red cocktail dress with red heals sat in the bar stool next to him. "Hey. Mind if I buy you another? Looks like you need one." She placed to fingers under his chin and he slapped the hand away.
"No. I was about to leave now." That was a lie but anything to get away from this chick.
"Oh come on." She whined. "Just one more." She placed her hand on top of his.
"I said no." He placed the money on the table and got off the stool.
She got off of her stool and followed him. "Honey you really need another." She said with fake concern. "I know this really great drink that can solve any problems." She placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. "It's called the Dirty Mary." She winked at him.
Oh brother... "No." He said in a clipped voice as he shrugged her hand of him. He was about to walk again when he heard a blood curdling yell in his mind. He stopped dead in his tracks and the girl behind him scoffed.
"If you're trying to get me now you are- Hey!"
He ran out through the doors and pressed the unlock button on his keys. The trucked beeped and Red Fern swung open the door, jumped into his door and shoved the key into the ignition. Without even bothering to close the door he slammed on the reverse and backed out of the parking space. He then shoved the gear shift into forward and slammed on the gas. The truck rushed through the lot and went right over a garden. The truck squealed as Red Fern abruptly turned the truck. He rammed a few red lights and stops signs and almost crashed twice but he got onto Us-41 so quickly that it should have been in the World Records. He went down to the road that leads to the shack in more than half the time he took the first time. He slammed on the brakes the moment the shack came into view. The first thing he saw was the cages, then Hunter then the biggest ass werewolf he'd ever seen. He jumped out of the car and he went over to Hunter. "Hunter!"
Hunter turned and looked at Red Fern. "Why hello Red Fern. Now tell me why you didn't report in?"
"Fuck that. Where's Catalina?" He looked at the big werewolf with worry and anger at it. If it killed Catalina I swear I will—
Hunter chuckled. "You're looking her." He looked at the werewolf. "Say hello Princess."
Red Fern's eyes widen as the so-called Catalina looked up with its red eyes. The moment their eyes met Red Fern knew that what Hunter told him was true. "Catalina…"
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