A Full Moon Ch. 09

I felt Pat relax a bit. "He'll get them."

When we landed in Roland-Désourdy Airport and hopped into a cab that waited for us. "Parc des Braves," Pop said as we climbed in.

"You're the second load of people going there tonight. Is there a convention?" the cabbie asked, his accent heavy.

"Yes. A group of business men meet there for a Summit every now and then." We shared glances. They had gotten here ahead of us. They took a plane, one they knew would get them here fast and without questions. There was no airstrip close enough.

Actually there was one and only one. We had been there not long ago. When I began to growl Pat looked at me. I knew it was barely audible over the sound of the engine and heater so the cabbie would never hear me. "The flight not agree with you, Jon?" he asked, taking my hand.

"Angus forgot to tell us about the earlier flight coming here. We would have missed the opera if we had known, though." Pat put two and two together. As did Pop.

"Remind me to thank him later," said Pop genially. I knew that Angus was going to be in a huge world of hurt. Travis would kill him, Pop would kill him slowly...I wouldn't let him die.

We got to the park and Pop paid the cabbie. He walked until the driver was gone, then he ran, his shirt flying off and he began to grow. Golden blonde fur sprouted and with it the full mane and tail of a Solaris feline. He topped over fifteen feet and I knew he outweighed me even when I was in full lunar form. His pants were shreds and they fell off as he ran faster, seeing the footprint in the snow. The only sets here. We shucked our own clothes and went hybrid because we could see that there was an occasional drop of blood in the snow. It had to be Dylan's. The tracks led to a gazebo and there they stopped, but Pop pressed some hidden switch and it raised up to reveal stairs and one guard. The guard had no time to even get a warning shout as Pop ripped out his throat with one swipe, those massive claws six inches long each. He didn't even slow, just ran down the steps.

The steps ended in a huge room far below the ground. I didn't look around, I didn't care about the architecture. Just the boy laid out on the slab with four Lupus holding him down and the last cutting into his chest. There was no sound at all, but I could feel everything keenly. I moved. I think I moved faster than the others as I was the first one there and slamming my own claw through the knife wielder's chest. He didn't utter a sound to my ears, he just looked to be screaming and then he fell over as I shook him off my arm. Pat was facing off with two of the others and Pop the other two. Then I smelled them. Ferals were being let out of a cage by another Lupus and they were coming right for me. Good enough.

I met them head on and ripped the throat out of one before it could even get a swipe in. The last clawed my back, but I spun and grabbed his other paw and broke his arm. I never had the desire to kill until I had a son. Now all those dark parts we all have were right there in the front and I just waded through the Ferals. I took hits, I kept going. I was losing blood, but I didn't care as there were more targets for my anger. I was briefly aware that Pat had joined me in the fight, but it didn't register fully that we coordinated our attacks perfectly. It was almost as if right then I knew what he was thinking and he knew my thoughts. We were such a tight fighting unit the ten Ferals were dead on the floor in moments. I heard a gun shot but felt no pain. With that shot sound returned and I spun back to see Pop had killed the last Lupus. He was bleeding from a gun wound to the chest, but it was closing up very quickly.

Dylan lay sobbing on the altar, the dagger on the floor and his blood already slowing to a seepage. I dashed over. "Are you okay?" He shook his head and I pulled him close to me. I could feel the heat radiating off of him and knew something was wrong. "Pop?"

"Stand back. Let him get up on his own." I looked at him and he nodded. I stepped back, wishing I could hold my son. I watched as he began to pant, falling to the floor from the altar. He began to cry out in agony. I watched him change into a Solaris for the first time. The bad thing was he was far larger than he should have been. He had to grow a lot. His cries became mewls and hisses as his face became more leonine. Whiskers grew and the beginnings of a mane. He was like a gangly lion cub starting to get his growth, all limbs and lean angles.

Then he just lay there. I could see the scar across his chest where they had begun to cut into him. It was healed over, but it would never go away. I picked up the dagger and looked at the solid gold blade. Silver and gold, moon and sun. It made sense. Pop's wedding band had been platinum. He had a gold allergy. Slowly Dylan pushed to his hands and knees, collapsing once but getting back up. I went to go to him, but Pop shook his head. He had to get to his feet on his own. It took a long time, longer than when I had changed, but I was not born to this. I knew nothing of what a first change was like for those born to it and less of Solaris. Once up he wobbled and then shook all over. Then he stood all the way up, topping out at nine feet. "Dad?" he asked, and rushed to him. He hugged me hard. "God, Dad, they were going to take my heart."

"They're dead now. Your heart is safe." I could feel him shaking and this time he didn't try to hold it back. He cried. He clung to me and sobbed. Pat came over, but Pop stayed where he was. I looked at him but he was keeping an eye open for more surprises.

Dylan wiped his eyes. "Guess I can't hide this from you like I could some other secret." He sounded tired and hollow.

"Nope. Guess I won't be infecting you after all." He shook his head. "You do realize you are going to have a lot to learn."

"Yeah."

"He'll be coming with me for a year or two. Learn what he needs." Pop made a lot of sense.

"When?" I asked. I knew it was for the best, even though I had work...if I still had a job after I killed Angus.

"Starting when I go back to Perth. You should come too. Your mother misses you." Pop and Mom had been divorced since before I came into the picture but she loved me just as much as he did.

"I will, once I deal with that piece of shit Angus."