Satyr Play 02 Pt. 01

He stopped and squinted at her. "Uh, no."

"Then leave it. It's more of a liability in an untrained hand. Let's go," she glanced outside and darted to the left.

As annoyed as he was, he had to admit she was right. He'd probably shoot his foot or worse, his rescuer.

With a frown, Nate rushed after her.

-=-

Henry inspected the building to find the light's power source. He finally had to admit it was futile. He made his way to the bushes a short distance from the dock where the yacht was. He saw Camila fighting with another woman. He couldn't see Marisa and his nerves were buzzing with worry. He jumped when his phone rang suddenly. He pressed the answer button and looked around, but he was alone. He put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Henry! Where are you?" Roy barked.

"Oh thank god, Roy! Camila is fighting her. You have to get here! Quick!"

"Where. Are. You!"

"Liberty Landing Marina!" Henry blurted.

"Yes but where?"

"Oh! About halfway down the field between the two entrances to the parking lot!" Henry said, his heart in this throat as he saw Camila get knocked back but score a slash across the cheek of the Marquise causing her to reel back.

The phone went dead, and a large SUV pulled into the parking lot with a screech. Henry began to move to it but ducked back when the driver got out and quickly crossed over to the passenger side. It wasn't Roy. The driver was a tall and slim, dark-skinned woman. She opened the passenger's door and reached in.

She hauled another woman out of the car and hoisted her over her shoulder. Blonde hair fell forward, and Henry made a noise of surprise as it looked like Sandy. He moved to step out of his cover and hands pulled him back, making him squeak in surprise.

"Henry! Quiet!" Siobhan hissed quietly.

He turned to her in relief then found himself flying back to crash down on the paved parking lot. He dropped the tire iron which slid away into the darkness. His head and shoulders took a heavy blow, dazing him. When he could see straight, he noticed the blonde was laying on her back on the grass. He looked back towards the bushes and saw the woman had her hands around Siobhan's throat and had her off the ground, choking her out. He was on his feet running for them unsteadily before he knew what he was doing. The woman dropped Siobhan and spun, clubbing him on the side of his face. He cartwheeled into the bushes. She hit like a truck. From his new vantage point on the ground on the other side of the bushes, he saw the woman stop and watch the fight on the dock. She started to move in that direction.

He could hear Siobhan coughing, but Camila and Marisa were in danger now. He couldn't take this woman as Henry the human. She was just too strong. He pushed himself to his feet again and dropped the glamor. He was grateful for the cloak covering his larger body. He straightened the cowl over his horns to hide them as he began to run towards the woman. She heard the thud of his hooves and spun to face him. He leapt forward and wrapped his arms around her squeezing her against his chest.

Searing pain lanced through his shoulder as she sank her fangs into his thick muscles. Terrified, he ran into one of the light standards and crashed right through it, tearing it from its base. The woman in his arms took the impact across the back of her head and her bite loosened. Henry continued to charge forward and took out the next two light standards as well, each smashing into the woman's skull. He found himself running back towards the dock. His shoulder was screaming in pain, and he was wobbling on his hooves, but the woman had gone limp in his arms, and he didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, he crashed through the door of the gatehouse and collided with the guard who sailed off the dock into the water. He dropped the body of the woman. Her mouth covered in his blood, she bounced off the side of the ramp and rolled off the dock into the water.

Henry was still moving forward, but his brain was no longer driving. The lights around him went out, but the spots dancing in front of his eyes made him swat at them as he careened forward.

He was a runaway train, and the tracks were running out.

-=-

Camila was approaching exhaustion. The older Succubus looked spent as well as Camila had landed some damaging blows. Camila had managed to avoid deep injuries, but she couldn't keep it up. Roy needed to get here soon. Or Sigrid. Even in her weakened state, Oletha was too deadly for Marisa to fight.

They were taking a momentary breather, assessing each other for weaknesses and Oletha knew she was wearing Camila down. She smiled. Her endurance was phenomenal, but then Camila's ability to go toe to toe with the much older Succubus was impressive as well.

"We could have been allies. I would have made you my second in command," Oletha sighed.

"The second seat in Hell is still Hell," Camila said.

There was a loud crash back on shore, and both risked a glance to see one of the lights fall. Then a second and a third.

Oletha was no longer smiling. She knew this wasn't one of hers. Then the gatehouse exploded into pieces, and someone large in a hooded cowl was charging down the dock. He dropped the woman he was carrying, and they caught a glimpse of her bloody face as she bounced off into the water.

Camila saw Oletha's shock at seeing the woman fall and chose that moment to make her last all-out effort. She leapt past the Marquise and raked her across the eyes, blinding her. The lights on the dock suddenly shut down as Camila fell into the back of one of the parked boats and crashed up against the inner wall, utterly spent. She looked back to see if Oletha was dropping on her for the kill. But instead, she saw Henry slam Oletha down against the dock and charge over her, one of his heavy hooves cracking her skull open like a grape as he stumbled by.

But he wasn't stopping.

-=-

There were two guards with guns by the back of the ship, and they were well and truly spooked, shooting at everything. Sigrid had to change course, and they ended up in the upper bridge which was empty. Sigrid spotted surveillance screens showing scenes from the bedroom Nate had occupied. She tore the hard drives from the computers and drove her sword through them. That would be sufficient for clearing them.

"We're on the top deck! How do we escape from here?" Nate growled.

"I have wings so I might be able to glide us down to the dock but suppressing the light and flying is too draining. Carrying you as well would be impossible. I'm too damn visible otherwise.," Sigrid said.

Nate looked at her nervously. "I have wings too, but I've never flown with them."

"No time like the present. Start by gliding and if it isn't working too well, drop into the water," Sigrid suggested.

"Shit," Nate cursed softly tugging his shirt and pants off, leaving his underwear. His shoes and socks were missing. Then he allowed himself to change.

Sigrid watched him unfold his wings with wide eyes. "You should have no trouble gliding down." He felt a little better about that. Their attention was suddenly drawn to the lamp posts on shore being knocked down.

"That's got to be Roy." She looked at Nate in relief, "The cavalry in other words. They're a little fierce to look at, but they are all great people-"

They froze in surprise when the gatehouse exploded then Sigrid saw who it was. "Oh my god! That's Henry! He's hurt!" Then everything went dark as the power feed died for the dock and ship. Emergency lights flicked on just as the yacht shuddered from a large impact.

Sigrid was out the door and over the railing in a split second. Wings snapped out in all their blinding glory for the second it took for her to glide down to the doc.

Nate was right behind her, holding his clothes tight against his chest. His descent was slower than Sigrid's, so he landed midway along the dock. He closed his aching wings. That was fun, if painful.

He saw he was pretty close to Oletha's dead body. As much as he despised her, he couldn't look at her this way. It was too brutal and final.

Siobhan raced past him, then he was facing a huge fanged beast.

"You must be Nate," it rumbled, and he just nodded.

"ROY! HELP US!" Siobhan yelled before leaping into the water after Henry.

Nate stood aside as 'Roy' went around him to run back towards the ship. Nate took a moment to switch back to his human form and tugged on his pants and shirt. Then he noticed a lovely woman struggling to climb out of the back of a boat onto the dock. She seemed very shaky, so he moved to help her.

"Thank you," she said with a slight moan.

"No problem. I'm Nate Walker," he said, enthralled by her beauty and her scent. She was a Succubus!

"Camila Villamor. Help me, please," she said gesturing to the end of the dock. They saw Sigrid and Marisa with their hands on the side of the ship pushing outwards to maintain a wider gap between the dock and the ship. Roy reached down and pulled a man from the water. He laid him out on the dock and Nate gasped at the wound on his shoulder. Blood spurted, and Nate cried out again when the red furred beast moved his mouth to the wound. Was he biting him?

"Calm yourself. Roy is healing him, sealing the wound," Camila explained.

Roy pulled back and turned his face to Camila in confusion, his toothy maw coated in Henry's blood. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped sideways, but Sigrid caught him before he fell off the dock. His body rippled, and a large, red-bearded and very unconscious human remained.

"Dammit! I forgot about the blood!" Camila cursed. Sigrid gave her a worried look, but Camila just shook her head and gestured for the men rushing down the dock to hurry. Two immediately leapt up and pulled themselves over the railing to search the yacht. The other two went to Camila after looking at Roy's bloody face and Henry's shoulder. "Get Roy to his truck. Take him back to his place. He needs to sleep this off."

One of the men hoisted Roy over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and followed his partner back up the dock.

"Is Henry still bleeding?" Sigrid asked bending down to inspect his shoulder. She sighed in relief as Roy had done his job before passing out. The closed wound was red and angry looking.

Nate finally got a good look at the man lying on the dock. "Oh shit! It's him!"

Sigrid glanced sharply at him. "You know Henry?"

Nate blinked at her. "Huh? No! I mean, I met him once in a drug store. He- he seemed like a nice enough guy but I never got his name before all hell broke loose and he left."

A seal surged out of the water and landed on the dock. She shook herself, shedding the water, then stood up, becoming Siobhan. Dry once more, Siobhan had nasty bruising around her neck. She smiled at him then looked to Camila.

"I managed to get the guard out of the water. He's alive, but I can't find the bitch who tried to strangle me." She lifted her chin and Marisa winced at the sight of the bruises.

"We're going to need a containment team on this site," Sigrid sighed.

"Luckily Mr. Duncan called for one on his way over here," a voice called out from behind them.

The group turned and stared in surprise at Mahati walking towards them. The lawyer glanced down at the dead woman on the dock and grimaced.

"Who was that?" she said, looking a little ill.

"Marquise Oletha Thanemark," Camila said.

"The artist?" Mahati exclaimed in surprise and received a nod from Camila. "What happened to Mr. Duncan-" she stared in shock at the wound on Henry's shoulder. "Wait! Did he bite Mr. Gable?"

Siobhan stepped forward and displayed her bruised neck. "No, the bitch who did this to me, bit Henry. He lost a lot of blood. Roy helped him." She glanced at Marisa, not knowing how much to say.

"I don't think we should be staying here playing twenty questions. The police will arrive soon," Camila suggested.

"That's why I'm here. I'm to brief the cleanup team while you run away, so in twenty words or less please," Mahati insisted as she stared into Camila's exhausted eyes.

"Oletha was kidnapping Nate Walker here." She gestured to the man still wearing the shackles. "He was coming to see us this morning but didn't show. We came to convince her to let him go. She wasn't willing to listen to reason."

Mahati nodded. "What about the blond woman up on the grass?"

"Jo!" Nate gasped and moved to go to her. Mahati raised her hand to block him.

"Who is she?" Mahati asked.

"Jo Hart. She's my best friend! She's not like us, she's human," Nate blurted.

Mahati jolted back, staring at him wide-eyed. She caught the wince on the other faces present then the sudden contrite look on Nate's. "What's going on here?" she growled, suddenly furious.

Camila sighed. She was just too tired to come up with something convincing. She held Mahati's eyes. "We believe Nate is the same as Henry. We can discuss this more thoroughly later."

Eyes flaring with anger Mahati nodded. "We most definitely will." She looked to Nate. "Learn what not to say, or you'll soon discover how much danger your loose tongue will create." Mahati huffed in frustration as she looked him over. "Your best friend has been drugged unconscious. The clean-up crew will take her back to her home. My advice, stay away from her." She aimed a final glare at the others. "Everyone leave now." Then she headed back up the dock.

Camila saw Nate was looking a little lost and sighed. "Nate, if you don't mind, you'll come home with me tonight?" He nodded.

"I'll take Henry to my place to heal," Sigrid said.

Camila looked to Marisa and Siobhan. "Catch a ride back with the Security team?" They nodded then everyone moved.

They passed the incoming clean-up crew. Camila wondered what the cover story was going to be then pushed that from her mind as Nate helped her back to her car. She watched Sigrid carefully place Henry in the back seat of one of the security team's SUV's as Marisa and Siobhan climbed in the back of another. The big vehicles all left the way they'd come in. Back over the grass to the road. Camila sedately drove back to the exit and handed her ticket to one of the clean-up crew who was inside the booth with an unconscious guard, likely erasing all video recordings. Camila nodded, and the gate went up.

They pulled out onto the road and headed back to Manhattan. She felt weary and hungry.

"You'll find a key that should work on those cuffs in the glovebox," she suggested. Nate grinned and found the small set of keys on a ring. He quickly released the cuffs from his wrists and ankles.

She knew Nate had Wild Magic flowing through him, so she hoped he was up for a little feeding. She looked over at him and saw his hunger clearly in his eyes. They shared a smile.

Chapter 18

Roy jolted upright with a gasp and looked around at familiar surroundings in confusion. He was on his bed- but he wore his default emergency glamor. There was dried blood on his face. Whose blood?

"What the hell?" he muttered to himself.

"Hey! You awake in there?" a voice called through his bedroom door. He recognized it as Rick Santos, one of his crew. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and walked to the door to open it. Rick and Billy Cooper were sitting on his couch watching TV with their feet up on his coffee table. Billy was tossing and catching his football.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Comfortable?"

They grinned back at him.

"You feeling better, boss man?" Billy asked.

Roy touched the dried blood on his chin and realized he felt great! "Yeah, I'm good. What happened?"

The two men stopped grinning and glanced at each other. "You don't remember?" Rick asked.

Roy frowned. "I remember arriving at the marina and helping Siobhan Whelan to her feet. She mentioned a female attacked her. I smelled Werepanther on her then we ran for the dock. I- uh, someone was in the water? Then I woke up here. What am I missing?"

The two men shared looks and stood.

Roy's hackles rose as he scented the change. They were instinctively reacting to a perceived mental weakness. Their pack leader had to be of sound mind to remain leader. Two large werewolves were suddenly standing in his living room, and Roy shifted a split second later. The two challengers instantly froze as their eyes went wide with surprise. Then both whimpered their submission and exposed their throats.

Snorting his acceptance, he nodded to them. Everyone switched back to Human form.

"We'll see you at the office later, Mr. Duncan," Billy said with a subdued voice.

He nodded suspiciously and watched the two leave with nods back to him. Roy locked up behind them and made his way back to the washroom. He needed a shower.

Facing the mirror, he frowned and dropped his glamor. He instantly snarled at the vicious looking beast baring his fangs back at him in the mirror. Then he froze as he realized the unfamiliar face was his, just different.

He was bigger than before! Bigger muscles! Longer, sharper claws and teeth! His eyes were a little larger too!

SHIT! As he looked more carefully, he realized how incredibly sharp his vision had become. When he concentrated, he could detect the smallest details and movement.

What the FUCK!

He switched back to Human and went back into the bedroom to grab his cell. He dialed Sigrid.

After four rings she sleepily answered. "Roy? You know what time it is?" she grumbled.

"What happened last night?" he barked.

There was a pause. "Are you ok?"

It was his turn to pause as he thought about that. "Yes, but I'm... different."

"Better or worse?" she asked.

He had to admit he felt pretty damn good. "Better, but how!"

Sigrid was silent, and he listened intently. He could hear the gentle slide of silk against her skin.

SHIT! The sensitivity of his hearing had increased!

"Henry."

Roy reeled back in dismay. "I had sex with Henry?!?" he hissed.

Sigrid snorted then burst into laughter. When she got control again, she answered. "No! Of course not! His shoulder was injured, badly! There was blood. You helped him as you can." She left it at that.

"Oh." Of course. He suddenly felt stupid.

"Roy, can we talk about this in the morning?"

"Sure. Sorry for calling so early."

They hung up, and Roy sat on the edge of the bed, thinking.

Downsides. There were always downsides.

Hmmm...

He couldn't think of them at the moment.

-=-

Henry woke feeling like someone had beat on him with hammers. His jaw was stiff, and the right side of his face swollen. He could barely open his right eye. He must have moaned as Meixiu's concerned face appeared above him.

"Are you awake Henry?"

He tried to nod but pain lanced through his shoulder and he hissed instead.

"I will get Sigrid," the petite woman said.

Henry struggled against the pain for a short time then the blonde beauty was looking in his eyes. She gave him a little water through a straw.

"How bad is the pain?" she asked.

"What is a good pain?" he managed to whisper. She smiled in sympathy with a twinkle in her eyes.

"You need to disable your glamor. You'll heal faster in your true form. You're in a safe place. You can rest in that form as well," Sigrid explained.

Henry triggered the change, and the pain dimmed just a little, but any relief felt like an improvement! "Better!"

Sigrid smiled then she frowned. "Why didn't you stay in the car?"

He cast his mind back and recalled seeing someone who looked like Sandy but wasn't. "Thought I saw Sandy in danger. Wasn't her. Then that woman was choking Siobhan. She hit me. Hard. Then she was going after Camila and Marisa. I couldn't... I didn't know what to do so I grabbed her after I switch back to this and..." His memories fragmented from that point. He knew he was panicking and in terrible pain, but he didn't want to admit that in front of the Valkyrie.