Shadow Effect - 29. Chapter 29

Tyler nearly jumped out of his skin when wings beat against the window of the van. He'd been sitting in a semi-stupor with the AC on, the late heat of the day just starting to loosen its grip. Christ! Elijah needs to stop doing that!

He quickly rolled the window down, surprised when Elijah didn't get in the van before shifting. Instead, in the blink of an eye, a very naked Elijah stood at the window.

"Quick! Pull the van into the driveway. Cameron’s alive!"

That was all his friend said before shifting back and with rapidly beating wings, took to the air once more.

Tyler hustled to do as asked and drove the short distance, carefully backing the van into the driveway under the metal carport, his heart jackhammering in his chest.

The back hatch opened, and he felt the van shift as Elijah and Cameron climbed in.

"Go! Go!" implored Elijah.

Tyler didn't hesitate. He drove out of the neighborhood, weaving through the streets with no particular destination in mind. He could hear the rustling sounds as Elijah pulled on his clothes before clamoring into the front and buckling his seatbelt.

"What now?" he asked, glancing in the rearview mirror, only able to make out a dark bulk huddled in the back.

"Just drive while I call Sebastian."

Elijah pulled out his phone and his face lit up briefly in the soft glow of the screen before it faded out. Now the only illumination was from the urban, orangey glow of the streetlamps they passed beneath.

As soon as the Alpha answered, Elijah's words tumbled out of him in a jumbled mess in his overexcited state. "Sebastian! We found alive Cameron in the van with us. Should we drive his parents or you?"

"Settle down, Elijah and try again. You're not making sense. Take a breath." Sebastian was calm and in turn, it seemed to reset his best friend. Tyler was sure adrenaline was coursing through Elijah’s system. If not for his own death grip on the steering wheel, his hands would be shaking uncontrollably. As it was, his legs felt like jelly.

He heard Elijah take a deep breath in through his nose, then exhale slowly through his mouth. "We found Cameron alive. He's with us in the van. Should we take him to his parents or head back to Montana?"

"Boys, that's great news! How are all of you doing?"

The question forced Elijah to slow down and when Tyler glanced at him, he could see his shoulders drop as some tension was released. He had no clue how their hybrid passenger was doing, so he waited for Elijah to answer.

"Better now."

Tyler smiled. He had to hand it to Sebastian. One simple question immediately dispelled the anxiety Elijah had unwittingly brought into the van. That’s why he was an Alpha.

"Good. I want you to find a motel, check-in, then assess Cameron's condition the best you can. Don’t forget to use the scanner I gave you to check for any tracking devices. If you feel like anything needs immediate attention, call Donovan for advice. Tomorrow morning, get on the road first thing and head straight here. I'll take care of getting the Nadings to Montana. They'll be here to meet you. Understand?"

"Yes Sir," Tyler answered. Elijah still seemed a bit rattled. They would need to talk once they were settled.

"Call me before you leave, or sooner if you need anything."

"We will," Tyler promised before they ended the call.

One more glance at Elijah told him all he needed to know. He reached over and snapped his fingers right in front of Elijah’s face, instantly pulling his attention into the present.

"Get your shit together, Garrison. Look up motel availability before we run outta gas driving around all fucking night. Make sure the rooms are accessed from the outside. We can't exactly sneak him through the fucking hallways. It's not Halloween, for Christ's sake!"

That did the trick, and five minutes later Elijah was giving him directions to a nearby Motel 6. Before they pulled in, Elijah grabbed the scanner from a compartment in the van and gave Cameron a quick once-over. They breathed a sigh of relief when there was no tell-tale beep.

Tyler went inside and got them a room on the first floor, around the back, with two queen beds. He backed up in front of the door and opened the room before Elijah hustled Cameron across the short distance. He went back and grabbed their bags. A stale smell permeated the van, like a dog who hadn't been bathed in a while. Gross. He made a mental note to pick up a scented vent clip at one of their stops.

Sighing, he went back into the room, making sure the security bolt was firmly in place, before turning around to get his first good look at the hybrid known as Cameron Nading.

Rich brown eyes met his, and a hard glint flashed across them as if to dare him to say something derogatory. Tyler wasn't in the mood for games. The long day of waiting in the van, alternating between sitting there with the windows open until the heat threatened to stifle him and sitting there with cold air blasting on his face, threatening to lull him into sleep, had caught up to him.

"We're not going to hurt you," he said softly, realizing Cameron may not be fully aware he'd been rescued. Everything happened so fast. For all they knew, Cameron might think that he'd been sold to another human or stolen for nefarious purposes.

"Are you Cameron Nading?"

The hybrid's eyes were wary, but he nodded.

"Cameron, I'm Tyler and this is my friend, Elijah, in case he hasn't already told you."

"Of course, I told him!" Elijah snapped.

"Shut it, Garrison, I didn't ask you."

"Piss off, Williamson."

It was only a brief flash, but the corners of Cameron's mouth twitched up at the banter. Neither of them realized when they did it anymore. Tyler took the slight smile as a good sign.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Cameron shook his head hesitantly.

“Let me put this another way. Do you have any injuries that need immediate attention?”

This time, the shake was more confident.

“I hope I don’t offend you, but you stink. Would it be alright if Elijah and I looked you over? You can take a shower as soon as we’re done. I’m sure you’ll feel a lot better.”

Cameron nodded, shooting him a look of gratitude. His brown eyes were warm but held an infinite amount of sadness.

“Thanks, Ty,” Elijah said before turning to address Cameron. “I’m sorry if I scared you back there. To be honest, you sorta scared the shit out of me. I wasn’t expecting to find anyone. I don’t know what the hell came over me. Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible, I’m not," he said sheepishly.

"More like you belong in the Mystery Machine with Scooby-Doo and the gang," Tyler rebuffed.

The sound that Cameron let out could not be mistaken for anything other than what it was; a bark of laughter.

Tyler and Elijah chuckled along with him. The kid still had a sense of humor, at least.

"Come on, let's get you looked over. Are you sure you don't mind?"

This time Cameron did something that looked like he was trying to grin, but with long, pointy canines showing, looked more like a menacing growl, minus the actual growl.

Cameron was tall, about six-three, and wasn’t wearing any clothes. His facial features were an even mix of human and wolf, and Tyler could see the resemblance to the pictures his mom showed them. His hybrid state left him covered with short, but thick fur, which made it harder for them to assess him. After a thorough once-over, they determined that, although he was on the thin side, he wasn’t malnourished or emaciated. He and Elijah decided they didn't need to call Donovan for advice. Cameron chuffed his agreement.

When Elijah turned on the water in the shower, Cameron's tail swished back and forth, making Tyler smile.

"Are you going to need help?" he asked, noting the way Cameron's hands were more like half-formed paws. He had thumbs, but they weren’t exactly opposable.

Cameron nodded and stepped under the warm spray, a whine of pleasure slipping from him.

Tyler stripped down to his underwear and stepped in behind Cameron, who stunk to high heaven now that his fur was wet.

Elijah handed him the bottle of shampoo from their bag and he started with Cameron's head, lathering him up, working the soap in thoroughly. Dark brown water filled the bottom of the tub. He ended up lathering the poor kid up three times before it finally ran clear. He also needed to clear the drain catch of fur multiple times. Without the ability to keep himself properly groomed, Cameron was shedding like a Husky blowing its coat in the spring.

Elijah took the huge clumps of sodden fur and filled three plastic grocery bags before they were done. Tyler would bring them out to the dumpster later.

It took all four towels the motel provided to soak up the excess water after Cameron shook himself vigorously several times. When the four towels were completely sodden, he gave them another toothy grin. Now that he was clean, his fur was a nice mix of white, gray, and light brown, whereas before it had all been sort of muddied brown, like dark flood waters.

"We'll pick up some proper grooming brushes tomorrow. I'm sure you'll feel a lot better if we can get some more of your undercoat brushed out," Elijah said as he gathered up the towels. They would have to call the front desk to get some more.

“Do you want some clothes?” Tyler asked, not sure if he wasn’t wearing anything by choice.

Cameron nodded enthusiastically, then mimicked a writing motion with his paw-hands.

"You can write?" Tyler asked, excited that they would be able to communicate.

Another nod.

He rummaged through a bag until he came up with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that should fit. After another moment of rifling through his things and he pulled out a legal pad and a pen, handing them to Cameron, watching as he carefully positioned the pen in his odd-shaped fingers.

Thank you. Cameron's writing was crooked and messy, but perfectly legible. This was fantastic. He and Elijah knew most of the hybrids from the Idaho facility weren't able to write or speak. Communication was difficult.

“You’re welcome,” he and Elijah said at the same time, eliciting another bark of laughter.

Cameron wrote something else down. Mom and Dad?

Tyler smiled. “They’ll be waiting for you when we get to Montana. That’s where we’re heading.”

Why?

Tyler looked at Elijah. The answer needed more of an explanation than he was able to give. Elijah was more familiar with the story of the Sentinels and what went on in Idaho. It would be better for him to explain what was currently happening in Montana, so Tyler let him take the wheel.

“Let’s order some food, then I’ll tell you everything that’s happened lately,” Elijah suggested.

Cameron wrote down his favorite pizza toppings and Elijah ordered a large pie just for him and got a large supreme with extra pepperoni for him and Tyler to split. While they waited, Tyler went out to the vending machine at the end of the building and got ice, soda, and a few bottles of water too.

When they were settled with food in front of them, Elijah told Cameron about the Sentinels finding each other, the abductions, the corrupt High Councilmen, the raid on the facility in Idaho, and the invasion and fight at Reilly’s old home. Cameron wrote a few questions as the story unfolded.

So no more experiments?

Elijah shook his head. “No, not the way you’re thinking. Sebastian has a team of top shifters working to find a way to reverse what’s been done to you. They haven’t had much success so far, but everyone says these things take time.”

Cameron wrote furiously on his legal pad, occasionally stopping to scratch something out, before resuming his rapid scrawling.

No cure. Overheard more than one say this is permanent. Something about changes on a molecular level. Whatever they injected us with made it so that once it's changed, it can’t be changed back. Like physical and chemical changes to matter. Once you change something on a chemical level, like burning it, it can’t be restored to its original condition. Yeah, I paid attention in chemistry. It was a fun class.

Well fuck, that wasn’t very encouraging. Tyler wiped his mouth on a napkin. “I know it seems pretty hopeless, but I don’t think Sebastian is going to give up. I don’t think any of us should either. It might take a while, but there’s got to be a way, somehow.”

Cameron swallowed the last bite of his pizza and shrugged his broad shoulders before yawning.

“I think we need to turn in. We have another long day of being on the road ahead of us. I’m beginning to think my ass is already permanently molded to the seat of that van,” Elijah joked.

Tyler knew he was right. It was over twelve hundred miles back to Sebastian’s. Even with both of them driving, it would still take over seventeen hours. None of them wanted to spend another night at a hotel, especially Cameron, knowing his parents were waiting for him. He had to be anxious about the reunion.

As far as Tyler could tell, Cameron seemed to be okay, not just physically, but mentally as well. Then again, what did he know? He was not a mental health expert. He imagined once the realization of his rescue hit him, the young hybrid would need to deal with the repercussions and fallout from his abduction. Tyler silently gave thanks for the team Sebastian had in place. Cameron, as well as his parents, were going to need it.

He went back to the main office and asked for more towels, figuring at this time of night it would be quicker. The clerk behind the counter barely looked at him as he went into the back, returning with a stack of scratchy white towels reeking of bleach. He didn’t expect a response to his muttered thank you, and wasn’t surprised when he didn’t get one.

Back in the room, he put the towels away and quietly got ready for bed. Cameron was already sound asleep in one bed. Elijah was looking at something on his phone on the other.

Tyler took a quick shower so they could save time in the morning. He slipped on clean boxers and a loose tee before scooting under the covers with Elijah.

“Do you think he’s really okay?” he whispered.

“I’m not sure. I think he is for the moment, but who knows how he’ll be when he has time to process everything that’s happened,” Elijah whisper-answered back.

“I was thinking the same thing. I want him to be okay.”

“Me too. We better get some sleep.”

“G’night, E.”

Elijah echoed the sentiment and rolled over. Tyler lay there for a while, several things vying for attention in his brain. He hated when his thoughts spun around like laundry tumbling in a dryer, all tangled and jumbled up. He listened to the sound of Elijah’s breathing even out as his friend slipped deep into unconsciousness. Soft breathing noises, not quite snores, came from Cameron’s side of the room.

Tyler started counting backward from one hundred, getting through all the numbers three times before his brain finally settled down somewhere between the fourth recitation of fifty-nine through fifty. Sleep claimed him reluctantly.

It took them close to twenty-four hours to reach the McDen. He and Elijah had driven in four-hour shifts, catching naps whenever they could. Wildfires close to the highway in northern Utah rerouted them several hours out of their way. Tyler could honestly say he was sick of the van, comfortable or not.

Cameron had it the worst. The burgeoning wolf in him hated being confined, especially now that he wasn’t captive anymore. For the last six hours of the trip, the wolf whined and growled nearly continuously. Even a stop in the middle of the night where they’d spent forty-five minutes brushing out Cameron’s coat, fur flying all over, picked up by the light breeze. They did the best they could to de-shed him, thinking it would help calm the beast, but it only helped temporarily. Tyler would’ve rather dealt with all of his younger siblings hounding him about when are we gonna be there, instead of the borderline hostile sounds that Cameron’s wolf made when they got back in the van and on the road again.

Cameron wrote sorry at least a dozen times in the final hours. When they were an hour away, Elijah shot off a text letting Sebastian know. Neither of them was surprised to see several people waiting on the front porch of the big house.

Besides Sebastian and Reilly, Donovan stood to the side, and Heath and Lauren Nading were there as well, both looking anxious.

The second Cameron caught sight of his parents, he let out a long howl, the sound deafening in the confines of the van. He struggled with the door, unable to get a proper grip on the handle to open it. He needn’t have worried. Lauren rushed down the steps as soon as the vehicle came to a halt and damn near tore the door off its hinges. Before anyone could blink, she had Cameron in a python death grip, Heath rushing in to join them mere seconds later.

Lauren and Heath were sobbing, Cameron’s wolf cries joining the cacophony. It was a heartwarming sight to behold, Tyler wouldn’t have missed it for anything. He and Elijah skirted the family, climbing the steps, and found themselves pulled into a fierce hug by Reilly.

“Damn, you guys did good! We are so, so proud of you,” he gushed.

Tyler glanced over at Sebastian, who gave him a huge smile and wink, amusement at his mate’s reaction evident, as well as the pride that reflected in his brown eyes. At that moment, Tyler felt like he was on top of the world.

When the family finally settled down, Donovan cleared his throat and crossed the distance to stand next to Cameron. His eyes did a quick visual sweep, assessing in his doctorly way.

“Cameron, my name is Donovan. I’m the pack doctor. I’m really happy to see you looking so well. Is there anything you think needs attention right now?” he asked. Elijah had already informed Sebastian that Cameron was capable of writing. The Alpha was thrilled they would have a way to communicate.

Cameron grunted and shook his head.

“Okay, good. I won’t bother you right now. I would like to see you in our clinic later today if you’re up to it. If you’re not comfortable with that, I can come to you instead. It’s up to you, whatever will put you and your wolf at ease.”

Cameron gestured for the notebook and pen they’d been using to communicate. Elijah went back to the van and reached in, handing them back triumphantly.

Cameron wrote something down and then turned the page to show Donovan. I’m ok with going to the clinic. Can Mom and Dad come too?

“Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Donovan said with a smile. “You guys come over when you’re ready. I’m sure someone will bring you over to the lodge and show you where I’m at. Later this morning is fine. I do believe Sandi and Wayne are cooking up a big breakfast as we speak. Are you boys hungry?”

Tyler’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food.

“Yes, they are,” Sebastian confirmed. “Let’s go eat. We can debrief afterward.”

The group trooped inside, greeted by the smells of savory breakfast foods.

Please let there be hashbrown casserole, Tyler thought, his mouth watering at the thought.

Sandi enfolded him and Elijah in a tight hug as soon as they entered the kitchen. Sebastian introduced Cameron to Sandi and Wayne before being ordered about by his Beta’s mate. Being Alpha didn’t mean squat in Sandi’s realm. Her kingdom was the kitchen, her word law. When she said stir, you grabbed a spoon and stirred, no matter who you were.

In short order, everyone had plates of food and yes, hashbrown casserole took up a majority of Tyler’s plate.

Cameron scribbled something down and handed the notebook to Elijah. Tyler looked over his friend’s shoulder at the now familiar scrawl.

No one is looking at me like I'm a freak.

He exchanged looks with Elijah. This was the first glimpse Cameron showed them of how he truly viewed himself.

“Cameron,” Elijah said gently. “You’re not a freak, that’s why. You’re the victim of some very evil, very cruel people, who thankfully no longer walk this earth. You’re not alone, and later, if you want to meet some of the other kids who survived, you can. You’ll see them, eventually. Sebastian has a resort close by where everyone and their families are staying until a cure can be found, or they decide to leave. It’s where Donovan’s clinic is located. Your family is welcome for as long as you want. Sebastian’s pack has an impressive support system. Counseling and individual or group therapy are available. It’s your choice. No one will ever force you to do anything you don’t want to do ever again, as long as you’re here.”

Tears glistened not only in Cameron’s eyes but his mom and dad’s as well as a few others. The true scope of his rescue was just beginning to hit Cameron and if he fell, there were plenty of hands to catch him and support him.

When breakfast was over, Donovan left to get things ready for Cameron’s exam. Wayne said he and Sandi would drive the Nadings over there as soon as they finished cleaning up. The rest of them gave the family some privacy to enjoy their reunion in peace.

Tyler and Elijah followed Sebastian and Reilly to the living room. Hunter and Kellan joined them, having just gotten back from an early morning run. Patrolling the perimeter of the pack’s immediate territory had become standard practice. Ever since it became known that Kasar Huntington was behind the sale of the hybrid pups and his whereabouts were dodgy at best, Sebastian erred on the side of caution. The McDen, the lodge, and the town center were routinely patrolled, both physically and electronically. Better to be safe than sorry.

Once they were seated, Sebastian asked for the play-by-play of the events leading up to Cameron’s discovery and rescue.

“It was the oddest thing,” Tyler said. “Elijah suddenly pulled off at the wrong exit saying we needed gas, even though we had over half a tank. I thought he was losing it. Why did you pull that shit anyway?” Tyler looked at Elijah expectantly.

“You’re gonna think I’m crazy.”

“I know you’re fucking crazy. What else is new?”

Hunter and Kellan laughed. Reilly snorted. Sebastian shot them a shut-up look.

“I think it was Kage.”

“What?!” Tyler exclaimed. He is crazy, flashed through his brain.

“Hear me out. This is hard for me.”

Instantly, the atmosphere became serious.

“When Kage di-died, he um, that is, his—uh—” Elijah cleared his throat, obviously feeling emotional pain. Tyler forgot about his errant thought regarding his friend’s sanity and scooted over automatically, throwing his arm around Elijah’s shoulders.

Taking a steadying breath, Elijah continued. “Kage faded. One minute he was solid, and the next he faded into his shadow form. I thought maybe he was going to be okay until he kept fading. He went from black to charcoal, to gray, then sort of misty-like. Finally, he turned white, like blinding, come-to-Jesus, knocking-on-heaven’s-door, go-to-the-light, white.”

Elijah glanced around at everyone as if to make sure no one was putting in a call to those nice young men in their clean white coats. Satisfied he wasn’t going to be committed to the nearest psychiatric ward, he continued. “The light sort of swirled around the room. It reminded me of the scene from Harry Potter when they’re in the Room of Requirement practicing conjuring their patronuses and an otter is chasing a rabbit or vice versa. The light danced around the room like that. Then it twisted around me, wrapping me up in a cocoon before it finally went straight through me. It went in through the front of my chest and came out of my back. Kage’s energy went through me and I think he left a piece of himself behind.”

“What makes you think that Elijah?” Sebastian asked.

“Because whenever I think about him, or rather, whenever I need to think about him, I feel a sort of heat in the center of my chest. When we were first trying to decide which pup to look for, I felt warmth whenever I read Cameron’s or the twins’ names, but it disappeared when we chose Neall instead. After that fiasco, when it came time to decide again, it was like I was being pushed toward choosing Cameron. On the highway, I felt an intense urge to get off at the next exit and get gas. The heat flared again. I think it was Kage guiding me. That's when I saw Gates.”

Elijah continued, explaining the rest of the story of following Gates, then sneaking in when he had the chance and discovering Cameron.

Tyler pulled Elijah in close and kissed the side of his head affectionately.

“Whatever this guiding light or force is, you need to keep listening to it. I, for one, am in Kamp Kage, and yes, that’s camp with a ‘K’,” he chuckled at his own joke.

The other five groaned.

Elijah gave a soft sniff and wiped a stray tear from his eye.

“For what it’s worth, I believe it’s Kage, too,” said Kellan. “If six wolves can be the reincarnation or whatever of six dudes from two-thousand years ago, why can’t a piece of a shadow shifter get stuck inside a shapeshifter?”

Tyler caught Elijah’s eye roll and smirk. Well, when you put it that way, who were they to question it?