Full Moon-Appalachian Shifters

Chapter Ten Jolene

Bobby Jean was checking to see if I had listening devices or if the government had implanted a microchip in me. I stood shivering outside the threshold of his bunker. I could feel eyes on me and saw three coyotes watching me again.

“That is the strangest thing.” He was watching the coyotes as well; I saw the same one from the town and narrowed my eyes at it.

“I saw a couple of them in the center of town and that big one with the collar was there too.” Bobby Jean grunted and I heard the coyotes growl when he frisked me.

He pulled his hands away and the animals stopped, I sighed, what was this nutjob doing now?

“Hmm interesting, I’m going to try something please don’t punch me.” I stared into his ruddy face and he put one hand on my breast and grabbed my butt with his other hand. Next thing I know there was a furry body latching onto his pant leg.

“IF THAT COYOTE DOESN’T RIP YOUR NUTS OFF I WILL WHAT THE HELL BOBBY!?” I felt violated. Bobby took his hands off me and the animal let go of his pant leg. He stepped back from the snarling animal which was now seated in front of me.

“That is very interesting. I’m sorry revered one.” He did an intricate hand gesture and half bow to the animal. I was still angry with him for groping me.

“Why are you apologizing to him? I’m the one you were feeling up!” The animal in front of me shifted into a very tall, muscular, and very naked man. My mouth dropped open as I realized it was the guy from the store.

“Because he groped my mate!” I averted my eyes and grit my teeth. I wanted to look at all the tan muscular nakedness in front of me. However, I was still sore about the whole being groped thing.

“He is also a manetuk, a God for the Lenape.” There was a pounding behind my temples and I could feel a headache starting. I was just here to get information and to see if the conspiracy nut could maybe track my sister and mother.

“What the hell are you talking about? How did you turn into a person? Why were you at my store? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!” I heard the sound of feet on gravel and two more people emerged from the tree line.

“I did not think someone who worked in a weed store would be so uptight.” The woman’s voice was full of scorn and it held a melodic note.

“Tawny, be nice. Not everyone is used to just seeing an animal go from cute fuzzy puppy to a hunk of a muscle man.” The third voice was a guy and he had a slight accent that sounded like it was from Boston or something.

“Ah I am blessed, please all of you come in and feel free to raid my refrigerator and take what you need.” The wall of muscle in front of me did not move, I was looking at his bare feet and toned calves.

The indignity still burned but I was also ticked off now because these three strangers, naked strangers, were not getting the third degree from Bobby. They didn’t have to go under a whole-body check and scan.

“Again, I ask what the hell Bobby?” My headache was now a pounding migraine and I could feel the vein in my temple pulsing as well.

“They are naked; besides they are Manetuk. There is no way they are controlled by the government.” Cursing under my breath I pushed past both men and made my way into the bunker.

I looked around and saw a bunch of whiteboards with notes scribbled on them, posters, and a whole wall dedicated to sasquatch sightings in Pennsylvania.

There were papers and books everywhere, the small kitchen was even a mess. I saw a woman in a long t-shirt with raven hair and white beads woven into it, poking around in the olive-green fridge.

The other man was wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants but he had a body like a Kdrama actor, it was ripped, I could see every ridge of his abs and he had the same raven hair woven with feathers and various blue beads.

He flexed his abs when he caught me looking at him and I scowled. The floors were still the same shabby corrugated metal that he had probably when he built this bunker.

“I apologize for my surly twin Tawny, I am Talon. The hunk that blew our cover is Caleb.” I stared at the man-Talon-who had his hand extended. I shook it, still wondering if maybe Bobby Jean injected me with something.

I had to be tripping on drugs, there was no way that people just changed into animals and vice versa. This was not some shifter romance novel. I could feel Caleb just behind me and I wanted to address the whole mate thing but I had bigger fish to fry.

Ignoring his presence and nodding at Talon I walked over to Bobby Jean and punched him in the stomach. He let out a groan as the air left him. Curling into a ball he crumbled to the floor.

“What was that for?” He wheezed; he really had no clue. Sighing I put my hand out and helped him up.

“I can’t deal with all of this,” I waved my hand at the three people in the bunker, “Right now I need to know two things if you can find my sister and mom, and what I need to do to become a deputy.”

“Your sister is missing? I would ask if you went to the cops but we both know that Larry is a bobblehead.” I nodded, went over to his desk, and jotted down the information on what I knew.

“This is the last bit of information I have and I know you have the hookup that you can hack cameras and whatnot. I know that she is in trouble. I just don’t know what kind of trouble.” Bobby Jean was looking down at the information.

“Why do you want to be a slave to the system?” I stared blankly at him, what was he babbling about now?

“A deputy Jojo why do you want to be a deputy?” I could feel my vision starting to blur as the headache grew in intensity. It has been years since I had a migraine this bad and I wanted to get home before it incapacitated me.

“I think she wants to be a deputy because she knows that she can do better at their job. Isn’t that right darlin?” I turned to Caleb and was getting ready to rip into him when the pain tore through my head and sent me to the floor screaming.

This was it, I was going to die because my head exploded. It wouldn’t even be in my own home it was in Bobby Jean’s gross bunker. f**k my life.