“Oh. I’m sorry about that. And now it sounds like you’ve traded one terrible situation for another.”
“Yeah, well, the Hudson family are no saints,” Madison said resentfully. “Starweed doesn’t even cure anything for cat shifters, it’s just something they sell at the grocery shops to put on salads. Liam Hudson, he’s the one who runs the show – him and his muscle-head brothers. He just won’t share the Starweed with us, out of spite.”
Flora felt a flash of anger. Why would anybody deny medicine to those who needed it?
“That’s terrible,” she said. “I didn’t realize things were in such a state here.”
Madison gave her a rueful smile. “In fairness to the Hudsons, they may give us bears a lot of grief, but at least they treat their own people well. As long as they pay protection. They only charge thirty percent, and they give medicine for free to anyone who needs it. And Liam doesn’t force women to be his girlfriend.”
At Flora’s shocked look, Madison gestured at herself. “Why do you think me and my friends look so gross and dirty? It’s so Ruben won’t notice us. If Ruben likes a girl, he takes her. He’s got like a harem. He moves them into his house and they have to do whatever he wants. Be with him, be with his friends… If they don’t, they either have mysterious accidents, or their friends and family start having accidents.” She gave a worried glance at her brother and friends.
Then she glanced down at her stained, shapeless clothing with a wry smile. “I used to love dressing up nice. Before I came here.”
“Good God, Madison, that’s horrifying. Why can’t you guys come live in the Hudson territory and pay protection to them instead?” Maybe she could find Finn and talk him into accepting Madison and her friends. Or maybe Krystle could help.
Madison stared at Flora as if she’d sprouted a third eye. “We’re bears. You guys take cats and dogs. No bears.”
Flora reached into her pocket and pulled out the twenty dollar bill she’d tucked into her wallet. “Take this and buy food,” she said.
Madison stared at the money, then hesitated. “If that’s all your money, and you’re new here, I shouldn’t take it. You’ll need to pay protection.”
“Take it,” Flora insisted. “I can take care of myself.”
Sarah snatched the money from Flora’s hand. “For God’s sake, I’ll take it,” she said irritably. “I haven’t eaten anything but rat for a week, and those are getting pretty scarce.”
Then Madison froze and held up her hand, and sniffed the air. She and Sarah exchanged glances of alarm.
“Ruben’s patrol,” Madison said to Flora in a low voice. “About ten blocks south, but heading towards us – the smell is getting stronger. We’re technically in neutral territory, but they won’t care. It’s close enough that they might grab you and hold you for ransom. Go!”
She couldn’t just leave these girls to their fate. “Listen, I’ll try to get some Starweed for you and meet you back at the spot I met you yesterday…let’s say day after tomorrow, ten a.m.,” Flora said. As she hurried off, she heard Sam saying to Madison, “I bet you five rats that she won’t even come.”
Chapter Five
The evening was cold and clear. Three blocks away from the Lion’s Den, Finn stood in the middle of the street, towering over the prone body of a curled up, wheezing coyote shifter who’d tried to rob a local shopkeeper. Big mistake. The shopkeeper was under the protection of the Hudson pack.
The coyote shifter made a desperate gurgling sound and crawled towards the sidewalk. Finn had no sympathy. The coyote was a car mechanic – he had a good job that paid well. He also had a drug habit that ate up his paycheck, which was why he’d tried to rob the shop.
Finn kicked him in the leg and held up the necklace with the letter “H” which he’d yanked from the coyote’s neck.
“Come near our territory again, and I’ll make you into a fur coat,” he snarled as the coyote scrambled to his feet and limped off, whimpering with each step.
He didn’t really mean it.
The coyote’s drug habit had left him with dull, mangy fur; he’d make a hideous coat.
Jose strode up to Finn, who scraped his boot on the ground to wipe the blood off it.
“Hey, bro,” he said to Jose. “Just cleaning up the trash.”
“Righteous,” Jose said. “So, remember that Canadian lynx who’s not your girlfriend?”
Finn felt his heart speed up, and an unwelcome rush of blood to his groin. Yeah, he remembered her, all right. He’d barely slept last night as visions of her had drifted through his mind. And all day long she’d popped into his head at odd moments. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?