Badlands: The Lion’s Den(19)

She snorted. “Are you mocking me because I’m polite?”

“A little bit, yeah.” He grinned at her and fed her a French fry. “Eat more. I like women with a little meat on their bones.”

She chewed and swallowed, then favored him with a smile. “No, the candle did not get on my bad side. It was just some bad memories.”

Finn gave a rueful smile. “I know plenty about those,” he said.

They sat in silence as the waitress came out and refilled their coffee.

“I talked to a bear female a little yesterday,” Flora said, stirring in sugar. “When I was over by the border of Ruben’s territory.”

He glanced up at her sharply, his smile replaced by a look of grave concern. “You need to be careful,” he said. “Don’t go so close to bear territory again. I told you, Ruben’s been spoiling for a fight recently.”

“Some of the bears seem nice enough. It sounds like things are pretty rough over there,” she said. “Can’t you guys do anything to help them?”

“We have our hands full dealing with our side of town. It’ll work itself out without us.” Finn shrugged. “Ruben’s a bad leader, and he’s making a lot of enemies among his own people. Sooner or later, he’ll be overthrown.”

“But in the meantime, people are suffering.” Her tone was heated.

He shook his head chidingly. “Flora. People come to the Badlands by choice. Anyone who doesn’t like it can leave and go back to their safe, normal life in the outside world. All they have to do is sit in a detention center with a bunch of government nannies staring at them for thirty days.”

Shifters who left the Badlands were stopped by the border guards and taken to a Council for Shifter Affairs facility, which was basically like a prison camp where they had to remain under observation for thirty days before they could return to living in society. That was done to ensure that they weren’t feral.

“It’s not that easy for everyone,” she said. Someone like Madison, having been betrayed by the system, by an actual judge, would never turn herself over to a government agency.

And it wouldn’t be any easier for Flora to leave. There would be people looking for her if she did. What she’d been threatened with back in California had made the dangers in the Badlands seem trivial. Even death would be preferable to what she’d faced on the other side of that border.

Finn shrugged. “Life’s not fair, Flora. And when you try to make it fair…” His eyes turned dark and his expression went stormy. After a long moment, he picked up his burger and began devouring it with big, savage bites.

“Why doesn’t everyone move to Cottonwood?” Flora wondered. “It sounds much safer there.”

“It is, but not everyone is looking for safety. Living in Cottonwood’s almost like living outside the Badlands. Rules and regulations, law and order. A lot of us came to the Badlands to escape that kind of life.”

Madison had probably come to Darwin first, as an act of rebellion, and now she was trapped, Flora mused. Flora knew what it was like to feel trapped. To find out that those who were supposed to love and protect you were the ones who had put you in danger.

“Come on,” Finn said. “Let’s go back to the club.”

“I want to stop by the grocery store first,” Flora said. “I need some greens to make a salad.”





Chapter Nine




Flora was back where she’d met Madison a couple days earlier, in the alleyway behind the abandoned warehouse. She was still in Hudson territory, but perilously close to the border.

There were no signs of bears. No boy bears, anyway. That was a good thing.

Still, Flora stood there warily, ready to duck back inside the building if she needed to hide. She scented the air, ready for trouble. Finn would be furious if he knew she was here. He had headed out early that morning to go on patrol, and she had pretended to be asleep in his bed so he wouldn’t ask her what her plans were for the day. She preferred creative avoidance to actual lying.

Madison, Sam and Sarah hurried down the alleyway, and Flora quickly handed Madison the bag of Starweed she’d bought at the grocery store the day before.

“Oh, wow, you really came back!” Madison said eagerly. She glanced at Sam. “Told you she’d come.”

“This time,” Sam said skeptically. “She probably won’t come next time.”

“Of course I will. Some people actually do what they say,” Flora said.

Sarah glanced at her and gave a hollow laugh. “Not in my experience.”

Sam nodded glumly.

Far off in the distance, they heard the clashing howls and snarls of wolves. Flora tensed up, ready to run. Madison sniffed at the air, then shook her head. “We’re fine. They’re a good thirty blocks from here.”