You’ve always thought you were a smarter than average person. You make good decisions, had mostly good grades all throughout high school and college, and never stray from what you know is right.
Apparently, one of your recent missions gave you severe brain damage, because what the hell were you thinking when you finally let Soap start letting his doggy instincts out on you?
It’s all you ever dealt with now. Making breakfast? Soaps there. Training? Right next to Soap, of course. Taking a piss? Soap will be waiting outside the door whining about how it’s not a huge deal if he came in there with you.
The others started catching on, too. Not like they could miss it though, considering you reeked of their Scottish pack mate. You could tell they didn’t like it. Constantly offering to grab you a change of clothes, taking the mutt out so you could get some peace and quiet.
Ghost was constantly grumbling about how close you two had gotten to the point of you letting him get his hands on you for a day so he’d stop complaining.
TERRIBLE IDEA.
That apparently opened the fucking floodgates for the rest of the team. Those little moments you had to yourself when Soap wasn’t bothering you? Now one of your other teammates took that up. Ghost dragged you through the gym everyday, sleeping was reserved for Gaz, and John.. oh..
God, where to start? When he had to fill out papers? You’re squished between him and the desk. Dinner? On his lap while he feeds you himself. You reeked of wolf and smoke, basically being passed around like a joint by your team.
It got worse the warmer the days got. Spring was beginning to bloom, and just like the flowers of the season, your teammates boldness blossomed into something far worse than what it was before…
—
a/n: wooow ok ye’ horny bastards, here’s a part two to y’all’s favorite meal. I’ll eventually make a part three that is either gonna be fluffy or downright dirty, but I haven’t quite decided yet. Either way, heres some slop to heed you over for now ❤️
Pairing: John Price x f!oc Shifter AU
Summary: Price's attempts to get the bear under control are interrupted by a new complication. Ghost attempts to bridge the gap with Eva before the mission.
Warnings: 18+ MDNI, Cannon Typical Violence, Medical Inaccuracies, Graphic Depictions of Injuries & Death, Slow Burn, Impolite Language, Forced Shifter, Human & Shifter Experimentation, Survivor's Guilt, PTSD, Fluff, Possessive Behavior, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Serious Injuries, Pack Dynamics, Shifter Behavior, Full Tags on Ao3, Tags May Change
Word Count: 7.1k
Full chapter on AO3
A/N: So, from pretty early on with this fic I've known I wanted the characters to go back to the bunker and I have planned on it being a big linchpin for a lot of the development shifts for them. All that being said I thought Price needed one more complication before things got off the ground, and Ghost needed to do a little more meddling.
I'm still on the fence on how bad I want the bunker to be. I have a couple different possibilities outlined that range from bad to worse, and some that might require a review of of the tags.
Series Masterlist.
It was suffocating.
The smell of rot hung heavily in the air, permeating the long dark of the corridors. Emergency lights flickered dully overhead, the constant buzz of decaying wiring echoing around them. The bunker was somehow worse than what they’d imagined; old doors screeching on rusted hinges as they forced their way through. It was one thing to see the horrors through faded pictures and grainy footage; it was something else entirely to experience it. They could taste old blood across their tongue with each breath, clouds of stagnant air burning their eyes as they trailed behind Eva.
The Trials lingered in the hallways.
Stress and desperation so visceral that it clung to the walls around them. Deep gouges carved into concrete and steel, marks of struggle deep enough to scar the walls beneath peeling paint. Doorways slowly rusting after years of neglect, twisted metal crumbling away from the walls, doors ripped from hinges and left rotting on the floor. Yellowed papers lay scattered across desks and consoles, the ink illegible after months in the damp environment.
Price followed Eva closer than what was considered polite. Tense frame never more than a step away as they navigated the twisting halls. He could feel the bear beneath the skin. Stress threatening to bleed into the air, low snarls and clacking jaws echoing over the hollow footsteps. Instincts roared, corded muscle winding tighter each time they approached a blind corner.
Something was wrong.
Shadows moved at their peripheral. Shapeless figures trailing behind them until the hair began to stand at the back of his neck. The Trails clung to the bunker with vengeful claws, the devastation so complete that it haunted the space. A quiet presence that watched them with hollow eyes. Price couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so suffocated by a mission.
It was unnerving.
The pack was on edge.
It was hard not to be. They’d read the files; they’d seen the images and witnessed the procedures. It was only natural that submerging themselves in the environment would agitate instincts more than previous missions. And it was more than just reconnaissance. They weren’t there to gather intel or capture targets, they were added security – added protection. Another line of defense for the survivors, even if they hadn’t readily agreed to the additional support.
“Control room is 300 yards down.” Gold rimmed eyes snapped to her. “Server room is 100 farther. If the intel’s valid we’ll know.”
A familiar pit opened in his chest. Attention dragging back to the winding tunnels, lungs filling slowly as he attempted to pull a scent from the air. Apprehension hooked between his ribs, teeth grinding together to smother the snarl threatening to build. Boot scraped across rusting grates, metal groaning under their weight as they pressed ahead. They could taste the rot now, old blood and new settling across their tongue.
Price stilled, tension winding across corded muscle. The pack continued, the Sergeants flanking Eva and Nikto as they moved across the catwalk. Ghost barely hesitated, a questioning glance tossed towards the Alpha before he continued forward. The bear twisted beneath the skin, a low snarl building in his throat, the volume growing in intensity. The pack didn’t respond, Soap’s voice echoing off brick with a dull joke. The annoyed huff from Gaz cutting through the air before he bit back a response of his own.
The world tilted.
The faint hiss of canisters before they bounced off metal and brick. The scene changes. Images contorting and twisting, the pack ripped away from one another violently. The floor collapsing under their feet, the sickening feeling of their chest opening up as they fell. His body ached as it collided heavily with the ground, the oppressive weight of broken concrete and twisted rebar pressing down on him from above.
He could hear the voices.
Panicked shouts overshadowed by Ghost’s sharp orders. The rattling of guns twisting into the echo of boots and scraping claws. He didn’t remember dragging himself from the rubble, the familiar burn of his uniform dragging across open wounds as he tore across the room. The Bear snarled again, snapping at the back of his neck, heavy paws knocking against his ribs. Repeated warnings echoed in his skull, caustic reminders of what happened ground out between bared teeth.
The scent of bitter lilac caught in his throat.
Copper filled his lungs, the metallic tang pooling across his tongue as red flickered at the edges of his vision. Apprehension twisted into something darker, a bitter chill running down his spine, dread contorting into open aggression. He couldn’t tell if it was the man or the bear that drove him forward. The halls blurred around him, broken bodies scattered across blood stained tiles, viscera smeared across the walls until it pooled at the base.
Chemicals burned his nose and throat, a familiar absence nearly knocking the air from his lungs.
The sound of cracking bones stopped him short.
Boots sliding across dirt coated pavement, frame nearly toppling over with the force. Gold snagging on a figure huddled against a door. Body curling inward, one hand leaving a crimson streak down the wall while the other fisted in torn fabric. Shuttering muscles twisted beneath the surface, skin stretching too thin along their spine. Their fingers shook, nails hooking into old scars. Their body pressed tighter to the floor, a rattling snarl shaking free from expanding lungs.
Price took a cautious step forward, heart catching in his throat as bloodshot hazel snapped towards him. Dark eyes tracked him over her shoulder; features twisted somewhere between scowl and snarl. The sound of snapping tendons echoed around them. Glowing eyes snapped shut before her head dropped to the floor, forehead pressing against the tiles as her lips twisting into an agonized grimace. Her spine shifted, vertebrae grinding dully before they pierced the flesh. Blood pooled beneath her, muscle fiber writhing slowly before it wound around exposed bone.
He took another step forward.
Another shuttering breath pulled through clenched teeth, fingers hooking deeper into shivering muscle. Stress saturated the air, the bitter, sour scent catching at the back of his throat. Instincts knocking violently against the back of his skull as hesitant hands reached forward. Uncertainty slowed his movements, the fear of making it worse in direct conflict with the urge to help.
The bear chuffed, a nervous presence pacing at the back of his mind.
Calloused fingers ghost across the back of her hand tentatively. She flinched at the contact, shoulder slamming into the door in an attempt to create space. A rattling snarl building in her throat, the sound reverberating beneath his fingers as it rolled through her ribs. Glowing eyes turned towards him slowly, the dull gleam of bone splitting the skin beneath her eye as the Predator’s skull forced its way to the surface. Tendons stretched, jaw hanging before canine broke the surface.
The skull twisted and warped as she turned, human frame contorting as the Chimera settled into place. He recognized the mistake too late, eyes widening as the tattered maw turned towards him with another rattling growl. Teeth exposed as skin stretched over thick muscle and gleaming bone. He stumbled backwards as the creature lunged –
Price hit the floor with a thud. Air rushing back into his lungs as his head collided with his gear, gold rimmed eyes shooting open to stare at the ceiling. The bear snarled beneath the skin, teeth clacking hard enough he felt it in the marrow.
Anyone else bored of wolf/cat shifter Ghost AU’s? Well, if that is indeed the case, might I interest you in the concept of albino saltwater crocodile Ghost shifter? Because, of the 26 species of crocodilian currently recognized, 8 are known to regularly attack humans. Saltwater crocodiles in specific are known to actively hunt humans and will even crawl out of the water to take humans from the shore. Crocodiles, in general, are much more bad-tempered and far more likely to attack humans, even unprovoked. Still not convinced? Why don’t you take a peek at my Main Masterlist and read a few sneak peeks? Who knows, you might just change your mind…
it’s always shark!mer Simon this and wolf!Simon that, but how about raccoon!Simon?
He’s got the mask to fit it!! (Raccoons being the masked bandits of the night and all that) I really think he’d prosper as a raccoon.
.so clearly I had to write about it
Think you, a freshly moved-out functional human of society walking home late at night and hearing something digging around in an alley way dumpster.
You, clearly loving the thrill of danger, immediately go towards the sound.
You, being greeted by a big ol’ raccoon digging around in the trash! It’s covered in scars and honestly looks malnourished, so clearly you had to take it back to your apartment. “No pets” rule be damned, this little guy needed saving.
You, falling asleep on the couch with it after a rather harsh fight to clean it and disinfect its wounds.
You, waking up in the morning with the weight of a grown ass man leaning on you, wearing a rather familiar looking mask and smelling like your pet shampoo.
Pairing: John Price x f!oc Shifter AU
Summary: The team uncovers more than they expected in the factory, putting instincts at odds with logic.
Warnings: 18+ MDNI, Cannon typical Violence, medical inaccuracies, depictions of injuries, impolite language, PTSD, Slow Burn, Conflict, Mentions of blood,
Word Count: 10.2K
Full chapter on AO3
A/N: This was supposed to be posted around Halloween. But then I had a thought while working on it and had to ramble to a friend about which option would fit better. I am really, really happy with how it turned out and have been kicking my feet over it for a few days, so if it inspires thoughts - I would love to hear them.
So, here's a monster 10k chapter for y'all. : ) Your patience with the sporadic update schedule and support for this story is greatly appreciated.
This is another chapter that contains horror elements and darker themes, but I do not think it requires any additional warnings that have not been covered by previous chapters.
Series Masterlist.
“Bravo 0-7, what’s your status?”
Eva rolled her eyes, a quiet huff escaping her as she turned her rifle down another hallway. The first search hadn’t turned up much of anything. She’d been half correct – Hale hadn’t been setting up a facility so close to Las Almas. They’d found a handful of burned out hard drives that were well past the point of salvaging but hadn’t been able to find Hale.
It was Alejandro and Soap that had managed to find a pile of documents that hadn’t been successfully burned. Piecing enough together to direct them further South to an old manufacturing plant that had been shut down for years. The owners having fled the area after the cartel moved in. From what they knew the building was in disrepair – most of the offices burned out after an exchange gone wrong. The service tunnels and spillways requiring them to split up, two man teams sweeping the building floor by floor.
“So, y’ve known Rudy for a while, eh?” Ghost questioned lazily, pulling her from her thoughts.
“A few years.” Eva deadpanned, gaze flickering back briefly before she stepped into the next room. “Why?”
She’d been surprised when the Lieutenant volunteered to clear the West end with her. Almost as surprised as she’d been by Price’s reaction to it.
“Just makin’ conversation.”
“Just makin’ conversation.” She mocked under her breath, shooting him an unimpressed look over her shoulder. “Let’s pretend I believe you – why’re you askin’?”
Ghost smirked, huff of air passing through the mask as he chuckled to himself. It was a calculated risk. He knew she wouldn’t humor a dialogue about her recovery from the shift. And he wasn’t interested in opening any old wounds that weren’t mission critical. So, he risked the newest option, her apparent years long friendship with Las Vaqueros.
“Alejandro mentioned a family trip goin’ sideways in Las Almas.”
“Bet he did.” She huffed, pointedly ignoring the gleam in Ghost’s eye. “He enjoys telling stories. Ask him about the ranch ‘n you’ll be trapped for three hours.”
“So… known each other for a while-.”
“The sergeants place a bet on it?” She questioned blandly, shooting a glance over her shoulder to study his features. “You tryin’ to win a pool or somethin’?”
Or something.
She was closer than she knew. There was a betting pool – but it wasn’t specific to Eva’s history with Los Vaqueros. Though Ghost had to admit that finding out about the friendship did add an extra layer to things. He knew Price better than anyone else with few exceptions; and he knew something had shifted somewhere along the way. It had started in Georgia when he’d carried her back to the convoy, both of them muttering sarcastic barbs back and forth before she was deposited at the Humvee. The real tipping point came after the crash in the Urzikstan facility.
What had started as obligation had shifted into something else. What specifically it was – Ghost didn’t think the man had recognized. Laughable, given how many packs they’d worked with over the years. There were only a handful of situations that would draw the Alpha to the surface, putting the mind at odds with instinct.
But he wasn’t about to bring any of that up with the woman in question.
“Soap’s got a tenner on it bein’ 12 years.” Ghost supplied with a shrug. “Gaz was thinkin’ 15.”
“Uh huh… ‘n what’s your guess?”
“Based on what Alejandro said – it would’ve been before you joined Delta.”
“Observant.” Pausing to stack up against the next doorway, eyes flicking back towards him again. “Think it was ’Spring ‘f ’03.”
Ghost froze, surprise flaring behind dark eyes as he turned to look at her incredulously.
“Oh, just a few years, then.” He mocked blandly. “Fuckin’ hell, what’s a few mean in Delta?”
“Maybe I only count leap years.”
Ghost rolled his eyes, muttering a bland curse under his breath as his attention turned back to the next room. He mulled over her response as they cleared the rest of the floor. Eva and Rodolfo had known each other longer than he’d known Price. It explained the relaxed boundaries on the tarmac and open affection. It also explained why Alejandro had been so amused by Soap’s question.
And – it meant she was unlikely to integrate into the pack.
Alejandro didn’t appear at the surface to know the specifics about her transition out of Delta, and Rodolfo had been surprised to see her. Which meant she didn’t have a dedicated space set up within Los Vaqueros territory.
“We’ve got something on the third floor.” Amelia’s voice crackled over the line, violently pulling Ghost from his thoughts. “Exterior offices, West side.”
Eva’s brows furrowed, catching Ghost’s eye before they turned back towards the stairs in unison. The tone put them on edge, thoughts swirling as they ran through the seemingly endless possibilities. It wasn’t a conflict – they hadn’t called for fire support. But the tone was darker, a somber edge overshadowed by a bitter anger. From the outside it might’ve been mistaken for clipped professionalism; but they knew the woman better.
Gaz thought he was prepared.
He was far from a rookie, he’d seen more than his fair share of carnage. He and Soap didn’t have the long careers that Price and Ghost had, didn’t have the darker experiences that the Sergeants knew the senior officers had endured. But they had thought they were prepared. They’d learned the bitter secrets of the Tartarus mission, seen the reports and files that had been decrypted.
But they hadn’t been prepared for the screaming.
“No, no, no no no-!!” The woman pleaded desperately; her voice gargled by the audio as her body dropped to the ground. “No-please God. No, no, nonono! Not again- Please not again-!”
Unadulterated terror. Raw panic and primal fear. A caustic desperation that carved its way into their bones. Muscles winding so tightly they began to ache, teeth grinding together in an attempt to keep themselves from reacting. The beasts paced beneath the surface, stress bleeding into the air as they reacted to the woman’s rasping pleas.
Gaz thought back to the hostages in Piccadilly. The way they had begged him and Price to save them. The horror and desperation that had filled the man’s voice when they weren’t able to disarm the bomb. A cold realization overwhelmed by disbelief and fear as he pleaded with them not to –
It didn’t compare.
The woman on screen was nearly feral, shattered beyond the point of rational thought.
Whatever had happened to break her down to the crazed panic – she knew what was coming. And she was desperate to do anything to stop it. The footage was grainy, static lines crackling across the screen from whatever process had transferred the footage to the old servers. The woman was small, body curling in on itself as her fingers dragged across her face before hooking behind her head. Trying to block out the sounds around her as she continued to chant to herself, voice pitching higher as a shadow moved across the room.
“Subject FH-0457N – Trial 6. Time 03:30:05. Raxiperdone-3C, Dilution dropped to 18%.”
The contrast was grotesque.
Cold, clinical. Unbothered. Like the man was discussing the weather over morning coffee. Completely disconnected from the rabid terror curling in on herself in the cell. Environmental variables and stats parroted as someone moved off screen. The dull click of keys clacking across a keyboard before red lights flared in the room.
“N-no-! No not again – not agai-!” the words cut off into a scream.
The woman’s frame snapped backwards, head crashing against the wall as her hands clawed at her throat. Muscles convulsed beneath her skin, tendons snapping audibly before her body arched forward. Bloodied fingers dragging across the tile as they twisted and bent, bones shifting to accommodate a different shape. Her limbs pulled inwards suddenly, bones breaking as they twisted into a smaller shape, pin feathers pushing their way through her skin.
“It’s not worth knowing the specifics.” Eva’s voice cut through the room, wide eyes snapping back towards her. “There’s absolutely nothing on those tapes that will give you knowledge that’ll outweigh what it will cost you.”
The scream that echoed around the room was twisted with the cry of an eagle. The pitch warbled as something too heavy to be a bird slammed against the tile. Eva stepped through the doorway with Ghost, gaze flickering across the Sergeants’ features with a frown before turning to glance to the screen. She didn’t recognize the woman’s features – or what was left of them.
But she knew the number.
“FH-0457N – Trial 6. Failure to shift completely.” The voice spoke again, “Possible 205… Recommend a 48 hour watch before reviewing status and final recommendations from Dr. Trager.”
The woman wouldn’t survive the trial.
Ghost watched as Eva stepped further into the room, dark eyes tracking her movements as she began to flip through some of the papers scattered across the tables. Her posture was another grim reminder that the footage wasn’t shocking – it might’ve even been expected. While there was a subtle tension across her shoulders she appeared almost indifferent to the footage.
Movement drew his attention back to the door to find Price and Rodolfo stepping across the threshold. Their expressions grim as they took in the now still image on the screen before turning towards Eva. Ghost wasn’t surprised when the Captain was the first to step further into the room, dark eyes flickering across the occupants as he moved closer to Eva. Rodolfo watched on, some of the tension easing as the faintest hint of amusement flickered through the worry before he caught Ghost’s eye.
“Did they -…” Amelia frowned, hands unconsciously tightening around the stock of her rifle. “Did she-.”
“Her file was in the batch you decrypted.” Eva drawled, brows furrowing as she slowly pushed a stack of files away from a cabinet. “205 is a Partial Shift code…”
Price stepped up next to Eva as she trailed off, eyes narrowing at the gouges worn into the floor. Eva glanced towards him briefly before turning back to the debris along the wall, knocking it out of the way as Price began to push the cabinet across the floor.
“What in the Scooby-Doo ass shit…” Amelia muttered under her breath, slowly stepping around the desk towards the pair. “What’s behind creepy hidden door number one…”
Summary: A lead on an informant for Makarov brought the 141 back to Urzikstan and Farrah’s ULF troops. But this time Alex has a new ally whose presence is off putting, she looked and acted human but there was something disconcerting about her.
Warnings: Cannon Typical Violence, Medical Inaccuracies, Graphic Depictions of Injuries & Death, Slow Burn, Forced Shifter, Human & Shifter Experimentation, Survivor's Guilt, PTSD, Fluff, Possessive Behavior, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Serious Injuries, Pack Dynamics, Shifter Behavior, Full Tags on Ao3, Tags May Change
Editing to add a note due to recent events - I do not consent to any reposting, translations, or cross-platform reuploading of any work (written or otherwise) that I produce. Any use of my work to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited.
Chapter 1
The 141 pack encounters Alex's former Captain, despite the agent's assurances there is something disconcerting about her.
Chapter 2
Soap crosses paths with Alex's elusive friend, Eva picks a fight with an unwelcome guest.
Chapter 3
Ghost and Price learn more about Eva inside and outside of the field and an old phantom raises new concerns.
Chapter 4
Eva tries to isolate following the mission, the Sergeants start to seek her out.
Chapter 5
Eva comes in conflict with Price and things long buried resurface.
Chapter 6
Eva isolates to try and quiet the beasts which brings up unwanted memories.
Chapter 7
The team breaches the compound - things do not go according to plan.
Chapter 8
Tempers rise as Price and Eva have differing strategies.
Chapter 9
Things go from bad to worse pushing Eva to her limits.
Chapter 10
Ghost finds Eva isolating again - survivor recognizes survivor. Laswell proposes a new joint op. Alex is not happy.
Chapter 11
After arriving on post the pack quickly understands Alex's previous anger. Price pushes too far.
Chapter 12
The pack learns more about the former captain, Price changes tactics.
Chapter 13
The mission doesn't go to plan and Eva goes off on her own. "How fast can she be?" Very fast - as it turns out.
Chapter 14
The pack realizes how far Eva will go when pushed, Price grapples with conflicting instincts.
Chapter 15 {Full chapter on Ao3}
The team returns to Urzikstan with new understandings, but the packs are given a new time sensitive assignment. Eva and Price go to investigate.
Chapter 16 {Full chapter on AO3}
The team uncovers the full extent of the Tartarus mission and the experiments preformed in the bunker. Eva loses control of the situation.
Chapter 17 {Full chapter on AO3}
The appearance of the Chimera left the pack reeling. Price and Alex discuss hard truths while Eva recovers.
Chapter 18 {Full chapter on AO3}
Laswell attempts to send the team West, Eva disagrees with the validity of the intel that had been gathered.
Chapter 19 {Full chapter on Ao3}
The team uncovers more than they expected in the factory, putting instincts at odds with logic.
Chapter 20 {Full chapter on Ao3}
The pack gets a glimpse of life in the Bunker. Instincts rage against experience as they race to find Eva.
Chapter 21 {Currently on Ao3}
The packs are forced to co-exist while Eva recovers. Not all humor is appreciated.
Chapter 22 {Currently on Ao3}
The bear makes a decision and the captain is forced to deal with the fallout.
Chapter 23 {Currently on Ao3}
Price attempts to get the bear under control are interrupted by a new complication. Ghost attempts to bridge the gap with Eva before the mission.
Pairing: John Price x f!oc Shifter AU
Summary: The pack gets a glimpse of life in the Bunker. Instincts rage against experience as they race to find Eva.
Warnings: 18+ MDNI, Cannon Typical Violence, Medical Inaccuracies, Graphic Depictions of Injuries & Death, Slow Burn, Impolite Language, Forced Shifter, Human & Shifter Experimentation, Survivor's Guilt, PTSD, Fluff, Possessive Behavior, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Serious Injuries, Pack Dynamics, Shifter Behavior, Full Tags on Ao3, Tags May Change
Word Count: 7.5k
Full chapter on AO3
A/N: It's been a bit of a struggle - so I'm takin' it out on Price.
Series Masterlist.
Blood roared in his ears. Heart pounding against his skull.
He could feel the seatbelt biting into his skin, tightening each time he lunged forward. Metal digging into his leg, twisting deeper with every attempt. Gold rimmed eyes locked in on the struggling woman, fingers curling around the truck’s roof. Slowly dragging himself across the overturned vehicle, bear snarling beneath the skin.
She crashed back against the ground with a thud, head knocking against the compacted dirt. The scent of blood filling the air as stone bit into her scalp. She was scrambling back up as quickly as she’d fallen, the movement halted as a heavy boot slammed against her chest forcing her back to the ground. One hand settled at his ankle, fingers hooking over the bone while her other locked behind his heel, dark eyes glaring up at the rifle turning towards her.
He felt the shot echo in his bones, bear knocking against his ribs as crimson blossomed in the air around her. Red painting the side of her neck and the ground before the rifle turned back –
This wasn’t right –
She didn’t scream.
A rattling, inhuman snarl reverberating from her chest. Fingers hooking deeper into the limb, nails biting into the fabric. It was impossible to hear the words over the bear’s enraged howl. Claws hooking deep into his chest until he felt them break the skin. The pressure between his ribs was suffocating, beast shifting beneath the bone until it threatened to burst. Muscles pulled taught across his frame, tension mounting until he felt they’d snap under the weight.
His vision was clearer now.
Too clear.
He saw every bruise painting her skin. Every gash that split delicate flesh until tendon and bone gleamed under the harsh sun. Crimson bubbling up and pouring over. Every tremor that racked her body, muscles twisting as the predator threatened to break free again. Blood leaking from between clenched teeth –
It didn’t happen like this –
The man raised the rifle again. Barrel leveled between her eyes. The bear snarled, claws hooking between his ribs until his chest heaved. He could smell the fear now. Bitter and rotted, the scent of lilac overshadowed by the sharp acidic tang of panic. He could scent it in the air – but her expression remained aggressive. Blood stained teeth barred into a snarl as she stared back at the barrel.
This didn’t happen –
Price woke to the echo of gunshots. A snarl trapped at the back of his teeth as his heart pounded in his head. Gold rimmed eyes flickered across the room; clacking jaws trapped beneath his ribs while the bear paced aggressively at the back of his skull. His shirt clung to his skin uncomfortably, hand dragging down the back of his neck as he forced slow breaths through clenched teeth. Movement at his side pulled his attention, brows pinching together before he felt the tension melt from his frame.
Eva was tucked into the bed between him and the wall, a large familiar hoodie drowning her frame as she tucked her nose under the collar. The outline of bruises still visible across her skin, scrapes and cuts dusting along her temple and fingers. Thin butterfly bandages holding the deeper gashes together, the dull clean smell of antiseptic smothered beneath the lilac and sweetgrass. She turned towards him in her sleep, pillow hugged loosely to her chest.
The bear rumbled at the back of his mind, nuzzled thickly beneath the skin.
She looked calmer as she slept. Peaceful. Jagged edges softened by sleep. Comfortable. Secure. Tension noticeably missing from her features, pinched brows relaxed. Muscles loose. It had the instincts buzzing, bear rumbling again as a quiet chuff built in his chest. Warmth hummed beneath the skin. The pack was safe – whole.
It was an intrusive thought.
Hand reaching towards her before he registered the movement. The rough pads of his finger ghosting across her cheek, touch feather light as he brushed strands of hair away from her face. Her expression shifted, brows pinching together at the contact. Something warm buzzed beneath the surface as tired hazel eyes creaked open. Confusion flickered across her features, bear preening at the notable lack of stress as her gaze turned towards him.
“…John?” She questioned slowly, brows furrowing.
Price froze.
Muscles coiling tight as wide eyes snapped back towards her confused expression. The bear shifted in his chest, pressing against his bones. A chill washed over him. Pins and needles scratching at the tips of his fingers, static roaring in his ears.
She never called him John.
Never addressed him as anything other than Price or her ridiculous nicknames.
Never John.
Reality crashed over him in an instant.
They hadn’t found her.
The illusion shattered the moment the name fell from her lips. Her expression twisted, the lazy comfort contorting into something darker and too familiar for his liking. Dark circles setting in around faintly glowing eyes. Cuts and gashes opening up across her temple. Deep bruises seeping into the skin. The warm scent of lilac was gone, replaced again by the unsettling void she carried with her.
Suddenly she was too far away.
Her frame tilted backwards, an invisible force dragging her across the room. Fear flickering behind her eyes as she clawed at the restraints that had materialized around her shoulders. Fingers curling around the wire until blood bubble to the surface. Her voice twisted, something unsettling causing his chest to clench painfully.
Her eyes turned towards him again. Wide anxious gaze clashing with his, hazel pools stretching and contorting until it swallowed everything in its path. He couldn’t hear the words tumbling from her lips, eyes trained on her frame while muscles twisted beneath the surface. The scent of copper and fear filling his lungs –
The bear roared beneath the surface.
Instincts howling.
Price hit the ground with a dull thud, bloodshot eyes snapping to the bed in the corner to find it empty. Sheets neatly tucked in; comforter folded. Just as she’d left it. A distressed growl built in his chest unconsciously, hand dragging harshly across his scalp. Aching muscles protested the movement, bruise already forming across his arm from where it had connected with the end table.
They hadn’t found Eva.
Every lead that Laswell managed to find ended with nothing but simmering aggression and frustration. Scent trails stopped at abandoned trucks, marks from a large helicopter gouged into the dirt. A lost trail and unanswered questions. Failure after failure compounded by new knowledge and clearer understandings of what awaited the missing woman.
The bear was relentless.
Clacking teeth and scraping claws. Thunderous snarls echoing so loudly in his skull that he could no longer tell if the sounds were escaping his chest. Instincts screaming, Bear and Alpha alike knocking against his ribs until they ached. Protests ground out through barred teeth. Demands carved against his psyche until his focus was stretched thin. Mind struggling to realign, fighting against the feral drag of conflicting emotions.
Ghost stepped in to counter the restlessness reverberating through the pack. Sharp words cutting through jumbled instincts to remind the Sergeants of the goal. Ghost had seen it coming, knew what to expect the moment they stepped out of the Humvee at the crash site. It would take time for the Captain to recenter himself. To realign instincts with experience; combating feral nature with cultivated expertise.
The pack had been targeted.
One of their own had been taken. Someone under their protection. It brought bitter emotions to the surface, fueled by primal instincts. Insult and outrage flaring violently, the flames fanned by guilt and possessive aggression. It was more than the retaliating snarl that came from the first attack; something had been stolen. A subtle comfort that went unnoticed until its absence was felt. A gentled breeze that cooled the sun’s scorching rays; unnoticed until its absence left only the sweltering heat.
It put the Alpha on edge.
“It looks like Eva’s file…” Amelia announced slowly, gaze flickering back towards the officers as they stepped into the room. “Or at least, part of it.”
“You’re sure…?”
Gaz wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. Dark eyes flickering across the datafiles flashing across one of the monitors. Most of the patient files didn’t include identifying pictures – not those who were subjected to the Chimera program. It had been a grim realization, the difference between the two programs and how they documented the impacts. The photos were separated from the files, coded numbers etched into the base or document name the only ties back to the patient.
The file in front of them was no different.
“Number matches...” Amelia drawled slowly, lip caught between her teeth as her fingers drummed anxiously across the table.
“Dani said once that he did not keep physical records of everyone…” Rodolfo spoke up, uncharacteristic edge to his voice. “I would not expect it to be complete.”
“Most of it is audio recordings.” She confirmed, brows pinched together as a larger file appeared in the queue. “My guess would be someone didn’t like the Mad Scientist’s secrecy ‘n started tryin’ to keep tabs…”
“That’s not an audio file…” Gaz’s attention shifted slowly back towards Amelia.
Pairing: John Price x f!oc Shifter AU
Summary: The appearance of the Chimera left the pack reeling. Price and Alex discuss hard truths while Eva recovers.
Warnings: 18+ MDNI, Cannon typical Violence, medical inaccuracies, depictions of injuries, impolite language, PTSD, Slow Burn, Conflict, Mentions of blood,
Word Count: 6.5k
Full chapter on AO3
A/N: I'm posting the partial chapter(s) here and the full chapter will be on Ao3 until my drafts stop vanishing into the void. Tumblr has trashed one(five) too many drafts and I'm one "an error occurred" away from throwing the whole hellsite into the river.
Not dead, just a little burned out and dealing with writer's block. Wasn't totally sure how I wanted to handle this chapter but I think I've got it all figured out now 'n hope y'all 'll enjoy it as much as I did.
We're about one week shy of this story's 1 year, so if you've got thoughts or theories on what might be coming, I'd love to hear them. The story where it is now is pretty different than I had expected it to be this time last year, about twice as long too. So I'm curious to know what peeps are thinking.
Series Masterlist.
It was too much.
The dry ground cracking beneath her feet paws, claws scratching across the rocks as she moved across the courtyard. Blood dried across her fur, caked together until it pulled at her skin. The scent of smoke and burning fuel was thick in the air, overshadowed only by the metallic tang that followed her like a cloud. She could still taste the blood across her tongue, the feeling of bone splintering beneath their teeth still fresh in her mind.
Each shuffle of the teams clearing out the compound knocked against her skull. The roaring engines threatening to cleave the bone in two. If the sounds hadn’t been overwhelming enough the fading sun and flashing lights twisted daggers into the back of her skull. Each movement drawing the predator’s attention before the focus snapped back towards the gates.
It was suffocating.
Even now it was nearly impossible to remember where the Eva began, and the cats ended. Conflicting instincts driving her to follow trails that were growing stagnant against the ground while also demanding distance between them and the threat of the compound. A streaming consciousness that bled from one emotion to the next until her ribs vibrated with barely contained growls.
She needed space.
Had to get away – somewhere high.
It had been an easy mistake to make. Soap had approached too quickly, footfalls muted under the engines of the approaching truck. Friendly boom of a greeting paired with a hand dropped towards the creature’s shoulder. He hadn’t expected the sudden change, the bitter scent of aggression overshadowing the subtle anxiety. Wide eyes and barred teeth turning towards him in a flash, talons narrowly avoiding his fingers before she lunged backwards to create space.
The sergeant froze, muscles locking up at the sudden threat. He was unprepared for the change, the overpowering chemical burn undercut by the feral vitriol that was nearly suffocating. Images of the carnage left behind by the Chimera flickering behind his eyes.
“Eli…” Alex warned, stepping up to stand between Soap and the predator. “They’re friendly-.”
The rattling snarl continued, muscles flexing beneath the scarred pelt before she chuffed, turning away to head back towards the desert. By now the shift had settled enough that the movement was no longer accompanied by snapping bones and popping joints. If not for the overpoweringly clinical scent that clung to her fur, she could almost have been mistaken for a Shifter.
Alex watched her leave with a tense expression, jaw clenching before he huffed out a sigh. It wasn’t until the man relaxed that the tension started to melt from the 141 pack. His hand dragged up the side of his face before scratching anxiously at his scalp, coming to rest at the nape of his neck. There was no way they were going to be able to get Eva on the helicopter in that state – or one of the trucks.
“Farrah, I-.”
“I will go.” Farrah cut him off easily, already handing off her rifle to Amelia before she began to unclasp the vest. “We will meet you back at the compound.”
She didn’t wait for a response before shifting, the smaller cat quickly shimmying out of the clothes before bounding after Eva’s retreating frame. The 141 tensed as Farah approached, watching as the Chimera’s ear twitched back briefly before settling back against her neck.
“Wanna explain what all that was about…?” Soap questioned slowly, eyes remaining locked on the retreating felines.
“And are we really goin’ to let them go back alone?” Gaz’s brows furrowed, gaze flickering back to the stressed blonde. “Without backup?”
“Like he said,” Amelia sighed, “Eva needs to recalibrate… Takes time before she can tolerate the engine noise.”
Farah stared down at the buildings in the distance. They’d made good time for being on foot, the faint figures of the team still working on pulling the last of the gear from the trucks. She could see Alex standing in the doorway to the barracks, undoubtedly straining his eyes to pick their figures out of the landscape. She recognized the look in his eye when he turned back towards her at the compound, the same haunted guilt that resurfaced each time Eva shifted.
The sound of crunching gravel tore Farah’s attention from the base. Wide eyes locking in on Eva’s frame as she turned towards the cliffs along the edge of the valley. Cursing to herself, Farah bounded forward until she intercepted the chimera’s escape attempt, glare turning up towards her as she braced her paws on Eva’s forearm. Chirping before pointedly turning her head back towards the base.
Dull hazel eyes gleamed in the moonlight, glowing faintly before they rolled back towards the cliff. Farah growled quietly, ears pinning back against her neck before she motioned back to the base again, huffing loudly in an attempt to get her point across. Truthfully – she debated about shifting just to lecture the Chimera, but she knew it wouldn’t have made a difference. The isolation was one of the few things that hadn’t changed over the last few years.
Farah didn’t need words to know what Eva was thinking now. Her emotions hung around her in a cloud after a shift. Anxiety, pain, anger, frustration, exhaustion. Every flicker buried beneath a violent aggression that threatened to flare at the vaguest threat.
And to a Chimera – everything was a threat.
They themselves were a threat, and humans and shifters reacted accordingly. Chimeras were an unknown with a biological warning ingrained into their very scent, which at all times risked challenges from packs. It was natural for apex predators to be recognized in an instant by predator and prey alike. Between their own warring instincts and the oppressive scents and sounds they struggled to acclimate to – Chimeras reacted violently and aggressively when challenged.
Eva flinched when Farah chirped again, gaze flickering back towards the sand cat again. She recognized the soft look in Farah’s eyes, a quiet assurance staring up at her before the smaller feline moved towards the hillside again. Eva shook her head once, huff of air passing her lips before she turned back towards the cliffs, tail dragging through the sand as she moved.
Farah tried a more direct approach. Smaller claws struggling to get through the heavy pelt as she batted at the back of Eva’s leg. A quiet growl building in her throat as she once again moved back towards the hillside, exaggerated nods towards the barracks as glowing eyes turned back towards her.
“No.”
Farah froze, body going rigid as the twisted sound tore from the tiger’s throat. Eva didn’t often attempt to speak as a chimera, and when she did it was acutely unnatural. A pained gasp whispered past the creature’s open mouth, hoarse and gnarled as it twisted with the rattling growl of the felines. The raw agony of muscles and tendons contorted somewhere between jaguar, tiger and human until it was left somewhere between the three. It was enough to pull Farah’s focus off her task, wide eyes watching as Eva started to walk forward again.
Sighing heavily Farah turned back to the base, ears pinned to her skull as she tried to force the darker thoughts from her head. She knew there would be questions waiting for her the moment she returned but she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to answer them. Nearly everything was in the open now, and she knew that the 141 were putting all of the pieces together.
It was only a matter of time until they had it figured out.
“Isolating?”
Alex met her at the gate with her clothes, shielding her from view when she changed before his gaze turned back to the valley beyond the walls. He knew the answer. He’d been expecting it since Eva tore through the guards in the tower. He would’ve been shocked to see her in the compound so soon. But it didn’t stop the furrow in his brows or the frown carving its way across his lips as they walked back towards the briefing room.
All eyes turned towards them when they stepped through the threshold. The younger members of the pack glanced back at the door curiously before returning their gaze to Alex and Farah. Alex’s explanation did little to quell the European’s confusion, Soap and Gaz exchanging looks again before shifting uncomfortably.
“She’s… pack, isn’ she?” Soap frowned, turning back to Alex. “Shouldn’t she be ‘ere?”
“It’s complicated.” Amelia muttered, arms folded across her chest. “Eva doesn’t… didn’t inherit the dynamics.”
“What are you talking about?” Gaz questioned slowly, attention drifting back to Price.
“Whatever happened in that bunker -.” Alex began, jaw clenching. “Instincts are all just static. There’s no drive to look for a pack or settle into one. She doesn’t interact with anyone outside of this room unless she has to for an Op.”
Price resisted the urge to roll his shoulder, jaw aching from how much he’d been clenching it on the return to base. The bear was still restless beneath his ribs, claws dragging across the bone every so often until he felt the ache in his chest. The scent of blood still coated the back of his throat, the echo of cracking bones and tearing flesh still ringing in his ears.
Shifting was supposed to be painless. Even with feral shifts after injuries, the warping bones and tearing muscle – he’d never seen a shift draw blood. The sight of skin peeling away from her spine echoed in his mind’s eye, nearly drawing a growl from his chest as the bear raged again. In all his years – he’d never seen anything like it.
And she didn’t scream.
The urge to go out and find her built up again until his fingers curled over his arms. How much did someone need to endure to be unflinching as their skin was torn open? It had the Alpha and the bear wrestling for control, stress and frustration threatening to peel back the iron grip he kept on the instincts.
Unfocused eyes turned to Laswell as the debrief began again, his thoughts still swirling around Alex’s words. The explanation did nothing to quell the maelstrom raging at the back of his skull. There was more to it than a simple lack of drive. Price had seen shifters of all kinds, even the most solitaire of them paired up in some capacity. No matter how independent they remained – they existed within the orbit of a pack.
Eva wasn’t a shifter – but he knew it was more than indifference and a lack of interest.
She was afraid.
Whether of losing another pack or losing control he wasn’t sure. It was the same self-imposed isolation Ghost undergone – but taken to new extremes. It was a macabre realization, something dark that had the hair in the back of his neck raising. Ghost knew that at his worst, even if he lost himself completely to the memories and shifted feral, that his pack could manage it.
Because when boiled down to the bare bones of it, feral shifts were about self-defense and escape. The physical response to danger and stress coded into their DNA to protect the individual. Typically – they only pursued single threats before the hormones fizzled out.
But the Chimera had attacked almost indiscriminately.
Worst still – each attack had been calculated killing blows.
