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human teeth dropping like tiny pebbles from his mouth, and large canines replacing them. His back arched and then bucked, his spine snapping and reforming. The shirt he’d been wearing popped open, buttons scattering over the rug to join the teeth and blood. His shoulders grew, splitting the material around the arms, and his biceps became thicker, heavily muscled. From the back of his pants, a tail burst forth, splitting the material and causing the rest of his pants to rip and fall from his body. The tail was naked skin, but as she watched, a layer of fur began to pop from his skin, growing thicker as every moment passed. His thick, black hair fell in strands to the floor, and new ears unfolded from the top of his skull. The pattern of his fur revealed itself before Autumn’s eyes. No matter how many times she watched someone shift, it never grew any less amazing or terrifying. She was just relieved Tocho had completed his transformation, and wasn’t stuck in some kind of mid-shift like the others. Whatever Lakota had done had been right.
    She’d had to edge up into the corner of the room to make space for the huge creature.
    Lakota looked over at her and grinned. “Well, he’s not a mountain lion.”
    She shook her head in wonder. “He certainly isn’t.”
    The biggest white tiger she’d ever seen—not that she’d ever seen a white tiger in real life—stood before her. He shook out his fur and padded over to Lakota and Autumn. The big cat nudged its massive head against Autumn’s arm, rubbing in the same way a domestic cat would to its owner. Cautiously, she reached out and ran her fingers through the thick fur on his shoulder. It felt soft as mink fur. A thrumming came from deep within his chest and she started back, before Lakota said, “Don’t be frightened. He’s purring.”
    A laugh burst from Autumn’s mouth, a smile spreading across her face. “Yes, so he is.”
    They took him outside, like expectant parents showing off their newborn. The massive white tiger padded along behind them, and, as people noticed them coming through the door—though for Tocho it was a squeeze—they fell silent, watching in awe.
    Lakota took Autumn’s hand and lifted it into the air. “It worked,” he called to those waiting.
    A cheer broke out from the crowd.

Chapter Five
     
     
    THE BIKE ATE the miles, the road blurring beneath him as he rode.
    Chogan felt bad about Madison and Billy riding in the car with the unconscious truck driver, but he figured Nadie and Sahale would be able to take care of them perfectly well. He didn’t know why it was bothering him; they were just two people he’d picked up off the side of the road. He wasn’t responsible for the mother and son, and besides, he had bigger things to worry about.
    His thoughts kept returned to the recorded message he’d heard after he’d dialed nine-one-one. Did this mean the government had cut communications for places outside of Chicago? While they were in the compound, they’d not been able to get any internet connection. Had the military interrupted all communication in order to stop the shifters from planning an uprising? Or, perhaps, to stop regular people spreading stories about what the military were doing to them?
    He was sure shifters would be living in the other cities. They were bound to respond as the mayhem spread. He wondered if they’d be able to pick up extra support as the main group headed toward Chicago. They’d always avoided going near the big cities before, not wanting to run into more trouble, but they could be missing out on an opportunity.
    Chogan risked glancing behind him quickly to make sure the car was still following. They would find the next town big enough to have a hospital and drop their new passengers off there. The truck driver needed medical assistance, and the woman, Madison, should probably get checked out, too.
    Finally, just as dusk was falling, he saw a sign for a town and took the exit. Like everywhere else,