Shifter Rape: First Victim - 01

A living man was sealed in a stone sarcophagus, trapped in absolute darkness. The prison was ancient. Once he led his people with honor and strength but that had been thousands of years ago. Before the betrayal. His beloved people, whom he had spent his long life protecting, had trapped him with stone and magic.

He had been a child when a Smilodon, or saber-tooth tiger, attacked his people. Huddled around the fire, they were unprepared. The men died, and he took up a spear and placed himself between death and his younger siblings. Through luck and raw determination, he killed the beast, yet he was fatally wounded in the battle.

His mother, their shaman, used forbidden magic and bound her dying son and the saber-tooth tiger together. They became one. With one mind and body, he could shift between human and saber-tooth tiger at will. The child took on some of the beast’s traits, though governed by his human intellect. As he grew into a man, he became the tribe’s most fearsome defender.

His tribe prospered.

But they feared the monster that protected them. When he was wounded, they betrayed him. Ignoring his pleading and begging, they held him down and sealed his prison with the life’s blood of his own mother.

During the first century of his imprisonment, his rage burned bright. He wanted to bring death and destruction to those who had betrayed him. But they were dead. Forever beyond his vengeance. Slowly, his rage faded, leaving ashes in its wake. Ground away by the slow passage of time.

He regretted the time he spent serving his people. He had given them everything, just like his mother. Where were they when he needed them? In the eternal darkness, he swore that he would never forget this painful lesson. Never again would he place anyone before himself.

The past faded away until nothing remained except hunger. Even his own name slipped away. He clung desperately to the tattered remains of his mind.

Within his sarcophagus, nothing changed until a mining company placed their explosives in exactly the wrong place. His prison cracked open like an egg, and he spilled out into the night. Tawny fur sprouted, and his flesh flowed from human into a beast.

A saber-toothed tiger roared into the night.

***

Tired but excited, I hurried to my interview. It was past time I stopped working dead-end jobs and started pursuing a career! Smilodon Tech had a professional-looking website, and IoT, or ‘internet of things,’ was an interesting field. Although I couldn’t help feeling as though I was reading technobabble intended to dupe venture capitalists.

Less than an hour after receiving my resume, they asked me to interview. I immediately accepted. Smilodon Tech had a small office on the edge of town. No receptionist greeted me. Judging by the empty desk, they didn’t have one. Was that a bad sign or a good one? Since they were a new startup, it probably just meant they had more important things on their mind.

“Miss Danielle?” called a deep voice from a side office.

“Yes, I’m Danielle,” I said, following the sound of his voice to a large office.

Behind a large wooden desk, a handsome man pressed a sharp-looking tool into a metal disk. At my approach, he looked up. His eyes barely hesitated as they passed over my chest. It was a good sign. People almost always noticed my looks, and I didn’t blame them for that. Staring was something altogether different.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Michael. Welcome to my company.”

A small pile of metal discs, like the one in his hand, were scattered about the mat. Each disc was about twice the size of a quarter. A few had designs etched onto their surface, but the rest were blank.

Michael flashed white teeth in a friendly smile. He had a sleek, powerful build. He seemed comfortable in his expensive-looking suit. Hoping my nervousness wasn't obvious, I smiled back, and tried to appear confident.

“My apologies for the empty office. It's just me right now. I’m looking for the right people to fill several different positions, and I truly hope you will be the first of them.” His slight accent was difficult to pin down.

Just the two of us? My cheeks heated. I carefully didn’t ask the dark-haired man if we would be the only ones in the office, even though I kind-of hoped we would be.

“Tell me about yourself,” he said.

“I was born here in Lakewood nearly twenty years ago. As a sophomore in high school, I knew I wanted to be a graphic designer, so I dual enrolled in the local community college. When I graduated high school, I already had two years of college completed.”

You’re not desperate, I reminded myself. If I don’t get this job, there’ll be many others. Even if it would be nice to work alongside someone with the body of a lifeguard. Is he tanned, or is that his natural coloring? I wasn’t sure which. His nationality was hard to pin down.

“One of the best graphic design schools is located in Minnesota.” I continued, “I took it as an opportunity to stretch my wings and moved out of my parent’s house.”

“What are you doing back here?” he asked.

I blushed, “I missed them. Given the choice, I’d rather live where visiting family doesn’t require flying or taking a vacation.”

“Family is that important to you?” he asked, rolling the disc back and forth across his knuckles, the engravings on its surface reflecting light strangely.

“Of course! Nothing’s more important than family. Not that I plan to start my own anytime soon. I haven’t even dated anyone yet.”

Why did I tell him that?

There was something fascinating about how the disc rolled back and forth. With a quick twist, he flipped it towards me like a coin. When I caught it instinctively, there was a small spike of pain. Surprised, I examined the disc. A sliver of metal had sliced into my skin and drew forth a little drop of blood, just enough to mar the intricate pattern carved into its surface.

Suddenly, my senses spun, and I had to support myself by grabbing onto his desk.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “are you alright?”

My cheeks flushed. “I’m fine, just a little surprised.” And embarrassed. Not that I’ll say that part out loud. I set the disc on his rubber mat and hoped he wouldn’t notice where my blood now discolored the surface.

“Danielle, your portfolio is impressive, especially for someone who doesn’t yet have real-world experience. Here at Smilodon Tech, we seek out the young and inexperienced. It would be my pleasure to train you in the skills your position requires.”

He walked around his desk and held out his hand. We shook hands. His grip was firm without making a point of how strong he was.

“Tonight, I’ll review your qualifications one last time. Assuming everything happens as expected, you'll receive an offer letter within twenty-four hours.”