Nobody who wanted children would come here. If someone decides they want a family, they leave. Why? You have kids? Thinking of settling down here?”
She looked at him, startled. “Me? Kids? If I had cubs, they would be with me. No. I’m not having any kids.”
She saw Finn’s forehead wrinkle at the way she said it, and regretted that she’d said anything at all. It wasn’t that she couldn’t have children; it was that, given the risk, she wouldn’t have them. Not when she knew they’d be taken from her and used for heaven knew what.
“So there are literally no children anywhere in the Badlands?” she said.
“No, that’s just in Darwin. You’ve landed smack in the middle of outlaw central here. There’s a city called Cottonwood, about a hundred miles from here. It’s where families go. It’s ruled by a guy they call the Chief. He keeps things pretty law-and-order there. And scattered around the state are more tribes and packs and prides than you can count, and they all carve out their own territories and have their own rules. That’s why you wouldn’t want to travel here without an experienced guide.” He looked contemplative. “And a death-wish.”
Cottonwood. That sounded like a better bet for Madison and her friends. Did they know about it? They must, Flora thought. Maybe they hadn’t gone there because it was too dangerous to travel?
The wind extinguished the candle on their table, and Flora scowled at the wick and concentrated. Burn , she thought.
Nothing.
She glared at it, her brows drawing together.
Could the scientists have been wrong?
“Did that candle do something to piss you off?” Finn asked, and she looked up, startled. “Forget to say ‘excuse me’ after it burped or something?”
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
She looked at him, startled. “Me? Kids? If I had cubs, they would be with me. No. I’m not having any kids.”
She saw Finn’s forehead wrinkle at the way she said it, and regretted that she’d said anything at all. It wasn’t that she couldn’t have children; it was that, given the risk, she wouldn’t have them. Not when she knew they’d be taken from her and used for heaven knew what.
“So there are literally no children anywhere in the Badlands?” she said.
“No, that’s just in Darwin. You’ve landed smack in the middle of outlaw central here. There’s a city called Cottonwood, about a hundred miles from here. It’s where families go. It’s ruled by a guy they call the Chief. He keeps things pretty law-and-order there. And scattered around the state are more tribes and packs and prides than you can count, and they all carve out their own territories and have their own rules. That’s why you wouldn’t want to travel here without an experienced guide.” He looked contemplative. “And a death-wish.”
Cottonwood. That sounded like a better bet for Madison and her friends. Did they know about it? They must, Flora thought. Maybe they hadn’t gone there because it was too dangerous to travel?
The wind extinguished the candle on their table, and Flora scowled at the wick and concentrated. Burn , she thought.
Nothing.
She glared at it, her brows drawing together.
Could the scientists have been wrong?
“Did that candle do something to piss you off?” Finn asked, and she looked up, startled. “Forget to say ‘excuse me’ after it burped or something?”
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
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