by Anna Edwards
"You have water and painkillers beside the bed that will help with your headache. I'll get you another blanket out of the cupboard. You will acclimatize to the colder weather soon." She froze at the deep voice close to her and opened one eye. A muscular man sat in the sparsely decorated room looking at her from an antique rocking chair. If it was possible, he looked even bigger than Brayden. From the look of him, he would be in his late thirties.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"Montana." His voice was deep and commanding. His dark eyes were almost jet black in color. He had a peppering of white flecks in his hair.
"How?"
"Private jet."
"Brayden?" She knew instantly who had brought her here. Where was he?
"He is downstairs resting. I'm afraid you gave him quite a fright."
"I gave him a fright? Are you joking? Are you the same as him?" She winced at the lack of strength in her voice.
The man laughed, his gruff voice echoing in the room.
"If you mean am I a snow leopard, then I take that as a bit of an insult. May I approach you?" Selene shrunk back at that question.
"Do I have a choice?"
"I'd like to think so. I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want." There was genuine honesty in his words.
"Then put me on whatever private jet brought me here and let me go back to California."
Kas understood she had already been forced into coming to Montana without her consent, "Ahh good point. However, I'm afraid, you must stay here for the time being."
"So what you're saying is, as long as I do what you say I have some freedom of choice." That was a scary thought. She was a captive here.
"Correct."
"Why are you speaking to me and not Brayden?"
“I’m the leader here.”
“Leader?” she asked.
"Of the Glacial Blood pack. Yes, I am. My name is Kaskae but people call me Kas. My name is Inuit for leader. My family name their children with their aspirations for them. Now, I believe I asked if I could approach you. The common courtesy is an answer."
"And as I asked, do I have a choice?"
"You do have quite the attitude on you."
"I don't normally, but being drugged and taken from my home tends to leave me in a bad mood." He ignored her comment, and stood beside the bed she was in.
"I'm intrigued. Brayden told me what happened between you. Would you hold your hand out for me?"
"I'm not going to touch you."
"It would give us both the answers we seek."
"And you can go fuck yourself."
"Miss Harper. I'm sure, at the moment, you must be very scared, so I will forgive your outbursts. I would ask you to assist with our questions. It will be beneficial to you."
She didn't reply, just held her hand out with a roll of her eyes.
"Thank you." He held his hand out to touch her. The new yet familiar tingling started and her hand began to change. This time, the pads turned into five small circles, not the four of cats. Her fingernails turned into sharp black claws that did not retract, and the fur that grew was hollow and thick. Kas was a polar bear. Didn't they have black skin? She pulled her hand away. Her mouth dried.
"Amazing." Kas stood there staring at his own hand.
Selene let out a loud shriek.
****
Brayden shuddered at the scream from above. He wanted to go to her, but he'd been told to stay away for the time being. He'd been sitting in a lounge chair staring out the window for an hour now. He loved this house. It was the only home he’d ever lived in. It was late 1800's in design, a brick built Victorian mansion that was made to last. It had curved Gothic style windows with the wooden frames painted royal blue. A lot of the furniture matched the era with soft chaise and solid wood cabinets. His favorite was an antique grandfather clock in the hallway. It didn’t always chime the correct hour, but at least it still told the time. The chair he was sitting in was marked as his own. His inner leopard had enjoyed scratching a ‘B’ on the wooden leg. During meetings it allowed him to sit on the periphery of the discussion, only giving input when vital. He was a snow leopard. They spent most of their time alone. Even when a male impregnated the females in the wilds, he would invariably disappear to find another. The female would raise her cubs alone and then they would leave to follow their own paths. They didn't stay with anyone for very long. To be surrounded by so many people often led Brayden to feel claustrophobic, and that is when he would take to his chair and stare at the mountains.
"Hey Bray, couldn't stand the heat?" Scott, a male lion shifter, entered the room and threw himself down on the sofa with a leg of lamb in his mouth.
"You get blood on the couch and Kas will have you cleaning it with your tongue." Brayden rolled his eyes.
"Right now I think he's more intrigued with what the cat dragged home." Scott’s reply was quick witted.
"You know I'm trained well enough to shove that lamb bone where the sun doesn't shine, don't you?" He shut his eyes and groaned.
"You wouldn't do that to me. Who would help you on all your scavenger hunts up the mountain?" The lion was overly confident with that answer.
"Emma, like she normally does, while you sit there and lick your ass." Scott was a typical male lion, ferocious when needed, but lazy as hell when not. He also ate like nobody Brayden had ever seen. Scott was very rarely without something in his mouth. Brayden wasn't only talking about food. Scott had a harem of women he often visited to get satisfaction for his libido. Again, typical male lion behavior. Scott had joined the pack a few years ago. Male lions were kicked out of their packs when they reached maturity. He suspected because they were good for nothing and the females did not want to look after them. The Glacial Blood pack had invited him back to dinner once and he'd never left.
"My ass tastes a lot better than those vegetable things that you eat."
"Vegetables are good for you."
"Strange cat. Probably the reason that your coat isn’t as glossy as mine.”
“My coat is designed for warmth. Yours is for showing off and attracting all the nubile females to do your bidding.” He rolled his eyes again when the lion looked smug.
“Seriously man, what is going on with this chick? You skulk home in the middle of the night with a woman over your shoulder and wake us all up. I know that Kas wants you to mate and everything but bringing her home, drugged, after one day away?"
"She isn't my mate. In fact, I suspect at this very moment she'd love to see me dead." He still couldn’t believe that he’d drugged Selene. It was part of the kit they carried with them in case something like that was needed. He’d felt so guilty using it on her though. And ashamed; it was hardly a kickass gun, but then they were incredibly difficult to keep curled up in your tail. She was so confused and scared, he had shot her like prey.
"But Kas told me you touched her, and she started changing?" Scott shifted in the chair, leaning forward with the lamb bone in his mouth.
"Yes,” he replied, remorse evident in his answer.
"What is she?"
"I think that is what Kas is trying to find out."
"You know you did the right thing bringing her here."
"Really?" Brayden wasn't so sure. She was terrified. She’d thought he was going to eat her. He disappeared into his thoughts. It had made him so angry the way Stuart had touched her, forcing her to wrap those perfect lips around his cock. Wait, had he actually thought her lips were perfect? Well they were. She was a stunning girl and going through so much. She had bravery, a trait that would serve him well as a mate. She'd look lovely with her lips around his cock. What a beautiful daydream. Scott crunching on the bone brought him back to the here and now. Ok, he needed to stop thinking like this. She hated him, wanted him dead.
"Brayden, you did the right thing in bringing Miss Harper here." Kas entered the room and took a seat in his favorite chair. "That girl is unique."
"You touched her."
"I
did."
A pang of anger rumbled within him. She must be so scared, and here was Kas forcing her to be a performing monkey. "She changed into a polar bear is that why she screamed?" Brayden concluded.
"I’m afraid it scared her a little. To me it was a beautiful thing."
"You only think that because she became a mirror of you."
"She changed into a polar bear, but it was not my mirror. She is much smaller. I would say she would have been a cub if she'd fully changed."
"You didn't make her turn all the way?"
"We don't know the possible effects. Prudence says we should experiment, or we risk damage to the subject. That is why I've sent for Jessica."
"She is not an experiment."
"Kas won't do anything to her and neither will you." His mother slammed in through the door. "She is coming home with me." The expression on her face was deadlier than any predator that he had ever faced.
"Mrs. Dillon." Scott scrambled towards the door. "Nice to see you again but I think I hear a female lion in need." He couldn't get out of the room quick enough. Brayden wished he could follow. He'd face down anything, but his mother, at this precise moment.
"Jane, you know we cannot allow that to happen. She is of vital importance to us and also a possible risk."
"I don't care what you do, or do not, allow Kaskae. I'm taking Selene with me. She's an innocent in all this. I called Brayden for help in discovering where she comes from, not to have her used as a pawn in your games. Now, where is she?"
"I see now why your father often disobeyed my rules, Brayden." Kas rested one of his long legs on top of the other.
"Leave my father out of this."
"I was merely making an observation on the persistence of your mother."
"Don't." He sprang to his feet. His temper was wearing thin now. He'd gone on vacation to spend time with his mother and all hell had broken loose. He hadn't slept in twenty-four hours. The burger he'd had in the cafe had been his last meal. He'd never even gotten his steak! His leopard growled within him at the thought. He was so hungry.
Kas got to his own feet and used his superior height to try to intimidate Brayden. It never worked. Brayden was silent and deadly. In a flash, he punched Kas and was ready to go again. His mother shouted at him to stop.
Jane jumped in front of them. "This won't help anything. What is done is done. Now we need to concentrate on Selene."
"I need to know more about her. If she is dangerous..." Kas begun.
"Not happening." Brayden puffed up again. Nobody would hurt Selene.
"Brayden. Take a seat. I need to tell you both what I know."
He gave one more growl in Kas' direction before slumping back into his chair. Kas resumed his seat and motioned for his mother to do the same. She took a chair in between them.
"I first met her about six months ago. I was driving through Death Valley on my way back from a meeting. It was late. There was a flash, and I saw something weaving along the road. It was Selene. She was naked and pale and barely able to stand. I managed to talk her into the car with me. I brought her back to the apartment and gave her food and drink. I should have taken her to the hospital, but she refused to go. When I asked her how she got there, she couldn't remember. She said that she had just woken up from, what felt like, a very long sleep."
"She has no idea where she is from?" Kas asked, as he sat back in his chair. His hand was placed at his chin in thought. It was a stance that Brayden knew meant the polar bear was deadly serious in his questioning.
"As far as she is concerned, her life only started the moment she woke, in the heat of the night, in Death Valley."
"What about the thoughts?" Kas asked.
"That started about three months after she arrived. One day, she dropped some plates. She'd been shaky and not feeling well all day. I touched her arm while she was looking down at the mess. I thought that she needed to sleep. She told me she would lie down when she'd tidied up. I hadn't said anything, but I was still touching her arm. Ever since it's been getting stronger and stronger. It wasn't all the time at first, but now it is. She feels so much anguish, when anyone comes near her. It’s because she knows that she will hear whatever is in their head if she so much as brushes against their skin."
"Was Brayden the first shifter she touched?"
"We don't get many shifters in the café. I'm sure all my belongings smell like Heath's. It wouldn't surprise if Brayden's scent is everywhere too so they probably avoid it. I don't have a radar for them like you do so I'm not sure that I would know."
"When I was there the first time, I caught the scent of coyotes. I made sure to mark all-round the café. I top it up when I go back each time. I don’t like having those rabid canines near my mother."
"That was wise. I will get Jessica to look into a more permanent solution for protection." Kas nodded.
"Who is Jessica?"
Brayden rarely talked about the pack with his mother. She knew most of the members from when she was with his father. When she left though, he wanted her to have her freedom. "Jessica is a witch."
"She will discover what Selene is. Brayden, Jane, I must warn you both, if she is a danger to the pack then you know the decision I have to make."
His mom looked over at him, and he could see the tears forming in her eyes. If Kas tried to hurt Selene, then Brayden would do everything in his power to stop him.
CHAPTER FOUR
Selene rattled the bars on the window, but they would not give.
"Damn it! Break. Please." She had been doing the same thing for more than half an hour. If only she could get the bars, that kept her prisoner, to move! She could see a gable and trellis outside. She could climb down to the ground and make a run for it. If she stayed here for much longer, she was sure the freaky bear, with the scowl, would enjoy her as an appetizer.
A commotion outside the window drew her attention. She was going to shout for help but found herself watching, as a couple fought, with a crowd of others observing. By all rights the male should flatten the female with one punch, he must have been at least twice her size, but she held her own. She was weaving and spinning against his strong attack, and then forming her own, in her endeavor to weaken him.
She caught him on the side of the face and he lurched backward. The crowd cheered their delight, but booed when the male started to shift. His body began to cover in golden fur, his legs transformed into those of a strong feline with claws. His hair, which had been untamed anyway, grew darker and fuller until it resembled a mane. The man had turned, before her very eyes, into a lion. He shook off his clothes and pounced at the female. He was going to kill her.
Before the lion could attack, the female had shifted into a beautiful lioness, her sleek body rippling with muscles of strength. They fought on until she was trapped under the male. The man licked her face, and she shifted back to human.
"Yuck, Scott. If you are going to insist on working your snacks off by playing, then at least brush your teeth first. Your breath stinks."
"But how would I be able to impress you with my ability to find food then?" The lion had shifted back to human form as well. Their naked bodies pressed against each other, the man's tight backside fully on display. Selene felt a warmth between her thighs and rubbed them together.
"I can ask Kas if I can take you down to watch them, if you want?" The voice made her jump. She spun around and found Brayden standing before her with a tray of food. The door was open. Without thinking too much, she ran. The food clattered to the floor.
"Selene." He reached out and grabbed her bare arm. Her breath hitched as the tingling started and the fur began to grow. She stared at it spreading up her arm, further than it did before, over her chest and down towards her stomach. She could feel bones breaking and reforming within her, yet there was no pain. Brayden pulled his hand away and held his arms up. The fur vanished, as quickly as it had appeared, and her insides returned to normal. She thought that hearing what people were thinking was bad,
but this? She couldn't understand it. What was she? Was she even human? Why was this happening to her? How could she stop it?
Too many questions, not enough answers. She broke.
***
He hadn't meant to touch her again.
She'd almost become a full snow leopard. He hadn't been able to do anything but stare. She was beautiful.
He pulled a sheet from the bed and wrapped it around her, before carrying her to the bed and positioning her on his lap, so that he could comfort her while she cried. Every tear was like a dagger through his heart. She had his protection. He would do everything that he could so that she'd never have to cry like this again.
What the hell was happening to him? This was not the man he was. He was changing. She was changing him.
***
Selene wasn't sure how long she'd been crying, but her body ached. Even though she still let out hiccupping sobs, no more tears fell from her eyes. Brayden was still holding her, the warmth of his body like a protective blanket. No part of his skin was touching her, but she knew he was there and that he was worried about her. She should push him away. Scream, shout, run for the door, but her body wouldn't move.
"I'm sorry I brought you here. At the time, I thought it was for the best. It's the rule of my pack, my family if you can understand the similarity. If a human sees our true forms, then we have to bring them to Kas to deal with. It's the only way to protect who, what, we are. I didn't realize that he'd make you change for him. I won't let him do it again."
"This is your family? What about Jane?"
"Jane is my biological mother. She was sixteen when she met my father and had me. He was a pure snow leopard shifter. His family can be traced back to the great leopard kings of Hermes National Park in India. I don't know too much about the details of how they met, but I know she found out quite quickly that he was a snow leopard. I guess he told her when she became pregnant. My mother was, and still is, the only human who has been accepted into the pack; though we are not elitist like some packs out there. We accept those that need a family."