“You're amazing,” I said. “I would come looking for you.”
The woman looked down towards the fire, smiling gently. “Thanks, that means a lot.”
I reached out to touch her cheek, turning her face back towards me. Her skin was so soft and warm. I wanted her so badly that my inner beast was aching for it.
Terri leaned forward a fraction.
I took the invitation and kissed her.
Our lips collided and set fire to my soul. My inner animal awoke with a passionate intensity that I’d never felt before. I pulled her towards me, deepening the kiss, needing to taste her, touch her, feel her against me.
This woman tasted like love, like peace, like goodness. She was all the things I’d ever wanted in a perfect mate and yet had never been able to find someone for myself.
Terri moaned against my mouth, giving in and allowing my tongue to flick against hers. She kissed me until she needed to pull away for air.
My heart was pounding, and my eyes locked onto her. What did I do? What did I say now?
Terri smiled and turned back to the fire. Words that wanted to be said went unspoken.
Silence filled the space between us for a while. It wasn’t awkward, just content.
I drank some water and then set out the sleeping bags for us. If Terri was half as exhausted as I was, she’d need a lot of sleep.
“We should sleep,” I said, suddenly feeling very embarrassed, like a schoolboy.
Terri nodded. “Yeah,” she said. Her voice didn’t give any indication of if she felt the same way.
I wanted more. My body craved it more than anything, like a drug. But, no, not now. I told myself that I would hold off until we were safe. Then, I’d tell her how I felt,
This woman. Terri. There was no denying it now. I could feel it in my soul.
Terri was my fated mate.
Chapter Five
Terri
I woke up at dawn. I was stiff and cold from sleeping on the unforgiving ground. Even with the sleeping bag, it had been a rough night.
Beside me, Paul was sleeping soundly, as if he was in a hotel instead of the middle of the woods.
I shook my head and wrestled out of the sleeping bag. I had to pee, and I hated peeing out in the woods. I walked off with a was of toilet paper from my pack, grumbling to myself.
The tips of leaves and grass were frosted with tiny white crystals. I could see my breath every time I exhaled. It was only October, but, damn, it was getting colder by the day.
Once I relieved myself in the bushes, I started to walk back to our camp, if you could call it that. Maybe I could reignite the coals from last night and warm up a little.
I blushed when I remembered the kiss Paul, and I shared. I’d never kissed anyone like that before. It was an intense, passionate kiss. The sort of kiss that leads to more, and it probably would have if we weren’t in a forest. My body craved him. I wanted more than just a kiss.
Whoa, girl, I thought to myself. Maybe if I was lucky, we could give in to our temptations back at the cabin once this was all over.
Then, a twig snapped.
I stopped mid-step, holding my breath. Was there a wild animal out there somewhere? Was I being watched by a wolf or a bobcat or a bear?
I frozen, scanning my surroundings. I didn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean that nothing was out there.
“Paul?” I whispered hesitantly. Maybe it was he who had come out to look for me.
Silence.
“This isn’t funny,” I said, forcing a laugh anyways. My nervous voice was barely loud enough for myself to hear.
Then, the bushes in front of me shook. Something growled.
I screamed before I saw what was coming out of the bushes. I held my arms up, closing my eyes, and preparing for a violent death.
Silence.
I opened my eyes, unable to believe what I was seeing.
Four cougar cubs. They were fuzzy, brown, and black with spots on their backs. They had big eyes and round, perked up ears. They were about the size of a house cat, maybe a bit bigger, if I had to guess.
“Oh my god,” I gasped, overcome by how adorable these little fuzz balls were.
A moment later, Paul came crashing through the bushes. “Terri!” he shouted. “I heard a scream. Oh!”
Paul stopped mid-sentence, his eyes growing wide when he saw the cubs.
The four cubs were hesitant to come out from the bushes. Two of them began to whine. One cocked it’s head to one side, recognizing Paul.
“Mew!” The biggest cub stepped out. He was older than the others, his black spots fading into a more brownish hue.
“Boys!” Paul gasped.
I stepped back with surprise. Was I crazy, or was Paul crazy? His nephews really were animals? They really were cougar shifters?
Paul knelt down to the cub, which rubbed against his hands. “Travis,” he said. “Boys, I was so scared I’d never see you again,” he said.
There was a flash of energy, and the cub transformed into a young boy, about seven years old. He crouched down, naked, with big brown eyes that looked the same as the cub’s eyes.
My mouth fell open.
“Uncle Paul!” he cried.
Paul shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around the boy. “What are you boys doing out here? Where’s your mother?”
The boy, Travis, shivered and pulled his hands into the jacket. “We got separated last night. We’ve been hiding here, waiting for mom to get back.” His tiny voice cracked with emotion. “It was so cold, we stayed as animals to keep warm.”
My legs were shaking underneath me. That boy had transformed before my eyes. A cub turned into a boy, just like magic. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t.
I could only watch Paul comfort the young boy, who was bravely fighting off tears. He was probably the oldest of the children.
The other three cubs emerged from the bush, crowding around Paul. They didn’t transform, likely much warmer with their bodies full of fur. Their tiny mews filled the clearing.
“Do you have any idea where your mom went?” Paul asked.
Travis shook his head. He sat down, and the other cubs piled into his lap, all keeping each other warm with their body heat.
I glanced at Paul in the dim morning light. “What do we do now?” I asked.
Paul thought long and hard before he spoke. “I think you should take the cubs back to the cabin where they’ll be safe. I’ll continue on.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Travis spoke first.
“You can’t go alone, Uncle Paul,” he cried. “She’s with,” he gulped and shuddered. “She’s with Clayton.”
The other cubs whined at the sound of the name.
Paul clenched his teeth, his jaw pumping angrily. His eyes flashed for a moment, bringing out the cougar’s gold and black coloring.
Splitting up was the last thing I wanted to do. “I don’t think we should split up,” I said. “If I take the boys back to the cabin, you’re going to be all alone.”
“Clayton is dangerous,” Paul said. “He’s a wolf shifter, a strange one. A lone wolf, as cliché as that is. He was kicked out of his pack, and we gave him shelter. Then, he brainwashed my sister. Who knows what his plan was.”
Travis reached out and touched Paul’s arm. “We have to find mom,” he said.
The other cubs whimpered.
Paul sighed. He was being torn in two directions.
I could tell he wanted to keep us safe, but what would be safer? Splitting up or bringing four cougar children with us?
“I think we should stick together,” I said after a moment.
Paul looked at me with an exhausted expression. “I guess you’re right,” he said.
Travis beamed.
“So, you got separated yesterday, right?” Paul asked the boy.
Travis nodded, holding the other three cubs tightly in the coat that was almost big enough to be a tent for them.
“Do you have any idea whi
ch direction they went?” Paul asked.
Travis paused to think. “It was dark,” he said. “We stopped in this clearing. Clayton went out to scout the area, but when he didn’t come back, mom told us to stay put and went out looking for him.”
“Have you been traveling in shifted form?” Paul asked.
Travis nodded again. “Mom said to stay here. She said she’d come back for us.”
Their mother said she would come back, and they had already been waiting for over twenty-four hours. It didn’t take a genius to know something must have been very wrong.
“I’m going to scout the area,” Paul said. He looked Travis in the eye. “I want you to shift back and keep your brothers warm. You’ll be safe here with Terri.”
The boy glanced at me and nodded.
I tried to give him my best reassuring smile, watching him shift back into a cougar cub. All four of them cuddled together in the coat, purring.
Paul raised an eyebrow at me. “Guess you believe me now, huh?” he stood, brushing the grass from his knees.
I walked with him to the other side of the clearing out of earshot of the cubs. “I’m sorry I doubted you,” I said.
“Don’t be,” Paul chuckled. “If I were you, I wouldn’t have believed me either. I wanted to shift to show you, but I want to be careful with my own energy. Shifting takes a lot out of us.”
“Are the boys going to be ok like that?”
“They’re safer in that form,” Paul said, glancing back at them.
They were already asleep, using the coat like a sleeping bag.
“Stay with them, keep them safe. If you run into any trouble, shoot into the air. I’ll come for you,” Paul said.
“What about you?” I asked. My heart trembled at the thought of him going out looking alone. Sure, he was probably capable enough, but that didn’t stop me from worrying.
“I’ll be fine,” Paul said, putting his hands on my shoulders. He squeezed gently. “Promise.”
“Alright,” I said.
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something else. His eyes swam with emotion, and his lips twitched. Whatever it was, he didn’t say it. Paul pulled off his shirt and handed it to me.
My face blazed with heat. “What – what are you doing?”
“I’m going out there in cougar form. Keep my clothes safe, would you?” His eyes twinkled mischievously.
I sucked in a breath, having forgotten how muscular and fit he was. His tanned skin seemed to glow under the warm light of the rising sun. He made me feel like a hormone-crazy teenager, and I liked it. Once all of this was over, I was going to find a way to get him into my bed.
“Terri?”
Paul’s voice snapped me from my trance.
“Yeah, sure, no problem,” I said, taking his shirt.
“I’m going to find her. I know it,” Paul said.
“What about the wolf guy, Clayton?” I asked.
Paul’s expression went dark. “I’m going to find him, and I’m going to kill him.”
Suddenly, a monstrous timber wolf came crashing into the clearing. It howled, frothing from the mouth and looking around wildly.
I scream ripped out of my body.
Paul growled, his eyes gleaming. “Guess I get to go straight to the kill.”
Chapter Six
Paul
My body contorted and shifted into cougar form. It was never an easy shift, but it had become easier with time. If I was in full health, it would have happened in an instant, but I was still weak from my wound.
The wolf stalked into the center of the clearing, growling and drooling like a real beast. Any trace of Clayton’s humanity was invisible now. He was a huge timber wolf with brown-grey fur and intense eyes. His fangs were sharp and white.
Clayton was, in a word, fearsome.
Good thing he didn’t scare me.
Terri stepped back, clutching my bundle of clothes, her eyes wide with fear.
“Go to the boys. Stay out of this,” I said. My voice came out in a rumble. I hated speaking as a cougar; the sound was more demonic than comforting.
Thankfully, Terri got the message. She nodded, her face as white as a ghost.
My shoulder burned with pain as my cougar body stretched and ripped the stitches. I flinched, but kept steady on my feet, not wanting to let the wolf know that I was in pain.
I approached the wolf, fur on my body rising with rage. I snapped at him.
Clayton, the timber wolf, was massive and looking about as angry as I was.
“Where’s my sister?” I demanded.
If it were possible for a wolf to smirk, he would have. “Oh, you missing your dear Tiffany? It’s too bad. I left her out in the woods. She wasn’t the female for me. I had high hopes, too.”
“Where is she?” I demanded.
The wolf shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’ll find her when I’m done with you and the cubs.”
“Leave the boys out of this.”
“No wolf would raise another male’s offspring,” Clayton said, his lip curling with disgust. “Once I’ve destroyed them, then Tiffany will have to accept me. I’m a strong male. I’m what all females desire.”
Rage boiled my blood. “Shut up!” I growled.
I was going to kill him right here and now with my own fangs and claws. I lunged toward, ignoring the pain in my shoulder.
The wolf dodged my attack, almost laughing at me. The sound came out in a shrill bark.
The cubs were hiding in the bushes. I knew they were close, and I had to keep them safe.
Terri tip-toed along the edge of the clearing, never turning her back to us. She moved towards the boys. She would have to get them out of here if things went bad.
No. I could not fail.
Clayton used my moment of distraction against me. His sharp claws collided with my neck, catching the thick skin and fur, and drawing first blood.
I rolled away from him, roaring with pain.
“Paul!” Terri cried.
“Another female for me to ravage?” Clayton laughed.
“Shut up,” I spat. I couldn’t stand him talking about Terri, or my sister, or any female like that. He was a disgusting monster.
“Why don’t you make me?” Clayton challenged. He snarled, exposing his teeth. His brown-grey fur stuck up over his shoulders as he hunched down, ready to attack.
In our animal forms, I had the upper hand. Cougars were used to hunting and fighting alone. Wolves usually relied on their packs for help. Without back up, I could take him down quickly.
Clayton lashed out again, his fangs narrowly missing my neck.
I spun around fast, wrestling him to the ground.
The wolf kicked out, knocking me back. His claws cut into the sensitive skin on my belly.
I staggered back, watching him rise.
Patience. I had to have patience. I was already wounded. I needed to fight smart until he tired himself out.
Terri stood guard by the cubs, the shotgun clutched to her chest.
If I trusted her shot, I’d tell her to shoot the wolf, but I didn’t want it that way. I wanted to kill Clayton myself.
I pushed him to the ground, my huge paws against his chest. “Where is my sister?” I asked.
“Somewhere in the woods, waiting for me to return,” Clayton growled. “Believe me, she’s a weak female, she wouldn’t stop me from killing you.”
I knew that was a lie. My sister was one of the strongest people I knew. Clayton just got into her head and deceived her. He was the one who stole her away when she was in emotional pain and brainwashed her.
I extended my claws, drawing blood that matted against his fur.
The wolf yelped, lashing out with his own claws.
We tumbled around the clearing, a mess of blood and fangs and fur and claws.
With every swipe, we became more exhausted. Our physical strength was about matched, but my will was stronger. This wasn’t about revenge; this was about honor, too. The wo
rld didn’t need males like him in it.
Finally, my claws hit home, dragging through his thick fur and slicing an artery in his neck.
I flinched back as blood spurted from the wound.
Clayton tumbled to the ground, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. That was it. He’d bleed out now.
I glanced towards Terri.
Suddenly, pain flashing through my already wounded shoulder.
Clayton bit into me, still bleeding, fueled by adrenaline.
“Paul!” Terri shouted.
I tried to wrestle him off, but his fangs sunk in deep.
A shot rang out through the clearing, and Clayton’s body went limp, leaking blood all over the grass. Dead.
“Paul! Paul!” A voice whispered past the ringing in my ears. It was Terri. She’d dropped the shotgun and was running to my side.
My vision flickered. My inner beast roared in pain, and then I passed out.
A woman appeared at the edge of the clearing. She was dressed in oversized clothes and had no shoes on her feet. Her face was dirty, and her hair was wild, but even through all the mess, she still looked beautiful.
“Tiffany,” I grunted as I came to my senses.
That woman. It was my sister. Tiffany.
The cubs let out cries of joy, circling around her ankles.
“Oh god,” Tiffany cried, falling to her knees. “Tristan, Garth, John, Cameron, you’re all ok,” she said, pulling her sons into her arms. Tiffany broke down, weeping uncontrollably.
I was back in my human form now, with my clothes draped over me.
“Are you ok?” Terri asked.
“Yeah,” I said, hurriedly throwing on my clothes.
My eyes met hers, and I felt a tug in my heart. “You saved me.”
Terri looked down at the gun, still lying in the grass, and then to the dead wolf. “Yeah, I guess I did.” she was still in shock.
The cubs continued to purr and yip for their mother.
“Go see her,” Terri said. “I’m ok.”
I ignored the pain in my shoulder and ran towards my sister. “Tiffany!”
She looked up from her boys. Her face was pale and dirty, but her beauty shone through. She rose up and hugged me.
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