I was pretty sure there were more wolves than last time and this time the absence of the panther prevented them from hesitating before they stalked towards me. Their eyes simultaneously directed themselves towards me as if I was the locked on target and I had a feeling that when they reached me they wouldn’t miss. I was so exhausted that for a few minutes I just knelt there and looked at the ground because I didn’t have the energy to try and escape. The low growls got closer and louder as I waited for them to reach me.
I chickened out when I heard a low growl close to my ear and shot to my feet. The wolves really had closed in on me, there were at least between fifteen and twenty. Were packs of wolves usually this big? I had no idea, but now wasn’t the time to get concerned about that and I thought I had left it too late because there was no way in hell that I could outrun these wolves. Slowly I backed away until I hit the trunk of the tree I had used as a diving board a few days ago.
Knowing that I didn’t have any choice if I wanted to live I grabbed the branch and started pulling myself up, but I didn’t have a lot of energy left so it was more difficult than usual. One of the wolves jumped up and snapped its teeth missing my leg by about an inch. I was panting heavily as the wolves started jumping up the trunk of the tree. Reaching around the tree I snapped a stick off sticking out of the tree and hit the snout of the wolf that was jumping the highest.
I let out a scream as it grabbed the stick and yanked down on it catching me off guard before I tumbled off of the branch only just stopping myself by wrapping my legs and arms around the branch. Dropping my stick I started to pull myself back up, but one of the wolves jumped up and got lucky when their teeth stuck in the skirt of my dress and wouldn’t come loose. Screams rose in my throat as I heard growls from the wolf as he tried to pull me out of the tree and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold on for.
I closed my eyes and got ready to accept that I was about to die, but before I could put much thought into I heard deep growls echoing around the forest and my eyes snapped open to identify the new sound. I screeched when my feet came loose on the branch almost sending me to the ground, but I managed to hang on somehow.
When I looked up again and saw yellow eyes I knew the panther was back, but he wasn’t alone. There were four other pairs of yellow eyes, what the hell was going on, had he bought the whole family along for a meal? This was getting ridiculous, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t that appetising.
“Let me go!” I screamed at the wolf before kicking my feet down.
He let out a whine before falling to the ground and I scrambled onto the branch. At that point I was going to jump into the lake, but the lowest branch had never reached out far enough towards the lake. My next option was to climb up a few more branches, but I knew I didn’t have the energy for that.
I groaned and leant back against the trunk of the tree, maybe if I stayed here long enough the animals would get bored and run away. Blocking out the sound of the wolves growling below me was instantly destroyed when the sounds of savage attacks came from below. Looking over the edge of the branch I found the panthers attacking the wolves and despite the difference in numbers they were winning easily. I watched in amazement as the wolves slowly disappeared back into the trees. The panthers had scared them off with their tails between their legs and I couldn’t help but shoot my hand into the air and shout.
“Yes!”
I took me a moment to remember the panthers were still there and I felt like kicking myself when one of them walked over to the tree and began to climb it. Why the hell had I forgotten that panthers could climb trees?
“Shit!” I shouted getting to my feet and staring at it.
The panic gave me a surge of adrenaline and I managed to climb up onto the next branch, but when I pulled myself up there was another panther already waiting.
I screeched and backed away only just managing to stay balanced on the branch. I still wasn’t really close enough to jump into the lake, but if I took a running jump I could probably make it.
“Sit!” I shouted at the panther as I the neared the edge of the branch.
I stumbled to a stop and frowned when it did exactly that, but before it could get back up I climbed up to the next branch.
“Dammit!” I yelled when there was another panther lying on the branch licking its paw between me and the lake.
To the right of the tree behind me I saw a branch that I had never climbed to before, but from here I could see that there was no panther on it, which was a plus right now. I tried to assess the distance over to the branch to decide if I could make it. It was either jump and maybe survive or stay here and get eaten. The decision was made for me when the panther in front of me stood up. Without another thought I jumped towards the branch and let out a scream when I only caught on with one hand. The branch made a cracking sound and I realised that it wasn’t strong enough to hold my weight.
“No, no, no, no!” I yelled before the snapping of the branch echoed around the forest at the same time my energy gave out and I let go of the branch.
I waited for the agony that was going to shoot through me when I hit the ground, but before it could come I felt a jolt in my shoulder as my arm was grabbed when I had about ten feet to go. Looking up I found Dom’s hand, but looked up further to find the panthers head before it changed to Dom’s.
I screamed again and my throat was really getting sore by now. Without thinking I yanked my hand away from the panther/Dom’s hand and tumbled to the ground in a heap. Pain jolted through my body, but I knew I wasn’t in half as much pain as I would have been if I had fallen from my original spot at over twice the ten feet I had fallen.
I cried before pushing myself to my knees and trying to stay upright. Dom hopped down from the tree at the same the other four panthers closed in. Getting really angry suddenly I forced myself to my feet grabbing a branch from the ground before facing the panthers.
“Ok, I’ve had enough! I didn’t survive this long to be eaten by you guys so back off!” My voice was slurring and it was getting difficult to focus, but I would not die tonight.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to face Dom with my stick out in front of me.
“And you don’t touch me! Yo…you, I don’t know what you are, but I’m pretty sure you were just that panther, but I’m feeling kind of shit so I could have been seeing things! Just don’t get near me!” I said backing away. “And your eyes were yellow and the cat spoke to you!” I added as an afterthought.
“Cayla, please just calm down. The wolves will come back.”
“Maybe they should come back.” I hissed. “At least they will kill me in one go, you and your panthers are just messing with my head! I feel like I’m losing my mind!”
I turned back to the panthers to make sure they hadn’t snuck up on me while I’d been talking. As soon as I turned my gaze on them the panthers started changing shape slowly.
“What the hell?” I whispered.
It wasn’t long before Mark, Denise, Matt and some other guy I had never seen before and was too freaked out to look at any features he had were replacing the spots that the panthers had previously occupied.
“Oh God.” I gasped taking a step back. “I’m dead aren’t I? I fell off that damn tree and died and probably got eaten by wolves. I’m really in pieces right now and I’m just in some alternate universe or I passed out and it’s a dream.”
Dom put his hand on my shoulder again and said. “It’s not an alternate universe or a dream, it’s real, we are panther shape shifters.”
I stepped away from him again shaking my head. “No, no, it must be a dream.” I looked at him then. “Hit me.”
He looked at me in horror. “What the hell? No way am I hitting you.”
“Matt, hit me.” I said turning to him.
He shook his head. “No one is going to hit you.”
“Dammit.” I hissed before walking over to the tree and head butting the trunk really hard.
“Cayla, what
the fuck?” Dom yelled grabbing my shoulders as pain shot through my head and I wobbled a bit.
“Shit, that hurt.” I whispered. “It’s not a damn dream. I must be going crazy then, that’s the only explanation. I’ve finally lost it, I’m actually insane.”
The guy I didn’t know chuckled. “This is kind of amusing.”
I picked up a stick and launched it at his head yelling. “It’s not funny in any way you idiot.”
The others snorted with laughter when the stick hit him bang in the middle of the forehead. I began pacing backwards and forwards shaking my head and muttering to myself.
“Which one of you was on the top branch?” I asked turning on them again.
“Me!” Matt said.
“Idiot, I nearly broke my neck trying to get away from you!”
He shrugged. “I tried to act friendly.”
I shook my head as I carried on pacing. “Where is Andrew and how does he know?”
“How do you know he knows?” Mark asked.
I glared at him as if to tell him not to treat me like I was stupid.
He shrugged. “Sorry.”
“He’s related to us a bit distantly, but after he turns eighteen we’ll find out if he’s one of us or not. It’s a fifty, fifty possibility.” Dom said quickly.
“You could have told me sooner.” I growled.
Matt snorted. “Not like we could tell you just after Dom turned all panther against the wolves and you thought he was going to eat you.”
“That was you?” I asked turning to Dom.
He nodded.
“You hissed at me!” I shouted.
Matt chuckled. “I told you she would get annoyed when she found out.”
Dom glared at him before saying to me. “I had to get you away from there, you were trying to attack me for eating your cat and I wouldn’t have been able to protect you from the wolves.”
“What did happen to my cat?” I asked.
Everyone laughed and I failed to see why until he said. “I was the cat and Owen over there was the smaller one.” He said nodding towards the guy I didn’t know.
“Oh my God! You did pay him to sit in that chair didn’t you!”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
The colour drained from my face then as I realised what I had said to the cat and how many times he had seen me cry. “Dammit, that cat was you?” I punched him on the arm wincing as the ache from Maddy’s face throbbed. “I said things to that cat!”
He smirked. “I know, I was there.”
“It’s not funny Dominic, that’s invasion of privacy!”
He raised an eyebrow. “Seemed to me like you were telling me of your own free will.”
“I didn’t know you were the cat dammit, I can’t believe I’m having this conversation anyway, it can’t be real.”
“It is real.” Denise said softly.
“Dammit.” I shouted stamping my foot. “This has been the craziest birthday ever. I should have drunk more then I wouldn’t remember any of this.”
“Would you rather you still didn’t know?” Dom asked.
I sighed and shook my head. “I guess not.”
I continued pacing silently until someone called my name loudly. I wasn’t sure who it was, but I looked up anyway and unfortunately I hadn’t stopped pacing, which turned out to be what they were trying to make me do as my foot landed on air for about one second before it sunk into water moments before my body followed and I rolled forwards into the lake. Completely unprepared I swallowed a mouth full of water before my arm was grabbed and I was pulled out. As soon as I landed on the grass my knees buckled and I began coughing up the lake water because it did not taste nice at all.
“Are you ok Cayla?” Dom kept asking me.
I waved him off and continued to cough the water up until I was sure my lungs were empty of it.
“I did try to warn you.” Matt said.
“Thanks.” I muttered dryly before Dom helped me to my feet.
I was amazed that I was still standing with everything I had been through tonight, but somehow I managed to keep my legs steady enough to hold me up.
“So, why did your eyes turn yellow? Was that to do with this panther thing?” I asked.
He nodded. “Our eyes turn yellow when we sense danger. It’s our panthers trying to go into attack mode and change us.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You sensed danger when I opened the door?”
“Hmm, well that was slightly more different.” I waited patiently looking at him until he added. “When you get hurt or are in danger of getting hurt my panther gets angry.”
I frowned. “So that was why you yelled at me about climbing the tree?”
He nodded.
“Why does he get angry when I’m hurt?” I asked.
He glanced at his dad as if to ask his permission and he shrugged in response. “It’s up to you son.”
I groaned as I started to shiver at the combination of the cold air against my wet skin. “Is this something I want to know?”
“You may not be ready for it.” Matt said. “But like Mark said, it’s up to Dom.”
I looked at Dom who looked hesitant so I just sighed and sunk down to the ground in a shivering mess.
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.” Dom said quickly.
“Its fine Dom, I don’t think I can take anymore right now anyway and I think I’m broken.” I said as my shivering began to slow.
“Why are you broken honey?” Denise asked crouching down in front of me.
“Erm, guys we need to get her home.” The guy called Owen said just before I murmured.
“I can’t feel anything and I’m so tired.” I yawned and slumped to the ground. “I’m going to sleep, make sure wolves don’t get me.”
“Guys!” Owen practically yelled. “Don’t let her sleep her heart rate is slowing down!”
“Cayla, sweetheart, I need you to stay awake for me.” Dom said suddenly kneeling next to me and pulling me off of the ground.
I tried to push him away, but it was a weak effort. “Dominic, leave me alone, I’m sleeping.”
He picked me up off of the ground into his arms and held me close so I leant against his shoulder closing my eyes and mumbled. “Hmm, this is better.”
“Cayla, open your eyes sweetie.” Denise said running beside Dom.
I didn’t know how long they had been running or how many times I had been told to stay awake by all of them, but it seemed like ages when Matt yelled.
“Just kiss her Dom.”
“What the hell man?” Dom asked stopping suddenly.
“Actually he might be right.” Mark said.
At first my lips felt too numb to even feel any of his kisses, but it wasn’t long before they slowly began to heat and I could move them again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back as hard as I could feeling my heart thud in my chest as my body warmed against him.
I heard the sound of several throats clearing before I pulled back my cheeks reddening.
“Wow, it actually did work.” Owen muttered.
“Ok, I can walk now.” I mumbled trying to get Dom to put me down until he reluctantly lowered my feet to the ground. My knees buckled and I groaned. “Never mind, your kisses aren’t as magic as I thought pick me back up.”
He chuckled and lifted me back into his arms before whispering in my ear.
“Wait until we get back and I’ll show you just how magic they are.”
I raised an eyebrow and whispered back. “Hmm, Mr Lewis, it seems you are a bit confident about how good your kisses are.”
“How about we let you be the one to decide how confident I should be about them.” He murmured.
Owen groaned. “Oh come on, can’t you leave that kind of talk until you’re alone?”
I frowned and looked over Dom’s shoulder at him. He was way too far back to have been able to hear us. “How on earth can you hear from there?”
“Owen is a bit different
to us, he still has his panther’s sense of hearing and smell when he returns to human whereas we don’t.”
“Isn’t that a bit annoying?” I asked Owen.
He nodded. “That’s why I spend most of my time as a cat, when I’m a cat it quietens them a little, it’s easier to deal with.”
“Well at least you can do that anyway.” I wiggled my legs and grinned. “Put me down Dom, I think I can walk now.”
He sighed and did as I asked him, luckily when he let go of me my knees held me up and I grinned again. “See all better.” I spun around on the spot and stopped mid spin when I spotted the wolf eyes that I had become all too familiar with lately. He was standing directly behind Owen and ready to pounce. Owen had caught up with us when I was talking to him now so luckily he was plenty close enough. Before I could stop to think if it was really a good idea I shoved Owen out of the way when the wolf was inches from him, but unluckily for me that left me as the new target. My small ribs creaked under the weight of the wolf as he landed on me.
Before it could do anything a pair of black panthers were yanking him off of me, but he was very reluctant to go and its claws tried to cling to me to slow its leaving process. They were only scraping against my dress until it reached the holes in my skirt where it came into contact with my skin. I let out a scream as it dug deep scratches down my thigh smearing my already ruined dress with blood.
A good thing about the forest was the fact that there were a lot of sticks about of all shapes and sizes and at this point it came in handy. I grabbed the biggest one I could find before sitting up and whacking it in the snout as hard as I could.
“Piss off you bastard. I’m so tired of you stupid wolves!” I started hitting it with the stick some more shouting in between hits. “I am not your damn food. Go and buy some Winalot or something you stupid dog!”
The panthers both had there yellow gazes on me seeming shocked and I sighed before struggling to my feet, throwing the stick away and muttering. “He’s all yours.”
I didn’t really have any desire to see the wolf ripped apart so I turned away and kept heading towards the house.
“I’ll have to look at that leg.” Mark stated walking beside me.
One Of The Enemy (Hidden Descendant Series, Book 1) Page 11