“I’m pretty sure I survived worse things tonight, so I’m not too concerned about the drugs and alcohol combination at the moment.” She watched the side-view mirror, somewhat expecting the lion to emerge from the darkness again.
“He’s gone.”
Noah’s statement had her looking over at him.
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“There’s a lot I know about you, Karri.” He didn’t take his gaze from the road, which made her uncomfortable. The implication in his words had her body tense. She’d never met him before so anything he thought he knew about her was just a guess. Yet she went crazy at the idea he might even figure out her thoughts. Maybe she was back in her dorm, asleep in her own bed, and all of this was just a nightmare. None of this could be happening.
The drive passed in the blink of an eye as she tried to convince herself that this was all a dream. As much as she tried, she couldn’t wake herself up. She pinched herself until she was sure she’d be left with bruises. Yet, despite all this, the more the dream seemed to solidify around her.
She blinked as the car came to a stop, and took in her surroundings. They were still in the middle of the woods but now they had found a paved road, and they were high enough that she could see the lights of a small town off in the distance, lighting up the night sky. “Where are we?”
“Down there the sheriff waits; he’d be eager to know a witness survived. Walking into the station, you’ll have questions to answer and it will make your survival known. It won’t be long before The Saviors find you and put you in the ground just like they did your friends. So, it’s time to make a choice. Either you’re willing to trust me or you’re going to trust the sheriff to keep you safe from something he had no chance winning against.”
“Why doesn’t he have a chance?” If she wasn’t dreaming, she had to believe that the sheriff would be the best choice. The man sitting next to her seemed to be connected deeply to this issue and knew more than he was saying. Sticking with him when he wouldn’t tell her anything was out of the question.
“The Saviors are responsible for what happened tonight.”
“The Saviors, but they’re only after…” Her jaw slacked open and the air was sucked from her lungs. “You’re a shifter…the lion…”
“Yes, Roger and I are both shifters. There were shifters within your group of friends tonight. Most of them were in hiding, not wanting anyone to know what they were, but somehow, The Saviors found out.”
“But Kat was human.”
“Associating with us—therefore, in their mind, as contaminated as a shifter, too,” Noah explained. “The Saviors’ goal is to wipe the world of the shifter disease.”
“Scientists have discovered it’s not a disease. The ability to shift is not something you can catch from being around shifters, or from even receiving their blood through a transfusion. Body fluids can’t transfer this ability. But you already know this.” She shook her head. What am I thinking, giving a science lesson on shifters to a shifter?
“Some people don’t understand or don’t want to. They let their fears control them and allow them to act on it instead of researching it to determine the truth. Shifters have lived among humans since the beginning of time and have never been a danger to you. If anyone is in danger, it’s the shifters themselves.”
“How so?” She turned in her seat so she could get a better glimpse of him.
“Humans hunt us down not for meat as they would for another animal but as a trophy. Each week The Saviors choose a different animal as their target. In the United States, we’re considered legal citizens but we have a long way to go before we gain equal rights. Even now, if we’re shot in our animal form, the law sides with the shooter, not us. As the law stands, they’re within their rights to shoot if they feel threatened. We don’t have to be charging, preparing to attack, or anything, all we have to do is be within the same space at the same time. They might be fined but they’ll never face murder charges.”
“That hardly seems fair. How can shifters be considered legal citizens, yet be killed like that?” She stretched her legs back out so her feet rested on the floor. “Wait, wouldn’t it be poaching then? There are certain times throughout the year when you can hunt certain animals. If you shot a bear when it’s not bear hunting season, that’s poaching and illegal.”
“Except when that bear is a shifter.” There was anger and sadness in his voice as he spoke.
“That’s bullshit!” The same anger rushed through her. “How can they do this to you?”
“The legal battle is ongoing but that’s how the law stands now.” He took in a deep breath and let it out again. “The Saviors are taking things too far. Tonight, they didn’t just kill shifters; they killed humans. Some of them I’m sure had no idea there were shifters mixed into tonight’s crowd. No matter what company a human keeps, taking their life is against the law. If the killers are found, they’ll be brought up on murder charges.”
She stared at him for a moment, trying to take in what she was hearing. “Listening to you just now it seems that in your mind there’s a divide between humans and shifters. You don’t consider yourself human? Not even partially human?”
“I’m a shifter and I’m proud of that. While I look and act human most of the time, my beast is always just below the surface waiting and watching.” The last bit of his statement came out as a snarl. She wasn’t sure if that was to prove his point or to scare her.
“If you’re doing that to scare me, don’t bother. I’ve been through worse shit. Your animal growling at me while you’re in human form does nothing to scare me.” Even though her words made her sound strong, she had to stifle the bubble of fear that started to overwhelm her.
“Sugar, if I wanted to hurt you I can ensure you it would be more terrifying than what you witnessed tonight.” He paused for a moment as if wanting that threat to sink in. “You should be terrified of an unknown shifter.”
“I uh…” Watching his eyes change from dark brown to an amber that seemed to sparkle in the low light of the car, she pressed her back to the door, and the fear she’d felt before started to spread within her again. The air in the vehicle changed, as if now charged with electricity. Hesitantly, she reached out her hand between them as if expecting to be zapped, but nothing happened.
“Lesson learned.” Whatever he was doing, he eased back to normal and slowly, his eyes returned to their normal color. “I’m not going to hurt you but you don’t know about the next shifter you might encounter.”
“What did you do?” Her tone was weak as she fought the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. “It was…I can’t explain it.”
“My beast edged toward the surface, charging the air, but I never lost control.”
“Your eyes…”
He nodded. “They changed.”
“What are you?” She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself but the air remained different. The scent within the close confines wasn’t the same as it had been before his beast peaked through. Now it felt like she was standing in the middle of the woods again, where a fire burned off in the distance and fresh leaves coated the ground, reminding her of fall.
“Lion. Feel it.” He reached over and took her hand in his.
She closed her eyelids and it was like she had been transported to the place she smelled in the woods. Only now she could see houses and people milling around. She couldn’t make out any of the faces; they seemed quite blurred. The one thing that stood out more than anything was the lion trotting toward her. The big, golden lion had to be close to five-hundred pounds but he didn’t seem intimidating. His mane was darker than the rest of his coat, allowing the dark browns to mix in with the lighter, golden color of his fur. His amber eyes watched her, not like she was prey, but as if he was waiting for a reaction from her. She allowed her gaze to continue downwards until she could take in his massive paws. There was no doubt in her mind that he could take her down in a flash and she’d be dead
before she could even lift a finger to defend herself.
“It’s not going to hurt you.” Noah’s soft words drifted toward her as the lion edged closer. “Touch it.”
“I can’t, I’m scared.” She stood there, waiting for something to happen. Inch by inch, the lion crept closer until he was standing in front of her.
“Touch it,” he urged her again.
She wanted to open her eyes and look at him to see if his eyes matched the lion’s, but she didn’t want this moment to end. The lion stretched out on the ground, as if to prove he wasn’t a threat. Not realizing she had decided to listen to him, she was startled to feel the lion’s fur under her fingertips. There was a certain softness to the mane that she hadn’t expected. So full and beautiful, like that of the stuffed lion she’d had as a child. The toy lion had not possessed the dark mane and had been nowhere near as beautiful as the one that stood before her—but that was the first thing that came to mind. This is so much better…
With that thought, her body relaxed. She dropped to her knees in front of him and tangled both of her hands in his fur. Gazing into the lion’s eyes, she could feel Noah there—and remembered when he’d looked at her with the lion’s eyes. They’re one.
But there was something more to it. She glanced around, as if she’d heard or saw something but nothing was there. They can kill us without facing murder charges. Noah’s words played through her thoughts again and she realized she wasn’t looking around for an active threat but the threat that lingered over shifters in general. Protective instincts rushed through her and she had the desire to keep him safe.
“Pretty stupid considering…” Her words trailed off when she realized she had spoken aloud.
“Not stupid; it’s the connection.” He caressed the side of her face with his free hand, teasing along the curve of her cheek. “Look at me, Karri.”
Not wanting the moment with his beast to end, she fought against his demand and kept her eyelids firmly shut.
“Trust me, my lion will never be far away.” He squeezed her hand. “Come back to me.”
She forced herself to open her eyes and when she did, it took her a moment to realize she was still in the car with him. For a moment, she had expected to be in the middle of the woods with the houses and people nearby. The illusion was as clear as reality. “What happened?”
“You witnessed a glimpse of me and my life. You saw and felt my lion as if I shifted for you. Karri, you’re my mate.”
“I’m what?” She leaned back enough so he no longer touched her face.
“I understand it’s a shock. Such news is better not delivered like this but I need you to trust me. What you witnessed tonight puts you in great danger; even if they don’t realize that you survived, if you encounter anyone from The Saviors, you will have my scent on you.”
“What does that mean?”
“We don’t know if they’re using a shifter to locate others, or how they’re able to determine who is a shifter in order to kill them. If they’re using one of our kind, they’ll smell my scent on you and if they don’t kill you for it, you’ll be used as a pawn.”
“Why would a shifter turn against his species?” She shook her head, amazed she’d asked that question and not what really plagued her mind right now. Mate? What the hell does he mean by his mate?
“If The Saviors are holding their mate hostage, or threatening them…a shifter would do whatever they could to protect their mate. We’re not like humans; there’s no divorce in our world. Once mated, it’s for life. The connection between mates is so strong it could kill the other when one dies. The connection you just felt between us is nothing compared to what will someday be.”
“You make it seem like I have no choice in this.” Even as she spoke she felt no anger, just acceptance. Is this connection already affecting me?
“A human wouldn’t feel the urgency of the beast within them, or understand the honor of finally finding their mate. You felt my beast now because I wanted you to understand. I felt your fear with Liam back there and I didn’t want you to have that same fear when it came to me. You have a choice and it’s my job to prove to you I’m the best choice.”
“You wanted me to see your lion there in the woods as if you were no threat to me—”
“I’m not a threat to you and neither are the people where I live. I want to take you there but I need you to trust us, I need you to be accepting of those you meet there, and most of all, I need you to trust me.”
“Why can’t I feel your beast now? What are you hiding from me?”
“Nothing.” He squeezed her hand as if to reassure her. “Until we are officially mated you won’t feel my beast like you did unless I open the connection. Trust me—it would be too overwhelming to leave that link open continuously.”
“And after the mating? I mean if it’s too overwhelming now why wouldn’t it be then?” Am I really considering what he’s saying? Was she willing to at least consider what he said was the truth? It seemed too bizarre to make up but then again, people lied about all sorts of things.
She could definitely feel something between them—something strong and nothing like she’d ever felt—but how could she explain this? She had no point of reference; human relationships took a while to build, and while it was possible to experience attraction to someone straight away, this went far beyond that. Far beyond her understanding. Was she going crazy? It was almost as if a current was drawing her toward this man, and she had no chance of resisting it. Was it this mating connection he was talking about or did she feel this way because he had come and found her when she was terrified of what waited for her on the ground? He had been her knight, rescuing her when she was too scared to move from her perch in the trees. Maybe that was all this feeling was about—not some magical mating connection he believed they shared.
Even as she thought this, though, something told her she needed to face some other truth. Something she couldn’t explain yet, no matter how hard she tried.
“Mating would give you the ability to control what you’re feeling. Think of it as the volume on the television. You can turn it up or down, depending on the situation. If it’s too overwhelming, you can turn it down so my lion wouldn’t be as aggressive. Then, say, if we’re in a situation where we can’t communicate aloud, the link can be opened so we can connect and plan our move. In that same situation, you would be able to embrace the bond with my tribe and connect with Chief Jase, Deputy Sin, or her mate, Garret. They’re the leaders of our tribe.”
“I don’t understand—why would I need to use the link to speak with them?”
He laced his fingers through hers, pressing his palm against the back of her hand and nestling both their fingers under her palm. “If I were unconscious or dead, this would be a lifeline for you.”
The thought of him dead sent a wave of panic through her, which didn’t make sense. She’d just met him; why did she care? She tried to tell herself that she would care, no matter who it was. The thought of someone so young dying should invoke sadness in anyone.
Rather than let her emotions rule her, she tried to take in everything he said. She knew shifters existed but she hadn’t expected to actually meet one in person. Maybe she had met them before and they just kept their nature to themselves out of fear of what was happening to their kind. She’d definitely never expected to have one tell her she was his mate. It’s just too bizarre…
Chapter Three
Noah had laid everything out for Karri, not holding anything back. He’d risked himself so he could find out where she stood on shifters. To take her back to the tribe’s land before he knew without a doubt that she wasn’t a threat to them was out of the question. It was his job to keep the members of the tribe safe, especially Sin, and he couldn’t do that by bringing danger to their doorstep. Karri was his mate but that didn’t mean she couldn’t pose a risk to them now. After their connection was cemented in stone through their mating, she wouldn’t turn on him or the tribe but until then,
she was an unknown.
“I don’t know what to say to any of this. It’s all so much to take in. What are you expecting from me?”
“Nothing.” He ran his fingers along her forearm. “Normally I would ease this information on you, but we didn’t have time. I needed to tell you everything to determine if you were a threat.”
“Am I?” She let out a light chuckle before he could answer. “Funny thing is, shouldn’t I be the one to know that answer?”
“Sugar, you know the answer.” He slipped his hand from hers so their connection couldn’t influence her answer. “The answer to this question will allow you to know the truth that I already know. Think long and hard. Do you want to see me or my kind dead?”
Looking at him, she shook her head. “I don’t need to think about it. The answer is no. What is happening to your kind is appalling and horrifying, and needs to be stopped. I don’t know what I can do to make that happen but I’m willing to try.”
“That’s all I needed to know.” With a smile, he reached back over and took her hand. It seemed impossible to be that close to her and not touch her, especially since their mating connection would only spark to life when their bodies were touching until he claimed her as his mate.
“I don’t understand.” She leaned her head back against the headrest and stared down at her lap. “I feel like I’m saying that a lot tonight. But while I’m at it, another thing I don’t understand is why you took your hand away and then brought it back a moment later.”
“There’s nothing wrong with admitting you’re unsure of something. My world is new and different. There will be many things you’re unsure of until I’ve claimed you as my mate.”
Purrable Lion: A Crimson Hollow Novella Page 2