I snapped forward and wrapped my arms around him. His weight dragged me to the edge of the bed before he broke my hold and landed on the stone floor with a surprisingly soft thud.I fell forward, my hands smacking down on the wooden board at the foot of the bed—the deeply scratched board.
Gods, his claws weresharp.
“Motherfucker.” Reaver stretched his neck from side to side as the ridges of scales appeared in his flesh and deepened in color. “We don’t have time for this, but if you want to do this, then we’ll do this.”
“No one is doing anything!” I crawled forward. “Stop! Stop it right now, Casteel Hawkethrone Da’Neer.”
I don’t know why I thought using his full name would make a difference.
It didn’t.
Casteel shifted his weight back and launched himself.
I reacted on instinct, throwing my arm back as I summoned the essence.
“What the—?” A flicker of shock swept over Reaver’s face a second before he skidded across the floor.
Reaver crashed into Emil as the door slammed shut before them.
Casteel landed heavier this time, a foot from the door and right where Reaver had been standing. A deep, guttural snarl of frustration erupted in a roar as he lunged and slammed into the door.
I scrambled off the bed—
He whipped around, a lower, deeper growl rumbling from him as my eyes locked with silver orbs streaked with shadow. The fine hairs all over my body rose.
My muscles locked up as a different kind of instinct tried to take over—one that warned me I was in the presence of one of the deadliest predators—
Wait.
“Fuck that,” I muttered, my spine straightening. I wasn’t afraid of Casteel. Ever. Even in this form. BecauseIwasthe deadliest predator. A voice that sounded a lot like mine whispered,You really think?I ignored it. “Don’t youdaregrowl at me!”
He cocked his head to the side, his whiskers twitching.
I took a deep breath but kept my senses open. What I picked up from him was wild—a mixture of frustration and anger tinged with a ferality that reminded me of when he had fallen into bloodlust. “Glad you can understand me. So, listen. You’re still Cas. You’re in there. I know you are. I need you to control yourself.”
Claws scratched against stone as he prowled toward me.
I tensed for half a second. “And I need you to do it because you really need to explain how the fuck you shifted before me.”
His tail swished.
Having no idea what kind of response that was, I slowly lowered myself to my knees and extended a hand.
A long moment passed as he held himself still. I didn’t think he was going to move, but then he lifted one big paw, then another. He approached, each step precise. I didn’t move or breathe too deeply. I just waited. And I would wait for however long it took.
The soft fur on the side of his head brushed my palm.
“Cas, I need you to come back. I need you,” I said softly as I reached out through thenotam.I need you to show me you haven’t forgotten who I am. Please.
The massive feline tilted his head, his face inches from mine. I went incredibly still, really hoping he didn’t try something foolish because I didn’t want to knock his furry ass through a wall.
His breath puffed, as cool as a winter’s breath, blowing the hair back from my face.
“What are you—?” My eyes went wide when he licked my cheek with an oddly rough tongue. I blinked. “You… Did you just lick me?”
He retreated with a chuffing noise that sounded a lot like a laugh as I reached up and wiped the streak of dampness from my face.
“You seriously licked me,” I mumbled, feeling a charge of eather.
