The Thorian isn’t going to get out of his hole without help. He doesn’t have claws like I do. So I scale the rocks after him, get myself partially up onto the trail, and wedge my boots into the cracks.
He angrily swipes at me, like I anticipate. I snatch up his arm and swing him onto the trail below me, releasing him so he lands several paces from me. I’m not eager for a brawl. Not right now. I’m almost out of time.
The blue-banded woman is an arm’s length from the top. “Alpha Prime... My ass, you’re anAlpha.”
True alphas protect.
I bound up the pathway, past the silver-banded female to the top of the mountain, where I skid to a stop just above where the female climbs up.
The silver looks at me as I rise onto two feet again.
I do not care if she takes the money. I do not want her.
A hand reaches the top of the cliff, and the blue-banded female, grimacing from the effort, hauls herself partway up. When she sees me, she freezes.
I try to smile at her but fear I am scaring her with my teeth and claws out. But I can’t retract them. My Shifter wants her too badly. And when he has control, he comes out.
Fear fills her eyes. Her body begins to slip.
I throw myself at the edge, catch her wrist, and grab the shoulder of her race suit with my other hand. I draw her up to the top of the mountain as the woman in silver smashes the button.
Confetti canons go off as I guide the black-haired female away from the edge. On instinct, I curl my body around hers. Beside us, the silver female dances and pumps her fists in the air.
The blue-banded woman slumps in exhaustion and swears. I think she was hoping for the money, but I don’t care. My Shifter is infatuated with her strong cheekbones, the musk in her scent, and the faint scars in her light brown skin. Every heavy breath of hers is suddenly another breath of life in my body. The fragrance of her that I draw in from her neck and her sweat-damp body curls up inside me, hugs my Shifter until he resonates in a tuned, focused way.
The chaos inside my chest is gone. The emptiness too. I know I will follow her wherever she wants to go. I will do anything to keep her safe and keep her with me forever.
I howl in triumph.
There is a female destined for me. I can’t believe I found her!
She peers up at me with wide eyes. Her arms are tucked up against her chest, like she’s expecting an attack, and tears roll down her cheeks.
I have definitely terrified her.
“Sorrrry.” One word is all I can muster in Shifter form, and it comes out more of a growl than I like in this moment.
I can’t help it.I lower my nose to her face and lick away her tears. When she gasps and shies away, it nearly breaks me. I check myself to be sure my claws aren’t digging into her anywhere. I need her, but she acts like she’s praying I was literally anyone else.
Her eyes lift to mine, the pale blue of winter moons. If only she knew how much she already commands me, she would not be so afraid.
I am the one who is afraid. Until I had her in my arms, I didn’t believe it. Now I see why Azrim forgot about me the moment he met Jezza. Nothing matters but her. I don’t care about any of it. Not the war, not the rules of Mindor, and definitely not the negative cultural stigma attached to having a human mate. Hell, even the race doesn’t matter. I could waste the money I spent, take her away from here tonight, and be content.
She doesn’t look the least bit thrilled with me. But that’s nothing new.
9: Tessi
Damn it! I was so close!
A Mindoran Shifter looms over me, panting, with feral desire glinting in his silver-blue eyes. I’m not going to beat the other woman. He has placed himself directly between me and the button. I wager by his size, he could break me and snuff out my life in one hit.
Or make it slow and painful with those claws.I glance at them, then up and down his body, taking him in. His marbled blue skin looks soft, like really short fur. But it’s the deep scars across his face which worry me most.
He’s been rejected from his pack. But why?
My distraction makes me lose my footing. I’m going to fall from this blasted cliff that I climbed, hoping to win.
But just as the rock slips away, he reaches down and catches my wrist. His padded hand is warm, his grip painfully strong as he hauls me up the ledge to him.
