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Stop staring at his ass.
“Nothing wrong with enjoying the view,” I mumbled under my breath.
By the time we scaled the mountain toward the cliff’s edge, I gasped for air and sweat dripped down my back. Not to mention my thighs stung. I climbed over two logs and trampled foliage while dodging low-hanging branches attempting to decapitate me. “I know we’re trying not to be spotted, so we’re staying away from the main road, but this path sucks balls.”
A shrub snagged on my pants, and I yanked myself free. Miniature spikes dotted the fabric around my calf while muddy leaves stuck to my boots.
“It’s not too much farther, Princess.” Reed pushed ahead, with Gage close behind him. I gritted my teeth. “Princess” implied I was precious and required assistance, but come on, who didn’t struggle climbing a steep hill? Clearly not shifters.
“Yeah, easy for you long-legged people,” I added.
Kahlo kept his pace slow alongside me, probably worried I’d slip and slow them down.
He reached over and drew me up the steep terrain. That way, I didn’t need to grasp branches to avoid falling.
“Thanks.”
“I would offer to carry you but figured you wouldn’t accept. You seem the independent type who loves to do things for herself.”
“Interesting observation. Do you often watch people, then make judgments about them?” I held tight his wrist as I jumped over a hole in the ground.
His arm sailed across my lower back, speeding our progress. I felt as if I walked on air, and being pressed against his side had me unfocused, except for where we touched. His fingers twitched as if he yearned to draw me closer. I wouldn’t complain because something about Kahlo had me fantasizing about him every time we crossed paths.
“Amongst lions, the strongest warriors are female. They’re fierce, fast, and know what they want. Just like you. All you’re missing is the ability to move faster.”
“With training, I’m sure I can race up this hill,” I said. We traveled side by side, sensing every time we bumped into each other, the way the side of my breast brushed his ribs, how his fingers gripped my waist. I wondered what it would be like to be with a tiger who showed compassion, but as an opponent would terrify.
You got it bad for these shifters, hey?
“And if I do?” I whispered to myself, but Kahlo gave me a funny look.
We kept trekking. Once we reached the peak where the trees grew sparser, we trudged after the other two, who marched ahead chatting. Were the two now getting along? Was that all it took? Or were they discussing a familiar topic—me? Not that I minded, but I preferred to be in on their discussion.
“I think I know why you talk to yourself,” Kahlo said out of the blue. “When I grew up, I lost my parents at a young age. Soon after, I saw ghosts and would talk to them. I know it’s not the same, but I figured the reason I spoke to them was because I’d opened myself up to them in my grief.” He looked at me and smiled.
His voice carried no judgment, just understanding. While I wasn’t ready to take on more relationships right after my night with Gage and Reed’s tantalizing kiss and promise, something about Kahlo stayed with me.
He guided me closer to his side with no sign of letting go, even if the path was no longer an obstacle course. I wasn’t complaining because being close to these men had me melting in my boots. I was unable to explain it; they twisted my insides into dozens of knots. Crazy, considering no other man had affected me in such a way. So what was it about these three that had me captivated?
“We’re here,” Reed whispered, not seeming to mind that Kahlo hadn’t released me. But as we approached the other two, I broke out of Kahlo’s hold, needing the fog in my head cleared.
Beyond the scattering of greenery lay a large, two-story mansion. It had black stone walls, and from the rear, the place resembled a box with a pointy red roof and a chimney. Fruit trees smothered the backyard, making it impossible to see what was back there. Plus, there were lots of dark corners and places to hide. Perfect. There was no light from the windows, so hopefully no one would see me enter… if the barricade allowed me to get that far.
Reed approached me. “The magic ward runs along the fence surrounding the property. It electrocuted me and threw me backward, so be careful.”
“Wow, that’s powerful.” Now I wasn’t so sure about this. I wasn’t a shifter who had the strength to resist such a strike, and I chewed on a hangnail, pondering another way around this.
Told you.
“I’ll be right behind to catch you if the barrier holds. I’ll make sure you don’t slam into a trunk like I did.” The confidence in Reed’s eyes helped, especially with the way he rubbed his lower back in gentle strokes.
Except crashing into a tree wasn’t what worried me—it was the electricity that could kill me.
Gage was by my side, gripping my shoulder. “You don’t have to do this.”
Kahlo stood on my other side. Having all three around me gave me the courage to get started.
I stepped out of their circle and scanned the house and yard in the distance. Only the wind stirred, and the branches rustled around me. They were right that not many humans lived in this area, so the spell might have only kept shifters out. Usually, such hexes could target only a single specific race, as aiming for every kind of race made for a super complicated incantation. But if I discovered the lost shifters and Reed’s sister inside the house, then I couldn’t just walk away. I had to help them. With a deep breath, I ran past shrubs and several boulders up to the metal fence I’d easily climb over.
