AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Riley attempted to sidestep his attack, but he was too fast. His fingers wrapped around her throat, squeezing until her eyes bulged. She slapped at his arm, but his grip was unbreakable. Her eyes met Colton’s before they turned amber.
Her neck cracked to the side in an unnatural position before the sound of breaking bones echoed through the trees. Breck released her as her body crumpled to the ground and tawny fur slid across her skin. The change was swift. In seconds, she was growling and hissing at the reaper. Pawing the ground and sending needles flying through the air.
Breck put his hands up, backing away from her as Colton entered the ring.
He stopped when Riley growled at him, warning him away. He jumped back when she swatted him with her claws extended.
CHAPTER13
Riley snarled at Colton when he approached her. He smelled good. Alluring, but he was between her and the man she wanted to attack. Breck. Her cat did not like that reaper. Her roped muscles flexed when she swiped at Colton again, forcing him to back off. Her breath huffed deep in her chest as she reached for restraint. She concentrated on Colton’s voice. He wanted her to stop pursuing the man who smelled like death.
Her nose arched in the air, scenting her surroundings. Her whiskers acting like radar as she contemplated her next move. The forest teamed with life and opportunity, and the man she wanted to attack would not provide that sustenance. Revenge was bitter and her cat was hungry.
She bolted from the ring, swerving around Steele when he attempted to block her path. When three cougar clan members stepped from the trees to halt her escape, she whirled around and sprinted in another direction. An owl hooted above her. A warning. An invitation. She wasn’t sure, but by the time it repeated its vocal inquiry, she was far from its nest, seeking cover beneath a cluster of boysenberry bushes.
When she emerged from the shrubs, Breck was waiting for her.
“The trial is over. Resume your human form,” Breck said.
Riley snarled as she slunk towards him. Her movements were slow and unhurried as she focused on his throat.
Breck’s eyes narrowed. “Drop it, Riley. I meant what I said in the ring. You are no match for me.”
She hissed, before her powerful hind legs launched her at the arrogant reaper. Her timing was perfect and agile, but before her extended claws reached his body, he dissolved, sending her through a cloud of black mist.
She landed on the soft vegetation, turning quickly to track her prey. While he was nowhere to be found, Colton approached her from a grove of pine trees.
“Riley, I need you to shift to your human form.”
There was a soothing quality about his voice. It was low and endearing, making her want to listen. Her entire body leaned toward him as he approached. He knelt beside her, running his hands reverently over her tawny fur.
“God you’re beautiful,” he said, moving his lips to her ear. “Return to me, Riley. I need you.”
It was the ache and truth in his voice that had her reaching for her human form. Bones cracked and tissue reformed before her human skin slid over the fur and her cat receded. She clutched Colton’s body, shivering before she realized she was naked.
“Where are my clothes?” she asked.
Colton took off his shirt, pulling it over her body. “You shredded them when you shifted. When we enter the shadows, we shift our clothes into the pathway, but when we take our animal form, we usually shift our clothes to the shadows first, so we can retrieve them after we resume human form.”
Riley pulled the shirt down as far as it would go, thankful Colton was so much taller than her. The black T-shirt reached mid-thigh, covering all the important parts. Still, heat rose in her cheeks as Steele approach them.
“Congratulations, Riley. You are a cougar and a welcome member of this clan,” Steele said in a formal voice.
Riley heard the reservation in his voice. He wasn’t lying, but he was worried, and she couldn’t help wondering if his concerns were justified.
Colton slipped his hand around her waist. His actions were strangely comforting. “I have the right to train her. She is mine.”
There was no mistaking the proprietary tone in his voice. Lines creased on Steele’s forehead. Several shadow clan members emerged from the trees, their concern every bit as evident as Steele’s. She wanted to reassure the cougar clan leader, but acknowledged it would be a lie. The instinct to kill Breck had been very real, and she had to acknowledge what would have transpired if he hadn’t been so fast.
Power raced through her blood as her cat sniffed their surroundings. It was cautious now, ensuring their safety before engaging in an erratic attack. While she acknowledged her mistake, neither she nor her cat trusted the reaper.
Steele glanced at the clan members sticking to the trees. “Riley has a cougar. She is not a reaper, but I recommend we test her shadow warrior.”
Colton’s eyes narrowed. “Her warrior already emerged. What exactly are you looking for?”
“Her abilities. She seems to have some form of foreshadowing. That is a dangerous gift, but hers doesn’t seem to work like Dannika’s. I think we should investigate this ability further,” Steele said.
Breck shook his head. “You can do that later. She must travel to the Wolf clan and meet with Dannika. She has an animal, so there is no reason to wait.”
