Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(76)

Suddenly, Torin jumped in her path, and she skidded to a stop. The woman squeaked, while the wolf yipped and growled playfully. Her mate’s wolf was beautiful and large, easily twice her size. His silver eyes matched the man’s and stood out against black fur. He blew out a breath and slowly stalked toward her. Heart hammering in her chest, she took off.

Her muscles burned as she darted around trees and jumped shrubs and fallen trunks. No matter how fast she pushed her legs to go, Torin stayed on her heels. She cut around another tree and spotted a large oak with thick branches. She did something she hadn’t tried since she was a teen. She called on the small part of her she got from her father, the leopard characteristics that allowed her to climb trees and her other cat-like skills.

Where her wolf was her primary beast and the one she could shift to at will without thought, she was still half-leopard. In theory, she could shift into one. Yet, she never tried. Mostly because a few years after her first change, her parents were killed.

The involuntary thought of her parents made her heart ache. Her wolf whimpered and stumbled. She hadn’t realized she was so close to the edge of a small ravine until she lost her footing and began to slide down the slope.

She howled and tried to dig her claws into the ground to slow her descent. No use. The ground was too dry and sandy, making the fallen leaves slippery.

A moment later, she landed on her side. Her breath rushed from her lungs as she hit, but nothing hurt. Thanks God for the bed of leaves at the bottom.

The sound of leaves sliding drew her attention up to see Torin slide to a stop next to her. He nuzzled her neck, and she sighed at the tender gesture. Hers. He was all hers. As long as he wanted her.

A lump formed in her throat, and her wolf retreated. No. No. A flash later, she lay beside Torin in human form. “Why?”

Torin’s body shimmered a second before he too shifted into his human body. “What’s wrong?”

She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t show him any more of her weaknesses. “She retreated.”

“Why?” he growled. Apparently, he had guesses as to why, but was going to make her tell him. How did one tell her mate she feared being rejected and left alone the rest of her life?

She opened her mouth, but he slapped a hand over. “Shh.”

Was he bipolar? Then she heard it. The sound of rustling leaves above them, along with the scent of humans and gunpowder. Her eyes widened as she searched his face, dread burning its way to her belly. Then her wolf rose up, alert to the pending danger.

“Can you shift back?”

She nodded.

“Good. We need to lead them away from the dens.”

Fear ran cold in her blood. “Split up?”

“Briefly. I know there is a strong huntress still in there. I want to see her in action.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before rolling away from her and shifting.

Taking a breath, she shifted. Dizziness knocked her off balance. Whoa, too fast, Cora. Shaking it off, she raced after Torin and up the side of a ravine less steep than the one she fell down. The hunters spotted them as soon as they emerged and fired a shot. The bullet hit the ground inches from her.

Fear exploded inside her, pushing her to move. Torin turned one way, so Cora went the other, hoping they were doing the right thing by spitting up. Yet there were two hunters, and they could separate and follow each of them.

Movement to her right spiked the burning fear within her. When she glanced to see what it was, relief washed over her. Ana in leopard form. Cora guessed the presence of the other female calmed her fear because Ana was a dominant and a superior according to the Pack hierarchy simply by being the Alpha’s daughter.

Ana stopped, and Cora did, too, and let out a whimper. Ana stomped her foot and growled. A warning to go. To run. Conflict whirled in her mind. She was frightened, but she was also scared for Ana’s life as well. The sentry let out another growl, this time with power. Giving her a yip, Cora turned tail and ran, all the while praying her new friend would be okay.

A few feet further, Cora slowed to a trot. No one followed her. Then the ground shook. She stopped and sank her claws into the earth. A moment later, the sounds of yelling filtered through the trees.

She crept back toward where she left Ana and noticed one of the voices was Keegan’s. When she was within viewing distance, she hid behind a tree and watched Keegan and Blaine stand protectively in front of Torin and Ana—both still in their animal forms.

Keegan stepped closer to the humans. “I’ll tell you for the last time. You are on private property and have no right to hunt here.”

One of the humans, the shorter one and a little younger she noticed, tugged on the other's arm. “We should go, Dad.”

After a few intense moments of "Dad" staring at Keegan, he finally looked away and nodded. “Maybe you should post signs to keep people out.”

Blaine stepped forward, but Keegan grabbed his arm. With a growl, Blaine said, “It’s a state park, *. There is no hunting, ever.”

Without another word the humans left. When they were out of earshot, Keegan called out to her. “Come on out, Cora.”

She made her way to them, head low. God, she was such a coward. When she stopped in front of Keegan, Blaine knelt beside her and took her head in his hands. “Welcome back, squirt.”

Her chest swelled, and she barked a laugh. Jason had always called her squirt. As much as it saddened her to think about her brother, she didn’t want to curl up at the memory of the nickname he had given her. She glanced at Blaine, but, before she could look away, he smiled and rubbed his nose against hers. A show of affection from an Alpha leopard to his packmate filled her heart. Her Pack, her Alpha. Well, one of her Alphas.