One Insatiable(5)

“You’re a lynx, Mercy. One of the most magical creatures. Native peoples invoked us to help them find things elusive and rare. We teach mortals to trust their instincts, to be alert. We give them extra-sensory perception.”

Mother would have loved that I’m not a snob. She would have loved that I want to be an artist. She would have encouraged me to move to San Francisco and pursue my pottery and sculpture.

The females in the lynx clan pass the authority. Although my mother had loved my father and trusted his advice implicitly, it was the old way. Our females are our alphas; they make the final decisions.

Now Dylan is trying to turn our pack into some kind of male-centric group, only interested in men’s needs or desires. She’s reducing us to their subordinates, only good for being at home and making babies. My career, my dreams would always be secondary to Hayden’s. He would force me to be his well-behaved wife, and he’s not even a shifter! She’s perverting the lynx order, and I have the right to fight her power.

Indignation drives me on. I’m not going back there tonight. Dylan can twist in her worry that I’ve left for good this time. The only person I care about is Penny. I hate to make her lose sleep. Still, it can’t be helped.

I’m at the cliffs overlooking The Observatory when I pause to catch my breath and scent the air. It’s a beautiful fall night, crisp and clear. I’ve started to calm when I take a few steps forward, toward the small creek.

Dipping my head, I lap the cool water, and when I lift it again, I scent him. A cat-shifter, and a powerful one.

I don’t move. All the anger swirling inside me disappears as I take another sniff. He’s new to these woods. I’ve never scented him before. Who is he? Why is he here?

Backing into the cover of brush, I can’t help wanting to investigate. I’m curious by nature. Still, I’m small, and while I’m not afraid, my self-defense classes have taught me to be smart.

I’ll see what I can discover before making my presence known.



* * *





Koa


Southern Indiana has never been on my radar. It’s never even entered my realm of possibilities. I’d been making good time across the continent. The weather had cooperated, and I’d only stopped to eat and sleep. Still, when I crossed the Kentucky border, I felt a climactic pull to the north.

I say “climactic” because it had been like a strong wind pushing against my face, forcing me to deflect and move northward into this forest. Slowing my pace, I walk through the darkness, sniffing the damp leaves.

I’m far from the proud panther I should be. Loss and isolation twist together in my chest, making my head hang low. No shifter should be alone. Our kind craves touch, contact. It’s part of who we are, and spending the past decade in isolation almost broke me.

Is that why I went to Slayer? Or Slayde, I guess. We would know to embrace. The shifter way is to touch, whether it’s wolf to panther to bear, any other form.

I needed a hug from my best friend. God, I sound like a f*cking *. I should kick my own ass. I’m so tired, the thought evokes a loose laugh from me as I continue loping in the darkness.

The ache in my chest is intense, but the fact I can laugh at myself means I’ll survive it. I’ve been surviving so far. I’ll make it back to what I once was.

I round a corner, and an unexpected scent assaults my nose, stopping me in my tracks. I don’t know where I am, but I know what that smell is.

Shifters are never alone in the woods. Deer, owl, bear, squirrel — all types of forest inhabitants surround us, but this is different. This is another of my kind, and it’s a female.

Slowing my walk, I carefully place my paws on the fallen leaves and forest debris. Lifting my large, black head, I turn my green eyes to the sliver of a moon. Not a full moon by a longshot.

SNAP! A dry twig echoes in the silence like a thunderclap, and I freeze on the spot. That’s when I see her eyes. Shimmering blue eyes track me from the underbrush. Another inhale, and I can almost place her breed. I know she’s a cat like me.

Squaring my stance, I sit, facing the place where she’s watching. Show yourself, little cat, I think. That much I’m sure of — every cat is smaller than me.

A few moments pass. Wind moves through the trees overhead making a soft hushing sound. While I haven’t seen her, it’s intimate somehow, knowing we’re here together in this dark space, secluded from the outside world. She’s curious by nature, as am I.

Clouds move over the moon, casting odd shadows, but as they move away, I realize she’s come out of hiding. She’s walked out into the small meadow where I sit. Not too far — only a few steps into the clearing. Now she’s exposed, facing me.

Her sitting position mirrors mine, and I can’t help another internal grin. I like this female. She’s bold. She’s a third my size, but I don’t intimidate her. I see she’s a cute little lynx. Their funny ears have always intrigued me.

Taking a deep breath, I allow my magic to fall away. In a matter of half-seconds, my shifter nature departs, and I’m sitting in my human form with my legs strategically bent to cover my nudity. I’m not modest, but I don’t want to appear overly aggressive.

As I watch, her small head shakes and she does the same thing. As her magic dissipates around her, I’m glad for my position. Blood floods my pelvis as the most beautiful female I’ve ever seen materializes before me.