Chapter 8 #2
I pass a pink-banded woman. She’s covered in so much makeup that I wonder who she is beneath her mask.
There’s no way she’d understand or respect our struggles.
Nor would a yellow. I don’t want a quirky purple.
A red might fight us. Any monochrome band is going to be either out of touch with the war, a security risk, or just in the race for the money.
But a green-banded female takes things as they happen. An orange band means they’re feisty but helpful. A blue understands pain.
I finally narrow down my targets. The longer I run, the more I forget my worries, and the world around me comes alive. Sounds sharpen. Voices become clearer, until I can sort every conversation going on around me.
She’s going to have to be fast to run with our pack and endure our type of life. I start looking toward the few females that have made it beyond the main group and are headed for the mountain. But I’m not the only male who wants the tough females.
Many other males race up alongside me as we chase the females into the woods.
I managed to catch sight of one silver banded female, two orange bands, three green, and one blue.
Downrange from me is a dark blue Nytheralian, a Mindor brother from a different pack, the two Thorians, an Amphiran, and a Helsvian.
We outpace other males, who circle back to take who’s still in the valley.
Several of the females climb the trails, trying to get past one another to reach the buzzer. But I’ve got my eye on the female climbing the rocks. She’s taking the shortest, hardest way up, alone.
I’m not the only one who notices.
One of the Thorians and the Helsvian target her. They start climbing. When she looks back and sees them, she hauls herself faster up the rocks. Her shiny black hair sways as she swings herself from one handhold to another.
My cock stiffens. She would be a capable mate, able to endure our mountainous terrain.
The Thorian and the Helsvian are ahead of me. But when the breeze curls around me and I catch her scent, a new, unfamiliar strength fills my bones. My muscles shudder under the surge. My Shifter wants out, wants to catch her, claim her.
I close my eyes and slow my breathing for a moment, just to take her scent in again. My skin shifts. Claws emerge. My eyes tighten, and my teeth grow, eager to taste the flesh of those who would dare to steal her from me. I’m mid-shift, but it’s more than I’ve done in months.
Before I can claim her, I must ensure she is safe.
I open my eyes and look up at the two males climbing after her.
In one bound, I clear half of the distance.
My claws bite into the rock. A snarl starts in my throat even though it isn’t my way.
I’ve always been the peaceable brother, the one that negotiates.
Except right now, I can think only of ripping the Thorian apart and knocking the Helsvian off the cliff.
They want her.
I cannot let that happen.
Scaling the rock is faster, mid-shift, a level I trained hard to master. It lets me think and slay. The Thorian flings a rock at the Helsvian, who takes the hit and growls back. I use the distraction to launch myself up the rock face beside the Thorian.
He whips his head around at me. “Mindor… This one is mine.”
A female screams, making all three of us look up.
Rocks topple down the hillside.
The Helsvian reaches out and catches a female as she falls. He swears. “A little help here? I have to wear gloves so I don’t hurt females’ skin!”
When the Thorian male doesn’t move, I crawl back down the rock and fling myself sideways in periodic jumps, biting my claws into the rock until I’m almost underneath them.
“Hurry! She’s slipping!” The Helsvian calls out.
I scramble up and under her until her boots settle on my shoulders. Then I crawl up until he can guide her against him.
“Thank you.” The Helsvian hugs her tightly. “Go get her. Blues should not be with Thorians.”
“I know,” I growl and climb with frantic speed. The blue-banded female’s scent grows stronger the closer I get, and it urges me faster after her.
The Thorian captures her ankle as I reach their position. I jump sideways, shoulder bump him, free her ankle, then shove him off of the rock with a foot. He careens onto a nearby rock shelf, smashes into the wall, and lands on his feet. When he looks up at me, he growls.
As I turn to check on her and ensure she’s safe, I find she’s already out of reach, heading for the cliff’s top.
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 an Alpha.”
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.