Chapter 10
TEN
I don’t remember how many times we ventured to the Fell in those following weeks. We seized every opportunity—falling into a routine on the evenings I wasn't working, or when she wasn't buried in her studies, or simply when we both had some free time.
We’d hunt, we’d run. We indulged in all our wild instincts, and afterwards, we'd find a secluded spot to ... embrace the night fully.
My panther relished these moments, these secret evenings stolen under the cover of darkness, always hidden from my mother's prying eyes and suspicious mind. I know she didn’t have an idea. She wasn’t the kind of woman who’d be quiet about it.
It was late on a Wednesday—probably more night than evening, actually. It was probably around midnight, maybe later.. My timing was off. It didn’t matter.
The lingering warmth hinted at the fast-approaching summer. The night was alive with that summer scent: the air turning crisp and sweet, the earth releasing the heat of the day, mingling with the heady aroma of wildflowers and the distant murmur of the sea. It was a perfect backdrop, a magical canvas painted with the broad strokes of starlight and whispered secrets.
I lay on my side, my hand propping up my head, with a blanket beneath me and our clothes piled beside us. I watched Tia as she walked away, her nudity as natural and unashamed as the night was dark. She headed towards the fence. We weren't in our usual spot; instead, we had taken the time to hike to the summit, a trek that required real determination. But the rewards—the panoramic views it afforded—were absolutely worth it. From up here, the town below resembled a twinkling blanket; none of its ugliness visible from this height. All the strife, the Human versus shifter conflicts, seemed to dissolve into the night air.
It felt as though we could spread our arms and soar, floating above all the chaos.
Tia leant over, rising onto her toes as her hands braced against the wooden fence. "I could stay up here for days," she murmured. "Up here, I wouldn't care about anything or anyone down there."
She turned her head towards me, and in the moonlight, her eyes glowed with a fierce yearning. "Why can't we? Why can't we just stay here forever, away from it all?"
“Because the peace wouldn’t last, and someone would inevitably come up here and spoil it all.”
She spread her arms wide, tilting her head back in a graceful, almost dance-like gesture. Watching her was like witnessing something breathtakingly beautiful. My panther purred contentedly within me. I agreed with her; I could have stayed up there forever, just the two of us, isolated from the rest of the world. I could have easily spent the entire night gazing at her, completely content in the moment. She was all I needed right then, but I was so young and knew so little.
“Don’t you ever wish it was all different?”
“This?” I asked.
“No.” She shook her head and turned, facing me fully. The moonlight pooled across the contours of her body, highlighting the curves of her femininity with a shimmering glow. Her eyes held an intensity illuminated by raw emotion, a silent plea echoing within them. "All of it," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "The conflicts, the hate… our lives, don’t you dream of a different world? A peaceful one?"
"Of course I do, but we can’t get lost in those thoughts. They’d drive us mad with all the 'what ifs.' It just is what it is," I admitted, despising how my words fell flat, echoing my mother's often cold pragmatism. Yet, I dared not dream. "Maybe one day we’ll have equality. Maybe one day Humans won’t fear us so much, and we won’t have all this control over us."
“What it must be like to be free.” Tia stepped closer, each footfall amplifying the thumping of my heart against my ribcage. It wasn’t fear but something far more intoxicating—a wild, insistent hunger I’d been battling since I first saw her. She sank to the ground, a graceful predator, her movements fluid in the moonlight. Her lips met mine, soft and warm, igniting fires that made my panther purr. She pulled away just enough to gaze into my eyes. “What time do you have to be home?”
“It’s Thursday tomorrow. I go straight to class. My mother will be gone by the time I’m back.”
She pushed me gently onto my back and snuggled into my side, her head resting on my shoulder, her arm thrown across my chest. I turned to hold her, to embrace her too, to shield her from the outside world. I felt her sigh against me.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah ...”
I traced lazy circles on her skin with my fingers. “That doesn’t sound so convincing.”
“I just wish we didn’t have to sneak around like this. I wish we could be like the Humans, or like other shifters—just meet and be at each other’s places without secrecy. Wouldn’t it be nice to make love in a bed one night, instead of sneaking around like love-sick teenagers?”
I didn’t point out that that was exactly what we were.
It’d be a whole different world. I couldn't take Tia back to my place, not with my mother there. I couldn't even sneak her in on the nights my mother worked all night, then I’d have class. I couldn’t risk her scenting her. She still made comments about Tia from when I had tended to her wounds weeks ago. “Have you seen that girl?” she’d ask. “Has she left you alone?” She talked about her as if she was some kind of stalker about to pounce. To me, it was crazy. She was just a girl, like me—a shifter in a Human world, trying to figure it all out with youth as our greatest barrier.
We couldn’t go to Tia’s either, not with her Human roommates. They’d have a fit if I even tried to step onto the property, let alone into their building.
“You know it’s going to be tough when winter comes.” she said. “We have summer now, and the heat, but do you really want to be lying here naked when there’s snow on the ground?”
“We could buy a tent. Make it kind of cosy.”
She pushed herself up, propping herself to look down at me. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or being serious.”
I reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Half joking.”
"But half serious," I added, threading my fingers through hers as I looked up at her. I didn’t have the answers for her, but I promised I’d find a way. "We'll figure it out, Tia."
She let out a soft, almost inaudible sigh, her shoulders drooping in what looked like relief. "I hope so," she murmured, snuggling back into my side. Her heart thrummed against my chest, the soft rhythm lulling me towards sleep. "I don't want to lose this."
She fell silent after that, and we lay there, staring up into the dark sky. Her breathing grew soft, and I shifted slightly. "Are you falling asleep on me?"
She snapped her eyes open, a smile playing on her lips. "No, I don't know what you mean."
"Yeah, right. Come on, get dressed. We can grab some coffee in the next town over before we have to face the world."
The next town over was a thirty-minute ride through unlit country lanes. Tia clung to me from the back of my bike as I navigated the familiar bends effortlessly. I had driven these roads countless times.
I was taking her to a coffee shop that stayed open all night. Positioned just off the main road before it connected to the motorway, it attracted a steady flow of customers. I’d been there a few times myself but never inside. Despite the sign that read "All served" with a society-approved stamp in the corner—implying everyone was welcome, shifters and Humans alike—its hospitality wasn’t as genuine as it claimed. These establishments didn't operate from the goodness of their hearts; they did it because the Society either paid them fees or, like Spy Glass, they saw the benefit of allowing others in.
Either way, it didn’t much matter to us. As long as we got served and there was no trouble.
It wasn’t that busy when we pulled up; I could see only three tables occupied. The lights were bright, and the large sign by the road confirmed it was open.
Tia removed her helmet and handed it to me. “How did I not know this place was here?” She gawked at it, dazzled by the bright lights and big signs. There was even a gift shop attached, giving it the vibe of those American diners I’d seen in movies. I think that was the look they were going for. It worked.
"Because you don’t drive? You can’t get here unless you have a vehicle."
"Well, that sucks."
"Yeah, but it keeps out the riff-raff."
She cocked a brow. “Are you calling me riff-raff?”
We ordered coffees and cake. As shifters, we didn’t typically consume much Human food, but there were a few exceptions. Cake was definitely one of them. When the plate was set down in front of us, complete with two forks, Tia eyed it warily.
“We’re eating that?”
“Yep. You’ve never had cake?”
“No. If my father caught me eating that, he’d have my backside.”
“Good job he isn’t here, then,” I joked.
We chose a table in the corner, away from everyone else. It was in the designated 'Other' section, reserved for those like us. But I didn’t mind. Sitting in a mixed area would just have us stared and glared at.
I sliced a small bite and carefully offered it to her. “Taste it.”
She hesitated, looking at me sceptically before opening her mouth to accept the forkful of cake. As the cake made contact with her tongue, a look of pure wonder bloomed on her face. Her eyes widened, sparkling under the harsh fluorescent lights. "Oh my god," she murmured. “That’s incredible.”
“Right?” I replied with a satisfied smile.
She picked up her own fork, using the side of it to take another delectable bite of the cake. I put my own fork down and watched her, content to just be there in that moment. “I can’t believe I’ve been denied this all my life.”
I had strategically positioned myself to face the door. As I watched Tia, that very door swung open. Perhaps Tia sensed my sudden tension, or maybe her panther sensed mine surge to the forefront. It could have been the low growl that rumbled from my throat.
She paused, her fork hovering just inches from her mouth. "What is it?" she whispered.
I shook my head, my heart pounding fiercely in my chest—but not with excitement. Far from it. The sardonic smile on the face of the man who locked eyes with me spelled nothing but trouble.
The four guys from Spy Glass.
What were the odds?