“Because her life is threatened. When our animal senses our life is in danger, they’ll take over. That’s what these guys want. You have to break the animal, or they’ll never be submissive. As long as she’s in those chains, she’ll protect her human side because the human is weak. I’ve heard of Shifters staying in animal form for years—some even decades.” Blue took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. “Once I release her, she goes her way, and we go ours. If she wants to lie there, then we let her. Got it? Unless you want to help me lift a three-hundred-pound bear into the back of your pickup.”
“No, thanks.”
Blue twisted her long brown hair and wound it up in a bun, using an elastic band to secure it. Her lush lips and doe-eyed look were a stark contrast to her strong bone structure and thick eyebrows. She had qualities that made a person look at her for longer than normal, and I supposed that was why she often wore a hood.
She unzipped a pocket in her cargo pants and retrieved a small tool. “I’ll pick the lock around her collar.”
I chuckled. “You have everything in those pockets, don’t you?”
“Everything a woman needs. Except for weapons.”
“Should I call Viktor and tell him you’ve finally lost your mind?”
Blue propped her foot on the tree stump and surveyed the scene. “Animals can usually sense other Shifters. She’ll know right away I’m not above her in the food chain, so that might keep her from mauling me to death.”
“And if she swipes those big-ass, razor-sharp claws at your face?”
Blue shot me an impish grin. “I’ll fly away and leave you two alone.”
“Thanks.”
Blue didn’t bat an eyelash as she approached the massive creature, her pace steady, her back straight, her eyes downcast. When the bear unleashed a deafening roar, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I briefly eyed the fallen hatchet just in case we had to do the unthinkable. As Blue neared the animal, she held out her hands—palms down—and spoke softly. I was out of earshot and couldn’t hear what she was saying, but it was more about her tone and not the words.
After a few short huffs, the animal lay back down in a pile of dead leaves.
Where did this woman get the balls? I’m not saying I wouldn’t have done it myself, but Blue was recently mauled by a lion. Her scars were as fresh as the memories that must haunt her at night. And yet there she was, facing a beast that could finish what the last one hadn’t. Maybe she had a death wish.
I sharpened my light and paced forward, ready to distract the animal if it got agitated. Blue inched closer and then gingerly reached for the thick metal collar around its neck. I watched nervously as she dug through the matted fur and turned the collar, searching for the lock. She was dangerously close to the bear’s jaws. One snap and it was all over.
“Stay where you are,” Blue said calmly. “Don’t make her think it’s a trap. Isn’t that right, girl? Yeah. We’re gonna get this ugly thing off you.”
I waited for a painful minute while Blue used her lock-picking tool. The bear grunted a few times, shifting its weight and growing restless.
“Almost done,” Blue said as if she were tying the laces of an impatient child. “And then you’ll be free.”
How did this woman wind up here? Was she duped? Had she been traded off? At what point does a Shifter lose free will? How can someone let their family decide their fate?
Even though I’d grown up around Shifters, it was clear I would never fully understand them.
“Hurry up,” I sang.
“One more second.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” a voice boomed.
I hadn’t sensed them coming, but as soon as I turned, I felt a weak lick of energy radiating from two men who looked ready to slit our throats.
I was about to pelt them with rocks when I remembered the axe. I hustled back to where Blue had left it and scooped it off the ground. “Frank invited us.”
One guy stepped in front, tattoos covering his pale, hairless chest. Unlike Ferro, who had a robust physique, this guy’s ribs were protruding from his chest above his concave stomach. Maybe they fought for their meals, and he always came up last. His buddy had more meat on his bones but was just as pasty. I would have never pegged them for bears.
More like weasels.
Skeleton Man pointed his knife at Blue. “Get off our female.”
Our? Just hearing that word made me want to trim his toenails with my axe.
The bear stood, chains falling away. Blue sprang to her feet and backed up, her eyes trained on the bear and not the two men.
Skeleton Man retracted his arm. The moment the knife left his grip, I dropped the axe and flashed after the blade, knocking it off its trajectory. I skidded to a stop just short of the bear and slowly backed up. Maybe flashing around an unchained animal wasn’t the best idea.
After a brief look around, the bear loped out of sight.
I shook the blood off my knuckles and aimed a hot glare at the men. “Go crawl back under the rock you came from. We’re here on official business. If you want the higher authority up your ass, that’s up to you. Just keep in mind that I’m a Mage.” Static flickered at my fingertips.
“Since when does the higher authority give a shit what we do out here?” he spat out.
The woods came alive when at least ten more men emerged from hiding spots behind the brush.
I looked over my shoulder at Blue, deciding this wouldn’t end well. “Take off. I’ll meet you at home.”
She glowered. “I’m not leaving you here alone. We’ll fight together.”
“You’re unarmed. You can escape. I have no choice,” I said, noticing the men had spaced apart so that I’d never make it back to my truck.
“Have you got enough fang to take down fourteen men? Because it’ll take a hell of a lot of Mage light to drop a bear. I’ll fly if you promise to run.”
I gave her a regretful smile. “I can’t leave my truck. My father gave me that truck, and I’ll bet they’re stealing the tires as we speak.”
Blue sighed. “Go for the dagger. I’ll get the axe.”
“We require compensation,” Skeleton Man called out. “Tit for tat.”
One of the men slid his gaze down Blue’s body. “Yeah… tit.”
Once I spotted the knife, I flashed to it. One man made a wild lunge, but I spun around and sliced his arm.
Blue ran past me toward the axe, the ground thundering beneath her feet. She skidded to a stop when Skeleton Man reached it first.
He approached her with a menacing stride. “Are you a bird? Because I sure have a taste for fried chicken.”
I gasped when he lifted the axe in a sharp movement and brought it down.
One minute, Blue was in the line of fire. The next, a tall figure appeared in front of her and stopped the axe midair. He gripped Skeleton Man’s wrist, standing like a pillar between Blue and certain death. The stranger’s boots were as dirty as the ground beneath him, his long hair unkempt. When he turned his head to look at the other men, I saw his full profile.
Oh shit.
It was Matteo. What the hell is he doing here?
The men backed up when they saw that Matteo had gone primal. Chitahs weren’t Shifters, but they had something animalistic living inside them that was ruthless when it took over. Ruthless enough to take on fourteen bears? By the looks on the men’s faces, they didn’t want to take that bet.