"All right, all right... You just want to see Taylor," he teased.
I didn't bother denying it.
Gaius shifted into his admittedly noble and magnificent gryphon form. For all his Hawaiian shirts and theatrical shenanigans, I sometimes forgot he took the form of a ferocious beast, too.
I shifted right after him. Gryphons were large, but nowhere close to the size of a dragon. He was about half my height.
I leapt into the air, beating my wings. Gaius joined me. His feathers softened the sound of his flapping wings, compared to the leathery snap of mine.
"You take that half of the forest, and I'll take this one," I suggested.
"Sure, boss."
We were just about to split up when a loud, piercing shriek cut through the silence.
My heart raced as terror seized me. The voice sounded feline, like a caterwaul.
Was it Taylor?
Seventeen
Taylor
As soon asGaius released us, I darted into the dense undergrowth. My mind went blank except for keen focus on my task. I acted on instinct, prowling the forest on quick but silent paws.
Crimson wanted me to win.
Iwouldwin. There was no other option.
Still, I couldn't help the nagging memory of Crimson's promise to go on a date with the winner. He'd given up his control in the matter, leaving it up to fate—or sheer determination.
Which Alaric possessed in spades.
And if Alaric won this gods-damned challenge...
The hairs on the back of my neck rose stiffly. I was forced to swallow a growl of anger so it didn't startle the nearby forest life.
It wasn't that I didn't trust Crimson. I knew he didn't want to date anybody else. But what would Alaric do if given the opportunity to be alone with Crimson? He'd make a fool of himself. The whole thing would be awkward for everyone involved...
I shook it off. I believed in Crimson, and he believed in me.
This challenge was mine to win. I had to find this boar before anybody else did.
My tiger instincts took over. All my senses came alive. My whiskers twitched, sensing minute vibrations in the air. My paw pads did the same along the earth. My nostrils took in every scent surrounding me. My sharp vision detected every tiny movement in the forest, and my ears were poised to hear any quiet snap of twigs underfoot.
Concentrate, Taylor...
It had been ages since I allowed myself to feel the way my tiger soul did. Living in a human city for so long forced me to suppress my instincts. Now I felt unleashed, like the cage locking me in had been opened.
And Crimson held the key.
Suddenly, I heard a thick, low snort.
My ears swivelled in its direction. My heart pounded. That was definitely a pig noise, and it sounded like it was going the opposite way.
Perfect.
Putting one paw in front of the other, I stalked silently towards the boar. It let out casual grunts as it rummaged around, revealing that it wasn't suspicious yet. I had the advantage.
