Was this a trap?
He moved in that direction carefully. As he did, the bubble moved with him, changing formation. The lurkers ran ahead of him, circling until he could scent them all, in behind the first.
Not a trap, then. The intruder wanted a face-to-face.
Would these alphas ever just focus on their own territory and build their profile the old-fashioned way? They were exhausting.
He sped up now, feeling all the danger in that direction. Up ahead, light glowed around a few of the trees. Beyond was a little clearing and a beautiful waterfall. He traveled that path often.
He did so now, head high, wanting a look at the challenger before he shifted and made a bloody mess of them all.
The second he stepped through the trees, though, he looked straight into the eyes of death itself. He could’ve been looking at a mirror with all the wild, ruthless scars sparkling on the surface.
He did not hesitate, knowing action might give him the edge. He shifted in a heartbeat and burst forward.
23
Jessie
An enormous lionburst out of the trees straight at Austin. Standing to one side, I flinched in surprise, and then I was running at him, magic at the ready.
“Crap, Jessie wait!” Sebastian ran after me.
Austin shifted into his huge polar bear form, tearing his clothes. Broken Sue ran toward him, having stayed back. I was already closer.
I created a blistering wall of magic between the two large shifters as the lion leapt, front paws out and claws gleaming in the sunlight. His mouth was open in a snarl, his long canines protruding from his gums.
Austin didn’t advance. He held his ground, braced and ready for defense only.
The lion slammed against a magically electrified wall, like the one I’d used in Drex’s territory, only stronger. Flares of magical light and sparks spit into the sky. The lion’s fur singed and blackened, and he crashed to the ground.
In a moment he was up again, scratching at the wall, handling the pain. He shoved the wall forward, eroding my magical spell. This dude waspowerful. Only Austin had ever been able to make this much headway.
Realizing he wouldn’t get through, the lion stepped back and prepared to go around.
“Should I help block him in?” Sebastian yelled.
“Yes, hurry.” I threw out another spell, this one not as painful but just as strong. Sebastian helped, strengthening my spells and closing in around the lion.
The lion rammed into the side and then clawed at the pink sheen in front of him. He turned the other way and found the same thing. At the back, he stopped and let out a frustrated, mighty roar.
Gargoyles flew in above us, having clearly felt our emotions through the connections and coming to help. They stopped above the clearing in an organized pattern, looking down.
The lion slowed before walking in a circle around his magical cage. Austin shifted back into his human form and Broken Sue pushed back to give him space, keeping his gorilla form.
Those golden feline eyes fastened upon Austin as the beast halted in front of my mate. He didn’t shift back. Just waited patiently, likely for an opening to get out and lay waste to everyone around him or die trying. His posturing was very easy to read.
Austin put up his hands as I walked to his side. Sebastian fell in behind us with Broken Sue.
“I’m not here to challenge you,” Austin said calmly. “I’m not here to harm you. The magic around you is to give us a chance to talk. I want to offer you a place to stay in our territory, no strings attached.”
The lion lunged against the magical wall in front of him, then tried another spot and another. Pacing the magical cage, he tookin everyone around him. That fierce golden gaze met mine, and it felt like my skin was flayed away while I was dropped onto a giant scale.
Again, the lion roared, a deep sound that reverberated through the trees. His tail flicked, possibly in annoyance, before he once again honed in on Austin.
“Take the magic down, Jess,” Austin told me.
I looked at him incredulously. “Are you serious? He’s still pissed off.”
