“No, not while I’m in my human form, thankfully. It’s an ability only the alpha has,” she answered, walking over to the river to cup a sip of water in her hand before bringing it to her lips. “But I can only imagine that Rhea is giving Shaw a hard time for… something. And then Talon is trying to stop them from bickering and eventually tackling each other.”
I laughed to myself. “Keen observation.”
“I try,” she replied with a soft smile.
“A vital skillset, in my opinion,”Shaw said, his eyes following Neera’s every movement.
“I have a question,” I stated aloud.
I heard the groans from Rhea first.“Why am I not surprised?”
“Did you hear Shaw’s response just now? When you communicate in your animal forms, do others hear it? Or is it just a one-on-one conversation?” I asked.
“In my experience, it’s a little bit of both, actually,” Neera replied, wiping water droplets from her chin.
“We can either send a direct message,”Talon said.“Or broadcast it.”
“On the battlefield, it’s a useful advantage when we need to adjust our attacks, to regroup or relay information,”Shaw added.
“I see.” I joined Neera and took a large gulp of icy water from the river, trying to wrap my head around this new branch of communication.
“How do you block others out?” I asked.
Shaw slid his eyes from Neera and glanced sideways at me, the corner of his lip turning upward in what I assumed to be a grin.
I placed a palm on my face and shook my head. “Gods. Let me guess, just close the door?”
A rumble from Shaw’s panther mimicked the human equivalent of a laugh.
“If we hurry, we can reach the falls by morning, Sky,”Talon said.
“Then let’s keep moving,” I announced as we gathered ourselves and continued following the riverbank.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Skylar Cathal
Sunlight peeked over the ridgeline of the surrounding mountains to the east.
The fresh layer of snow atop the daunting peaks reflected the rays of gold and yellow, mixed with a warming orange glow.I treasured watching the sunrise. I believed it was a gift from the Mother herself, granting us the blessing of a new day. A fresh breath of life with the sparking hope of what was to come.
As we neared the roaring sounds of the waterfall, I felt a surge of strength swell within me. My animal surged to the surface, her presence echoing through me with every step I took across the pristine blanket of snow.
“Slow,” I commanded, reducing our speed to a walk.
I reached for the alpha’s dagger belted at my hip, memorizing how the cold steel felt against the tips of my fingers. The chill from the crisp morning swirled around us, daring to freeze our breath from the labored journey.
“Up ahead,”Shaw said to all of us as Rhea and Talon protectively leaped to either side of me and Neera.“He’s along the rocks, near the falls. I can smell him. His scent is strongestover there.”
I nodded, unafraid of what I needed to do next.
My shoulder brushed against Shaw as he scanned the rocks, searching for any other signs of danger.
“If you need me to step in—”
“I’ll be fine, Shaw,”I said, speaking only into his mind.
He turned his head to look at me, bright eyes shining against the shadow of his animal’s fur as he sat down, flipping his tail side to side.
