Page 87 of Remington’s Mate

Sutcliffe.

Remy dove, backwinged to slow himself, and dropped Colt and Fernandez gently on the ground. Then he touched down, jumped off again with his leopard hind legs, and headed for the gate.

That fucker was not getting away.

Beating his wings hard, he flew past the gatehouse so he would be in front of the SUV.

Sutcliffe turned the SUV and blasted through the gate, coming down the road toward him. Remy banked, turning towards the oncoming vehicle.

Underneath him, the air suddenly shimmered—and then Jaeda was standing in the middle of the road. She stared down the oncoming vehicle, looking like a gorgeous, deadly, avenging fury.

Get out of the way! he yelled in his mind. He won’t stop!

Of course she didn’t hear him. And she wasn’t moving.

Her body rippled. She was trying to Change.

Sutcliffe accelerated. He was going to run her down.

Remy folded his wings and dove. He slammed into the windshield of the SUV with all four feet, shattering the glass.

Sutcliffe hit the brakes and swerved. Remy bounced off the hood, tumbled, and tucked his wings just in time. He landed on the ground with a rib-crunching thud, rolling over and over.

He heard the SUV accelerate once more.

Jaeda!

He looked up just in time to see her Change.

Standing in the road was a huge, shimmering, vaguely bear-shaped blob, taller than the SUV.

Sutcliffe raised his gun and shot at her through the shattered windshield. Remy saw bullets hit the bear-creature, but it just absorbed them. It lumbered forward.

Sutcliffe, screaming curses, plowed right into Jaeda. Remy, heart in his throat, bounded toward her. What the hell had she done? How badly was she hurt?

The bear-creature flowed around the front half of the SUV, stopping it dead.

The wheels spun, and blobby tendrils sprouted out of its front extremities, into the wheel wells and the cracks around the windows and the doorframes. Glass shattered and steel buckled.

The engine died.

The bear-creature wrenched the driver’s door open, flowed inside the car, wrapped around Sutcliff and pulled him out. He screamed and thrashed, his battered face a mask of terror.

The creature enveloped him in a bear hug, until only his head was exposed. Then it lumbered back and sat by the side of the road, pulsating gently.

Remy trotted over, spread his wings, and snarled at Sutcliffe. He started screaming all over again.

Brandon and Brock reached them first, followed by Kitty and Callie.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Brandon muttered, staring at Jaeda. “What the hell is that?” He looked at Remy. “And what happened to you?”

“Sheeyit,” Kitty said to Remy. “Your mom always wanted a flying leopard baby. Wait’ll she finds out you ended up as one after all.”

Callie added, “And whatever Jaeda is? It’s adorable. I want one.”

“My crew is a cluster fuck,” Brandon muttered.

Squatch limped up with Colt and Fernandez, supporting one on each side. Brandon, Kitty and Brock all drew their weapons when they saw Fernandez, but Colt waved his good arm. “It’s okay. He’s a friend.”