|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
energy that needed to be worked off with a long and thorough
exhaustion of the body.
Michel nodded. Yes.
They stripped in silence, their clothing falling away without
hesitation. Shifters were pretty blasé about nudity in general, and the
thought of some of the demons seeing them take off their clothing
was of minimal concern. Naked, Cord looked up to the unfamiliar sky
and saw deep purple clouds rolling across a glittering star field. It was
as good a night as any to run across the red plains that made up
Demontia s southlands, the lands that Druas loved.
Without ceremony, he called the animal from the depths of his
soul. It flowed over his body like water over a creek stone, natural and
smooth. His body shimmered and seamlessly stretched into his feline
shape. It didn t hurt like the movies said it did. Shifting was like
Ravyn s Mates 87
putting on a very familiar coat. He moved his shoulders, and it settled
onto his skin. His back twisted, forcing him to his knees. Within
twenty seconds he shook himself and stretched his clawed paws into
the red earth. The signature jaguar spots looked even darker black by
starlight, though even the blond of his unspotted hair was growing
gray as the clouds moved over their heads.
Michel s massive body rubbed along his in a caress. He was
roughly twice Cord s size in shifted form, even bigger than most
males of their kind. It was one of the many reasons that Michel was
often chosen to be an enforcer for their colony.
Cord descended into his cat, who gave a cry of pain as the full
impact of losing his mate hit him like a freight train. The sound was a
feline cry of sheer agony. The tents that had been erected closer to the
fire stirred with internal movement.
His mate gave a warning growl and rubbed along his flanks again.
This was no place for those kinds of noises. It would only stir their
companions and freak them out.
Michel shouldered him once more, pushing him away from the
tents and into the open desert. Dusk and dawn were their favorite
times to run, and Cord felt the unique rush of it now. The area was
cooling, but the lingering heat felt good against the pads of his paws.
He let his cat take over and lived only in the moment. He knew only
the feel of wind as it flowed through his fur, the slightly rough ground
beneath his feet, and the thrill of movement as his muscles moved in
perfect unison over the ground.
Ahead of them was a collection of piled boulders conveniently
placed in their path. He gave a little huff of desire and increased his
speed. He wanted to climb. It was natural for his kind, and he wanted
to be somewhere off the ground for a little bit. Michel hissed at him
and tried to push him off his path.
Cord was having none of it. He wanted those boulders and that
height. He wanted to go there and mourn. A small animal about the
size of a rabbit was stirred by his passing and darted along his path.
88 Jana Downs
Michel pounced on it before he could turn direction, shaking his head
and snapping the animal s neck without even ten seconds pause.
Michel trotted behind him at a slower pace, letting him have his
way for once. That was good. He was so deeply merged with his cat
that he wouldn t have been able to logic through Michel s forceful
caring.
He leapt the first six feet up onto the rock and scrambled for
purchase on the surprisingly smooth sides. His claws scraped like
nails on a chalkboard, but he managed to pull himself up. The next
two leaps were easy, and then he was at the summit, lifting his face to
the now-darkened sky. He let out his cry of mourning then, screaming
his agony to the heavens. Another voice joined his from below, a
deeper scream that joined his in harmony.
His voice gave out before the pain did. It was only when his vocal
cords would produce no more sound that he shifted back to his human
form. His naked body lay panting on the rough stone perch, and tears
fell in dizzying regularity down his cheeks. A warm furred body
rubbed against his. He raised his eyes to the very feline face of his
mate. It was as familiar as his own. He reached out and traced
Michel s black lips, lifting the edges and tracing the long canines that
were used to pierce prey.
Did you eat the rabbit? Cord asked, his voice hoarse. Michel
began purring. Glad it was good. He turned his head toward the
horizon. It would be daylight soon. He could already feel the stirrings
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plmew.pev.pl
|