Page 67 of Forbid Me

Fur like the golden sun sprouted across my skin, a luxurious coat that shielded me and connected me to my new identity. My face elongated into a feline muzzle, my teeth transforming into formidable weapons, perfectly designed for a predator.

As the transformation completed, I stood on all fours, my body a perfect embodiment of feline grace and power. Forgetting the oldadage of you have to crawl before you can run, I took off at top speed. The world appeared different from this perspective—more vibrant, more alive. I heard the subtle rustling of small creatures in the underbrush, the distant beat of a bird's wings, the soft gurgling of the stream.

In my jaguar form, I felt a freedom I'd never known as a human. It was a liberation from the constraints of society, of expectations, a return to something pure and untamed. My heart beat with a new rhythm, one that echoed the wildness of the forest, the untamed spirit of the animal I'd become.

I prowled through the gardens, each step a testament to the strength and power I possessed. The sensation of the earth beneath my paws, the brush of leaves against my fur, the wind caressing my whiskers—it was an exhilarating experience, a communion with nature.

I wanted to go farther. But when I crossed the boundary outside of the gardens, I heard a low growl. Looking up, I saw a dark panther in my way. There was blood on his side, and his golden gaze was trained on me.

CHAPTER 46

Oz

Icorralled Stella's panther into an alcove so she was away from prying eyes. Nudity wasn't a big deal in shifter culture, but I would rip out the eyes of any man who saw her.

She growled at me, and I forgot to be an insanely possessive male for a moment. The sound of her high-pitched warning instead made me grin. She was so precious. How had I stayed away from her all these days?

I hadn't actually stayed away. I'd dogged her every step, but from the shadows. She was safe here in Panthera. Still didn't mean I didn't want to see her every moment of every day.

Before I could turn my back, she shifted back into her human form. The transformation was as mesmerizing as it was intimate. Her sleek panther form gave way to the curves and lines of her human body.

She stood there, in the midst of the garden, completely bare, herskin kissed by the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. My mind reeled with the thought of someone seeing her like this, vulnerable and exposed.

I shifted and stepped forward, my own body still aching from the earlier confrontation with the lion. "You need to cover up. Someone might see you."

The rage fell from her face, and she reached for me. "Why are you bleeding?"

Her gaze fixed on the fresh wounds that marred my flesh, remnants of my brutal fight.

I closed off, unwilling to reveal the depth of my turmoil over her rejection. "It's nothing."

Stella's eyes narrowed. "More secrets, Oz? Just like how you used me."

"I didn't use you, Stella. I've never used you."

"I've been trying to figure it out; did Dion know you'd seduced me into your bed? Or are you keeping it secret from him too?"

She had me there. Her eyes flared wider. I felt the golden heat of accusation.

"Good to know me and my real mate have something in common. We both were betrayed by you."

I struggled to find the words, to explain the conflict that tore at me. My loyalty to Dion, my love for her, it was a tangle of obligations and desires that I couldn't fully articulate. "He sent me to find you and bring you back to him. I knew you were his mate. I never thought for a moment that you would be mine as well."

Stella clenched her jaw. At least she wasn't yelling accusations anymore.

"I tried to fight my feelings for you. I didn't think it could be true that someone like you would even look at someone like me."

Her brow crinkled at that. She opened her mouth. Her throat worked. But whatever she would have said she swallowed down.

"I don't think he knows about us. I don't think he believes I would betray him in such a way."

"Are you going to ask me to keep our secret?"

"No. I would never ask you to lie. Tell him whatever you wish. But I can't watch you with Dion. It'll tear me apart."

"Are you…" She swallowed twice before continuing. "Are you leaving?"

I shook my head sadly. "The bond is still there."

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