Page 5 of Not Your Ordinary Shifter

When she didn’t immediately jump up and try to run, I lowered my head and sniffed her. Her delicious scent filled my lungs, and I wanted to close my eyes and savor the moment. Pressing my nostrils against her stomach, I chortled softly inmy throat. She didn’t move away, but I could hear her heart pounding out of control. She was like me, but the scent of her moose was faint.

I needed to know what was done to her and by whom. If they were still alive, they would die. She was trembling so hard that I wanted to wrap her in a thousand blankets and hold her by the fire. A cloud moved, and the moonlight poured down onto her. She looked like she’d been kissed by the moonbeams as her skin shimmered and her blue eyes glowed. I’d never met one of our kind with blue eyes. Brown, hazel, and green were normal. I thought I had unusual eyes with my bright honey color, but blue…they were stunning.

I stood perfectly still while her eyes roamed over me. Something strange was happening, and if she had the ability to bewitch then she was undoubtedly pulling me under her spell. One tentative hand reached up out of the water, and I didn’t move as she touched my cheek. Her fingers were so light they could’ve been a feather. An electric shock raced through my body, and my heart swelled to twice the size in my chest. A protectiveness filled me, and I knew that no matter what happened or what I found out about her, I was keeping her. She was mine.

Chapter

Four

AURORA

Was I losing my mind? I’d spent days and nights for months dreaming of running away from my prison cell, and here I was, willingly touching my new captor. He hadn’t shifted, which made things easier for me. The guards never took me in their shifted form. When I became too weak, my ability to shift was lost. They would’ve killed me if they’d tried. I pulled my hand back from his cheek and marveled at the sheer size of him.

He was the largest male I’d ever seen, and I could understand how Gorrin was defeated in battle. He stepped back, and I pushed myself up out of the water, trying to cover my nakedness as best I could. There was a tugging sensation in my chest that made me want to touch him again, bury my nose in his fur, and hang on forever. I shook my head out of the dreams of naïve little girls.

“I can’t go back to being a prisoner. If you’re here to capture me, then I would rather throw myself to the river, or you can kill me now.” I held my chin up as best I could and stared the Alphain the eyes. At another time in my life, I wouldn’t have been so bold, but not having anything to live for helped me find the courage I didn’t know I had inside of me.

I shivered in the cool night breeze, the icy water clinging to my body. He stepped forward, and I yelped as he pulled me closer with his head. He was exceptionally warm, and even though I knew I was walking a dangerous path, I wrapped my arms as far up his neck as I could reach. He made a rumbling sound, and I closed my eyes as I fought off the tears. An act of kindness was rare, and I didn’t know how to handle the torrent of emotions welling up inside of me.

“My name is Aurora,” I said, my voice breaking. How long had it been since I was called anything other than omega or something derogatory? When he shifted, what would he choose? Would it be my name or something terrible?

Stepping away, he kneeled down. It was a sign of trust among our kind to allow someone on your back. He nosed at me as a wolf howled not far off, and a few more answered. I looked over my shoulder to the river. I could run, dive in the water, and maybe live, or I could trust this man I didn’t know. His great head wrapped around my waist, pulling me tight to his body, and the decision was made. I had no way of knowing what he planned to do with me, but something connecting us urged me to trust him.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally made it up onto his back. Exhausted, I leaned forward and held on as my eyes closed. I’d spent all my energy and just needed to rest for a little while. It didn’t take long for his easy strides to lull me to sleep.

It felt like only a blink when he stopped walking, and hands grabbed me off of his back. I immediately missed the warmth and began shaking. I tried to open my eyes, but they only cracked so far before going blurry.

“What do you want me to do with her?”

“Take her to the main house and put her in the room connected to mine. I need to speak to the guards,” Even though I couldn’t see, I knew it was his rough and gravelly baritone voice that made my heart pound harder. “Also, have food brought to my room.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” he said. I could feel him walking away, and my body dimmed without him near.

“I really hope you’re not a witch.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but exhaustion pulled me under, and everything went dark.

SOLARIS

The guards were dealt with, and I met Shale as he paced outside my room.

“What did you find out?”

“Chase is on his way up. We should speak in private.” My inquisitive nature wanted to push for the answers now, but I nodded and entered my bedroom. I felt Aurora’s presence, and I wanted this meeting over so I could go to her.

I scented Chase’s arrival before he knocked. Pouring myself a drink, I called out, “Come in.”

He closed the door, and as I turned to look at Chase and Shale, I didn’t know if I was going to like or hate what they had to say. They wore the same annoying expression that said they had big news, but neither wanted to share.

“Well, out with it,” I ordered, taking a sip of the malt whiskey. I wandered over to my closet and opened the doors to grab something to cover myself. Walking around naked was commonhere, but I could sense that Aurora was already nervous enough, and I didn’t want to add to that.

I looked at my second and third, who also happened to be my friends, and shrugged.

“What the hell is so bad that you two are this tongue-tied?”

Chase sighed. “It’s not so much bad news. In fact, I think it’s good news. But I’m not sure how you’ll see it.”

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