Page 40 of Blood, Shadow & Claw

"Find her," I told myself, not thinking, just feeling. I pushed through the bushes, improving each step as I embraced the umbra I had become. For Mazie, I was brave enough to change, to be alone, and to face whatever was outside the safety of where we lived.

The air was chilly on my fur, but the fur in my chest kept me warm. I stuck close to the road, running on pathways alongside it. Once I figured out the running rhythm, I ran fast, my paws thumping on the ground, kicking up dirt and leaves as I raced down the mountain. My heart was beating so loudly I could hear it reverberating in my ears.

"Stay safe," I whispered to the Moon Goddess. “Let her come home. Please don’t take her too.”

I listened to a car engine roaring in the distance and pushed myself even harder, feeling desperate. Mazie's car—a tiny dot of light in the dark wild—was getting smaller as it drove away from our safe place, away from home.

I turned a corner, and everything changed. My ears twitched as I heard people murmuring, too soft for the wind to carry, but I knew they were there. I hid behind some bushes, my umbra's body hidden in shadows as I peeked through the leaves.

What was Raylene doing out here? She was also with some older pack members who met after dark at the house. This wasn’t good. What were they doing with humans? Humans that carried huntingrifles that would kill an umbra, like my parents. I wanted to run and hide!

Raylene looked mean, with her sour expression and wiry gray hair. I hated her. It wasn’t just because she was old. Nanny Kae was old and never treated me like Raylene did.

“Focus, Kayla!” I told myself, trying to settle my nerves. Raylene was speaking, and several members were nodding at her. They whispered together, planning something mean, and I felt a shiver of terror race down my back.

"Raylene," the man I recognized as Gerald Phyllis said quietly, his voice cutting through the silence. "We need to be sure this female will be the undoing of the alpha..."

"Trust me," Raylene said, her voice cold and dark. "Mazie Green is important. Once we have her, everything else will fall into place."

My breath caught in my throat, a tortured sound I hoped no one heard. I felt so helpless, like I did when I hid from Raylene. I couldn't be afraid now, not when Mazie needed me. With a shaky feeling that made me want to run away, I backed off, thinking hard. I had to warn Mazie to keep her safe. The hunters looked crazed, like the wild animals in the forest, but they were after the people I loved!

I turned, slipping through the dark, feeling heavy from what I saw. Even though I felt sad, a strong feeling grew inside me—a feeling I had to protect, like an umbra protecting its cubs. Like my momma used to protect me.

Mazie wouldn't be alone in this. Not if I had any say in it.

My heart beat like a drum in my chest as I ran through the bushes, trying to catch up to Mazie's car. It was so far down the mountain that I couldn’t hope to catch her. But maybe she would stop at the mountain turnoff? I had to hope. She was driving fast on the curvy mountain road, and I felt like she was getting farther and farther away from me.

Why did the surrounding forest seem so scary, with shadows moving between the trees? The sun was getting low. Soon, I would be in the dark, lost, and alone.

"Come on, Kayla," I whispered, trying to run faster in the cooling evening air. "Hurry."

But suddenly, I tripped on something hidden under the leaves–maybe a root or a branch. Time felt like it was moving in slow motion as I fell forward, trying to use my front legs to grab onto something solid but finding nothing but air.

I couldn't stop myself from crashing into a log, hitting my head hard with a loud sound. Pain shot through me like fireworks, and everything went blurry, with dark spots in my vision and stars flashing.

"No..." I groaned, my voice weak and muffled by the earthy smell of the ground beneath me. I wasn’t in my umbra’s form any longer. I was just a little girl, far from where I was supposed to be. I tried to get up, ignoring the dizziness, but I couldn't. My body felt heavy and wouldn't listen to me. My head was pounding, and the ringing in my ears increased.

"Get up, Kayla," I scolded myself, tasting blood from where I had bitten my lip. "Mazie needs you..."

But I couldn't move, and the pain in my head made it hard to think clearly. I lay there among the leaves and dirt, feeling small and helpless, like the weight of the entire world was on top of me.

"Please... no..." I whispered, my voice now clogged with tears. My head hurt worse than it ever had before. My umbra was panicking nearly as much as I was, and the darkness of night was closing in.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, feeling tears coming. For a moment, I let myself feel all the fear and sadness.

"Kayla Jenkins,” a voice from the darkness whispered, “you can't give up. Hold on, little cub. Help is on the way."

I told myself quietly, promising to keep fighting. With all my strength, I pushed through the pain, determined not to let it end like this. I gripped the ground with my fingers, trying to stand up, even though I tasted blood and defeat. But the darkness was stronger and finally swept me under until I was embraced in the inky black void.

15

AJAX

The forest was a blur of shadows and whispers as I plunged through the underbrush, searching for my sign of the rogue hunters. I’d spent almost every waking hour searching for the hunters to protect my pack, but most importantly, to protect my mate.

My betas, Maverick, and Devon, were taking other sections of the woods as we searched every inch of our land. There had to be something we were missing, a connection with the hunters that we had overlooked. I hated thinking Mazie was in danger—the threatening text messages had to be addressed. Once that was taken care of, I would deal with Raylene once and for all. We’d got a lead from Ryan, a lion shifter on the police force in town. There was word the hunters were meeting tonight. I’d hoped we’d catch them in the act.

I wouldn’t hesitate to rip their throats out. My umbra was protective of what was ours. I halted. My umbra's senses cut through my thoughts and the shadows of twilight. The scent of blood—a coppery tang that belonged to one of my own—pulled me forward with a visceral urgency. A few long draws of breath, and I caught the scent. It was Kayla—the young umbra who had already faced moreloss than any child should ever have to. I’d been looking into things after Mazie had come to me with her concerns.

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