Page 34 of Pretty Kitten

He stopped talking, stopped breathing.

“What...”

Daunte lifted one finger to his mouth, gesturing her to keep quiet as he turned south, where he’d heard a noise.

He crouched, slowly, ready to shift and pounce. But a slight form came out of the shadows; a face he recognised, although he’d only seen it twice. Once on an application, another time, face to face.

The small blond Clari had pounced on the first time she’d shifted. Daunte never saw her again, which meant Rye had dismissed her…

If she’d made it to the pride house.

Was she spying on them?

He didn’t think so; something made him believe she wasn’t, although he couldn’t place what.

“Five miles, on the other side of the river, there’re bears on foot” she said. “More people are coming by road. They’re close.”

Then, the girl took a step back, returning to the shadow.

“Wait…” he called, needing a little more to go on; numbers, perhaps.

But he felt the change in the air that always preceded a shift, and, a second later, a large bird of prey flew away.

Daunte didn’t have the time to go after her. “Shift back, and stay close to me,” he asked Clari, who for once, did as she was told. Thank all heavens for that.

They ran at high speed back to the pride house; Daunte burst into Rye’s office in his animal form, the large panther making a mess of the files as he bumped into the furniture. He shifted, reaching for the closest phone.

“It’s starting. Call everyone back.”

Clari had genuinely believed she’d been ready for it; that at the very least, she knew what to expect. What a load of bull crap.

She remembered all the things she’d told herself she’d do later. Call her mom to tell her about Daunte, see her aunt and uncle for dinner, visit her cousin, add apple muffins to the menu at the bakery they hadn’t opened for nearly a month.

Now, if she messed up, there would be no tomorrow.

“Where is everyone?”

Her voice didn’t relay even half of her panic, although it was shaky.

“They’ll come. Jas and Ian are patrolling with the recruits. It’s gonna be just fine.”

How did Rye manage to sound so collected, damn it?

“It will,” Daunte insisted. “That eagle girl gave us a huge advantage. We’ve been warned a good ten minutes earlier than planned. It’ll be okay, beautiful.”

Ace, who’d gone to call Niamh as soon as they’d arrived, came downstairs with all the kids, Zack held against her chest. She headed right to Clari, and put the sleeping child in her arms.

“Fitting to let this end exactly how it started,” she said, attempting a smile.

“I can’t…”

“You’ll take care of him for me. And, if you need to, you just take the kids and run like hell. Run to the end of the world.”

Clari couldn’t speak, her throat dry and her heart about to explode, so she just nodded. She hated the very thought of it, but, if she needed to, she’d run; Zack and the other children deserved as much.

On that note, the Alpha left the house, Daunte, Rye, Faith and Vivicia on her heels.

Rain remained behind with her, chanting words in French, or perhaps Latin.

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