Page 8 of Panther Heart's Secret Passion
“What are you?” she whispered, her voice trembling, her face pale in the moonlight as she stumbled backward, her hands clutching her jacket.
I finished shifting, standing human again, my chest heaving as I stepped toward her. “Adrienne, wait, let me explain.” Myvoice was low, urgent, but she shook her head, her breath hitching as she backed toward the cabin door.
“Explain what?” she said, her voice rising, sharp with panic. “I saw you, Allen! You were a… a panther, and then you just… changed! What the hell are you?” Her eyes darted to the trees, like she expected more monsters to come lunging out.
I raised my hands, trying to calm her. “I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m still me, Adrienne. I’m a shifter, from a place called Esoterra. It’s a hidden realm, here in the forest. I was born this way, and I’ve been trying to protect you from what’s out there.”
She stopped, her back against the cabin door, her eyes locked on mine, but there was no trust in them, only fear. “Protect me? By lying to me? All this time, you’ve been hiding this, this… whatever you are! Those things that attacked me, the ones with the tattoos, are they like you? Is that why you’re always there, because you’re part of this?”
“No,” I said, stepping closer, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. “Those are rogues, shifters who want to hurt people, humans and us. I’m fighting them, Adrienne. That’s why I’m here, to stop them. I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t, not without putting you in more danger.”
She laughed, a short, bitter sound, her hands shaking as she pushed the door open. “More danger? My room’s trashed, Benjamin’s dead, and now I find out you’re some kind of shapeshifter? How is that not dangerous, Allen? You’ve been lying to me from the start!” She turned and stormed inside, her footsteps heavy as she headed for the small bedroom off the main room. I followed, my heart pounding, but she slammed the door and locked it, the click loud in the quiet cabin.
“Adrienne, please,” I said, my voice low as I stood outside the door. “Just listen to me. I know this is a lot, but I’m not your enemy. I’m trying to keep you safe. There are dangers out thereyou don’t understand, things that’ll come for you if you keep digging.”
“Stop it,” she said through the door, her voice muffled but sharp. “Just stop. I don’t want to hear it right now. I need to think, Allen. I need you to leave me alone.” Her words hit like a punch, the bond between us twisting painfully in my chest. I could hear her breathing, fast and uneven, and I pictured her sitting on the bed, arms wrapped around herself, trying to make sense of what she’d seen.
I pressed my hand against the door, my voice soft. “Okay. I’ll give you space. But don’t go outside alone, Adrienne. Not tonight. Please.” There was no answer, just silence, and it was louder than any scream. I stepped back, my stomach churning with guilt. I’d lost her trust, maybe for good, and the thought made my chest ache. But I couldn’t leave her, not with Morris’s rogues out there, not with the veil fragment still in her pocket. I moved to the main room, standing guard by the window, my senses alert for any sign of the rogues. The fire had died down, leaving the cabin dim, the shadows heavy.
I sank into a chair, my eyes fixed on the bedroom door, listening for any sound from her. The bond was still there, pulling at me, but it felt fragile now, like a thread stretched too thin. I wanted to break the door down, to make her understand, but forcing her would only push her further away. My hands clenched, my mind replaying the fight with the rogues, their snarls, their glowing eyes. Morris was out there, planning something worse, and Adrienne was caught in the middle. I had to protect her, even if she hated me for it.
The silence from the bedroom stretched on, and I leaned my head back, my senses straining for any sign of danger outside. The forest was quiet now, too quiet, and it set my nerves on edge. I stood, pacing the room, my eyes flicking to the window, the door, the bedroom. I couldn’t shake the image of Adrienne’sface, pale and terrified, her voice trembling as she whispered, “What are you?” I’d spent my life hiding who I was, but I never thought it’d cost me this much. The council’s orders, Morris’s threats, the veil’s fragility, it all pressed down on me, but nothing hurt worse than her fear.
I stopped pacing, my hand brushing the knife in my bag, its rune-carved handle a reminder of Esoterra, of the rules I was breaking just by caring for her. I wanted to tell her everything, about the veil, the rogues, the soulmate bond that made it impossible to walk away. But she wasn’t ready, and I didn’t know if she ever would be. All I could do was keep her safe, even if it meant standing guard in the dark, alone with my guilt.
Chapter Nine
Adrienne
I sat on the edge of the bed in the cabin’s small bedroom, my arms wrapped around myself, my heart still pounding from what I’d seen. Allen, shifting from a panther to a man, his body rippling with muscle and fur, his green eyes glowing in the moonlight. The image was burned into my mind, and I couldn’t shake it. He’d called himself a shifter, from some hidden realm called Esoterra, but the words felt unreal, like something out of a story I’d write, not my life. The bond between us, that warm pull in my chest, was still there, but now it scared me as much as it drew me in. I didn’t know what to do with it, with him, with any of this. But I couldn’t just sit here, hiding. I needed answers, and I wasn’t going to get them from him. Not yet. I unlocked the bedroom door and stepped out, my voice cold and resolute. “We’re going to Mistvale’s library. I need to look into something.”
Allen was by the fireplace, his shoulders tense, his eyes flicking to me with a mix of relief and worry. “The library?Adrienne, it’s not safe out there. Those rogues, they’re still hunting you.”
I grabbed my jacket, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t care. I saw that rune on your knife, and I’ve got this shard in my pocket. I’m not sitting around waiting for you to decide what I can handle. Either come with me, or I’m going alone.” My words were sharp, cutting through the tension in the room, and I didn’t wait for his response, heading for the door.
He sighed, grabbing his keys. “Fine. But we stick together. No running off.” His voice was firm, but there was a plea in it, like he was afraid I’d bolt. I didn’t answer, just walked to his truck, my body pressed against the passenger door as we drove to Mistvale. The silence between us was heavy, my heart pounding with fear of what he was, of the dangers he kept hinting at. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his panther form, sleek and powerful, those glowing eyes staring into me. I didn’t know if I could trust him, not after he’d hidden this from me.
The library was a squat brick building, its windows fogged with early morning mist. Inside, the air smelled of old paper and dust, the faint hum of fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. I headed straight for the folklore section, pulling books from the towering shelves, their spines worn and faded. Allen followed, keeping his distance, his boots quiet on the carpet. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look up, my hands shaking as I opened a book on Pacific Northwest myths. The pages were filled with tales of shape-changers, beings who could shift between human and animal, tied to a hidden world in the forest. One passage mentioned a “veil,” a magical barrier that kept their realm secret, protected by glowing artifacts. My fingers brushed the shard in my pocket, its faint pulse warm against my thigh, and my stomach twisted. This was real, and I was holding a piece of it.
“Find anything?” Allen’s voice was soft, cautious, from across the room. He was sitting at a table, his shoulders tense, his green eyes watching me with a mix of longing and dread, like he was bracing for me to run.
I kept my eyes on the book, my voice flat. “Just stories. Shape-changers, artifacts, some kind of veil. Sound familiar?” I didn’t look at him, but I could feel the weight of his silence, the way he shifted in his chair.
“Adrienne,” he started, his voice low. “I know you’re mad, and I don’t blame you. But you have to believe me, I’m trying to keep you safe. Those stories, they’re not just stories. They’re my world, and it’s dangerous.”
I slammed the book shut, my hands trembling as I finally looked at him. “Your world? You mean the one you lied about? You let me think you were just some guide, Allen, but you’re… something else. And those things that attacked me, they’re part of this too, aren’t they? Why can’t you just tell me everything?”
His jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with guilt. “Because the more you know, the more danger you’re in. Those rogues, they’re after the shard you have. They want to destroy the veil, and if you keep digging, they’ll come for you.”
I stood, my chair scraping the floor, my voice rising. “Then help me understand! I’m not some kid you can just order around. I saw you change, Allen. I saw your eyes glow, your body… become something else. Do you know how terrifying that was? And now you’re telling me there’s more out there, hunting me, and you still won’t give me the whole story? I deserve better than that.”
He stood too, his hands raised, his voice soft but firm. “You do. And I want to tell you, I swear. But right now, keeping you alive is more important than explaining everything. Please, just trust me a little longer.”
I shook my head, turning back to the books, my throat tight. “Trust goes both ways, Allen.” I grabbed another volume, flipping through pages until I found a reference to a ritual, one meant to destroy a magical barrier by burning artifacts like the shard. The book described sabotage, strange markings, and a leader named “the outcast,” which sounded too much like the claw-mark tattoos and the logging site damage. My heart raced. This was about Morris, the rogues, and the shard in my pocket. It was all connected, and I was closer to the truth than ever.
I glanced at Allen again, his eyes still on me, filled with that same mix of longing and fear. It unsettled me, stirring guilt under my anger. He looked like he was waiting for me to run, to reject him completely, and part of me wanted to, but that bond, that warmth in my chest, wouldn’t let me. I pushed it down, focusing on the books, scribbling notes about the veil and the ritual. I needed to follow this lead, to find out what Morris was planning, but I couldn’t do it here, not with Allen watching me like a hawk.
I stood, stuffing my notes into my bag, and headed for the door. “I need some air,” I said, my voice clipped. “I’ll be back.”
