Page 21 of Homani True

Waving her hand, Dawn continues, “Anyways, he’s holding a training session in the field today. Homani and clones will both be participating.”

“What?” Lilly pushes to her feet. “Why wasn’t I told about this sooner? Matt knows damn well I’m head of the security team now.” An uneasy thought occurs to her then. She taps her fingers to her lips and whispers, “Unless he doesn’t think I’m capable anymore after losing April.” A sharp pain of loss fills her chest.

Dawn jumps up from her seat and rushes over to her. She takes her hands in hers. “Oh honey, no. Don’t ever think that. Matt actually sent me over here to ask if you wanted to observe what skills the clones from Crescent are bringing to the table. I guess he was quite impressed with what he saw in Temple.”

The honesty shining in her friend’s eyes lessens the pain in Lilly’s chest, but the dull ache of regret still lingers.

“Come on. Let’s go watch some sweaty, muscle-bound men at work.” She winks.

Unable to resist Dawn’s cajoling, Lilly smiles. “Fine, eye candy it is.”

Gage stands in the middle of the open field, the relentless sun beating down on his muscled and tattooed frame. Heat radiates from the ground, causing the earth beneath his feet to shimmer with mirages. The Homani and their clone trainees encircle him, their eager eyes fixed on him and Lennon, who stands beside him.

He and Lennon share a knowing glance before they both begin to half-shift, demonstrating to the crowd how the clones fight. Muscles ripple and bulk up to twice their normal size beneath Gage's skin as he partially transforms. His teeth sharpen and his canines elongate, nicking his bottom lip. His body stretches in height as he stands closer to seven feet. His sharp claws extend, and he lets out a low, rumbling growl. It’s a quick and painless shift, and for that he is grateful. Lennon stands before him, ready to spar. His friend’s cheek bones are now sharper, his jawline more pronounced to fit the deadly teeth that belong to his wolf. His now turquoise eyes never leave Gage’s. Sizing up his friend, he chuckles to himself. No wonder some humans consider them monsters, they are definitely a sight to behold. Holding out his hand, he gestures Lennon forward. “Let’s do this,” he says in a deep, guttural voice.

With a smirk, Lennon leaps and Gage catches him mid-air before twisting and pinning him to the ground. Stepping back, he changes his stance as Lennon flips off of his back and onto his feet. Sweat drips from his brow as the sun beats down on them as they continuously trade blows. Eventually Lennon signals to him and says, “We could be at this all day. It’s too fucking hot. You ready to call it?”

“Yeah, I think they get the picture,” he says as his half shift recedes.

He fist bumps Lennon just as a familiar face, Beth, approaches him. A clone herself, he’s heard that she’s a fierce fighter, who has affectionately named her inner bear Grizilla. "Gage, I want to spar," she says.

Gage smirks. He appreciates her spirit. "You've got it," he replies, his gaze locking with hers.

He passes Lilly and Dawn on his way to the center ring. He nods with a wink, acknowledging their presence. A flush colours Lilly’s cheeks as Dawn elbows her, her eyebrows wagging. Gage chuckles at Dawn’s antics and tries not to read too much into the blush of the beautiful woman beside her. The last thing he needs is a hard-on walking into a sparring match.

He meets Beth in the ring and she half-shifts, her body now resembling his. Their now turquoise eyes are a matching set as their animals are partially unleashed. Then they begin, circling each other as he patiently waits for her to make a move. Finally, her claws strike out only to swipe air as he easily dodges. She’s good, but she has a tell. “Don’t look at where you’re going to strike before you do. You give yourself away,” he instructs her before he sweeps his leg out, and she lands hard on her ass.

A few chuckles ripple through the crowd. Beth’s eyes narrow, but she immediately jumps back to her feet. She circles him, and he counters, watching her closely. Beth strikes out a few more times, letting out a growl each time her claws meet nothing but air. She’s fast, but Gage is ready for her. They continue this dance for a few more moments, encouraged by the jeers of the crowd, before Beth’s patience seems to wane. She lunges toward him, and they collide, each holding the other around the neck and torso. Gage struggles within her grasp and is impressed with her strength. When her flashing eyes glance down and to his left, he immediately hooks his right leg behind hers. This time when she falls to the dirt, he straddles her.

“Your eyes keep giving away your next move. Focus,” he growls before allowing her to stand. Beth lets out a deep growl, her body jerky in its movements as she now paces before him. Her eyes flash a brilliant turquoise and something unexpected happens.

Gage leaps back as Beth roars. Fur sprouts all over her body, and her limbs elongate into massive paws. In a matter of seconds, she has fully shifted into her bear form, a towering behemoth known as Grizilla.

“Oh, fuck.”

He glances in the direction of Lilly’s voice. She attempts to step forward, but Dawn grabs her arm.

“No. I bet Gage can handle it. Watch,” Dawn says.

Panicked murmurs ripple through the crowd, and Gage returns his attention to the grizzly bear before him. Grizilla seems out of control as she thrashes about, sending dirt and grass flying. Gage calls on his inner bear. He must intervene to prevent anyone from getting hurt.

With a deep breath, he surrenders to his own full transformation. His body expands, fur bursting forth, and within a blink of an eye, a thousand-pound white beast of a polar bear is in his place.

He swivels his massive head toward the crowd, their expressions a mix of concern and fascination as they watch the unexpected spectacle. He spots Lilly and Dawn near the edge. Lilly’s teeth worry her bottom lip.

Gage focuses back on the threat in front of him. The grizzly barrels her way toward him with a roar. His bear moves and swipes at her hind end. Swiftly spinning, Grizilla snaps an obvious warning, her lips curl back showing her deadly canines. The polar bear slams into Grizilla’s side. His two enormous paws toss her over onto her back. With a quick recovery, she rises up on her hind legs, Gage’s polar bear doing the same. The clash of the two shakes the ground. Gage’s bear has a good two feet in length and about four hundred pounds on Grizilla, but that doesn’t seem to deter her. With mouths open, they battle it out to land a bite.

Grizilla’s sharp claws land a blow, digging deep into his side. He’s had enough of this. With a powerful roar, Gage’s bear’s massive jaws clamp down on Grizilla’s neck, and he rolls her to the ground, pinning her. A shake of his head demands submission. He emits a series of low growls to communicate his dominance, and eventually, Grizilla ceases to struggle.

Beth, in her bear form, slowly regains control and shifts back. Gage reverts to his human one.

She stands before him, her eyes downcast. “I’m so sorry. Grizilla got away from me. She’s used to being the top predator. I wouldn’t have asked if I knew you were a polar bear.”

“Hey, it’s okay. You did really well pulling her back. She’s a beast, and I’m glad she’s on our side," he chuckles.

As Beth walks away, he surveys the area. The tension seems to dissipate amongst the crowd, much to his relief. His muscles relax as Lennon approaches, tossing him a towel. Gage wipes the sweat from his brow as Lennon looks over his shoulder and calls out with a playful grin, "Quite the show, huh?"

Gage turns to see who his friend is talking to. A few feet away stand Dawn and Lilly.

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