Page 20 of Finding my Shifter Soulmate

Gede presses his soft lips against mine, not pushing any further, not expecting anything more, just connecting with me in the simplest, purest way. Suddenly, my lungs feel clear, and it's easy to breathe. Gede pulls away and smooths my hair behind my ear, then brings his hands to my face to wipe away the trickling tears. "You are not broken, and you are certainly not alone," Gede whispers.

And I believe him.

Chapter Thirteen – Gede

When Sabrina told me about her life back home and the monster who abused her, my blood ran so hot and furious that I almost shifted. Right there, right then, in my own living room. How could anyone, man or beast, treat a woman like that? Especially one as pure and gentle as Sabrina? She deserves nothing but love and adoration. The thought of her abuse repulses me on every level. And I want nothing more than to take the next plane off this island to find her abuser and make him pay for what he put her through.

Sabrina tossed and turned all night, restless after she told me everything, and I wished there were something I could do to ease her fear. But all I could do was hold her, reassure her.

Now, it's a new day, and I've made a decision. I would never presume to tell Sabrina what to do, but I will do everything I can to keep her from returning to her old life if she will let me. A tiger doesn't always change his stripes, and her ex-boyfriend is more dangerous than Rama ever could be because of the psychological damage he's done and might still do. I need to keep her close, not just for her sake, but because I can't imagine going back to life here without her.

After making us some breakfast, I set the table, giving myself a satisfied nod.

"Oh wow, my own personal chef," she chuckles. "A girl could get used to this."

"Good. I hope you do," I say, brushing a kiss across her forehead.

Her cheeks flush a brilliant pink, a sight that does something funny to my heart. I wonder if she knows what she does to me. Sabrina sits at the table and picks up her fork to push the fluffy eggs around her plate. "I have something I'd like to show you today," I announce.

She looks up and stops the circular motion with her fork. "What is it?"

"A surprise, of sorts. It’s in the cave we visited before."

Sabrina tilts her head, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I think we did a bit more than visit it last time, but all right."

When we finish eating, we walk down the same path as the day before. A flock of parrots shrieks and caws overhead, filling a swath of the azure sky. Sabrina hikes her knee-length navy dress up as she trudges through the brush. "It's incredible out here," she says breathlessly. I soak up her delight and relish it, determined to surround her with it as much beauty as possible.

At the opening of the cave, I light a torch, ducking my head as we walk inside. Then I lead her to a hidden opening, pushing in on the wall until it gives way. A portion of the stone wall slides aside to reveal a vaulted chamber filled with ancient artifacts, glowing gold, and shimmering crystal. A few of the items contain magic, but most are just beautiful pieces of history, put away here to keep them safe from harm. I know that such objects would sell for vast sums were they ever placed on the market, but they're priceless to our culture.

On the altar at the back of the room stands a sixteen-inch statue of my Barong, the one that granted me the honor of serving the jungle. There is another statue of a similar size in the museum at the edge of the island, but this one is special. Whenthe guardian of one these statues die, another of their bloodline is called in to replace them, and I took this duty from my father, may he rest. Each Barong has their own statue, but not each statue holds the spirit of a Barong.

"What is all of this?" she breathes, stopping in front of the statue.

I spread my hand toward the display. "This is our ancient past, preserved for our future. These are heirlooms passed down through generations, and artifacts collected for their uniqueness or cultural significance. These are our precious, one-of-a-kind treasures."

Sabrina turns toward me, eyes wide. "There are so many. It's a beautiful tribute to your history, but why aren't they in a museum? Wouldn't they be safer in a temperature controlled environment?"

"They're safer here, trust me. A museum wouldn't understand the value of these things. This statue, for example, is more than just an object. It contains the power of my shifter, quite literally. If that were damaged, I'd lose my Barong forever, which means I would lose my ability to shift. Rama would jump at the opportunity to destroy this one to get to me."

"Get to you? Why?" she asks.

"I stand in his way. He wants the island for himself and his collective of tiger shifters, so that he can rule over us all."

Sabrina worries her lower lip, considering the dire implications of his greed. "And he'd kill you if he had to in order to get to this statue?"

I offer a solemn nod. “And with no heir for the spirit of the Barong to move to, it would be the end of us.”

Sabrina whirls, taking in the treasures with her gaze, then landing on the statue. "When you say it holds your magic," she says, turning back to me, "what exactly does that mean?"

I reach out and trace my fingers along the grooves of the Barong's chiseled out snout. "When a child of my bloodline is born, it takes the form of a panther as I did, but it's life course is not yet finished yet. Its true form doesn't come about until it's time for them to reign. When my father passed and I returned to the island, this statue stored his power, and he gifted it to me. The power is always passed to the oldest child. From that day forward, I have taken over his form and his role as the island's protector, and it will remian within me until my natural death."

I watch her throat move as she swallows. Then she cocks her head in my direction. "That sounds like a lot of responsibility."

"It is. But it is also who I am. That's why I'm sharing it with you."

Sabrina's eyes, so open and honest, jump to mine. The gold flecks in her irises sparkle as she stares at me. "I still don't understand why. Why me, Gede?"

The tone of her voice breaks my heart and puts it back together at the same time. I step closer and run my thumb along her cheekbone. "You really don't know how special you are?"

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