Page 18 of Finding my Shifter Soulmate

It's all too tempting to confess the truth right here and now, to show her and tell her that she's my fated mate and give her the option of staying with me or returning home. My fangs burn to descend, but shifting would just frighten her more, surely. And she's already been through enough. I can hold out. It's a test of my patience, but all things worthwhile come with challenges. And Sabrina is well worth any challenge.

Chapter Twelve – Sabrina

I wake up cocooned in a blanket of warmth. As the cloudy haze of sleep dissipates, I can feel Gede's hard body wrapped around me, spooning me. His arms wrap tightly around my middle, pulling me close, and his muscular legs tangle with mine. Soft breath feathers across the back of my neck, telling me he's still sound asleep. For a moment, I just relax and savor the proximity, enjoying the steady thump of his heartbeat against my back.

The open windows opposite the bed look out onto the ocean, blue and peaceful. It's calming to watch the seagulls swoop and soar with the clouds, to listen to the gentle crash of the waves against the sand. I could stay like this for the rest of my life, nestled safely in Gede's embrace, listening to the salty breeze whistle through the palm trees. I've never felt so safe and secure—and I've never had anyone make me feel so blissfully satisfied.

But I'm not safe, and I have to remind myself of that. Gede may have sworn to protect me, but Rama is still out there, and until he's dealt with, I can’t relax. From the sound of it, it's just a matter of time before he knows I'm here and comes for me. I'm not even convinced that he will stop once I've left the island. This could be a chase that goes on indefinitely, one that could follow me back to the states.

I still don't fully understand why the tiger is after me. According to Gede, it's because he knows the Barong likes me, but what difference would that make? I'm a tourist, a temporary visitor, nothing more. What did the mere fact of my existencehave to do with the island's protector? The thought of the tiger, his fury and threats, makes my stomach twist.

I lay tangled up with Gede, thinking, for a good thirty minutes before Gede stirs and pulls me closer, one large hand curling around my hipbone. "Sabrina," he breathes, his voice still raspy from sleep. "You awake?"

"Mmhmm," I whisper. He presses a gentle kiss against the crook of my neck, and it sends a heated shiver through my core, lighting a fire low in my stomach. In another minute, I'll beg him to take me. Is this really how casual sex with a stranger is supposed to go?

"How did you sleep?" His arm hooks over my waist, like a cage enclosing me.

"Amazing," I answer. "I've never slept as well as I did last night. You bed is definitely more comfortable than the one at the resort. If this is what owning a vacation home is like, I'm jealous."

Gede chuckles, tickling the skin of my throat. His teeth skim my skin, sending a message directly to my achy core. I curl my toes against the sheets, a restless, insatiable need blooming inside me. My voice is breathless when I ask, "Are there more of you?"

"More of me?"

"Barongs," I prompt. "I saw some pretty unique locals the other day at the cafe, and was just curious, I guess."

"I'm the only Barong," Gede says, sitting up. "There's only ever one protector of the forest. Before my father passed, I justshifted into a panther. On his deathbed, the spirit of the Barong passed into me."

I let out a ragged breath and press the back of my hand against my forehead. "This is all just a lot, I guess."

"Would you like to meet some of the other shifters?" he offers. "It might help a little."

After I agree, we get dressed and head back down the palm-lined path to the center of the island. When we come across a papaya tree, Gede plucks one, pulling a tiny pocketknife out of his pocket and carving off a small wedge for me to try. I bite into the delicious, musky fruit, giving it a thumbs up. Breakfast doesn't get any fresher than that.

About ten minutes later, we come to a small house. An elderly woman comes walking out, and begins hanging laundry on a line stretched between the trees. When she spots us, her beautiful features brighten and she gives us a wide smile.

"Hello!" she calls. "What are you doing over here, Barong?"

The way she says the title, with the greatest amount of respect, tells me it's far from one that she takes lightly. And judging by Gede's kind mannerisms, he must have earned that respect.

"Just visiting, Sayang," he replies, walking toward her. "This is Sabrina," he adds gesturing toward me. "Sabrina, this is Sayang. She's a sparrow shifter."

Sparrow shifter? I imagine her changing into a finch and chirping away in the trees, darting out here and there. A young girl comes bounding out of the front door, a book in her hands, and hopping up the steps like a happy little frog.

Sayang glances back over her shoulder, then smiles and says, "This is my granddaughter, Ayu. Ayu, say hello to the Barong's guest, Sabrina."

"Hi," the girl responds. She swings her head to the side to regard me, flipping her glossy black hair like a horse shaking away flies. "Are you a shifter, too?"

The question takes me aback, and I falter, flicking a quick glance over at Gede. He motions me over. "No, Ayu, Sabrina is not a shifter. But she does know about all of us."

"Okay, Gede," the young girl chirps. Then she crouches down, squatting, and a second later, a pale yellow frog leaps into her hand. The girl giggles, bouncing on her heels. "Look! Look!" she squeals. "Isn't it cute?"

Gede and I both laugh, and I say, "Very cute."

The girl jumps to her feet and bounds off leaving us with her grandmother.

"Well, I assume there's a good reason you've brought this lovely lady into our world,” Sayang says. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Barong?" She turns her bright gaze toward me. "Sabrina, is it?

"Uh, yes. Pleased to meet you, ma'am."

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