his pace to turn and look at her. Laughter burbled in his belly and when he opened his mouth a loud yowl rolled out.
She stepped into the woods for a moment and when she walked back into the clearing she’d shimmered to her lynx form.
She’s an Iberian lynx. She’s so beautiful. He wanted to close the distance instantly, so he sprinted to her. The sound of wind in his ears, the musty scent of nature all around him, and the lovely sight of Nissa propelled him unrestrained.
Again, he closed the mile quickly and stepped up to her side. She stopped and chuffed. It echoed in the field and he chuffed in reply. They trotted side by side back in the direction of the grove. Immersion in nature and the delightful closeness of Nissa enlivened him as he’d never been.
Nissa stopped mid-strive, frozen to the spot. He pawed at her shoulder gently, but she remained still. His brain went to work, sorting through thoughts. She seemed drawn in to herself. Then he remembered. She was drawn in, using her ability to sense the presence of others.
In unison, they sniffed. A new scent had invaded their clearing. The breezes announced intruders by carrying the unfamiliar scent to Finn’s nose. Muffled sounds of feed pounding on ground told him to get moving or be prepared to meet the intruders.
Nissa chuffed again and motioned with her head toward Asher’s house, but then a menacing growl echoed around them. The four malevolent were-cats that had changed him emerged in human form from a group of bushes about one hundred yards away.
Demonte. The sight of the were-lynx elicited a growl low in Finn’s chest. Nissa nudged him again, but her touch hardly penetrated the instinct to eliminate the four lynxes approaching. Like a tight rubber band releasing, Finn tore off to meet the approaching were-lynxes. Driven by rage and desire to fight, he sped toward them even as the four shimmered into lynxes. Without hesitation, Finn used his back legs to thrust himself at Demonte, batting him mercilessly in the head with his front paws and encircling his upper body in a tight hold. Demonte broke from the hold and took defensive steps back away from Finn. It was the wrong move, because it only sent a sense of power through him, thrilled with the upper hand. He dove into Demonte’s body and grabbed his neck in his jaws. Demonte turned onto his back and lambasted Finn’s gut with his feet. Another one of them jumped on Finn, pulling him off Demonte and circling him with the other three were-lynxes.
He heard pounding footfalls rapidly approaching. He caught Nissa’s scent along with Asher’s and Kennedy’s and suspected they would prove a distraction for the others around him. As his opponents prepared for an attack, Finn ran to meet his fellow were-cats. The thrill of speed refueled him and he almost ran into Asher before skidding to a stop. Asher chuffed and nodded toward the approaching group. Without hesitation, Finn took the lead, kicking up clods of dirt and grass in his wake. Highly focused on his prey, he zoomed in on Demonte, expecting the others to tackle the Galen, Renzo, and Taryn. A quick glance over his shoulder told him otherwise.
Asher, Kennedy, and Nissa were fast, but they hadn’t kept up with him. Oh well, I’ll take on Demonte alone anyway. He narrowed his eyes on Demonte and took a challenge stance. “Yowl.” The sound of his own were-cat voice amazed him. He could do anything.
Demonte stared at him, growling but not moving.
Finn’s muscles twitched and bulged, eager to exact retribution. A hard hit from his left knocked the breath of him.
What? Didn’t see that coming.
He stood to wobbly feet, but before he could get control of himself another hard hit from his right sent him sprawling. Stunned, he watched as Asher leaped at Demonte, rolling and rolling with him on the ground. Kennedy rammed her head into another one of the remaining three and lifted him into the air, sending him sailing a few feet uncontrollably.
Finn’s breath stalled. Nissa released a loud, piercing yowl, over and over, rolling at the end into a growl. He jumped to his feet again, wanting to, needing to keep her safe. Without thought he dashed between the other were-lynx and Nissa, knocking him to the ground with a solid thwack!
But it wasn’t enough. Rage still rammed through his body, compelling him to continue hitting the lynx until he bloodied and rolled onto his back, whimpering.
Heaving with heavy breaths, he stopped. The fight was over. Asher stood over the group of were-lynxes eyeing them. They each stood and shimmered into men. Docile men standing still with glazed expressions.
Asher was nudging them, Finn realized. The fight was over and he hadn’t done enough damage to Demonte or any of the intruders. He growled, long and low.
Nissa chuffed, grabbing his attention. Her glittering eyes grabbed his brain and he nodded. Hell if knew for sure, but it seemed as though she was trying to tell him it was time to stop.
As a unit, they four men grabbed their clothes and slipped them on, then they headed toward Asher’s house like obedient slaves.
Finn took a cue from Nissa, who trotted into the woods to her clothes. He stopped a few feet away and dressed. Adrenaline kept him ramped up. He couldn’t sustain the level of anger without blowing apart. He gulped air, trying to calm himself. Oh, my god! This is what Nissa prepared me for—losing myself in the temper and desire to kill the were-lynx from her colony.
Inside the house, Asher called Casey, the leader of his colony of were-cats. Casey would handle the situation, Finn knew. That’s what colony leaders do. They command the members and the members comply. That was one reason he’d never liked the concept a colony. He’d worked hard over the years to build his life on his own terms, free of his family’s interference or any rules of a colony. Of course, he’d never been a were-cat up until now. Still, it remained his life to figure out and live as he chose. It just got more complicated, though. And if he were honest, he’d have to admit that he hardly recognized himself at this point.
Asher slapped him on the back, interrupting his reflection. “Boy, you are fast!”
“I noticed.” Finn could see something in Asher’s eyes he’d never seen there before. It looked a lot like pride.
“No, I mean you are beyond fast.” Asher shook his head. “All the were-cats in my colony are fast, but you, you blew them out of the water. It looked effortless, from what I could see.”
Finn frowned. “What do you mean, what you could see?”
“You blurred, Finn. It was amazing.”
He slanted his head but couldn’t suppress a grin. It felt good to learn that maybe he had an edge. “You mean I have an ability? Speed?”
“Let’s not call it speed,” Kennedy said. “Let’s call it what is. Blurring.”
Nissa laughed. “That sounds right to me, Finn. You can blur.”
SITTING AT HER KITCHEN TABLE in her condo, Nissa could see despite Finn’s assurances, he was having a hard time. Her heart reached out to him. They’d attempted to work in the lab earlier in the day, but they’d made little progress. Time was ticking off like a stopwatch, counting down the seconds and minutes until it would be too late for her sister or Finn’s brother. Despite that, she wanted to press a pause button on life and be by his side, support him as he searched for himself in an unfamiliar world.
His dark T-shirt accentuated his muscled chest and hard abs. Yes, he’d gotten sexier with his transformation. Physically, that is. She’d always found his wit and spirit and genius sexy as hell. She’d kept her professional and personal distance because of their differences. But now, there was no reason for reserve. They’d gone through the hell of his transformation as well as shared in the pain of potentially failing at creating a cure. They had a bond.
“Finn, you can stay for dinner, if you like.” She tried to capture his downcast gaze. “You can spend the night, too, if you like. There’s room in the guest bedroom.”
He raised his head, flashing his golden eyes at her with uncensored relief. “I would like that.” He reached his hand across the table and grasped hers. “I’m sorry about flaking out today. The lack of a cure frustrates me so much.”
His gritted teeth and low rum
ble in his chest signaled her to his most difficult challenge. Finding himself despite the compelling urge to turn into a vicious lynx. “I know it’s frustrating. There is so much at stake. But we’ll figure it out.” He tore away his gaze, avoiding her eyes. “I believe in you, Finn. In who you are and always will be. A man of high intelligence, integrity, and grit. You’re just also going to be a powerful were-bobcat.”
On his feet in a whisper, he reached her side in a nanosecond and pulled her to her feet. His eyes glistened down on her, full of something beautiful and sweet. He didn’t speak. He closed his eyes and drew down to her lips. Her heart racing, she waited for him to touch her, and when he did, she melted into his body, his kiss.
His lips burned her with his heat. Gently, he let his passion flow and devoured her mouth. It sent her heart pounding and her blood coursing briskly through her body. She responded with equal passion to his kiss, his delicious kiss.
Breathless when he pulled back, she smiled up at him. “That was very nice.”
“I’m sor—”
She put her fingers to his lips to stop his apology. “Don’t say it.” She arched up to his lips, focusing on their sensuous shape.
He dipped his head to meet her half way, and warmth and affection rolled over her again, taking her under as if washed by a thundering ocean wave.
She drew away