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could distract me with a look.
    I started down a narrow dirt track that ran
from the far end of the car park. A lone tree stood sentinel to the valley,
clinging to the edge of a rocky hill. A breeze ruffled its branches while
overhead the morning sun shined. Lucas’ footsteps sounded behind me and I
forged ahead. We walked through a narrow valley, following the path of a stream
making its way to Lake Tekapo. Patches of tussock grass and rock covered the
lower slopes of the nearby hills. On the higher peaks, the tussock gradually
gave way to sheer rock. In the winter, snow covered the entire area but toward
the end of summer, only the highest peaks in the Southern Alps still bore a
dirty layer of ice. The sun picked up the colors in the rocks, making the
slopes glisten in purple, black and gray.
    Gradually the path widened and Lucas and I
were able to walk side by side. A relief since I swear Lucas had stared holes
through the seat of my shorts. The prickle of sensual heat stalked my body, my
erection growing enough that walking became uncomfortable.
    “How much farther?” Lucas demanded. A
glance confirmed he was in the same state as me.
    “We’ve only just started. Another half an
hour at least. See that small hill over there?” I pointed at a hill bearing
more tussock than some of its neighbors. “That’s where we’re heading.”
    Lucas didn’t say anything but I noticed his
pace increased, betraying his eagerness. I was looking forward to shifting as
well but also factored in sex. I suspected it would be hot with the adrenaline
of a shift still swimming strongly through our veins.
    We left the main path and crossed the stream,
heading for the top of the hill. There was a small sheltered area there with
views over the entire valley where we could leave our gear and relax later
after our run.
    Finally we reached the spot. I shrugged out
of my daypack and set it on the ground near the base of a huge granite boulder.
I sat to remove my boots and socks and the rest of my clothes.
    “Ready?”
    “Hell yeah.” Eagerness pulsed from him in
palpable waves, pulling a grin from me. He fairly vibrated with tension,
tossing his clothes willy-nilly.
    I concentrated on my feline shape, pulling
the image of a black panther into my mind. The prickle of the change rippled
across my skin, bones shifted and rearranged in a surge of pleasure tinged with
pain. I dropped to all fours, grinning in a feline smirk and swished my tail.
Turning to Lucas, I watched while his change took him. His face contorted in an
expression of acute pain while a golden glow emanated from his body. I stared
in pure awe when his body stretched and grew into a new shape. He was tawny
gold with a muscular, supple body. He padded toward me, his mane moving in the
breeze. I tensed, knowing instinctively this was the danger time when cats of
two species faced off. In his lion form, Lucas was bigger than me, just enough
to give him an advantage in a fight.
    A fight to the death.
    A touch of fear whispered through me but I
held my ground. Lucas kept coming. I caught his gaze, possibly not a wise move
on my part. He rubbed his head against mine, the long tendrils of mane
tickling. I sneezed, making us both jump.
    Lucas smirked and prowled close enough to
lick my face. He flicked my rump with his long tail and leaped onto the top of
a large rock. Throwing back his head, he let out a roar. Loud and powerful, it
froze me in place until the final echoes faded.
    Bloody fool. I hissed, sharp and angry and
growled to make sure Lucas paid attention and realize what he’d done. We’d
attract attention if he roared like that again. Lion roars were the loudest in
the feline kingdom.
    Lucas jumped off the rock, landing next to
me. He purred loudly, rubbing against my side. I melted inside. Damned fool. A
soft inquiring grunt and a rough nudge brought me back to my senses. I growled
low and ambled away, prowling back down the track we’d climbed. When I heard the
thud of