come five times and then walked away with an odiously self-satisfied smile.
If I was meant to shift, it would’ve happened then.
Amid her depressing reflections, a floorboard creaked. That definitely was not my mind playing tricks. She sat up and shook Dom, who roused with a sleepy glare.
“What now?”
“Someone’s here,” she whispered.
He froze, head cocking, and then he ripped the string off. “You’re right. Stay here.”
With a speed and grace she envied, he slipped into leopard form, perfect for prowling a dark house without alerting his prey. Whoever was skulking about, they couldn’t have good intentions. What wouldn’t she give to help with defense instead of hiding? Anxious, she crept to the door, listening for combat, but the enemy must be elusive. Then she caught a furious snarl and the sound of battle. After what she’d put Dom through, he’d probably disagree that obedience was her strong suit, but she had no intention of stirring, until a shadow slid through the open doorway.
By moonlight, she recognized the intruder as Eldritch, mostly by virtue of height and build. The silver of his hair gleamed in the dark, contrasting with the black silk mask that identified him as a Noxblade, an elite order of assassins. A silver blade slashed the air, so close it lopped off a lock of her hair. Somehow she bolted past him toward the smashing glass downstairs, knowing she had no hope of defeating a killer who began training at five and according to legends, likely used poison weapons as well. Under normal circumstances, that would only weaken an Animari, but it also made them easier to defeat in an extended battle.
In the past few years, Dom had gotten thin and weak, so the venom might impact him more. Shifted, he might be able to compensate, but his endurance… Fear took hold of her like she’d never known, especially when she cleared the stairs to find him pinned, snarling, with two Noxblades closing in. She also smelled the richness of Dom’s blood. From behind, she heard the whisper-soft footfalls of the one who had tracked her down. If an Animari who could shift and fight had come to fetch Dom, they might stand a chance. Desperation and adrenaline flooded her, and she launched herself at the one coiling his arm for a killing strike.
I don’t care, it doesn’t matter. I’ll bite with my stupid human teeth—
Only as she leapt, her whole body shuddered. The pain, nobody ever told me about the pain. It was like being cut open and reassembled with knives, all in the space of an instant. Then she flew toward her target with a grace she’d only dared to dream before. Pru landed on the Noxblade’s back and clamped down without hesitation, her sharp teeth savaging the side of his throat. The blood palate like freshly fermented wine, and as her enemy twisted and slashed, he couldn’t reach her with his terrible knives. As he fell, she bounded away, small and nimble enough to disappear on the beams that framed the ceiling.
Dom destroyed the other one, first with a claw swipe and then with a lunge and bite that cracked the Noxblade’s skull like a dry nut. Much better odds, now. Which left a shadow prowling near the stairs. Pru could see in the dark like it was day, and she watched as the sole surviving assassin melted toward the side door instead of pushing his luck. It seemed highly probable that someone had been spying on Dom and gauged him an easy mark. His defenses are down, drunken stupor. Take him while he’s weak or in his sleep. Imagining those instructions, she let out a quiet snarl and Dom rumbled in response. When he padded after the intruder, she followed. The scent trail led off property and though they patrolled for hours afterward, there was no sign that the killer had lingered, looking for another opportunity.
Finally, he signaled with a toss of his head that they should turn back. Joy suffused her because even following orders felt better in feline skin.
Dom shifted as soon as
If I was meant to shift, it would’ve happened then.
Amid her depressing reflections, a floorboard creaked. That definitely was not my mind playing tricks. She sat up and shook Dom, who roused with a sleepy glare.
“What now?”
“Someone’s here,” she whispered.
He froze, head cocking, and then he ripped the string off. “You’re right. Stay here.”
With a speed and grace she envied, he slipped into leopard form, perfect for prowling a dark house without alerting his prey. Whoever was skulking about, they couldn’t have good intentions. What wouldn’t she give to help with defense instead of hiding? Anxious, she crept to the door, listening for combat, but the enemy must be elusive. Then she caught a furious snarl and the sound of battle. After what she’d put Dom through, he’d probably disagree that obedience was her strong suit, but she had no intention of stirring, until a shadow slid through the open doorway.
By moonlight, she recognized the intruder as Eldritch, mostly by virtue of height and build. The silver of his hair gleamed in the dark, contrasting with the black silk mask that identified him as a Noxblade, an elite order of assassins. A silver blade slashed the air, so close it lopped off a lock of her hair. Somehow she bolted past him toward the smashing glass downstairs, knowing she had no hope of defeating a killer who began training at five and according to legends, likely used poison weapons as well. Under normal circumstances, that would only weaken an Animari, but it also made them easier to defeat in an extended battle.
In the past few years, Dom had gotten thin and weak, so the venom might impact him more. Shifted, he might be able to compensate, but his endurance… Fear took hold of her like she’d never known, especially when she cleared the stairs to find him pinned, snarling, with two Noxblades closing in. She also smelled the richness of Dom’s blood. From behind, she heard the whisper-soft footfalls of the one who had tracked her down. If an Animari who could shift and fight had come to fetch Dom, they might stand a chance. Desperation and adrenaline flooded her, and she launched herself at the one coiling his arm for a killing strike.
I don’t care, it doesn’t matter. I’ll bite with my stupid human teeth—
Only as she leapt, her whole body shuddered. The pain, nobody ever told me about the pain. It was like being cut open and reassembled with knives, all in the space of an instant. Then she flew toward her target with a grace she’d only dared to dream before. Pru landed on the Noxblade’s back and clamped down without hesitation, her sharp teeth savaging the side of his throat. The blood palate like freshly fermented wine, and as her enemy twisted and slashed, he couldn’t reach her with his terrible knives. As he fell, she bounded away, small and nimble enough to disappear on the beams that framed the ceiling.
Dom destroyed the other one, first with a claw swipe and then with a lunge and bite that cracked the Noxblade’s skull like a dry nut. Much better odds, now. Which left a shadow prowling near the stairs. Pru could see in the dark like it was day, and she watched as the sole surviving assassin melted toward the side door instead of pushing his luck. It seemed highly probable that someone had been spying on Dom and gauged him an easy mark. His defenses are down, drunken stupor. Take him while he’s weak or in his sleep. Imagining those instructions, she let out a quiet snarl and Dom rumbled in response. When he padded after the intruder, she followed. The scent trail led off property and though they patrolled for hours afterward, there was no sign that the killer had lingered, looking for another opportunity.
Finally, he signaled with a toss of his head that they should turn back. Joy suffused her because even following orders felt better in feline skin.
Dom shifted as soon as
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