B008IJW70G EBOK by Soraya Lane Page A

asked.
          Hunter sauntered over before crossing his arms and winking at Sophia. His smug expression told her he definitely had one on her. 
          “Our current leader was a rather rebellious teenager.” He paused to smile, his eyes filled with laughter. “When her sister died, she was devastated, even more so when she found out that her life partner had been arranged for her. She was able to change straight away, almost without trying, and learnt to be faster and more devious than her mate-to-be as well as her grandparents combined.”
          Riley was enjoying this. Imagining Sophia as a natural shifter, yet so cunning she was prepared to rebel. “Go on.”
          “Rumor has it that she flat out refused to stay and take her position as leader, went so far as to flirt with all the other male leopards, and even challenged her chosen mate to public spectacles where she made him look the fool by beating him. Oh, and that was before she flounced off back home and refused to become part of the pack.”
          Riley knew her jaw was hanging open. “Seriously?”
          Sophia nodded, telling her his words were true. There was a sparkle, a wetness in her eyes that told Riley the story went deeper. 
          “So you humiliated my grandfather in front of all the other leopards and disrespected your own grandparents?”
          Sophia just nodded in reply, but Riley didn’t miss the smile in her eyes.  
          “So what happened?”
          “Your grandfather happened,” Sophia said, in a soft voice Riley hadn’t heard her use before. “Followed me back to my home town and courted me the traditional way. Eventually I gave in, but I always challenged him. You might say it was hard to know which one of us was the alpha at times.”
          “But in the end you came back and fulfilled your destiny.” If she hadn’t been so concerned about having to travel the same path herself, the story would have sounded romantic. Instead of terrifying. 
          “Yes I did,” Sophia nodded again, only this time there was a hint of sadness. “And I fell in love.”
          Hunter was silent now, but he was still watching Sophia. His cat-like eyes taking everything in. Riley looked between them, watched the way they seemed to connect, the way their eyes flickered over one another’s. 
          “He didn’t die of a heart attack, did he?” Riley hadn’t even thought to question that until now. But suddenly it seemed clear. Her grandmother had lost her soul mate, her true love, to their enemy. She could just feel it. Sophia had sacrificed and lost everything. And she’d been alone for so long already.       
          It looked like a storm of rain clouds had just brewed in her grandmother’s eyes. Even Hunter was silent, his body language closed. Waiting for Sophia to explain in her own words. 
          “He died the last time they were here. He fought for me, for all of us, and we were so close to succeeding.”
          “But they killed him?” Riley’s voice whispered, almost without her asking it to. 
          “He took down so many of them, single handed. Was one of the best soldiers, fighters, we’d ever had.”
          It didn’t need to be said. She understood what had happened. Could see it in her mind without the need for Sophia to explain. 
          Riley looked up at Hunter. She saw in his face that he would do the same, give his life for the cause, but she also saw that he would protect her. From anything, for any reason, so long as he could keep her safe. But it meant that if she accepted him, and her place amongst the pack, the same fate could await them. If she let herself fall in love with him, gave herself to him, she could lose him and then face a lifetime of heartache. 
          If the guiders were right, and a storm was brewing now, then they might not even have long together.