chest.
“We’ve almost made it out,” he said, as much to calm himself as her. “That door must lead outside. Why would anyone place a door in—”
“There! Look!” Cleo’s voice was shaking with excitement.
Suddenly, Steven realized that he could make out the gleaming of her eyes. The darkness was no longer quite as complete.
When they turned towards the destroyed door, they saw that the gloom was not quite as deep there. Somewhere beyond that door was light, beckoning to them.
“We’ve made it,” Cleo whispered. “We’ve found the way. We’re not going to die down here!”
Steven could feel her shaking in his arms. They kept clutching at each other for a long moment as panic and terror gave way to overwhelming relief. Then they began to slowly move forward, picking their way carefully among the splintered wood and rocks. Once they made it through the door, the light gained in intensity, so that they could make out the dim shapes of rocks and move a little faster. It was another tunnel—but a tunnel where the air smelled fresher.
Sunshine, Steven’s bear supplied eagerly. Blue sky. The wind. And—Danger!
The last word rose up as a roar in Steven’s mind. Even before the warning of his bear stopped resounding in his head, he’d pushed Cleo out of the way and shifted.
A heartbeat later the jaguar came snarling at him out of the darkness.
It was too late for Steven to try and dodge the attack. Sharp fangs entered his skin. Steven roared in pain, rising up on his hind legs, but the jaguar didn’t let go.
With the shifter’s claws trying to slash at his unprotected stomach, Steven stumbled a few steps backward. The bite burned like fire. Luck had made the jaguar pierce his shoulder rather than his throat, but even so the pain of the attack was distracting him.
Again the jaguar’s claws dug into the skin of his stomach—but now Steven managed to rake his own claws down the entire backside of the beast.
With a yelp of pain, the jaguar released him. This time, when Steven shook himself, the large cat lost purchase. Steven attacked with another slash of his paw as soon as it hit the floor, but the jaguar was quick and rolled out of the way.
“Steven!” Cleo cried out in sudden terror.
Our mate, his bear roared when he saw that the jaguar had sprung to its feet again—only a few feet from where Cleo was crouching, back pressed against the wall.
The jaguar snarled. Its head swiveled, as though it was trying to decide who was the greater threat.
Even with his fear for Cleo, Steven couldn’t help but wonder at the shifter’s behavior. Had he gone feral in truth? Had he spent such a long time in the skin of his animal that he no longer remembered that he was human?
Again the jaguar’s mouth opened, showing off sharp fangs dripping blood.
It hissed at Steven, but then the angry eyes focused on Cleo. The cat’s body tensed, tail whipping in rage—but this time, it was Steven who pounced first.
The tunnel was narrow. They hit the wall together, only inches from where Cleo was now frantically trying to scramble out of the way.
The jaguar’s roars of rage and pain filled Steven’s ears. Claws raked across the wall so that he could see sparks ignite, but Steven didn’t let go.
He had a paw across the cat’s throat now, his own powerful jaw clenching around one of the jaguar’s legs to keep the claws from slashing at his face. For a long moment, they struggled, at an impasse. Steven growled, breathing in the scent of feral cat, tasting the iron tang of its blood on his tongue. His shoulder still ached with a hot, burning pain where the fangs had pierced his flesh.
The jaguar was hissing as it struggled in his grasp.
I have to get at its throat, Steven thought, even as the beast once more writhed in his grasp, nearly managing to slide free—
And then there was a loud thud.
At the same moment, the jaguar went slack beneath him.
When Steven looked up, he saw Cleo crouching before him, a
“We’ve almost made it out,” he said, as much to calm himself as her. “That door must lead outside. Why would anyone place a door in—”
“There! Look!” Cleo’s voice was shaking with excitement.
Suddenly, Steven realized that he could make out the gleaming of her eyes. The darkness was no longer quite as complete.
When they turned towards the destroyed door, they saw that the gloom was not quite as deep there. Somewhere beyond that door was light, beckoning to them.
“We’ve made it,” Cleo whispered. “We’ve found the way. We’re not going to die down here!”
Steven could feel her shaking in his arms. They kept clutching at each other for a long moment as panic and terror gave way to overwhelming relief. Then they began to slowly move forward, picking their way carefully among the splintered wood and rocks. Once they made it through the door, the light gained in intensity, so that they could make out the dim shapes of rocks and move a little faster. It was another tunnel—but a tunnel where the air smelled fresher.
Sunshine, Steven’s bear supplied eagerly. Blue sky. The wind. And—Danger!
The last word rose up as a roar in Steven’s mind. Even before the warning of his bear stopped resounding in his head, he’d pushed Cleo out of the way and shifted.
A heartbeat later the jaguar came snarling at him out of the darkness.
It was too late for Steven to try and dodge the attack. Sharp fangs entered his skin. Steven roared in pain, rising up on his hind legs, but the jaguar didn’t let go.
With the shifter’s claws trying to slash at his unprotected stomach, Steven stumbled a few steps backward. The bite burned like fire. Luck had made the jaguar pierce his shoulder rather than his throat, but even so the pain of the attack was distracting him.
Again the jaguar’s claws dug into the skin of his stomach—but now Steven managed to rake his own claws down the entire backside of the beast.
With a yelp of pain, the jaguar released him. This time, when Steven shook himself, the large cat lost purchase. Steven attacked with another slash of his paw as soon as it hit the floor, but the jaguar was quick and rolled out of the way.
“Steven!” Cleo cried out in sudden terror.
Our mate, his bear roared when he saw that the jaguar had sprung to its feet again—only a few feet from where Cleo was crouching, back pressed against the wall.
The jaguar snarled. Its head swiveled, as though it was trying to decide who was the greater threat.
Even with his fear for Cleo, Steven couldn’t help but wonder at the shifter’s behavior. Had he gone feral in truth? Had he spent such a long time in the skin of his animal that he no longer remembered that he was human?
Again the jaguar’s mouth opened, showing off sharp fangs dripping blood.
It hissed at Steven, but then the angry eyes focused on Cleo. The cat’s body tensed, tail whipping in rage—but this time, it was Steven who pounced first.
The tunnel was narrow. They hit the wall together, only inches from where Cleo was now frantically trying to scramble out of the way.
The jaguar’s roars of rage and pain filled Steven’s ears. Claws raked across the wall so that he could see sparks ignite, but Steven didn’t let go.
He had a paw across the cat’s throat now, his own powerful jaw clenching around one of the jaguar’s legs to keep the claws from slashing at his face. For a long moment, they struggled, at an impasse. Steven growled, breathing in the scent of feral cat, tasting the iron tang of its blood on his tongue. His shoulder still ached with a hot, burning pain where the fangs had pierced his flesh.
The jaguar was hissing as it struggled in his grasp.
I have to get at its throat, Steven thought, even as the beast once more writhed in his grasp, nearly managing to slide free—
And then there was a loud thud.
At the same moment, the jaguar went slack beneath him.
When Steven looked up, he saw Cleo crouching before him, a
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