It was like the world sprang into focus—like she'd never been able to see before, and had just now opened her eyes for the first time.
She could smell the forest around her, the thick scent of plants and the tantalizing trails of animals, and just a hint of snow and ice, wafting down from above. She could hear the birds in the trees and the squirrels running around.
And she knew her mate, next to her. She could see him, hear him, and smell his masculine scent, but she could also feel him, even stronger than when she was human—that pulsing connection, a spark of his own essence inside of her.
He paced around her, scenting her. He was checking to make sure she was all right, Alethia knew, that she wasn’t panicking at the change.
Then he sat back on his haunches and opened his mouth in an obvious grin, before trotting off toward the woods.
Alethia grinned to herself and followed him.
As she caught up with him, he lengthened his stride, and soon they were running together through the forest.
It was truly exhilarating. Alethia was able to run faster and jump farther than she ever had before, and she was absolutely silent when she moved. Grey led her on a hunt for some rabbits, and then shot off toward some rocks in the distance. They played, leaping from rock to rock, and trying to hide from each other. Alethia learned that no matter how well-camouflaged they were, they could always find each other.
Mates.
Alethia wanted to stay in leopard form forever, but after a couple of hours, Grey led the way back to his cabin. He shifted back in the driveway, and Alethia followed suit.
Immediately she was human again. It was almost disappointing, leaving her leopard behind.
But she was there, inside Alethia's chest, a fierce and powerful cat. Alethia knew that she'd never be without this source of strength again.
Grey took her hand. Two sources of strength. Her leopard, and her mate.
***
Grey was amazed at how well Alethia had taken to her snow leopard form.
Or maybe amazed was the wrong word. She'd behaved like the snow leopard had been inside her all along, waiting to come out...and Grey was certain that that was the truth.
They were mates, after all. Her snow leopard had just needed Grey, to bring her to the surface.
Now, they were human again, tucked together in a chair in front of his fireplace. He wrapped her in his human arms and held her close, certain that they would be running together for the rest of their lives.
"Grey," she said into his ear.
He pulled back. "Yes?"
"There's something I need to tell you."
He frowned, concerned. She looked serious. "What is it?"
"I didn't want to say it before, because...I suppose I was afraid of what might happen. But I'm not afraid anymore. My ex-boyfriend..."
"What about him?" He kept his voice steady, although rage was rising inside of him at the mention of the man who had hurt her.
"He's Matt Finch. He was the one who told me we were mates. You saw him in the diner earlier."
Grey heard a growl rising in his chest.
Of course. If any shifter in this town was so amoral and insensitive, as to have told an innocent girl that she was his mate just to get her in bed, it was Matt Finch.
Ali Parker ain’t no lady.
The growl escaped his chest. “He isn’t getting away with it,” he told Alethia. “He’s paying for what he did.”
“Good,” she said, and her eyes were fierce. “I want him humiliated. I want him to see what he lost. I want him to understand that you’re stronger than he ever was, and now I’m stronger than he’ll ever be.”