CHAPTER10
In all theyears Cate had been alive, she thought she’d heard it all. But Gunner’s words left her feeling an emotion she hadn’t felt in eons.
Surprise.
It was hard for her to see the specimen in front of her—his golden chest still slick with oil, defined abs more prominent from the harsh shadows of candlelight, dark hair falling in his eyes, shading his smooth skin—as anything but the epitome of a perfect, textbook shifter. Everything about this man gave off an Alpha vibe, but yet…
He hadnevershifted.
Despite his admission, she could sense what lay hidden beneath his surface. His wolf had been caged his entire life.
How daunting that must be.
Cate trailed her fingers down his arm mindlessly as she racked her brain for some sort of answer.
She’d never met a shifter in all her years who had failed to transition. Most of those whose spirits had become caged within had already gone through their first transition.
Not to mention she knew the older a shifter got, the harder such a transition would be.
“How oldareyou?” Cate asked curiously.
Gunner swallowed but he did not take his eyes off of her.
“Thirty-one.”
Older than I thought.
Well past the normal age range of transition.
Although Cate could not deny he looked rather good for his age.
Focus, Cate!
She twisted her lips in thought. A steady stream of moonlight poured through her windows, sparking an idea.
Moonlight… the full moon… of course!
Channeling the power of the moon mixed with the ritual of setting free a caged spirit—
“I have an idea,” she said as she broke his gaze and pulled her hand away.
She left Gunner standing by the table as she padded around her kitchen once more, opening and shutting cupboards in haste. She did not wait for him to answer her. Belle meowed in the distance, opinionated as ever. Instead, she just started rambling, trying to piece the puzzle together.
The power of the moon, some ceremonial oil...
What was that chant?
“I used to be quite familiar with shifters, actually. I’ve seen my fair share of caged spirits, but usually it was something that happened during the first transition. Difficulty assimilating spirits and all,” she started as she pulled down two boxes and set them on the counter.
“Wait, you think you can actually help me? With my…”
“Caged spirit. Yes, I do,” she answered with conviction.
“Caged spirit…” he repeated the words slowly.
Gunner watched her as she reached the tips of her fingers toward the top shelf she could barely reach.
“Coming up a little short there, Cate?” He snickered as he walked over to the counter. Even on her toes she only came up to his chest, and as he leaned above her, she caught a drift of his natural scent.