“Just a hug. A small, little hug,” she says.
“I’m not Gus.”
“You feel like Gus.”
“You don’t feel like Clarissa, so there is no way I feel like Gus.”
A large tear falls from her eye as she stops fighting me. Her chest is panting and sweat is breaking out on her forehead.
Fighting against that primal lust is a hard thing to do. I have gotten used to it over the years, but Primals who are married and have their mate don’t have to. There’s a good chance Penny has never had to fight that urge.
Until now.
“We’ll find them,” I say. “And when we do, you’ll get your revenge.”
“I don’t want revenge,” Penny says breathlessly. “I want Gus.”
“Then we’ll find Gus,” I say.
I release her shoulders, and she settles herself onto her feet.
The two of us begin to walk the shoreline as the waves crash against our feet. Clarissa would
enjoy a place like this. With sun and wildlife and clear waters to take in all the fish.
Maybe I could bring her back here once this is all over.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The wind whips in another direction and the smell of Cat is stronger than ever. I watch Penny crouch, her entire body becoming alert as I turn my head inland.
They’re here.
And I can smell their fear.
Penny takes off in front of me, and I’m hot on her heels. She’s running, splashing everyone with sand as she scurries away from me. Fuck. She’s quick. If I’m not careful, I’m going to lose her.
And Clarissa would not be happy with me if I lost her.
I keep sniffing the wind as the two of us rush through town. The scent of fear is getting stronger. So strong I can feel my fangs protruding. Fear energizes a Wolf. We don’t simply prey upon it, we seek it out for our own strength. A Wolf is trained to harness their adrenal glands for a purpose instead of flight. We use it to power us instead of turning us into cowards.
But this Cat is scared.
And I’m hungry for his screams.
We follow the scent into a thicket of brush past the bustling city of the island. My legs are moving as fast as I can, and soon I’m out in front of Penny. She’s panting. Heaving. Gritting her teeth and digging her nails into the ground. If she isn’t careful, she’ll morph. And neither of us have bags of clothes with us to change into.
The direction of the scent changes and I lunge to my left. I can hear the Cat’s paws pounding the ground. I can hear how fast its heart is beating. I can feel the whimpers as it moves as fast as it can. But the cat is old. Not moving with the kind of speed and accuracy Cats are bestowed with.
I grin at the idea.
This would be easy.
Penny lunges by me into a bush, and I hear a commotion beginning.
Penny is hissing, and there’s this low growl that causes me to
stop. I jump for the bush and toss Penny to the side, ignoring her protests of anger.
Then I lift the cat by its neck until its entire body is lifted off the ground.