Page 45 of Tempest

Once she finished, a rush of energy flew through the crowd, washing over each person and touching not just their human form but their animals within, exciting them even further.

Liam clapped his hands, pirate smile on his face. “Let’s go!”

All of the shifters in the clearing began stripping off their clothes, Cash and Ore included. He’d seen his little bird as his eagle the day he’d found him and then a couple of times in thehouse when he’d wanted to stretch his wings, but this would be the first time he’d really get to see him flying.

Within a few minutes, they both stood naked, staring into each other’s eyes. Ore grinned, his cheeks flushed with excitement as he bounced on his toes.

“Ready?” Cash asked.

“Beyond.”

They started to shift at the same time. Being an Enforcer meant that Cash was stronger than the average shifter, his bonds with his alpha, as well as his packmates, making him faster. It allowed him to fully shift into his panther within a few moments, his limbs growing and bending as fur sprouted from his skin.

He gave a quick shake once he finished, then checked on Ore. He was still shrinking, feathers starting to poke out as his face elongated into his sharp beak. He didn’t have to wait too much longer, and then his gorgeous golden eagle was perched on the ground right in front of him, clicking his beak excitedly.

As his panther, Cash had less control over his instinctive impulses. He darted forward without hesitation, rubbing the sides of his mouth and chin over as much of Ore as he could reach before he ruffled his feathers in annoyance and snapped warningly at him.

It was alright though—his scent was already all over Ore; he’d only needed to add a little extra before they took off after everyone else.

He waited for Ore to take flight, watching with open admiration as he spread his long, dark brown wings and shot into the air. His squeaky screech was loud, and Cash was pretty sure that if he spoke bird, it would be an exclamation of pure joy. He let him swoop around over the water a few times before growling and drawing his attention and then leading away from the shoreline and into the trees where the rest of the pack had gone.

Ore followed, swooping down low and brushing the tips of his primary feathers against the top of Cash’s head before lifting back up above him, darting in and out around the trees.

Bursting with happiness, Cash let out a roar and took off at a sprint.

Hours later, Cash trotted over to where they’d left their clothes piled among the rest of the pack’s. Most were already gone, but he and Ore had stayed out longer, wanting to savor as much of the full moon—and each other—as they could.

He’d been right about how the run would be even better with having Ore there with him. His eagle had flown above him for hours, swooping down occasionally to caress Cash’s fur with his feathers or circling around him teasingly before shooting into the night sky once more.

No matter how many times Ore flew far up above the trees, he always came back, giving Cash his squeaky little shriek before flying off again.

Thanks to the strength of the moonlight and Cash’s increased eyesight as his panther, he never lost sight of Ore’s dark form, even as he darted in and out of the trees around them.

Cash had kept half his focus on Ore and the rest on running through the familiar woods, catching the scents of his packmates all around him. A few times, Saint darted close to bump him playfully, his tiger nearly twice the size of Cash’s panther and nearly taking him to the ground. It was a familiar game, and Cash always retaliated with a growl and head bump before racing away faster than Saint could keep up with.

Liam only ran for about an hour and a half before he settled in the middle of a clearing, let out a loud roar that carried for miles, and then collapsed on his side to take a snooze.

Lions really could be so lazy.

Others in the pack heard the call and joined him, finding places around their alpha in the grass to relax and enjoy being in their animal forms in a calm and peaceful way.

Not Cash. He kept running.

Even after Rachel and Saint had turned around and headed back, he and Ore had kept going, zigzagging back and forth, only stopping occasionally for a drink of water in a stream or the lake. But when he started to get tired, he knew his little bird probably was too.

He’d let out a roar of his own, calling to Ore to let him know, then started the journey back to where they’d begun.

As he shifted into his human skin, he pulled on his pants and threw his T-shirt over his shoulder. His muscles ached pleasantly, but there was a buzz of excitement in his veins still. Part of that was the comedown from the run, his panther still hyped up and not ready to settle yet, but the rest was about his surprise back at the house.

He heard the soft rustle of feathers before Ore landed on his shoulder, nudging at the side of his head. Cash chuckled, loving how affectionate Ore was in this form as well. “Do you want to fly home? I can grab your clothes and meet you there.”

Ore shrieked, ruffling his feathers and then letting them fall flat again.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He stroked the pads of his fingers down Ore’s soft, silky feathers. “Go on. I’ll be right behind you.”

Not needing to be told twice, Ore launched himself into the air once more, his talons digging into Cash’s skin through his shirt. He didn’t mind though, the hint of pain gone almost before he’d felt it.

He swiped up Ore’s clothes and jogged back to his truck, hightailing it home. The drive back to the cabin seemed longer than normal though, making him antsy. He was sure Ore had made it there fine, but Cash didn’t like not having his eyes on him or at least knowing exactly where he was.

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