Page 34 of Mated to Team Shadow

"Yeah," said Kane.

"He's right," said Damon.

I didn't understand what was going on here. Four men who could shift into cats wanted to get near me, and I was entirely too freaked out think rationally about this.

Then I felt another bump under the raft, and again, and my heart tore at my chest it was beating so fast, and I could barely breathe.

"Oh shit," said Kane. "Jeanine, cup your hands over your mouth and nose, and breath."

"What's going on?"

I didn't know who spoke.

"She's hyperventilating."

Ryker slid in next to me on the raft and cupped his large hands over mine and brought them to cover my mouth and nose.

"Breathe deeply," he growled.

His gravelly voice cut through my panic, and I stared into his eyes as he held his hand steady while I sucked in my breath. Finally, my rattling heart slowed and my breathing returned to normal. And I noticed that his eyes held something I hadn't spotted before with all the kissing and groping yesterday. It was honest care and concern.

"That's right," he said reassuringly. "That's good. Relax. I'll take care of you." He peered deeply into my eyes, and I felt the truth of what he said. The sincerity of his words cut through my lingering jitters. He would. Ryker had done nothing less the entire time I'd been with him.

"But why would you?"

A blush crept up his neck, which I did not expect from the rough and tough Ryker.

"Well, here's the thing," said Gunner.

"Quiet, Gunner," snarled Ryker.

"Hey look," cried Kane. "Land Ho!"

Ryker's head whipped to the direction Kane pointed. I did too, but I couldn't see anything but a blur on the horizon.

"Maybe we caught a break here," he mumbled.

At once they tore down the canopy they'd constructed earlier and plied the re-purposed oars to the water.

"Pull up the anchor," said Ryker.

"You mean my backpack?" said Damon. "Someone owes me a new one."

"Don't be such a pussy," said Gunny.

The guys snickered at the obvious joke, and I rolled my eyes. I scanned the horizon again, and the blur grew sharper, and I imagined I saw palm trees.

"Is it inhabited?" I asked.

"It probably is," said Ryker.

I swallowed hard. "By what people?"

"Makes no difference," announced Ryker. "Landing will get us out of this raft and on solid ground. From there we can recon."

"Don't worry," said Gunner as his strong arms pulled on the oar. "This is what we do." I watched as the men's muscles flexed and pulled and my stomach fluttered.

"Hmm," I said. Ahead I could barely make out an island, and I wondered how they could be so sure.

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