Page 26 of The Werewolf Cowboy
“What do you mean, yet? I’m a mature Lupine.”
Grayson placed the binoculars back in the pack. “I’ll tell you, Katy, but now is not the time. I want you to go back behind those trees, and stay there. I’m going to take them.”
“One against two isn’t a fair fight. I can help.”
Resolve glittered in his blue eyes. And then his irises flashed purple. “Not these Fae.”
Letting her powers surge, she felt her fangs descend. “I’m a strong Lupine, Grayson. Don’t underestimate me.”
That amused grin returned. “I’m not. Ever seen a Fae with talons sharp as butcher knives, Katy? A Fae who can toss a fireball and incinerate you? Not your skin—that’s painful enough. These energy balls fry you from the inside out. It’s not a nice way to die.”
Mouth dry, she stared at Grayson. “And you’re going to fight them by yourself? What if you die that way?”
Losing him was something she’d never contemplated before, not like this. Not ever. Grayson always seemed larger than life, as if he’d always be there. The thought of him dying made her heart ache.
It was more than the thought of losing a dear friend, the only one who truly seemed to understand her. It was like losing…
A mate.
Pushing the thought out of her mind, she looked helplessly at the dust cloud growing closer, indicating the approach of the Riders.
Grayson’s expression turned cynical. “Relax. I’m not going to die that way, and if I do, I’ll make damn sure you find your way home first.”
He thought she was upset because she might lose her ride home. Not that she couldn’t bear him dying.
No time to counter that, though, for he shoved her toward the clump of thicker trees. Grayson pointed to a narrow cleft in the nearby mountain range. “Stay there, stay down and if I get killed, head for that passage.”
“But you can’t face them alone. I’ll help you, Grayson. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
His cynical expression softened. “Katy, I can take them on by myself. I have powers in this world you don’t know of. Go through the passage. That will lead you to Wolf Haven. Stay in Skin form, and you’ll be safe enough until one of our kind finds you. Remain on the path through the forest, whatever you do, never shift into wolf in the Feral Forest.”
“Feral Forest? What’s in there? Trees with teeth?”
He did not smile at her joke. “Do as I say. A Lupine will find you eventually, and give you safe passage back to your world.”
Yourworld. Notourworld. She didn’t want to hide, but Grayson kept herding her toward the trees. She found the largest one, and crouched down behind it to wait.
In this world, her eyesight was much sharper. Now she could see the dust cloud draw closer, and see the faces of their enemies. Horror made her knees weak. Katy hugged the tree, ready to collapse. Grayson had not exaggerated about the Night Riders.
The Fae she’d seen once had pointed ears, pale skin, wide smiles and were lean and tall, with pale silver hair. They looked like Jaeden, only kinder and less cynical. Jaeden had a lethal air about him, and his magick pulsed dark.
These Fae made Jaeden look as harmless as a child’s bouncy ball.
The two Night Riders had pointed faces, with burning yellow eyes, two holes for noses, and ears that were not only pointed, but serrated like the edge of pinking shears. Their hair was pale, long, and they snarled.
The creatures they rode…not horses, but centaurs, with gnashing teeth and wild eyes, their hooves coming down hard on the ash and sand. The stench emanating from them made her eyes water. It was a mixture of rotting trash and sulphur.
Looking at them offered a glimpse into hell. The centaurs alone could kill Grayson.
This was going down badly, and if Grayson died, Katy knew her entire world would collapse.
