Page 23 of Mortal Curse (Shadow Shifter)

“Okay. I’ll give you some time. Not forever though.”

Raine inclined his head. “Agreed. Now attack me.”

Dannika closed her mind to everything around her. Darkness surrounded her as her shadow warrior merged and dark adrenaline pumped through her veins. She was aware of other men watching them, but her focus remained on the predator in front of her. His alpha emerged with glowing blue eyes. Beautiful. Deadly.

With the crowd dispersed, she had room to circle Raine, looking for weakness. She couldn’t find one. His shadow rippled with power and awareness. No fledgling would get past his defenses, at least no other fledgling.

She stepped over branches and dry grass, yet not a single sound emerged. Black mist flowed over the ground like a waterfall, trailing behind her as she walked. A direct attack wouldn’t work on the skilled warrior in front of her.

“How do you ensure your shadow warrior looks like your human form if it’s comprised of shadows?”

“The shadow form is a reflection of your soul. Your warrior, your wolf, are part of it. What you picture in your mind is what you will be.”

“So, I could alter my hairstyle in shadow form?” she asked.

“If you wish, but it has no tactical advantage.”

She pictured the alteration in her mind. Her breasts plumped up two sizes.

Raine growled his displeasure. “Your shadow form is not a joke—”

She lunged at him while his eyes were focused on her chest. She punched his stomach. He grabbed for her, but she gave him a quick uppercut to the chin before dancing away.

Her form reverted to its original, before she turned to face him again. “You were saying?”

Raine smiled with white fangs. “Interesting tactic, but it’s a one-trick wonder. It will never work on me again. I advise you to learn skills that will work repeatedly in battle.”

“On the streets, you learn to live in the moment. When one tactic doesn’t work, you try another, and another. That’s the thing about any plan. It is never perfect. You can never truly plan for a fight. Control is a fallacy.”

“You are a survivor, Dannika. Your existence proves that. While unorthodox tactics may have increased your chances of survival, only training will guarantee it.” He smiled. “I look forward to our training sessions. It’s obvious there will be many surprises in store.”

Dannika glanced around the field. Men stood in small groups, glancing over at them.

Why was she the only woman to survive the transition? What made her so special? Where did the shadow shifters species originate? There were so many questions she needed answered. She’d noticed some archaic speech patterns that confirmed that their lifespans were longer than humans, but how long? She added that to her list.

Maddock watched them from the mouth of the caves. She scratched her head with her middle finger and smiled sweetly at Raine when he growled.

Raine circled her. “Do you know what is worse than death for a shadow warrior?”

“No, but I’m sure you are going to tell me,” she said.

He moved so fast she didn’t have time to react. “Banishment.”

CHAPTER13

Dannika and Raine continued to spar under Maddock’s watchful stare. She tried repeatedly to hit Raine, but he dissolved or whirled out of her grasp, time and time again. While Raine moved like water over the rock, her movements became disjointed as her confidence plummeted. Each attack became more ineffective, and she ended up on her back more times than she could count.

Maddock moved closer to them, crossing his arms as he watched David get her ass kicked by Goliath.

She continued to attempt her cut and run tactics, but they became less likely to succeed. When she attempted to crouch down and take him out by the knees, he slammed her to the ground hard. Air rushed from her lungs. While he had explained several times that shadows didn’t breathe, her human mind hadn’t accepted the fact. She wheezed air she didn’t need.

Maddock shook his head. “A toddler has more advanced skills than she does.”

Raine glanced at his leader. “She has some inventive moves.”

Maddock huffed. “A shadow warrior hooker is hardly an inventive move. It’s a travesty to our species.”

Dannika dove at Raine’s knees, attempting to take him to the ground. He dissolved into a dark mist, translucent and just as deadly. Dannika ran through the black cloud, only to have him form behind her and push her to the ground again.

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