Gretchen didn’t know much, but she was bigger than the stranger. At least, she was while in her fur, anyway. She just couldn’t let him change.
Taking a chance, she moved forward, swiping at him with her extended claw. Her plan of attack was thwarted when the bastard revealed a whip hidden in his right hand.
The long metal weapon flew out and the clawed tip caught her on the shoulder. He yanked it back, tearing at her flesh, and Gretchen roared in outrage. The fucker had ripped a chunk of her hide clean off.
Fury enveloped her, and she growled and snarled as her copper-scented blood filled the air. Just as she was about to try for the man again, an ear-splitting roar filled her ears.
“Another fucking cat? Oh, you think your hero will save you? Let’s see how he does against me,” the Hyena cackled, and snapped the metal whip towards Reg who had just arrived.
Gretchen’s heart leapt in her throat as her mate charged. Reg roared, moving quick as lightning across the clearing. He dodged past the boulders that sat on the left of the cave were Pamela and the Hyena had been having they’re whatever the fuck it was.
That bastard unleashed his whip catching Reg in his side, but before Gretchen could react her mate went from standing on four feet to two. Then Gretchen saw something she’d never thought possible.
It was as if Reg was somehow able to keep part of his Tiger form, shifting only his hands to human. With his opposable thumbs he was able to grip the end of the whip, wrapping it around his forearm and engaging in a very uneven tug-of-war with the Hyena.
Gretchen couldn’t move. She was frozen like a deer in headlights. Well, almost. She noticed Pamela stirring and ran over to the woman, never taking her eyes off her mate. As Reg pulled, the Hyena Shifter was forced closer and closer to his deadly jaws.
The man yelled and Gretchen swore he begged as he was dragged closer to those mighty teeth. Her Tiger stilled, watching approvingly as her mate defended her. But the human side of Gretchen couldn’t help but cry out as she switched fur for skin.
“Reg!” she yelled.
He turned his glowing sapphire gaze on her, and he stopped before he could close his jaws over the man’s throat. Last second, Reg clocked him with a wicked left hook and wrapped the man’s own steel whip around the bastard.
He tied him up and dropped him before completing his transformation to human. Gretchen gasped and grateful tears fell from her eyes as Reg ran to her.
He scooped her up in his arms checking her for injury. She clung to him, breathing heavily. Her wound burned but was already closing. Rapid healing being one of the perks of her new furry abilities.
“Shona, are you okay? Did he hurt you anywhere else?”
Pamela stirred, and Reg roared aloud. The woman whimpered and kept her eyes on the floor.
“It’s not her fault, he hurt her too.” Gretchen explained, standing up for a whimpering Pamela.
“Sorry,” he growled, his blue eyes searching over her.
“Reg, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to run into them. They were just here,” she explained, but he just held her tighter, pressing his head to her neck.
“It’s okay. Find her phone and call Elissa. Tell Hunter where we are while I make sure that bastard doesn’t try anything.”
Gretchen nodded, turning to Pamela who was searching through her discarded clothing with trembling hands. She handed her a cell phone and Gretchen dialed, encouraging her to dress.
Turning around, she watched in awe as Reg took command of the situation. There was something intensely hot about a strong male that had both her human and her Tiger halves growling in approval.
Reg made sure the Hyena Shifter was secured while they waited for the Pride Neta, and the rest of the guard to come to the clearing. Luckily, Elissa and Hunter arrived first, bringing them spare sweats and socks.
The natural born Shifters might be comfortable walking around naked, but Gretchen wasn’t. She ignored the Nari’s giggles when she found Gretchen hiding behind a tree.
Reg had simply smiled and blocked Gretchen with his own body as he took the clothes from Elissa. Of course, that meant he was standing there with that lengthy lead pipehe called a cock just waving in the wind in front of another woman!
Grrrrr.
“Hey,” Gretchen growled and jumped in front of her mate. Which made him growl when Hunter walked into their line of vision.
“Okay, you two, stop growling! Get dressed so we can handle this shit show,” he bellowed.
Both Gretchen and Reg stilled at their Neta’s shouted command. Against the tree with her mate beside her she felt a little trapped, but she’d never been so happy in all her life.
“Shona?”