Southern Shifters: Impawsible (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Buchanan Clan Book 1) by Celia Kyle Read Free Book Online

him, the way it chased her as much as the physical lion.
    Jump, duck, skid, right, cut left .
    She still sought safety, still hunted for her salvation.
    Dandelions or the musk of another rabbit.
    Dandelions.
    Rabbit.
    Dande…
    There .
    There it was. There it was. There it was.
    The next spinning turn wasn’t about losing her pursuer but seeking a specific target. She didn’t see him, didn’t hear him creeping through the forest, but he was a cat.
    A cat on the hunt.
    She prayed he wouldn’t turn her into prey.
    But there was no other choice, no other way to save herself from whomever chased her.
    So she pushed and pushed, drew in more and more air as she flew over dead foliage and downed branches. She ignored any other tempting scents that called to her, places where others had hidden safely from shifters. A den could hide her. Carter could protect her.
    Go, go, go, go…
    Her heart raced, adrenaline pumping and pulsing in her veins, giving her strength she’d never experienced.
    The trees slowly thinned, not allowing her to weave through obstacles. It gave the lion a straight shot to her, nothing hindering his path. Which meant she needed more power, needed her body to perform better, to make her go faster.
    She hit the clearing, still following Carter’s scent and she hoped she found him soon. Her body was slowly giving out, adrenaline only carrying her so far, and she was desperate for the protection he could provide.
    And there he was, head bowed as he tugged and bit into a downed deer. His profile was strong, the sleek line of his cat projecting the power that lived inside him. He was eight hundred pounds of muscle, fur, and fang.
    Bethany needed all three. Desperately.
    Carter swung his head toward her, a growl rumbling from his chest and fangs bared. Recognition hit him in an instant, his cat realizing who raced closer. His gaze flicked behind her. The cat’s eyes didn’t widen in surprise but darkened with anger. His body tensed, legs bunching, and he leapt through the air. As he went high, she stayed low, sliding beneath him until he thumped to the ground between her and the lion. She continued her slide over the slick grass until she collided with a nearby tree, a small grunt leaving her rabbit-shaped mouth.
    That sound was enough to distract her mate, his massive head turning in her direction. Concern was etched across his feline features, but it looked like his inattention would kill him. The lion chose that moment to rush Carter, rising to his back legs, claws unsheathed and headed for her mate. The rabbit released a high-pitched screech, trying to warn her mate in any way possible. She couldn’t lose him. Not after she’d just found him.
    Her mate spun and easily ducked the strike before returning the hit with one of his own, releasing a hiss as he danced out of reach. Carter took a deep breath, his striped ribs expanding and contracting.
    That was when the battle began.
    It wasn’t pretty or graceful. It wasn’t awe inspiring.
    It was bloody. Painful. Deadly.
    Roars echoed through the air, claws flashing as the lion swung and the tiger struck. Claws. Fangs. Then claws again. Blood coated both males, sinking into the earth with every new wound.
    Wounds on the lion.
    Carter remained untouched, coated in red but not his own, his opponent’s.
    They danced around one another, ducking and dodging, searching for weaknesses. The lion had many. Carter had none.
    Except her.
    Because the fight involved them circling one another, keeping their gazes locked until… Until the lion got near her. She should have paid better attention. She should have raced home.
    She shouldn’t have stayed in place like a frightened rabbit. It put her at risk.
    The next circle brought the lion close once more, and the beast snapped his attention from Carter to her. He abandoned his fight with her mate, turning it on her. Ten feet still separated them, but that was nothing for a cat.
    A roar left his mouth as his feet pushed