Rayne

RAYNE

I stood at my desk until I heard their vehicle pull out of the parking lot.

With them finally gone, I walked over and repositioned my broken office door, then went to work straightening up my office.

After cleaning up, I secured the door and left the office. I would get someone to fix it later.

The icy wind hit my face and had me pulling the fur-lined hood of my coat over my head as I trudged through the deep snow to get to my ride.

Snow blanketed everything in sight, but the Raptor’s burnt orange and black paint job stuck out like a sore thumb against the white.

I scurried to the driver’s side and practically leapt in and automatically started up the Raptor before swiftly reaching to turn on the heater.

The windshield was covered in snow, so I turned the wipers and defrost setting on to clear it away. The blizzard had calmed, leaving only a few snow flurries dancing around in its wake.

When the windshield had cleared enough for me to see out, I put the Raptor in gear and headed home, taking my time on the wintry roads.

Snow-covered trees and houses made the landscape resemble a winter wonderland. It was beautiful, but I loathed being in it. Winter wasn’t officially here yet, and I was already ready for summer.

Many times I’d thought about leaving that town, leaving that state, but unanswered questions tethered me there. Maybe this new assignment would give me the incentive to pack up and go.

God knew I needed to.

Before long, I pulled into the driveway of my two-story mint-green Victorian house. It sat in the middle of eight acres of woods, secluding it from the rest of the world.

To me, that was the best part of the property. Having no neighbors for a good ten miles meant I had plenty of room to roam without having to worry about prying eyes.

I raised the garage door, pulled in, then let the door back down.

Only when the garage door was firmly shut did I climb out of the Raptor, glad to have a barrier standing between me and the bitter cold.

With the bag and folder in hand, I went inside, where the toasty warmth welcomed me like a long-lost friend. I basked in its comfort and let my earlier tension fade away.

I took off my coat and hung it up, then yanked off my leather boots before walking into the kitchen. I left the money and folder on the counter. I would come back to them later.

Right now, I could hear the fridge calling to me. I rummaged through it and pulled out a plate of leftover lasagna and a bottle of red wine. It wasn’t much of a meal, but it would do.

Once my stomach had substance in it, there was only one thing left on my to-do list: ahot bath.

Upstairs in the bathroom, I turned the hot water on and poured in my favorite white-rose bubble bath. The anticipation had me nearly purring as the heady aroma and cozy steam filled the air.

Once the bubbles reached the brim of the tub, I let my clothes drop to the floor and climbed in.

This time I actually did purr as my body submerged in the blissful heat. The chilling cold that had seeped into my bones earlier rapidly melted away.

I stayed in the tub till the water became lukewarm. I got out, dressed myself in a robe, and walked straight to my king-size bed, plopped down, and yanked the covers up.

Sleep evaded me, though. For what seemed like the twentieth time, I looked over at the clock. 4:06 a.m.

I tried clearing my mind, but it kept going back to the folder sitting on the kitchen counter. I growled in frustration as I closed my eyes and forced my brain to go blank.

With much effort, I eventually dozed off.

They had found me. After three months of me hiding and running from them, they had caught my scent again and were now on my trail like bloodhounds on a hunt.

As I sensed them gaining ground behind me, I pumped my legs to go faster. I tried desperately not to trip over fallen trees or their roots as I raced by.

It would take only one mistake on my part, and they’d have me again. I couldn’t let that happen.

My breathing was rapid, and my lungs were exhausted from running nonstop for hours. My legs were spent, but I pushed them to carry me further.

Having eaten nothing in days, my weakness was evident as I made my way up the steep slopes.

They were bigger and better equipped to climb, but I was small and could fit into the cramped crevices of the rock formations that surrounded this land.

It put some distance between them and me as I weaved in and out, but not enough that I could afford to slow down.

I kept moving upward, digging my claws into the earth to better my grip on the steep incline as they snarled behind me.

Once at the top, there was no slowing as I looked for a path or obstacle that would get them off my trail.

I didn’t have much energy left to keep running, so when the sound of running water reached my ears, I made a sharp turn toward it, hoping it would be my saving grace.

I realized too late that I’d run to the edge of a waterfall. Frantic, I searched the bank, looking for a fallen log or something to help me cross. There was nothing.

I couldn’t possibly swim; the current was too strong. It would quickly drag me under and over the edge. The drop alone would be enough to kill me.

I glanced back. The hunting party was less than twenty feet away now. I looked once more at the water and decided to jump.

As soon as I hit the water, it swept me under. I fought to reach the surface as I paddled. Finally, my head popped out of the water. But before my lungs could fill with air, I was submerged again.

When the water invaded my airways, I used my hind legs to launch myself upward. As I resurfaced again, sputtering for air, my gaze fell on the bank, and that’s when I saw him.

The leader, a leopard named Meko, stared back at me, his teeth bared. The others watched on as the current swiftly carried me to the rocks below.

I smiled inwardly. I had chosen to die in these raging waters, rather than by their hands. It was a small victory, but it was a victory nonetheless.

Meko paced along the bank of the river, watching me struggle to stay afloat, his eyes never leaving mine.

We both knew my time was coming to an end, but I was thankful it wasn’t by his hand.

As I neared the edge of the waterfall, I was dragged back under. I closed my eyes and awaited my fate as my body went over the edge.

***

When I came to, pain was coursing along my left side. I peered down to examine it. A long cut running from my rib cage to my hip bone had been stitched up and wrapped.

But none of that mattered, because where there had been fur, there was now skin.

I looked at my hands and wiggled my toes. No paws. I felt underneath me. No tail. Feeling my face, I noted the absence of whiskers. I was 100 percent human again.

I began to laugh hysterically. For months I had been trying to change back, and all it took was my untimely death.

I laughed harder, tears rolling down my face as my left side protested the movement, but I was so glad to be human again.

“Well, I’m glad one of us finds this situation funny.”

I froze as dread took hold of me and my laughter stopped. I had been so caught up in the moment that I had forgotten to search my surroundings.

I inhaled, sniffing the air, and realized I had fallen into the hands of yet another shifter. And worse, I was lying in a bed, wearing only my undies, with my side stitched up.

Looking in the direction the voice had come from, my eyes settled on a tall figure standing in the corner.

It was too dark to see him clearly with my human eyes, so I listened to his steady breathing instead.

As images of the past few months flashed through my mind, anger replaced the fear that had been building. I was grateful. I could do something with anger; I couldn’t do anything with fear.

Now that I was more angry than scared, my voice came back.

“Show yourself, shifter,” I commanded, venom coating every word.

“For such a small thing, you have guts, girl. I’ll give you that.”

I listened to the thud of his footsteps as he walked across the room, and my eyes followed his every step.

I bolted straight up in bed. It took me a few minutes to realize where I was before my breathing evened out.

A thin sheen of sweat covered my body. I went to remove the covers but grabbed a handful of tattered fabric instead. When I peered down, I found my comforter and blanket ripped to shreds.

The bed and floor were littered with torn material. I must have fought in my sleep. I sighed loudly before running my fingers through my hair, which was now a tangled mess.

Damn, I hadn’t dreamed like that in years.

I glanced over at the clock—6:13 a.m. The shifters’ visit was bringing up old memories I’d much rather stay buried.

I hadn’t even begun the case, and it was already causing me problems.