Free Leopard 01 - The Awakening by authors_sort

them left?”
    “Of us, Maggie—you’re one of us—and no, there are not many of us left. Our race has dwindled.
    We’ve been hunted and killed nearly to the point of extinction. It was partly our own fault. We don’t have the most noble history.” There was regret in his voice.
    “What happened?”
    “In the early days, some tribes worshiped us as deities. Some of our people became obsessed with power. Like any species, there are those among us who choose a life of common good and service, and those who want to reign, to conquer. We have our own diseases and our own problems. We’re passionate, a mixture of human and animal instincts that means good and bad from both sides.” He stopped walking. “The village is just ahead of us. Maggie, even today, some of our males are obsessed with power,” he cautioned her carefully.
    “Leopards don’t mate for life, Brandt. The females raise the cubs alone. Do the men walk away after sex?” She forced herself to ask the question without looking at him.
    He caught her to him, his arms steel bands. “No, Maggie. We are not leopards, not animals, nor are we human. Our species mate for life. It’s how it’s done. For nine lives. All of our lives. Over and over.
    You’re mine, I know you are, you’ve always belonged with me.”
    Relief and joy washed over her, so much so that she couldn’t respond. The thought that he might want her for all their years rather than just a mating made her happy in spite of the fact that she wasn’t altogether certain any of it was real. She let him hold her in silence while she looked around her, trying to see through the rain and trees. Sure enough, there were a couple of small structures woven into the trees and camouflaged by the wealth of plants growing in every conceivable manner. She shook her head. “This is the village? This is where everyone lives? All two buildings?” She was trying not to laugh. She had pictured something much different. A thriving busy hub, at least, like a native village.
    “We never live in the village. We simply meet here to enjoy company or get supplies. Homes are scattered in and around the trees. We make certain there are no trails and that we’re constantly vigilant, looking for signs of anyone near. The poachers destroyed the village the night your parents died, and since that time we’ve kept it quite small for protection.”
    “That makes sense, but it seems a sad way to live.”
    “We have our own community and not all of our people reside in the rain forest. Some have chosen to live on the outskirts. We change at will, with the exception of the Han Vol Dan. The first time shifting that occurs is uncomfortable and can’t be controlled. It’s best to have someone with you to talk you through it.”
    “So children don’t shift shape. Only adults?”
    He nodded. “And we don’t know what triggers it in each individual. Some are earlier shifters than others.” Brandt slipped his arms around her shoulders, needing to touch her, to have her close. He was feeling edgy and combative, knowing the other males were in close proximity. His friends, he reminded himself. Men he trusted. Men who had saved his life a dozen times, as he had saved theirs. They knew Maggie was his mate. They would be just as uncomfortable around her as he would be with them there until he had bound Maggie to him.
    And then there was James. Brandt and the others had scented him in the forest, watching Maggie’s arrival. Twice Brandt had smelled his spoor near the house. Brandt didn’t trust James and didn’t want the man anywhere near Maggie. Their species had too much animal influence, so much so that they had to fight their very natures at times. They reacted like territorial males until the bonds were fully established. It was dangerous for all of them.
    Maggie felt the fine tremor running through his body. “What is it?” She slid her arm around his waist, something she might not ordinarily have done, but he