Free Southern Shifters: Purred Promises (Kindle Worlds Novella) by R. E. Butler Page B

shifted. Her human curves were replaced with her compact lynx form. Her fur was pale gray, and the long black stripes of fur down her mane made her look fierce. She placed one of her huge paws on his shoulder, her claws sinking slightly into him for purchase , and purred loudly, blinking sand-colored eyes at him.
    When she gave him a gentle nudge toward the woods, they headed into the darkness. He paused just inside the trees and opened his senses wide, searching for anything out of the ordinary. If he were by himself, he would have just gone for a long run and not worried about what was around him. But with Genesis, he wanted to ensure that no harm would come to her.
    He could sense nothing but the woods, and he relaxed fractionally as he nudged her gently with his snout and began to walk. She moved silently alongside him, her nose twitching as she scented the area . His legs were longer than hers, and he shortened his stride so they could move together through the woods that were now home to them both.
    He watched her lazily chase rabbits, knowing full well that she could catch them if she was inclined. She turned around, letting a rabbit scamper off, and closed the short distance between them. If she could grin in her shifted form, she was surely doing it right them. Her body practically glowed from happiness.
    There was a whooshing sound, followed by a thud as a small canister landed between them. She reared back and hissed in alarm. He didn’t know what the object was, but his beasts were growling in worry. Leaping over the canister, he tackled Genesis, rolling her away as it exploded behind him. His beasts rioted as his senses were completely incapacitated. His vision was blurry, his hearing was gone, and he felt as if all his joints had come unhinged with the force of the blast. Struggling to climb over Genesis to protect her, he howled as her limp body was lifted from the ground by her two back legs. He could see a four-wheeler and a male in a mask sitting on it. The male carrying her sat down behind the driver and hoisted her over his shoulders, grasping her paws to hold her.
    A pair of boots appeared in his vision, and he had just a moment to gaze up through bleary eyes at a tall, older male, before a furious howl filled the air . T he male disappeared as Veron, shouldering Genesis, grabbed the older male by the throat and threw him aside.
    Jair struggled to move, and just managed to get up onto his feet before his head spun and he fell, everything going dark.

    * * *
     
    “What the ever-loving fuck happened here?” an echoing voice demanded.
    Jair felt hands on him, trying to rouse him. Pain seared through him, and he whined, prying his eyes open and forcing himself to move through it. Genesis had been taken . Hadn’t she?
    His eyes burned as he blinked, trying to dispel the blurriness.
    Veron leaned over and stared at him. “Everything’s okay. Can you shift? ”
    Pushing at his beasts, he forced himself to shift into his human form . The shifting helped to heal his injuries. He could hear and see clearly, and although he still ached from the blast, he could get off the ground. His first priority was Genesis.
    Veron offered his hand and helped him up. “We were in the bar when Felix called to say something was suspicious. We alerted Bhric and got here as fast as we could .” Around them, Felix and the crew stood, their faces streaked with worry and anger.
    Bhric leaned against a tree, his arms crossed, three unmoving males at his feet.
    Felix said, “ I saw two sets of four-wheeler tracks, and I followed them. I shifted into my human form just before they tossed the bomb at you two.”
    Genesis was still unconscious in her shifted form. Jair fell to his knees next to her and ran his hands lightly over her form, checking for injuries. “I think she’s just unconscious. I can’t scent any blood from injuries,” Veron said.
    “I took the brunt of the blast,” Jair said. He lifted her gingerly into his