Free Rebirth (Rogues Shifter Series) by Gayle Parness Page A

around me, I heard the heartbeats of several warm-blooded creatures in the area. I narrowed down my focus to one unlucky hare and set about the task of stalking it until I saw it up ahead nibbling on a loganberry bush. Lying in wait for the perfect moment to attack was difficult for me as I’ve never been patient when a goal was in reach. Rob had to practically sit on my tail to make me wait for the right moment to rush from the cover of the sword ferns. Happily, my instincts kicked in at the perfect time and I pounced on the surprised brown hair and bit into his neck making a clean kill.
    My more human form might have cringed to see the cheetah kill and eat the terrified animal, but my appetite was satisfied in a way I would never experience as a human. The chase had given me an adrenaline rush unlike any other, and my physical strength seemed to increase with each bite as I shivered in ecstasy over the bare bones of the unlucky hare licked clean. When I'd finished and was grooming myself  in the usual feline way, Rob's leopard cuffed my head playfully with his giant paw and Ethan's cougar blinked and licked my face. Somehow, I didn’t mind at all.
    That afternoon, Ethan taught me to play backgammon while Rob emailed a few people and made some phone calls. Ethan turned out to be a good teacher, but after a couple of hours I was ready to stretch my legs and take a human run. Ethan said he’d tag along too so I slowed down my pace and we made it to the ocean together. We sat on an outcropping of rock and stared at the sea, both of us lost in our own thoughts for several minutes.
    I glanced at Ethan's unusually serious expression and decided to bre ak the ice. “Solo Island, huh? I guess I understand the name. It is kind of lonely out here. Why are you here on the island?”
    He shook his head and looked away. “Not now, ok ay? I’ll tell you one day."
    “Sure.” I decided to try another subject. “What do you know about Garrett?”
    Ethan’s mouth turned down. “He’s dangerous. There’s nothing else you need to know. Just stay away from him.”
    I frowned at his bossy tone. The memory of Garrett’s concerned eyes and the gentle touch of hi s hands on mine still made me smile. “There’s something familiar about him. I trust him.” I shrugged and looked back at Ethan.
    E than sighed in exasperation. “Even though he’s Rob’s friend, you should know that he has a bad rep, so it’s probably better if we have as little to do with him as possible.”
    “We’ll be training with him soon.” I decided to file away Ethan’s words of caution, knowing that he meant well. But as I nestled under the covers later that night, I wondered when I would see Garrett again. I didn’t realize that it would be quite so soon.
     
    Chapter Twelve
    I dreamt.
     
    It was evening and I was walking alone in a lovely garden surrounding a spectacular villa nestled into the cliffs above the Pacific. In the distance I could hear waves crashing on the rugged shore, gulls screeching in their search for the last juicy fish of the day and the first crickets of the evening entertaining me in stereo. My footsteps echoed loudly on the stone path, and as the garden darkened, my skin started to buzz with electricity. I caught a familiar scent.
    Garrett walked toward me gracefully, eyes bright blue dotted with strange silver flecks, looking like every girl's fantasy. Warnings flashed in my head but I was already lost, my eyes locked on his as he came ever closer. Why was he here, I wondered? Was this his home?
    His closeness made me nervous, so I bit my lip as I had when I 'd first met him, only this time a single drop of blood escaped and dripped down to my trembling chin. He reached out and captured the red droplet with a finger, lifting it slowly to his perfect mouth, sucking gently as I watched, enthralled. A slight shudder rippled over his body when he swallowed, then the silver flecks turned to streaks. but I wasn't afraid. Almost