Page 65 of Bloodline Unbound

Caden buried his face against my throat and took a deep breath. “I vote we stop for a steak dinner when we get to Eugene. I need calories.”

I hummed happily, reveling in the lingering soreness and prickling sweat of a job very well done. The forest was vibrating with energy, and it took me a second to realize it was agitated.

I sat up, reaching out, sinking my awareness into the root system around us. It made my head swim and I focused on pulling back, trying to search out the source.

“Oh, shit.” The chill of the monster slipped through my senses. “We have to go.”

Adrenaline saturated my blood, and I climbed unsteadily to my feet.

“Monster or something else?” Caden asked, looping an arm around my waist.

“Monster. It’s way too close.” I’d been too distracted to notice and should have checked sooner.

The trees wailed, the ground heaving as if they were trying to climb out of its path. The energy of the air billowed with malevolence. It hadn’t done that the other times we’d encountered it. Was it getting stronger?

Caden and Seth shifted, crowding me between their panther forms.

Get on. Caden lowered himself a bit and I climbed onto his back. He took off and I fisted my fingers in his fur to keep from flying off. I tried to keep watch for the creature. It was cold at my back, goosebumps erupting, the hairs at the back of my neck standing on end.

Darkness slithered between the trees out of the corner of my eye.

“Faster!” I cried out, but we couldn’t outrun it without the car. Panthers were fast but we couldn’t maintain top speed for long. This thing was relentless.

It swept closer and crashed into us, wrenching me off Caden and sending my panther tumbling into a tree. I thrashed and fought, but the tendrils held me so tightly I thought my bones might crack. A tendril wrapped around my throat, another sliding between my lips. Panic blinded me and I screamed. The tendril shoved deeper and choked off the sound. My power surged, burning hot and bright, but that only seemed to make the darkness pulse around me.

Caden, get her out of here!

Seth launched himself at me, massive paws plunging into the creature as he tackled me to the ground with an impact that knocked the wind out of me. I watched with bleary eyes as it snared him out of the air and bound him in those tendrils.

Caden roared at the entity. I scrambled up and he tried to herd me away, getting between my legs to force me onto his back.

“No, no, we can’t leave him.”

Caden hesitated a moment before taking a leap away, carrying me with him.

I turned, reaching out with a scream. “Seth!”