Chapter 422 Chapter 422
Noah came up to run beside her and her cat had no desire to try to outrun him, but that didn’t mean she was going to stay beside him either, she decided. It shocked her how easy it was to turn her entire body and go in another direction, and how she was able to navigate through the trees without fear of hitting one of them.
Lifting her chin, she scented around her again, there were more cats around her. She put on the brakes and came to an abrupt stop, sliding a few feet on the mucky ground. Her sides were heaving, but she still inhaled again, there was something not natural out here in the trees. Something man-made, she thought.
Crouching low, she turned her head and a sound she didn’t know how she made came out of her throat. Her cat had conveyed something to Noah and a big white cat, she thought briefly might be Blair. They both lifted their heads and checked the scents around them. When both turned to look at her. They didn’t look concerned. Didn’t they smell it?
With a low growl, she took off in the direction it was coming from. A quick glance told her that Kobie was right there with her. Later she’d figure out how she knew the black tiger was in fact Kobie.
Kobie moved up beside her, and it thrilled Emersyn that she also picked up the scent the men hadn’t. Emersyn didn’t rush to move by her, she had no idea what she was doing, and her cat recognized the Alpha female beside her. Of course, it made sense and she felt stupid for not realizing it before, Blair and Kobie were Alphas.
Kobie slowed and lowered her body closer to the ground. Emersyn followed her, mimicking the careful steps the more experienced cat took. A movement to the left had both of them pause and turn to look. Emersyn was glad she was in cat form right now because the shock of seeing a huge black jaguar creeping through the brush would have made her unable to stay silent. She watched the male cat and knew after a few seconds that it had to be Calum. Even in the form of a man, he moved the same way, silent, cautious, and predatory.
Emersyn stopped and watched Kobie, and Calum moved closer to the thick grouping of trees, there were branches hanging low with vines wound around them. It was a perfect hiding spot, she thought if one wanted to hide something.
Noah moved up alongside Emersyn, his sides heaving from running, but his body was steady. She noticed he was slowly moving to put his body between her and the area in front of them. She realized she was sending out waves of anxiety and he had picked up on them. She stepped back, giving him the space to move if needed.
She dropped belly to the ground, her legs shaking as she watched Calum go into the growth until she couldn’t see him. Kobie stood, like a statue watching where he’d gone in. Emersyn slowly took the air into her body, trying to figure out what was in there. How had she sensed it when the wet growth in the area was ripe with so many scents?
Calum came back out and was wearing jeans. She blinked, where had the jeans come from? She turned and looked at Blair to see a bag of some kind around his large body. They brought clothes with them. It made sense. She huffed out a breath, she had no clothes with her.
“Someone’s been staying out here.” Calum held up a worn backpack and a larger bag.
Kobie moved by him, still in cat form, and went into the bush. Emersyn wasn’t sure what she was doing until she came back out, glanced once at her mate, and then started running in the opposite direction.
Calum set the items down and looked at Noah, “take Emersyn and Nichelle back up to the house—tell Cale what’s happening.”
Noah responded with a quick chuff sound. He turned to look at Nichelle, who needed no more than that to take off running back in the direction they’d come from.
Emersyn’s cat didn’t move, she couldn’t focus to get her to. What if the person hiding here was here to take her back to that house? Lindon may be dead, but he had a lot of men that followed his orders. The panic became so real her muscles felt like they locked up.
Noah came closer and nudged her gently. A low yowl that echoed pain came out of her throat.
Noah looked at Calum.
“She’s panicking,” Calum told him.
Without hesitation, Noah turned back to her. He rubbed along her side while making soft chuffing noises. Emersyn may not speak cat yet, but her animal understood and overrode the fear that was paralyzing her limbs.
After a shaky start, she began to run back from the area she’d started in. She didn’t have to slow down and look to see if Noah was with her, she could hear his paws landing in time with her own. It might have been the stress of the situation or even the exertion of the run, but when she saw the trailer, her legs felt numb. She stumbled twice and then decided for her own safety she should stop. She was shaking all over now. Would changing back be as scary as shifting into a fur-covered cat? Before she could think about it any further, her legs gave out and everything blurred. Her fur felt hard for a second then she realized fingers were dug into the dirt instead of claws.
“Just let it happen.” She heard Shaelan say softly but couldn’t focus to see her.
Closing her eyes, she forced herself to relax, and then her body shifted back into the two-legged form.
Someone covered her with a blanket. She turned to see Shaelan giving her a gentle look.
Noah, still a cat, came over and stood close to her. His cat eyes were reflecting his concern.
“I’m okay.” She told him and reached a shaking hand up to touch the soft fur along his jaw.
“Nichelle told us what’s going on,” Shaelan told him. “Cale is on the roof and Jake and Gary are on the way over.”
Noah chuffed and looked back to Emersyn.
“Go.” Shaelan said, “I’ll get her to the house and some food into her.”
Noah looked only at her. “I’ll be okay, just winded that was—” her voice was hoarse. She felt so weak. “Go make sure we’re safe.”
He puffed out a breath and then turned and ran into the trees.
Emersyn watched until he was gone. She looked up at Shaelan from where she still lay on the ground. “I’m not sure I can walk.”
Shaelan smiled, “I figured as much.” She glanced over her shoulder, “Franki and Mika are coming to help.”
“Thank you.” She struggled to sit up; her arms were so weak. “Is it always like this after?”
Shaelan bent down and put her hand under her arm. “No. The first shift is harder, but your health still isn’t the best, so I knew it was going to be a rough landing.”
Emersyn nodded, “it was like everything shut off all at once.”
Shaelan looked over to see the other two women jogging toward them. “What was it like?”
Emersyn smiled, as she focused on keeping her knees locked so she wouldn’t collapse. “It was amazing. I could see more, taste everything and smell the entire bush.”
“Nichelle said you scented the location of the bags before Kobie,” she smirked, “or Calum.”
Emersyn was relieved when Franki took her other arm. “I think it was all of us at once or Kobie knew.”
“Mmm,” Shaelan held the blanket over her as the other two women helped her toward the house.
Emersyn felt, for a moment, like she wasn’t even moving—she’d shifted for the first time in her life—became what she’d, what they’d been trying to suppress. Never again, she thought. She glanced back to the trees, hoping Noah was safe. He had to be all right. Her cat had confirmed what the woman had told her years ago. Noah was her mate. Is that why she felt safe around him?
She had a pretty good idea of what mates were and was also certain she couldn’t be a true mate to anyone. Too much of her was broken. She had no idea what she was going to do about him just yet, but she trusted no one else to get her daughter back. Her world was a better place with him in it.
Noah had to be okay.