The Forsaken (Book Three in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Die By New Year

The pain was incredible. I didn’t know how my brother did it. I screamed as my bones popped and my back arched and lengthened. Jason released me and backed up. I dropped to all fours and the rest was swift. I felt goose bumps across my skin as black fur broke through. My fingers turned into claws and the instant the smell of burnt rubber hit me, I knew the shift was over. I turned to look at Jason, the world in strange colors. The smells intense, but as my eyes zeroed in on him, my vision turned a deep red.

I growled at him and swished my tail.

He looked amazed and horrified at the same time. My brother came up next to me and we both approached him, very slowly. He backed himself up into the corner of the building.

“Oh now this is interesting,” Jason commented.

I saw his muscles tense and I pounced just as he jumped up. My claws tore into his pant leg and he screeched in pain as they tore into the meaty part of his calf. He landed on the roof and I coiled my muscles and jumped up after him.

I heard remarks of surprise and my brother trying to jump after me. But he didn’t have the power I did, he couldn’t follow me.

Jason had landed on his feet but he thought he was safe so he’d stopped to check his leg. I hissed at him and he looked up.

“How did you…?”

I ran at him and he started running away. The red of my vision got darker, smelling his fear and anger since he was being chased by a cat. I heard two separate landings behind me and then the pounding of feet. I chased Jason across the roof and watched as he jumped off the building and onto a leaving truck. I skidded to a stop at the ledge, my claws digging into the roof. Gravel trickled off as I watched Jason ride away on the top of the truck, his triumphant smile taunting me.

I hissed in Jason’s direction and watching him ride away, nothing I could do. When I heard the people in pursuit of me come to a stop, I turned around. The red in my vision faded as I looked at both Michael and Aidan. Michael was looking at me in fascination and Aidan, who was naturally afraid of cats, looked a little hesitant.

I sat down and regarded them. Their smells were incredible and I closed my eyes to breathe them in.

“What is she doing?” Aidan asked.

“She’s…smelling us. It’s a cat thing.”

Michael smelled like blood and death, with a trace of an exotic ancientness. I’d smelled it all before, when I was human but…I got up and walked over to him. He stayed completely still as I sniffed him. He still smelled like my Michael, I could smell myself in him. It was a bit weird.

I rubbed my head against his leg and put my muzzle in his hand. I closed my eyes and smelled the affection and love pour off him. Aidan had stepped off to the side and I ignored him for now. Michael kneeled down in front of me and looked me in the eyes.

“That was very, very stupid.”

I huffed at him. So was suggesting we split up.

He smiled. Well at least we know this still works.

I licked him in response, the weirdest thing ever.

I heard Aidan start back the way we’d come and I growled at him while still looking at Michael. I heard his footsteps stop and I smelled fear. I looked over at him and he stared at me. I knew he didn’t like cats and most of the time they didn’t like him.

“You shouldn’t move,” Michael suggested as I lopped over to where Aidan stood.

He stared at me with fear in his eyes. I stopped a few feet away, not liking the fact that he was afraid of me. I cocked my head to the side and whimpered.