Book 3: Leopard's Mate

Chapter 3

Kasni rolled about the snow and licking at her muzzle. She had caught prey and had a decent meal. She always felt really good after that, free and the adrenaline from the chase. After all the terrain was rocky and steep. Hard to maneuver but for her kind it was easy.

She found an out cropping and laid on it. Just overlooking the area and let out a sigh. She was a bit frustrated with the fact that she knew this other shifter was present somewhere. However none of them could ever track him. His scent just disappeared like he was there one second and then gone the next. Perhaps he was able to hide his scent, whatever it was he was darn good.

Her brother was an extremely good tracker, and she wasn't bad herself. Either way her reasons were more benign than her brother. She was interested in this new being. After all they lived up here and were cut off from the rest of the world really. She remembered the couple others, and a bit of the city but most her life had been lived in remote areas. She liked it that way, she didn't really need to socialize.

Plus she was jealous of her brother and Lee. It was growing worse and she was alone even with her family there. It wasn't just the males of the species that couldn't help themselves to a female in heat. After a while she just couldn't say no. so it was better to find someone than just give in right?

Kasni's tail twitched and she was just looking about when a movement to her right caught her attention. It was a good distance away. Though not as far as she first thought, and it was another leopard that jumped down the steep cliff like face with ease and to the ground. She started forward quickly. She liked to follow native species, her wild cousins around. There were those humans that studied her species and others. Sometimes she would let them see a glimpse of her to follow so that they could help preserve her wild brethren and their home.

This was a very large snow leopard, and she figured that it had to be a male. He was up wind and a moment later she got the scent. It caused her to pause and it was potent male, along with the scent of rain. She felt a sudden excitement, this was that other shifter. It was him, and she had stumbled on him after all the times of just getting a hint of him. Well here was her chance to see who this shifter was. Just how much she'd have to look out for or forward too depending.

She didn't want to make herself known right away, she'd have to test him first. She was moving fast to catch up to him from above and then went down. She slowed knowing that he'd picked up on her, but didn't seem to know where she was. Well, she'd give him a little test, see how easily riled he was or willing to lash out at another. That would tell her a lot as well.

______Cole______

Cole sat on his haunches staring down at the animals that were moving down there. He wasn't really all that hungry yet. He'd just eaten yesterday and it had been a good meal for him. He'd gone back into town to get some of his items and happy to not run into the other shifters. He didn't know where they were staying and he didn't look. Then he'd really be pacing the area looking for that woman who was constantly on his mind.

He moved taking several well placed jumps and down he went. He landed and started to lope off just really bored with nothing to do at the moment. Which was nice so he let his cat free reign, after a moment however he paused. Something felt off, he felt watched all of a sudden and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

He gave a slight hiss and raised his nose sniffing, but nothing came to him. He continued on and kept a sharp eye out. They couldn't have found him right? The magic should still conceal him, did he need to go back and have it checked? Because the feeling was getting worse, he was going to just disappear and go to Kyra when a fast moving streak came at him.

At first he wasn't sure what he was seeing and that was what cost him. The other figure hit his side and plowed him into the ground. It moved fast and then sprang away from him and he was up turning and giving a very angry and deadly sound.