His Prowl

Part 21

Chapter 21

Sydney ran through the forest as fast as she could.  This was the first time she had ever run for a purpose that mattered.  It was usually to calm her nerves or avoid her brother.  This time, though, it was to stop a war.  Sydney had a goal; her outcome mattered.  For the first time, she felt strangely responsible for her clan.  Other times, she had ignored the meetings, forgoing them to spend time with her human friends, but after today, she knew she would never be able to turn her back on her duties.  She was going to have to learn how to take responsibility for her and her clan’s actions.

As she dodged trees, leaped over a small stream, she detected the same scent she had earlier.  What was it about this deer that lingered in her nose?  It did not make any sense.  There was not a deer around.  There were no animals around her.  If she had time, she would have stopped to find out who this person was that was using magic on her.  There was no other explanation.  It may seem like a small thing, smelling a deer when there was none, but it was magic all the same. 

A twig snapped to her left, making her head turn in that direction.  When she looked though, there was nothing, not a single thing.  She didn’t stop running even as dread crawled on her skin.  There was something going on, and she didn’t like it.  The trees shadowed some spots, and Sydney knew that sundown was only a couple of hours away.  What would happen if she could not find someone to heal Ally’s guard?  What if Sydney started a war in which she could not finish?  There was no doubt in her mind that if there was a war between the two species that there would be death, more death than she had ever experienced.  The worse part about it would be killing her friends.  She had found out that she actually liked a few of the leopard shifters, including Blake, and she didn’t think she could bring herself to murder her newfound friends.

Again, a sound echoed throughout the woods, and this time, the hair on her arms stood up.  That didn’t sound natural.  It did not sound like an animal that would normally stroll through the forest.  The air behind her shifted.  She dropped to the ground, but not fast enough.  In no time, she was falling forward from the blow to the back.  She immediately rolled, knowing that her attacker would not allow her a fair chance.  As the foot slammed where her head once was, she smiled a little.  At least she still had her fighting skills.  Hopping to her feet, she attempted to see the attacker’s features, but they were a blur. 

She blinked, thinking that the blow to the head did more damage than she had initially thought, but the person was still a blur.  Shaking her head in confusion, she lunged at the mass.  They fell to the ground, and the person underneath her grunted before letting out a tiny chuckle of amusement.  Whoever this was, they didn’t find her a threat.  That was something that she would make them regret.  Her fist smashed into the person’s side, but they still just chuckled.

Pushing off her attacker, she glared down at the mass.  “What is so funny?”

“You should really watch your back,” the indistinguishable voice said.

Before she understood what was happening, something hit the back of her head.  Darkness entered her vision, and she was out before she even fell to the forest ground.

Blake surveyed the mess Sydney had gotten them in.  He understood that she was acting with her instincts, something Ally said he needed to do more often, but she relied a little too much on them.  If she would have just looked at the man attacking Ally, she would have been able to see that he meant her no harm.  Everyone knew Jones put Ally’s life above his.  She was the reason why he had his mate, the reason why he had a baby on the way.  Now, the man was lying on the ground, his face as white as his hair.  His eyes were wide open and staring at Ally as she cried above him.  He didn’t say anything, but Ally didn’t need words to communicate with those the closest to her.  It seems that since he had been gone, she had only grown stronger.  Now, she could whisper into any leopard shifters mind.  At that moment, Blake knew that was exactly what she was doing with Jones.