The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 8

I grunted when I was thrown into the wall and growled at my mate. My tail flicked back and forth in annoyance because this was the third time that he had done it.

Brody blinked slowly and watched as I thought of what I should do to try and pin him one time. Worry filled his eyes, and I knew that he thought that I was hurt, even though the only thing that was hurting was my pride.

"You are getting better," Trevor said from where he was leaning against the wall watching us fight. "It took him longer to throw you across the room." He raised an eyebrow when I growled. "No, you may not change into human form and kick his ass. We don't want to hurt him too badly."

"I don't think she can even do that," Brody commented. "I mean, she hasn't been doing good at this." He gestured to what we had been doing for the last two hours, and I was getting pissed.

I growled at him and flicked my tail in annoyance before looking at my second. 'Please,' I begged. 'I promise that I will play nice afterward.'

Brody smirked when I didn't do anything. He was getting cocky, and I really wanted to drop his ego down a couple of notches. "What cat got your tongue? Is that why you aren't talking to me?"

I growled and bared my teeth at him, and Brody's eyes widened in fear. I glanced at Trevor and smirked when I saw him nod his head.

"Kat," Brody said, his face pale. He cleared his throat and backed up. "I... uh... I didn't mean it. I am sorry?"

I smirked and let my tail flicker back and forth. I started to walk closer to him and shifted into my human form. "Do you want to test this... theory?" I all but purred. "I mean, you said yourself, I haven't been doing good at fighting you, even though I just shifted into my tiger form like a couple of days ago." I sneered, and if I had a tail, it would be flicking back and forth in anticipation. I was a predator after all, and my mate was my prey.

Brody took a step back and looked at Trevor for help. He gestured at me, causing Trevor to just shake his head and shrug. "Listen... Kat, I uh..."

"You what?" I asked, cocking my head, and watched as he squirmed. I took another step forward. "Scared?" I smirked, showing a row of sharpened teeth.

"Considering that your eyes are now rimmed with purple and gold, yes." He nodded his head. "And, you are looking at me like I am to be your last meal."

"That is because you are," Trevor said. He shrugged when I looked at him, not even fazed. "I grew up with her eyes doing that. That is why I am not afraid." 'And it isn't directed at me,' he linked, causing me to smirk.

Someone cleared their throat, saving Brody's hind. The person, a male, glanced between us. Nerves filled his eyes, and I could see that we were probably scaring him. "Um... someone is asking for a Princess Katherine. I take it that is you." He looked at me and nodded his head when I nodded. "I'm Christian. It's nice to meet you, Luna." He glanced at Brody, and my mate nodded to confirm that I was the Luna.

"Who is calling for her, Christian?" Trevor asked, and he looked at my second.

Christian moved a hand through his blonde hair and nodded his head. "Oh, yes, yes. They say that they are old friends of yours and that you should recognize this." He was about to hand me something but Trevor snatched it first.

"Trevor," I warned, and he looked at me. I scowled when he ignored me as he looked at what looked like a piece of a sleeve that had been torn during a battle.

"It is, well was, a sleeve from your uncle's dress shirt," Trevor said, handing it to me. "He was wearing it at your birthday party."

"Don't call him my uncle," I muttered, taking the sleeve. I pursed my lips as I studied the velvet piece, hating that it belonged to the man that most likely killed my family. "Family doesn't try to kill the other family members." I rubbed the sleeve and pursed my lip, trying to think as to where I had seen this sleeve. "It's from when he had tried to kill me." I looked at Christian. "Did they give names or have particular markings?"

Christian frowned, and I could tell that he was thinking. "Now, that you mention it both of them have this weird moon sh-"

I didn't let him finish as I ran towards the woods, hoping that it was them.

***

A sob almost broke from my lips as I saw two people that I had grown accustomed to seeing almost every other day with Trevor. Guilt filled my heart because these two people were grown up, and I did not think that it had been easy on them.

The boy, no man, smiled and opened up his arms to me. He closed them around me and whispered soothing words as I sobbed against his chest.

A part of me knew that this could be a curse, but I was just going to worry about it later. "I thought you two died," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. I pulled the other person into a hug. My grip tightened on them as images of them attacking my uncle appeared in my mind.

The person that I was basically clinging to chuckled. "Come now, Princess," he teased, and I growled. His voice cracked, so he tried to clear his throat and hide the fact that this was as emotional for him as it was for me. "We are basically death, so how can we die?" He cursed when his sister slapped him. "Really?"

"Stop trying to ruin the moment, Ronan," she scowled, and I chuckled. "And, you might want to let her go. We have company."

A jealous growl sounded through the forest, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Mine," he snarled, and I knew that he was glaring at the man I was holding.

I held back another eye roll and let go of my friend. I walked over to Brody and grunted when he pulled me close to him, muttering different curses underneath my breath.

"Why the hell are you two, Vampires?" he growled, blatantly ignoring the fact that one smelled more like a cat than the other. "Why the hell are you two here?"

"Clearly because Ronan is the king of the lions," I grunted, pulling at his sleeve. "Be nice. He is just a friend."

"We grew up with each other," my other friend, Raylen said. She looked at Trevor and smiled, showing her sharp teeth. "Isn't that right, Buttercup?"

Trevor grunted and shook his head. His ears turned a little red because of the nickname that she had used when we were younger. "As much as I hate saying this, Ray, but it is good to see you still alive, even after you two disobeyed my father's orders." He glared, and they shrugged indifferently.

"I thought we did a fairly good job. Don't you think so, Ro?" Raylen asked, looking at her twin.

"I think so, Ray," Ro said. He smiled at me, and I could feel the brotherly love coming off of him. "Now, are you going to tell us your mate's name, or are we going to have to go through your mind?"