The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 20

I was woken up by the sound of my name being called. I was still groggy and was shaking hard. I knew that I was sick, but I couldn't go back to the pack to get treated nor go too far to look for relief. I was still needed here.

I clutched the tree harder as I coughed, my body shaking from each cough. I groaned when I felt a stabbing pain in my side and clutched it.

"Kat! Where are you?" I heard Brody yell from somewhere. "Please, come back." There was a begging tone in his voice, and I wanted to go to him.

I leaned my head against the bark and grimaced as a wave of pain flickered through my body. I wasn't able to go back, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Please, Kat. At least show yourself at the border."

I stayed in my spot and closed my eyes. It was hard to keep them open. It was hard to do anything but cling to the tree that I was in.

"What did you do, Katie?" I heard Brody snap. He was closer than he had been, but he was still far away.

"I told her to leave," Katie said. Her voice shook, and I could tell that she was crying.

"Why?" Brody growled out. "You knew about the command. How could you b-"

"Enough," another male said. There was a warning in his tone, and I had a feeling that it was Carver. "If Kat knew that you were yelling at your sister, then she will yell at you for being stupid."

Brody growled at Carver. "She is my mate, Carver," he spat. "She could be long gone by now."

"Is she gone, Mr. Carver?" Katie asked. "Did I send her to her death?"

"You didn't, Katie," he said softly. "Knowing her, she is near the pack border in a tree."

"And which tree? There is no trail."

"Of course there isn't," Carver replied. "It rained and washed her scent. She also doesn't want to be found."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, her Tiger Spirit has pulled herself further into Kat's body. Trevor and I can't sense her."

"So, she could be dead, and you wouldn't know."

"I haven't felt a stinging pain, and neither did Trevor. She is alive and well."

"Then what do we do now, or do you have any suggestions?"

"We search for her, of course," Carver replied.

"You said that she doesn't want to be found."

"Not by you or I," he replied. "She wants to be found by Katie."

"Bu-"

"By me?" Katie asked, interrupting her older brother. "But why?"

Ya, why would she want to be found by her? She was the one that had sent her off."

"And, she is still her "owner,"" Carver said in a warning. "I know that you are missing your mate. Everyone is missing her, those that know her."

"Yes, and i-"

"It is not her fault. Do you know what was said to your little sister to make her hurt?" He waited, but Brody did not say a word. "Exactly."

"Fine, go find her," Brody said. "I will check on Trevor. He should be awake by now. We're going to need his help if she can't find her."

"Can you go with me, Carver?" Katie asked.

"Of course," Carver said.

And, everything grew quiet as they split up.

And, I fell back asleep, still cold and hot at the same time.

***

"Kat?" her voice called, and I drifted into the area between wake and sleep. She sounded closer, closer than she had sounded maybe an hour before. "Are you up there?"

"Up where, Katie?" Carver asked.

"In the tree. I think that she is in this tree, but I can't see her."

I coughed hard, my body shaking. I held onto the tree, making sure that I wouldn't fall to their feet.

"Kat? Come down, please?" Katie asked, her voice shaking. "Or can you?"

Groggily, I climbed down the tree. I hated feeling sick, but I knew it was because I had been out in the rain. My nose dripped, and I sneezed.

Even though I tried to keep my footing, I tripped when I was near the ground and fell. I wasn't able to catch another branch, so I just fell.

Carver grunted as he caught me before I fell to the ground. He gently held me so that he and Katie could see me and placed a hand on my forehead. "Goddess," he hissed, taking his hand away. "You have a fever."

I kept my eyes closed and shrugged my shoulder. I wanted to pull Katie towards me, but I was sick and just wanted to sleep.

"Kat?" Katie asked, her voice shaking. "Look at me."

I opened my eyes and stared at her. I hated seeing how red her eyes were, but I was too weak even to offer a smile. I ached and felt like shit, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

Her words rung in my head, and it caused my heart to hurt.

Katie sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I don't hate you," she whispered. She paused and waited for me to do something, but I only stared. She looked down and placed her hands behind her back. "The man that was here commented on you leaving me and forgetting about me."

Carver stiffened. "Who said that?" he asked. Two people popped into our minds, and if it was the one we were thinking of, then he was going to have hell to pay.

"The prince of the Wolves," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Carver growled out a warning and squeezed me a little tight. He relaxed and took a deep breath when I whined out in pain. "He is lying," he said, his voice shaking from anger. "Kat will never forget you."

"Then why isn't she saying something?" Katie asked. "All she is doing is staring at me with dead eyes."

"She is sick and in pain. Those words hurt both her and her Tiger. She doesn't know what to do or even if she should comfort you." He paused and stared at me when I turned my head to look at him. "She doesn't want you to get sick like she is," he said, finally.

"Are you sure?" Katie asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I am sure."

Katie nodded her head and took a deep breath. She let it out, and I could feel this power that she had. "Kat?" she asked, her voice soft yet firm. "Look at me, please."

I did what I was told to do and stared at this female that would be a good Luna. I tried to smile at her when she tried to smile at me, but it turned out to be a grimace.

Katie shuffled forward and took hold of the collar that bound me to her. "I release you from my service on the condition that you will never forget me or stop loving me." She blinked back tears and cleared her throat. "I take back what I said last night. You are free to go onto the pack lands and free to travel wherever you want to go." She took off the collar, and a wave of power filled me.

I took a deep breath as if I could breathe for the first time and sat up. I looked at the young female and smiled at her, and she smiled. "Thank you," I whispered before I slumped back into Carver's arms and passed out.