Tangled

Unshift 277

Unshift 277

277 Lisa: Kellan

After the third time I stumble while walking, the naked shifter stares at me with a curled lip.

"Why are humans so weak?" he asks, his tone grating on my already frayed nerves.

1 bristle at his words. Who does he think he is? "None of your business," I snap, surprising myself

voice. I

with the venom in my ericho said I do pretty well for a human, thank you very much. I'm

just weakened.

I'll get back into shape and then wipe that cocky stare off his face on the mat.

Though, I have yet to have a legitimate win without any handicaps during our training spars...

But a girl can dream, damn it.

The shifter's eyebrows shoot up, clearly taken aback by my sass. He peers at me more closely, his brow furrowing. "Do I know you?"

Before I can answer, he leans in, his nostrils flaring as he sniffs at me. I recoil, but he's already pulling back, a puzzled expression on his face.

"You don't have much of a scent," he says, sounding perplexed.

eye, noticing a mischievous twinkle there. The bracelet must mess with my scent, too. It bolsters my courage for some reason. "That's because humans like

don't smell

that? The audacity! I'm about to unleash a

massive reddish-brown wolf emerges from nowhere, its teeth bared and

behind the naked shifter.

Bad move.

growl intensifies, the sound reverberating through my chest. I can feel the naked shifter

balance in the process. The naked shifter holds up his hands once I've been sacrificed, a look of fear flashing across his face. The enormous wolf bounds forward, placing itself between me and the other shifter. Its massive jaws snap at the naked man, a growl so loud it drowns

back away or stand still. Which is less likely to get the wolf's

277 Lisa Kollan

+27

for all the world as fascinated as a

into Grey's Anatomy.

motion to get between me and the Grand Sage, snapping impatiently in

for you, woll" Unaffected by the fierce visage of a growling apex predator, he gestures in

Excuse me?

a remarkably satisfied-sounding huff and turns to rub hard against my thighs, almost knocking me off balance. When I grab at its fur to hold me up, I swear the damn

on?" I hiss at the naked shifter, who looks panicked by

at me!" he snaps, before shifting into his wolf form again and cowering to the ground like the

everyone lost their damn

of how to handle this situation. To my surprise, the beast seems to melt under my touch, its eyes half-closing in bliss as its tail wags. The fierce growling from moments ago transforms into a contented rumble that vibrates. through my

mind. I turn to the Grand Sage, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. Bitterness, to be clear, that he was willing to sacrifice me off to a rabid wolf. "What the hell is going on?" The gnome's eyes twinkle with amusement, and I fight the urge to shake him. "If you can't figure it out now, my dear, you will soon enough." He turns to address the wolf. "We need to continue on our way.

rumble-growl, clearly displeased by the interruption. For a moment, I think it might snap at the Grand Sage, but then it heaves

catches in my throat as the fur recedes, revealing smooth, tanned skin. Muscles ripple and bones realign, the wolf's body stretching and morphing into

familiar human form.

Kellan.

naked body. Unlike the other shifter, whose nudity had barely registered, I find myself appreciating Kellan's