The leopard's weight slammed Kael to the ground, its claws digging into his chest. But Kael was quicker. He pulled the trigger before the beast could sink its teeth into his neck.
The shot rang out. He hit the earth with a thud, the dead leopard collapsing on top of him, heavy and motionless. Its weight was crushing, nearly suffocating, but with a grunt of effort, Kael managed to shove the beast aside.
Then, right before his eyes, the leopard began to change into something else. Its fur receded. Its limbs twisted, bones cracked. And within seconds, what lay before him was no longer an animal, but a man. Kael's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened in shock. He scrambled to his feet, blinking rapidly. What the hell was he seeing?
He wiped his face, trying to make sense of it. The leopard, dead a second ago by his gun, was now a naked human. He reached out and touched the body gently. It was real, Warm and lifeless. His heart pounded hard.
"What am I supposed to do now?' he wondered. The river was still ahead, and he had no guarantee Elira would even be there. But going back to Belmondi empty-handed wasn't an option, not without Elira, or at least a clue about where she'd gone.
Still, the idea of running into another creature like this made his skin crawl. He made up his mind, no more walking. He'd run. All the way to the river. And if he had to camp there with Elira all night, so be it. Anything was better than turning back through that cursed forest to Belmondi without his daughter.
Kael holstered his gun and cast one last glance at the body. It was no longer there. His stomach dropped. The corpse had vanished. Panic twisted through him like a knife.
'Was it dead? If so, how did it move? Dead things don't just disappear.' He asked himself. He didn't wait to find out. He turned and bolted through the forest, running hard, his breath ragged by the time he reached the riverbank.
The river was wide, shimmering under the moonlight, the reflection almost too serene for what he'd just seen.
"Elira!" he called out. No answer. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Elira!" Still nothing. Then—movement.
A bubble rose from the river's surface, followed by a head of long, wet brown hair. Elira emerged, her skin glistening, her bare chest rising from the water.
Kael froze, eyes locked.
"Kael?" she said, sinking back into the water, hiding her breasts. "What are you doing here?"
He cleared his throat and looked away. "Considering what I had to face to get here, I'd say I'm here to save your life."
"Save me? From what?" she asked, swimming toward the shore. He turned his back to give her privacy as she reached for her clothes. "A leopard," he said. "I ran into one on the way here."
Elira paused, her tone skeptical. "A leopard?" She quickly threw on the bum shorts and top she'd left on the grass.
"Yes," Kael said. "I'm not lying." She approached him, golden hazel eyes locking with his.
Kael stood a head taller, but her presence held its own weight. "I don't believe you," she said bluntly. "Nobody will. Not unless you can show me the dead body."
She folded her arms, looking him up and down. "It disappeared," he muttered, knowing how ridiculous it sounded even as he said it.
Elira let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh. "Right. You saw a leopard in a forest I walk through every day, and then it magically vanished after you killed it? What's next—dragons?"
Kael thought about telling her the truth—that the leopard had shifted into a man—but stopped himself. That would only make things worse.
"What are you really doing here, Kael?"
"Your dad sent me to get you."
Elira scoffed. "Out of all the men my father could send, he picked you? Now I know he really doesn't care if I live or die." She turned and stormed into the forest.
"Your dad trusts me," Kael called, following closely behind.
"I don't," she snapped, spinning to face him. "I don't like you. And you just ruined my evening by bringing your girly face to my river."
"I don't give a fuck about your opinion, Elira," Kael shot back. "I'm just doing what your father asked."
She opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off. "Shut the fuck up and let's go."
Elira narrowed her eyes. "Afraid we'll wake up your imaginary leopard?" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm as they moved through the trees.
Kael gritted his teeth. She was mocking something that had nearly killed him—and probably would have killed her too if he hadn't come.
Then—Elira froze. Two glowing eyes peered at them from the darkness. She leapt onto Kael, who instinctively drew his gun—only to find a cat staring back at them.
The feline bolted. "It was just a cat," Kael said with a smirk. "Don't use that as an excuse to hug me." She shoved him off, glaring.
Neither of them said another word until they reached the compound. Belmondi stood at the gate, flanked by his men.
Some of them exchanged money—Kael could tell they'd bet on whether he'd return without Elira, probably expecting some wild excuse about creatures no one else could see.
But Belmondi had bet on him. And he'd won.
"We heard a gunshot," Belmondi said. "Was that you?"
"Yes, boss," Kael replied. "It was a leopard."
"A leopard, this far west?" Belmondi frowned. "Strange—but not impossible." He turned to Elira.
"From now on, you don't go to the river unless Kael goes with you," he said. No room for argument. Elira rolled her eyes but didn't protest.
"And one more thing," Belmondi added, turning back. "You'll be getting married soon. Your husband will be Kael."
"No room for negotiation." Elira froze. Kael blinked, stunned. His jaw dropped.