Unshift

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

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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.

I catch the Grand Sage’s 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 to shower,” I retort, my chin jutting out defiantly.

The shifter’s eyes narrow. “You don’t smell like you’ve showered recently.

My jaw drops. Did he really just say that? The audacity! I’m about to unleash a tirade on this insensitive jerk when a bone–chilling growl cuts through the air.

My heart leaps into my throat as a massive reddish–brown wolf emerges from nowhere, its teeth bared and hackles raised. Without thinking, I stumble backward, instinctively seeking shelter

behind the naked shifter.

Bad move.

The new wolf’s growl intensifies, the sound reverberating through my chest. I can feel the naked shifter stiffen in front of me, his muscles tensing beneath his skin.

Suddenly, I’m shoved forward at the animal, nearly losing my 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 out everything else.

Around us, the other wolves drop to the ground, bellies pressed to the earth in submission. The air crackles with tension, and I find myself frozen in place, caught between terror and awe.

“Mating instincts are quite strong, the Grand Sage muses.

“Make more sense,” I hiss at him, not sure if I should try to back away or stand still. Which is less likely to get the wolf’s attention? It seems angry. I don’t want to be within bite range of an angry

277 Lisa Kollan

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“It’ll make sense soon, he assures me, looking for all the world as fascinated as a woman sucked

into Grey’s Anatomy.

The wolf growls again, this time turning in a swift motion to get between me and the Grand Sage, snapping impatiently in the gnome’s direction.

“I am no Lion for you, woll” Unaffected by the fierce visage of a growling apex predator, he gestures in my direction. “She is yours.”

Excuse me?

But the wolf lets out 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 thing rumbles in happiness.

“What the fuck is going on?” I hiss at the naked shifter, who looks panicked by my attention.

“Don’t look at me!” he snaps, before shifting into his wolf form again and cowering to the ground

like the others.

Has everyone lost their damn marbles?

I awkwardly run my fingers through the angry wolf’s fur, unsure 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 palm. 2

Confusion swirls in 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. Would you mind?”

The wolf lets out a loud rumble–growl, clearly displeased by the interruption. For a moment, I think it might snap at the Grand Sage, but then it heaves a heavy sigh. Before my eyes, the wolf’s form begins to shift and change.

My breath 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 a human form. A very, very

familiar human form.

Kellan.

My eyes widen as I take him in, unable to stop myself from drinking in every inch of his naked body. Unlike the other shifter, whose nudity had barely registered, I find myself appreciating Kellan’s form with a reverence that surprises me. My gaze travels from his broad shoulders down his chiseled chest, following the trail of hair that leads to….

Oh my.

Heat floods my cheeks, and I force my eyes back up to his face. Kellan’s intense gaze locks onto mine his rues burning with an emotion I can’t quite name Refore I can process what’s

ort Lisa kalian

happening, he steps forward, closing the distance between us in one fluid motion.

“Mate, he whispers, his voice rough and low.

Then his mouth is on mine, crushing our lips together in a kiss that steals my breath away. The heat of his skin, the strength of his embrace, the taste of him on my tongue–I’m overwhelmed.

Everything else is gone, flying right out of my head. The danger we’re in. The strange place we’ve found ourselves. Even my OWIE TRAIN

All that exists is Kellan and this kiss that feels like coming home.

When we finally break apart, I’m gasping for air, my head spinning. Kellan’s forehead rests against mine, his breath warm on my face. “I found you,” he murmurs, his voice filled with wonder and relief.

Reality comes crashing back, and I struggle to make sense of what just happened. “Kellan?” I manage to croak out, my voice embarrassingly breathy. Sure. I’m a healthy girl with an appreciation for sex. I may or may not have eye–fucked Kellan from across the room a few times, even when I was mad at him. But this? What is this?! 1

“What… how… what are you doing?

my

He pulls back slightly, his hands coming up to cup my face. His thumbs brush over cheekbones, and I shiver at the tenderness of the gesture. Every part of me wants to melt toward him, and honestly? My legs are too tired to fight the urge.

So I do.

I melt right against his body, snuggling into his arms like I was always meant to be there, as he tilts my face toward his, meeting his intense gaze.

“I’ve b

been waiting for you” he says, his eyes never leaving mine. “When I heard you were taken… I couldn’t… I had to find you. I’m sorry I wasn’t the one to save you, Lisa.