Page 4 of Crimson Shifter

Going home somehow seemed more dangerous than that.

And yet here I was, packing my bags and trying to reinforce my mental shields in order to get through what would surely be the death of me. If not by my mother's hands, then that of the hunter who’d been assigned to accompany me. Posing as my darling Shadow, no less.

I pet her again, relishing the soft vibrations of her deep sleep at the foot of the bed. Shadow had been my only companion beyond Warrick for the last three years. I'd saved her as a cub on the black market from some heinous noble who was going to raise her just to feed from her, buying into some ridiculous myth that doing so would increase his stamina and power.

I’d considered releasing her back into the wild, but by the time she was healthy enough to do so, the panther and I had connected on such a deep level that there would be no tearing her from me or me from her.

And now I’d have to leave her here and take the hunter instead.

Talon’s face flashed behind my eyes, and anger boiled in my blood. The ancient vampire hadnoright assuming the form of my beloved panther, but he had already done so on several occasions. I don't know why he did, except perhaps to remindme that there was always someone watching me, someone waiting for me to mess up or to reveal my traitorous intentions.

I rolled my eyes and continued petting Shadow.

I had no intentions, good or bad. Yes, I wanted to ease the guilt I had from causing so much grief for our king, but mainly, I was doing this to protect my brother. That bonded instinct inside me would never allow him to come to harm, even if he deserved a smack against the head for coming here in the first place. The one place where everybody hatedanyonewith the Zorin name. And he’d just packed his bags and waltzed in like he’d be welcomed with open arms.

I understood he wanted to serve the king, especially after our father’s betrayal, but Ifearedfor him. Especially now that I was leaving, and there would be no one besides Shadow to watch over him. Thank gods she loved Warrick. If I’d left her to watch over Edward? He wouldn’t last a night. She hated him that much.

I blew out a breath, taking some solace because I knew Shadow would protect Warrick if the need arose, but he could also handle himself. Though, I'm not sure if he would if it was the king who was attempting to strike him down.

Talon was likely ecstatic that he had orders to kill me if I relayed any of the information I’d learned during my time here to my other brother Edward or my mother.

Talon, I'm sure, wouldrelishthe kill.

Those arctic blue eyes of his constantly surveyed me like I was a snake ready to strike. A snake he wanted to trap and torture and cut off its head.

He looked at me like I waslessthan nothing.

The daughter of a traitor, a noble female vampire raised and groomed for one thing and one thing only: securing an advantageous alignment for the family and strengthening our bloodline.

I’d been granted no other luxuries in life, despite what outsiders may think. I had no truly useful skills to offer the king besides my ability to sense out supernatural blood in humans and other creatures alike.

But on this mission, I could be useful. I could be brave. I could be worth something. And it wasn't until I felt the faintest brush of the hope to be worthy that I realized how badly I needed to make a stand. To once and for all figure out who the fuck I was outside of my family and where exactly that would lead me.

I couldn't help but think it was likely the grave.

My spine smacked against the floor of the training room, the cushioned lining doing little to soften the pain that cracked through my body.

“That's twelve,” Talon snapped from where he stood at my side, looking down at me with a prideful smirk that made me both want to claw his eyes out and quite possibly climb him like the tree he was.

I glared up at him from where I remained on the floor, giving myself a few precious seconds before rising to my feet and attempting another blow at his perfect face.

Talon moved faster than I could follow, his hand blocking my fist an inch from his face, not an ounce of strain showing anywhere on his body.

His irritatinglyperfectbody.

I’d never seen a vampire more gorgeous than him. He was tall and muscular, but most of our kind showed that form of strength. It was his rich blue eyes, ancient and shifting in color and tone as much as he shifted his skin. His blond hair looked soft as silk, and he simply radiated this raw power that feltboth dangerous and enticing at the same time. I envied him his ability, and couldn't help but wonder how freeing it would feel to turn into something else entirely on a whim. To hide from the world in any form I chose. It must be exhilarating to possess that kind of freedom.

I’d cut out my own tongue before I admitted any of that to him.

From the arrogant way he was looking at me right now, I kind of wanted him to shift into a bug so I could step on him.

I jerked my fist out of his hand, huffing as I took a few steps back. There were other assassins training in the room around us, but they gave us a wide berth and gods adore them, they didn’t laugh at my utter lack of abilities.

Talon tilted his head in that predatory way that showed just how long he’d been a hunter. “How is it you havenobasic fighting skills?”

“Why does that surprise you?” I fired back instead of answering. “It's not like the females in your generation were signing up to be assassins and huntresses.”

“Actually, there were a few huntresses.” He cocked a perfectly blond brow my way. “And we're not in my generation,” he continued. “Well, I guess actually we are. This is the time period I'm living innow. And it’s a progressive one. There are numerous females who are not only trained but deadly with their fighting skills. I would think a prized noble such as yourself would have undergone rigorous training.”