A dark shadow.
I toss the bouquet between my hands. Maybe the sudden change in the weather is a bad omen, a sign that I shouldn’t go through with this. I’ll feel terrible if I bail on Henry. My family will still be in trouble if I do, and he’ll probably resent me for the rest of our lives. I don’t want to think about what a man with his kind of money could do if I made him angry.
Tara will be here soon to escort me to the ceremony. I never thought getting married would be so difficult for me. The shadow over me stretches forward and swirls. Odd for a cloud. I look up and see blue sky above me, and then black closing in on me.
Fear grips my gut as a giant, black creature descends from the sky. Its wings stretch out impossibly long, as wide as the hill. And it reaches out a clawed bird’s foot towards me. A scream lodges in my throat as I look into its eyes.
Hazel eyes set into a panther’s face.
I’m hallucinating. The stress and pressure of the wedding has finally gotten to me and my brain is responding by creating a hallucination of a monster. That has to be it.
Because monsters aren’t real.
Something like this can’t be real.
I stumble backwards, tripping over the tulle of my gown. One of my sparkling heels falls off, but I don’t reach for it because the monster is close. In seconds, that clawed foot is wrapped around me, squeezing me tightly. Finally, the scream frees itself from my throat and shatters through the silence. I drop my bouquet as the ground falls away. When I’m high over the tree line, supported only by the beast’s foot, I let my fear overtake me.
Darkness claims me.
Chapter 3
Altair
I peer through the open balcony door studying the woman lying unconscious on the ornate rug.
After snatching her from the hilltop and bringing her through the portal into my world, I placed her into one of the many empty rooms in the palace. Even if she is to eventually bind herself to me and commit her life to mine, I don’t think it’s appropriate to force her to live in my room.
Not yet anyway.
When I saw her on that hill, wringing her hands, dressed in such finery, I knew that she was the one. I could smell the Bloodbane witch in her veins even from the sky.
My claws grip the stone of the palace easily as I cling to the exterior walls, watching. Navi has come and gone several times, checking to make sure the woman is in good health. I cock my head, tail swishing in the open air, and study the woman.
She is beautiful, almost as beautiful as Maaz. Certainly not as wicked looking. She’s petite, and a little too thin for my tastes, but despite her small size her breasts are full. Her light brown hair has been swept into a low bun and decorated with white flowers. I wonder if this is the style in the human realm. She stirs softly, a low moan escaping her full lips.
The sun streams in through the open balcony door, falling on her dark lashes. As they open, I can see that in the sunlight, her blue eyes turn a vibrant shade of turquoise.
I suck in a ragged breath.
She is beautiful.
Stunning.
Captivating.
And I can’t look away. I also can’t believe that the key to ending my curse is in this room. That she is living and breathing and only a few feet from me.
She rises slowly from the floor, propping herself up on her hands as she stares in confusion around the room. The ivory gown she wears clings to her attractively, rustling with the slightest movements. I almost purr at the sight of her.
Suddenly, her head snaps towards me and she screams, a shrill cry that sends me hissing. The woman scrambles to her feet and lunges towards the door. The door that Navi has already locked. She bangs against it, staring wild-eyed at me over her shoulder.
“Help me! Let me out!” She screams, her fists pounding against the door.
I’m not surprised by her reaction. As the beast, I am terrifying to behold. Enormous and a wicked combination of several intimidating creatures rolled into one. But for some reason, I am angered by it. Many a woman has seen my beast form and clawed away, yet seeing this woman lurching away from me bristles my ego and wounds me in ways I care not to admit.
If she thinks I am a monster, I’ll behave as one.
I snarl and leap from the wall to the balcony. I can barely fit my large frame onto it, but the claws of my bird’s feet keep me secured on the railing.
“Silence,” I growl.
Her eyes stretch impossibly wide at the sound of my voice. The color drains from her face. “You can talk.”
“Of course, I can talk.” I narrow my eyes at her. “Now, stop screaming, or I’ll feed you to the wild dogs. Better yet, I’ll eat you myself.”
I would never do either, but anger forces the words out of me.
Her jaw goes slack and then she grabs at the door handle, shaking it vigorously. “Someone help me!”
I hiss, leaning my head further into the room.
Suddenly, pain lances through my forehead and a book clatters to the floor at my feet. “S-stay away from me!” The woman warns, another book in her hand.
I almost laugh at her feisty nature but remember myself. “You dare strike me?”
She grunts and launches another book. I dodge in time, and the book collides with the stone wall behind me. “Don’t come any closer!” She shouts, her voice trembling.
I snarl viciously at her and snap my powerful jaws. “Suit yourself, mortal.”
With a final growl, I launch myself off of the balcony and into the sky. I free fall for a moment, just long enough
