off his knees and balanced on his toes. “All right,” he said. “This is all you’re getting out of me. You’ve got about three more seconds of this before I stand up again.”
She shook her head and sighed. “That’s all I needed to know. You can get up now.”
He stood and faced her. Her eyes drank in the lines of his body and the hard muscles disappearing under his jeans. She clenched her jaw and tried to focus.
“Okay. From that, I can tell that you’re what we’d call a crouched shifter. Basically, there are three methods of shifting. The first is to stand as tall as possible, usually with the spine arched back, and allow the energy to flow through you from the bottom up.” She straightened her back and imitated the pose.
“The second is to crouch down, like you did. You can drop into a deep knee-bend and arch your spine, or you can get all the way down on the ground. Crouching is common because it allows you to focus all your energy in one condensed space, and since you’re in a similar position to your animal form, it’s easier to transition. Then there are shifters who can switch in either stance, dual-shifters, but that takes a lot of practice. Only our best warriors can do that. So since you’re a crouched shifter, you’ll want to drop down rather than straightening when you’re trying to transition.”
Jace nodded. “Crouched shifter. Got it.”
“Okay. Now crouch down again. Whichever lowered stance feels comfortable.”
Jace bent his knees and arched forward like a large animal waiting to pounce.
“Channel your energy wherever it’s strongest. Focus on pushing all your energy there.”
He raised a single brow. “What energy?”
“What do you mean, ‘what energy’?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t feel any energy.”
She sighed and walked to his side. “Straighten up again.”
He rolled his shoulders back to stand at his full height, towering over her. The closeness of his body to hers sent a fresh wave of heat straight through her. “It’s the energy inside you. The kind you feel when the moon is full. That sort of stirring. Right here in your chest.” She placed her palm over his solar plexus. She looked up, and their eyes locked. She had to fight to get the words out. “It’s right here. It pulls at your whole being, like something connected to your soul.” She glanced at the floor. “Do you feel it?”
Jace placed his hand over hers. “Only when you touch me.”
She met his eyes again, and her breath caught. They stood in total stillness.
He stroked his thumb over the top of her hand. “I’m sorry your parents forced you into a relationship you didn’t want,” he said, barely above a whisper.
She swallowed, trying to find the ability to speak. “Thank you. I’m sorry, too.”
He kept staring, and Frankie wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. She inched closer. He cleared his throat and stepped back. Her hand fell from his chest to hang limp at her side. Yeah, she was an idiot. Always rushing in, when he only rebuffed her at every opportunity
Jace cleared his throat again. “I can feel it when the moon is full. But I can’t feel it now. So since I can’t really feel it, how am I supposed to gather it?”
“You’re going to have to learn how to feel it.” Her palm tingled from where she’d touched his skin. Her arms didn’t feel right hanging at her sides, so she crossed them over her chest. She wanted to wrap them around him. Instead, she tightened them around her body, trying to hold herself together. “You’ve probably suppressed it so long that you can’t feel it anymore. Can you think back to the last time it was there?”
“When I hunt.”
“What do you mean?” she said.
He stared at the wall as if he didn’t want to look her in the face. “When I’m out hunting...well, you know.” He glanced at her to gauge her reaction.
“Werewolves? Our people?”
Jace frowned. “When I’m hunting, I can feel something stir inside me. Almost like an animal living under my skin. A beast.”
“That’s an interesting way to describe it. I’ve never heard anyone say that.”
“Well, that’s how it feels to me.”
“Is there any way we can simulate the feeling you get when you hunt?”
He squared his jaw and rubbed his temples in slow circles. “Not unless you bring Alejandro back in here and let me tear into him.”
“Aren’t you funny,” she said coldly. “What’s your problem with him, Jace?”
“I have a problem with any moron who thinks he’s a badass and God’s gift to women.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
Jace’s mouth drew into a tight line, but it soon curled into a smirk. “The difference is, I actually
Frankie rolled her eyes.
A moment of silence passed between them as he scanned the length of her body and her skin seemed to catch fire. He could caress her with one look.
“Come here,” he said.
Without thinking about what she was doing, Frankie shuffled forward a few inches, then stared into his eyes and froze.
He strolled across the platform and pulled her against his body. He laced his fingers through her hair, and a blush heated her cheeks.
“If you stand close to me, I might be able to shift.”
His grip on her tightened, and she could feel his erection push against the soft skin of her stomach. He leaned his face into hers, and she fought hard not to gasp as his lips lingered dangerously close to her ear. His warm breath danced over her skin.
“Just stay with me.”
A LOUD BANG echoed through the air as Robert entered and slammed the door open. The sound of his own footsteps pounded in his ears, and he watched as his victim cringed. Anger coursed through him. He was sick of this. Where the fuck were they?
He growled at the pathetic girl. “Why the hell haven’t Frankie and Jace come running to rescue you yet?” Surely they knew she was missing, had found her ransacked apartment by now, hadn’t they? That had been a lucky break, finding her wallet in her backpack.
She remained silent, eyes cast down.
A grin spread across his face. He clenched his jaw and cracked his neck. He would refrain from killing her— for now. He would wait until the right moment. He wouldn’t lose control. “No matter. They’ll get here eventually. I’ll make sure of it.”
She tightened her lips, obviously fighting to keep her mouth shut.
“What’s wrong? Cat got the werewolf’s tongue?”
She stared at him, not saying anything.
He frowned. The whole situation grated on his nerves. “I’m finding very little enjoyment in this.”
“Then let me go.”
He laughed. This particular piece of female trash was even more ignorant than he expected. “Why would I do that, when I can just spice up the current situation?”
Her eyes widened as he unsheathed a new blade from his belt. It sparkled in the dim lighting.
“Silver.” He nearly purred as he ran a single finger over the hilt.
“Did you know that one of the most sensitive parts of the body,” he said, “is the collarbone?” He pointed the blade at her. “Answer me,” he growled.
“N-no. I didn’t know that.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat, because you’re about to find out firsthand.” He smiled.
In seconds blood gushed from a gash on her collarbone, dangerously close to her major arteries. The iron stench of her blood filled the air as she screamed, and Robert relished the fragrance. He knew that with each shriek the pain in her neck increased, and his smile widened as she switched between screaming agony and silent suffering. Finally she fell silent and gasped in ragged, painful breaths.
