“Hey, I’m trying to help you,” Salvation replied.
Mentally, Andi began to pace. She tried to picture her transformation. She tried to imagine herself standing on her own two feet.
She could feel the tingling flow across her skin, and excitement took over. That was it. She was finally gaining control, again. But just as quickly as it started, it was gone. Her animal snapped and hissed in anger, shoving Andi into the background again.
Feeling defeated, Andi collapsed in a heap, tears sliding down her face.
“Salvation…” Andi whispered through her mind. “Tell Ridge I’m sorry. And Shannon, too.”
“Andi?” Salvation called.
But she didn’t answer.
“Andi? Don’t give up. Do you hear me?”
Curling in on herself, Andi ignored everything around her and allowed the darkness to pull her under… and as it did, one thought drifted across her mind…
Ridge…
21
Ridge
There, surrounded by his brothers, he felt completely alone.
It had been hours since Andi’s sudden transformation, and Salvation still wasn’t having any luck reaching her. It was like she’d vanished.
He stared over at the sleek, blank panther that was now curled up on a thick pile of leaves. Looking for any sign that might indicate that Andi was still in there, but there was nothing.
“I don’t know what else to do, man,” Salvation said, running a hand down his exhausted face.
“Why won’t she answer?” Ridge didn’t understand.
“I think the animal has taken over so much of her mind,” Salvation answered. “That it’s pushed Andi so far down, that she can’t battle her way back.”
“What does that even fucking mean?”
“It means,” Salvation tried to explain. “That the animal is taking over and pushing Andi out.”
“But.” Ridge shook his head. “One can’t live without the other.”
“Apparently, her animal doesn’t see it that way.”
“Then what the fuck do we do?”
Ridge had never felt more helpless in his life.
“We call Lux.”
“No.”
Ridge wasn’t the type to keep secrets from his President, because secrets caused mistrust and mistrust could get someone killed. But this… this he couldn’t tell him. Lux would put Andi down without a second thought. And while Ridge had almost done the same thing, he couldn’t go through with it.
“He can use his alpha voodoo, mojo and force a change, Ridge.”
“He’ll put her down.”
“She’s your mate,” Salvation argued. “Lux is a cold bastard, but he wouldn’t kill your other half.”
Ridge wasn’t so sure about that. Lux protected his own. And Andi would be a liability, not only for herself and the Dark Leopards MC but for the entire shifter world. An uncontrollable shifter was a dead shifter. End of story. Ridge knew the rules.
“I can’t…” Ridge sighed.
“Then.” Salvation shrugged. “I don’t know what else to do, man.”
Ridge hung his head.
He was a man who was as stealthy as they came. He’d ran into gunfights with nothing more than his bare fists. He fought drug cartels and human traffickers. And yet, there he stood, in his front yard, unable to save his mate.
What a worthless piece of shit…
His leopard slunk down.
As Salvation walked over to his bike, Ridge called his name. “Can you take Shannon with you?”
Salvation looked towards the house to see a white-faced Shannon, still standing on the other side of the shattered window.
“Yeah.” Salvation nodded. “But how am I going to get her out here?”
“Leave that to me.”
Before Salvation could reply, Ridge shifted into his snow leopard. He padded over to where Andi laid and nuzzled his head against hers. Her black panther hissed but didn’t try to attack. Again, he bumped heads with the other cat, then rubbed his body down her side, leaving his scent behind.
When Ridge tried to nuzzle her a second time, Andi stood. Ridge padded off toward the woods, hoping Andi would follow. If he could lead her far enough away from the house, then Salvation would be able to get Shannon out of there and to somewhere safe.
As he stepped under the trees, Andi continued to follow. He leaped over a fallen tree and looking back to see that she was still there, he took off at a sprint's pace. He could hear her soft prints pounding the ground behind him. Andi was fast, but Ridge had the advantage – he knew the woods like the back of his hand. Or paw.
He took her farther away from the house, cutting through a field and down into a ravine. The water below ran clear and Ridge was thirsty. He knew Andi probably was, too. As he slowed to a walking pace, Andi came up beside him and rubbed against him.
He was glad to her finally calm and at ease.
Carefully, he walked down the steep path to the water’s edge. Dipping his head, he took several drinks before he noticed that Andi hadn’t followed. Turning his head, he looked back to see her nervously bouncing from foot to foot.
Ridge yowled, to get her attention.
Andi whined.
Ridge walked back toward the path, encouraging Andi to meet him. He knew the grade of the decline could be a bit intimidating to a newcomer, so he remained patient as she worked out the logistics herself.
When she finally made it down, Ridge purred in pleasure, rubbing his head against hers. He walked her over to the water and waited as she drank her fill. Looking out over the river, he wondered if he’d ever be able to get the human side of her back.
How did someone live so long without control? he wondered.
How had Andi been able to contain her panther for so long? Why did the animal have to choose now to show its dominance? Was this destiny’s way of flipping him the bird? Just a big ‘fuck you’?
Andi finished drinking and padded over to him. Circling him, she laid down at his feet, placing her head on her front paws. Ridge laid down beside her, resting his head on top of hers. Together, they rested in the afternoon sun, the heat of the day, warming their fur. They watched the
