Filed To Story: A Claim of Fortune Book PDF Free by Jaymin Eve
There was no outrunning Talon, not once he got clear of the bunker-his size would only slow him down until he was out in the open. And despite our bond feeling ragged and not quite complete, he would be able to track me. The tugging of his beast was in my chest, along with the feeling of my wolf wanting to return to her mate. Forcibly bonded or not, this was the nature of the connection.
The rapidly disappearing sun didn’t cast much light in the woods, and without my wolf’s active presence, I was left squinting into the semi-darkness. Finley shifted directions constantly, bringing us deeper into the wooded area. It was too sparse under here to hide properly, and with the trees thinning from winter, we would be easily spotted by a flying beast.
Beneath me, Finley was slowing, his gait rougher than it had been earlier. Just as I was about to suggest that I walk myself again, he took a sharp right turn and almost unseated me from my perch. He sniffed the air as he ran, and I panicked it was Talon.
Tilting my head back, there was no sign of anything in the darkening sky, and the tugging was no stronger than before. Finley picked up the pace, and I had to duck my head under some very low hanging branches as he barged into a new section of woodland.
Ahead of us, I spotted a rock wall that must have been part of those cliffs I’d seen before. Finley headed straight for them, still sniffing.
This couldn’t be about Talon’s presence.
He wasn’t running away from a scent-he was searching for it.
It took a few more minutes before a black spot on the wall came into view, stark against the white and gray of the rocks. That spot grew until eventually we met the entrance of a cave, which was so small I had to slide off the bear for us to fit.
Finley wouldn’t let me enter at first, sniffing thoroughly before he nudged me into the darkness. Without my wolf, I was walking blind, so I murmured, “Just as an FYI, I can’t tell if I’m about to stumble into a hole or a rock wall. My wolf’s hiding.
She’s been like this pretty much since I was forcibly bonded, leaving my senses not much stronger than human.”
His menacing growls at my back were so deep that my pulse raced in a natural fear response. Logically, I knew Finley wasn’t going to attack me, but that sound was guttural and terrifying.
Forcing my tone to remain even, I said, “Just-just tell me if I’m going to hit a wall. Tap me on the back with your nose or something.”
He grunted and nudged me in what I hoped was an acknowledgement.
As we walked, the pounding of my heart settled, and I kept my hands out in front as an added security. The walls were close on either side, forcing Finley to have to squish his way through, his hot breath and cherry-vanilla scent strong behind me.
When we’d been walking for what felt like five minutes, the oppressive feeling of the walls on either side of me lessened, and I caught wafts of fresh, cool air. There were a few rays of natural light filtering in from fissures above, which turned this larger cavern into a landscape of shadows. But it wouldn’t last much longer, as the sun was almost set.
When Finley nudged me, I stopped immediately, both hands still out in front. “Is there a wall?” I asked, and he nudged me again. Which meant… what? “Can you shift back now. I think we need to discuss our options before an angry dragon tears this cave apart.”
Instead of the whirl of shifter energy to suggest he was changing, all I got was another nudge. With a sigh, I said, “Okay, let’s say one nudge for yes and two for no. Do you want me to stop here?”
One nudge.
“Okay, is it because there’s a wall in front of me.”
Two nudges.
No wall. “Then you must think this is a good place to stop and regroup?”
One nudge.
Excellent. “But you don’t want to change back?”
Two nudges, which gave me a moment’s pause. This was followed by a less menacing rumble than before, which brought with it an odd thought. Unsure how he’d react to my next question, I hesitantly said, “Can you change back?”
Two nudges.
Oh, fuck. Finley had lost control of his bear, and the beast wasn’t about to loosen his hold.
He was stuck in his bear form.
EMME
We were working on limited time before the dragon tracked our steps-he had a direct link to me after all, and I could feel him out there, circling above the woods.
He was probably hoping I’d be forced out, with thirst and hunger already a factor. First, though, I had to figure out how to get Finley out of his furry suit and back into the lumbersnack version.
The natural light was gone now, and I sank against the closest wall, with Finley remaining on my right side. There was electricity in the air when he was this close… a prickling awareness over my skin and seeping deep into my essence. It existed with all of my pack, but it always felt more intense with Finley. I could never tell if it was due to the anger and pain reverberating around inside him, or something more.
Right now, his energy pulsed strongly, and I could only assume his inability to shift back was linked to an overload of emotions. “Has this happened to you in the past?”
We didn’t know much about each other, through his choice, which was highly inconvenient now that I had to have this conversation with a bear.
One nudge.
“Did you manage to shift back on your own?”
Two nudges.
Fuck, that meant it wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d hoped.