Page 289

Epilogue

Even as a human Bailey’s footsteps were barely visible in the snow. Kass followed, sinking with each step. He’d found the abandoned cabin while hiking over summer—Bailey had been off chasing butterflies or doing whatever he did in the wild on four legs. The cabin was the perfect place to base winter shifts from. Somewhere for Bailey to warm up after and a place he could wait without freezing his ass off for hours. He hoped Bailey thought it perfect too.

He smiled as he watched his fiancé stride up the hill, the shin deep snow not bothering him at all. His long dark hair hung loose under the stocking cap. Kass’s family were slowly coming around, they’d had a year to become used to the engagement. And while they hadn’t liked his move to Victoria, there wasn’t much they could do about it when he had a posting—courtesy of the Coven. Friends in high places made things happen.

Bailey stopped and tilted his head. Then he drew in a deep breath. Kass’s hand slid to the knife on his belt—for camping and gutting fish and anyone who tried to kill them.

The image of a snow leopard flicked through his mind. That’s what Bailey was smelling, sensing. They’d worked hard to build up what they shared over the bond. While they couldn’t use words, when Kass was away they shared more than just feelings, more like silent movies of what was going on with added emotion.

Bailey’s left hand twitched.

Kass made a show of catching up to him. “Do you know them?” he asked in a low voice while scanning the area to the left.

He didn’t expect to see anything. He rarely spotted Bailey unless he wanted to be seen. He’d watched Bailey disappear in a supermarket. Not invisible, but somehow his gaze had slid right off him. He’d used that magic while overseas. Hiding while the enemy had been too close. He’d smelled the sweat and tobacco, but hadn’t been found. If there was a snow leopard watching them, and it attacked, they were in trouble.

“No,” Bailey whispered. “I don’t know if that is a good thing or not.”

“Keep going or turn back?”

For an answer Bailey started walking again. This time he slowed, and Kass stayed a step behind. But there were no footprints for him to follow. If he hadn’t known Bailey was right there, he might have missed him.

Something moved. Kass drew the knife but kept it at his side. The snow leopard strolled out of the snow-dusted gums. It walked with a slight limp and had a scar across its face, but it moved toward them with purpose. Like it had something to say.

The leopard made a few noises.

Bailey replied, then shrugged out of his coat. Kass made him wear a ski jacket, even if he didn’t feel the cold. He expected Bailey to shift, but he tossed the coat over to the leopard.

Kass moved closer to Bailey. “What are you doing?”

“She wants to talk.”

Kass glanced away as the leopard shifted. It was unpleasant to watch, but apparently not that bad to do. The clicking of tendons and grinding of bones made him wince. When Bailey did it, the shift reverberated through his body.

“You can look now.” The woman’s voice was rough, as though she didn’t use it often. Her brown hair was streaked gray in places, and a scar cut across her cheek and twisted her lower lip. Her nails were more like claws and caked with dirt. Whoever she was she’d had a hard life. She wore Bailey’s coat but stood bare feet in the snow like it didn’t matter. “You don’t recognize me.”

Confusion tumbled through Bailey, as he tried to match what he was seeing and smelling to memories. It was too much for Kass to process, so after checking there were no other shifters by using Bailey’s heightened sense of smell, he shuttered the connection. He had to keep Bailey safe.

“Mum?”

Kass glanced at the woman again, and this time saw the similarities in the eyes, the nose, and the set of her jaw. She gave a hesitant smile. “Yes. I’m sorry.” She took a few steps forward and stopped, her eyes darting to Kass and the weapon. “He’s a…”

“Kass, my mate and fiancé.”

She nodded. “I heard whispers that there was another snow leopard here. Then I smelled you. You got out. I’m sorry I couldn’t take you.”

“You’ve been feral this whole time?” Kass asked. She’d certainly be living wild. But she hadn’t lived as an animal for long enough to lose her humanity.

“Only for the first five—or was it six?—years.” She seemed confused for a moment before shrugging it off. “They needed to think I was dead. For a while I wanted to be. It was easier to be wild than human.”

She’d spent a lot of time as an animal, maybe just shy of giving up shifting to human. Kass sheathed the knife. If Bailey’s mum had made the effort to seek him out—after fleeing from her own mother—Kass doubted she would hurt him.

“Why didn’t you take me?” Bailey’s voice caught as though an old wound was flaring up.

“How could I care for a human baby when living as a leopard?”

“You could’ve found a way.” Kass put his hand on Bailey’s back in silent support.

“You don’t think I thought of and discarded a hundred different ideas?” She worried at her lower lip. “I was hoping I’d finally get to meet you.”