Page 5 of Shifter’s Promise (Devourer of Magic)

Father sighed. “It happened a few years back. We’d been holding them off for so long. Our people are tired, Twin.” He gave me a rueful twist of his lips. There was no light in that smile. “Once you were taken, the truce was broken. We had seven hard years before we lost.”

I squeezed my dad’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

He might not have spoken the words, but I could read between the lines. My being taken had destroyed the fragile truce our clans had once maintained. Years ago, my father struck a deal with the head of Jaguar Clan. One day, I was meant to marry one of his sons, and together, we’d unite our clans.

But I’d been taken before that ever happened.

“It’s not your fault, precious girl.” He patted the hand that clutched his arm.

Kara snorted. “You should never have had to marry into their clan anyway.” She crossed her arms and I couldn’t help but smile at this small glimpse of the petulant teenager I’d missed.

I’m so happy to be home .

I nodded while father hemmed and hawed—his usual song and dance.

“I would have for our people,” I admitted.

Father’s gaze softened at the same time Kara narrowed hers.

“Noble, but stupid,” she quipped. I laughed while my father gasped at her audacity.

“Kara,” he admonished.

“What?” She rolled her eyes. “Arranged marriage is so stupid. We’re shifters. We have mates . What would happen if Twinlin found hers but was married to some asshole jaguar?”

Father huffed. “Language.”

I giggled behind my fingers. When was the last time I witnessed such banter? The last time… my laughter died as images of Gina flashed before my eyes. The last time I’d laughed was with her.

“Or what if one of those jaguars found his mate? Would he just leave sis all alone? Kick her out for his mate?” Kara threw her hands up in exasperation. “It’s ridiculous, Dad!”

Father sighed. “You’re not entirely wrong, Kara.” A faint smile brushed his lips. “Not at all. But the world isn’t black and white. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made.”

But why did I have to be the one to sacrifice?

The thought hit me unbidden. I’d had such selfish thoughts once, but I thought they’d been beaten out of me long ago. Apparently not.

“Oooof course.” Kara’s sarcasm was thick.

“That’s not something you have to worry about now, anyway.” Father met my gaze, worry wrinkling his brow. “We’re fine where we are.”

“How much territory did they take?” I asked, confused how we still had our home if jaguars had taken our land.

“Roughly half. We still have the family home and surrounding area.”

That meant the meadows were no longer ours. Neither were the forests to the north or the cliffs by the sea. We had our capital land and that was it.

I couldn’t imagine leopard cubs growing up not racing through the meadows, not climbing trees or chasing moths. That wasn't childhood at all.

“We need our territory back,” I said.

I stood, Father and Kara quickly following. While Kara’s eyes were wide with sparkling hope, a smile on her face, my father stared at the floor, lost in a gloom.

“There is no getting our territory back, Twin. Without the truce, without the marriage, they wouldn’t so much as share territory with us.”

I sighed, exasperated. “That’s so stupid.”

“Right?” Kara exclaimed.

“I mean, it’s so stupid they wouldn’t even share. That territory was ours .”

“I know, precious girl. And we fought hard for it.” Father sat back down, looking ten years older, a weariness to him I had never seen before .

“Damned jaguars,” Kara grumbled.

My mind raced. Father would fight. It was in his blood as it was in mine. I just never expected us to lose. Chewing on my lower lip, I knew exactly how to solve our problem.

“The truce would be back in effect if I agreed to marry one of them.”

Father’s eyes widened at the same time Kara gasped.

“Twin, no!” She grabbed my arm, disbelief clouding her eyes.

“Twinlin, you were enslaved for ten years, I would never expect you to?—”

“Enslaved?” Water welled in those big golden eyes.

Shit . She hadn’t eavesdropped on that part apparently.

I swallowed thickly and sat back down, bringing my sister with me. I patted the back of her hand where it lay on my arm.

“Yes,” I said. “That’s where I’ve been, but I’m home now. I’m oka—” I swallowed. Liar . “I’m alive.”

Tears spilled down Kara’s rosy cheeks. She threw her arms around me. “I won’t let those jaguars have you. Not after that.”

I chuckled ruefully. I’d been through so much in the last ten years that marrying some asshole jaguar didn’t sound so bad.

Not in comparison, that’s for sure. Patting my sister’s back, and brushing her hair, I shushed and soothed her as she sobbed for me.

But over her head, I caught my father’s gaze.

His emerald stare was a mix of emotions; regret and guilt, but there was also hope. We both knew I could do this, even if he didn’t and would never ask me to. I could marry a jaguar, save our people and our land, or I could go on as things were.

The problem with me… I was never good at letting sleeping dogs lie.