Nightshifters Read Free Page B

intensity of the explosions that
rumbled through the ravine. Each burst ricocheted through the canyon like
detonated ammunition. The cat arched, scented the acrid air while the hair
along its back stood on end.
    Smoke .
    Stiffening, the jaguar crept to the edge of the cliff, dug
its claws into the dirt, and looked over the edge. Billows of thick, black
fumes wafted up as red-orange flames licked at the foot of the mountain. The
feline snarled and flexed its muscles, twitching with fear. Smoke, thick as
tar, cloaked the animal. The jaguar sniffed again.
    Jet fuel.
    Strong pungent vapors burned the cat’s eyes, causing it to
blink. Leaping onto a nearby boulder, it watched the flames dance near the base
of the mountain still several thousand feet below. As the flames licked higher,
the smoke continued to swell. The feline’s heart slammed against its ribcage
and adrenaline surged through its veins.
    Someone’s in danger.
    With speed unknown to any man, the animal raced down the
mountain toward the wreckage.

    Dr. Jared Fields squeezed the white cloth over the silver
bowl upon the oak nightstand. Cold water dripped between his fingers. The soft
splashes echoed in the silent room. He glanced at the woman lying in his bed
and gently blotted her perspiring forehead with the edge of the rag.
    She stirred and exhaled a soft moan. Her lids fluttered open
revealing blank, light-green orbs that seemed to stare right through him.
Jared’s pulse quickened.
    She’s awake .
    Finally.
    “Where am I?” Her words came coarse and dry as fear
tightened her delicate features. She struggled to sit up.
    “It’s all right. You’re safe now.” Jared pushed an
ash-blonde tendril from her bruised cheek. The purple-blue mark emphasized her
pale features. Angry abrasions covered her arms and forehead. She flinched and
fell back against the pillows. “You’re in my home. I’m Dr. Jared Fields. Can
you tell me your name?”
    She cocked her head toward his voice then waved her hand
frantically across her face. “Anna Stodger.” Panic laced her voice, as she
fought the empty air in front of her. “I can’t see. Everything is dark. Why
can’t I see anything?”
    Jared’s stomach clenched. It’s worse than I thought .
    He forced his voice to remain calm even though his suspicion
that she might be blind seemed to be right on target. She had wavered in and
out of consciousness for the past few days never seeming to see him. He had
hoped it was due to her semi-comatose state. Now he knew better.
    “I’m sure it’s just a temporary condition. The plane crash
caused trauma to your head.”
    “Plane crash?” He watched as understanding dawned, and Anna
paled. “Where’s my father?”
    Jared sucked in a deep breath and plunged a hand through his
hair. This was the part he’d been dreading. “I’m so sorry. He didn’t make it.
Neither did the pilot.”
    Her strangled cry slid over him like sandpaper, and his chest
tightened. It was never easy to lose someone you loved. And he should know. Ten
years ago, Jared had lost everything that had meant anything to him. Now he
lived a life of solitude cradled deep within the Smokey Mountains. And he
preferred to keep it that way.
    “How long have I been here?” Her words came out weary and
spirit-broken.
    “Four days. The small plane crashed at the foot of the
mountain. You were the only survivor. I’m very sorry,” Jared repeated at a loss
for anything more comforting to say.
    “You rescued me?”
    Jared nodded, then realized she couldn’t see him. He cleared
his throat and continued, “I heard the crash and made it down the mountain just
as the plane burst into flames. I found you a lying a few feet from the
wreckage. You’re lucky to be alive.” He didn’t tell her that he had made it
down the mountain in record time due to his ability to shape shift.
    “Yeah. Lucky…” She turned her head away from his voice.
    Dusk had settled over the mountain. He knew she couldn’t see
it, but