Read Online Bending Steele by Sadie Hart - Free Book Online Page B

or she
shifts back, he’s got nothing.”
    The trees shook, snow falling so thickly he
could barely see the dark outline of Steele now, even in the light
of his doorway. Thunder gave an ominous roar, closing in. The roar
of the storm snaked through the trees, dark and threatening. “Come
on,” Hexe said, pulling the door to his cabin shut behind him,
instantly blocking out the light. He stepped out into the swirling
snow, darkness encompassing them both. He extended his hand, unable
to see fingers. “Let’s find her before he does.”
    It was stupid. They should have gone inside,
holed up for the night. That much blood, with silver in her veins,
the poison would be eating at her. She didn’t stand a chance out
here, but he couldn’t leave her. Not without at least trying. She
was a member of his tribe and she was hurt, he couldn’t leave her
out there with a killer after her.
    Then he felt Steele’s fingers brush past his,
clumsy, then her hand found his a second time and she gripped it.
Together, they staggered into the storm, the harsh bite of the wind
burrowing under his skin and left him frozen to the core. Hexe
didn’t know how long they searched, stumbling blindly through the
snow, the frosty gale whipping around them. Trees scraped at his
face, shards of ice leaving his face raw.
    The normal quiet of the wintry forest turned
into a roar, wind funneling through the trees until there was so
much sound he could barely hear himself think. Desperate, they
shouted for her. Unable to remember her name all he could do was
shout for her to come back. Only the angry howl of the storm
answered him. Hexe staggered in the snow and Steele hauled him to
his feet, only for her to stumble in return. Together they dragged
each other deeper into the forest, blindly calling out, and
receiving no answer.
    Hexe doubted anyone could even hear them.
    “I have to shift,” he told Steele.
    Her hand tightened over his. “You’ll give him
exactly what he wants. A fucking target.”
    “If he can see in this shit then by all
means, he can take the damn shot. But I can’t just leave her out
here.” And he knew Steele would understand, for the same reason she
was out here with him. She could no more run away like her father
did than Hexe could. They had to try and they had to give it
everything they had. “As a leopard I might have a shot at seeing
something out here.”
    “Then let me.”
    “Like hell.” Hexe tugged her closer until he
could feel her body pressed against his, barely able to see the
dark line of her silhouette in the midst of the storm. “I need
someone at my back in case he takes a shot at me.”
    “I have more experience as a cat in these
storms than you.”
    He slid his hand up her side, over the thick
padding of her parka until he found her face. His knuckles brushed
down her cheek. He’d known all along the woman under that icy mask
had a heart. He’d wanted to badly to see inside her, to hear her
laugh, see her smile. She was the most determined fighter he’d ever
known. “Watch my back, Steele.”
    Before she could protest any more, Hexe
pulled away. The wind ripping between them and he staggered, the
cold seeping right through his thick jacket, and Hexe closed his
eyes and called the beast inside him. The cat rose under the
surface, nothing more than a heartbeat away. The magick stole
through him, his human body, clothes and all, vanished and in his
spot stood a snow leopard. Lifting his blocky head, Hexe inhaled,
and while the ice burned down his throat, Steele was close enough
he could find her.
    Even his cat-half wanted to hunker down and
wait out the storm. Animals weren’t stupid enough to keep pressing
on, and the leopard had little interest in companionship or tribes.
He pressed his blunt muzzle against Steele’s wrist and waited until
her hand had stroked down to the back of his neck, gripping in the
thick ruff of his fur before he turned back to his search. Snow
swirled around him, falling