A Little Taste

Below is a random excerpt of the book I'll be giving away to a post commenter during tomorrow's SFR Brigade Blob Hop event.

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Stepping out onto the garden patio, Kane halted and stared in horror. A large beast of some sort pinned down a still form about ten feet away. Realization brought dread. The tattered and bloodied clothing were Danican's.

Kane pulled out his weapon and aimed, then hesitated. Never had he seen anything like this animal. This monster.

"Raina?" he asked cautiously, his finger on the trigger, in case.

With a growl, it turned its head and snarled. Teeth and jaw dripped blood. The animal's eyes were a brilliant blue. Its pelt was of a darker shade, and shimmered in the night. A long black mane flowed from its head to its shoulder blades. A scar marred the side of its face.

Raina.

He lowered his weapon, and she paced back and forth twice on a low rumbling growl.

Only then did he spot Evaline laid out to their left. Clothes intact with no obvious wounds, she braced her chest and breathed shallowly. He took a step towards her but Raina growled and blocked him.

"Raina, it's me, Kane." He raised his hands.

This was different from the other changes. Raina lowered her head in a confrontational way and tensed her front legs, readying for attack. Raina as the beast didn't recognize him, and had taken on the predatory instinct of the animal.

What an irony he would die by the woman he loved, Kane thought on a huff.

"Raina," he asked again in a smooth, quiet voice. It jerked another foot closer, bloodied drool dripped onto the patio. Kane's heart lodged into his throat.

"Agent Tanuki," came the terse voice of Galleon from the side of them.

Raina growled and stalked the space between the bodies and Kane again, swiping at the dead form of Danican.

"Agent Tanuki, you change back now," Galleon ordered.

For a second, Kane wasn't sure Raina would listen, but finally she sat on her haunches and returned to her human form.

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See you all tomorrow - or, er, chat you all up tomorrow. Whatever, you know what I mean.