A Twitch of Tail Read Online Free Page B

Tahlon wasn’t ready to tell that story yet.
    “I feel weird,” Melo said, leaning heavily against the porch railing.
    “Yeah?”  Tahlon glanced at his older brother.  “I haven’t slept for shit since I got here.  I figured it was because it’s so damn quiet here.”
    Melo looked at him.  “I haven’t slept right since you got here.  I thought it was because I wasn’t used to having anyone in the house.  Maybe…”  His voice trailed off.
    “Maybe what?” Tahlon prompted.
    Shaking his head, Melo shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I feel different.  Antsy.  Fall Equinox is tomorrow night, and sometimes that brings changes with it.”  He wiped the introspective look off his face and replaced it with a grin.  “Wanna go for a run?  I told Midas I’d check in with him, and his place isn’t too far away.”
    Tahlon nodded.  He hadn’t shifted since he’d been here, and he and Melo hadn’t been hunting together since he left the ambush.  Tahlon had missed his brother.  Melo went into the house and came out with a soft leather pouch, instructing Tahlon to put his jeans into it, and when Melo had stripped and put his own jeans inside, he slipped the strap over his shoulders like a backpack and shifted.
    Tahlon followed his brother into the woods, and they prowled through the trees together, leisurely chasing small creatures and startling birds, which was always good fun.  Melo led the way.  The closer they got to the tiger king’s home, the stranger Tahlon felt.  He almost felt as if his heart were being squeezed tightly, incessantly.  The feeling grew stronger, until they stopped at the back of Midas’ home and shifted into their human forms.
    As he pulled on his jeans, Tahlon said, “Fuck, I feel strange.”
    “Me, too,” Melo said, looking towards the house.  Ambush members were milling around inside.
    They walked into the house together through the back sliding glass door as Midas was coming out of the kitchen.  Midas greeted them, and Tahlon was aware he greeted the king in return, but it was an automatic response.  All he could focus on was a sweet scent in the air.  He moved silently toward the couch, where a cub was sitting with his parents.  The scent was strong there, and reminded him of brown sugar.
    Melo was next to him, almost mirroring his actions, as he followed the scent from the family room into the kitchen.  The refrigerator door was open, and for a moment, he couldn’t figure out where the sweet scent was, until a short brunette popped upright from in front of the fridge with a bottle of creamer.
    “Success!” she spoke and turned, closing the refrigerator.
    And then she saw them, and Tahlon’s eyes locked with hers.  Everything in his body heated and tightened as his heart began to pound so hard that he thought it would crack through his ribs and bounce around on the floor.
    He scented the air as they stalked towards the woman.  Long, dark brown hair cascaded over her shoulders.  She was dressed casually in tight jeans and a short sleeved shirt, her creamy skin mostly hidden from view.  Her full lips, colored a glossy pink, were parted slightly, and her generous chest moved with her panting breaths.  As they neared her, Tahlon could see that her eyes weren’t blue like he’d originally thought, but rather a vivid purple, unlike anything he’d ever seen.
    He and Melo reached out for her at the same time, and the moment that his hand wrapped around her arm, he felt the connection to her shoot straight through his body to his heart.  She was his mate.  And not just his, but Melo’s as well.  Theirs to share.
    She made a soft sound of surprise, and then her eyes rolled back in her head.  Her body slumped towards the ground.
    “Shit!” Tahlon snarled as he snatched her into his arms before she could fall.  Melo touched her neck to feel for her pulse as she lay limp in Tahlon’s arms.
    “She’s okay, but we should get her home.”
    “What the fuck