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Joy coalesced within him, rare and pure, despite the pain that continued to stab at his body He threw his cat’s head back and roared in triumph He was, finally, incredibly, a black panther in truth Ancreta had not won after all

"Shift back to a man, Black Panther" Lyon’s low voice landed softly on his ears

He stilled Hoas he supposed to shift back?

As if hearing his question, Lyon spoke again "Will yourself a man, warrior, and it will be so"

He did He wished himself to be a hts andfroe and elation, he turned to Vincent

A strange flatness lay in his friend’s eyes

"Henceforth," Kougar intoned at Lyon’s side, "you will be known a us as Paenther"

Vincent studied hiaze dipped "You accomplished the feat, BP You bear the arold snaking around his upper arloith eaze snapped to Vincent, to his friend’s ar, painful clarity, he understood

"You did not shift" The realization came out on a hard burst of disbelief

Vincent shook his head, his expression as gri all those miserable months, Vincent had been the one who believed they’d eventually get out of there That they would eventually become Feral Warriors Now it seemed even that was to be stolen fro in denial "You shifted before You should not have been able to, but you did"

"Perhaps ’tis why I cannot now Ancreta and her darkin my life"

"We shall try one azes The Chief of the Ferals’ expression was grim

Paenther stilled "And if he fails to shift a second time?"

Lyon shook his head "A Feral Warrior who cannot shift cannot receive radiance and will eventually die"

He knew it to be true The third captive, Frederick, had been trapped in Ancreta’s dungeon for nearly two years when his ian to wane He’d bled to death from one of Ancreta’s tortures as an immortal never would have

"We are at ith the Mage," Lyon continued "We cannot wait two years to replenish our ranks"

The rage boiling beneath Paenther’s skin found an outlet as he whirled on the Chief of the Ferals He lunged forward, stopping ahis hurowled low in his throat, a sound of warning "Then he must shift"

Paenther whirled back to his friend with fierce deter at all?"

Vincent shook his head "I heard Ancreta’s laughter"

"As did I In the distance"

"No I heard it as clear as if she stood at my side"

Paenther’s lip curled "She still has her claws in both of us More so in you" He turned back to Lyon "The witch ain"

Lyon held his gaze, his own hard "The Earth retaliates e kill the Mage The Elemental has already died this day The witch is safely locked away in our prison It is enough"

Paenther held firm "She must die Her power over us must die for Vincent to shift"

The Chief of the Ferals shook his head, unbending "We shall try again, this moment"

Fury and denial stole Paenther’s fraying control Before Lyon could turn away, Paenther ripped the knife out of Kougar’s hand and plunged it into Lyon’s breast, pressing it against his heart

In a lightning-fastand sinking deep into Paenther’s throat until the blood ran warrowled all around hi thick as tree sap in winter If Paenther killed their chief, he’d never take another step But none dared tackle hiht cut out their leader’s heart

Lyon’s fangs dropped, his eyes turning the glowing arowled, his voice calive me no choice I will do whatever I , breathlessmen stared one another down On so his status as a Feral Warrior in order to preserve Vincent’s The devastation of that thought was nothing compared to his desperation to save his friend

Finally, never taking his eyes froht "Get the witch She’ll die this day Before we try the ritual again" In those hard amber eyes, Paenther saw the truth The Chief of the Ferals had made the choice to comply with his demand If he had chosen to kill his attacker instead, Paenther’s throat would be gone, and he would be the one with the blade in his chest

Paenther withdrew the knife and offered the hilt to Lyon He’d won the concession he’d wanted Noould suffer the consequences He understood all too well the law of the pack, as he’d been raised by the law of the tribe If you challenged the chief, you killed him Or expected to die

If Lyon chose to take his life for the attack, he would accept his death like the warrior he was

Vincent stepped beside hiranite "You’ll only destroy hi ru around Paenther’s neck, his claws digging deeper with a fiery pain Abruptly, Lyon released hi slowly between the test Ferals

"I would punish you severely, both of you, if I did not believe the witch had already done so You’ve eed from that hell with a rare loyalty toward one another Turn that loyalty toward the nine, and you’ll littered arning "if either of you ever threatens one of us again, I’ll clear the way for your replaceht"