Chapter 1

1

Holy shit. I really stepped into it this time. What the hell is that?

Mitch clutched his fists, opened up all his senses, and tried to steady his racing heart. A deep breath didn’t do much as he stared into the eyes of a mythical creature, at least he thought it was. Apparently, stories had it wrong. Winged lions did exist. This one could only be described as huge. The tawny hide covered him from head to the tip of his tail. Reddish-brown wings tipped in black sprang out from both sides. Even folded they were impressive. Spread out, Mitch knew they’d rival a city bus in length. Amazing and awe-inspiring. He would have been more so if the beast didn’t stare at him like he’d been living on seaweed for a month and Mitch was a rare steak. Those piercing dark eyes cut Mitch down to the core and sized him up as a brunch snack. The massive head promised sharp teeth which could fillet him at will.

His inner beast, the caracal side, hinted that this might be a good time to either flee or fight. Neither had much chance of success—not against such a monstrous animal like this one.

Of course, he’d been closing in on his destination—a wildlife preserve in the middle of nowhere. A recommendation and an invite brought him to this point where his old, beat-up white truck sputtered and died. With no bars on his phone, Mitch had climbed out of the driver’s seat, shut the door, and prepared to stare under the hood, though he didn’t have a clue what he was doing. That’s when he looked up and saw the creature.

“Hi.” He stood straighter and aimed for civilly pleasant. “I’m trying to locate the Bluebird Valley Preserve check-in station.”

The beast eyed him for a long moment before speaking. “And you are?”

The words came out a bit growly, but Mitch understood completely, though stunned that the big guy could form human speech in his presently shifted form.

“Mitch. Mitch Capers. I spoke with someone last week about dropping by for a visit.” He wracked his brain. “Nate, I think.”

The lion snorted.

Mitch picked up the scent of minty breath. Not what he expected. Fresh kill would have been more along the lines of what Mitch was thinking. Certainly not toothpaste. Goes to show that some critters are meticulous in caring for their teeth, I guess.

The lion sat down, his tail swishing lightly against the dirt road cut out of the thick woods surrounding them.

Mitch swallowed and maintained eye contact. The only way to deal with predators was to stand up to them. Earn their respect. Although, staring at this big guy gave him the urge to lay down and roll over. Odd, since he was a cat shifter, not a silly canine always in search of a ball or a good bone.

Roped muscles rippled under the lion’s skin. A thick mane in deep brown circled the animal’s neck, adding to the enormous presence while matching the hue of the tuft of fur at the end of his tail.

Idly, Mitch wondered if the tail served as a rudder when flying.

What the hell am I thinking?Here he stood in front of a beast straight from the pages of ancient mythology, one who appeared hungry and quite capable of gulping him down in three bites or less.

Large even for a lion, the creature impressed in all kinds of ways.

“Keep going straight. About a quarter mile up, you’ll see a log cabin on your right. Next to it, there’s construction going on. Ask for Nate. He’ll be there.” The lion stood and spread his wings.

“Fucking amazing.” Mitch thought he saw the winged lion grin ever so slightly.

The beast turned away.

“Wait. Who are you?”

The lion glanced back. “Thor. That’s all you need to know.”

“But my truck. It died and won’t start.”

“It will now.” With that, he took to the air.

Fascinated, Mitch watched him fly off, Thor’s mighty wings beating a slow, powerful rhythm to launch him into the air and send him darting through the partially cloudy sky. His flight was smooth, steady, and graceful. Not a single waver or bobble. Just a beast meant to soar to the heavens.

“Holy crap.” He rubbed his face, pinched himself, then started walking. A dream couldn’t carry responsibility for such an experience. This was reality. Albeit an odd one.

His gut told him there were many more surprises to come.

No sense standing around.With that thought, he returned to the driver’s seat, cranked the engine, and shook his head when not only did it start, but purred like a happy kitten, too. He nudged the vehicle in gear and started on his trek, noting the abundance of forest on either side. Every now and again, he’d glimpse what appeared to be a log cabin tucked in the trees. Rusticcame to mind. Yet, something about the place called to him and his inner cat. The isolation, the natural setting. Even the mingling scents of other shifters added an element of curiosity rather than an off-putting warning.