Page 16 of Awakening Storm
As she came closer to the waterfall, another space in the rocks opened above her. Water poured over a ledge into the pond, spraying over her head. It was ice-cold, a sharp contrast to the warm water of the depths. She gasped as she inched closer to the slapping white foam, peering through the flowing sheet of water.
Geez, that’s cold.
She shivered and swam backward. Maybe she’d investigate the waterfall more later.
She rotated into a sidestroke and savored the rise in temperature as she traveled back to the warmer side of the pond. A long sigh escaped her lips as she looked around. Up on the rocks where she’d left her things, a movement caught her attention. She began to tread water and squinted to see into the shadows.
OMG. The tiger!
The effing tiger stood over her belongings. She tensed, sunk beneath the surface—hoping he wouldn’t notice her—and came up again sputtering. With her heart thumping in her throat, she swam in reverse, putting more distance between them. God, she hoped tigers didn’t like to swim.
As if the big cat understood her dilemma, he lumbered along the path to a large rock. He sat, looking back at her, seeming to give her space. But Rhianna didn’t trust the animal. Her breathing quickened as she imagined the damage those huge claws could do. Could she retrieve her clothes and ease on out of here in one piece?
As if he were disinterested, the tiger turned and moved to the other side of pond.
Slowly, she floated toward the rocks. She climbed to the ledge, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the tiger. He was near enough to make out the black irises and golden-green rims of his eyes. He lowered his head, restrained, and turned away.
With controlled movements, she slid on her panties and bra, shirt, pants, and shoes. The tiger almost seemed as if he were asleep.Almost.She wouldn’t have faith in that assumption, though. It was too risky.
Carefully she hefted her satchel and walked backward, toe to heel, to maintain her balance on the slippery rocks. The tiger lifted his head and cocked it to the side.
Nope, he wasn’t sleeping.
The pounding in her rib cage increased. So close and yet . . . No, she would just keep on walking, slowly and calmly. She needed to find a shelter where the tiger wouldn’t bother her. But was that even possible?
As if a humongous tree had fallen, a boom echoed through the forest, and the ground shook.
What was that? An earthquake?
Rhianna swept her gaze around the area. She didn’t notice anything unusual . . . at first. Then her attention settled on the tiger again. As she watched, the cat morphed into a man, and her jaw dropped, letting in much-needed oxygen. The gorgeously tall, well-built specimen of manliness she had met earlier, seemed every bit in tune with the tiger he’d sprung from, but he wasn’t gazing back at her. Instead, his expression was twisted with fury as he stared off to the side of the pool. Suddenly, a woman magically marched right out of a slab of rock.
Rhianna rubbed her eyes. What the hell was going on? She wanted to get the heck out of there, but her feet wouldn’t budge. Her body trembled, curving in on itself in a protective stance. He . . . he had changed right before her eyes into Aidan Hearst. And then another stranger just appeared as if out of thin air? It wasn’t possible. But if it was . . .
Oh god. Had he been watching her swim naked the entire time?
She flinched at the notion. However, given the situation, it seemed an absurd thing to worry about right now. She cast it out of her mind and refocused. Something way weirder was going down.
