CHAPTER ONE
What the hell? How did I get myself into these messes? I dug my claws into the branch, holding on for dear life. I couldn’t have climbed this high, could I? But somehow, reality refused to conform to my wishes. I was stuck in the tree, regardless of what I wanted to believe.
A crow screeched at me from a branch several feet higher up than I was, startling me. I dug in my claws, holding on for dear life. The last thing I needed was to go tumbling to the ground below.
Shut up! I hissed at the bird.
Stupid cat, the crow screeched back. Get out of my tree.
I’ll move when I decide to, I grumbled back.
But the truth was, I was scared. Somehow, I’d managed to get myself so high that I was terrified to even make an attempt to scale my way back down the trunk. I glanced down at the forest floor, trying to estimate the distance. But when I was in cat form, everything got a little fuzzy when it came to mathing.
I wished I had listened to Camille’s warning and not run out so far on my own. Even though we’d lived on this land for six months, we still hadn’t fully explored the property, and I wasn’t even sure which way I’d come. Besides that, the first snow of the season had arrived, and it had been snowing most of the day. My tracks were covered by now.
Camille’s going to scold me, I thought. I might be the second-born, but both of my sisters treated me as if I was the youngest. It pissed me off, but at times like this, I could see their point. I didn’t exactly make the wisest of life-choices.
My coat was all poofy from both the chill and my worry. I glanced up at the sky. The sun was setting, and it would be dark soon. I clutched the branch with my claws again and let out a loud wail. It hung in the air a moment, and I hoped I was loud enough for my voice to echo back to the house.
As the sun faded into dusk, I tried to shift back. If I were in human form, I could get out of the tree more easily. I was athletic enough that I knew I could manage to scramble down the giant fir. But no matter how hard I focused, I couldn’t shift forms. I was still too nervous.
What are you doing? The voice startled me, coming from several branches down. It was grumpy and reminded me of some old codger.
I peeked over the edge of the branch, only to see a gray tabby further down the tree, perched on a branch. I slow-blinked at him, hoping he wouldn’t see me as an enemy. Maybe he could even help me.
I’m stuck, I said. I can’t get down.
That’s a ginger for you, he said. You’re not that far from the ground. Just jump down onto this branch, and then I’ll guide you out.
I tried to muster up the courage, but girding my loins just wasn’t working. I shifted position on the branch, slipped, and hung on by my front paws until I managed to shimmy back up. But no dice. I wasn’t getting off this branch on my own. Maybe I’d just make my home, build a nice bed, and hope that fate drove a couple of birds my way for me to eat.
The tabby gave me a disgusted look. You’re serious? You’re too afraid to jump?
So sue me. I’m a chicken. Laugh if you want. I paused. What’s your name?
Cromwell, he said. And you?
Delilah. I’m a werecat.
A skin-shifter? That explains it, then. Well, I’m off to hunt for dinner. You’ll get down when you’re ready. I’ll see you around. And with that, he lightly began to bounce down the tree, pushing off branches and boughs.
Wait! I didn’t want him to leave. But he was gone, and I was alone again. As I resigned myself to a night in the tree, I suddenly heard someone calling.
“Delilah? Where are you?”
That was Camille’s voice.
“Kitten! Get your ass over here!”
And that was Menolly.
I began to yowl as loud as I could.
“You hear that?” Menolly asked.
“That’s her,” Camille said.
As I tried to peer into the growing gloom, I saw them walking toward my tree. I wailed as loudly as I could. They crossed to the trunk of the tree and stared up.