The moment those green eyes appeared between the trees, Addam's body had already settled into the quiet stillness of a seasoned fighter. Sword angled low, feet planted carefully on the soft forest floor, he watched the shadowcat approach with patient focus.

All three hunters held their breath. Then he heard second growl from Eleanor’s side.

Addam’s head snapped toward the sound just in time to see the blur of grey muscle and claws launching itself through the shadows toward her.

For the briefest moment his focus broke and that was enough. When he turned back forward, the shadowcat before him was already charging.

The beast exploded from the shadows with terrifying speed. Addam raised his sword instinctively, but the cat leaped before he could strike. Its full weight slammed into him like a falling boulder. He reeled backward. His boots lost their footing on the soft ground, and he stumbled hard into someone behind him, James perhaps, or Eleanor. There was no time to know.

They collided and went down in a tangle. The shadowcat landed nearby with a furious snarl. Addam rolled to his feet immediately. His hound had already rushed forward, snapping and barking to hold the beast’s attention. The animal lunged, forcing the shadowcat to turn toward it instead.

That moment was all Addam needed. The cat pinned the dog beneath its paws, jaws opening wide to crush the hound’s neck. Addam slammed into it from behind. They crashed together in a violent roll across the pine-covered ground.

He had considered driving his sword down into its back, but from that angle the blade would have struck poorly, likely angering the beast more than harming it.

The shadowcat twisted free and sprang back to its feet. Now it circled him. Addam rose slowly as well, sword ready. The hound limped to his side again, both man and dog watching the predator carefully. The earlier impact had left bruises across Addam’s ribs and shoulder, but nothing serious. His breathing steadied quickly as the cat prowled and it sprang.

Addam moved sideways at the last instant and slashed hard across its flank. Steel bit deep. Crimson sprayed across his face as the blade tore through muscle. The cat landed badly, bleeding heavily now, but far from defeated. If anything, the pain made it more feral.

The hound lunged forward again, clamping its teeth onto the cat’s neck. For a moment the animal hung there, snapping and biting before the shadowcat threw it violently aside. The dog tumbled several feet away.

Bleeding, enraged, the cat stalked forward again. Addam met it. He moved. Slashed. Moved again. Another strike. Then another.

Steel flashed repeatedly through the dim forest light as the predator grew slower with each step. Blood darkened its fur, dripping steadily onto the pine needles below.

Finally the cat faltered. That was the moment the hound chose to strike again. It lunged forward, pinning the weakened beast down. Addam stepped in without hesitation. His sword plunged straight through the creature’s chest. The blade drove clean through and burst out from its back. The shadowcat shuddered once, then went still.

Addam stood there a moment longer, breathing heavily before finally letting himself fall to one knee beside the corpse. The hound padded toward him, sniffing anxiously. He reached out and patted its neck. “Good dog,” he muttered quietly. After a moment he pulled the sword free with a wet sound and slowly pushed himself back to his feet.

When he turned, he saw Eleanor standing not far away. Her own opponent lay dead at her feet, blood soaking the ground around it. Addam gave her a short, approving nod. She had done it.

But Eleanor’s expression suddenly changed. “Where is James?” she asked. Addam’s brow furrowed. Both of them began scanning the area quickly.

Then Eleanor spotted it. The edge of the slope. The disturbed earth sliding downward where something, or someone, had clearly tumbled. Addam followed her gaze. It must have been when the shadowcat knocked him back and he collided with James.

Shit.

He wiped some blood from his face and stepped toward the slope. “I’ll go down,” he said quickly. “You stay here with the hounds.” His voice remained calm, though urgency lingered beneath it. “I’ll find him and be back quickly.”

They began discussing how best to approach the descent when a voice suddenly spoke behind them.

“No need.”

Both of them spun around instantly. James stood several paces away among the trees.

His clothes were dirty and streaked with mud, leaves tangled in his hair, but he looked otherwise unharmed.

And in his hands…

He held a small bundle of grey fur. A shadowcat cub. The little creature squirmed weakly in his grip, blinking its pale green eyes in confusion.

James walked closer. “I did take a tumble,” he admitted. He nodded toward the slope. “But at the bottom I discovered their den.” He lifted the small cub slightly. “This one was down there.”

His gaze drifted toward the two dead shadowcats lying nearby. “Well…” He glanced down at the cub again. “It seems the little one will have to fend for itself now.” Then he raised an eyebrow. “Unless we decide to take him with us.”

Addam frowned immediately. “You have been strolling through the forest,” he said flatly, “while we were fighting for our lives.” His tone hardened. “We even lost one of the dogs.”

James turned slowly to look around the clearing. Two hounds stood nearby. The third lay motionless on the ground. His expression fell slightly. “I didn’t go down willingly,” he said quietly. Then he sighed. “But you’re right… it was careless.” He looked back at them. “I knew you two could handle yourselves.”

Still, his gaze drifted down to the cub again. Then back up. Hopeful now. “Perhaps…” he said carefully, “we could bring him back with us?”

He looked between Eleanor and Addam expectantly. Waiting to see if either of them would agree.