it wasn’t instantaneous. It took a moment for any werecat to feel something come into its territory and the mind to process the information. Then it took time for the werecat to send its message, warning off potential threats. By Heath’s reaction, I learned something very important. Emotional currents were something wolves couldn’t feel. This was werecat to werecat communication. This was our way of telling another werecat whether they were welcome or not.
“Is she okay? Her eyes went really big, and she looks like she’s staring off into space.” Haley sounded annoyed.
“Jacky?” Heath asked softly. “What are you feeling?”
“Gaia was pissed,” I said as loud as I could. My instincts screamed for me to remain quiet, maybe she wouldn’t find me. I had to get over it, but I was young, and a young werecat picking a fight was a dead werecat.
There’s no fight, Jacky. She’s not here. I’m safe. She’s not coming to kill me right now for intruding.
Even if she was, this was not the same level of reaction a werecat would give to a rogue intruder. This was primal rage. This was more than facing a challenger. Unless she was unstable in some way, something no one had given me any reason to think. I got angry with rogues, but not like this. Never like this.
“How do you know?” Gina was behind me still. “What would she be angry with?”
“I don’t know what, but I know because it’s something werecats can feel. Territory magic is an intimate connection to the land. Everywhere that belongs to her will feel of her, however she’s feeling. If she’s angry, the entire territory gives off an angry message to intruding werecats. Heath, you don’t feel it at all, do you?”
“Nope. I just know I’m in werecat territory. Not a place a wolf generally wants to be.”
“You’re in them more than most,” I said with a weak attempt at a lopsided smile. “My brain is trying to convince my body Gaia isn’t coming here to throw me out right now. Her rage is so…powerful. Something pissed her off before she died. Pissed her off big time.”
“Good to know.” Heath extended a hand. “Come on. Take a step.”
I grabbed it and kept the little dirt bike up and rolling with my other hand. I was able to take a few steps and brave the anger. I couldn’t imagine how Jabari must have felt if he walked into this. Was Titan’s territory the same way?
“I’ll be fine. Thanks for the support.” I released his hand once I was beside him and his ATV again. “I’ve never locked up like that before, but then, I don’t often wander into territories of other werecats.” Shaking my head, I swung my leg over the dirt bike again. “Let’s keep moving.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” my wolf asked before moving as Haley started to leave us.
“I’m fine.” I kicked off and left him. The dirt bike made travel easier, and I knew I wasn’t headed into the center of her territory. It was a sixth sense. I would know how to find her den, her home. Some things meant the same thing to all werecats. The closest to the center of a territory was the safest spot and gave the werecat range of movement if any of the borders were trespassed. It was also our refuge. I never let anyone go to mine. Gaia hadn’t let her mate go to hers if she had a second house for meet ups. Titan even had to leave his territory to visit her.
We were at the house soon enough, and I guessed right. It was on the border of her territory. If Titan wanted to see her, he probably had to come here and wait, feeling her reaction to his presence, which would tell him if she wanted to see him or not. It was genius, a nice trick to dealing with and loving another werecat.
When we parked, none of the humans left their rides while Heath and I jumped off without a second thought.
“No one goes in there,” Haley told us as we walked by. “Hey!”
“We’re going in. We can’t upset the dead more than they already are,” I said with a small snap. Haley’s attitude was grating on my nerves more than I needed. She needed to remember who actually knew what was going on and what it all meant, not whatever she had guessed over the years. Gaia and Titan had obviously not told the rangers much