the claws having retreated, over the delicate skin of her jaw.
“You are small and fragile,” he murmured. “Raskyuil is correct about that, but there is no denying great strength in you. Perhaps this is what she saw.”
There was no need to ask who “she” was. Diana presumed that he had to be speaking of the oracle, the woman who convinced him that he needed to drag her along in his tasks—that she was important. Perhaps, even now, Diana was starting to believe it.
He glanced at the troll and grimaced. “You stopped me from doing something regrettable, caught as I was in my instincts. I do not know why they rise so fiercely for you, but you could have used it—could have used me—to your advantage and removed a formidable obstacle that the head of my guard presented. You did not.” He took a long, deep introspective breath, his head cocking as his silky white stag ears tilted toward her.
Diana fidgeted under his scrutiny and felt a flush climbing her neck and flooding into her cheeks. She didn’t consider it all that remarkable, just the right thing to do. She didn’t know how to convey that without sounding weird about it, so instead she shrugged with a small smile.
To her relief, he turned away and approached the troll who had pushed himself to his feet.
“My apologies, friend,” the lucomo muttered gruffly, his ears tilting back in expressed discomfort.
To her surprise, Raskyuil nodded, a wry smile curving his lips. “It is expected that one of the forest would follow their instinct. God or mortal, our kind, we denizens of the woods, are vulnerable to them. Perhaps the potential for it dwelled all this time in you most of all. I am honored to witness its first rise in you.”
The lucomo smiled in return. “Go retrieve a dire wolf while I introduce this pair to Diana.”
A smile flashed over Raskyuil’s face, and he hurried away as the lucomo pulled her toward the hyena-things.
The animals pricked their ears, their fur bristling at the sight of her. The moment that they saw that the lucomo approached at her side, they immediately settled, their ears relaxing as they whined for attention. He smiled and ran his fingers through the thick fur around their necks before plucking up one of her hands in his and directing her touch on the nearest animal. She was certain that she wouldn’t have had the nerve to touch them under her own power if not for him leading the way, directing her every touch and stroke. Pretty soon, his hand left hers, and she had both of her hands buried in the white fur as the animal leaned into her touch.
“What are they?” she whispered in awe, her hand coming up to gently stroke and push away the huge muzzle that shoved into her face.
His smile remained as he watched their interaction. “They are a species called crocotta. In ancient times, lost explorers would enter the Eternal Forest and other worlds and come across some of the creatures who dwell in the various domains where they are not in danger of being hunted to the extreme that they would be in your world. While the crocotta dwell in many places, they are too intelligent to go beyond the borders of the human world unless it is asked of them.”
“They are beautiful,” she observed. “But obviously deadly predators.”
He nodded. “Not only are they strong and intelligent, but their gaze, should their prey get caught in it, has the power to root their victim to the spot to await their death. They are not to be trifled with by any whom they don’t accept into their clan. This is Keech,” he said, nodding to the crocotta who was currently leaning his massive head into the lucomo’s side. “And that is Keena. Keena is the matriarch of my clan, and Keech is her primary mate.”
“Your clan?” she asked.
He nodded. “Like most silvani, I have the ability to shapeshift and take on the form of the creatures that inhabit my domain. They recognize me as an important male in their clan and for the most part follow my lead. You cannot shapeshift, but because I introduced you, it appears they have accepted you as well. Keena seems particularly taken with you,” he observed. “I have no doubt that she will allow you to mount her. We will leave as soon as Raskyuil returns. I believe he went to retrieve Dagani, their eldest pup. He has