Clinging To Enchanted Frost

Chapter 1

Something was nudging my face very insistently as I laid there in bed trying to sleep. I tried to swat it away then heard an amused voice echo through my head.

"Kitten, you cannot be late to work this early at your new job, no matter how much you want to go back to sleep." Chiones' gentle laugh made me smile and open my eyes to see the bright rays of sunrise streak across our little cabin. As I watched the dust particles dance through the air, Chione gently maneuvered herself to lie upon my chest. I smiled softly and began running my fingers through her soft snow-white fur as my eyes slowly drifted closed once more.

Again I heard her soft laughter and gentle voice as she began to coax me from the sleep I desperately wanted to return to. "Love, it's already almost 7:30, if you don't get up now then you'll be late for work at the library. You're already too late to pick up some coffee from the cute barista at the cafe." Groaning, I made my way out of bed and got dressed in my typical t-shirt and overalls paired with a cute pair of tennis shoes.

By the time I got done with basic hygienic stuff, it was already 8:15. Huffing softly to myself, I locked up our cabin and checked my perimeter wards. Satisfied that no one had come near our little cabin and if they had, the wards would've gently driven them away, I made my way to the wards facing Gardiner. I had chosen to build our little cabin deep in the Yellowstone National Park but near its north entrance which was about a twenty-minute walk from my job at the community library in Gardiner, Montana. Luckily I had a faster way of getting to the north entrance which cut down my travel time by almost thirty minutes.

I checked my watch and realized that I would be late for my 9:30 clock-in if I didn't shift soon. I quickly sat down crosslegged and brought my bond with Chione into focus. As I gently pulled the bond into place to do what I wanted, I felt my body twitch and my limbs begin to snap into my other form. A faint heat spread across my body as the change finalized. And there in my spot, where once I stood in my base form, I now stood as a snowy leopard. Not exactly common for this area but it was the animal I could shift into best and I didn't have time to prepare for a different shift.

Now that I had shifted, I stretched and began my trek to the north entrance. Once I reached the end of the deep woods, I shifted back to my base form before applying my glamours to keep people from seeing the real me. I'm sure most people would freak out if they saw my fangs and red-ringed eyes. Luckily glamours are fairly easy spells to learn even with limited training.

As I reached the edge of Gardiner, I checked my watch and realized that if I didn't book it to the library, I would definitely be late. I picked up Chione and began to sprint (at human speed, of course) down the sidewalk. I reached the intersection across from my job and without looking both ways, I put on another burst of speed and ran across the street.

Just before I reached the midway point, I heard the sound of tires screeching. I felt something solid and cold slam into my side and throw me forward. When I finally hit the ground, I stared up into the bright green sky and my eyes slowly slipped closed. My last conscious thought was if Chione was okay before everything went silent.