The coils tightened around Catherine's ribs. Her lungs burned, screaming for oxygen that couldn't enter. A hot tear slipped from the corner of her eye, cutting a clean path through the dirt and blood on her cheek.

This was it. She was going to be crushed into paste and swallowed whole.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands falling limply to her sides. She waited for the final, bone-snapping pressure.

It never came.

The heavy, suffocating weight remained, but the constriction stopped. The snake was holding her firmly, locking her in place, but it wasn't crushing her.

A cold, smooth scale brushed against her bare forearm. The movement wasn't violent. It was slow. Hesitant. Almost like a question.

"Do not be afraid."

The voice came from directly above her. It was male. It was incredibly deep, raspy, and resonated with a magnetic vibration that sent a shiver down her spine.

And it was in perfect English.

Catherine gasped, her eyes flying open. She jerked her head up, fully expecting to see a man standing over her.

There was no man. There was only the massive, terrifying head of the black snake.

The golden, slitted eyes were locked onto hers. The cold, predatory emptiness she expected to see wasn't there. Instead, the eyes held a complex, heavy emotion she couldn't decipher.

Slowly, the thick coils wrapped around her waist began to loosen. The snake pulled back.

Catherine scrambled backward until her spine hit the tree root, her chest heaving.

Right in front of her, the snake's massive black body began to emit a blinding, silver light. Catherine threw her hands over her face, squinting through her fingers.

The sound was horrifying. It was the wet, heavy sound of bones breaking, shifting, and reknitting together at lightning speed. The giant shadow shrank within the light.

When the silver glow faded, the snake was gone.

A man knelt on one knee in the dirt in front of her.

He was huge. His shoulders were impossibly broad, his chest sculpted with thick, corded muscle. He was completely naked, but the shadows of the forest clung to him. His hair was pitch black, falling in messy waves around a face that looked like it had been carved from marble. His jaw was sharp, his cheekbones high.

But it was his eyes that made Catherine's breath catch. They were the exact same golden, slitted eyes of the snake.

Catherine's brain refused to process the information. Her lips trembled. "You... you were the snake?"

The man gave a single, stiff nod.

His golden eyes dropped from her eyes to her cheek. He stared at the bleeding cut the flying rock had left. His jaw instantly clenched so hard a muscle ticked in his cheek. A dark, violent storm brewed in his eyes.

He reached out. His fingers were long, his knuckles scarred. He moved his hand toward her face, aiming for the cut.

But halfway there, his hand froze in the air. His fingers twitched. He looked at his own hand as if he was terrified his touch would shatter her into a million pieces.

Catherine saw the violence in his eyes a second before. Her survival instinct flared. She flinched hard, pulling her shoulders up and crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

The man saw her flinch.

He immediately snatched his hand back. He shifted his weight, taking a deliberate half-step backward to give her space.

"My name is Amon Peterson," he said. He kept his voice low, forcing the rasp out of it, trying to sound as harmless as a man his size possibly could. "This is The Shifter World. You encountered a magical beast. It is very dangerous here."

Catherine stared at him. The Shifter World.

The Oracle's mechanical voice echoed in her memory. Host bound. She wasn't on Earth anymore. She had fallen through a stage and landed in a world where giant snakes turned into gorgeous, terrifying men.

She looked at Amon. He was keeping his distance. He had just killed a fire-breathing dinosaur with one hit, but right now, he was looking at her like she was the most fragile, precious thing in existence.

The icy grip of panic around her heart began to thaw. The sheer absurdity of the situation forced her brain to adapt.

Amon watched her chest rise and fall. He saw the terror slowly leaving her eyes. He leaned forward slightly, his voice tight. "Are you alone? Where is your tribe?"

Catherine swallowed hard. Her throat felt like sandpaper. She shook her head. "I don't have a tribe. I don't even know where I am."

A flash of intense, predatory joy ignited in Amon's golden eyes. He blinked, instantly burying the emotion deep down, but Catherine saw it.

He lowered himself fully onto one knee again, bringing himself closer to her eye level. He looked at her with absolute gravity.

"The forest is crawling with high-level magical beasts," Amon said, his voice a low rumble. "A fragile female like you will not survive the night. Come back to my tribe with me. I will protect you."

Catherine looked at him. She looked at his massive, scarred chest. She remembered the sickening crunch of the dinosaur's bones.

She bit her lower lip, her hands still trembling slightly. "Do you... do you promise you won't eat me?"

Amon froze.

For a second, he looked genuinely confused. Then, the corner of his mouth twitched upward into the faintest ghost of a smile. The heat in his eyes flared, burning away the coldness of his snake traits.

"I swear to The Primal God," Amon said, his voice thick with a heavy, solemn vow. "I will never harm a single hair on your head."

The intensity in his eyes made Catherine's stomach do a strange flip. It wasn't fear. It was something else. She knew she had absolutely no other choice. If she stayed here, she would die.

She gave a small, jerky nod.

Amon didn't waste a second. He stood up. He moved with terrifying grace, closing the distance between them. He bent down and slid one thick arm under her knees, the other around her back.

He lifted her off the muddy ground as easily as if she weighed nothing.

Catherine gasped, her hands instinctively grabbing his broad shoulders. His bare skin was burning hot. It didn't feel like a cold-blooded reptile at all. The heat radiating from his chest seeped through her dirty clothes, grounding her.

Amon held her tight against his chest. A second later, the blinding silver light erupted again.

Catherine squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, she was no longer in a man's arms. She was sitting high off the ground, straddling the massive, thick neck of the black snake.

The snake turned its head, its golden eye checking on her to make sure she was secure.

Then, it shot forward. The giant black snake moved like a shadow, carrying her deep into the unknown darkness of the forest.

The wind whipped Catherine's hair into a tangled mess. She gripped the thick, smooth scales beneath her thighs, her knuckles turning white. The giant black snake moved with impossible speed and smoothness, gliding over massive fallen logs and weaving through dense thickets without jostling her once.

Suddenly, the claustrophobic canopy of the forest broke open.

Catherine blinked against the sudden moonlight. Below a towering cliff face, a sprawling settlement appeared. It was a chaotic mix of massive stone caves carved directly into the rock and sturdy wooden cabins built on the ground.

The snake slowed down, slithering toward the edge of the settlement.

A flash of silver light blinded Catherine for a second. The solid scales beneath her vanished, replaced by hard, hot muscle. Amon caught her perfectly in his arms before she could fall, his human form fully restored.

He stood at the edge of the clearing, holding her tight against his chest.

A group of heavily muscled men patrolling the perimeter stopped dead in their tracks. When they looked at Amon, Catherine saw naked disgust and hostility flash across their faces.

But then, their eyes shifted to Catherine.

Every single man in the patrol inhaled sharply. The air suddenly felt thick, heavy with a suffocating, aggressive energy.

Catherine shrank back against Amon's chest. Her modern clothes were torn and dirty, but her pale skin, delicate features, and the sheer novelty of her appearance acted like a magnet. The men stared at her with unblinking, ravenous hunger.

Amon's body turned to stone.

His jaw locked. A low, vibrating snarl ripped from his throat. It wasn't a human sound. It was the warning hiss of a lethal predator. He shifted his stance, pulling Catherine tighter against him, burying her face in his chest to hide her from their view.

The sheer pressure of Amon's aura hit the patrol men like a physical blow. They stumbled backward, their faces pale, but their greedy eyes kept darting toward the sliver of Catherine's leg visible beneath Amon's arm.

The commotion drew attention. A large group of people hurried out of the central stone building.

At the front was an older, heavily scarred man wearing an elaborate fur cloak. This was Barrett Vance, the tribe chief.

Barrett's eyes sharpened. He stepped forward quickly but maintained a steady, authoritative stride. Instead of rushing directly at Catherine, he barked an order over his shoulder to his guards: "Get Silas over here, now. Have him check this female's condition!"

Amon's arms tightened around Catherine until it almost hurt. He took a step back, his golden eyes flashing with violent refusal. He didn't want anyone touching her.

But Catherine winced, her injured ankle throbbing from the sudden movement. Amon felt her flinch. His jaw ticked. He forced himself to stop moving, his chest heaving with the effort to suppress his instincts.

A young man pushed through the crowd. He had soft features, gentle brown eyes, and a nervous energy about him. He carried a woven pouch smelling of crushed leaves. This was Silas Frye, the panda shifter healer.

Silas approached Amon, his eyes glued to the ground. When he got close enough to smell the sweet, pure scent radiating from Catherine, his face flushed a deep, violent red. His hands started to shake.

He knelt awkwardly by Amon's leg. "I... I just need to check her ankle," Silas stammered.

Amon growled, a low rumble of warning, but he slightly shifted his grip, allowing Silas access to her foot.

Silas extended his trembling fingers. A soft, pale green light bloomed from his fingertips. He gently hovered his hand over Catherine's swollen ankle.

Catherine watched in shock. The pain instantly vanished, replaced by a soothing, cool sensation. Real magic.

Silas closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as he concentrated. A moment later, the green light faded. He stood up, looking at Barrett.

"She is not severely injured. Just a sprain," Silas reported, his voice tinged with awe and pity. "But... her body is incredibly fragile. There is absolutely no energy fluctuation within her. She has no ability. She is like a flower that could snap in a strong wind."

Silas pulled his hand back, his eyes wide with a mixture of reverence and deep concern. To the surrounding males, her utter lack of magical signature didn't signify weakness-it signaled a profound, almost sacred purity that demanded their absolute protection.

Instead of disappointment, the crowd of males erupted into a low, excited murmur. The absolute lack of power triggered their deepest, most primal protective instincts.

Barrett's eyes burned with ambition. He stepped right up to Amon and reached out, trying to grab Catherine's hand. "Beautiful female, welcome to the Giant Rock Tribe. I am Chief Barrett."

Before Barrett's fingers could even brush her skin, Amon's hand shot out. He slapped Barrett's hand away with a loud, vicious crack.

Amon stepped completely in front of Catherine, shielding her with his massive back.

Barrett's face twisted in fury. He pointed a thick finger at Amon's chest. "Amon! You cursed, cold-blooded monster! Step aside! Don't terrify the precious female with your foul presence!"

The words hit Amon like a physical strike.

Catherine saw the immediate reaction. Amon's broad shoulders slumped a fraction of an inch. His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned stark white. The violent energy radiating from him vanished, replaced by a suffocating, heavy wave of self-hatred and shame. He didn't say a word. He just stood there, taking the insult.

A younger man, built like a tank, shoved his way to the front. It was Jett, the chief's son. He raked his eyes over Catherine's hidden form. "Father is right. She's too fragile. She needs the strongest male to protect her and give her strong cubs. I am the best choice."

Instantly, the plaza devolved into chaos. Males started shouting, flexing their muscles, some even partially transforming their arms into bear claws or wolf paws, roaring to prove their strength to her.

The noise was deafening. The aggressive, suffocating testosterone in the air made Catherine's stomach churn.

She looked at Amon's back. He was trembling. The temperature around him was plummeting, frost forming on the dirt beneath his bare feet. He was a second away from snapping.

Catherine's heart pounded. A hot, fierce anger ignited in her chest. She hated bullies. And she hated that the man who had just saved her life was being treated like garbage.

She took a deep breath. She reached out and grabbed Amon's tightly clenched fist.

Amon flinched violently. He whipped his head around, his golden eyes wide with shock as he stared at her small, pale hand wrapping around his rough, scarred fingers.

Catherine stepped out from behind his back. She locked eyes with Barrett, then swept her gaze over the screaming crowd.

"I don't need any of you," Catherine said. Her voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the noise like a knife. "He saved my life when I was about to be eaten. I am staying with him."

Dead silence slammed down on the plaza.

Every male stared at Catherine as if she had just lost her mind. A fragile, precious female choosing a cursed snake shifter? It broke every rule of their reality.

Amon's hand flipped over. He gripped Catherine's hand back. His grip was almost painfully tight, his fingers trembling against her skin. The golden slits of his eyes dilated, swirling with a dark, obsessive heat.

Barrett's face turned the color of bruised plum. He slashed his hand through the air. "Absurd! You don't know what you are saying! You don't know how cold-blooded and selfish snake shifters are!"

He pointed a thick, accusing finger at Amon. "They have no emotions! Their rutting season makes them violent and insane! He doesn't know how to care for a fragile female. He will break you!"

The crowd of males roared in agreement, hurling vicious insults at Amon's bloodline.

Monster. Cold-blooded freak. Killer.

Amon's body went rigid. The air pressure around them dropped drastically. Black scales began to push through the skin on his neck, his beast form fighting to break free under the weight of his rage. The ground beneath his feet cracked.

Catherine felt the cold sweat on Amon's palm. She squeezed his hand harder, trying to anchor him.

She glared at Barrett, her chin tilted up. "All I know is that when I was about to die, he was the one who fought for me. Where were all of you?"

The words slapped the crowd into silence. Jett's face flushed red, and he awkwardly stepped back into the throng of men.

Barrett took a deep breath, his chest puffing out as he tried to regain control. He forced a sickeningly sweet smile onto his face. "Beautiful female, you are new here. You don't understand our laws. By tribal rule, a new, unbonded female must have her mates assigned by the Chief to ensure her safety."

He gestured to two massive men standing nearby, both covered in tribal tattoos. "These are tiger shifters. They are the strongest. They are the best choice to protect you and give you powerful cubs."

A terrifying, inhuman hiss ripped from Amon's throat.

His right arm completely transformed. Thick, black scales covered his skin, and his fingers elongated into razor-sharp, lethal claws. He threw himself in front of Catherine, his golden eyes burning with a suicidal fury.

"She said she chose me," Amon snarled. His voice sounded like it was scraping over broken glass. It was the sound of a man ready to burn the world down.

The two tiger shifters instantly dropped into a fighting stance. Their hands morphed into massive, fur-covered paws with unsheathed claws. Low growls vibrated in their chests.

Blood was about to be spilled. Catherine knew Amon was strong, but if he killed the Chief's men, they would never survive in this world.

Without thinking, Catherine stepped around Amon. She planted herself directly between his lethal claws and the two tiger shifters.

She stared dead into Barrett's eyes. Her hands were shaking, but she forced her voice to stay steady. "If your tribe's rule is forcing me to do something against my will, then I will leave this tribe right now."

The crowd gasped.

A female with no abilities leaving the safety of the tribe was a guaranteed death sentence. But to Barrett, losing a female was the ultimate failure. Females were the rarest, most vital resource for their survival and evolution.

Barrett's confident mask cracked. Panic flashed in his eyes.

"Don't be reckless!" Barrett quickly raised his hands in surrender. He gritted his teeth, swallowing his pride. "Fine. If you insist, you can stay in Amon's cave for now. But the rule stands: until you are marked, every male in this tribe has the right to court you."

Catherine knew that was the best deal she was going to get. She gave a curt, cold nod.

Amon didn't wait for another word. He turned, scooped Catherine up into his arms, and walked away. His long strides ate up the distance as he headed toward the steep cliff face at the edge of the settlement.

As they walked past the wooden cabins, female shifters peeked out from their doorways. Their eyes were filled with toxic jealousy.

A female with bright red hair, standing outside a cave near the cliff, sneered loudly. Catherine noticed the way the red-haired female's gaze lingered on Amon's broad back for a fraction of a second-a toxic mix of lingering obsession and bitter rejection-before she turned her venomous glare toward Catherine. "A pretty face means nothing if she's stupid. Choosing that cold-blooded freak... she'll be tortured to death during his rut."

Amon's steps faltered. His spine turned to steel. He didn't turn his head, but Catherine felt the violent shudder that wrecked his massive frame. He started walking faster.

Catherine rested her head against his hard chest. She reached up and lightly touched his jaw. "Don't listen to them. I trust you."

Amon's Adam's apple bobbed hard. He pulled her tighter against him, burying his face in her hair as he carried her up the rocky path.

They reached a large, natural cave carved into the cliffside. It was isolated from the rest of the tribe.

Amon walked inside and gently set Catherine down on a wide stone bed covered in thick, soft animal furs. He pulled his hands back immediately, as if her skin burned him.

He dropped to his knees beside the bed. The terrifying, lethal predator from the plaza was gone.

He looked up at her. His golden eyes were wide, swimming with a crippling, agonizing vulnerability. His jaw ticked as he struggled to force the words out.

"Do you..." Amon's voice broke. "Do you really not hate me?"

Catherine looked down at this massive, powerful man kneeling before her, looking at her like she was his entire world. Her chest ached. She reached out, placing her hand gently on his cheek, and nodded.