Harlan pushed aside the heavy hide covering the doorway. He gestured for Cadence to step out into the bright midday sun.

He deliberately positioned his large body slightly ahead of hers. He acted as a physical shield against the staring crowds. The tribe members paused their work, their eyes tracking Cadence's every move.

They walked toward the communal water source. A clear, bubbling stream ran through the center of the camp. Cadence observed the tribal women washing hides on the flat rocks. She noted the complete lack of soap, buckets, or basic sanitation. The water ran murky further downstream.

A loud, excited squeal suddenly interrupted her mental notes on tribal infrastructure.

A small, black cat-shifter cub barreled out of nowhere. Jaiden crashed happily into Harlan's solid legs, wrapping her small arms around his knee.

Harlan laughed heartily. He scooped his little sister up with one hand. He rested her easily on his broad shoulder.

Jaiden stared down at Cadence with wide, curious green eyes. Her small black nose twitched as she took in Cadence's unique scent.

Cadence smiled warmly. She reached out and gently scratched the cub right behind her fuzzy cat ears.

Jaiden purred loudly. A deep, rumbling sound vibrated in her small chest. She instantly melted into Cadence's soft touch, completely won over by the gentle affection.

Harlan watched the interaction. His chest swelled with profound affection. He was looking at the two most important females in his life getting along perfectly.

A sharp, mocking female voice cut harshly through the sweet, domestic moment.

Briar Locke strode over. The tall Tiger-Shifter female placed her hands on her hips. She glared daggers at Cadence, her eyes filled with venom.

Briar loudly questioned Harlan's choice. "Look at her. She is skinny. She is weak. She will be useless for surviving the upcoming winter. She will just eat our food and die."

Cadence felt a sharp sting of insecurity. Her stomach tightened. She was painfully aware that she lacked any primal strength or survival skills. Briar's words hit a raw nerve.

Harlan stepped directly in front of Cadence. His warm, domestic aura instantly turned cold and deeply threatening. His muscles coiled tight.

He publicly and loudly declared his stance. "Cadence is my prospective mate. You will show her absolute respect, Briar, or you will answer to my claws."

Briar flinched violently at his harsh, uncompromising tone. Her face flushed dark red with a mix of public humiliation and fierce jealousy.

Unable to counter his physical authority, Briar stomped her foot. She turned and stormed away toward the hunting grounds, kicking up dirt in her wake.

The surrounding tribe members whispered among themselves. They were clearly shocked that Harlan so firmly rejected a strong, native female for a weak outsider.

Cadence tugged gently on Harlan's muscular arm. She felt a pang of guilt for causing a public scene on her very first day.

Harlan turned back to her. His cold expression softened instantly into a reassuring smile.

He leaned down. He assured her softly, "Briar means nothing to me. You are my only priority. Never doubt that."

Cadence felt a distinct flutter in her chest. Her heart skipped a beat. She was deeply moved by his unwavering public defense and loyalty.

Jaiden jumped down from Harlan's shoulder. She grabbed Cadence's hand with her small paws. The cub eagerly pulled Cadence toward the den area. She was desperate to show off her pretty new friend to the other children.

Cadence allowed herself to be led. She felt a tentative, warming sense of belonging taking root in her chest.

She spent the afternoon sitting in the dirt. She taught the fascinated cubs a simple modern hand-clapping game. Their laughter filled the air.

Harlan sat a few yards away. He sharpened his bone knife against a rock. His protective, intense gaze never left Cadence's smiling face.

As the sun began to set and the air cooled, Cadence wiped her brow. She realized her skin felt sticky with sweat and dirt. She desperately needed a bath.

Cadence approached Harlan. She kept her voice quiet, asking where she could wash up away from the prying eyes of the main camp.

Harlan nodded understandingly. He pointed toward a secluded bend in the river located just outside the main wooden palisade.

He walked into his hut and grabbed a relatively clean, soft animal hide. He handed it to her to use as a makeshift towel.

They walked side-by-side to the riverbend. The rushing sound of the water grew louder, masking the crunch of their footsteps on the gravel.

Harlan stopped at the edge of the dense tree line. He stated firmly that he would stand guard facing the forest to ensure her privacy. He turned his broad back to the water.

Cadence thanked him sincerely. She felt a deep sense of security with his massive, imposing presence standing watch.

She stepped behind a large, mossy boulder. She shivered slightly in the evening breeze as she stripped off her dusty, sweat-stained modern clothes. She folded her jacket neatly on the rock.

She waded into the cool, crystal-clear water. She let out a soft sigh of relief as the grime washed away from her skin. The cold water soothed her tired muscles.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of cold, slit-like reptilian eyes watched her every move from the tall reeds on the opposite bank.

Cristian Pope, the rogue Serpent-Shifter, glided silently into the water. His movements caused barely a ripple on the surface.

Cadence ducked her head completely underwater. She used her fingers to vigorously scrub the dirt from her scalp.

She surfaced, wiping the water from her eyes. On the shoreline, Harlan's acute senses suddenly flared. He stiffened, his ears twitching sharply. A faint, unnatural disturbance in the water's current and an icy, metallic scent triggered his deepest predatory instincts. He spun around, his eyes scanning the dark water frantically, his muscles coiled to strike, but the intruder's stealth magic masked its exact location.

She suddenly froze. An eerie, unnatural chill ran down her spine, raising goosebumps on her arms.

The water surface rippled unnaturally. It formed a distinct V-shape heading directly toward her waist.

A massive, terrifying silver-scaled serpent head rose from the depths. Water cascaded off its smooth, deadly snout.

Cadence opened her mouth to scream. Sheer, paralyzing terror locked her vocal cords tight. No sound came out.

The serpent shifted in a blinding blur of motion. It instantly turned into a breathtakingly handsome, unnaturally pale man.

Cristian wrapped a cold, incredibly powerful arm around her bare waist. He jerked her flush against his hard, freezing chest.

The instant Cristian broke the surface, Harlan locked onto the threat. He did not wait for her to cry out. A thunderous, earth-shattering roar erupted from his throat as he launched himself from the tree line, shifting into his massive, lethal tiger form mid-leap.

He dipped his head. He inhaled deeply against her wet, exposed neck. His silver eyes darkened with sudden, violent obsession.

He whispered in a silky, hypnotic voice. "Your scent is the most intoxicating thing I have ever encountered. You smell so pure, completely devoid of this land's wildness, like a distant, untouchable star."

The physical contact broke Cadence's paralysis. She finally found her voice. She let out a piercing, terrified scream that tore her throat.

She thrashed wildly in the water. She pushed her hands desperately against Cristian's immovable chest, trying to break his iron grip.

Harlan crashed through the reeds, soaring entirely across the shallow water. He launched himself like a furry missile directly at Cristian's head.

Cristian cursed under his breath. He was forced to release Cadence's waist to dodge the incoming lethal claws.

Cadence stumbled backward in the fast current. She scrambled frantically onto the rocky shore, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She grabbed her hide towel and clutched it tightly to her chest.

Harlan landed heavily in the water between Cadence and Cristian. He bared his massive fangs in a murderous, deafening snarl. Water sprayed everywhere.

Cristian stood waist-deep in the water. His expression shifted from surprise to a look of arrogant amusement.

He slowly wiped a single drop of blood from his pale cheek. Harlan's claw had narrowly grazed him.

Cristian smirked. His chilling silver eyes locked onto Cadence over the tiger's broad, protective back.

Cristian crossed his arms casually over his bare chest. He looked completely unfazed by Harlan's aggressive, lethal posture.

He taunted Harlan in a smooth, mocking tone. "A mere dirt-bound tiger cannot protect such a rare, exquisite treasure. You are outmatched, cat."

Harlan roared furiously in response. He took a heavy step forward into the deeper water. His muscles bunched, preparing to strike a fatal blow.

Cristian chuckled darkly. His pale body began to shimmer with a volatile, silver primal energy. The water around him churned.

He locked his gaze on Cadence. He promised her with chilling sincerity, "We will meet again very soon, little bird."

With a sudden, explosive splash, Cristian shifted back into a massive serpent. He vanished instantly into the fast, dark currents.

Harlan remained entirely tense. His muscles were coiled tight. He scanned the dark water for several long, agonizing minutes, waiting for another ambush.

Satisfied the immediate threat had retreated, Harlan relaxed his stance. He waded to the shore and shifted back into his human form.

He rushed up the bank to Cadence. He pulled her shivering, traumatized body into a desperate, bone-crushing embrace.

Cadence buried her face into his warm chest. The adrenaline crash hit her system hard. She trembled violently against him, unable to control her shaking limbs.

Harlan aggressively cursed the Serpent-Shifter aloud. His voice was laced with genuine panic and self-reproach. He had failed to keep her safe.

He quickly helped Cadence pull her modern clothes back on over her damp, cold skin. His massive hands were shaking slightly as he fumbled with her zipper.

He scooped her into his arms. He absolutely refused to let her walk the distance back to the village.

They returned to the stone hut in silence. The evening air turned sharply, bitingly cold as the sun fully set behind the mountains.

Harlan wrapped her tightly in multiple heavy furs on the stone slab. But Cadence's violent shivering did not stop. Her teeth chattered loudly.

He paced the small hut like a caged beast. He was furious at his failure to secure the perimeter perfectly.

Cadence tried to reassure him with a weak smile. Her lips were blue. She could not form words through the chattering of her teeth.

As the night deepens, Cadence's shivering suddenly transitioned. Her skin erupted into a heavy, unnatural, burning sweat.

Harlan pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. His eyes widened in horror at the intense, dangerous heat radiating from her skin.

He realized the combination of the freezing river water and the extreme psychological shock had made her severely ill. Her human body was failing.

Panic overriding protocol, Harlan rushed out of the hut. He sprinted at top speed toward the Shaman's dwelling in the center of the camp.

Cadence tossed and turned on the rough grass bed. Her mind slipped rapidly into a terrifying, feverish haze.

She mumbled deliriously in English. She called out for her grandfather. She begged for modern medicine, asking for aspirin and a glass of cold water.

Harlan burst back into the hut. He dragged a sleepy, bewildered Silas Finch by the arm.

Silas knelt quickly beside Cadence. He placed a hand glowing with soft green primal energy directly over her chest.

Silas closed his eyes. He focused his healing energy. His brow furrowed in deep concentration as he scanned her internal body.

The green light flickered erratically. It faded completely into nothingness. Silas pulled his hand back with a heavy, defeated sigh.

He shook his head grimly. He looked at Harlan. "Her malady is a cold evil. My external energy cannot purge it from her blood."

Silas stated flatly that she lacked primal fortitude. "She must rely entirely on her own weak vitality to survive the night. I can do nothing."

Harlan dropped heavily to his knees. He clutched Cadence's burning hand in both of his. Sheer, paralyzing terror gripped his heart, squeezing it tight.