The identical looks of awe on their faces made her want to laugh, though it came out as a soft purrup instead. Here were two ancient vampires, who'd seen centuries of supernatural phenomena, looking completely thunderstruck by her transformation.
Tobi turned to his brother, his voice barely above a whisper. "Have you ever seen anything like that?"
"No." Tyr's response came out hoarse, his startled gaze still fixed on her transformed form. "Never."
Beth tilted her head questioningly, wondering what had the usually unflappable vampire twins so stunned. Her new raptor vision caught every nuance of their expressions - the slight widening of their pupils, the way their shoulders tensed with surprise.
Tyr finally broke from his frozen state, crossing the room in that fluid vampire grace to pull forward an ornate cheval mirror. He turned it to face her, and Beth tilted her head, studying the strange creature in the reflection.
Where had this winged cat come from? It looked like a miniature leopard—a delicate thing about the size of a house cat, with the most exquisite fur-covered wings she'd ever seen. The creature's head tilted at the same moment Beth tilted hers, and familiar blue-grey eyes stared back at her.
Reality hit her like a sledgehammer. That impossible creature washer.
She leaned forward on her forepaws to study her reflection more closely. Her coloring wasn't exactly the same—the usual bold clouded leopard markings had transformed into something ethereal - soft café au lait tones with the signature pattern rendered in subtle, dreamy shades that reminded her of watercolors bleeding together. The wing tips faded to a delicate dove grey, while the leading edges near her ribs carried just a whisper of darker brown, echoing her original markings but in this mystical, muted palette.
It was as if someone had taken her fierce predator form and transformed it into something out of a fairy tale - still unmistakably her, but rendered in shades of mist and moonlight.
Beautiful. Impossible.Hers. The emotions crashed over her in waves. With a startledmrowwat her reflection, Beth losther grip on her shifted form. She tumbled back into her human shape, landing on the bed with a soft thump. She looked down in amazement, realizing she was still fully dressed in her comfortable loungewear.
"Wait, what?" She patted her clothing in amazement, her voice rising with excitement. "How am I not naked? Shifting always leaves me tangled in my clothes. I've spent my entire shifter life planning around clothing - stashing spare outfits, explaining torn fabric, praying I wouldn't have to shift in an emergency because I'd end up naked and arrested!" She laughed, almost giddy. 'This is incredible!'"
Tyr's lips curved into a slight smile. "It's a vampire thing. We can maintain our clothing and possessions through the transformation. Anything we're carrying shifts with us. Mythicals can do it, too—dragons, unicorns, and so forth."
Beth perked up, curious. "I wonder..." She closed her eyes, reaching for that familiar golden warmth in her mind. Whisper responded eagerly, and Beth felt the familiar liquid flow of the Change rippling through her body.
When she opened her eyes, relief flooded through her as she found herself standing on four powerful paws—full-sized, solid,real. Her clouded leopard form stretched magnificently across the bed, no longer the delicate miniature creature but her fierce, familiar self. Instead of being surrounded by her clothing as would have happened before, they had simply vanished.
Focusing on her human form, Beth shifted back. Her clothes reappeared seamlessly in place, not a wrinkle in sight.
"Oh thank god, I still have Whisper!" The words tumbled out as relief crashed over her. "I was so afraid I'd lose her when I was Turned. But she's still there, still perfect." She smoothed her hands over her shirt, marveling. "And no more trying to hide clothes in bushes before shifting!"
Beth grinned, practically vibrating with excitement. "The other shifters are going to flip when they find out about the clothes thing! No more strategic planning around shift locations or explaining mysterious nudity."
Her excitement dimmed slightly as she remembered her unusual transformation. "But what about... the mini leopard with wings? I mean, I was supposed to shift into a raptor form, wasn't I?"
The brothers exchanged a look that said they were completely out of their depth.
"Yeah, you have three forms," Tobi said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Human, clouded leopard, and the winged kitty. I've never heard of anything like that. It shouldn't even be possible."
"This is completely outside our experience," Tyr agreed. "All I can think is that it must be some unique interaction between vampire and shifter abilities. Three distinct transformations? That's unprecedented."
"Antonio will definitely want to know about this," Tobi said. "He'll need to report it to Lord Damien for the knowledge base."
Beth couldn't help snickering. "Wait, vampires have a knowledge base? Like, what - an ancient tome filled with supernatural discoveries?"
"Actually, it's a secure cloud server now," Tyr corrected with a slight smile. "But you're one to talk. Don't the shifters maintain their own database of information?"
"Well, yeah," Beth admitted, feeling her cheeks warm slightly.
"Pot, kettle," Tobi sang out, dodging the pillow Beth threw at his head.
"Centuries of supernatural observations don't document themselves," Tyr added with a grin. "Though I bet Antonio still keeps his original hand-written journals somewhere. He's old school like that."
Beth bounced on the bed, bubbling over with enthusiasm. "I want to try again. See if it was a fluke or if I'm really some kind of winged cat."
Closing her eyes, she reached for that new sensation - the static-electricity tingle of the vampire. The Change flowed through her smoothly, and she opened her eyes to find herself back in that magical form. The muted, dreamy colors of her coat seemed to shimmer in the dim light.
Crouching low on the bed, Beth gathered her muscles and sprang upward. Her new wings spread instinctively, catching the air with surprising ease. She soared around the high-ceilinged room, reveling in the incredible sensation of flight. The world sharpened around her with crystal clarity - she could feel every air current, sense the exact balance needed to maintain altitude.
