He gave a subtle shake of his head.“Nothing.You’re just different.”
Katy didn’t like the way he said “different.”She also didn’t like that things had become so cordial between her, Slick, and Myron.Antonio was on her Shit List for life.He was supposed to be her friend.Friends don’t let friends get abducted.
“I’m going to get some sleep.”She yawned, not even having to fake it.Exhaustion seemed to settle over her like a weighted banket.Katy turned her body so she sat sideways and then propped her head against the side of the seat.Her eyes slipped closed, and the drone of the engine lulled her to sleep.
It felt like no time at all before her eyes shot open, and she was wide awake.She disliked the sensation of going to bed one moment and waking up as though it had barely been any time at all.She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes in order to gain some clarity.
When she sat up, she realized she was no longer on the plane.She stared up at a ceiling tiled in black, shiny tiles.The longer she stared at them, the more she realized they looked like scales.Something shifted beside her, and Katy turned her head slowly.
“Boo.”
Katy screamed as big, yellow eyes with black, vertical slits stared at her from less than a few inches from her face.
Chapter 5
It Would Be Fun To Watch Her Try
“So apparently I’m going to have a tail.Of all the things to latch onto upon learning that I’m going to be able to shift into an animal, I choose that.A tail.”~Lola
Lola fidgeted nervously in the passenger seat as Callon drove them to the Kingdom of Claws’ compound.She forced herself not to think about the last time she’d left the compound.She’d been sure she’d never see it again.
“I’m sorry.”Callon’s deep voice filled the quiet space.“I’ll never be able to make up for what I did to you.I hurt you.”His words cut off, and she heard the pain in them.Lola felt his anguish flowing off him.“I don’t ever want to be the reason you feel like that again.”
“Well, considering how strongly we feel for each other”—Lola reached over and patted his thigh—“we will most likely hurt each other more than we hurt anyone else.”
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.“Why would you say that?”
“Human nature.”She shrugged.“We hurt the ones we know will love us no matter what.I’m not saying it’s a good thing.I’m just saying it seems to be what happens.Now…” She clapped her hands, attempting to expel the jitters.“We have pressing issues to address, like you not clarifying that you literally meant I would turn into a cat.”
“Shift into a lioness is a more apt description,” he said wryly.“I may call you ‘Little Cat,’ but the truth is you’re going to be a massive, beautiful, sensual beast.”
She held up a hand.“Okay, you’re freaking me out.You’re talking about me like I’m a steak you can’t wait to sink your teeth into.”
He lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug.
Not touching that one with any length of any kind of pole.Instead of thinking about that, Lola’s mind raced with questions about what shifting would feel like.“Is it going to hurt?”she blurted out, then, true to her nature, she didn’t give Callon time to answer.“Or will it feel like warm water being poured over me?Or maybe just a tingling sensation through all of my nerves?And how in the world am I supposed to do it?It’s not like I will just wiggle my nose, or my toes, or, or, or?—”
“No other body parts rhyme with nose or toes,Sazzi.You can move on to a different question.”
“Ha.Ha.”she deadpanned.“I can’t move on because I still don’t have any idea how this is going to work.”Lola sat there, her foot tapping restlessly on the floorboard and her fingers twisting the fabric of her shirt while she attempted to keep her crap together.
Callon reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.“Relax,Sazzi.I can practically hear your thoughts buzzing like angry bees.”
She blew out a sharp breath, making her bangs flutter upward.“I can’t help it.This is freaking me out a little … or a lot, if I’m being totally honest.”
“Really?”Callon’s brow dipped low.“I couldn’t tell.”
Lola turned in her seat to face him more fully, ignoring his little joke.“I mean, seriously, what’s it like?You didn’t answer me the first time, so apparently I’m going to just have to keep asking until you give full disclosure.Does it hurt to have your bones changing shape and reforming?And what about internal organs?How does that work?Do they shift, too?”
Callon pressed his lips together.He used one hand to steer the vehicle while entwining the fingers of his free hand with one of hers.“You do remember that I only shifted completely myself for the first time just a few hours ago, right?”
“Exactly,” she snapped.“You have more experience than me.Not to mention you’ve known your entire life—which, by the way, don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’ve never told me exactly how old you are.Wewillget to that.But only after I master shifting.I’ve been a human my whole life.Reading about things I never thought could actually exist doesn’t count as experience.Not to mention, in all of those books, there were variations to how shifting happened and what it felt like.In some books, it was horribly painful, and in others, it just happened in a blink of an eye, and there was no discomfort whatsoever.Call me crazy, but I’d like the second option, please.If I get an option.DoI get an option?I mean, can I choosenotto shift?”
“Okay, whoa.Slow down, Lo.”Callon squeezed her hand.
“I can’t slow down.”She threw her free hand up.“I’m going to turn into a freaking lion.How can I not have a million questions?”
“Fair enough,” he conceded, his deep voice and calm tone helping bring her nerves down a bit.“But that’s why we’re going to see Riker and Sam,” Callon explained patiently.“They’ll be able to help walk you through it.Sam’s the firstanimusever.She is always the one my father sends newanimito.She can deal with any problems.”
