“You’ll get the hang of keeping your human shape soon enough,” Sam rested her hands on her hips.“Though the pride is thrilled to see you like this again.”
It was true, Lola realized.All around the courtyard, those who’d been kneeling were standing again, and now there were warriors, which she recognized in their uniforms, staring at her in fascination.She ducked her head, suddenly self-conscious.Sensing her discomfort, Callon nudged her with his hip.Pride shimmered in his golden eyes.
“You’re one of us now, Sazzi,” he rumbled.“There is no need for modesty.”
Heart swelling, Lola leaned into her mate’s strength.He was right.This was her kingdom, too.Finally, she was beginning to feel whole.The part of her that had always seemed to be missing something was now complete.Because of Callon.
Raising her head high, Lola let out an exultant roar.Callon’s deeper roar joined hers, echoing the joy of their bond.
No matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together as lion and mate.She was no longer just Lola; now she was Erossazzi, beloved partner to the prince himself.
And she would do everything in her power to prove herself worthy of the honor and responsibility.With Callon by her side, she felt capable of anything.They would get Katy back, deal with the snake king, and then all would be well.Though at some point she was going tohaveto tell her parents.But for now, one hard thing at a time.
The great thing was she had actually shifted.Lola had been terrified she’d be some sort of dud, but she’d done it.Now Lola pictured her human self.A second later, she was on two feet again, and Callon was scooping her up into his arms.He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and gave her one of his rare smiles.
“You’re amazing, Lo,” he told her softly.
She smiled at him.“I won’t argue with you.”
This made him laugh, which caused everyone around them to go silent.Lola looked over at all the people watching them.Actually, they were watching Callon.More gawking than watching, really.Eventually, they’d get used to him laughing.Okay, that’s a lie.They’d probably never get used to it.And that was fine.Because Lola liked that she got to see a side of Callon that was reserved only for her.
“All of me is reserved only for you,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Lola sighed and shook her head.“One of these days I’m going to stop vocalizing my every thought.”
“I hope not.I love you just the way you are.”
Her eyes widened at the three words that stood out in that sentence.And then Callon grunted, as if her weight had suddenly become a problem.When she looked down, she realized she’d shifted again.Lola mentally sighed.Dammit.This is going to take some getting used to.
Chapter 6
I Bite You.
“Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘Self, if you meet a lizard, maybe don’t punch the little guy in the face, just in case it turns out the lizard is the poisonous kind that can kill you?’Yeah, me either.”~Katy
Katy’s fist connected with the reptilian-looking face as she let out an impressive war cry, if she did say so herself.And I do.The creature stumbled back, and she pushed to her feet from where she’d been sitting.Once Katy was standing, she realized how much taller she was than the yellow-eyed reptile thing.Okay, she was no longer impressed with herself because now she was just a bully.Unless…
“Are you poisonous?”
The lizard?It was a lizard, right?Well, it had the torso and legs of a human, with feet like a lizard, and a tail.Yep.Katy mentally nodded.It definitely had a tail coming out from behind those pants.It had arms, but his hands were like lizard hands—err—feet, and his face was sort of a morph between that of a masculine human and a lizard.He was kind of, well, cute in an urrrgly kind of way.
“I bite you,” the little creature threatened in the most adorable voice ever and then bared sharp little teeth at her.
Katy looked around the room—some sort of study by the looks of the walls of books, desks, and chairs—and found they were the only two present.Then she looked back at the lizard cutie.“Ahhhh, is the little lizard going to bitesy, whitesy me?”
The lizard thing dropped his hands, which had been rubbing his face where he’d been punched, and glared at her with his big, yellow eyes.The glare wasalsoadorable.“Why you talk like that?”
“Whyyoutalk like that?”Katy challenged back as she propped her hands on her hips and looked down her nose at the creature.
“I talk normal.”The lizard folded his little arms in front of him and straightened his shoulders.He couldn’t have been more than three feet tall.
“You talk like a toddler.It’s adorbs.”
He stomped his foot.“You’re a dorks.”
“I said adorbs, not a dorks.”Katy smiled.“So?”
He frowned, causing the green scales on his forehead to form a sharp V.“So whats?”
