Mom:
I WILL BEAT THAT IDIOT LIKE A CARPET
Leonie sighed and typed aquick message.
Leonie:
Nobody rush over here. I have to get some sleep now. Talk later. Love you all.
She turned off her phone before anyone could reply. Much as she loved her family, right now she wanted to be alone.
Or rather, she didn’t.
You want this male?Her lioness yawned, lips drawing back from fangs.Do we hunt?
“No,” Leonie said out loud. “I want a mate who’ll choose me in return. One who’ll fight for me, just as I’d fight for him. If I have to chase him, he’s not worth catching.”
At least her lioness didn’t seem bothered by Shan’s failure to appear. Being rejected by your mate was supposed to be the worst thing that could happen to any shifter, yet her animal was as placid as ever.
Maybe it was a good thing Shan had been so paranoid about wearing sunglasses in her presence. She couldn’t imagine her lioness would be nearly so relaxed about all this if they’d experienced that lightning-bolt moment of recognition.
If only I could brush it off that easily.
Still, she would get over it. It wasn’t like her life was lacking anything. She had a loving family and a job she loved. She had friends, and people who looked up to her, and she got to make a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of kids. Who needed a mate anyway?
“I am a strong, independent woman,” she muttered, climbing into bed. “Hear me roar. Rawr.”
Heaving another sigh, she rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head. In the dark, private cocoon, she scrunched her eyes shut, and tried not to think about tomorrow.
Which was when something small and furry wriggled through a crack in the wall, streaked across the floor, and dove under her blanket.
Few things get you up faster than discovering you’re sharing a bed with a frantic weasel. Leonie practically levitated off the mattress, flattening herself in the furthest corner of the room.
Her brain belatedly caught up with her body. Heart hammering, she sidled back to her bed, which now looked like it was hosting a wrestling match between a dozen angry snakes.
“Tiff?” She cautiously poked at the writhing covers. “Is that you?”
Her blanket stilled. A tiny, pointed pink nose poked out from under a corner.
With an ear-splitting crash, her door slammed against the wall. Shan exploded into the room like a natural disaster, claws extended. The weasel shrieked and dove back under the blanket.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Leonie pushed impatiently past Shan, who seemed to be trying to find something to menace. “Put those away before you take someone’s eye out. It’s all right, Tiff. It’s only Shan.”
Somewhat sheepishly, Shan retracted his claws. He was shirtless and bare-handed, though his sunglasses still covered his eyes. “What happened?”
“I don’t know yet. She just shot in here.” Leonie stopped, distracted by more than just his bare torso. “Wait, what happened to you?”
Last time she’d seen him without his gloves, only his hands had been furred, but now the soft pelt stretched all the way to his elbows. His upper arms were still human, but black tiger stripes ran across his skin. The markingsstretched over his shoulders and chest, curling around his flanks.
Shan hunched a little, as if trying to conceal himself. “It’s not important. I’ll go check the perimeter.”
“No, stay. We need to find out what frightened her first.” Leonie kneeled next to the bed. “Tiff, sweetie? It’s okay, you’re safe now. Can you shift back so you can tell us what happened?”
The blanket stilled. Then it humped upward.
“L-leonie?” said a small, muffled voice. “Shan?”
“That’s right, honey. We’re both here.” Leonie rearranged the blanket, pulling it back from the girl’s face and tucking it more securely around her body. “What happened?”
