Rolling over, I rested my cheek on his chest. “It wasn’t? Did something else happen? I didn’t sleepwalk or something, did I? Because I woke up on top of you and I think I was curled up kind of weird.”
“Yeah, you didn’t shift back before you went to sleep.” He kissed my forehead. “Probably because of the fire.”
What?
“I’m not sure what we’re talking about here. I get I might not have shifted under the covers but there was a fire?”
“You don’t remember? I smelled smoke and went out to check and found a fire.”
“Oh wait. I thought I dreamed about that. I guess you put it out?”
“As my dragon, yes. I have a special skill of inhaling fire, but that one last night was larger than I am used to dealing with. It knocked me out, and when I awoke, there you were. As your cat.”
“I don’t know what you mean by any of that. But I recognize parts of it. Could we have shared a dream?”
“Mates do sometimes. And I hope I do with you one day. But no, everything I’m talking about happened last night. Not in a dream.”
“I see.” I didn’t see.
“Why did you never tell me you were a cat shifter? My dragon is already in love with your cat.”
“I don’t have a cat.” It was the only response I could muster. “I have always liked them. Like Bunny Foo-Foo. But I can’t have pets at my apartment.”
He was staring at me. “Not a pet cat. Your cat. The one you shifted into last night then refused to shift back.”
“And you have a dragon.”
“Omega, you know about shifters, don’t you…since you are one?”
“I-I don’t know what to say. I know of shifters because I read a lot, but I always thought they were just in books. Are you saying you are a dragon shifter and I am a cat? I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole somehow. Maybe you did have a dream.”
“Come on. Let’s get dressed and we’ll go outside where you can see for yourself what happened last night.”
Why did that scare me a little?
When we got outside, I saw it right away. “There was a fire.”
“Yes.” He led me over to the burned trees. “It was very dangerous. And you came out and tried to save me. My dragon was so impressed by your cat’s bravery. And yours.”
“If the fire is true, the rest must be.” Now that I’d accepted the possibility, seen the evidence, everything I’d thought was a dream seemed possible. Except one thing. “I turned into a cat?”
“And then I think you didn’t know how to turn back.” He hugged me. “This must have been your first shift. And you did it trying to save me. You’re amazing.”
“Yeah, I must like you a little.”
“I more than like you. You are my mate. Do you know what that means?”
I’d read a lot of shifter books. I knew it meant forever. “You think I’m the one person Fate put on this earth to be with you and vice versa.”
“I do. And so does my dragon.”
“Your dragon is magnificent.” The longer we talked, the more it all solidified in my mind. “But how can I be a cat? Isn’t that low on the shifter list?”
“My dragon says his mate is not low on any list. He’s magnificent also. And he hopes that you and your cat will accept us soon so we can go forward together.”
“I think I would like to try, but can we go slow? Take our time. It’s a lot to take in. I don’t even know how to become a cat or, apparently, stop being one.”
“Of course, omega. As long as we’re doing it together, we can go at any pace you like. Just don’t tell our animals. They won’t understand why we’re waiting. Animals are like that.”
