He told her that shifters were real and had kept their nature secret from humans, because humans couldn’t be trusted with the knowledge.Shifters only told their soulmates the truth.It was a secret that had to be kept no matter what, because if the truth got out to the general public, shifters would most certainly die.
When he stopped speaking, his gaze full of hope, she stared at him, pretty sure he’d gone insane overnight.
“Okay, you’re not nuts, you’re certifiably insane.There’s no such thing as people who can turn into animals outside of books and movies.It’s science fiction.Impossible.”She suddenly got angry.“Are you trying to drive me away or something?If you want to break up with me, just do it for goodness’ sake!”
“No!No, I don’t want to end things between us.I’m telling you the truth.Our farm is home for our stallion herd.There are four of us who live here—me, Crew, Grey, and Avi.All in, there are six stallions, and everyone is mated now.Except for me, because I haven’t mated you properly yet.”
“Oh my gosh, get me the hell out of here,” Darcy said, turning to leave.
“Wait, wait!”Ford practically roared the word.When she turned back to look at him, he said, “I’ll show you.But I won’t be able to talk to you again for a few hours, which is partly why I wanted Grey and Tatum here.You can talk to them.They’ll tell you about the herd, about Colton, the other stallion leader trying to take over, and what it means to have a shifter for a soulmate.”He moved closer, invading her space, until he was all she could see.“You can’t tell anyone, Darcy.Not Reagan.Not Cruz.I’m telling you because you’re my soulmate and I want you to know everything about me.And because I love you.”
Her brows lifted high.
But she didn’t tell him that she loved him too, because even though the feeling was mutual, he’d just spouted off the most ridiculous nonsense and expected her to go along with it.
Her heart was breaking a little bit right now.
How could he say something like this?How could he just… lie?
When she didn’t return the sentiment, he growled softly and glanced at his friends.“Tatum isn’t looking.She doesn’t need to see anyone else’s bits and pieces but mine,” Grey said.
Ford nodded and began to strip.
Darcy folded her arms.
He was a loon.
But she couldn’t mistake the determined look in his eyes.He genuinely thought he was going to turn into a horse!Of all the weird animals to pick.He couldn’t say he was a bear or a tiger?
She scoffed as he finished stripping, ignoring how just looking at him in all his sexy glory made all the lower parts of her body gowoo woo.
She glared at him.
And then something happened.
His skin rippled, his muscles contracting, and his bones popping.Short, dark fur flowed over his skin and his hair lengthened, and right before her eyes, he changed.
Truly changed.
Into a freakinghorse.
Her brain misfired as a million thoughts conflicted at once and everything she’d ever thought she knew about the world changed in an instant.
Her vision went dark and she couldn’t stop herself from falling, but someone caught her.
“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Tatum said.“I’ve got you.I know it’s a lot.But it’s real.Ford is a stallion and he’s your soulmate.It’s why you two were meant to meet when you did.Fate brought you together.”
As Darcy’s vision cleared and her body began to listen to her so she could stand, she looked at Tatum who was smiling sweetly, and then she looked at Ford.
Ford the horse.
He was enormous.And so beautiful, with a dark brown coat and black mane.He was staring at her intently, and she could practically feel how worried he was.
The man she’d been falling for over the last week was an actual horse shifter, something that she’d never imagined was actually real.She moved forward slowly, her hand raised.She whispered his name as her hand landed gently on his neck.
He nickered at her.
Her heart practically beat out of her chest as acceptance for all he was bloomed inside her.
