Page 59 of Remington’s Mate

His climax raced through him, and he felt Jaeda shudder underneath him.

His leopard roared. Mine!

Power exploded inside him. He was king of the world, his mate’s master and her devoted slave. Spotted fur began to sprout on his arms, and his skull reshaped itself into a muzzle.

My mate! Mine!

Remy tried to pull away. Don’t hurt her! She’s still human!

He tried to force the leopard back inside, but it was too powerful. Out of control. He untangled himself from Jaeda and rolled off the bed, landing on all four paws, already Changed.

Shit, shit, ohmygod shit. He could hear himself growling. He couldn’t stop.

At least Jaeda had been raised with shifters, and knew what to do with an out-of-control animal.

She sat up, and stayed very still. “Shh, shh,” she said softly. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Deep breaths.”

Deep breaths were not going to cut it. More like a tranquilizer gun.

Remy paced, watching her intently. Mate. Needs fur. Claws. Teeth. Make her be like us.

And before he could stop himself, he pounced.

Chapter 24

The snow leopard’s weight pushed Jaeda back and then he was on top of her, paws on her shoulders, growling.

No! This was not how bonding was supposed to go.

“Remy?” she whispered. The leopard looked into her eyes, and she wasn’t sure if Remy was in there or not.

Then she realized Remy was a snowy owl shifter, not a leopard. What the fuck?

The leopard was snuffling at her. He licked her neck, right where it met her shoulder, and then opened his mouth and grazed her shoulder with his teeth.

Like he was going to claim her.

Jaeda panicked. She flung her arm out and found her knife on the night table, shaking the sheath off the blade. Wait, she couldn’t stab him. She pounded his ribs with the hilt. “Get off me!” she shouted. “You do not get to claim me without asking! Get off!”

The leopard’s eyes widened, startled, and then he turned suddenly into an owl. Her last shove flung him backwards into the air, and he backwinged frantically to keep himself upright.

Then he dropped to the ground and was suddenly a leopard again. He crouched, shoulders hunched and head dropped, tail limp.

Like he was sorry he’d scared her.

He was sorry. She could feel his emotions, she realized. He made a distressed kitty noise.

Dammit.

“Why did you do that?” she demanded. “Were you just licking my wound, or were you going to bite me?”

Naturally, he didn’t answer. Because, leopard.

“All right,” she said with a sigh. “I’m not mad anymore.” He gazed at the knife in her hand, and blinked.

“If I put this down, do you promise not to try to bite me?”

He dipped his head.