Therian Prize(79)

Heat gave way to tearing pain then the tearing morphed into crushing pressure. She felt as if her body were being ripped apart. Probably because it was. Joints popped, bones snapped and muscles stretched as her body literally reformed. Her anguished cry started out as a scream and ended as a feline roar.

She tossed her head and blinked repeatedly, confused by the distortion in her vision. Smells exploded in her nose—grass, damp earth, a cowering mouse, even the dank hint of mold were easily identified. The house creaked and her ears twitched, automatically shifting toward the sound. Everything felt different, strange.

“You are so beautiful.” Jake ran his hand from her neck to her shoulder then along her back. The sensation felt muted, as if…a thick fur coat were in the way?

Turning her head sharply, she looked at herself. Her long, lean body was curled into a ball, legs tucked up close against her belly. Her fur was rich orange-yellow with vivid black stripes. She was looking at her tigress self and still her brain fought against the reality.

They’d done it. Her animal nature was defined.

You did incredibly well, love. Can you send your thoughts to me?

Easily locating the link he’d used, she replied. Does it always hurt that badly?

There’s always pain. I won’t lie. But you’ll learn to transform faster and block the worst of the pain. This is the common link shared by all tigers. I’m going to switch to our private link. See if you can follow me. He paused and when his thoughts came again she immediately felt the difference. She could sense emotions threaded through his thoughts, feel all the things his words failed to convey. I’m really proud of you. This couldn’t have been easy, but you met the challenge head-on.

Love swelled within her. She’d waited her entire life for someone to feel pride in her accomplishments. She knew her father loved her in his own twisted way, but he’d never valued her input or found joy in who she was or what she’d done.

Are you okay? Jake knelt beside her and stroked her back.

How do I switch back? I want to devour you and I don’t think you’ll enjoy it if I’m like this.

The path should still be visible. Just turn around and walk back.

That sounded ridiculously easy but as she turned her perception inward, she saw what he meant. Getting her tigress to cooperate, however, was easier said than done. As soon as she moved toward the “path”, her tigress dug in her claws and refused to budge.

You are in command. Always, Jake instructed. Regardless of their size, our animal selves are part of us. They must bow to our wishes.

Emboldened by his encouragement, she ignored the tigress’ struggles and charged toward the path. An infuriated roar echoed through the basement, the sound even louder in her mind.

Behave yourself. She infused the words with displeasure and the resistance eased—somewhat.

Each sensation was the same yet less shocking now that she knew what to expect. As he had warned, the process was still painful. But she surrendered completely to the shift and the discomfort was quickly over.

She was smiling when her human form returned. “My tigress is stubborn.”

Jake laughed and helped her to her feet. “Can’t imagine why that would be.”

He had her t-shirt draped over his shoulder like a bar towel, but she was pretty sure she hadn’t taken it off before the shift hit her. “Is that still in one piece?”

“Nope. You shredded it. Aren’t you glad you took off your jeans?”

All she could do was nod. Despite her grand intentions to lick every inch of Jake’s body, she was shaking like a newborn. “Wow. That took more out of me than I thought.”

“It’s expected. Let’s get you into bed so you can sleep it off.”

* * * * *



Zophiel crouched in the shadows beside the basement window, stunned by what she’d just seen. Shapeshifting wasn’t new to her but this had been different. Heather hadn’t instantaneously flowed from one form into another. She’d fought and struggled as bones cracked and muscles stretched. It had been grotesque. Yet fascinating. It was like watching birth. Without the miracle of a new life factored into the equation, birth was messy, disgusting and painful.

After her latest conversation with Nate, she’d realized it was probably a good idea to figure out exactly where Heather was hiding. She knew the wayward wolf had left Aspen with Jake but she didn’t know where they’d landed.

The sanctuary seemed to be where all the cats headed whenever there was trouble. One of these days she needed to figure out what made the location so much safer than any other. There had to be more to it than the comfort of a maternal figure. Even one as charismatic as Erin Lashton.