Zoe nodded, frowning a little.
“It’s like if you hold your breath too long. That hurts. But if you just relax and breathe, you don’t hurt.”
This time Zoe nodded with more enthusiasm. “I can hold my breath for long time before it hurts.”
“That’s very good. Are you ready to watch me change? If you get scared, you can close your eyes, and we’ll work on this more when you’re comfortable, okay?”
“Yes. I won’t get scared. Mommy says I very brave.”
“You are, baby. You’re the bravest girl I know.”
“See,” Zoe told Alexis proudly, her little chin tilting up.
“Perfect. But it’s okay if you do get scared. Don’t worry. We have lots of time to learn this.”
“’Kay.”
Alexis stood and pulled her loose sweater over her head. “Rose, I know the whole nudity thing can be…uncomfortable for humans. Are you okay with this? Do you want to stay?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Alexis grinned. “Didn’t really think you would.”
She stripped, laying her clothes across the back of the couch, completely unconcerned with being naked in front of virtual strangers. Rose glanced at Vlad. He looked on impassively, showing no sign that having a naked woman in the room even fazed him. Alexis had a beautiful, lean, fit body. How could he not react to that?
He glanced at her and squeezed her hand. “You okay?” he mouthed so Zoe wouldn’t hear.
“Yes,” she mouthed back. “No.” She frowned. This was all so overwhelming and surreal, she didn’t know how she felt about it. But as she turned back to watch Alexis, she gripped his hand tighter, only a little surprised by the comfort his presence gave her.
“Here I go,” Alexis said to Zoe. “See the way the fur sprouts? Isn’t that funny?”
Zoe nodded, her eyes wide. When Alexis giggled and claimed something tickled, Zoe giggled, too. Alexis talked through the change until her face started to move and show the tiger, making speech impossible.
Rose tried not to react to the sounds of snapping tendons and breaking bones. She worked hard to only show interest and amazement so that was all Zoe would see. Inside, she was as horrified as she’d been when Vlad had shifted for her. The thought of her little baby doing this, going through this, was almost too much to bear.
If she doesn’t learn, she’ll continue to have episodes of severe pain, she reminded herself. This is for her own good.
She chanted that phrase to herself like a mantra and when Zoe turned big eyes on her and exclaimed how “cool” it was, Rose nodded and agreed with more enthusiasm than she felt. The entire time, Vlad held her hand, a strong and comforting body next to her.
When the change was done, a giant Siberian tiger stood in the living room. She had beautiful orange and white fur, gleaming black stripes, and a gentle neck ruff that wasn’t as big as Vlad’s. Zoe clapped her hands and bounced on the couch. The tiger swept one of her front legs under her belly, dipped her head, and dropped into a bow. The gesture surprised a chuckle from Rose and another round of cheering from Zoe.
“She changed slowly so Zoe could watch,” Vlad said against Rose’s ear. “Her shifts are usually faster, like mine.”
Rose hadn’t actually realized how long the process took. She couldn’t have timed Vlad’s either. Shock tended to warp her senses.
“Will Zoe have to make a slow shift?”
“Not sure what will happen the first time. Depends on Zoe. Some kids flip back and forth really fast when they first get started and then have to slow down as they get older. Only really, really strong shifters can change quickly, and no tigers can change instantly.”
“You were specific about tigers there. Why?”
“Other shifter species have individuals that can shift in an eye-blink. With leopards, for instance, strength and power depend on birth order and the birth order of the parents. So the first born of two first-born parents will be exceptionally strong. Some of them can shift instantly. Tiger biology follows different rules.”
Rose dipped her head to one side. “This is a very strange new reality.” She watched her daughter playing with the giant tiger, who was extremely gentle, and knew she’d never look at the world in quite the same way again.
Zoe plucked and poked at Alexis, showing no signs of fear or disturbance that a human had just turned into a tiger before her eyes. Rose supposed to a child, those kinds of things were entirely possible. It was only after growing up that most people lost their belief in the mythical.
“I’m glad we’re doing this now,” she said to Vlad. “While she’s so young.”