Page 13 of Quick on the Claw

Bella laughed, scooping the child up into her arms. “Yes, sweetheart. This is Tiffany and Sia. Ladies, meet my daughter, Princess Avery.” Bella kissed her mini-twin. “But I call her munchkin.”

Avery beamed at them, revealing a missing front tooth. “Hi! Do you really come from Earth? Do you have dragons there? What about unicorns? Ooh, do you want to see my cookie collection?”

Tiffany couldn’t help but laugh at the rapid-fire questions. “It’s nice to meet you, Avery. And I’m not sure if we have dragons or unicorns on Earth. But we might since I’m learning new things every day. And yes, I’d love to see your cookie collection.”

Avery’s face lit up. “Really? Come on, I’ll show you! I have cookies shaped like flowers and stars and even some that look like Daddy when he shifts!”

As Avery tugged on Tiffany’s hand, leading her into the palace, Tiffany found herself relaxing. The warmth and humor of Bella and Avery had done wonders to ease her initial nervousness about being on an alien planet.

The interior of the palace was just as impressive as the outside. The walls seemed to shimmer and change color as they walked, responding to their presence. Avery chattered away, pointing out various features and telling stories about life in the palace.

“And here are your rooms,” Bella announced, stopping in front of two ornate doors across from each other. “Tiffany, you’re on the left, Sia on the right. Gerri, your suite is just down the hall as usual.”

Tiffany stepped into her room and gasped. It was easily twice the size of her entire apartment back in New York with a bed that looked like it could comfortably sleep a small army. The walls pulsed with a soft, warm yellow light.

“The walls adapt to your mood,” Bella explained. “Looks like you’re feeling pretty optimistic right now.”

“This is incredible,” Tiffany breathed, running her hand along the silky fabric of the bedspread. “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

Bella smiled warmly. “It’s our pleasure. Now, why don’t you all take some time to rest and freshen up? We’ll have dinner in a few hours, and there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

As Bella and Avery left, Sia flopped dramatically onto Tiffany’s bed. “Can you believe this? We’re on an alien planet, staying in a palace, about to have dinner with royalty. It’s like every fairy tale come true.”

Gerri chuckled. “It is rather magical, isn’t it? But I suggest you both get some rest. Wormhole travel can be quite draining, and we have a busy evening ahead.”

Sia pouted but nodded, heading to her own room. Gerri followed suit, leaving Tiffany alone to explore her new surroundings.

Despite Gerri’s advice to rest, Tiffany found herself too keyed up to sleep. After a quick freshen-up in the bathroom (which was more like a personal spa), she decided to explore the palace gardens she could see from her window.

The gardens were a riot of color and scent, filled with plants unlike anything Tiffany had ever seen. Flowers that glowed with an inner light, trees with leaves that chimed softly in the breeze, and bushes covered in what looked like living gemstones.

Drawn to a bed of particularly beautiful luminescent flowers, Tiffany knelt to examine them more closely. Without thinking, she began to talk to them as she often did with her beloved Fernie back home.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” she murmured, gently stroking a petal. “I wonder what your name is. Something elegant and alien, I bet. Maybe Starlight Bloom or Cosmic Whisper?”

“Actually, we call them Sweet Bells,” a deep, amused voice said from behind her. “And they can understand every word you’re saying.”

Tiffany yelped in surprise, nearly toppling into the flower bed. She spun around to find herself face-to-chest with the most impressive specimen of male she’d ever encountered. Tilting her head back…and back, and back – good lord, he was tall – she met a pair of golden amber eyes that sparkled with humor.

The man – no, shifter, she corrected herself mentally – was easily over six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders and muscles that seemed to ripple with every small movement. His skin was a warm bronze, and his black hair looked soft enough to run her fingers through. A tribal tattoo wound its way up his right arm, disappearing under the sleeve of his fitted tunic.

Tiffany swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. “I, uh... they can?”

He nodded, his lips twitching as if fighting back a smile. “They can. And they’re quite flattered by your compliments, though they think ‘Cosmic Whisper’ is a bit pretentious for their tastes.”

Heat flooded Tiffany’s cheeks. “Oh god. I mean, not God, because you probably have different deities here, if any, and I’m totally not trying to impose Earth religions on your culture, and... I’m babbling, aren’t I?”

The shifter’s deep, rumbling laugh sent a shiver down her spine. “Don’t worry, the flowers won’t hold it against you. They’re usually quite forgiving unless you say something truly offensive.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Tiffany said, finding her footing and her sense of humor. “I’d hate to be exiled from the planet for inadvertently insulting the local flora. Although, come to think of it, that would make for a pretty unique line on my resume.”

His eyebrows rose. “Resume?”

“Oh, you know, a list of job qualifications. ‘Tiffany Whitlock: History teacher, amateur gardener, interplanetary plant offender.’“

To her delight, he laughed again, the sound rich and warm. “I see Earth humor translates well to Nova Aurora. I’m glad to see you’re settling in, Miss Whitlock.”

Tiffany blushed and smiled. “Call me Tiffany. Miss Whitlock sounds old and crabby.”

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