Page 30 of Ash

James kept talking as though he hadn't noticed their interaction.

And maybe he hadn't.

"Sylvan City is why the world knows about shapeshifters."

She nodded and looked at James first before turning back to look at Ash. "A few years ago at a press conference, a man tried to kill a woman, but one of the policemen who worked as a guard at the event stepped in to save her. Right in front of television cameras and a room full of stunned politicians and the most famous people in the city, that man turned into a tiger!"

Suzannah couldn't help the wistful tone of her voice. It was a romantic story once you got past the gun wielding maniac, but she still found herself swooning over the story. She might have trouble finding someone who wants to spend their lives with her,but Paige Lundin had gone from being in the crosshairs of a murderer to being in love andmatedto a tiger shapeshifter.

Suzannah lowered her own gaze down toward her lap. "I'm sorry. I'm sure that you all must feel like I've grown... a second head for believing in shapeshifters."

James touched her arm. "No, no, my dear. We don't think you're... odd for believing in shapeshifters."

She was surprised to hear that. "I've seen the news stories from outside of the city. Many think that it's a mass hallucination. Something to do with the water or the air, but it was on television. Still, even in Sylvan City people are divided. The area I lived in wasn't very shapeshifter friendly." Her face heated with embarrassment. Businesses didn't want them in our area and sadly, it was our community that suffered. I've..." She felt her skin tingle. "I've never seen a shapeshifter... um... shift in front of me, but I don't believe that they're people that we should be afraid of."

There was laughter in the air, and she turned from James to Hetty.

The two were smiling at her and chuckling softly.

She didn't know what she had missed. Or what she said that was so odd.

"From the news stories that I've seen, I know there are places where they're afraid to believe that shapeshifters are real."

She still didn't understand what was going on.

She lowered her gaze and felt her face heat again. The last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself in front of these people.

"Oh, my dear, dear girl." Hetty leaned against her shoulder and squeezed her hand. "We're not laughing at you...'

"At least not in the way you're thinking we are." James' voice was soft and gentle.

"That's right, James." Hetty's voice was warm like a comforting blanket or a fresh loaf of bread. "You see, my dear... Here in Mystic Mountain, we've always known about shapeshifters."

Suzannah's head lifted up and she looked at James, hoping he'd confirm.

"We have known for generations, Suzannah. You should also know that many of the people who live here are shapeshifters. Including myself."

She was torn between relief and fear. Part of her wanted to ask to see such a transformation and the other part of her was very near fainting dead away.

Under her breath, she whispered. "Did I really wake up this morning?"

"I'll say you did." Hetty chuckled beside her. "Either that or I slaved away this morning for nothing."

Suzannah felt something shifting inside of her as if she'd been leaning at an odd angle for quite some time and now, she'd finally found her ground.

"So it's real."

James held out his arm and as Suzannah looked down at it, he pulled his cuff back toward his elbow. "Now, watch."

As she looked, his pale skin darkened and her gaze seemed to blur and then a moment later, she could see reddish brown fur coating his arm.

Or was it a leg?

She looked up at his face, stunned. "A fox."

He smiled and his face was still human, but there was something... something in his features or maybe his expression that had elements... or the energy of an animal.

Suzannah felt a little off balance again, but it was just disconcerting.

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