Page 342 of Secret Shifters Next Door

Doing what he asked, I closed my eyes and tried to dive deep into my mind. All I was doing was standing in the yard, looking like I was meditating or something. I probably looked silly.

Right before I gave up and opened my eyes, I sensed…something. Another presence. A shadowy flicker so deep I thought I’d imagined it. I clenched my eyes tight, focusing hard. It was right there, like a word on the tip of my tongue.

All at once, it happened. It was as if I could actually hear the padding sound of paws sprinting up a long dark hallway toward me. A mind similar, but still very different from my own was blooming inside my consciousness. Again, that wave of dizziness overwhelmed me. Inside my mind, I was suddenly looking into the beautiful golden eyes of a black panther.

In less than a blink of the eye, our minds met and bonded. It was like she’d always been there, like a long-lost friend had come home.

When I opened my eyes again, I was on all fours. My skin was covered in thick, soft fur. The sounds, smells, and sights of the world were more intense, vivid, and detailed than ever before.

Looking up at Blayne, I saw his look of excitement had turned into one of awe. Tears shimmered in his eyes and his smile twitched as he fought off the urge to sob in joy.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, and then he shifted.

He bolted into the woods, looking over his shoulder at me, beckoning me to join. I sprinted after him. We ran for miles, zig-zagging through the forest and leaping over creeks, climbing trees, bounding between boulders, and racing across clearings.

Nothing had ever been this exhilarating. It was like I was truly alive for the very first time.

We returned to the yard hours later and collapsed onto the cool grass in our human forms. I laid my head on his chest, both of us panting for breath and covered in a sheen of sweat.

“It feels like a dream,” Blayne said, running a hand gently up my back.

“What do you mean?”

“I…I’d always believe my pack would die with me. I was the end.” He looked down at me. “But now? We can have a family. My family can live on. If we have children, a little piece of my parents will pass down to my children. It’ll be like they aren’t totally gone. Does that make sense?”

Nodding, I said, “It does. Is that your way of saying you do want kids?”

He grinned. “How many cubs do you want?”

I giggled even as I kissed him. “As many as my body can handle. How about that?”

He kissed me again, and we made love on the grass under the light of the moon. Everything was right in the world. I’d never been so happy or exhilarated.

We fell asleep in each other’s arms under the warm summer night sky. As I drifted off to sleep, I had no doubt that it was one of the best days I’d ever lived.

THIRTY-THREE

BLAYNE

It had been four amazing, incredible months since Ava had first shifted. I hadn’t realized how much I’d craved to have another panther around until I had her. Shifting and running with the guys was great and fended off the chance that I’d go feral, but there was something different about being with one of your own species.

Ava and I had spent almost every night exploring the woods, hunting and playing. Each day was like a new gift, and I loved it.

The fact that she had changed was still a question we couldn’t answer. Emily’s cursehadbeen broken. Ava had rejected me. The pain and agony I’d gone through all those weeks had been proof of that. Miles had a theory that no matter what Ava did or didn’t do, the curse would always have a hold on us. Her rejection hadn’t erased the magic that had already dug its fingers into her.

There were other theories, but I couldn’t care less. It hardly ever bothered me after the first few days. My life was better than it had ever been. I wasn’t going to question it.

The night before, we’d been out in the forest until almost one in the morning. By the time we got home, we’d both beenexhausted and had collapsed into bed. My alarm the next day didn’t wake me up. Instead, it was Ava’s lips kissing me.

Groaning, I opened my eyes, wincing at the sunlight. “How are you up so early?” I grumbled.

“I have to take Dad to the hospital, remember?” she murmured.

Now that she mentioned it, I did remember. It was Gio’s final radiation treatment. He’d finished chemo a couple of months before. The doctor let them know that he thought a couple of cycles of radiation would take care of the tumor without the need of surgery. His last checkup had been extremely positive. If everything went well, this would be the very last treatment he’d need. The cancer would be in remission.

I nodded and smiled. “Yeah, sorry. I totally forgot.”

“It’s okay.” Ava winced and put a hand to her stomach. “Ugh.”

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