Page 33 of Princess For All

I bobbed my head. “Actions speak louder than words to me, and I wanted you to see that even if I fuck up, we have the same vision for the future. And if I raced after you and explained, it would have sounded like bullshit. I will give you a real explanation, but I wanted—you need fun too. I saved you a seat in the corner so you can relax and watch it all.”

Asmallamount of joy flashed in her eyes before it was gone. She understood that I’d listened to her that she didn’t like loud and to be in the center of things. I did learn from my mistakes. She mumbled an apology and let Petre lead her off.

That was enough for now.

I moved in front of the tables set up by the dais they’d put up for announcements in Albuquerque where the humans all were. They couldn’t have all of them eat at once, but we could do this more than once.

“Now that you have had time to adjust to the new reality of the world you live in—and I don’t mean zombies are real—some of us thought it was time for you to learn more about us—shifters. I know a lot of you have asked questions or demanded to learn more about us. Sometimes it was confrontational or the upset level was too high, so—there’s no right answer.

“We thought to make it a bit easier and calmer and with a bit more fun than a class. No one wants to go back to school after all we’ve been through.” I was glad for the few polite chuckles. “My name is James Begley, and I’m a leopard and over a hundred years old.” I nodded when people shared glances. “Yes, I know I hold up well. It’s not just vamps that age well.

“And before you get jealous, it comes with a lot of issues, so know that most shifters many times in their lives wish we were human too. I have.” I swallowed loudly and ignored the looks from my fellow shifters. “I won’t get into it all, but I was born to be my clan’s leader and that’s a lot. It’s becoming responsible for a whole family tree.

“Unfortunately, I was freed from that when New York City was bombed off the map, but that’s a whole other reason to destroy my liver and one a lot of you know.” I clapped my hands together. “But we’re not focusing on the bad tonight. Today, you’re getting a gentle education.”

I gestured to my right where Vance and Asher came in already shifted. They slowly entered and jumped up onto the dais with me.

“They’re just as scared as some of you because they scent your fear or a few of you are angry. Probably because we can’t be infected and you lost people who were. We didn’t make the rules. We lost people too who were eaten, or, like I said, our whole family lived in New York. So please, try to tone it back as best as you can. Their leopards are really sensitive to it.”

“I’m sorry, but I just—I need to step away,” a woman called out from a few tables away as she stood and walked off.

“If anyone else wants to take a walk, do it,” I said gently. “We’re not forcing this.” I nodded to the kids who were about ten at the front who were so excited they could barely contain their excitement. “We’re trying to have some fun.” I was glad when I saw a lot of understanding.

Yeah, we all needed a little less to be afraid of. A few other people took their plates and left, but that was it.

“They understand you,” I told the kids. “We always understand you besides the first couple of times we shift, and it’s not that we don’t understand, it’s just—it’s really painful so like if you’ve ever broken your arm or been in a lot of pain and you just can’t focus.” I tapped Vance on the head and chuckled when he went over towards them and jumped down, begging for food like a goof.

Asher followed suit, and the only thing I shut down was when someone asked to see their claws. Neither of them was comfortable with that, and it wasn’t okay for the first time.

“Now, our animals are predators, so we shift about the time we’re teenagers. That’s not a hard and fast rule,” I explained. “Life isn’t that easy, and it’s never a birthdate kind of thing. We also don’t always survive our first shift.” I swallowed loudly and met Inez’s gaze before looking at the crowd. “One of my younger siblings was in a car accident. A bad one.

“When cars weren’t as safe as before the apocalypse started. And was hurt bad—almost outed as not being human and there were problems. It was horrible and traumatic, so he shifted early and didn’t survive it. Too much damage was done to the bond with his leopard because of it and—it happens. Every shifter you will meet has a story like that.”

I cleared my throat and reminded myself that this was all supposed to be happy, nodding to Thomas Gagnon who agreed to come with some of his clan.

“Now prey start shifting pretty young because they’re smaller and it helps them blend. Also to hide if need be. Those animals who are prey and predators too. Again, it’s different for different species and types, and some won’t ever tell you for safety reasons.” I chuckled when people gasped as some of his clan came into the crowd holding tiny owls.

It was hard not to die when someone placed one on Vance’s head and the little bugger did a dance as Vance simply chortled.

The armadillos were also a big hit, so I decided to add to the program a bit. “The shifters going around now are the ones who provided dinner. They’re fishing down in New Orleans with the clan of crocodiles. They helped bring in all of the humans who got attacked at Fort Knox along with the vamps too.”

I nodded over to Thomas Gagnon who took center stage and told people what his clan was providing from up in Canada. He thanked everyone for their help feeding his clan and the vampires. Everyone preparing so much was really a blessing while they were farming long days and building up the livestock.

“The docs have been saying we all need to get our stress down—human, vamp, and shifter. We’ve all been living in too stressful times. We’re not there yet and we won’t be for a while. Things are better,” I told them all. “I’m not on a ship without electricity and emptying shit buckets eating expired crap from cans that made me gag.

“But that was all that was safe and didn’t risk people I loved getting eaten.” I reached over and rubbed Vance behind the ear. “And I found out my baby brother was still alive. That’s a hope I have for a lot of us. That maybe we can all still find someone. So things are better, but we’re not there yet. We gotta hang on longer. Just get the stress down.”

That older human who everyone seemed to defer to stood up and met my gaze. “What are you suggesting then, Mr. Secretary?”

“I’m really not, simply taking a first step,” I admitted, nodding to where some of the human kids were laughing and sneaking Asher more food. “My mind went to a puppy yoga class I went to once with some enlists when things got bad and we were stuck on base too long.”

“I would have thought that was offensive to shifters,” he hedged, several of the humans muttering to each other and agreeing.

“It is, but it’s also the intent,” Thomas said as he joined me. “You know when you mean offense. People do.” He gestured to some of the owl kids. “This is good for them too, seeing there’s a world where they can be accepted and invited. But it will be an adjustment as the gentleman in the back there is learning.”

“I’mreallysorry,” the guy said with his hands held up. “I wasn’t thinking and—”

The wolf near him huffed and walked away.

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