Page 29 of Hellcat

"And of course, if you speak of this outside the pack, we would have to kill you, and everyone you mention it to. Not even we, as in this pride. The entire shifter community comes together when it comes to hiding the turners."

"How does it feel? To be changed into one of them."

Clari beamed. "It's the best thing that's ever happened to me. The strength, the speed, my animal. I love all of it. Do you want me to chop the tarragon, Ian?"

"I got it. Can you grab some chocolate? The 98 percent one on the top shelf."

"Oh, so that's where you hide the good stuff!"

Clari helped herself to a bit before handing him the rest. Ian grimaced. He wasn't fond of chocolate to start with, but the high cocoa content stuff he used in his chili was downright disgusting.

"What now?" Clari asked. "I can't believe I get to see the great Ian in action. I should have written down the recipe."

"I need lime zest," he said, amused.

Clari was a little obvious, if well meaning. He'd told them about his father's insults and so she was trying to flatter him. He could have told her just her help and company worked wonders.

They were done in no time; he reduced the heat and let it simmer.

The food wasas delicious as it had been the previous night, but if Tania was honest, she preferred the good old chili to the fancy food. She knew better than to post about it this time, though.

After dinner, Ian offered to drive her up to the lake house.

"Could we walk again?" she proposed. "I'm so full, I certainly can use a stroll."

"Sounds good to me."

She was a little better prepared than the previous evening, with a scarf as well as her jacket. He still offered her his coat, and it was so cool she did accept it.

"Why don't you have a better coat?"

She shrugged. "I left my dad's without any of my stuff. I'm certainly not going back to get them now his pals are after me. I'll need to get one soon. Listen, are we cool? I feel some weirdness; is it because of my offering myself up as bait? You've barely looked at me since."

Ian remained silent.

"Look, it just seemed like the best idea..."

"It was. It is. They aren't stupid enough to attack a shifter, but they'll go for you. I know their kind. Bloodthirsty, violent, cruel and cowardly. They'll jump at a chance to commit atrocities."

"Well then..."

"We’re cool. It's just a shifter thing I'm dealing with."

"What kind of shifter thing?" she asked, curious and excited.

"The kind you don't want to hear."

"Well, maybe I—"

She didn't finish that statement because his lips had fallen on hers.

Chapter 19

Her lips felt like silk, heaven, and candy all wrapped up in one and served with a side of ambrosia. Tania moaned low, and he didn't think he could stop himself from tasting more of her softness, savoring it leisurely. The tiger inside Ian wanted to rush to the surface and play with his mate. It took all his self-control to rein him in. Knowing that there would be no controlling the beast if he didn't stop, Ian stepped back. He was panting as if he'd just finished a marathon, and so was she.

"That was a shifter thing?" Tania asked.

She'd been so incredibly understanding until now, but that little tidbit of information might have freaked her out, so Ian acquiesced.

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