Page 19 of Gift Wrapped

I want to leave her to bask in the sun but there are things that we need to talk about and to get that done I need her to shift back into her human form. It takes me a minute and some sweet talking before her ligress allows it, but eventually she does.

I wait at the kitchen counter for her, in the same spot it was when we had lunch. Her face morphs into an expression of joy when she sees what Graciella has done to the inside of my house. But it doesn’t take her long to spot her cell phone. As she takes a seat across from me, I take a deep breath before speaking.

“The man this morning,” I start.

“Chad. He’s my ex-boyfriend,” she inserts.

“Yes, him,” I say lowly before getting myself under control. “Has he ever been violent before?”

Lake stares at me before laughing loudly. “You saw my animal. Do you think he’s been violent before?”

I nod, understanding what she is saying. He caught her off guard today. If she sees him again, her animal is liable to force a shift so she can kill him. Our inner beasts are very protective of our softer, human sides and won’t allow any harm to come to us if they can avoid it.

“So, something set him off?” I’m treading lightly. If I’m lucky he never saw the video and my conscience will be cleared.

Lake watches me for a moment before sighing. “Not that it’s any of your business but I met someone online. While we were arguing something came through on my phone and it pushed him over the edge. I’m assuming it was a message from him.”

“And you don’t know what it was?”

Guilty and anger churn in my gut. Why the fuck did I send her that video? I hold her phone so tightly in my grasp I hear the item protest and so does she.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Unlocking the phone, I slide it across the counter, the clip already playing. Lake gasps before clasping her hand over her mouth. She watches the clip play out before turning her phone face down on the counter. She pushes her chair back harshly, flattening her hands on the counter and leaning forward. The robe she is wearing has slipped open and her heaving breasts are on display as she angrily glares at me.

“You had no fucking right,” she seethes, and I watch her eyes change from brown to gold and back again. “That’s an invasion of privacy.”

I love that she rises to challenge me and that she won’t back down, but I need her to know the whole truth.

“It was playing on repeat when I laid you on the couch,” I reply calmly, my gaze finally leaving her tits to settle on her face. “Besides, I only invaded the privacy of the person that sent it to you.”

“Fine,” she throws her hands up in the air. “Technically, you’re right. But that still doesn’t make it okay. What else did you snoop through on my phone?”

“Why would I go through your phone?” I ask, a little taken aback.

“How the hell should I know?”

Lake gestures with her hands as she talks, and each movement has the robe slipping open just a little more. Saliva pools in my mouth at the thought that I might get to see more of her.

“I don’t need to snoop on your phone.”

I unlock my device and slide it across the counter to her. It is already opened to the chat thread from a few nights ago. Her eyes grow large as the realization finally dawns on her. Her gaze finds mine and I can see a million thoughts and emotions filter across her face.

“No.” The word escapes her on a whimper.

“Lake,” I start but she cuts me off.

“This cannot be happening.” She runs a hand over her tangled hair exposing more of herself to me.

I only have so much control and at the moment it is frayed pretty thin. I’m not thinking logically. My tiger is prowling my mind, ready to pounce, wanting nothing more than to claim our mate. My cock is harder than a lead rod and I am struggling to hear her over the blood pounding through my veins. One more shift and she will be fully exposed to me. And I can’t be held responsible for what I do then.

“You need to calm down,” I say lowly.

“Don’t tell me what to fucking do!”

It’s those words that have me finally snapping. I round the counter and back her up against the wall with such speed she didn’t even know it was happening before it was done.

“What,” she starts but I silence her with a look.

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