Werebeasties

She glided downstairs to the kitchen. Nigel told her Adam was in his office. She trotted back upstairs to the end of the hall.

She knocked. Nobody answered. The room was unlocked. Sam decided to put the key on his desk. She pushed the door and stepped in.

What she saw made her want to scream. She dropped the keys to the floor with a loud clank.

A big panther lounged on Adam’s leather sofa. The beast was sleeping, but it woke up and zeroed its eyes on her. Sam couldn’t breathe. Panic slammed in like a hurricane.

Run. Run now…

Before she could break the spell that the beast had cast on her, someone put a hand on her shoulder. Sam jumped, turning to flee. But her knees weakened. Adam caught her before she collapsed on the floor.

“Adam…” Sam gulped hard. Her gaze darted to the panther again. The beast had risen and was sitting on the sofa with its full attention on her. “There’s a…” She couldn’t finish her sentence.

“We need to talk, Sam.”

David emerged through the door. He saw the panther. His expression changed. “Oh, shit.”

Chapter Six

He was tired and he’d needed a nap. A long nap. He had been prowling through the bushes and hills all night looking for small animals to hunt. He had caught a hare and had a midnight snack. It wasn’t bad. Wasn’t great, either. His human didn’t like raw meat—his human preferred his meat cooked by the fire. Well, too bad. When He took over, He was in charge. So, Calvin could shut up and be a good boy.

His human awakened. Usually, Calvin would want to take over as soon as he woke. This time, he didn’t. He eyed the female in the room with interest.

Lush, Calvin said.

He agreed. The woman had a healthy figure like a female should. Perfect to mount and bear many cubs. He knew Calvin had mated with the female and couldn’t get enough of her. He also sensed Calvin was in distress about her. Something involving Him and it scared the female. She didn’t know Calvin shared the body with Him. Sometimes, He liked to be free and roam the streets. Sometimes, He needed to hunt and kill, even it if was only small animals. He and Calvin didn’t hunt big animals like they used to. But He was okay with that. As long as Calvin let Him have occasional pleasure.

David urged the female to sit, while Adam got her something to drink. She kept watching Him. She was scared of Him, but she was also curious. She listened attentively as David talked. David’s tiger was docile. And so was Adam’s lion. They were fond of the female and didn’t want to do anything to scare her.

He didn’t want to scare the female either. But He was too curious. There was so much to discover about her. He could smell blood on her, one of those times that human females couldn’t perform a mating. Her skin and hair smelt refreshing, like fruit. Her clothes were damp and smelt like fruit too. He studied her with interest. He wanted to scent her. From up close. Intimately. But Adam sensed his intention and tol

d him to sit.

Adam and David talked some more to the female. She looked disbelieving. Her gaze went back and forth between David and Him. Her hand trembled. A strong sense of distress permeated from her every pore. He wanted to go and lick her to dispel the stress. Calvin didn’t like the idea. His human wanted to console the female in person.

Move, Calvin demanded. He shoved Him around to gain control.

He growled. He wanted to lick the female.

Calvin shoved harder. He had no choice but to concede. It was Calvin’s time to take back control anyway. He had had His fun all night.

His bones creaked. His flesh twisted and rearranged. His black glossy fur vanished, replaced by human skin. He became mellow as Calvin took complete possession.

The female’s eyes bulged as she watched the transformation. Her mouth formed a frozen O.

He retreated to His corner.

Calvin emerged from the shell. “Hello, Sam.”

* * * *

Samantha lay in her bed, eyes wide and her heart racing faster than a Japanese bullet train. The revelation had completely blown her mind. The truth about her parents. And the truth about Adam, David and Calvin. Sweet God. If she hadn’t witnessed Calvin shift with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed them. But it had happened.

Shape-shifters existed.

She ran her hands through her hair. Unbelievable. They weren’t completely human. Her employers were feline shifters. Adam said his beast was a lion. David was a tiger. And Calvin had revealed himself as a panther. The very panther she thought she’d seen a few days earlier.

She had been freaked out, but she was also awed. It wasn’t every day she got to meet half-supernatural beings. Things that went bump in the night were real.