“Okay.” Cal released her hands, took a step back, and shifted. Lillian was struck once again by the rippling beauty of his fur, the gorgeous patterns of grey-and-black spots, and his thick, luxurious tail. Cal had told her that snow leopards used their extra-thick tails to help keep themselves warm in the winter. Lillian imagined curling up in the snow with that heavy furred tail wrapped around her, snug and warm, and sighed.
Cal padded up to look at her. His eyes, as always, were almost completely unchanged. Lillian held out her arm.
He opened his jaws, revealing large, sharp teeth. Lillian was aware distantly that at some earlier point, she would’ve been afraid of this. Now, however, she felt as safe as she ever had in her life.
Cal closed his jaws gently, so gently, around her arm, and pressed. At first, Lillian ba
rely felt anything, and then the pressure increased, just enough to leave a pinprick of pain. “Oh!” she said, and Cal released her immediately.
Tiny drops of blood were welling up on her arm, but Lillian could hardly focus on them. Instead, she was caught up in the rush of power, coming through her body.
It was like nothing she’d ever felt before. Not just strength, but confidence and ferocity and a strange sense of utter well-being. Like she hadn’t been quite herself, all her life, and now finally she’d clicked into place. Finally, she was who she’d really been meant to be.
Lillian shivered hard. Cal had shifted back and was watching her, concerned. “Are you all right?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes.” Talking felt strange. It was hard to remember that she even had human lips and teeth. She wanted, suddenly, to shed them, to take on her new form. “How do I—”
She didn’t finish the sentence. As she’d thought that she wanted to shift, she’d somehow instinctively turned inward...and found a snow leopard inside her.
The leopard was a fierce and intelligent force, both animal and still somehow part of her. She let it rise up, filling her chest, expanding into her entire body—
And she was falling to all fours. All four paws. Lillian flexed her claws. She had claws. She had teeth, too, the same scary teeth that Cal had just closed around her arm.
She realized, all of a sudden, what this meant: if something like the mountain lions’ threats ever happened again, she could defend herself. She was as dangerous as any shifter, now, not some helpless victim.
Satisfaction welled inside her at the thought. It was followed by a sense of boundless energy—she not only had claws and teeth, she had powerful snow leopard muscles, and she couldn’t wait to test them out.
She looked over at Cal. He’d shifted back again, and she was presented with a new way to experience her mate: scent. He smelled like home, like safety and happiness. She knew immediately that no matter what, she’d forever recognize that scent. She leaned in to touch her nose to his.
Then she flicked her ears playfully and bounded off.
Cal was caught by surprise for a split-second, and then she could hear him chasing after her. They raced through the mountain forest, leaping over rocks and fallen logs. Lillian came up to an enormous tree and thought, why not? She leapt, grasping at the bark with her claws, and easily scaled up to a thick branch, where she settled herself and looked down at her mate, who had come to a halt at the base of the tree and was sitting on his haunches, looking up at her.
Waiting for her to continue the game, Lillian realized.
It was funny. She’d known that the change was right. She known that being a snow leopard would make her even more part of Cal’s family, and part of Teri’s. She’d known that it would give her fantastical new experiences, that it would change her life forever.
She hadn’t realized that it would be so fun.
She leapt down from the tree, and the chase began again.
They spent over an hour out in the woods, with Lillian exploring her new abilities. She could leap farther than she would’ve thought possible. She could walk delicately across narrow branches without once worrying that she might overbalance and fall. She could pounce on Cal and roll around on the ground with him, nipping playfully and trying to see who could come out on top.
Finally, Cal led the way back to the cabin. Once there, he shifted to human, and Lillian followed suit.
“Well?” he asked, with a quirk of his lips that suggested he knew exactly what the answer was. “What do you think?”
“It was amazing!” Lillian could feel the smile almost splitting her face. Her cheek muscles were stiff, unused to such a broad, unashamed expression. “I’ve never done anything like that. I’ve never been athletic, outdoorsy like Teri is. To run around so fearlessly...and all the things I could do! I want to do that every day.”
Cal’s half-smile had faded into something else. He was looking at her with an expression that was hard to decipher, but Lillian thought it might be wonder.
“You’re the amazing one,” he said. “Come on, come inside.”
They went in, and almost before the door was closed, Cal had caught her up in his arms and was kissing her deeply. Lillian responded immediately. All of the playful energy they’d had outside was transmuting into something else.
Cal broke away, but it was only to lead her upstairs to his bed. Clothes fell to the floor on their way there, and they tumbled down onto the enormous soft mattress together, kissing and kissing.
Some of the leopard’s boldness was still inhabiting her—Lillian gave in to a sudden impulse and rolled them over so that she was on top. Cal went willingly, grinning up at her.