All Hallie could do was nod and offer a weak smile. She felt like she was going to be sick.
“I think she’s going to blow.” Emily laughed.
The girl’s snarky comment shouldn’t have pissed Hallie off, but it did. Who the hell was she, and what was she doing here anyway, other than eye fucking Rev every damn chance she got?
“Let’s see what we’ve got going on here,” Muriel said, placing a hand on each side of Hallie’s head.
Hallie felt a sudden calmness wash through her, followed by an unsettling feeling that had her stomach churning and bile climbing her throat.
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Muriel whispered a few words in Latin and removed her hands.
Hallie’s stomach continued to churn. She knew she should race to the bathroom, but she knew she would never make it in time. It felt like something was trying to claw its way out of the pit of her damn stomach.
“You might wanna get her a bucket or something.” Emily laughed again.
“Why are you here?” Hallie growled, shocked by the voice that had erupted from her throat. It sounded nothing like her. Hell, her voice hadn’t even sounded human.
“I … I came to meet Rev. I was hoping to be his mate,” Emily said, no longer laughing at Hallie.
Just the thought of that little tramp thinking she could or would be Rev’s mate sent shockwaves through Hallie. It felt like her body was splitting in two. A terrible scream sounded in her ears. It took her a minute to figure out the scream was coming from her.
She glanced around at what should have been a room full of concerned faces. Three looked at her with a God-like approval, while Emily looked scared for her life.
Hallie tried to speak, but no words came out. All she heard was a series of growls and snarls. She wanted to ask what the fuck was going on, but she couldn’t seem to spit out a single damn word.
“She’s stunning!” Muriel gasped.
“I knew it! Rev, look at her patterns. Are you seeing the same thing I am?” Kitty asked.
“Oh, My God! She can’t be!” Rev looked as if he was going to pass the fuck out.
Hallie wondered what the hell they were talking about? Their conversation didn't make a bit of sense. She looked down at the floor, expecting to see her feet, and suddenly felt like she was the one who was going to pass the fuck out. Her feet were nowhere to be found. They had been replaced with paws.
Panic shot through her body. She was no longer a human. Twisting her head to get a better look at herself only made the panic increase tenfold. Her heart hammered. She thought for sure it would explode, killing her instantly. Kitty had been right. She wasn't the human after all.
She was a fucking tiger.
“Hallie, love. You need to breathe. I know you must be shocked, but we'll get through this together. If you just let me help you.”
Hallie took a tentative step toward Rev to see if walking as a tiger would be like walking as a human.This is so weird,she thought. She took another slow, deliberate step toward her mate.
He knelt to look her directly in the eyes. “If you want to shift back to your human form, all you have to do is picture yourself in your mind. You'll feel a strange magic brewing inside of your body. Don't fight it. You need to embrace it and let it consume you. It won't hurt you,” he said.
Hallie did as Rev had instructed and pictured her normal self in her mind. The strange magic that he had warned her about swirled through her body. She sucked in a deep breath and allowed that magic into her body. When she opened her eyes, everything looked much more normal. She glanced down to make sure her feet were where they were supposed to be. That was the last thing Hallie remembered.