Page 47 of Secret Pucking Unicorn

Dec rests his hand on my knees, and I turn to face him.

“I’m a wolf shifter,” he says, “but in the shifter community there is a special…”

“Class.” Trevor completes Declan’s sentence.

Nodding, Dec continues. “Class is a good word for it. It’s rare, but certain shifters can shift into unicorns besides their normal animal. I’m one of those shifters.”

This is crazy. I accept shifters in general, but to have two is inconceivable. Does someone else have a whole zoo in them?

“Do you have special powers?” I ask.

“I can’t shoot lasers out my eyes or breathe fire. But in a way, it comes with special powers. In the future, I will have a seat on the Unicorn Council. It’s kind of like the United Nations of the shifter community.”

What the hell? This is ridiculous. I must still be dreaming. I pinch my arm. Hard. Nothing changes.

“Randi, it’s really happening,” Kendall says.

I nod. My hands are shaking too much to hold the mug of tea. I put it on the bench next to me. A little sloshes out, and I’m shocked I didn’t drop it.

Trevor scratches the stubble on his jaw, staring at Declan before turning concerned hazel eyes to me. “Each of the major shifter classifications and species—wolves, lions, tigers, gorillas, bears, raptors, horses, foxes, and others have a unicorn—one of their own who shifts to a unicorn besides their main animal.”

“How do you get to be a unicorn?” I ask. “Is it random?”

“It’s hereditary,” Dec says. “Through my mother’s family. My maternal grandfather is the current unicorn for the wolves. Once I turn thirty, I will be eligible to take my seat when my grandfather abdicates his. It’s a ceremonial thing now that shifters are public and human laws govern, but historically they would handle disputes between groups of shifters. Like if wolves and bears were fighting over a territory.” He takes a cautious step toward me. “You don’t care about any of this, do you?”

I shake my head. “You’re real.”

“Aye, why would you think I wasn’t? You saw me when we were kids. That’s how it was discovered I was a unicorn. I hadn’t shifted before then, but your powers called me.”

“My…my powers?” I don’t have powers. What the hell is he talking about now?

“Your powers as a witch,” Sophie says, like it makes perfect sense.

I jump to my feet and walk away.

“What powers? I’m not a witch.”

I pace. Being active helps things make sense. It’s been that way since I was a girl.

“Yes, you are. You’re a fauna witch, like your mother,” Sophie says.

That stops me in my tracks, and I look at Sophie in shock.

“My mother is a witch?” I reach up to run my fingers through my hair, but I forget I have it in a braid, and I end up with them jammed in. “What’s a fauna witch?”

“You have an affinity with animals,” Dec says. “That’s why you were amazing with horses and always had the dogs and cats following you. Even the ones who hated everyone else loved you. It’s like Ma with her flowers but with animals. And shifters.”

“This is crazy. You all are teasing me. It’s January first, not April first. This isn’t funny. What is this, some kind of hazing?”

“Miranda, no.” Dec stands and walks towards me with his arms open to embrace me, but I back away and hold up my hands to stop him. Hurt flashes across his face, but he stops.

I wrap my arms around my stomach. “When we were kids. That day in the field. You were a unicorn, and we were both there and I rode you and we played. It really happened? I fell asleep leaning against your flank and when I woke up, I was alone. It wasn’t a dream?”

“Aye, it happened. Why do you think it didn’t?”

I laugh bitterly. “Because for the past fourteen years, I’ve been told I’m a liar. That I make up tall tales for attention, and your parents were tired of it. It was time for me to go away. Every school I went to asked my parents to remove me because I didn’t fit in with the other kids because of all the lies I told. I never told a single lie. I’d be locked in my room when I was with my parents until I admitted I lied.” I laugh mirthlessly. “Those were the only lies I ever told—that I was lying.”

I take a few gulping breaths. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I need to.

---