Page 4 of The Omega's Bloodline: Part One

Nursery!Seth’s voice sounded off in my head.

I wandered down the hall and opened the door. Panic whipped me in the chest as I let out a shriek. “Fuckinghell!”

Amassiveblack panther with sleek fur and a sharp gaze was curled up with Seth and the foster kittens nestled around him.

“Some warning would have been nice.”

Sorry,Caden said.I regained my ability to shift while you were out. Figured this would be better than you coming home to a naked man.

I squeaked.Wasit better, though? It had been a fair while since I’d had a naked man in my house.

Naked anyone, honestly.

So unfortunate.

The panic of being so near the giant cat simmered in my blood and I bit back the rise of desire. I was immensely grateful all over again that they couldn’t hear what I was thinking. My brain had so many wires crossed with fear and desire, and it popped up at problematic moments sometimes. The cat didn’t do it for me, but the fact that it could erase me from existence apparently did.

My hammering heart calmed down as Seth hopped up from his spot and stood for me to pick him up. I scooped him into my arms but stayed focused on Caden.

“Why are you agiant?” I asked. “Regular black panthers are way smaller, aren’t they?”

There’s two lines for panthers—leopard and jaguar,said Caden.We’re jaguar and they’re already the bigger of the two. Most shifters are bigger than their mundane counterparts.

“Can I…touch you?”

Always.

Touching would probably help with the panic. He was just a kitty.

A really, really big one.

I set Seth down and tucked the kittens into their playpen before kneeling next to Caden. My rational mind screamed that I could get eaten in a second, but I’d never been so close to such a gorgeous big cat before. I let my fingers slide over him.

Holy shit.

His fur was like velvet. I tipped forward before I could think better of it and rubbed my cheek over his head, hands gliding down his neck as far as I could reach.

“Fuck, you’re so soft.” I couldn’t stop touching him. I knew I was being silly but…Oh. My. Gods. It was like a warm version of those magnificently soft blankets that made me want to roll around on them naked.

Softness demanded touching and cats demanded petting. Who was I to disobey a command of the universe?

He purred away as I practically smothered him. I had no idea how long I kneeled there, mindlessly petting him, but eventually Seth meowed plaintively and snapped me out of my fog.

Quit touching him and give me snacks. I don’t have opposable thumbs yet.Seth headbutted my side and trotted out the door and into the kitchen.

I glanced awkwardly at Caden. “Sorry…um, I didn’t mean…”

Caden laughed in my head.Don’t worry about it. It was nice. I don’t usually get affection in this form.

He shimmered and in his place when I next blinked was his house cat form.

“Why are you tiny again?”

I eat less food in this form. Cheaper to keep me around this way. Unless you’ve got a whole deer hanging around.

I let out a sharp laugh. “Fresh out of deer, I’m afraid.”

While they ate their wet food, I sat on the floor next to them. “So, you can turn into a person now? How does that all work?”

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