Page 77 of Shifters Unifying
Logan bit down on whatever else he was going to say so hard his teeth clicked.
Marcus bowed slightly. “As you wish, Multimorph.”
All around, the squirrel shifters chittered and barked, a cacophony of noise as the magic filled the space. They both shifted and reformed as men, not whole but in better shape than they’d been.
The crowd split, and Salali approached. “Seems they’ve worked it out. The multimorph is wise.”
I said nothing but flashed a small smile to my new ally. Salali was the first alpha, the first shifter I’d met who accepted my position without challenge. It was more than refreshing, it was a relief. Behind her, Izzie and Blaze waved, and I winked in response as Salali shooed the group out of the structure.
“Would you like to eat, Emma?” Salali asked after the others had gone. “We can have something prepared. A feast in your honor?”
“No, I’m going to take Logan back to my drey. We have things we need to discuss.”
Salali gasped. “But we haven’t widened the door.”
“I know a contractor who can figure it out.”
Logan frowned.
I turned to Marcus. “I’m sure the alpha of Ville Platte would enjoy a meal before he takes his leave.”
“And a healer, if you have one,” he added.
“You’ll have to shift yourself well,” I answered harshly. “Salali will explain why.”
She blanched, but she nodded to Marcus. “This way, alpha. We’ll begin the preparations.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
emma
In his human form, Logan climbed up the tall oak, swinging himself easily into the first limb and climbing the rest of the way. He winced as the bark scratched his inner thighs. “Emma,” he warned. “There’s got to be another way in.”
In squirrel form, I scrambled past him, shaking my bushy tail in his face as I darted by.It’s the only option, according to Salali who designed and built it.
He batted at me playfully but only managed to grab empty air. “Don’t make me destroy Salali’s drey to get to you.”
I chittered at him. Half-way up the center trunk, I took the large bough to the right, darted over the surface, and through the small entrance into the round structure, leaving the tiny door open behind me. The arboreal penthouse was half as big as my home back in Willow Creek, but it felt nearly too large for a tree house, suspended in the canopy fifty feet above the ground.
The exterior had been made of saplings and twigs woven together. The chinks had been plugged with old and new leaves, squirrel fur, and moss. Inside, the home had proper plaster walls, hardwood floors, and double hung windows. It even had a kitchen, a bathroom, and the internet.
The master bed mirrored the exterior construction and the shape of the drey, and a custom mattress with pale green sheets waited. Though I hadn’t yet slept in it, I expected it to be like resting, cradled in the arms of the forest and rocked to unconsciousness by the swaying of tree in the cool breezes.
Shifting from squirrel form to my human form, I dropped onto the cushy recliner to one side of the living area and clutched the arms as the whole structure shifted side to side. “Don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that,” I muttered. Then I cupped my hands around my mouth. “It’s big enough in here for both of us, just have to get in.”
Fuck.His voice echoed in my head. His shiny black nose and muzzle showed in the small opening, huffing at the air.This is the only way in?
Only way.
What do I earn for getting inside?
Me. In a tree.
A low, longing whine filtered through the leaves.Deal.
Then his sharp, canine teeth clamped around the doorframe in the branch wall and pulled. The sound of splintering branches reminded me too much of snapping bones, so I turned away from his attack of the wall to think about something better.
When Logan and I had sex, we’d probably rattle the whole damn deciduous. I scrunched my nose. It would be as good as a billboard, letting everyone know what was happening up the trunk. I cringed and laughed at the same time.
