Page 49 of The Mating Frenzy
“It’s not the same,” she told him. “I suppose you can’t understand that. You don’t know the joy in owning a pet, caring for her, and having a friend to listen to you everyday.”
Right. As if shifters didn’t need friends. Irritated, he scratched his chin, his beast nagging to get out and explore. Prowl the grounds for intruders. Maybe hunt a mouse ortwo.
“I used to own a pet, long ago. Simply because I’m shifter doesn’t mean I don’t care aboutanimals.”
Ella sniffed. “Sure you do. You care about eating them fordinner.”
Kieran stared. “You think that’s all Ido?”
“Listen, Sir Kieran, it’s in the nature of the beast. If you are a jaguar and this isn’t all my warped imagination.” Her green eyes searched him. “Jaguars are big cats who kill bigger prey. Nature isviolent.”
No the beast’s nature wasn’t killing and violence. It was bred for protection, defending its home, and for mating. Fierce, wild mating, the kind that few Skin females could endure, because they’d faint frompleasure.
“You don’t know anything about shifters,” he saidslowly.
“Up until yesterday, I didn’t know there were such creatures.” Her expression fell. “I was taught to never believe in magick that magick was bad. It’s why I studied ancient history and languages incollege.”
Her mother taught her too well. Probably to protect her, keep her from exploring the impulses her wolf nudged her toward. How were they supposed to work together if she hated magick and thought all magick wasbad?
Kieran loathed this world. He only wanted to return to the Winter Kingdom after finding the crystal and helping Ella. Breaking a lifetime’s worth of prejudice wasn’t a challenge he’danticipated.
As Ella unpacked her suitcase, he paced, feeling his jaguar growl inside. The beast needed sex or needed to roam. Neither was a possibility right now. Kieran watched her remove her laptop and followed her to the dining area. She placed the laptop on thetable.
“This is a good spot to work. I think the key to finding that crystal we need is in the scrolls I’ve been trying to translate,” shesaid.
“Why were you so fascinated with the scrolls?” Clearly she didn’t know they were magick. Not untilnow.
Ella tilted her head. “They give me a glimpse into another time, another culture, a portion of the truth about history. Human history. Not this…weird world you’ve exposed meto.”
He wondered if she was aware of her animal self slowly exhibiting traits central to her shifter nature. Even if she never found the crystal, she could not suppress the wolf for much longer. By age thirty, it would be pawing to getout.
Taking an apple from a bowl of fruit on the table, Ella sniffed it. “I’m hungry. I’ve got this craving for steak, some kind of red meat. Let’s goout.”
Ella was examining the new revelations in her world with the same logic she’d used all her life as a Skin. And magick, well, it wasn’t always logical. It could twist and turn a good, dedicated wizard devoted to helping his people into a walking timebomb.
Now was a good time to drop the bomb. “Ella-mine, I have news for you. You aren’thuman.”
She paused in taking a bite of the apple. Ella shook her head. “Right. If I’m not human what amI?”
“Awerewolf.”
After Kieran’sridiculous claim of her origins, Ella needed adrink.
He wanted to buy food and cook at the house, but Ella resisted. The Starfish Bar & Grille was down the street from their rental house. They headed for the car. Ella stood by the driver’s side. She held out her hand. “Keys,please.”
“I am driving.” Hefrowned.
“I don’t have enough life insurance on myself, Kieran. You’re a terribledriver.”
“I candrive.”
“Maybe a horse and buggy, but not a sedan. With power steering. And powerbrakes.”
In answer, he swept her off her feet, walked around the passenger side and gently deposited her on theseat.
Kieran closed the door and walked back, sitting behind thewheel.
Ella sighed. “You are one stubborncat.”
