Their attention turned to the television screen as Marianne settled more comfortably in her chair, her professional smile warm and genuine.
"So, Katerina, will you tell us what kind of shifter you are?"
Katerina's eyes sparkled with mischief, and she grinned, her whole face lighting up. "I'm a Maine Coon cat."
"A Maine Coon?" Marianne's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in surprise. "I'm not familiar with that breed. Could you tell us more about it?"
"Maine Coons are one of the largest domestic cat breeds," Katerina explained, readily. "They're known for their thick, luxurious fur coats, and their distinctive ear tufts and tufted paws. They're also the largest breed of domestic cats - males can often weigh up to twenty-five pounds - and they're often calledthe gentle giants of the cat world, because they're big, but they have such sweet personalities."
"So, a housecat?" Marianne confirmed, leaning forward with interest.
"Yes," Katerina nodded, her wild black hair glinting in the camera lights. "Though, as I mentioned, Maine Coons are quite a bit larger than your average housecat. In my cat form, I weigh about fifteen pounds."
Marianne turned her attention to Troy, her perfectly manicured fingers clasped in her lap. "And what about you, Dr. Shelton? Are you a shifter as well?"
Troy's deep laugh rumbled through the studio. "No, I'm just a regular human, and a veterinarian, one of three partners at the Country Vet Clinic." His moss-green eyes crinkled with amusement. "And before you ask, no, none of the partners are shifters. In fact, Katerina was the first shifter I ever met."
Marianne leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with interest. "So how did you two meet? Was it at the clinic?"
"Actually, no." Katerina's gold eyes danced with amusement. “There’s a park not too far from my home, where I liked to go lay out in the sun.” She grinned mischievously at the audience. “Cat here, you know?”
"One afternoon, while I was enjoying the sunshine, a large dog attacked me." Katerina's voice turned somber. "I was badly injured - the dog had grabbed me by the neck and shaken me. Some people in the park managed to fight the dog off. Well, long story short, someone called the local vet clinic, and Troy responded to the emergency call."
"She's leaving out a bunch of details," Harper whispered to Nathan, forgetting they weren't there in the studio themselves. "I'll give you the whole story later, if you like."
He nodded silently, his gaze fixed on the television.
"And you were still in your cat form at this point?" Marianne asked, her voice gentle.
"Yes." Katerina's gold eyes met Troy's moss-green ones. "I couldn't shift back - I was too badly hurt. Troy came and wrapped me in his jacket, took me to his home, and treated my wounds."
"And he had no idea you were a shifter?" Marianne prompted.
"None." Katerina's smile returned, soft and warm. "He had no idea I was anything other than an injured cat. He just... helped. Because that's who he is."
"That's extraordinary," Marianne breathed, looking between them. Her next question was addressed to Troy. "So you took in what you thought was just a cat? You had no idea she was a shapeshifter?"
Troy looked honestly started. “Me? Oh, hell, no… I mean, no,” he remembered, clearing his throat. “Like everyone else, I had no idea there was such a thing. Cat was pretty beat up, so I took her home to care for her. We… the clinic, that is… put ads out for a lost cat, but no one came forward, and well, I got attached to her pretty quick.” He gave Katerina a quick wink. “She’s a pretty cool cat.”
“Cat got attached, too,” Katerina said, nodding. “She liked him, and didn’t want to leave. She was even willing to put up with his collie,” she said with a snicker and a humorous gleam in her eye, eliciting another wave of chuckles from the audience.
“Do shifters heal faster by changing form?” Marianna wanted to know.
Katerina laughed, shaking her head. “No. That’s actually a pretty common theme in paranormal romance novels… of which I’m a fan,” she added with a shameless grin. “But it’s just that… fiction.”
"So he took home a stray, injured cat…"
Troy spoke up, his deep voice filling the studio. "She was hurt, scared. I couldn't just leave her at the shelter where they'd taken her. I had no idea I was taking home my future wife."
A collective "aww" rose from the audience, followed by appreciative laughter.
Katerina smiled. "And Cat - that's my cat form - well, she fell completely in love with him. I just couldn't bring myself to leave."
"Wait a minute," Marianne interrupted, holding up one hand, her eyes widening. "Was this during that time you vanished from the fashion world? Everyone was looking for you, and no one knew where you were. There were the wildest rumors, if I remember right."
Katerina nodded, a sheepish smile playing across her lips. "That's right. I was recuperating at Troy's house, in my cat form. You see, time feels different when you're in animal form. Everything is more... immediate. The past and future don't matter as much as the present moment. I was just so content being there with Troy, being cared for, that I sort of... lost track of time."
"Lost track of time?" Marianne echoed, incredulous. "You disappeared for nearly three weeks! In fact, you missed your own runway show."
