“Boogers,” I grumble as I stomp toward my room to get my stuff. “I was hoping you’d hang out with me while I catch up on reading. Annie’s notes in the books are helping me make connections way better than my classes are. At least, the ones taught by assholes.”
His laugh follows me into my room, even when I close the door. Heading to my dresser, I shed my comfortable dorm room clothes for ones that are good for moving in the gym. I don’t know if he will want me to shift or not, but if we do light cardio, I’ll need to be in things that don’t leave me drenched in sweat. Once I’m bound tightly, boxer’d up, and wearing the gym uniform under my sweats, I look in the mirror. I need another haircut—apparently, one of those parts of me is encouraging it to grow like it never has before. I won’t pass for a dude nearly as well if I don’t ask X to trim and buzz me a bit.
I hope they can keep it looking decent, but if not, we’ll have to think of a better solution going forward.
“Are you done yet?” Slash calls from the living room. “I did not think you would takelongerto get ready now. Will that be normal?”
My eyes narrow, and I grab my bag, stomping out of the bedroom to see an amused-looking demon waiting for me. “You did that on purpose.”
“Perhaps,” he says with a shrug. “But you are here now and we can get moving.”
“In a minute,” I mutter petulantly. Ignoring his chuckles, I head into the kitchen to tuck snacks for Dottie and me, a bottle of the water treated with Dank’s meds, and reluctantly, one of Slash’s granola bars as well into my bag. “I promised Salem I would keep extra food on me. He’s convinced that I’m going to hit like… a magical growth spurt or something because the lion appeared?”
Slash nods in approval, his expression solemn. “The panda is right. You will, and it will get more intense as other things continue to develop. Put two more of your snacks in the bag, just in case the practice drains you. While Idon’t mind carrying you, I do not believe you’d enjoy it happening as we cross campus in broad daylight.”
“Gee, what made you think that?” I mumble. Slash gives me a reproachful look, so I do as he asked and stuff some more of Salem’s pre-made goodies in my bag. “Is that good enough?”
He tilts his head, then shakes it. “No. Two more waters as well. I want to make sure you are staying hydrated. Not just because I am being a pain, but because I’d rather you have it and not need it than be ill.”
It’s hard to argue with such no-nonsense caution, and he damn well knows it. Bastard.
“Fine, fine,” I huff as I shove more into the bag. “Are we good now?”
“Yes, thank you.” That said, he turns, heading for the door to open it, and I follow along, caught between feeling girly and cared for while also being annoyed that I didn’t think of it all myself.
Being hyper-independent around these dudes is a real pain in my ass.
“Okay,little demon. The door is locked, and I have made certain it cannot be opened without going through me. Time to show me the big cat.”
I’m standing in my boxers and the makeshift gauze binding glaring at Slash. Obviously, I can’t rip up my damn binder over and over, but I’ve been assured the boxer briefs are easily replaceable. There's a lot of skin on display, which makes me itchy and nervous, but it’s also something I’m not good at yet, which makes that feeling worse. Luckily, the shark is patient as fuck with me—something I fear Jasper won’t be—and he’s not staring at all the pieces of me that are normally covered.
He really is a kind man, and he hides it so well that it’s a shame.
“So I have to close my eyes and think of her, focusing on that color inside me where I think she came from…”
“If that is how it happens, yes. The colors metaphor confuses me slightly, as that is not something I experienced when I first shifted.” Slash frowns as he studies me for a moment, obviously waiting for the change. “You can begin whenever you are ready.”
“I’mtrying,” I grit out as I squeeze my eyes closed and picture what he said in my mind. “Thisiswhat happened in my head, but… I don’t know why I can’t always get it.”
I feel him coming closer; the air getting colder and warmer simultaneously. His voice is deep and rumbly as he says quietly, “Your first shift came when you were overcome with emotion. That part is not uncommon, I believe. You could do it with me in the pool area because there were also a lot of feelings. That is what is missing—you have to summon her with all of those things, until you are so good at calling that she comes every time.”
Sighing, I nod, and then delve back into my mind. Nervousness is a feeling, and it’s definitely flowing through me while he’s this close and I’mthis undressed. So I follow that thread, letting my brain meander along that trail until I hit the colors swirling inside of me. They’re not red and black today, though, and I don’t know what to make of that. I don’t want to fail at shifter practice, so I embrace the other colors, pairing with an internal plea to help me figure this out.
That’s when I feel the change begin, and my body sparkles with excitement.
I open my mouth to say something, forgetting that I sure as hell don’t have enough knowledge of how this works to talk as an animal. The only thing that comes out is a big huff, but it doesn’t sound right. Moving my legs, I make sure there are four, but it still doesn’t feel right.
What the fuck is going on now?!
“Little demon…” Slash says, his voice full of awe. “You….”
My inability to ask him what the hell I did is frustrating, and I hear another huff as my legs stomp. Finally, I give up and open my eyes to a room full of goddamn rainbows and glittery sparkles that seem to fall from the fucking sky.
Am I high? Did my water have secret crunkleberries in it? I’ll kill Salem…
“You shifted.” Slash shakes his head and then rubs the back of his neck as he stares in shock. “But this is not your lioness, Kat. This is… magical.”
Stomping again in irritation, I note that I definitely have a tail. It’s swishing as I throw a tantrum, the only way I can in this form.
