“You’re tall.”
“You’re not.” Briggs stared at the little girl standing in front of him.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “It’s ‘cause I’m only seven. How old are you?”
“Older than seven,” he said. He glanced at the ladies' room door and then the entrance to the hallway, from where the little girl had come trotting in. The dinner had wound down, but Cece wanted to use the bathroom before they left.
He glanced at the bathroom door again, tamping down his and his bear’s impatience. He wanted to get Cece home, and not just because it was harder to keep her safe in an exposed place like this. No, he wanted her home so he could use the vibrator on her again. Despite what he’d said to her, now that he’d seen her coming, watched her fall apart with pleasure, he wanted to see it again. Even if he had to use a fucking vibrator to do it.
And if you lose control? If you touch her like you nearly did last night?
He wouldn’t.
Are you sure?
“Mister!” The little girl tugged on his shirt.
“What?”
“I’ve never seen a polar bear shifter before. I thought you lived in Canada. Why don’t you live in Canada?”
“I’m from Alaska,” he said.
“Oh,” she said. “Why are you here?”
“Where’s your mom?” he asked. “You’re too young a cub to be alone.”
“I’m seven!” she said indignantly before baring her fangs at him. “I can go to the bathroom by myself, and I’m not afraid of you.”
He squatted until he was eye level with her. “Let me see those fangs again.”
She bared her fangs, growling loudly at him, and he said solemnly, “Impressive. You ever bite anyone with those things?”
“Just my brother, but he deserved it,” she said.
“Brothers usually do.”
“Let me see your fangs.”
He dropped his fangs and bared them at her. She studied them carefully. “Yours are pretty good too.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“Wanna see what else I can do?” she asked.
“Sure.”
Her face lit up before she closed her eyes and squinched her cheeks. After a few seconds, dark fur sprouted on her face, and when she opened her eyes, they’d gone from hazel to a dark brown. She growled again before shaking her head and rolling her shoulders. The fur faded from her face, and she gave him a proud look.
“Did you see that? I can half-shift.”
“That’s pretty good,” he said.
“My brother couldn’t half-shift until he was eight,” she announced. “Probably because he’s stupid.”
There was a cough that sounded more like a muffled laugh, and they both glanced up to see Cece standing in the hallway. The little girl sniffed in her direction before wrinkling her nose. “She’s a human.”
“She is,” Briggs said.
