“I used to hate it,” Law says softly. She lifts her head sharply, gazing up at him. “Most of my life, shifting meant I would have to fight. Now that I’ve been living here with my brothers, they have taught me to love it. It’s safe here. We have safeguards in place around our property, so we know if anyone crosses the line. The house has security and cameras outside. We usually shift every day and run free.”
“Do you run together?” she asks.
“Most of the time. Sometimes I need solitude, and they'll watch the cameras for my peace of mind. Other times, we run two at a time,” he says.
“Can I see?” she asks, and Lawson frowns.
“You want to?” he asks roughly.
“It would help, I think. If I’m going to change into a jaguar, it would be nice to get a sense of how it will be,” she says.
“I—” Law stumbles to a halt. He’s afraid of what his animal will do while she’s here.
“I’ll do it.” I stand up, and Haven turns, leaning back against the rock. “I won’t hurt you.” I start to unbutton my shirt.
“What are you doing?” Her eyes track my movement.
“If I don’t take off my clothes, I won’t have any to put back on. Shifting would shred them.” I fight the urge to smile.
“Oh, right.”
“Don’t be scared. If you try to run, my animal will chase you. Not to hurt you, but because he enjoys it.” I slide my shirt over my shoulders and throw it at her. I have to bite my lip when I smell her need and desire. She hugs my shirt to her chest.
“Can I touch you?” She shakes her head fast. “When you're an animal?”
“Yes. We would enjoy that.” I unhook my belt and lower my zipper. Her back straightens, and her gaze bounces. She wants to look, but for some reason she doesn’t think she should. “I’m not shy.” She tilts her head as I lower the fabric, and I hum. Good to know my mate enjoys what she sees.
Once I’m naked, I close my eyes and welcome the shift. It happens in a second, and I’m on all fours. My senses are enhanced even more in this form, and I can smell our mate strongly. I can see her beauty better. My thoughts are the same as in my human form, yet I also have the urges and needs of my animal that are harder to ignore. He wants to be closer, but as I look into her wide eyes, I hold him back. I don’t move and allow her to grow accustomed to every part of who I am.
“He’s waiting for you to relax,” Law says. I understand the words just as if I were in my human form.
“I’m okay,” she whispers. “You're beautiful.” I rumble, the closest to a laugh I can do right now. “I’ve seen pictures.”
“His coat is similar to ours. Every jaguar can appear different.” Lawson slides off the rock and sits beside her. “Do you trust him?”
“Yes,” she says firmly, and Law nods at me.
I slowly take a step, and when she doesn’t move, another, and then another. I bow my head, looking through my lashes as I move closer. I breathe deeply and can’t smell fear, only curiosity, so I continue until my head is hanging in front of her crossed legs. She still doesn’t move, so I lift my head.
“I can see you through his eyes,” she whispers, setting my shirt aside. She slowly lifts her hand. “I have no words.” She lightly touches my head. “You're bigger than the animal.” I raise up so her palm makes contact.
“The animal is much smaller,” Law says.
“Silky.” She smiles, petting me. I close my eyes and revel in the touch of our mate. “So, he can understand what we say?”
“Yes.”
“How do you communicate when all of you are in shifter form?” she asks, gliding her hand down my neck.
“We don’t speak with words. It’s more like text messages with pictures. We can think of what we want to say and push it out. A lot of times, we don’t need to communicate. Our animals know instinctively what we want.” Law grins. “It’s nice to move seamlessly with each other.”
“Will I be able to do the same?” she asks.
“You will,” he replies.
“Is the shift painful at first?”
“It will be for you. The more you practice, the easier it will become. I’ve heard the first shift can be scary. You won’t know how to direct your animal to change back. All of us will be there for you. We can guide you.”
