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"Yes, and if my animal accepts you, it will bite you, marking you as ours for the rest of our lives." I braced, waiting for her disgust and denial.
"We've never talked about your animal before," Tessa said, practically stumbling over each word.
"This is true. There isn't really much to say. My animal and I don't have as deep a connection as we should since I was in the origin realm for so long. It's not like I could shift there, so my animal was locked away." I shrugged, trying to downplay everything.
I should have known she'd push; she was tenacious. "What is your animal, though?"
"I am—" I paused, taking a deep breath in. It had been a long time since I had admitted this to anybody. "I can shift into whatever I want," I said quietly.
Her mouth dropped open. "Isn't that super rare?"
I nodded and looked at the floor, keeping eye contact with her was a challenge on good days, let alone when I was talking about something that made me that uncomfortable.
"Why do you look so ashamed of it? Shouldn't you be proud?"
"I am, but it's also just very hard. It's just one more thing that makes me different from most other Agarthans."
"Is there something that feels more comfortable to you? A favorite form? Something like that?" Her inquisitive nature shone in her eyes, and I wanted to hug her for it. Talking to her had taken something that was usually incredibly uncomfortable for me to even think about and made it almost pleasant.
Nobody had ever asked me that before, so I wasn't sure how to respond. I went quiet for longer than I intended to be, but eventually, I said, "I think a jaguar or panther."
"Then that's what I want you to bite me as." She said it so casually, like a big predatory cat biting her was just another day in her life, which I supposed at this point it kind of was, but still, it didn't make me any more eager for what could come that evening.
"Do you want to see it?" I asked without thinking. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. No one wanted to see a transformation like mine. It was hard and could look quite gruesome sometimes, given all the skin splitting and bone breaking that was liable to happen.
She nodded. "If you're okay showing me."
"I figure it's better to show you now than have you see it for the first time during the wedding, that is, if you still want to go through with it?"
"We don't have any other option, really, do we?" She shrugged and took my hands once more. "If you don't want to, I won't force you, though. Your opinions are just as important as mine, and you have the right to say no as well."
I nodded. "Let me show you my beast before I lose my nerve."
"Will you still be you? Or will you just be the animal?"
"I'll still be me," I confirmed.
She smiled at me, and it was like dawn breaking over the horizon. Now that I was finally being open and honest with her about everything, even though it was painful for me, she was nothing but supportive. When she backed away, I stood and moved around her, stripping as I went.
Tessa's gaze lingered on my body like a touch, making me want to feel her actual touch. Still, those thoughts would be satisfied soon enough. Instead of thinking about things I shouldn't be, I focused on shifting and calling my animal forth.
I knew something was happening when I heard Tessa's breath hitch in her chest, and then the change swept over me like magic. It was the least painful and fastest shift I'd ever experienced.
The floor seemed to rise up to meet me, even though I knew I fell onto my hands instead. Hands which were now paws. My tail twitched, and I scented the air, searching for any sign of fear from Tessa. I found nervousness and curiosity but nothing else.
When I finally turned to face her, she looked more beautiful than ever. My animal fully approved of our choice, which was a relief. It wasn't that I thought of my animal as a different entity that lived within me, more that it was a part of myself I didn't give light to very often.
I padded toward her, and she grinned down at me, clearly very excited to see a jaguar that close-up. When she reached out, I licked her hand, which made her squeal with delight or maybe just surprise since it was a cat tongue, after all.
"Kai, you're amazing!" she gushed, and for the first time, I truly felt pride for what I could do. Now, if only that could last through the rest of the day. Somehow I had a feeling that whatever Timmon was going to do at the wedding would ruin it for me, though.
13
Tessa
The day wore on, but no priestess ever showed up, so I had to assume that the guard had failed in his attempts. The only person who did stop by was somebody with a very late breakfast, which barely consisted of some rolls, a plate of eggs, and a new water pitcher. It was definitely not enough for all of us to eat, though the guys forced me to eat as much as I could to make up for my lack of food while I thought they were dead.
Along with the food, there was also a dress and some instructions. Both of which made me cringe upon seeing them.
