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Thank you.She shook her head before she answered Liv’s question.When you said there were no more shifters at Standard who could have bitten me, something pricked my arm. Before my eyes “glazed over” I felt the pain again and knew my body was trying to tell me something. To find out what, I relaxed my mind and had another memory.

She filled them in on what happened.

The way I became a half vampire is the way I became a shifter. I remember the discarded syringe but not the injection on my arm. My memory faded when my transition started and I suppose my body continued with the shift because of muscle memory… maybe?

“That explains how Neri became a shifter and then later, a vampire. They took the venom from those captured and used Neri as a guinea pig. I have the captured immortals’ blood from their hospital stay and I’ll compare them to Neri’s blood sample. But it still doesn’t explain how you can shift. I don’t think it can happen because of a memory…” Liv trailed off as she glanced at Hunter.

Neri moved her head from Liv to Hunter, wondering why Liv was looking at him with suspicion. When the small vampire cocked her hip and glared at him, Hunter caved.

Hunter’s voice was so low. “I claimed her last night.”

Unable to smile in her panther form, she huffed instead, drawing everyone’s attention away from Hunter.

Why is everyone freaking out? Hunter explained all about mates and claiming and I wanted him to. We belong to each other and I couldn’t be happier.

Neri didn’t understand. They stood there, shocked at Hunter’s actions. All the immortals who had mates had claimed them in the same way. Neri had a mark on her shoulder and whenever she brushed it with her fingers or her hair swung against it, it reminded her Hunter wanted her.

Instead of calming the situation, Neri’s words inflamed it. Liv slugged Hunter in the arm and after, shook her hand as if the punch hurt her. She continued to glare at him. Kai snarled and paced back and forth. Axel rolled his eyes and hopped over the couch and headed toward the kitchen. Thomas and Isaac sat as still as statues with matching looks of horror etched on their gorgeous faces. Drew looked over at his sister and laughed. Seth pulled Aubrey into his arms and was rubbing her back in soothing circles. Reaper and Ara moved closer to Neri as their eyes moved over her. Xander pulled Frost onto his lap and buried his face against her hair, breathing her in. Noah did the same with Jade. Even Gunnar, Ghost, and Kane looked sick.

“They think you could have killed her, idiot,” Axel called from the kitchen.

Neri shook her head, but since it had grown to four times the size of her normal one, the movement was minimal.

No, no mates can’t hurt each other. You said so.

“Yeah, but he watched as you bit a shifter and injected venom into his bloodstream. And yet, after watching him die, he bit you without knowingwhatit would do to you,” Liv snarled.

I’m fine, see fine. I feel like I’m wearing an extra five hundred pounds I’m unprepared for, but I’m great.

At that moment, Neri sensed her body shifting back to her human form. Again taken by surprise and before she could blink, she lay on the floor of the living room, naked as the day she was born.

“Well…. fuck.”

Hunter reached for the blanket draped over the back of the couch and wrapped it around her before he lifted her into his arms and buried his face against her neck.

“I’m so, so sorry.” The sound of Hunter’s tortured voice tore at her heart.

She cupped his cheek and lifted his head so his gaze met hers. “Do you regret I’m your mate?”

“No,what? I love you’re my mate.”

“Then stop acting as though you hurt me. From what you’ve told me, finding a mate is like trial and error, but we’re destined. Kai and Liv learned vampire mates can feed from each other. Ara has fantastic abilities that go above and beyond what any other immortal can do. Xander and Frost created a beautiful baby boy who’s potential is still unknown. And despite others dictating what is natural or right, there is a group of immortals, both shifter and vampire in this room that arefamily. Family isn’t blood, it’s what you have created together and although none of you could have predicted your lives would end up like this, you’re here and you’re happy. Life is what you make it.”

Silence met Neri’s statement and for a moment, she’d forgotten they weren’t alone in the big mansion with a room full of shifters and vampires hanging on every word of their private conversation. But Neri didn’t mind. She wanted interfering older brothers and funny, loving older sisters and with this group, she got it in spades.

For reassurance, she kissed Hunter. The short, intense kiss stole her breath and made her body tingle in anticipation, but before the others could tell how much she enjoyed kissing her mate, she pulled back, breathless.

“I’m sorry, Hunter. I overreacted. Neri’s fine and you know your mate better than anyone. I shouldn’t have interfered,” Liv said.

Neri reached for her and despite she was naked underneath the blanket surrounding her, she pulled Liv into a hug with Hunter.

“You’re a sweetheart, Liv,” Neri said and kissed her on the cheek.

“And I’m sorry for worrying all of you. That wasn’t my intention. I bit Neri because my instincts drove me to. If the panther wasn’t so adamant, I… no, I would have. But I am sorry for worrying you.”

“Okay, hands off my mate and the rest of us are sorry, too.” Kai pulled Liv up from the chair and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Axel laughed from the kitchen before he walked in and claimed the seat he vacated minutes before. “I’m not. Unlike all of you, I didn’t freak out. She’s healthy and stronger than the rest of us combined. Well, except for Ara, she’s a powerhouse. Our instincts have never led us astray so why deny them.”

Everyone, including Neri, stared at Axel in silence with their mouths hanging open. A few minutes later, it was Reaper who spoke first.

“When the fuck did you become so wise?”

Neri giggled when Axel caught her gaze and winked.

“I’m always wise, but I figure it’s about time I grow up and stopped annoying all of you.”

The assassins searched each other’s gazes as Axel and Neri laughed. Neri reached out and snagged Axel’s hand, pulling him close and giving him a hug.

“I’ll love being part of this family.”