Page 45 of A Cock and Bull Story

“And I sent you a picture ofmy vag.”

This seems to get everyone else's attention. Jude, Jack, and Arthur stare at Theo.

“She asked for a picture of my shifter!” he defends. “So, I texted one to her, and she texted me a picture of her cat.”

“If by ‘cat’, you mean ‘pussy’, then, yes,” I snort. “And I asked for a dick pic! Instead, he sent methis.” I whip out my phone and show them the picture of the fish. “I thought he was being. . . I don't know,British.”

The four men all look a little affronted at that assessment.

“Well, I just assumed he was being weird. Besides, I sent Theothis!”

I show the picture of my shaved Cave of Wonders.

Jack cackles at Theo.

“How could you have thought that was acat?”

“I just thought she was mangled. . . we did think she was a hairless cat!” Theo defends himself.

I choke a bit at these words.

They've thought I was a sphynx cat this entire time?

Dear God, nothing has ever been misinterpreted worse than this whole scenario.

Jude and I palm our faces at the same time.

“Ok, this isn't terrible. I just need to find arealSexaholics Anonymous.” Jack coughs at my words. “Screw you, pal! I totally could give up sex! But, given the circumstances, maybe I should just wait six months—I might need some calming down time, ya know?”

He just chuckles.

“That isn't the issue here, love. It's the fact that you know about us and you'rehuman.”

“Trust me—I want nothing more than to forget about all of this,” I reassure him.

“Well, unfortunately, in our world, humans can't know about us,” Jude intones.

My spine tingles in apprehension at his dire words.

“And why is that?”

“Because the Tertiaries deigned human knowledge of our existence as a threat. They're afraid that you'll hunt us down like animals, pardon my pun, and will eradicate us.”

“I have no intention of doing that!” I refute, before another errant thought pops into my head. “Wait! Are all animals things that can turn into humans?”

“No,” Jude responds. “Shifters are very few and far between.”

“But how do you know who’s a shifter and who’s just an animal?”

Jude shrugs.

“Shifters can smell other shifters. There’s a difference in the scent. But a human wouldn’t know.”

I cringe, wondering how many shifters I've accidentally—and maybe purposefully—murdered.

Sorry, mouse shifters, I hate your guts.

“Listen, love,” Arthur murmurs, taking my hand. “You're in danger—humans can't know about us. Tertiaries hunt down humans that know about our species.”