Page 22

Harper curled into Nathan's side on his comfortable leather sofa, a bowl of popcorn balanced between them. The familiar opening music of Marianne's talk show filled the room from his large flat-screen TV.

"I'm glad you didn't want to watch with the group at the inn," she confessed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "It was just going to be too many people, and I don't know most of them."

"No, this is better," Nathan agreed, pulling her closer, his arm about her shoulders. He dropped a kiss on her hair. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Harper admitted. "I mean, this changes everything for all of us here, even those of us staying private. It'll put a spotlight on this area, at any rate."

Nathan gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as the well-known talk host, Marianne Bishop, appeared on screen, dressed in a stylish royal blue suit with silver buttons catching the light. Her sunny blonde hair gleamed under the studio lights, styled in soft waves around her face. She sat poised in a cream-colored armchair, angled toward the matching two-seater sofa where Katerina and Troy relaxed side by side.

Across from them, another woman was seated in a matching cream armchair. Her resemblance to Katerina was striking – the same delicate features, the same golden eyes, even similar bone structure. But where Katerina's wild, short black hair defied taming, this woman's dark tresses fell past her shoulders in a sleek curtain. Her outfit, while elegant, was understated compared to Katerina's bold fashion choice. Katerina was dressed in a long, silky caftan that shimmered with gold and blue under the gleaming overhead lights, whereas the other woman wore a simple navy dress that emphasized her curves without drawing attention.

The differences in personality were clear, as well - Katerina projected her usual vibrant energy while the other woman carried herself with quiet grace. Beside the woman's chair stood a double stroller, its occupants hidden from view by a light blanket draped over the top.

"They look so much alike," Nathan whispered, his breath tickling Harper's ear. "That must be Melanthe?"

"Yes, and her twins in the stroller. I wonder if they're babies or kittens? We can't see them from here."

He shook his head. "This is just so wild."

The camera angle widened to show all four people in frame – Katerina and Troy on the sofa, and Marianne and the Katerina look-alike in armchairs, the covered stroller a silent presence beside her. A sleek glass coffee table separated the small group, adorned with a pitcher of water and glasses, and a vase of fresh flowers in muted pastels. The familiar studio backdrop sparkled with its signature golden accents, creating an intimate atmosphere.

"Good evening, everyone!" Marianne's warm voice rang out as the audience applauded. "Tonight, we have a very special guest with us. Many of you already know her - the brilliant fashion designer who's graced our show multiple times with her innovative collections and charming personality."

The camera panned across the enthusiastic audience before returning to Marianne's beaming face.

"But tonight, Katerina Kazakis is here, along with her husband, Dr. Troy Shelton, and her sister, Melanthe, for a completely different reason." Marianne leaned forward in her chair, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "As we've all seen in the news lately, shapeshifters are real. They live among us, and tonight, Katerina is here to tell us about her extraordinary life as one of them."

A collective gasp rose from the studio audience, rippling through the crowd like a wave, followed by enthusiastic applause and murmurs of amazement. Some audience members leaned forward in their seats, while others exchanged wide-eyed glances with their neighbors.

Next to her, Harper felt Nathan stir. She turned her head to meet his excited gaze, his fingers entwining with hers. "This is really happening," he whispered, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Their attention turned to the television screen as Marianne settled more comfortably in her chair, her professional smile warm and genuine.

"So, Katerina, will you tell us what kind of shifter you are?"

Katerina's eyes sparkled with mischief, and she grinned, her whole face lighting up. "I'm a Maine Coon cat."

"A Maine Coon?" Marianne's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in surprise. "I'm not familiar with that breed. Could you tell us more about it?"

"Maine Coons are one of the largest domestic cat breeds," Katerina explained, readily. "They're known for their thick, luxurious fur coats, and their distinctive ear tufts and tufted paws. They're also the largest breed of domestic cats - males can often weigh up to twenty-five pounds - and they're often called the gentle giants of the cat world, because they're big, but they have such sweet personalities."

"So, a housecat?" Marianne confirmed, leaning forward with interest.

"Yes," Katerina nodded, her wild black hair glinting in the camera lights. "Though, as I mentioned, Maine Coons are quite a bit larger than your average housecat. In my cat form, I weigh about fifteen pounds."

Marianne turned her attention to Troy, her perfectly manicured fingers clasped in her lap. "And what about you, Dr. Shelton? Are you a shifter as well?"

Troy's deep laugh rumbled through the studio. "No, I'm just a regular human, and a veterinarian, one of three partners at the Country Vet Clinic." His moss-green eyes crinkled with amusement. "And before you ask, no, none of the partners are shifters. In fact, Katerina was the first shifter I ever met."

Marianne leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with interest. "So how did you two meet? Was it at the clinic?"

"Actually, no." Katerina's gold eyes danced with amusement. “There’s a park not too far from my home, where I liked to go lay out in the sun.” She grinned mischievously at the audience. “Cat here, you know?”

"One afternoon, while I was enjoying the sunshine, a large dog attacked me." Katerina's voice turned somber. "I was badly injured - the dog had grabbed me by the neck and shaken me. Some people in the park managed to fight the dog off. Well, long story short, someone called the local vet clinic, and Troy responded to the emergency call."

"She's leaving out a bunch of details," Harper whispered to Nathan, forgetting they weren't there in the studio themselves. "I'll give you the whole story later, if you like."

He nodded silently, his gaze fixed on the television.

"And you were still in your cat form at this point?" Marianne asked, her voice gentle.

"Yes." Katerina's gold eyes met Troy's moss-green ones. "I couldn't shift back - I was too badly hurt. Troy came and wrapped me in his jacket, took me to his home, and treated my wounds."

"And he had no idea you were a shifter?" Marianne prompted.

"None." Katerina's smile returned, soft and warm. "He had no idea I was anything other than an injured cat. He just... helped. Because that's who he is."

"That's extraordinary," Marianne breathed, looking between them. Her next question was addressed to Troy. "So you took in what you thought was just a cat? You had no idea she was a shapeshifter?"

Troy looked honestly started. “Me? Oh, hell, no… I mean, no,” he remembered, clearing his throat. “Like everyone else, I had no idea there was such a thing. Cat was pretty beat up, so I took her home to care for her. We… the clinic, that is… put ads out for a lost cat, but no one came forward, and well, I got attached to her pretty quick.” He gave Katerina a quick wink. “She’s a pretty cool cat.”

“Cat got attached, too,” Katerina said, nodding. “She liked him, and didn’t want to leave. She was even willing to put up with his collie,” she said with a snicker and a humorous gleam in her eye, eliciting another wave of chuckles from the audience.

“Do shifters heal faster by changing form?” Marianna wanted to know.

Katerina laughed, shaking her head. “No. That’s actually a pretty common theme in paranormal romance novels… of which I’m a fan,” she added with a shameless grin. “But it’s just that… fiction.”

"So he took home a stray, injured cat…"

Troy spoke up, his deep voice filling the studio. "She was hurt, scared. I couldn't just leave her at the shelter where they'd taken her. I had no idea I was taking home my future wife."

A collective "aww" rose from the audience, followed by appreciative laughter.

Katerina smiled. "And Cat - that's my cat form - well, she fell completely in love with him. I just couldn't bring myself to leave."

"Wait a minute," Marianne interrupted, holding up one hand, her eyes widening. "Was this during that time you vanished from the fashion world? Everyone was looking for you, and no one knew where you were. There were the wildest rumors, if I remember right."

Katerina nodded, a sheepish smile playing across her lips. "That's right. I was recuperating at Troy's house, in my cat form. You see, time feels different when you're in animal form. Everything is more... immediate. The past and future don't matter as much as the present moment. I was just so content being there with Troy, being cared for, that I sort of... lost track of time."

"Lost track of time?" Marianne echoed, incredulous. "You disappeared for nearly three weeks! In fact, you missed your own runway show."

"I know," Katerina laughed, her wild black hair shaking with the movement. "You should have heard my business manager when I finally pulled myself together, Changed back to human, and called her."

“A mutual friend was throwing a dinner party.” Her eyes danced. “I knew Troy was going to be attending, so I pulled out all the stops.”

"I met this fascinating woman," Troy said, his voice warm with the memory. “She was gorgeous, and I could hardly take my eyes off her. We danced, and talked, and I asked her out that very night. I couldn’t get her off my mind for days.”

Katerina laughed, winking at Marianna. “He came home and told Cat all about this woman he’d met.”

Nodding, Troy reached out to take Katerina’s hand. “I did.”

Marianne turned to Troy. "How did that revelation go? Finding out your girlfriend could turn into a cat?"

“I spent weeks fussing and fretting over how to tell him,” Katerina admitted to Marianne. “I knew by then I wanted to be with him, but I had this huge secret, you know? It’s not so easy to just up and say, ‘oh, and by the way, I’m also your cat,’ you know?”

“I can imagine,” Marianna said, looking fascinated. “So how did you?”

“There was an intruder… a housebreaker,” she explained. “As a cat, I knew they were there, outside the house, but there was no way for me to communicate it to Troy, or get him to understand the danger we were in. So I Changed.” Spreading her hands, she made a helpless gesture. “I had no choice.”

Marianna leaned forward, her fascinated gaze on them. “How did he take it?”

Katerina wrinkles her nose. “About as well as you could expect,” she said in a wry voice.

“It was a little traumatic,” Troy admitted. “I mean, one minute my cat is there in front of me, the next minute there’s Katerina standing in the middle of my living room.”

Katerina took up the tale. “He was in shock, I was half dragging him up the stairs, trying to explain about intruders and shapeshifters at the same time, and a housebreaker was crashing through the front door.”

“It wasn’t until we’d barricading ourselves in my room, dragging the dressers and bed over to the door, and we were waiting for help, that I had a chance to grasp that it was real.” Troy nodded.

“I understand you’re now married,” Marianna said. “So it clearly worked out.”

“It was a win/win situation for me,” Troy said with his deep chuckle. “I got the lady, and my pretty kitty.”

The audience chuckled, and Marianne laughed as well, clearly captivated.

Harper felt Nathan shift beside her on the couch. "I had no idea about any of that," he murmured, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "To find out that way, and the housebreaker, I mean. That must have been terrifying."

"Oh, it wasn't just a housebreaker," Harper whispered back, reaching for more popcorn. "It was all over the shifter forums for weeks when it happened. The intruder turned out to be a rogue shifter who'd been stalking Katerina."

Nathan turned to look at her, his eyebrows raised. "A rogue shifter? How did they get away?"

"Jacinth saved them," Harper explained, keeping her voice low. "I'll tell you the whole story later, but Jacinth called Kieran - he's a Djinn prince - and he teleported the rogue straight to the Shifter Council."

"A Djinn prince?" Nathan's eyes widened.

"Later," Harper told him, and they both turned their attention back to the television, where Marianne had turned her attention to Melanthe.

"And Melanthe, I understand you have something to share with us as well?"

Melanthe's smile was gentler than her sister's, but no less warm. She reached into the covered double stroller beside her chair, her movements graceful and unhurried. "Yes, I do. I'd like to introduce you to my children."

From beneath the light blanket, she lifted two Maine Coon kittens, their fur thick and luxuriant. One was a smoky gray with white paws, while the other was a rich brown tabby. Both kittens blinked sleepily at the sudden brightness of the studio lights, stretching and yawning in their mother's gentle hold.

The studio audience let out a collective "aww" as the kittens' tiny pink tongues showed in their yawns. The camera zoomed in on their sweet faces, capturing their tufted ears and innocent expressions as they gazed out at the crowd with wide, golden eyes.

Harper couldn't contain her delight, squeezing Nathan's hand. "Aren't they adorable?" she whispered, enchanted by the sight of the drowsy kittens.

Nathan squeezed back, his eyes fixed on the screen. "They're incredible," he murmured. "So hard to believe they're also human babies."

The studio lights and excited murmurs from the audience caught the kittens' attention. Their golden eyes widened, ears perking forward with interest. The gray kitten squirmed in Melanthe's gentle hold, while the brown tabby stretched, tiny paws reaching toward the floor.

"Oh my," Melanthe laughed as both kittens wriggled free, landing gracefully on the stage. Their tails shot straight up like exclamation points as they pranced around, investigating their new surroundings.

The gray kitten pattered over to sniff at Marianne's stilettos, while the brown tabby discovered its reflection in the glass coffee table, batting at its mirror image with soft paws.

"They're absolutely precious," Marianne cooed, carefully keeping her feet still as the gray kitten circled her chair. "How old are they?"

"Almost fourteen months now," Melanthe replied, watching her children explore with fond amusement.

Marianne's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really? They look much younger as kittens."

"That's because their animal forms reflect their actual developmental age," Melanthe explained, reaching down to scratch behind the brown tabby's ears as it trotted past her chair. "At this age, shifter children usually prefer their animal forms. They have much more mobility and independence as kittens than they would as human toddlers."

The gray kitten had discovered the flower arrangement on the coffee table and was cautiously batting at a dangling leaf. Melanthe scooped it up before it could knock over the vase.

"They don't really understand the concept of staying human in public until they're older toddlers," she continued, placing the squirming kitten on the floor. "Right now, they shift back and forth constantly, depending on what they want to do."

Marianne leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. "It must be easier to care for them in this form, with them being so independent."

Melanthe huffed out a laugh, shaking her head. Her long dark hair swayed with the movement. "You would think so, but not necessarily. Let me tell you about the time I visited my friend Selene last year."

The brown tabby kitten darted across the stage, chasing an imaginary prey, while its gray sibling watched from behind Melanthe's chair.

"I was holding her son - he was about a year old at the time - and trying to feed him some baby food while Selene was making us lunch. He absolutely refused to eat his peas." Melanthe's golden eyes sparkled with amusement. "He started crying, and before I could do anything about it, he shifted right there on my lap into a polar bear cub!"

The studio audience gasped, then broke into delighted laughter.

"A polar bear cub?" Marianne's eyes widened.

"So suddenly, instead of a crying baby, I had a thirty-pound bear cub sitting on my lap, roaring his unhappiness to the world."

Harper watched as Marianne's perfectly manicured hand flew to her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. "What in the world did you do with an upset polar bear cub on your lap?"

"Well, his mother Selene..." Melanthe paused, her golden eyes dancing. "She marched right over, bopped him on the nose with her finger, and said in that universal Mom voice we all know, 'Alexander James, you change back right this instant!'"

The studio audience burst into laughter, and even Troy chuckled, shaking his head.

"And did he?" Marianne asked, leaning forward in her chair.

"Oh yes." Melanthe's smile widened. "The thing about shifter children is, they understand language perfectly well in either form. He knew exactly what his mother meant, and that she meant business."

The brown tabby kitten chose that moment to pounce on its sibling behind Melanthe's chair, sending both of them tumbling across the stage in a playful tussle.

"Of course," Melanthe continued, watching her children with fond exasperation, "then we had the problem that he'd done what we asked - he changed back to human when told to do so. So naturally, we had to reward his good behavior."

"Let me guess," Marianne said, her eyes twinkling. "No more peas?"

"Not a single one," Melanthe confirmed with a laugh. "He got away with it completely. Shifter parenting can be... complicated sometimes."

Harper leaned forward, her heart jumping as one of the kittens - the gray one - trotted to the edge of the stage. The kitten's golden eyes fixed on something in the audience, her tiny body tensing as she crouched down.

"Oh no," Nathan muttered beside her.

The kitten's rear end wiggled, her tail straight up in the air.

"Cassandra!" Melanthe's voice cracked like a whip.

The kitten froze mid-wiggle, then sat down primly. As if nothing had happened, she stretched out one hind leg and began washing it with intense concentration.

From across the stage, her sibling spotted the movement. With a chirping sound that carried clearly through the studio's microphones, the tabby kitten charged. In a flash of fur and flailing limbs, both kittens rolled across the stage in a squalling wrestling match.

"Those are some vocal babies," Nathan observed, amusement clear in his voice.

Harper nodded, watching as the kittens tumbled past their mother's chair. "Maine Coons are known for being very vocal cats. They chirp and trill and make all kinds of sounds."

On screen, the ball of fighting fur rolled dangerously close to the coffee table. Melanthe sighed, reaching down to separate her children before they could knock over the water pitcher. She captured them with practiced ease, lifting each kitten by the scruff. The gray kitten went limp immediately, while the brown tabby let out an indignant squeak.

"That's quite enough of that," she said, settling back in her chair and arranging the kittens in her lap.

The studio lights caught their thick fur, highlighting the silvery sheen of the gray kitten's coat and the rich brown stripes of the tabby. For a moment, they sat perfectly still, their golden eyes wide and innocent as they gazed up at their mother.

Then, as if nothing had happened, the gray kitten turned to her sibling and began methodically washing the ruffled fur around its neck. The tabby closed its eyes in contentment, tiny paws kneading the air. After a few moments, they switched roles, the tabby grooming its sister with the same focused attention.

Their mother's lap proved too comfortable to resist. Within minutes, both kittens had curled into tight balls of fluff, their tiny bodies rising and falling with deep, peaceful breaths. The tabby's paw draped over its sibling's back, while the gray kitten's tail wrapped protectively around them both.

Another "aww" rippled through the studio audience at the sight of the adorable kittens. Gently, Melanthe placed them in the stroller.

Marianna turned her attention back to Katerina. “I understand you’re willing to Change for us into your animal form, for our viewers to see?”

“Of course,” Katerina said easily. She moved her gaze to the audience, an amused glint in her eyes. “You might not want to get distracted,” she warned. “It doesn’t take but a few seconds.”

She waited a minute, scanning those watching, until apparently satisfied, she nodded. “Here we go!” She announced cheerfully, not moving from her seat in the armchair. Then she was gone, the caftan she’d worn collapsing to lay in soft folds around a large, tricolor calico, with long, thick fur, huge tufted paws, and large tufted ears.

There was a gasp from the audience. Paying them no mind, Cat rose, stepping daintily over the silken fabric, and leaped in a smooth, fluid movement to the coffee table before the sofa. She lay down, casting herself gracefully onto the surface, her fur gleaming in the lights. She blinked her wide, golden eyes at the audience, only the tip of her tail swishing gently to and fro.

Marianna looked like she might pass out. “I… didn’t think it was real,” she said, the involuntary words seemingly wrenched from her. “I saw the videos, of course, but I… I didn’t believe it. Not really.” She visibly collected herself, and leaned forward in her chair, looking at Troy. “May I… may I pet her?”

He nodded, smiling. Marianne reached her hand out, hesitating a moment, then her fingers lightly brushing the long fur. “Oh, she’s soft!” she exclaimed.

Cat rolled onto her side, eyes half closed, purring lightly. Marianna stroked her with more confidence, and Cat’s purrs increased.

“Cat just won over half the women in America,” Nathan said, nudging Harper and laughing. “Who could resist that?”

Marianna looked at Troy doubtfully. “And Katerina is still in there? I mean, she can hear and understand us?”

“Oh, yes. The cat’s instincts will be stronger in this form. For instance,” he said, a wicked curve to his lips, “if I were to flash a laser pointer around the room, she’d go insane chasing it.”

At that, Cat turned her head, ears flattening, and she hissed at him. Troy laughed, as did Marianna.

“As you can see, the human part of her is perfectly aware of our conversation.”

“And made her opinion known pretty plainly, too,” Marianna said, snickering faintly.

“Yes, Cat is actually a very dignified feline, proud in the way only cats can be. She considers cat toys of any kind to be beneath her, but laser pointers are her weakness.”

“Which you just outed over national television,” Marianna pointed out.

“I expect to find hairballs in my shoes for the next month,” Troy said, nodding. “Cat believes firmly in retribution.”

Marianna laughs. “That sounds like every cat I’ve ever had. But… you love her anyway.”

“Yeah,” he said gently, his eyes on the cat before them. “I do.” He held his arms out. “Come here, pretty kitty.”

With a prrow , Cat rose, and leaped into his arms, purring like a mad motorboat. She clung to him, her broad, tufted paws resting on his shoulder, his large arms cradling her, and she shoved her head roughly against his jaw. Yet another chorus of heartfelt “aww’s” rose from the watching audience.

Harper laughed. “And there goes the other half of the women in America,” she said to Nathan.

After another minute of cuddling with Troy, Cat jumped down gracefully and trotted off stage, her tail held high. A murmur rippled through the audience.

"She'll be right back," Troy explained to Marianne. "Shifters don't transform with their clothing - as you saw earlier. She's gone to get dressed."

"Oh!" Marianne's eyes widened with understanding. "I hadn't thought about that aspect."

Moments later, Katerina returned wearing trim cream linen slacks and an emerald green silk blouse that complemented her wild black hair. She settled back into her spot beside Troy, tucking one leg beneath her.

"That was amazing," Marianne breathed. "But I have to ask - what's it like? Being a shifter? Do you and Cat share thoughts, or is it more like having two separate personalities?"

"It's like having a sister who knows you better than anyone else in the world. Cat isn't just another personality," Katerina explained. "She's part of me, but she experiences the world differently than my human side does. She's more instinctive, more focused on the present moment." She tilted her head, considering the question. "Cat and I are the same being, but in cat form, my thoughts and instincts are different. More immediate, more focused on the present moment. Cat experiences the world through scent and sound in ways my human form can't comprehend."

"So you're aware of everything when you're in cat form?"

"Completely aware," Katerina nodded. "But Cat's instincts are stronger. For instance, if I see a mouse as a human, I might think 'oh, how cute,' or 'eek!' But in cat form?" She grinned. "The hunt is on! Though I try very hard to resist those urges in the house. But if I manage to catch it, my human side is going to come to the fore." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I'm certainly not going to eat the mouse. In fact," she added, "It's unlikely I'd even kill it. I'd probably wind up letting it go."

"And how does the actual shifting work?" Marianne gestured with her hands. "Is it painful? Do you have to concentrate hard to make it happen?"

"Not at all," Katerina smiled. "It's as natural as breathing. The transformation itself takes just seconds, as you saw, and it doesn't hurt. It's more like... flowing from one form to another. The hardest part was learning to control it when I was young. All shifter children have to learn not to transform whenever they get excited or upset."

"So it's not at all like in the paranormal romance novels, and in the werewolf movies? All the joints popping and bones breaking, and all that?"

"Not at all," Katerina assured her, with a shudder. "No, that's strictly fiction. In fact - and this is where it gets hard to explain - Changing is magic, not physiology. Our human body doesn't actually shift, physically, into a new and different shape. Rather, it, um…" She paused, trying to think of the right word. "Dissipates? The one form sort of subsides, and the other takes its place. And it's as natural as breathing. One form flows into the other. Though," she amended," it does take practice when you're young, to master the timing and control."

"Going back to your other self," Marianne questioned. "It's like living with a second entity?"

“Not exactly.” Katerina tilted her head, thinking. “It’s more like talking to myself… and then I answer back.”

There was appreciative laughter from the audience, and Katerina chuckled.

"Seriously. It’s like having a best friend, who’s with you all the time. Sometimes a very annoying best friend, who knows your every thought, and has opinions and input… even when you don’t want them!”

“But whether in human or cat form, always me. Katerina. Even in my cat form, I’m still me, just on four paws and furry. I still think and reason as me.”

A subtle hand signal from offstage caught Marianne's attention. She glanced at her watch, then back to her guests.

"I'm afraid our time is almost up," she said, her expression regretful. "Katerina, before we go, is there anything you'd like to say to our viewers? Any message you want them to know?"

Katerina straightened in her seat, her gold eyes intense as she faced the camera directly. Her wild black hair framed her heart-shaped face, and her expression grew serious.

"We've lived as humans, alongside you, for centuries. Millennia, really. We have always been here." Her voice was clear and steady. "We're your next-door neighbors, your coworkers. We sit beside you in church pews, we chat in the grocery aisle. When we were children, we played with you, sat beside you in school."

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze unwavering. "How can we be dangerous to you, when you haven't even noticed? We're just people, like you, but with a little something extra that lets us enjoy running around on four paws. Or hooves. Whatever."

Troy reached over and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The studio lights caught the gleam of unshed tears in Katerina's eyes, but her voice remained strong and clear.

"We're not monsters from your horror movies or dangerous creatures from myth. We're your friends, your family, the people you've known and trusted all along. Nothing about us has changed - except now you know we're here, as we always have been."

"We're not 'after you.'" And Katerina raised her hands, making air quotes with her fingers. "We just want to go ahead living our lives, right beside you, just as we always have done."

"Shifters aren't asking for special treatment," Troy added, his deep voice gentle but firm. "Just acceptance."

Marianne nodded, clearly moved by their sincerity. Her manicured fingers clasped together before her as she leaned forward. "Thank you both for being here tonight, for sharing your story with us." She turned to face the camera, her professional smile warming into something more genuine. "And thank you all for watching. Until next time, I'm Marianne Bishop. Good night."

The studio lights dimmed slightly as the closing music played, signaling the end of the broadcast. Harper let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her fingers still entwined with Nathan's.

"They did it," Nathan whispered, giving her hand a squeeze. "They actually did it."

Harper nodded, her throat tight with emotion as she watched Katerina and Troy embrace on screen while the credits rolled. The studio audience was on their feet, applauding enthusiastically. Some were wiping tears from their eyes, while others were calling out words of support.

"Cat won them over completely," Harper said, her voice slightly hoarse. "Just like she planned."

Nathan pulled her closer against his side, his voice warm with concern. "Are you okay?"

Harper snuggled deeper into Nathan's embrace, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. His warmth steadied her racing heart as a commercial break began to play, and Nathan hit the Off button on the remote.

"Yes, I'm okay," she whispered, her voice wavering slightly. She dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. "Katerina was just... wonderful. The way she explained everything, how she made it all seem so normal and natural. And Troy backing her up perfectly..."

Nathan's fingers traced soothing circles on her shoulder as she collected herself.

"Did you see how the audience responded to her? Both as human and cat?" Harper's voice grew stronger, more animated. "They weren't afraid or disgusted - they were fascinated. Enchanted, even." She turned to face Nathan, her amber eyes bright with hope. "I think... I think everything's going to be okay. Really okay."

"Cat certainly knew what she was doing," Nathan agreed, brushing a strand of foxy-red hair from her face. "The way she reclined on that table, then cuddled with Troy - a movie director couldn't have scripted it better."

Harper nodded against Nathan's shoulder, her hair brushing against his neck. "Katerina made it impossible for anyone to see shifters as monsters. I mean, who could be afraid of a purring Maine Coon being cradled in the arms of a big manly he-man?"

Nathan snickered, his chest rumbling against her cheek. "Manly he-man, huh?"

She giggled, poking him in the ribs. "I mean, have you even met him?" She teased. "He could lift a St. Bernard onto the exam table without breaking a sweat."

Harper yawned, her whole body sagging against Nathan's solid warmth. "I think everything that's happened today is finally catching up with me. All the worry leading up to the interview, and now it's over..."

"Stay here tonight," Nathan said softly, his fingers trailing through her hair, the gentle motion soothing away the last of her tension from the day.

Inside her mind, Reyna perked up, radiating approval. Stay with our mate.

Harper felt her cheeks warm, and she ducked her head against his chest to hide her blush. "I... I'd like that. But I don't have anything with me. No pajamas or-"

"I have t-shirts," Nathan offered, his voice carrying a hint of hopeful anticipation. "And new toothbrushes in the bathroom cabinet." His lips quirked into a smile that made her heart skip. "I may have stocked up on a few things, hoping you might stay over now and then." The tips of his ears turned pink at the admission, and Harper found his bashfulness endearing.

The admission made Harper's heart flutter, warmth spreading through her chest at the idea he'd planned ahead for her. "You did?"

He nodded, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as his fingers traced idle patterns on her shoulder. "Is that weird? I mean, I didn't want to presume anything..."

"No," Harper whispered, touched by his thoughtfulness. Her hand found its way to rest against his chest, where she could sense his quickened heartbeat matching her own. "It's sweet. Really sweet."

Considerate mate, Reyna agreed, her satisfaction evident in Harper's mind. Second den.

Nathan stood, offering Harper his hand. "Come on. Let's get you settled in. We can check on Jill, then get some sleep."

Harper took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. As they walked down the hallway, she felt a profound sense of rightness settle over her. Between Katerina's successful interview and this quiet moment with Nathan, everything finally felt like it was falling into place.