Page 71 of Shifters Unifying

She extended her arm, and we made our way deeper into the territory. “Do you have any questions for me?”

I scanned the forest around us. “I didn’t realize there was a river or a delta in this area.”

Her mouth twisted into a wide grin that lit up her whole face. “Most outside our clan believe the name of our clan is something akin to the Mississippi River Delta, but the delta actually references the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. Our clan began choice number four in uninhabited options for use as a territory.”

“Oh, huh. That’s not at all what I expected.”

“You’ll find we like to do the unexpected.” She glanced toward me and winked. “Your accommodations have been prepared and waiting for you. But you’ll probably want to shift into a squirrel before we get there, though.”

“Why’s that?”

“The only door to your place right now is pretty much squirrel sized. The previous occupant was secretive and interested in security, and they thought it was easier to fortify by limiting access to their drey. Don’t have to worry about most intruders if the entrance is only a few fingers wide.” She continued along the path and waved for me to join her.

”Ah.”Well, damn. So much for conjugal visits and having sex in a tree.

“Something wrong, multimorph?” Salali asked.

“No, not at all.”I’m not ready to discuss it.“What happened to the last occupant?”

She snickered, the most squirrel sound I’d heard her make in her human form. “I moved out.”

“I don’t want to take your home.” I’d probably have a heck of a time convincing Salali to add a wolf-sized door, anyway. Maybe it’d work if I made it an official multimorph request.

“As the alpha, I’m afforded the best drey in Nuttal. It’s only fitting that you stay there. Besides, it sends a clear message toour clan. We are willing to offer only the best to the multimorph, and I am not immune to the new hierarchy.”

I glanced at her. “What if I decide to make some changes?”

Her mouth puckered. “Maybe a larger door?”

“Fitting if I should want to morph into something larger than a squirrel.”

“Or if you have a visitor?” Her tone ticked up on the last word.

“It is unlikely that the alphas or shifters from other the territories won’t come to visit once they learn where I’ve gone.”

“I think we both know who you mean.” She gave me a sly look. “I have my own fated mate, and I expected as much from yours. We have a saying in Nuttal. ‘Wears on the tail.’”

“Wears on the tail?”

“When a squirrel gets stressed, it shows first in their tail—droopy, less bushy, so anything that’s hard tends to ‘wear on the tail,’” she said. “It’s the opposite of that bushy-tailed human saying.”

“Bright eyed and bushy tailed,” I murmured. “Makes sense.”

“Should I enlist the help of our builders immediately?”

I grinned. I had to hand it to Salali. She was all-in on accepting me as the multimorph. “Thank you, but I have my own contractor.”

If Logan had his way, the first time he showed up to bed me, he’d probably make himself a door… with his teeth, if necessary.

Thwack!

I winced as the gnarled bo staff slammed into the top of my shoulder, and the impact reverberated through my thoracic. If I had to guess, she’d fractured my collarbone. Wesparred on the leaf-littered ground in the middle of a large building made of thick limbs and beaver-felled trees. A line of live trees grew around the perimeter, reminding me of the pictures I’d seen of the Bosco Verticale in Milan. Dappled sunlight shone through the gaps between the branches.

“Good,” I barked, scanning the assembled group on on-lookers who had gathered around the training ring. “Again.”

The bright-eyed young squirrel shifter across from me beamed. “Yes, multimorph.” She twirled the bo staff before she settled into a loose-kneed pose.

I rushed at her for the third time. Though, this time, I brought my bo staff around from the left before swinging it over my head and hitting her hard from the right. The fake out worked, and my weapon landed against her ribs, cracking the bone.