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A lice glanced out the window. The countryside rolled by ablaze in red, orange, and yellow woodlands. Absently, she wondered how Axel managed to maintain his place, looking like a savannah when all around him were pines, maples, and oaks.

Axel .

Her insides twisted painfully. This time, though, it wasn’t the knot in her stomach, a new one had formed in her heart, and she couldn’t push it away. It squeezed with every breath, stealing her focus and forcing a keening sadness to the forefront. She would never see him again.

Daddy. Axel.

Frustrated, she wiped away a tear. How could she be crying over something which had never come to be? This had all been a mistake, a dream brought on by her own tendencies to make a mountain out of an anthill. She was weak. A mess of a person.

“Are you okay?” Scarlet asked, startling her.

“What do you think?” she snapped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rude. Thank you for driving me.”

“No need to apologize, Alice. It’s a lot to take in, in such a short amount of time. I would be freaking out as well if I were you.”

“But you’re not me.”

“Of course not.” Scarlet glanced at her then focused on the road once more. “I was brought up in this world. I know what it’s like and how hard it is to survive. Being a shifter is not something we choose.”

“I can imagine.”

“Axel didn’t ask—”

“I’m not leaving because he’s a shifter,” she explained.

Scarlet sucked in her cheeks before speaking up again.

“Why then?” she asked.

“You’re thieves. Robbers. It’s immoral. I should probably call the police on you, if I had any proof.” Alice dug her fingers into her knees. For some reason, calling the woman who was driving her home and being incredibly kind to her a thief, made her sick to her stomach.

“We do what we have to do to maintain our lifestyle. We’re not hurting anyone.”

“What about the people you’re stealing from?”

“Alice, we’re not stealing from people like you.

We’re not stealing from the average worker.

We’re robbing artwork from people who have too much money to begin with.

They are people who don’t know what to do with their fortune, and we’re being paid by the same people.

It’s a game for them, see who has the best art piece regardless of the price. ”

“It’s still not an excuse.”

“It’s not,” Scarlet agreed. “I’m just trying to make you see where we come from.

You know,” she said. “Axel and I were college buddies. He got into the business way before I did. He’ll tell you himself, but his first jobs weren’t art, they were university exams and such.

Then books, and eventually art. Word spread around campus.

I also needed money, so I sought him out and joined him.

We were two lion shifters who had to pay our way through school. ”

“What about your parents?”

Scarlet scoffed. “He comes from a line of purist shifters. They set him free and on his feet, as soon as he turned eighteen. He had to find his own way in life.”

“And you? As soon as my parents discovered I’d met a lion who was starting their own pride, they cut the cord.”

“That’s harsh.”

“It is the way of the lion.” Scarlet shrugged.

“It shouldn’t be. You’re telling me that if I were to have children with Axel, I’d have to give them up when they turned eighteen? Are you crazy? You’re a mother for life.”

“I couldn’t agree more, but this is something you’d have to bring up with Axel.

Mixed couples are different. Ariadna’s parents are mixed.

She is a shifter, but her brother is not.

Her parents are loving and doting on both children.

They do not, however, belong to a pride.

They decided to focus on their more human side.

So, as you see, it depends on what you choose to do with your mate. ”

“I see.” Alice looked out the window once more.

What future would she have with Axel when they had children?

She wouldn’t be willing to give them up because of some stupid pride rule.

Alice grimaced. Why on earth was she entertaining these thoughts?

Children? She was leaving Axel forever. He was a stranger.

There was no future if there’d never even been a present.

Her heart seemed to disagree, clutching painfully and leaving her almost breathless.

“In any case,” Alice said. “I was taught stealing is wrong, so I’ll stick to that. Besides, this whole mating thing is too complicated. I am anxious, you know? I can’t deal with any of it. It’s too much. I need peace and calm, and a slow, measured approach to things.”

Scarlet nodded.

“I understand. Don’t worry.” She gave her a soft smile. “Although, life has a habit of biting us in the ass.”

“That’s not very encouraging coming from a psychologist,” Alice retorted. For some reason, Scarlet’s words angered her, just as when her therapist had pointed out some of her flaws were her own doing.

She laughed heartily.

“That was a piece of friendly advice, not coming from a therapist.”