A massive black panther with sleek fur and a sharp gaze was curled up with Seth and the foster kittens nestled around him.
“Some warning would have been nice.”
Sorry, Caden said. I regained my ability to shift while you were out. Figured this would be better than you coming home to a naked man.
I squeaked. Was it better, though? It had been a fair while since I’d had a naked man in my house.
Naked anyone, honestly.
So unfortunate.
The panic of being so near the giant cat simmered in my blood and I bit back the rise of desire.
I was immensely grateful all over again that they couldn’t hear what I was thinking.
My brain had so many wires crossed with fear and desire, and it popped up at problematic moments sometimes.
The cat didn’t do it for me, but the fact that it could erase me from existence apparently did.
My hammering heart calmed down as Seth hopped up from his spot and stood for me to pick him up. I scooped him into my arms but stayed focused on Caden.
“Why are you a giant? ” I asked. “Regular black panthers are way smaller, aren’t they?”
There’s two lines for panthers—leopard and jaguar, said Caden. We’re jaguar and they’re already the bigger of the two. Most shifters are bigger than their mundane counterparts .
“Can I…touch you?”
Always .
Touching would probably help with the panic. He was just a kitty.
A really, really big one.
I set Seth down and tucked the kittens into their playpen before kneeling next to Caden. My rational mind screamed that I could get eaten in a second, but I’d never been so close to such a gorgeous big cat before. I let my fingers slide over him.
Holy shit.
His fur was like velvet. I tipped forward before I could think better of it and rubbed my cheek over his head, hands gliding down his neck as far as I could reach.
“ Fuck , you’re so soft.” I couldn’t stop touching him. I knew I was being silly but…Oh. My. Gods. It was like a warm version of those magnificently soft blankets that made me want to roll around on them naked.
Softness demanded touching and cats demanded petting. Who was I to disobey a command of the universe?
He purred away as I practically smothered him. I had no idea how long I kneeled there, mindlessly petting him, but eventually Seth meowed plaintively and snapped me out of my fog.
Quit touching him and give me snacks. I don’t have opposable thumbs yet. Seth headbutted my side and trotted out the door and into the kitchen.
I glanced awkwardly at Caden. “Sorry…um, I didn’t mean…”
Caden laughed in my head. Don’t worry about it. It was nice. I don’t usually get affection in this form.
He shimmered and in his place when I next blinked was his house cat form.
“Why are you tiny again?”
I eat less food in this form. Cheaper to keep me around this way. Unless you’ve got a whole deer hanging around.
I let out a sharp laugh. “Fresh out of deer, I’m afraid.”
While they ate their wet food, I sat on the floor next to them. “So, you can turn into a person now? How does that all work?”
When we’re healthy we can flow through any of our forms. Do you want me to be in person form around you or stay like this?
It would probably be better for me to tell him to stay as a cat, but I was infinitely curious what they looked like as people. Plus, it would be nice to have a mouth move when I heard his voice.
“I’d like to see all your forms,” I said. “I don’t know your size or anything as a human, but I have some sweatpants that might be okay until I can get you some clothes.”
Better grab those first unless you want me to strategically pose behind a lamp.
I giggled all the way to the bedroom. Caden followed me and hopped up on the table where I kept my altar, sniffing around while I dug through my dresser until I found what I was looking for.
“Don’t knock anything over,” I said, setting the sweatpants on the bed. “And keep your butthole away from Hecate’s statue, please.”
Caden hopped over to the bed. Buttholes firmly away from the goddess. He looked up at me. Close your eyes unless you want an eyeful.
I closed them, even though I wouldn’t have minded. A gentle fingertip tapped my shoulder and when I opened my eyes I was struck completely speechless.
Oh, gods.
Hot.
So hot.
Smoldering hazel eyes, black hair with a touch of wave, dark stubble, miles of snug muscle wrapped up by smooth, sun-kissed skin. My gaze dipped lower. Giving him gray sweatpants was a mistake .
A ripple of heat seared through me and a horrible needy sound slipped out. I slapped a hand over my mouth.
Seth laughed in my head. Definitely sounds like you’ve got a bit of omega somewhere in the lineage .
Caden gave me a knowing smile, but he didn’t make my embarrassment worse by commenting on it.
I cleared my throat and forced myself to look away. I had groceries to put away and staring at Caden’s immaculate body wasn’t going to make that happen.
“What do you like for people food? I don’t imagine you want me to pop open a can of wet food for you in this form.”
Caden laughed and the sound had goosebumps leaping over my skin.
“Yeah, that only tastes good with a cat tongue. I’m not hard to please.
Anything with a kick of spice works for me.
I hunted through your cupboards and I could make us a decent arrabbiata if you like pasta.
I stowed away on a ship a couple decades ago and spent a handful of years trotting around Europe.
Watched some very talented nonnas cook from the windowsill. ”
His voice was going to be a problem . It was as smooth and velvety as his panther fur, and I was ready to climb him like a tree just so I could hear what he sounded like when he was breathless.
“Arrabbiata sounds delish.” I smiled and smothered the rising need.
He picked up the grocery bags before I could and took them into the kitchen.
I tried not to watch how his muscles shifted as he did so.
I tripped over Seth winding around my ankles and face-planted straight into Caden.
He dropped the groceries back down and wrapped an arm around me, energy arcing from his fingertips and into my skin.
I squeezed my thighs together and tried to steady my breathing.
I wasn’t usually this thirsty . Honestly, it was bordering on ridiculous.
“You okay?”
“ Super .”
Gods.
His skin was so warm. I wanted to play the damsel and pretend I was grievously injured so he’d pick me up and carry me off to bed. His hazel eyes flashed gold for one gloriously hot second and I bit down on another pitiful sound.
Good gods.
Get it together .
I couldn’t throw myself at this beautiful cat-man-panther person. Not that…there were rules against that. I was a grown- ass woman, and really, who would know if I did throw myself at him. I didn’t get a vibe from him that he’d get judgey if I did.
“So,” Caden said as he pulled items out of the plastic bags, “in the interest of full disclosure, while I can’t hear your thoughts, I do have a cat’s sense of smell in this form.”
“Okay?”
He shrugged. “I can smell how you’re reacting to me.”
My heart kicked up, a frantic buzzing in my ears. I steadied myself against the counter and swallowed hard. “ Great . Love that for me.”
Caden laughed and Seth hopped up on the counter.
Don’t feel too bad, Seth thought at me. Caden’s an alpha. If you’ve got some omega in you somewhere down the line, you’ll react more to him than you would to a regular human .
“What are you?”
Beta.
“Does this mean you can smell me too?”
Seth looked at me with big saucer eyes. Yeah, but it hits different in human form. It doesn’t mean much to this body.
Well, that was a relief. At least my cats weren’t lusting after me.
My gaze slid back to Caden. “Sorry.”
I didn’t know why I felt compelled to apologize for being into him. By all accounts this should be weird , but my brain had already slotted his different forms into their own little categories—cute and for cuddles, might eat me, and oh gods I’m in trouble .
“I don’t know what impressions you’re laboring under, but I have zero issues with a beautiful woman being interested in me in any capacity.
” Caden leaned onto the counter, watching me with a too-hot gaze.
“If you’re more comfortable with me being a house cat I can do that, and if you’d rather me stick around like this, then I’m at your service. ”
I needed to sit down. I yanked out one of the chairs on the kitchen island and parked my ass. Seth immediately meowed, standing on his hind legs so I could lift him onto my lap.
Asking what kind of service Caden might be up to providing sat on the tip of my tongue.
When I didn’t respond, he continued, “You saved both our lives taking us in. If there’s anything you need, within reason, I’ll do it. Plus, I promised you dinner.”
Seth rubbed his head under my chin. I closed my arms around him. “You guys are pretty cute kitties, and I’d already kinda fallen in love with your cat-selves, but I’d be cool with you hanging around as people. I’d feel bad shoehorning you into a single form.”
“Good.” Caden raked that sexy gaze over me again and I bit my lip. “I’m enjoying the experience of you in this form. Go do your kitten chores. I’ll start dinner.”
Oh no. I hadn’t thought far enough ahead with this. Cooking was one of my weaknesses with men. I was way too easy to woo with food and he was going to look so good while he made me dinner.
I swallowed hard and darted off to the nursery with Seth. He sat and watched as I prepped the formula, weighing and feeding the kittens.
He likes you .
I glanced over at Seth as I fed Turnip her bottle. “He’s been in people form for, like, five minutes.”
Yeah, but you’re easy to like. We haven’t had someone take care of us for a long time. We can feel the emotion stuff in all our forms, but now he can feel his attraction for you, too.
Table of Contents
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- Page 2 (Reading here)
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