That Shifter Love

Nathan had told her the Guard would come to her if she didn’t go see them, but she just didn’t think it was necessary. She understood the rules and would follow them religiously so as not to stir up trouble. The city was filled with people who didn’t like weres; she was aware of that. Protecting herself from their hatred was right up there with protecting herself from a would-be-rap*st. She wouldn’t shift and she’d be protected from the first; she’d follow Jeff’s advice and get a stun gun to avoid the second. No shifting. Got it.

But that kiss, Lucy thought with a sigh of longing. That kiss had hit her in the stomach like no other kiss ever had. Her lips had felt the pressure of his for several minutes after the kiss had ended. She wanted to kiss him again and again. She wanted more than that, actually.

Sighing, she turned off the water and climbed out of the shower. She grabbed a fluffy, purple towel and patted her face.

She finished drying and turned off the light in the bathroom, her thoughts drifting from important things like protecting herself and Nathan’s kiss to how heavenly her bed looked at that moment. She walked in the darkness to her bed and laid down naked, asleep within minutes.

*****

Lucy woke slowly from a dream she vaguely remembered. Whatever had happened in the dream, it had put a smile on her face that she was pretty sure had nothing to do with unicorns and butterflies. A certain, s*xy werecat in the shape of a surfer boy had made a cameo, she was sure of it. She lay in her bed, eyes closed, and told herself the story of their dreamland encounter.

Nathan lay on his back in the meadow near her childhood home, arms crossed behind his head. His eyes were closed, but she knew he was awake; he was smiling beautifully at whatever lovely image was in his mind.

“Stop staring at me,” he whispered to her, his eyes unopened. “I can feel it.”

Her phone rang next to her, interrupting her thoughts. Dammit! she griped in her mind as she reached for the phone. She glanced at the screen before answering and sighed.

“Hi, Mom,” she mumbled sleepily so her mother would realize she had been sleeping.

“Oh, honey, did I wake you?”

She sighed again. “I worked the late shift last night.”

“Sorry about that,” her mother chirped. “So, how have you been?”

“Fine,” she replied, sitting up and searching for her robe before actually getting out of bed. “What’s up?”

“Not much, just hadn’t heard from you in a while and wondered how you were doing.”

“Just school and work, really. Nothing exciting,” Lucy told her. She would not tell her parents about the incident with Austin or the Guard wanting to speak to her. Neither of them really wanted her in the city to begin with, and information like that would only encourage them to berate her about returning home.

“Do you need any money? I know it’s expensive there.”

Lucy smiled. They may hate that she’s here, but they always offered to help her. She hadn’t needed to take their money for a while, but when she’d first moved here, she had struggled. So they still offered regularly.

“I’m good, mom. Been getting really good tips the last few weeks,” Lucy said as she put on her robe and wandered to the kitchen for some coffee. “School is getting harder though.”

“I bet, but you’ll be fine, I’m sure,” her mother responded. Lucy could tell the real reason for the call was coming. “So Daryl stopped by the camp today.”

Yep, there it was. “So?”

“He asked about you again,” her mother hinted.

“Mom, we’ve talked about that. I am not going to live on the side of a mountain and have a litter of pups with that man. He’s not smart enough for me.”

“Lucy, that is cruel. He’s not stupid,” her mother admonished.

“No, he’s not, but he’s not as smart as I am,” Lucy reaffirmed. “I like the city and I plan to stay here and work here.”

Her mother huffed into the phone. “You’ve always been too independent for your own good.”

“Thanks, I think,” Lucy replied, eliciting a chuckle from her mother.

“Listen, honey, I’m in town getting supplies and need to get back. I love you. Dad says hi and he loves you too.”

“Bye, Mom. Love y’all.”

*****

An hour after hanging up with her mother, Lucy changed into jeans and a tee. She was grateful for the day off today; she had a ton of errands to get done. Not only did she have to go shopping for new clothes after ruining hers when Austin had attacked her, she also needed groceries. She’d been living the single life, eating frozen dinners or take out for the last few days because she hadn’t felt like going to the market.

Lucy actually enjoyed cooking and created recipes regularly. However, she’d have to eat the same meal for three or four days since she lived alone, and after the first two, she would get tired of eating the same thing. She felt guilty about it, but on the third day, she almost always threw her concoction in the trash.

As she walked out of her apartment, she grabbed the full trash bag, her purse, and locked the door behind her. She threw the garbage in the chute as she walked by. She waved at her elderly neighbor, who was coming in, and hurried out. The day was beautiful, so she decided a route to the market through the park was the perfect direction to take.

Lucy raised her nose into the air and took a deep breath as she walked through the entrance of the park. She smelled only the regular smells of the park; no weres. A couple dogs, but no weres. She breathed a sigh of relief and set off across the park, following the jogging path. She made sure to stay to one side so she didn’t interrupt any joggers taking advantage of the beautiful day.