Chapter 8

 

Shaking her head, she went to turn around when he placed his hand under her chin and tipped her head up so she had no choice but to look at him.

“I have to talk to you about something.”

His tone was low and serious. Holding the cup out to him, she waited until he took it. “What is it?”

Taking a deep breath, he held it for a few seconds before exhaling. “I don’t even know where to begin.” Motioning with his chin toward the door, he gave her an earnest look. “Let’s go sit on the porch and I’ll try to figure out how to say this.”

Frowning, she picked up her cup and went to the door. What could possibly be this serious? She didn’t even make it to the chair on the deck before she had to know. “What’s going on, Gage? Is something wrong?” Her heart picked up. “Your parents, oh my god, tell me they’re both okay.”

“Kelsey. They’re fine. Nothing is wrong.”

“Promise.” She had always made him promise when she’d been younger whenever it was something important.

He gave her a gentle look. “Promise.” Looking at the cup in his hand, he set it down and leaned on his knees. “I need to talk to you about your parents, your family.”

“I don’t have any relatives, Gage. You know that.” Sipping the tea, she watched several emotions go through his eyes.

“I know, honey. I’m not talking about blood relatives, I’m talking about family. Your type, my type…” he blew out a breath and sat back, looking out into the yard. “I am screwing this up so badly, I have no idea how to do this.”

“Your kind of freaking me out a bit.” Holding the warm cup between both hands, she focused on the comforting warmth. She had never seen Gage like this. “Just say it.”

He studied her for a few breaths, silently. “What would you say if I told you there were species that you would never have imagined?”

“Species? I-I don’t understand.”

Leaning forward on his knees again, he kept looking at her eyes as he spoke. “People that could change into other creatures.”

In the seven years she had known him, she never would have guessed he was one of those conspiracy-slash-alien believers.

“I can almost hear your thoughts, Kelsey, I’m not crazy.”

He had to be joking, this was some kind of weird joke.

“Kels, look at my eyes. Keep watching.”

She did as he asked and stared at his deep blue eyes, waiting for the punch line. There had to be a punch line. When he blinked, she figured he was just about to fess up, and then she focused on his eyes as they lightened, no, actually the pupils began to expand and the rings around the blue thickened.

The cup slipped from her hands when the shape of his eyes changed. Gage sat there looking at her with the most gorgeous cat eyes she’d ever seen. She had never felt her heart beat so fast. As her thoughts registered, she jumped up from the chair and backed away until her back hit the door. Turning, she opened it and ran inside the house.

She couldn’t focus on any one thought as she stumbled toward the stairs. She made it up three steps before a strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her, only to set her at the bottom step again. Struggling against Gage’s grip, she tried to take his arm off her.

“Kelsey, honey, it’s okay.” His tone was a whisper. He held her tight against his chest, so tight she could feel the vibrations as his spoke. “I’m sorry I had to do it that way. I didn’t know…”

She stopped fighting his hold. “Let me go.” Taking a shaky breath, she relaxed as much as she could. “Now, Gage.” He slowly released her.

Turning around, she looked up at his face, relieved to see Gage’s normal blue eyes looking down at her.

“I’m sorry, honey.”

Kelsey swallowed the lump in her throat. “Your eyes…”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“So,” she sidestepped feeling trapped where she was standing, “So, what are you?” Glancing over her shoulder, she was thankful her hadn’t followed her across the room.

“A shifter. I take the form of a cat. A tiger.”

She nodded not even knowing why she was. “Tiger.”

“Yes.”

“And … and you’re saying there are more like you?” She froze. “Your parents? Gage, do they know?”

His eyes widened slightly. “I hope so, I got it from them.”

Stepping back like he’d hit her, she dropped down onto the couch clutching her head. “Your whole body changes?” She closed her eyes.

“Yes, my whole-body shifts.”

Opening them, she studied him. This man she thought she knew. “Who else is like you?”

Moving with slow steps, he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the chair across from her.

“Everyone with the company, and many of other people you’ve met.”

Leaning back, she clutched the sides of her head again. “S-so Jake and Blair and…”

“All of them. We’re all the same clan, or species, to put it roughly.”

He looked so calm, so patient sitting there yet she wanted to scream. Her whole body was quivering. “Who else that I know?” Dropping her hands into her lap, she squeezed them together and tried to stop the shaking.

“Devin, Calum…”

“They’re cats too?” Her voice cracked. She began to feel nauseous.

“Devin’s actually a wolf and Calum…”

“There are wolves too?” Jumping up, she paced quickly across the room only to stop and stare at the floor because everything seemed to be moving. Tigers and wolves walking around in bodies that looked like normal human beings. A chill moved up her spine. “Why are you telling me this now? I mean, shouldn’t I have been told a long time ago? I should have known what I was living with.”

“I know.”

His voice wasn’t across the room. Spinning, she found him a few feet from her. He stood there, rigid and straight, his hands held loosely beside his body. He looked like a predator waiting to pounce.

“I tried to get the folks to tell you. It wasn’t right to keep it from you.” He tensed. “Not for this long.”

“So why are you telling me now?” Her legs began to shake.

Taking a deep breath, she watched his chest rise slowly. “Because your parents were from my clan…”

“My parents,” she whispered as her chest began to ache. “My parents were tigers?”