Shifters: A Samantha Reece Mystery Book 1 by Jaime Johnesee (libby ebook reader txt) 📕

Nah, I may have disliked the guy to start with, but even then he didn’t feel evil, just douchey. While it may be odd both in timing and that he wound up a witness, it didn’t feel right that he was involved.

It was more than a sire bond, or my jaguar, telling me that. It was my instincts. I’d always been able to trust and depend on those instincts from the time I was a child and I trusted them now.

Chapter 14

“SO, WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO WATCH?” He called up the guide on his satellite TV and slowly began scrolling through.

“I have some questions, about being a jaguar.” I wasn’t sure when the right time to ask would be, but I figured since I had a captive audience, now was the time to get out every thought and question that had boiled within my brain for the last few years.

“Okay. Fire away, I’ll try to answer all of them. Some I may not know the answer to myself. I wasn’t really indoctrinated into this life that well, either.” His posture straightened and he crossed his arms over his chest.

Apparently, he wasn’t over his own terrifying transformation from human to shifter. I probably wouldn’t have been over it myself. I felt just the bite alone was similar to being raped; I felt awful for him having to experience both horrifically forceful acts at once. “Do we all possess a sixth sense for danger?”

“We have heightened senses, yes. I don’t know what you mean by a sixth sense for danger, though.”

“I mean being able to tell someone is bad news just because of gut instinct. Not to mention knowing something bad is going to happen before it does. It’s infuriating because it is just a vague sense of discomfort. Nothing specific, just that something is wrong.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever heard of that. I wish I had that sense. I know some wolves with some psychic abilities, but they are mainly visions, nothing like you are describing.”

“Is it difficult for you to sleep after a shift, too?”

“Sometimes. It really depends on the shift and how much energy I expend. Shifting more than twice a day can actually cause me to sleep more deeply than any other time.”

“What about hunting? Is there a way to control those urges?”

“With some meditation techniques you can learn to be in full control of your cat and your shifts. I can teach them to you if you want.”

“Later? Right now I have so many more questions that have been troubling me since I was changed.”

“Okay. You keep asking, I’ll keep answering.” He leaned back on the couch, looking tired, but happy.

“What was your first shift like?”

“I’d rather not talk about that right now,” he whispered, looking pained.

“Fair enough. How high can you jump?”

“I can’t say I’ve ever measured it, but I’d guess probably ten feet.” The pain was gradually eclipsed by a small smile.

“Have you been able to keep control of your shifts since that first one?”

“For the most part. There have been some times when the fever burned so hot that I woke up with pieces of raccoon stuck on me.”

“I’m a bunny eater myself.”

“Imagine saying that to anyone else,” he quickly added, “other than a shifter.”

“They’d probably think me nuts.”

“Or at least someone who likes to eat small defenseless little poop machines.”

“Poop machines. Ha! That’s a good one.”

“But you have to admit it’s accurate.”

“Extremely.” A knock on the door interrupted our Q and A session.

I stood, walked over to the door, and looked out the peephole.

I was expecting it to be my relief, but I couldn’t see anyone. I jumped when a loud thud reverberated through the door and my arm that was up against it. One large brown eye appeared in the peephole before it drew back, allowing me to see who it belonged to.

A large grizzly bear stood on two legs just outside the door. I caught his familiar scent and my heart beat faster. He roared and jumped at the door. I jumped back and grabbed my sidearm, grateful when the hinges and door held tight.

“Ben! Is there another way out of here?” I retreated to the living room.

“Yeah, why?” A loud booming thud and a splintering noise came from the door far in front of me.

“Let’s go! Now!” I scooped my keys and purse up from the table.

Ben led us through his bedroom and out to a balcony that overlooked a small pond. Luckily a large maple stood beside the pond. Unluckily, there was no time to shift and leap down gracefully as we heard the front door splinter further. The bear was in the house. We scrambled down the maple, Ben first, me holding the gun on the balcony door until Ben was out of the way.

“Fucking should have known Grisly was a grizzly, stupid me. Stupid, stupid me,” I babbled to myself as I climbed/jumped down out of the tree.

We ran for the parking lot and I yelled out, “The 71 Challenger!” hoping against hope Ben would be able to tell which car it was. You’d be surprised how many guys couldn’t pick out a pony car from a muscle car.

I was relieved when he made a beeline for my baby. I opened the door and dove in, unlocking Ben’s side as I pulled the door closed behind me. I started the engine and was ready to throw it into reverse as the grizzly began running at my car, full tilt.

Panting in fear, Ben climbed in and closed the door on his side. I shoved my purse at him and waited until Grisly got closer. Once I had a good look at him in shifter form, not to mention a really good scent off him, I peeled out and drove off.

There was no way he could shift and get in a car in time to follow us, but that fact didn’t make me slow down. I got out of there