Page 65 of Tiger Bitten

“You’re a panther.”

Shock consumed her. She wouldn’t have guessed it. She had imagined she was a tiger but had never had any clue of what she actually was. She had just needed something to believe.

“There’s more,” Misty said, her eyes so full of emotion. “Your father didn’t know about you. He had no idea. He wants to meet you as soon as you’re ready.”

“He does?” she asked.

Misty nodded. “Your mom already knows. I talked to her about it yesterday and she’s wrapping her head around some things, but Grady really wants to meet you. He never knew he was a dad.”

“I was the one who talked to him,” Mars said low. He nodded comfortingly to her. “He seems good. He seems genuine. If you don’t want to meet him, you don’t have to. But if you ever do, he’s waiting.”

“What the hell?” she said, her breath hitching as she backed to the picnic table and took a heavy seat. “Okay,” she uttered, mind racing. “Okay. I would’ve been a panther.”

“You are a panther. You’re a Cat. Your animal is a panther.”

“If I had an animal.”

Mars was the one who knelt in front of her now. “There’s more.”

Her eyes burned with emotion. How could there be more?

Mars ran his thumb under her eye, catching a tear. “I can Turn you.”

Those four words in that combination made no sense.

He repeated them. “I can Turn you.”

“To a tiger?” she whispered.

“No,” he said, shaking his head slowly, his glowing blue eyes boring into her. “I can wake up your animal. Half-Cats can be Turned by Cats, but for them, it’s an awakening. And it isn’t even a near death experience like a normal Turning of a human. You’re already halfway there. I have talked to three Half-Cats who have been Turned by their mates, and they’re normal Cats now.”

Ren’s face crumpled and she shook her head, denying the truth. Couldn’t be. Couldn’t be.

“Hey,” Mars whispered, his eyes filling with emotion as he wiped tears before they could streak all the way down her cheeks. “You can stay a Half-Cat if you want. You can. I love you either way, it does not matter to me. But someday, if you want to meet your Cat, and you want to Change with me, and you want to kick Stellan’s tiger’s ass…”

She laughed thickly as Stellan muttered, “She can fuckin’ try,” behind Mars.

“…then I can Turn you. I have asked all the questions. I know how to do it.” Truth, truth, truth, truth.

No more Almost-Changes? No more questioning who she was, or where she belonged? She could be a normal Cat?

“Would I still be allowed in your Ambush?” She asked. “Since I’m not a tiger?”

“I’m a human and I’m in the Ambush,” Misty pointed out. “Pretty sure you could be a frog shifter, and you’ll still be with us. We are stage five clingers.”

“I’m not,” Stellan said, but there was a lie in his voice.

“This is your big day,” Ren told Misty, admonishing her. “This isn’t supposed to be big moment for me.”

“And that’s why the boys made me promise to wait until after our nuptials. I’m totally good with us sharing the happiest day ever.”

She really loved her friend. Ren kissed Mars and nuzzled her cheek against his hand, then stood and hugged Misty. And then Dame. And then she squared up to Stellan to fist-bump him, but he shocked her to her bones and hugged her. “I’m still going to call you a Fake Cat,” he said low.

“And I’m still going to call you a dipshit.”

He huffed what almost sounded like a laugh and then ended the hug abruptly and pushed her toward Mars. “I hate when women cry.”

Ren rolled her eyes and looked up at Mars, who looked so content, and happy right now. So steadfast.