Free Super Girls (Cape High Book 13) by R.J. Ross

tone, placing one large hand on my shoulder. "It will not be so bad."
    "Thank you," I say, feeling a hint of tears well up. I put the bags down and start for the door. "I'm just going to find Elidee," I tell her, giving her a little smile as I head out. For a second I just stop, standing in front of the dorm. I hold out my hands, closing my eyes and focusing on the wind. There are only a few small breezes right now, but it's enough to give me an idea.
    I turn and head for behind the gym building, looking curiously at the tree houses I find there. Elidee is standing next to the tallest one—but it's the small panther lounging on the deck right in front of her that has me staring. "You've gotten bigger," Elidee says, not touching the cat.
    The cat, on the other hand, reaches one paw out, bopping her on the nose. Elidee jumps back, touching the nose in question. "Don't do that! My face is IMPORTANT!"
    I can't stop the laugh that escapes me. Elidee and the cat both look up at me. "You need to check out your room, Elidee," I tell her as I walk over, "and meet our dorm parents--they can show you which one it is."
    "I wanted to—" Elidee says, looking guiltily at Adanna. "Yeah, okay," she says instead of finishing. "But this isn't the end of it, got it?" she adds to Adanna.
    Adanna yawns in her face, showing sharp white teeth and a complete disregard to whatever Elidee is threatening. She looks a bit older than a cub, I think, but definitely not full grown. "So… why are you so tiny?" I ask as I take Elidee's place. I promptly shut my mouth as soon as she gives me a sharp look. She gets to her feet, raises her front left paw, and bops me on the nose just like she had Elidee. I reach up and rub my nose, not because it had hurt, but because I did NOT expect that.
    "All shifters start out as babies in their new forms," I hear someone say from behind me. I turn, watching as Sunny heads for us. "Adanna's actually a little past the cub stage, but she's not quite to the teen," he says as he heads for the beautiful panther. To my surprise, he gets the same sharp look I got seconds earlier. "First hour is over in five minutes," he tells her. "Nobody cares if I wake up a little early," he adds, reaching up and patting her head. She goes up on her back legs, grabbing the arm trying to pat her. Before I can blink, they're play wrestling, complete with her biting his hand a few times.
    "Doesn't that hurt?" I ask as he goes still for a second, looking pointedly at the way she's biting him.
    "She never tries to break the skin," he says, shrugging. "She has a bit of trouble balancing her instincts with her human side, but she's getting better," he adds as she lets go of the hand and shifts into her human form.
    "No, I just enjoy chewing on you," Adanna says shamelessly. She looks at me, then, a curious expression on her face. "You've not been assigned a first hour, have you?" she asks, hopping off of the tree house and walking over to me. "We should ask Nico what you should do."
    "What's first hour?" I ask.
    "Self practice," Sunny says. "I sleep."
    "I spend it in my cub form," Adanna says.
    "Oh. Um… he said something about target practice?" I offer.
    "Keliah's spot," Adanna says to Sunny. Sunny frowns in obvious confusion. "Keliah? Falconess's daughter?" Adanna prompts. "The blonde with a crush on Jack? She's part of Trent's team?"
    "Oh, right, her," Sunny says. "Um… where is she again?"
    Adanna rolls her eyes. "Follow me," she says to me instead of replying. "It's because he sleeps all the time," she adds, motioning to Sunny. "He is the laziest super I've ever met."
    "I'm growing!" Sunny protests. "I'm taller than you are, now!"
    "You mean you weren't before?" I ask him.
    "I've grown a few inches!" he says proudly. "But, uh, yeah, I do sleep a lot," he admits only seconds later as he yawns hugely. "Who are you again?"
    "Sunny! It's not like we have that many new girls in school," Adanna says.
    "It's better that he doesn't notice them," I