Free Her Mighty Shifter by C.L. Scholey Page A

sigh.
    “Aw, you can purr, how adorable.”
    He hadn’t been called adorable in a long time. He could handle cute. At least she hadn’t called his mouse form “smoochable”. How embarrassing .
    ****
    Posy rode on Maximus’s back. They were deep in the jungle on a honeymoon of sorts. Tac suggested the couple leave until the mate issue was settled. It would be a few months before the planet could connect with Earth and other shifters would be chosen to seek their mates. In a week or so Posy would have too much of her mate’s scent to be ignored, and all would know she belonged to him. The craziness of the planet would settle for her, as the shifters just needed a bit more time to adjust.
    “How are the shifters chosen to select a mate?” Posy asked.
    “The beam chooses them. Those who want mates go to the beam and the ones who make it through know a mate is there on the other side.”
    “But some didn’t find mates.”
    “No. I’m guessing it was because you are viable with every shifter the beam was confused. All it knew was it was your time for a mate.”
    “So there’s a lot of ticked off shifters because of me.”
    “Not because of you. They are confused. Some will be wary.”
    “I feel bad.”
    “Don’t. It’s not your fault.”
    “So how long are we banished for?”
    “We’re not banished. We’re on vacation.”
    “I think Tac blames me for the children’s sugar high.”
    Maximus burst out laughing. “Yeah, that ketchup was something else. The gorilla twins were so hyper they kept running into each other.”
    “Well now we know sugar and shifter don’t mix.”
    The fiasco of children running in crazy patterns for most of an afternoon had sparked some heated debate over cooked foods. Who knew a few fries and ketchup would cause a disaster? One look at cocoa beans made Posy cringe. Hot cocoa was out of the question. How was she to survive her next period?
    “All this wonderful food. Oh the trifles I could have made. Apple crisps, peach cobblers, ice cream. Gone, all gone for the sake of nutso children.”
    “You can make that for you.”
    “How?” she drawled. “You have laws that there is to be no fire in the treetops or homes. Granted that is a good law considering everything is made of wood. But on the ground where everyone can see what I’m doing and smell what I’m cooking is no good. I didn’t force food on those munchkins. They lined up for it.”
    “You can try out here.”
    “And risk elephants showing up for a tea party? No thanks.”
    They were able to cover a great deal of land, and in no time Maximus had taken her to a quiet place. Posy slipped from his back and watched him shift. He took her hand, and together they walked through the beauty of the land.
    Maximus plucked a ripe peach and handed it to Posy. She wished Earth’s Africa was as lush with life. No one would ever go hungry on this planet. Bushes of strawberries and raspberries dotted the hills.
    “Does all this food stay in season all year?” she asked.
    “Yes.”
    “I can’t imagine what you must think of my planet.”
    “How can I not think your planet is wonderful? It gave me you.”
    He wiped juice from her lips before kissing her. Posy felt a tug under her arms as she was lifted into the air. Maximus roared. She hung suspended from a tree by an anaconda. Two black eyes gazed into hers.
    “Interesting.” The word was hissed as the tongue flicked out.
    Posy balled a fist and smashed it. She was released and landed in Maximus’s arms. The snake shifted and clutched his nose.
    “That wasn’t nice.” The words were muffled.
    “You dragged me into a tree. What did you expect, a kiss?”
    “I thought you…”
    “Were your mate,” she finished. “I’m not.”
    “I noticed.”
    “No one is supposed to be out here,” Maximus said.
    The man dropped to land on his feet. He was bald, big, and annoyed. “I didn’t know. Now I do, and I’ll make sure others stay away. Your mate is mean.”
    “How