"You didn't say I would wake up a giant cat!" I thought loudly.

"Calm little one, all is well. But you should shift back"

"Yeah, because I know how" I retorted with frustration.

"The same way you use telekinesis. Imagine each individual part of your body as a human. Legs, arms, fingers, toes. Think of them, concentrate on them"

I listened to her and tried to calm my mind. Soon, the warming feeling spread all over my body and I felt my body snapping, although it resembled popping one's knuckles or back. Pressure and then a satisfying pop. It took a painfully long time to change, but I finally returned to my two legged form.

"What the heck are these?!" I said, grabbing at the black spandex shorts and a black strapless top that covered my bust only.

"Be grateful, the transition clothing used to be a skirt and top made of the pelt of a black leopard. I updated the wardrobe. And talk in your mind, not everyone needs to know our business.

"No, I meant being in clothes. Aren't we supposed to shift back naked?" I thought, but then decided I did not like that.

"Do you want to shift back naked?"

"No" I said out loud hesitantly.

"Then stop complaining. We are more... civilized... than you wolf counterparts. And more powerful. Be grateful"

"Ok mean lady, geez" I looked around me and realized, for the first time, that this was a secluded waterfall in the middle of the forest. Trees shrouded the ledge we were standing on and everything was a healthy green. I walked to the ledge and looked at the large pool of water that the waterfall let in to. I looked up and took in a huge breath of air. It smelled amazing out here, so amazing that I could just snuggle in the aura.

A rustle in the shrubs behind me had me spinning around quickly. I peered into the underbrush, waiting for something to jump out and get me.

Instead, Alpha Alex stepped out of the brush in nothing but basketball shorts. He was staring at me, not in hatred, but in caution, as if he thought I was going to attack him. I suddenly remembered our awkward encounter two nights ago and felt my face flame with embarrassment. He looked so attractive without a shirt. He had toned, cut arms and perfectly sculpted pecs. His sides were extremely muscular and he was boasting a perfect six pack. I just wanted to reach out and touch him. In fact, as I was perusing his body with my eyes, I had been unwittingly moving closer to him. He was staring at me unwaveringly, and I had to intentionally stop myself from moving, because my natural impulse was to move toward him. His eyes were mesmerizing and I just wanted to get closer.

No! Stop moving! Why was this so difficult?!

"He is ours"

"Yes, I know he's our Alpha. Thanks for the update but you are a little behind" I thought angrily.

"Nie you ditzy girl! I said OURS. Not our Alpha. He is our mate. Our other half. The one you are destined to be with" that statement had me stopping dead in my tracks.

No...

"You...shifted" he said quietly.

"NO!" I yelled at him, not hearing a word he said, but merely reacting to the news of his being my mate. I turned on the balls of my feet and sprinted off into the forest.

"Where are you going?! Accept our mate, he makes us stronger!"

"No, he is an ass!" I yelled as scenery sped by me unnaturally fast.

"Do not fight the bond! He has only been like this because he is suffering. Give him a chance!"

"No, he knew. He knew I was his mate and he still treated me like crap. I do not want a mate like that"

"You cannot fight destiny. And you do not know him yet. Give him time" her voice was not angry, just exasperated and sad.

I ran all the way to my house and stopped when I reached the back door. I looked up at the balcony and tried to estimate the height.

"You can make it. Use your newfound feline abilities"

I nodded and jumped, easily clearing the balcony.

"Wow..." I said with a small smile.

But my heart still hurt...

How could he be my mate? How could someone so hateful and mean and angry be my mate?

But then again I feel like I knew. The signs were there. I just didn't want to see them. His anger, the stares, the kiss...

"I'm an idiot" I sighed.

"Yes"

"Oh be quiet. It's three o' clock and I have school in five hours" I said, crawling in to bed. I tried not to think about how happy I was about being able to shift. Or about how upset I was about Alex. Either topic would easily prevent sleep. I shut out everything in cleared my mind, forcing myself to sleep.

* * * * * * *

Morning came too soon, but I flew out if bed none the less. The idea of telling everyone had me so excited, I could barely control it. And then, I planned on helping Nate research his parents so we could find out what he would shift into. I had a feeling he was going to be a shifter too, just a late bloomer, like me.

"I'm proud of you for trusting your gut instinct, it will save your life many times, and yes, he is a late bloomer"

"How do you know this stuff about other shifters?"

"I can feel it. I am more in tune with my powers. As are many of our people. They spend more time in animal form than human, which brings you closer to nature, and it was nature, of course, that gave us this gift. That is the problem with these wolves. They do not give into nature enough. It holds them back."

"Yeah, well let's not tell them you think they're weak. They get offended. Short tempers"

"You have a short temper too, especially now that we are fully connected. You will have to work harder to control you anger. Feline's have shorter tempers and finickier tastes than wolves do. We are high society, of course."

"Alright, calm yourself Queen Kitty" I mumbled. I threw on skinny jeans, a loose fitting, long sleeve, V-neck sweater, and teal heels. I wrapped a scarf around my neck and ran down stairs.

"Hi Gonga, by Gonga! I have so much to tell you later!" I yelled, running out the door. She smiled and waved, about to say something but I did not give her time. As I opened the door and the cold wind hit me, I wondered how I knew it was going to be cold when I dressed in my room.

"Instincts" my leopard chimed in.

"And when did I start wearing heels? And skinny jeans?!" I yelled as I hopped into my car.

"Discovery of hidden good taste?" she said with a chuckle, "although I have nothing to change about the car. Perfect choice, muscle and style". I rolled my eyes and sped off to school.

After several inquiries throughout the first five periods of the day as to whether or not I was feeling better, I informed everyone in the group that I had a surprise to tell them at lunch. All except Nate, I wanted to tell him before. As the guys ran out onto the field for athletics, I snagged him dragged him to an empty soccer field behind the gym.

"What are you doing!? I have to practice" he said with a laugh, trying to get past me, but I was bobbing and weaving into his way to prevent him.

"Wait! I have something to tell you!" I yelled, laughing when he picked me up by my legs and threw me over his shoulder.

"I know! At lunch" he chuckled when I started smacking his back.

"No now!" I sad and I pushed off of him with my knees roughly. He flew back with a shocked expression on his face, so I used that time to start my story.

"So you know how I was feeling sick yesterday?"

"Yes, you looked like death, but now you look perfectly fine, so I don't know what happened" he looked relived.

"Well I know what happened! I went home and went straight to bed, but I woke up feeling awful at eleven, so I went for a walk, but I was in a terrible daze and I was wondering until I found this adorable, private waterfall where..." I slowed my speech down as I realized I had reached the part about Alex. "I laid down on the ground and I went in to this coma like state. And then this woman in my head started talking to me and she told me about how I am a different species of shifter and that I shift at eighteen not thirteen and then when I woke up she was in my head, like a wolf should be, and I was a giant black panther although she's African so she calls it a leopard, and then she taught me how to shift back and she knows all these things and she says you're like me and that you're a late bloomer too!" damn, I had picked up the rambling disease from the people of this town.

Nate just stared at me with eyes the size of saucers. I definitely should have paced myself, because now he doesn't know what to be excited about.

"I think you melted his brain..."

"I...you...we...?... We're shifters, just not wolves, and you shifted last night and...a leopard? Am I a leopard too?" he asked with a monstrous grin on his face.

"No, I don't-"

"Definitely not. But he's something. Look at his size, his physique. He's not nothing. Listen to your instincts, they have not let you down. You knew he was more the first day you arrived here"

"...Hello!? Terri!" Nate was waving his hand in front of my face.

"What... oh sorry! I'm not used to having conversations in my head yet. What was your question?"

"Wow, yeah your eyes glazed over and everything. I asked if you...she...knows what I am?" he asked in a timid voice.

"We don't know what exactly, but we know you're going to shift too. When is your birthday?" I asked.

"Well, I don't know actually. I was found on the front porch at the beginning of January, but Mrs. Crewwe thinks I was two or three months old already" he said sadly.

"Nate! That means your eighteenth birthday is soon!" I yelled excitedly, jumping into his arms for a hug. I squeezed him and went to pull away when I realized he was still holding me tight, rubbing my back. I started feeling uncomfortable and wrong in his arms as I realized the romantic vibes he was giving off, but I tried to contain my panic as I tapped his shoulder letting him know to let me go. He released me and I began to breathe easy again.

"The longer you fight the mating bond, the more difficult will make your life" my panther told me.

"Shut it" I whispered, then looked up to see Nate even more puzzle and still a little hurt.

"Did you... find you mate last night? Or today. Do you know who it is?" Nate asked sadly. I could not lie and tell him it was him, even though I think that's what he wanted me to say. But that didn't mean I could not lie.

"No, I haven't found him" I told him with a sad smile.





I'm sorry it took so long for me to post, but I started college and I've been settling in, but I am back! I have reread everything and I have been typing away. I have to admit, I missed it and I'm excited for y'all to read what's coming up! Thanks for reading! Another pic of the adorable Nate and a nice little song that I listen to when I write.