Changing Her Tune

by Brandy Walker

  All of the sudden aware of how ravenous she was, she unwrapped it, almost forgetting to mumble, “Thanks,” around the first bite.

  They ate in silence, with Austin passing her a drink before she voiced her need for one. He seemed attuned to her, and it made her a little giddy.

  When they were finished, he gathered everything. “I’m going to run it all downstairs. Don’t want it stinking up your room.”

  “Thanks,” she said again. What’s with the one-word responses?

  As he disappeared down the stairs, Tess took the chance to brush the onion smell from her breath. He appeared again mid-brush. Stepping behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Every muscle in her body relaxed. Her brain quit spinning. Her cheetah, which she hadn’t realized had been prowling, restless, until he embraced her, calming her enough to curl up and sleep.

  They wandered into her room, closing themselves off from everyone else. He lounged on her bed back pressed against the wall, an eyebrow raised in question when she didn’t join him. “Come on, Red. Come cuddle with me.”

  “It’s back to Red?” She wasn’t all too upset about the nickname. The way he said it felt intimate—special. She walked to his side of the bed, hands on hips and scowl on her face, not ready to show her complete compliance.

  He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her over him, straddling his lap. His hands coasted up her sides. “I like calling you Red.”

  He brushed his thumbs over her nipples, which perked in response. Her breath hitched as a slow heat wound through her. “And I told you to call me Tess,” she said once she could breathe again.

  “We’ll see.” He leaned forward, catching one of the buds between his teeth, worrying it roughly through the fabric. Letting go, he gave the same treatment to her other nipple. With each tug, arousal shot down into her pussy.

  “You’re making my shirt wet.” A halfhearted protest.

  “I bet that’s not the only thing.” Sliding his hands to her hips, he pressed her down as he rocked into her. Her clit rubbed against the hard ridge of his erection. If she had been wearing panties, they would have flooded with cream.

  “Take your top off, Red,” he commanded.

  His voice rumbled over her, sending her into action. The blue tank went flying across the room. Heavy, earthy musk rolled off him in waves.

  Eyes darkening with arousal, he licked his lips before dragging his gaze to her face. “Before I suck those pretty little nipples of yours and have you riding my cock, I need to ask you a question.”

  Nervousness attacked her at his words. She sucked in a breath, doing a piss-poor job of toning down her excitement. He sounded serious…about both.

  “Come home with me at winter break.”

  Tess sat back, dumbfounded by the request. “That wasn’t a question.”

  A half-cocked smile curled one side of his face. “Is that a yes, then?”

  “No. You didn’t ask a question. Maybe I had plans for winter break. Maybe you should have started with that.”

  His brows pulled down into a frown, and all traces of his smile disappeared. Austin’s grip on her hips tightened. “Do you?” he growled.

  “No, but you should have asked first.”

  His grip loosened, and he grinned again. “So, you aren’t going home?”

  “No,” she said, irritated. “I haven’t gone home for winter break since I started college. The past couple years, I would go to Josh’s house, but I never liked it there.”

  “I hate that kid.”

  “You’re not alone on that,” she mumbled. “But you missed my point. You said you wanted to ask me a question and you didn’t.”

  “Would you please come home with me, Tess? My dad wants to meet you, and my younger sisters have been texting nonstop asking a million questions about you.”

  “You have sisters? How many?” Nervous butterflies took flight in her tummy. “What are they like?”

  “I have two, and they are obnoxiously cute but annoying. Kati is fifteen and Sara is fourteen. I think my dad is hoping you and I will give him a much-needed break.” He bucked underneath her. “Now, back to my question and the sexy stuff.”

  Tess chewed her lip and studied Austin. He made her happy, made her feel like she belonged somewhere…finally. On the right path to blending her cheetah and human halves, she could see how foolish she had been to tell him he was out of his mind thinking they were mates.

  “Red?” He brushed her hair back from her face. The light touch filled with tenderness. No one in her life had touched her so gently or looked at her like she was the greatest treasure in their life.

  “Yes,” she cried out. Throwing her arms around his neck, she squeezed him as hard as she could.

  He enveloped her, pulling her in tight. “It’s okay, Red. I’ve got ya.”

  She didn’t know what he meant until she pulled back and he swiped a finger across her cheek and it came back wet.

  “I think we’re gonna okay, don’t you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I do. So, about the sexy stuff….” She leaned forward and sealed their lips together. Home.

  It was the last thought she had before absolute bliss took over.

  ~A Letter From Brandy Walker~

  Dear Reader,

  We’re back at Shifter U, Home of the Lions, Tigers, Bears and More.

  Shifter U is the University I wish existed. Shifters of all types coming together in one place. The bars, the restaurants, the frat parties. There is so much that can go on, so many things that can happen.

  I loved diving back into this world and seeing how Tess and Austin’s story unfolded. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

  I would love to hear from you. You can email me at brandy@brandywalker.net

  Sign up for the Decadent Publishing Newsletter here http://eepurl.com/SQ75f

  and never miss stories like:

  Shifted Plans by Brandy Walker

  Avery Hillman pulled open the heavy wood back door to her home away from home and breathed a sigh of relief. Tension knotting her neck and back eased. The numbness in her ass started to dissipate.

  River Rock, the home of Shifter U, may technically be two hours away from her home in Mischief, Wyoming, but this time the trip felt like it took forever.

  The summer break with her pride had been filled with bickering siblings, rambunctious cousins, and near nonstop work at the Hillman Family Medical Clinic.

  Working her butt off at the clinic, she could handle. All day, every day. It filled her with a sense of accomplishment to help others as the behind-the-scenes girl. The one who made sure appointments ran smoothly amidst the chaos of emergencies and various unexpected complications. The master’s in health services management she would receive at the end of the school year would be the last item in her toolbox, the final key she needed to solidify her position in the family business.

  With her father’s promise, she would take over the management and running of their clinic completely upon her return. Six grueling years of schooling and she would travel home one last time to start her new life. A small thrill skittered through her at the idea of settling down on her own. The comfort of familiarity mixing with the prospect of doing things how she wanted, when she wanted, and with whomever she wanted. She would be a bona fide adult, able to make decisions, whether good or bad, that would dictate her future.

  Clearing the visions of life after college from her head, she sucked in a deep breath, allowing the scents and warmth of the house to calm her, bringing her back to the present.

  “This is it. My last year,” she announced to the empty townhome as she closed the back door.

  She knew there wouldn’t be anyone else in the house. Her roommates from the previous year had either graduated or found their mates, leaving her the last woman standing.

  Mate.

  The word whispered across her subconscious as she moved through the kitchen. She had yet to find the guy who called to the lioness within. And trust
her, she had looked. At home. At school. At bars and parties. Well, the few she had gone to when not studying.

  She even checked the patients coming into her father’s practice over the summer. Nothing. Not a twitch or a nudge. Her lioness lazed about not caring whenever presented with someone new.

  She wasn’t in a hurry to find her mate. At least she tried to tell herself that each time disappointment spiraled through her when it didn’t happen. At twenty-five, she felt like an on-the-shelf spinster, destined to live a life of solitude with only her nieces and nephews to keep her young.

  I might need to cut back on the historical romances. That’s a bit dramatic even for me.

  She couldn’t deny she wanted what her friends had. They juggled mating ceremonies, completing college, and finding a home or place to be closer to each other. She welcomed the stress most would cringe and shy away from. Finding her mate would be a dream come true.

  For as long as she could remember, she’d woven fairy tales of meeting her mate, falling in love, and having the perfect family and life.

  Their eyes would meet across a crowded room, the glow of the mating connection reflected in their stares. Drawn toward each other, they would come together in the middle of the room, their scents mingling, weaving into one, and start the bonding process. He would be reluctant to leave her side, insisting he couldn’t be away from her for any length of time. He would woo her, tempt her with his words and actions. Then he would beg her to mate with him, do anything to be with her.

  A soft, dreamy sigh escaped her lips, startling her from her musings, as she pulled her bags behind her through the living room.

  Mating wasn’t all hearts, sparkles, and rainbows. She knew that. Not all mates were lucky enough to fall in love. With the mating connection the couple generally got together regardless, the pull from their beasts too much to resist, but nothing guaranteed they would be perfect mates. For mating to turn into love, to become perfect mates, hard work and dedication were required. There would be arguments and compromise followed by passionate nights filled with apologies and forgiveness.

  Days when you questioned your sanity about agreeing to become someone’s mate for all eternity. Nights when you wondered how the two of you could make it work when it felt as if your path was littered with every obstacle known to man.

  The negatives didn’t dissuade her from the romantic, heart-thumping, breath-stealing ideas floating through her head. She had lived with them for so long she didn’t want her mating to go any other way. Didn’t know what she would do if it did.

  Her mom told her she would find the One when she was supposed to. Probably when she least expected it. Avery wrinkled her nose at the thought. She could admit to not being a fan of surprises, not when it came to something as important as this. Then again, it could be her inability to let nature take its course as to why she hadn’t found the elusive One. She anticipated his arrival around every corner, in every room she entered. She was constantly on the lookout for this mysterious mate destined to be her perfect match, her perfect mate.

  “Not this year, Av,” she murmured as a reminder. She promised herself she would try to let it happen as the Fates intended. Live in the moment and not actively look for him. She wanted to enjoy her time with her friends, not stress over finding a man to complicate her life. She needed to embrace this last year of being responsible for nothing other than graduating.

  “And I shouldn’t have to keep reminding myself either,” she muttered.

  The urge to drop her bags at the foot of the stairs tugged at her when she looked up. Two flights of steps. One steeper than the other. She knew once she set them down, she wouldn’t want to pick them up. Trudging up the well-worn wooden stairs, her footsteps echoed throughout the house. She passed the second floor and continued to the third.

  Being the residential manager of the townhouse meant she had the coup of living in the top floor loft, basically a studio apartment.

  She had a bedroom separated from the small but functional living room and a nice little kitchen with all of the amenities, including a bar and two tall-backed stools, creating the perfect eating area. Her bathroom was bigger than all of the others in the house—garden tub; shower; a pretty, single-sink vanity with under-cabinet storage. If she could find something similar in Mischief, she would be one happy woman. No way did she plan to move in with her parents and obnoxious siblings like her mother hoped. The promise of the finished basement not nearly alluring enough to put up with that madhouse.

  Avery trudged through her living room before dropping her bags in her bedroom. She popped open a window to let in some fresh air and checked her phone. She needed to let her parents know she made it and wanted to see if there were any girls slated to move in with her.

  Three text messages waited for her. The expected one from her parents, to which she fired a quick reply. One from Shifter U’s Housing Management Office, notifying her of three new roommates expected over the next couple of days. Last, but not least, one from her best friend Reese, confirming their plans for dinner.

  A sorority girl and member of the elite Gamma Liontari Phi, Reese’s education groomed her for an advisory role to help plan the future of the prides in their hometown and the surrounding areas. She would work with other sisters of the sorority, past and present. Eventually, attaining a high-ranking position on the Council of Prides—one coveted by women across the country and not just because of the hot men with equally high-ranking positions.

  Avery would have to be content to spend time with her best friend when she wasn’t mired in sorority work. It wouldn’t be as often as she liked.

  Shooting off a quick text, she confirmed the five o’clock meet up at Chugs for beer, beef, and boot scootin’—the perfect way to start the new school year.