Page 34 of Shifting Forms For Clumsy Felines

Spurred on by his permission, I sink my fingers into his thick fur. He lets out a loud rumbling purr that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I know he's still just Jeremy, but something about having his tiger's approval feels special.

I shake my head and pull myself out of the tiger-induced daze. Most of the other students have already shifted, which means it's time for me to do the same, even if it'll probably end badly for me.

I close my eyes and pull on the thread of magic within me that will change me into a leopard. Despite having been a shifter my entire life, I'm still not sure exactly how the magic works, just that it does.

My body morphs just as quickly as Jeremy's did, though my leopard form is smaller than his tiger one. I suppose that makes sense given that I'm smaller as a human too.

Despite my reservations about shifting, there's something undeniably freeing about being in this form. I think it's the way the world feels. It's different, full of adventure and promise. I should shift more often, but for obvious reasons, I try to avoid it.

Jeremy must catch onto the drift of my thoughts as he steps forward and pushes his head against the side of my neck in a show of support.

Or affection. But it's best if I don't dwell on that part.

"I see you're all shifted now," the instructor calls, still as a human. But now I'm in my animal form I can sense the lion sleeping within him and longing to run free with the feline shifters assembled. "You can enter the course now. Each of the obstacles is designed in order to test and strengthen your skills as a feline shifter."

Or reveal the lack of skills in my case.

Most of the others rush to the entrance, but I hang back, too nervous to be able to be the first one through.

Jeremy stays with me, only moving when it becomes clear that we're going to be the last ones. Another surge of affection floods through me. He's doing it on purpose so I don't feel like anyone else is watching me.

Knowing he's there to help gives me the confidence I need to put one paw in front of the other. This is going to go badly, but at least I have someone looking after me while it does.

15

Jeremy

Even though shecan't say anything, I can feel the apprehension coming from Krissi in waves. I wish I could do more to help her than off a bit of moral support, but that seems to be the best I can muster right now.

I put one paw in front of the other, doing my best to keep an eye on the leopard shifter beside me. Other than the fact she looks like she's about to fall over, she's beautiful, and certainly has the grace that comes with being a big cat shifter.

The problems start when she tries to move.

I let out a low rumble to let her know that I'm still within touching distance if anything goes wrong.

She startles and swings her head around in my direction. Even in leopard form, I can see her eyes going wide and panic setting in. She isn't going to be able to move a muscle if she carries on like this. Maybe suggesting we did the class together was a mistake.

I glance around to make sure no one is paying us any attention and pull my human form to the front. I balance precariously on the log, not quite as secure now I'm wearing shoes.

She cocks her head to the side and studies me, as if surprised to find me in human form. She eyes the distance between us as if to decide whether she's going to join me.

"I'll come to you," I promise, though now I look at the gap, I'm not sure I'll be able to manage. As a tiger, it would be easy, but I don't think she'll react well if I jump over there in my bigger form.

She jerks her head to the side as if shaking it.

I pause, unsure what she's trying to say. This is part of the problem of being in shifter form. Unless you know the other person well enough to be able to sense what they're trying to say, it's virtually impossible to communicate. I think I can probably get to that place with Krissi at some point in the future, but right now, we haven't known one another long enough.

To my surprise, she doesn't jump in her leopard form. Instead, she also shifts back to human and then takes a run up and flips herself over and onto the log next to me, balancing with all the grace and ease she's missing in her leopard form.

"You okay?" I ask her.

She grimaces. "Would you believe me if I said yes?"

I shake my head. "I have eyes."

"Then no, I'm not. I know this is supposed to help, but all it's doing is making me constantly worry about what will happen if I fall off."

"That won't happen."