“Haven’t we been over this? I’m fine, damn it! Why can’t I go to work?”

“You’re changing.” Okay, if she’s not getting it maybe I should have made the coffee full strength.

“So?”

“So, how would you feel about having a Puma roaming Wallflowers?”

Her expression was arrested. Just about everything in Wallflowers was delicate and fragile. Not exactly a place for a Puma to stretch out in.

Simon laughed softly. “I’ll take you somewhere safe for your first transformation. I’ll be there to help you. After this one you should be able to control it all on your own. Okay?”

Becky sighed. “Damn.”

“I’ve got donuts.”

She grinned. “Oh, well, then. Count me in.”

He couldn’t help it. He leaned down and kissed the grin off her mouth, happier than he’d ever thought possible.

He waited until he knew the change was definitely coming. It surprised him that it took most of the day.

He’d have to talk to Jamie Howard to see if the drugs in her system could have slowed it down. There was still so much they didn’t know about their Pumas, but Jamie was dedicated to finding out.

At dusk he drove her out to the Friedelinde’s, the starting point of the Pride lands. When she asked about the duffel bag he put in the car, he grinned and told her to wait and see.

He’d called ahead to let Jonathon know what was going on and wasn’t surprised to see Marie standing in the doorway. He hopped out of the truck and pulled out the empty duffel bag, turning to see Becky had gotten out of the passenger side on her own. He waved a cheery hello to Marie, smiling when she bowed her head slightly in deference to his status. When she did the same to Becky he couldn’t hold back his proud grin.

“What was that all about?”

He led her around the back of the house towards the gardens. Behind the gardens were the woods and hills the Pumas loved to run in. “Once you change, Max will formally introduce you to the Pride.”

“So?”

“So, you’ll be Beta along with me.”

“You’re kidding. Just because I mated you?”

“No, because you’re strong enough.” He shrugged. “Some of them might try to test you like they did Emma, but I don’t think you’ll have a problem.”

She stopped dead. “Tested Emma?”

He chuckled at the growl in her voice. He took her arm and started her moving again. “At the masquerade she tried to get out into the garden. Some of the Pride members decided to just not get out of her way. She was forced to use her gifts to get through them.”

She whistled softly. “She must have been pissed.”

“She was magnificent. Everything a Curana should be.”

She was staring at him suspiciously. “Really turned you on, huh?”

It was his turn to stop as he stared at her in horror. “That’s like popping wood for your sister.” He shuddered.

She snickered as he led her out of the garden and into the woods.

He removed her jacket, revealing the pale green T-shirt molded lovingly to her body. He’d convinced her she didn’t need a bra, and now her nipples perked up cheerfully in the cold November air. “Okay, baby, get naked.”

“Excuse me?”

He grinned, something he found himself doing a lot around her. She had both hands on her hips, one hip cocked in that classic “you gotta be kidding me” woman pose men everywhere recognized. It just drew Simon’s attention to those incredibly tight black jeans she was wearing. “You heard me. Get naked.”

“Sure, Garfield. Do I get a brass pole to swing from?” She edged back, grinning at him with bared teeth.

“Baby, as much as I’d love to play chase right now, your eyes have turned gold and your arms are getting furry.” He nearly laughed when she looked down at her arms and squealed. He even held back when she turned on him with a bright gold glare, her normally short nails turning into claws as the change began to overtake her.

“Get naked now or I’m coming over there to help you.”

Max had allowed Emma to dictate how her change would go, and she’d wound up in one of Max’s examination chairs, fully dressed. Simon had no intention of following the Pride Alpha’s lead in that regard. Pulling jeans off a pissed off Puma was not how he wanted to spend his evening.

She growled at him but pulled off her shirt, revealing her B-cup breasts to his hot gaze. “Careful there, Garfield, I’ve always wanted a fur coat.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be wearing me soon enough,” he purred, watching as she stripped off her jeans and panties.

“Now what?”

For an answer he began undressing, watching her every reaction. He nearly groaned when he pulled off his jeans and she licked her lips, her gaze glued to his erection. When he stood naked before her he grinned. “Ready to play pounce?”

Startled, she looked at him a second before she began changing. He followed her, timing his change to hers. He let her see each stage as it happened to him, hoping to keep any fear and confusion on her part at bay. The playful flick of her tail and the affectionate head rub to his shoulder made the whole thing worthwhile.

She made a gorgeous Puma, sleek and deadly looking. They ran for a few hours, listening to the rustling of the night creatures in the forest. They lazed by a stream, watching the moonlight on the water. He thought about mounting her in cat form, but decided that the she might not be ready yet for Puma sex.

Besides, he was still worried about her health. He made sure they hunted down a nice, juicy rabbit early in their run, giving her the lion’s share of the meat. She’d wrinkled her nose when presented with the rabbit, but her Puma had quickly taken over and she’d done fine.

The sheer joy in running and playing in the moonlight with his mate was almost overwhelming. He cat-grinned as he watched her roll around in a field of clover; laughed his ass off when she tried pouncing on a field mouse and missed, going tail over ears. The half-hearted swipe she aimed at him missed him by a mile.

They were heading back to the car when he saw the deer. It was stumbling, obviously wounded. His Puma snarled as they smelled the blood; his human half smelled a trap. It took all of his willpower to keep from going after the animal.

Becky, however, didn’t have his experience. She went after the deer, gleefully taking it down before he could stop her. He bounded after her, snarled a warning to try and keep her from ripping into the deer’s entrails, but she ignored him. Red blood dripped from her claws as she gutted the deer in one swipe.