“We are.”
“But, Alex’s fur is all black. Wouldn’t that make him a panther? I thought jaguars were gold with black spots.”
“Panther is just a name used for large cats. Jaguars, leopards and cougars can be deemed black panthers if their fur is dark. But to answer your question, yes, he is a jaguar.” He smiled and motioned to Alex. “Look close and you can see his spots.”
I looked at Alex’s long body. His fur was a deep black, but as I looked closer, I began to notice a small variation in the color, making spots.
Jordan shook his head and chuckled.
“What?” I asked.
“Of all the questions, that’s what you wanted to know?”
I grinned. “It was the first thing I thought of. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“What color are you?”
“Average color, like you said, gold with dark spots.”
I smiled up at him. “There is nothing average about you, Jordan, and I can only imagine that your other form is just as amazing.”
He grinned and gave me a chaste kiss. “Thank you.”
The hand that was petting Alex suddenly froze.
“What is it?” Jordan asked as Alex’s head snapped up, pinning me with his glowing eyes.
I had to look away from his questioning stare. It was a little unnerving knowing there was a human in there looking back at me.
I pulled my hand away and placed it on my stomach, rubbing small circles as I asked, “Will the baby be like you?”
Jordan breathed out a long sigh and pulled me closer. “There is a good chance the baby will be a shifter. Some children of mixed blood never shift, but most do.”
“Will she shift inside me?” I looked down at my belly and shivered at the thought.
“No, of course not,” he chuckled. “The change doesn’t happen until the child reaches puberty.”
I relaxed into Jordan’s arms. “Wow, that has got to be the worst timing.”
He nodded. “It is, but with the right support, it’s not so bad.”
My head tilted so I could look at him better. “You’ve never talked about your family before. I think I understand why now, but could you maybe tell me a little about them? Did your parents help you the first time you shifted?”
The bed shook, making me glance down at Alex. He had slid closer to Jordan and laid a paw in his leg. How strange, I thought.
“I don’t want to talk about my parents right now.” Jordan’s words brought my attention back to him. “But I will answer your other question. No, my parents didn’t help me with my first shift, or any other for that matter.”
My eyes widened. “You had to go through that alone?”
He shook his head and looked down at Alex. “No, Alex was with me. He’s younger than me by a year and hadn’t shifted yet, so he had no advice to give, but he stayed with me. He talked to me the whole time. That was more than enough support, and in turn, I was there for him.”
I swallowed my gasp, as I heard the emotion that filled his words. Tears prickled at the corner of my eyes. They were true best friends, and it was clear Jordan loved Alex dearly.
He turned away from Alex to gaze at me. His eyes were bright, as he smiled happily. “So, you don’t have to worry. No matter what happens, this baby, shifter or not, will never be alone. We will make sure the little one has all the support and encouragement that is needed to get through the first change.”
I could not help but kiss him. I wrapped my arm around his neck to pull him closer, as my mouth plundered his. I let him know, through soft licks and sharp nibbles, how grateful I was that he understood and helped banish my uncertainties.
We both pulled back, as Alex became restless, pawing at our legs. We both chuckled at the irritated look on the cat’s face.
“Are you ready for Alex to shift back?”
“Yes.”
I turned and watched the show again, this time in reverse, and without the panic attack.
18
Jordan
My relief was a release. It lightened my heavy burdened soul. I had no idea how great that burden was until a piece of it vanished. Giving Sam a glimpse into our secret was essential, yet satisfying.
She handled the situation with aplomb. Well, not at first. She did kind of panic, but I was sure it was because there was a massive jaguar practically on top of her. She accepted us as shifters, and that’s what counted. I hoped she took the rest of the news just as well.