Melody Snow Monroe by Animal Passions Read Free Book Online Page A

satisfied she’d done the best she could with her appearance, she headed back into the living room. Only Taryn was there standing by the window looking out.
    “Hi.”
    He turned around and smiled. “Not the usual way to wear the skirt, but the color suits you.”
    She had to admit the light blue was one of her favorite shades. “Where’s Kellum?”
    “He hasn’t come out of the bathroom.”
    Her stomach churned. That wasn’t good. While she wasn’t attached to these two men, she hated seeing anyone harmed. “Should we check on him?” He could have passed out from the wounds.
    Taryn’s smile disappeared. “You’re right. It’s not like him to stay in there so long.”
    The water wasn’t running as they approached the bathroom. Taryn didn’t knock. He just opened the door.
    A huge mountain lion lay sprawled on the ground licking himself. A scream lodged in her throat and blocked the air. Lightheadedness claimed her, and her legs gave way.

Chapter Four
     
    When Lara came to, she was sitting on the living room sofa with Taryn next to her. Kellum stood in front. He handed her a glass of water and she greedily drank it down. Her brain was going a million miles an hour. Stay calm . She hadn’t really seen a mountain lion in Kellum’s bathroom.
    “Please, tell me what’s going on. Tell me I didn’t see what I thought I saw.”
    “I’m afraid you did.”
    She glanced between the two men. “Where is the lion now?”
    Kellum blew out a breath. “I’m right here. We are what you call shape-shifters.”
    That’s what Taryn had told her. Amy’s stories about shifters came to mind. There was no way she was going to believe they could shift. “Show me. Change into a lion right now.” Only by witnessing it firsthand would she be convinced.
    Kellum shook his head. “Every time we do, it takes energy. We’re both wounded and need all of our cells to heal us.”
    When she studied his body, many of the wounds had closed up. “It’s a miracle.”
    Taryn let out a breath. “So you believe us?”
    “No. I mean I can’t get over how fast your wounds are healing.”
    Kellum’s shoulders tensed. “I shifted into my animal form because when I lick my wounds, I help sterilize them. I heal faster that way and would have stayed in that form had you not freaked.” His jaw tightened, and then he nodded to his brother. “I’m going outside to rest.”
    She lifted her head. “As a man or as a lion?” She probably should have let it be, but her heart was pounding and a strange taste had entered her mouth. Her whole world was giving her wrong signals.
    “As a man. As I said, it takes energy to change.”
    She watched his tall form leave. His strong stride implied the wounds hadn’t gravely affected him. When he opened the front door there was nothing but air. Yikes. She’d expected at least a hallway. Perhaps he was going down the fire escape. It made sense now. They had some sort of emergency electronic ladder that led up to their home. The real front door was someplace else.
    As she’d remembered, a few seconds later, a pole appeared. He grabbed hold and descended from view.
    She inhaled and faced Taryn. “Suppose I say I believe that you two were the mountain lions who attacked the wolves and saved my life.” They had been injured. That much she couldn’t deny. “How do you shift?”
    He studied her for a moment, probably debating how much of the lie he wanted to perpetuate. “You press in the clutch, and then move the gear shift into first.”
    It took a second for his answer to register. “Funny.” He was playing with her, but she needed some answers. “Seriously, how do you turn from being in human form into being a lion?” She couldn’t get any more explicit than that. Certain he couldn’t explain it, she leaned back to watch him squirm.
    “Carefully.”
    Her fists clenched. “Stop teasing me.” He was like a magician who refused to reveal his parlor tricks.
    He latched onto her gaze, and for