Mirror Image Seduction (Feline Shifters of Down Under Book 1) by Khloe Wren, Tamsin Baker Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Khloe Wren, Tamsin Baker
cheetahs…
“And what are you guys exactly?”
“Max, I don’t think that’s your place…” Maggie tried to interrupt again, but this time Max simply continued on over her.
“We’re cheetahs, baby. Fastest and most agile of all the big cats.”
Lacey swallowed hard as a ringing started in her ears. She’d heard this from Cameron but hadn’t thought it actually possible. She decided that a false bravado was the best tact with this particular brother. She was going to fake it ‘til she made it. Especially since no one else was jumping up to help out. The room had gone deathly quiet.
“Really? Well, Cameron did tell me he was rescued by a couple of cheetahs, but I hadn’t thought it was possible. Did a couple escape from the zoo and this is all a cover up for it?”
She looked around the group of now shuffling, uncomfortable looking males when Ryan reached over and put his hand over hers. “No, wild cheetahs would have hurt the boy. Sweetheart, Max is telling you the truth. We’re shifters, more specifically cheetah shape shifters. We can turn into our feline form anytime we need or want to.”
Lacey’s chest felt tight, and her lungs wouldn’t work right. She forced out a laugh, then coughed a little to clear her dry throat. Fake it ‘til you make it, she kept repeating the mantra in her mind.
“Really? I’d like to see that.”
And that was all it took for all seven brothers to push their chairs back and stand up.
“Awesome! Let’s go show her before she changes her mind.”
“May as well get it over and done with.” She heard one of them mutter as they walked past her and out the door toward the front of the house.
Completely overwhelmed, she turned away from the huge men as she attempted to calm her breathing.
She searched out the twins with her gaze, finding first Dylan then Ryan. Their expressions were ones of shock, yet their eyes sparkled with excitement. Dylan’s jaw was set hard, and Ryan’s mouth was turned down a little.
“Where are they all going?”
“Ah…”
Maggie stood up and motioned to the twins to head out the room. “Looks like this is happening regardless of your plans, boys. You two may as well join your brothers. Lacey, this is going to be one hell of a show that you’ll never forget.”
She looked straight at Lacey and smiled gently. “I hope you’re ready for this, Lacey.”
Acid burned in her belly as it churned, but she managed to push herself to her shaky feet.
“What am I really about to see, Maggie?”
She walked next to the shorter woman, her muscles quivering in anticipation of what was to come.
“The other side of my family.”
When Maggie pushed open the entrance door to reveal the front porch, Lacey’s hand flew to cover her mouth as she gasped in shock. Ten large, spotted cats sat or prowled around the space before her. They all had the cheetah’s iconic black tearstain lines on their faces along with lithe, agile feline bodies.
Lacey choked on a scream as her lungs froze in her chest. She jerked back, and her heart began to pound so fast it was all she could hear.
“No. Im…possible…”
She struggled to speak with her dry mouth and her tongue refusing to work right. One of the cats purred and stepped forward, his golden brown eyes making direct eye contact with hers. She gasped again in horror as she recognized the gaze as Dylan’s—just with more gold and less brown than his human eyes. She stumbled backwards and landed hard against the doorframe, pain splintering through her shoulder as black spots formed before her and grew until they eclipsed her vision.
“No…” Her whisper was hoarse as she struggled to get air into her lungs. I can’t breathe!
Maggie cried out as Lacey felt her body loosen and begin to fall. The world turned on its axis, and she heard a tortured animalistic whine as everything went pitch black.
****
Panicked, Dylan shifted back to human and clothed himself in a pair of jeans as he dove to
“And what are you guys exactly?”
“Max, I don’t think that’s your place…” Maggie tried to interrupt again, but this time Max simply continued on over her.
“We’re cheetahs, baby. Fastest and most agile of all the big cats.”
Lacey swallowed hard as a ringing started in her ears. She’d heard this from Cameron but hadn’t thought it actually possible. She decided that a false bravado was the best tact with this particular brother. She was going to fake it ‘til she made it. Especially since no one else was jumping up to help out. The room had gone deathly quiet.
“Really? Well, Cameron did tell me he was rescued by a couple of cheetahs, but I hadn’t thought it was possible. Did a couple escape from the zoo and this is all a cover up for it?”
She looked around the group of now shuffling, uncomfortable looking males when Ryan reached over and put his hand over hers. “No, wild cheetahs would have hurt the boy. Sweetheart, Max is telling you the truth. We’re shifters, more specifically cheetah shape shifters. We can turn into our feline form anytime we need or want to.”
Lacey’s chest felt tight, and her lungs wouldn’t work right. She forced out a laugh, then coughed a little to clear her dry throat. Fake it ‘til you make it, she kept repeating the mantra in her mind.
“Really? I’d like to see that.”
And that was all it took for all seven brothers to push their chairs back and stand up.
“Awesome! Let’s go show her before she changes her mind.”
“May as well get it over and done with.” She heard one of them mutter as they walked past her and out the door toward the front of the house.
Completely overwhelmed, she turned away from the huge men as she attempted to calm her breathing.
She searched out the twins with her gaze, finding first Dylan then Ryan. Their expressions were ones of shock, yet their eyes sparkled with excitement. Dylan’s jaw was set hard, and Ryan’s mouth was turned down a little.
“Where are they all going?”
“Ah…”
Maggie stood up and motioned to the twins to head out the room. “Looks like this is happening regardless of your plans, boys. You two may as well join your brothers. Lacey, this is going to be one hell of a show that you’ll never forget.”
She looked straight at Lacey and smiled gently. “I hope you’re ready for this, Lacey.”
Acid burned in her belly as it churned, but she managed to push herself to her shaky feet.
“What am I really about to see, Maggie?”
She walked next to the shorter woman, her muscles quivering in anticipation of what was to come.
“The other side of my family.”
When Maggie pushed open the entrance door to reveal the front porch, Lacey’s hand flew to cover her mouth as she gasped in shock. Ten large, spotted cats sat or prowled around the space before her. They all had the cheetah’s iconic black tearstain lines on their faces along with lithe, agile feline bodies.
Lacey choked on a scream as her lungs froze in her chest. She jerked back, and her heart began to pound so fast it was all she could hear.
“No. Im…possible…”
She struggled to speak with her dry mouth and her tongue refusing to work right. One of the cats purred and stepped forward, his golden brown eyes making direct eye contact with hers. She gasped again in horror as she recognized the gaze as Dylan’s—just with more gold and less brown than his human eyes. She stumbled backwards and landed hard against the doorframe, pain splintering through her shoulder as black spots formed before her and grew until they eclipsed her vision.
“No…” Her whisper was hoarse as she struggled to get air into her lungs. I can’t breathe!
Maggie cried out as Lacey felt her body loosen and begin to fall. The world turned on its axis, and she heard a tortured animalistic whine as everything went pitch black.
****
Panicked, Dylan shifted back to human and clothed himself in a pair of jeans as he dove to