Shifting Crossroads 8 - Ocelot of Trouble by Zenina Masters Read Free Book Online Page A

him.
    “I haven’t napped in the afternoon since I had the flu two years ago.” She babbled as he wrapped his arm around her, cupping her breast in one hand while he tucked his hips against her buttocks.
    He pressed a kiss to her neck. “It is a habit worth rekindling. I can imagine many lazy afternoons with you in my arms, sunlight bathing us in warmth and light.”
    The idea had merit, and Mina smiled happily at the thought. She did so love to be warm.
    “So, what do foxes do for fun?” She murmured it with sleepy satisfaction.
    “We run together, play together, race around in the fields.” He spoke slowly while his hands moved on the silk that covered her.
    “Sounds nice.”
    “It is. Now, which home shall we go to first, yours or mine?”
    “Yours. I can send my people a message.”
    “Brave as well as beautiful. I am a lucky man.” His lips moved against her neck.
    “You have no idea, and I am not brave, I merely want to get the hard part over with. After meeting your people, everything else will be easy.”
    Robar sighed and squeezed her gently. “The women of my family will not be easy, but they will respect your spirit. I will make sure of it.”
    It was the last thing spoken between them as they drifted off on dreams of meadows and sunbeams.

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Her bags were packed and in the room when she woke. The room itself had changed again into what Mina guessed was Robar’s original guestroom.
    “Are you awake, kitten?” His voice was husky with sleep.
    “I am. When did my bags arrive?”
    He rolled her to her back and pressed kisses on her jaw and lips until she responded, holding his head and clinging to him with intensity.
    He broke their kiss. “About an hour ago. That is when we were switched to this room.”
    She leaned up and pressed her lips to his again. The freedom to indulge her inclinations without worrying about his wellbeing was a heady sensation.
    He groaned and pulled away. “I think this is Teebie’s way of telling us that our time at the Crossroads is complete.”
    Mina wanted to yowl with frustration. “Dang, I wanted to hide here for a while longer.”
    Robar stroked her cheek. “I believe that is the point. No more hiding. You have dealt with your curse, found your mate, now it is time to rejoin the human world.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “I am not a fan of reality right now. This is so much better.”
    “And that is why she wants us out. This is your reality. You need to get used to it.”
    Mina looked up at the earnest expression on his face, and she sighed. “I suppose so. It still seems very surreal.”
    “That will be the removal of a curse you have lived with your entire adult life. It sounds too good to be true.”
    “Not really. You are too good to be true. I am fairly sure that I have a concussion and am in a hospital somewhere.”
    He grinned. “Then, I will be your devoted nurse. When you are ready to accept this as your reality, I will be here.” He kissed the tip of her nose and got to his feet. “Come along. I am sure that my grandmother will be delighted to meet you.”
    “We are going straight to your gran?”
    “Of course. She is the one who has insisted that the last two generations use the Crossroads. Our family lives fairly firmly in the human world and marriage is a very fluid term. Mating in the Crossroads links us in a far more fundamental way. It bonds us from the soul outward and that gives us a better basis for our lives together.”
    “Oh? Your parents were a Crossroads mating?”
    “Yes, my grandmother insisted. My grandfather was a bit of a philanderer, and she wanted better for her daughter.”
    The concept of infidelity made Mina blink. “Oh. I see.”
    “Yes, she lived a life that was filled with human entertainments, and her inner beast longed for a proper mate. She wanted better for her child and grandchild.”
    Mina smiled. “I think I will like her.”
    “I believe you will, too. Now, get dressed, and we will