Royal Shifters

bing captured his attention. He peered at her. She lay in a fetal position next to him with her hand fisted around the edge of his bloody jeans. His heart squeezed.
“Baby, don’t cry.”
She jerked her head up. Her eyes widened. “Josh.”
She threw herself into his arms. He held her close. “Kitten.”
“Where were you?” She leaned back. “I tried to find my way back into our realm, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t feel you at all.”
Because he’d died. Again.
He ran his hand over her tangled hair. “I’m sorry. I had to heal first.” Or return from the dead. Whatever description worked. “I’ll always return to you.”
“I don’t understand. What are you? Obviously not human anymore, but you’re not a shifter either

Something alive moved under his skin. Josh knew what it would be, a trio of big cats. At the moment, however, it was a formless entity struggling to understand its host. It wasn’t the only one confused, but he wrapped his metaphysical arms around the blob and sheltered it from the agony still seizing his body

The blue in his iris filled the entire eye. No white. He advanced a few more images but none showed his face

She blinked but didn’t obey him.
Her disobedience triggered his newfound instincts. He fought the growl threatening to escape

tamed her jaguar. The other two predators would follow suit. He knew that instinctually. The big cats she housed understood he was her mate. Today, the woman needed to commit to him, once and for all. He sensed her inner debate. She didn’t trust the truth. He understood her fears but didn’t share them.
They were mates. Fucking impossible but true nonetheless.
He felt her in his heart, his soul, his mind. The connection he never knew was possible had flared to life after they’d made love. Every second since had strengthened it. The tie to her was the reason he’d begged Jazz to watch Megan tonight. He’d shared in Mira’s fear and anxiety this afternoon. It had spiked and left her in a state of depression he’d been unable to bear. She’d needed him. So he’d come. Nothing would’ve kept him from her.
“I mean it.” She stomped her foot. This time he did chuckle. She huffed. “Don’t take this lightly. I can seriously harm you if you trigger my instincts

Without looking at her, he yanked off his shirt and tossed it in the corner.
“Don’t even try it.”
At her snapped threat, he peered over his shoulder. Fire burned in her narrowed eyes. He raised a brow and resisted the smirk threatening to break free at her adorable ire.
“If you try to dominate me, I’ll fight you. It’s in my nature to resist.” She waved a hand to encompass his body. “You’re only human. I don’t want to hurt you

Mate her. Claim her. Keep her.
The urges echoed in his head, not in words. The need ran deeper. There was a primal edge to it he couldn’t explain. He swore he was developing an alternate personality, one that based its thoughts on a primitive level. It amplified his possessiveness, gave him images of what he wanted to do with this woman. And damn if he didn’t like what his alter ego showed him

Josh was dreaming. It had to be a dream. If it wasn’t, he’d slipped into some fucked-up alternate dimension. Because he was a cat.
He padded across the hardwood floor and peered at his image in the mirrored wall above his bar. A lion’s tawny face stared back at him, complete with a big, shaggy black mane. The scar on his cheek even showed on the animal’s face. He turned slightly to examine his flank. The jagged white line of another old wound showed too. Hell, he could even see his tattoos through the fur. On his shoulder, his inked tiger bared its fangs and the cross with his nephew’s name, John, stood out as a permanent

o get away from him. Hell, no. That couldn’t happen. He threw himself on her back, flattening her body to the ground, and bit the flesh under his mouth. Sweet, decadently rich blood spilled over his tongue. He clamped down harder until she stopped moving

Zoe screamed.
With a shove, he dived after the spotted jaguar. He wrapped his arms around the big cat’s chest. They crashed to the floor inches from Zoe’s scuffed boots.
Mira, still in her jaguar form, snarled and twisted in his arms. He rolled with her and slammed a hand between her shoulder blades. He knew his roughness wouldn’t hurt her. In her animal form, it took a hell of a lot to injure her. Besides, her cat would only respond to a