“You wanted to say something, what was it?” Indigo asked, ever so gently as to not spook his mate. He treasured any and every chance he got to touch him and be near Logan.
Logan shrugged. “Uh, you didn’t have so many tattoos before. They, um, look good.” Logan sped out of the room before Indigo could even say anything.
Indigo looked down at himself and then back to the door. He groaned, forcing himself to stay put. Chasing Logan naked around the pride house wasn’t a good idea, no matter how his panther growled it was.
Indigo finally got dressed and made his way down the hall and to the living room where most of the pride was. Logan had been a little tense in the past two days ever since they kissed, and Indigo was sure there was a question he wanted to ask him, but he had yet to do it. All Indigo could do was be patient with his mate.
He found Logan standing near the back doors leading out to the huge backyard that turned into a forest that was perfect for their animal sides to run.
“Good, everyone is down here,” Dezi said.
Indigo was confused for a second until he caught sight of an overly excited Ava, who was a visible bundle of nerves. Realization dawned on him that they were doing a pride run.
“Daddy, can I go?” Gabriella ran up to him, and he caught her with ease.
“Sorry, sweetie, you have to stay back until you can shift, but you can watch us shift.”
She pouted for a second until Kash showed her the tray of goodies they would be enjoying while the rest of them went out on the run.
Indigo put her down and made his way outside but didn’t miss the sight of Gabriella running up to Logan and kissing him on the cheek.
“Careful there, lover boy. You might trip and fall,” Cole said.
Indigo glanced his way as they all stripped from their clothes.
“That obvious?” Indigo said.
Cole and Clyde laughed and even Kenny huffed out a laugh.
Guess that’s a yes.
Clyde shifted first. The sound of bones breaking and reshaping was familiar. His jaguar shook out its coat and prowled around. Dillan came running outside stark naked with Rhy right on his heels. Dillan jumped and shifted midair with an ease that no other shifter had. He was in his cat form, sitting there looking at everyone else with his galaxy-looking eyes. Indigo had been brought up to speed about Dillan and what he was. He was a shifter but one of legend. A blessed creature—fate’s favorite creature. There were a lot of types of shifters, but Dillan was the very first domesticated cat shifter Indigo had ever met. It still blew his mind.
Rhy shifted, and he grunted as the pain was normal for him, before his giant tiger was standing on four legs. Cole shifted into a lynx and tackled Clyde, who didn’t go down easily. Indigo shook his arms out and let his panther side take over as he let the shift sweep through him. His vision changed to that of his panther’s. His bones broke and reshaped into his panther form, and black fur sprouted all over his body.
Once the shift was over, he stretched, digging his claws into the grass and letting out a mewl. He turned just in time to watch Logan shift into his lynx. Light brown fur sprouted, as well as the tops of his ears with the little wisp of fur that Indigo couldn’t help but think was cute. Indigo made his way over to his mate in his shifted form. His panther was more in charge, and they would not be denied their mate. Apparently, Logan’s lynx thought the same way as their heads came together and they rubbed against each other, scent marking one another. They pulled apart but sat next to each other as they watched the alpha with Ava. Kenny had already shifted, waiting to the side of her.
“This is Ava’s first shift. The hunt will be her primary focus,” Dezi said, his alpha power rolling over all of them.
“Ava, take a deep breath and just let your wolf come forth,” Dezi coached.
Ava closed her eyes and took in measured breaths. Indigo was rooting for her. He remembered his first shift. It had been terrifying. He’d been ten, and his alpha had coached him through the whole thing, but it was still an experience like no other.