Her Mighty Shifter (4 page)

“Well at least I look like me,” Merit griped.

His scathing glance wasn’t lost on Andro. “All five females have the same scent, you dumbass.”

“No, they don’t,” Merit insisted.

“I was at the same complex of condos,” Maximus said. “They do all have the same scent.”

“Then why did Pax and Danner take the other females and want this one?”

Merit was pointing at Posy.

“Maybe they have the same idea we do,” Andro said. “We should get them all to Africa and then our planet and sort them out.”

“It would be easier to travel with one female at a time.” Merit gazed at Posy, who was gasping for air. “You take that one. She might be mine, but right now I’ll belt her if she keeps laughing at me.”

“She’s laughing with you,” Andro said with his hands splayed.

“Nope, not with him,” Posy piped up. “Definitely
at
him. Best dream ever.”

Merit scowled and went to retrieve the female on the ground. “Africa.”

Posy was in hysterics again, so much so Maximus practically peeled her off the ground and slung her over a shoulder.

“Don’t change back, mouse boy, or you’ll be sorry,” she said.

Maximus rolled his eyes at Andro.

Chapter Four

Posy woke as the plane hit turbulence then settled. She blinked her eyes rapidly to focus and found herself staring into two beady eyes. She screeched and backhanded the mouse on her chest. Maximus was airborne, sailing over other screaming woman to land spread-eagle on the lunch cart in the aisle. The stewardess shrieked, and the passengers yelled. Realizing what she had done, Posy yelled again. The mouse had to be the man Maximus. Everyone was trying to kill him.

Damn, will this dream never end?

Maximus had acquired shoes for her, she had no clue how, and they were tight as hell. They had driven to the airport in a crazy ride. She slipped in and out of dreams. Maximus had encouraged her to board the plane, but then he was gone. Now it appeared he was back. A male steward tried smashing Maximus with a closed fist. When his fist slammed on the table food went flying. He grabbed what he obviously thought was Maximus and squished an eggroll. Two women vomited, clearly thinking the mouse’s insides were now outside.

Maximus ducked, ran right, then left, slipped from the cart and raced under the legs of passengers seats creating chaos in his wake. Every head in front of her dipped to watch under their seat. Maximus was bailing for the bathroom. Posy watched him slip under the door. She hoped he was alone.

The confusion intensified when the mouse disappeared. Now everyone was standing up. When Maximus returned, in human form, to his seat amidst jumbled dancing passengers, his face was red. He glared at Posy, who tried to look as apologetic as possible. His clothes were in disarray, and she wondered how he got them. He growled at her.

“Every time you do that it feels like I’ve been shot out of a fucking cannon,” he said, snarling.

“Why do you have to shift like that?”

“I told you, it just happens. Why do you have to be so scared of mice?”

“When am I going to wake up?”

“You
are
awake.”

“But you said I was dreaming.”

“No,
you
said you were dreaming. I just went with it.”

Her heart began to pound, and for the first time she began to take in her surroundings. She gaped out the window.

“Where are we going?”

“Africa. Thankfully we’ll be there soon. We’ve been traveling a while now.”

“I don’t want to go to Africa.” Her safari fantasy flickered for a moment. “Well, I mean I do, but not with a stranger. And trust me there’s no one stranger than you.”

“I’ll explain everything when we get there. Right now there are too many people within earshot.”

“Too many within mouse shot.” She snorted. “If we’re almost there how long have I been asleep?”

“Not long enough,” he grumbled under his breath.

“Did you drug me?”

“Uh, no.”

Posy growled at him and got ready to belt him. People were finally settling back into their seats grumbling at the inconvenience. No one wanted lunch. An annoyed woman was marching toward them. Maximus had scooted low and was peering through the seat crack.

“Damn, here comes the flight attendant. I can’t be seen. I don’t have a passport or any identification.”

“Oh no you don’t.”

Too late. Maximus shifted and scooted into a low hand pocket on her shirt. Posy squirmed. Her hands were in the air, waving like a mad woman, and the flight attendant was staring at her. Posy tried a grin.

“Whoo hoo, goin’ to Africa, all right.”

“Ma’am, are you all right?”

“No, not really,” she whispered down at her pocket and placed a hand to her forehead.

Her toes were tapping the floor. It was a good thing she was at the very back of the plane and there was no one in the seats beside her.

“I thought I saw a man back here with you,” the flight attendant said.

“Nope, just me,” Posy said.

She wriggled around in her seat, her teeth grit and lips pressed together to keep from screaming. The attendant gave her an odd look and turned. She was muttering as she walked away. Posy slapped at her pocket with open hands. Maximus appeared, shifted and held a hand to his head.

“For fuck’s sake,” he hissed. “Are you trying to beat me senseless?”

“Yes. Wasn’t it obvious?”

“You could have broken bones.”

“Why can no one see you? Are you supposed to be invisible? Are you a convict?”

“I don’t have a passport. I’m a shifter. How am I supposed to explain that to the authorities? ‘Oh it’s okay, officer. I’m a man but not all the time.’ That would go over well. Andro is caged on the plane in shifter form. When we land I need to help him escape.”

“You want to help a big ass lion loose?”

“He’s a shifter. Andro can shift in the cage, and we can pretend it was a gag gone wrong. Or something else.”

“You are a sneaky man. No wonder you’re a mouse.”

“I’m not a mouse.”

“Fine. But if I find one little piece of poop in my shirt there will be hell to pay.”

His guilty as hell look wasn’t comforting.

“This is the captain speaking. We will be landing shortly. It’s a balmy eighty-seven degrees Fahrenheit with clear skies. Thank you for choosing to fly with our airline and have a pleasant stay.”

Posy glared at Maximus. “You’re going to change again aren’t you?”

“Get your purse. It’s by your feet. I brought it.”

“How did you get me to board?”

“An old trick. Now pick up your purse. Don’t say a word and I swear once we get out of the airport I’ll fill you in.”

“Fine. Do not poop in my purse.”

Maximus hopped into her purse. Posy stashed it away, and she watched out her window as the plane landed. Posy held her head in her hands for a moment.

“That damned wedding is looking better and better by the second as being the second worst day of my life.”

“Everything will be fine.”

Her hair stood on end when the deep voice came from inside her purse.

Oh my fucking God.

****

The small hut Maximus drove to was abandoned. Andro and he had been greeted by their contact and Andro was freed. He wanted to make certain none of the females captured were his, though Andro was certain they weren’t. Needless to say he was pissed. Posy was asleep beside him. She had refused to get into the jeep with him. On Maximus’s fingernail was an extended nail, not noticeable to the eye unless you were looking for it. Within the nail was a sleeping agent he could prick a victim with to knock them out. There was no way in hell he was going to explain to a group of onlookers he was an alien shifter.

Unfortunately he had to explain it to Posy. She began to rouse as he carried her inside and placed her on a small bed of grass stuffed pillows. She rolled to a sitting position and gazed at him with sleepy eyes.

“Oh God, not you again.”

She looked less happy as she took in her surroundings. Before Maximus could explain anything another shifter barged through the spindly hut door.

“Pax.” Maximus was startled.

Pax stood six foot three, well muscled and tanned. His dark hair was askew. His blue eyes settled on Posy, and he pointed.

“You have my mate.”

“For heaven’s sake, why does everyone think Posy belongs to them?”

Pax strode forward and made to grab her. Posy whacked him over the head with her purse. Maximus sent a hard fist into his face.

“You want to take this outside?” Pax said snarling, and stumbled to his feet.

No, Maximus didn’t. He had no idea what Pax would shift into, and he didn’t have Andro’s protection. On Maximus’s planet both he and Pax were well matched, and in human form he knew he could kick his ass. They stood studying each other. The sleeping agent didn’t work on shifters. Maximus would be in trouble if he shifted into a mouse.

“Yes, boys,” Posy drawled. “Take it outside.”

“Posy, you wouldn’t make it five seconds out there without me,” Maximus warned. He glared at Pax. “Why do you think this is your mate?”

“Her scent. This is confusing as hell.” He ran a hand through his hair. “There’s another who might be mine, but this one’s scent is as strong. Everything here is nuts.”

When Pax shifted out of frustration Posy giggled. “Oh my God you’re adorable.”

“A wombat?” Maximus raised a single eyebrow.

“You’re so fuzzy. I need to squeeze you.”

Posy went to pick him up, and Pax changed back. He grabbed her around the waist. Posy sent an uppercut to his jaw that knocked him back. Pax swore and rubbed his face.

“What the hell is going on?” Posy demanded.

“Pax and I are shifters from the planet Ricafa. We were sent here because it’s our turn to find our mates, but for some reason you seem to belong to everyone, or well at least three of us. I’m guessing the odds will get worse when we come across the others.”

“You expect me to mate a mouse?”

“Ha. A mouse.” Pax snorted. “Her mighty shifter.”

“Mighty Mouse,” Posy said and did some snorting of her own. “I’m not mating anyone.”

“This isn’t up for debate,” Maximus said. “You are my mate, maybe—hell, either way you belong to someone. We only have a short window of opportunity here on Earth, and only every few months and sometimes not even then if the moonbeams can’t shine. I’m not waiting to have my mate.”

“I hate mice.”

“I’m not a mouse,” Maximus bellowed. He shifted.

“Would you like a mirror?” Posy asked.

Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was smug. “I don’t shift into a mouse on my planet.” He struggled to shift back. Pax was laughing his ass off at him.

“So that’s supposed to make it better?”

An elephant roared outside, and Pax looked relived. “Finally some back up.”

Maximus peered out the door. Danner, another shifter, was swaying back and forth.

“This is totally unfair,” Maximus said and growled.

“Not as fair as you might think,” Pax mumbled.

Danner shifted into human form and walked into the hut.

“Um, he’s a pigmy,” Posy said. “You could fit in the palm of my hand.”

“I’m six foot seven,” Danner said, his voice was a twitter but normal for his size. He glared at Maximus, who couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. “Shut up.”

“Yeah, mouse boy,” Pax added.

“You have to be the daintiest man I’ve ever seen,” Maximus said.

“Just get the female and let’s go. We need to get to the meeting place. We can figure out what to do when we get home.” Danner looked at his tiny arms. On their planet he could kick Maximus’s ass in human form.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Posy had her hands fisted. “The next one who touches me is going to throb like my feet.”

Pax jabbed a finger into her arm and down she went. Maximus scooped her up. He gazed into her slack features.

“Damn, if this one’s mine I’ll need more meds. Especially on my honeymoon.”

Chapter Five

“She can be matched with any shifter. A rarity. No wonder everyone’s confused.”

Posy was staring at a huge man. Maximus called him Tac. There were four other women she could see in the large long house. Outside was the unmistakable sound of rain. A lot of it. The men in the room were a mismatched lot. Maximus wasn’t the biggest. Tac was but not by much. She recognized Andro, the little person. Pax the cute wombat and his elephant partner, Danner, the tiny pigmy. She giggled when she saw Merit, the sloth shifter.

“Do all shifters have the same problem when we come to Earth?” Andro asked. He grouchily crossed his arms over his chest.

“Not this extreme,” Tac said.

“How do we figure out who belongs to who?” Maximus asked.

“We still have a couple of days before we can get back.” Tac gazed at Posy, and she glared back. “This one could prove to be a problem.”

“Prove to be?” Maximus snorted.

“There are other shifters from all over our planet here for a mate. If this female can be matched with anyone we’ve got our hands full,” Tac said.

“I’m not mating with anyone,” Posy said.

Tac strode over to her and hauled her to her feet. Posy cracked him across the jaw with a balled fist. She stumbled away cradling her hand.

“Damn, you have rocks in there,” she muttered.

“You really like to punch people, don’t you?” Maximus asked.

“Take me back home.”

“We all want to go home,” another woman said.

Tac tossed his head back and howled, the noise thunderous. He shifted, and Posy plopped onto her ass. The biggest dire wolf she’d ever seen snarled at her.

“Um,” she whispered. “With a name like Tac I was expecting a kitty.”

Tac stalked her and the other women. “Until we figure out which one of these shifters is your mate you will all behave.”

“I can’t mate a mouse,” Posy said. Her bravado died on her lips when Tac spun and came close enough she could see each individual hair on his chest.

“Maximus isn’t a mouse on our planet.”

“We’re all different.”

Tac froze when Merit spoke. Tac started laughing at the sound of his squeaky voice. Posy was frozen watching the massive wolf howl while the others snickered.

“Stop that,” Merit squeaked.

He clamped his lips shut and stood as quiet as possible. Tac changed back and, smiling, ran a hand over his face. Taking a fast glance at Merit he burst out laughing again. Merit growled and stormed out into the rain.

“Why am I even here?” Andro asked. “None of these females is mine. Only Posy has a scent familiar, but now we know why.”

“Obviously things were jumbled in transfer.” Tac tapped his foot on the dirt floor. “I don’t think any of these are Merit’s either.”

“I thought I was meant to come here,” Andro said.

“I was certain you were.”

“Trouble,” was squeaked in a high pitched voice when Merit, dripping wet, entered back into the massive hut.

Six giant gorillas stormed in after him. All five women were up, scrambling and screaming. The power shifters changed to battle. Maximus grabbed Posy and another by the hand, and with Pax’s help they herded the females to the back of the hut.

Posy was certain her mouth could collect a thousand flies the way her jaw hung slack. Gorillas were beating their chests as an elephant roared and tossed one into the dire wolf. A small rhino appeared followed by an alligator and a duck.

“I am dreaming,” Posy whispered. “I don’t think I like
Jumanji
anymore.”

When a gorilla came too close Maximus shifted. On tiny feet he raced up the legs of the beast and bit his ass. Each time little teeth took a chunk the gorilla wiggled until he was dancing across the dirt floor.

“Well, he’s got the moves like Jagger,” Posy said.

The gorilla bashed into Tac, who tossed him out the hut door. Maximus was airborne. Posy raced forward to stop his rapid decent. Maximus shifted, and they both hit the floor. The elephant who had reared at the sight of the mouse came crashing down over the both of them, stopping short of crushing them.

Tac shifted and dragged Maximus to his feet. “A for real fucking mouse?” he bellowed.

“I told you,” Posy said.

“Crap,” Tac said.

Posy’s eyes widened. She glanced at her body making certain he didn’t mean real mouse crap.

She glared at Maximus. “You are disgusting.”

“You tried to save me.”

“Run,” Tac yelled.

Posy howled when an alligator came for her. As she fled Maximus grabbed the tail and the elephant stomped down smashing the jaws closed. Posy heard a snarled, “
ow you bastard”.

“Good God, Doctor Doolittle would have nightmares.”

I’m gonna have nightmares.

A woman was screaming. A tiny petite young woman was dragged a short way across the room by a hyena.

Posy leapt after them and smashed her purse repeatedly into the beast until it cackled and let its victim go. A solid bash to its temple and down it went. Animals began to slink out the door. Everything died down. Tac and Maximus raced over to Posy and the hyena. They stood over the fallen beast.

“What shifter is this?” Maximus asked. “He doesn’t look familiar. Why hasn’t he shifted back?”

“That’s a real hyena,” Tac said. He lifted its face with a booted foot then set it down.

“I beat up a real hyena?” Posy asked. She felt sick.

“This female is lucky.” Tac picked up the unconscious woman into his arms. “Nothing is broken. A small wound where he grabbed her, but her jacket took the brunt of the bite.” He assessed Posy. “Whoever’s mate you are better be able to handle you.”

“A real hyena?” she squeaked.

“Shit,” Andro bellowed. “A group of jeeps barreling this way.”

Tac strode away. “Move out. We’ve been compromised.”

“A real hyena?” Posy whispered. 

“A real hyena,” Maximus said and squeezed her shoulder, grinning, as he took her arm.

****

Posy was pacing back and forth mumbling to herself. Maximus knew she was trying to sort things out and let her be. She had pulled her shoes off claiming them to be worse than heel death traps for feet.

“A shifter alien who claims he’s really a tiger,” she muttered. “But he’s a mouse. Of course he has to be a mouse. Shouldn’t he mate a mouse? I’m no mouse. It’s like some crazy ass joke. A mouse, a wombat, and a lion walk into a bar to meet a hyena and dire wolf. The alligator buys them drinks and the elephant falls on the female gaping in the corner wondering at her insanity. Butt squished, that’s my fate.”

“Posy, I won’t let you get butt squished.”

She stopped and turned as though noticing Maximus for the first time. “How did you get to Earth?”

“On our planet there was an eclipse. Our worlds connect. We can slip through from our side to yours. When your planet has the eclipse we can go home by slipping back through.”

“In what?”

“Moonbeams. As the eclipse begins the pull of the moonbeams is so strong we are able to transport over the galaxy. Our planet is like Earth here. This setting but far lusher. There are few who notice us wandering around with the other animals.”

“A dire wolf?”

“It was plausible and perhaps still is. Tac is careful. So is Andro, and Merit would have to be. Every shifter who’s ever been here is careful. You’re a rarity. A susceptible shifter mate is a rare occurrence. We have to make certain you belong to the right shifter. You’re safest with me believe it or not.”

Posy slumped onto a crate in the small cave they sheltered in. She glanced around.

“Why are there no furs or skins in here?”

“Why would there be?”

“Oh I dunno, warmth, comfort. Why haven’t you caught us anything to roast over a fire?”

“Posy, I’m a vegetarian.”

“Of course you are. A
tiger
vegetarian.” Skepticism oozed from her. “You’re a giant hamster in your world, aren’t you?”

“No.” He rolled his eyes.

“Then where’s a haunch of meat I can eat?”

“Some of my friends shift into giant elk or moose. Are you suggesting we eat one of them? Because dead they shift back into human form. Should we roast up someone’s ass for you, like butt chops? Pickled penis maybe? Candied balls?”

She lifted her splayed hands. “I get it.”

He felt a bit evilly guilty for her pale face. She did have a point. They needed to eat.

“Come on.”

Maximus took her hand and led her into the jungle. His inner shifter wanted to change and race, but knowing that shifter was a mouse he’d get picked off by a bird. Flying wasn’t his thing. Along the way he rummaged for food, roots and fruits, wild vegetables. On his planet food was in abundance. This alternate Africa was at times a sad place to visit, he’d been told. What he had seen so far was beautiful, but the lack of edible food was disturbing. His inner shifter was starving for something solid.

The river they stopped at was flowing, and Maximus could make out several shadows beneath the water’s surface. He waded in leaving Posy to slap at the bugs on the bank as they made a meal of her.

“On my planet the bugs aren’t nearly as bad. We had a mass extinction in action against mosquitoes that were causing birth defects. Not sure if your planet gave them to us or we gave them to you. The bugs are able to ride the moonbeams as well,” he explained over his shoulder.

“That’s spreading on Earth. Are you fishing, because I thought you were a vegetarian?”

“I’m a pesco-vegetarian. So I eat a lot of fish and shell food. On our planet there are zero fish shifters.”

In one swoop he grabbed three fish by their gills and tossed them next to Posy. She danced away from sharp little teeth.

“How do you know they didn’t shift?”

Maximus grabbed three more and climbed from the water. “If there was any chance of them shifting they would shift into a whale or dolphin and I don’t eat those.”

Using a sharp rock Maximus sliced off the heads and gutted the fish. He wrapped them in a large leaf and walked them back to the cave. Maximus placed the fish in more large leaves and set them on the coals from the fire he made. He also arranged the vegetables he found to roast and tossed Posy some fruit.

“Are you really going to steal me away to another planet?”

“You’ll like my planet.”

“What if I do and what if I end up liking you? Every day of my life I’d be afraid to give birth to a litter of mice pups.”

“Posy, you won’t give birth to mice. You won’t give birth to pups or cubs. No wonder you look miserable. That’s a weird and disturbing thought. You would give birth to a normal looking human baby that will shift when he or she comes of age.”

“Giant hamsters. Will their playpen be hamster balls?”

Maximus growled. “I am not a giant hamster or gerbil or guinea pig. I shift into a large cat, a white tiger. You like tigers. I’ve seen the pattern on your toes. That’s what confuses me. You like what I am, or at least what I will become, but you can’t stand me now.”

“I won’t have sex with a mouse or a tiger.”

“It doesn’t work like that. I will never make love to you in my shifter form. Are you really thinking about mice dicks? Because that’s gross.”

She glared at him. “I’m not thinking about anybody’s dick.”

“Good to know because I can’t have an erection on your planet. It’s not physically possible. Mates cannot get pregnant here or there is a small chance of…”

“Fucking mice babies, I knew it,” she shrieked. She jumped up and made a dash for the cave door. Maximus grabbed her and pulled her to his chest.

Well, that escalated quickly.

“Why are you thinking about sex?”

“I’m thinking about everything,” she countered. “I’ve been kidnapped. Now you say I’m being taken to another planet. What makes you think I’d be happy about this situation?”

Maximus set her by the fire. “Do you feel anything for me when you look at me?”

“I keep waiting for you to change.”

“You took on three huge men but are afraid of a tiny little mouse.”

Posy sat staring into the hot coals with a sullen expression. Maximus checked the fish. He didn’t know finding a mate would be this hard. He certainly wasn’t prepared for her lack of attraction towards him. She looked vulnerable, sweet, alone. He admitted he wasn’t handling the situation very well. He wished she’d laugh. She was gorgeous when she laughed.

“You’re beautiful,” he blurted.

She raised her face to gaze at him. Posy lifted a hand to maneuver back into her bra a wayward boob that was trying to break free. Her expression went from wary to annoyed, obviously doubting him.

“I’m hungry.”

“The fish are done,” he was quick to say and pounced on them, handing her two. “The roots will take a while. Have some fruit.”

He picked up the piece she had dropped in her break for freedom. His hand hovered over her lap. Absently she took his offering. Maximus settled back across from her.