Her Mighty Shifter by C.L. Scholey

swaggered away from the other shifters. In this form she would be safest until he could get her home.
    There was growling coming from the giant gorillas. They snuffed and snarled but made no move to rush him. Maximus wouldn’t eat another shifter, but he would kill one to protect his mate. Though killing was a rare occurrence on his planet, it was an unspoken necessity, if confronted and it was sensed a life was in danger. There never, in any incident, had been a case of a mate being killed by another mated shifter. The problem would only arise with unmated shifters and only if they took things too far. Andro walked with Maximus a short way. When in human form on his planet he also stood six foot six. Blond, blue-eyed, he looked the same only much larger.
    “Aren’t you going to see if one of the females brought back are yours? Maybe from another area?” Maximus asked.
    “They aren’t. The only scent I catch is Posy’s, but we all know why. I’m disappointed, but right now you need some help with your mate. Tac says he can send me to the alternate Africa next month. Ciafra is said to be a little less wild than Earth. I can go alone.”
    “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you, my friend.”
    Andro snorted. “They worked out. You’re alive and not a mouse anymore. I can finally say it. You looked so adorable.”
    “Stop.”
    “Beady wittle eyes and paws. Smoochable.”
    “Seriously?”
    “I don’t know why Posy wasn’t smitten.”
    “She was afraid she’d have mouse babies.”
    Andro roared with laughter. Maximus cringed. “A litter of mice. Now that would be cute. You could call them Scamper, Twitch, Poopy—and you can better believe their mother would be screaming their names.”
    Maximus’s home was high in the trees. Each shifter had their own section while the larger shifters remained on the ground in massive caves holding numerous families. All shifter children were safe from harm. There were no meat-eating shifters on the planet. There was no segregation. All children played together. Normally the planet was one big happy family.
    Mating sessions were a bit tricky, though. Posy was the first mate match for anyone in a long time. Maximus could smell the tension in the air. Andro paused near his home and cast a glance at Maximus.
    “Should I hang around?”
    “No, this will be interesting enough.”
    “If you need me, roar.”
    Maximus laid Posy on his bed of stuffed grass. He would have liked to have food waiting for Posy when she woke, but he couldn’t leave her. He could roar for Andro, but that would mean Andro would have to leave the tree houses. Maximus preferred his friend stay close.
    When settled and quiet Maximus was able to drink in her outstanding beauty. The long flowing dark hair spread beneath her was satin soft when he trailed his fingers through her tresses. He smiled when he noted her one boob had managed to escape its confines. Many if not most of the females went shirtless. He hoped Posy would. Her breasts were magnificent.
    Posy stirred, and he smiled at her. She offered a tentative smile in return.
    “You were a tiger.”
    “I am a tiger.”
    “You seem bigger.”
    “I am bigger. A little taller, a lot broader. We’re on my planet after all. I don’t need to tone down my animal magnetism.”
    Posy blinked as though chasing sleep, and Maximus turned her face with a single finger to her jaw.
    “You are my mate. Do you feel it?”
    “I can still picture you flying through the air waving itty bitty mouse feet.”
    “You’re such a romantic.”
    “Then I can picture your massive paws on either side of me sinking into the ground because of how heavy you are.”
    Posy froze when a mammoth trumpeted. A return roar quieted the noise, and Maximus was happy Andro was keeping watch. She gazed up at Maximus.
    “You’re a lot cuter than before.”
    “It’s my shifter hormones. They’re kinda in overdrive.”
    “So instead of mouse babies I’ll have saber-toothed