Tempted by the Jaguar #1: Transformation (Riverford Shifters) by Cristina Rayne Page B

better for you to be introduced to the rest of the clan as a
Returner.”
    “And after today, will I be able to go back to my life? I’m missing all
my lectures today, you know,” Kylie said. “Midterms are coming up at the end of
next week. I really can’t afford to miss another day. I’m just lucky today
wasn’t a lab day. Those are a real pain in the ass to make up.”
    “Senior?” Hunter asked, sounding genuinely curious.
    “Junior,” she corrected.
    Kylie hesitated. Maybe if she offered more information about herself
first, then he would be more inclined to share more. She still needed to find
out how Hunter figured into the jaguar clan’s hierarchy.
    “I’m a biology/premed major,” she added.
    “Hmm…so that makes you what? Twenty, twenty-one?”
    “Twenty. What about you? What does a jaguar shifter do besides barge
into apartments uninvited? Are you in college?”
    Hunter laughed. “Not the best first impression, I’ll give you that. No,
I’m not a student. I manage a few apartment buildings and rental homes in my
territory if you can believe it.”
    Kylie blinked in surprise. “That’s the last thing I would’ve guessed.”
    He shrugged. “My family’s always been in real estate.”
    “So—if I hadn’t shifted while in your ‘territory,’ then would someone
else have come after me?”
    “You still think I’m some sort of underground cop don’t you?” Hunter
said in amusement.
    Her eyes narrowed. “Laugh all you want, but how would you feel if you
woke up today and found out your reality had become the real nightmare?”
    His smile instantly disappeared as he turned to glance at her briefly
with a completely unreadable expression in his eyes.
    “Is the thought of turning into an animal really so horrible to you?”
he asked.
    “No,” she answered without hesitation, “but the thought of accidentally
ripping someone’s throat out because I might not be able to control that part
of me is.”
    “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, to be honest,” he said,
his voice returning to its earlier friendlier tone. “You didn’t lose control
even a little bit when I startled you outside your apartment. We’ll test it
some more, of course, once we meet with the elders.”
    “Why do I need to shift at all?” Kylie asked, genuinely curious about
how he would answer. “Do shifters get sick or something if they don’t change at
least every once in a while?”
    “Time’ll answer that question better than I ever could. As I said
before, don’t think of shifting as being possessed by an animal. Part of you is
human, yes, but the jaguar is equally who you are. Your nature is both. Once
the shock of all this wears off, you’ll likely find yourself longing to run
through the forest, to hunt, as a jaguar.”
    Hunter paused for a long moment, then glanced over at her, his
expression thoughtful.
    “After your business with the elders is finished, I can take you on a
trial run through my personal patch of forest if you want,” he offered a bit
hesitantly.
    “Don’t you have better things to do than to babysit me?” Kylie asked
slowly.
    “I think hearing about a couple of stopped up toilets and the latest
sob story about why so-and-so’ll be late with next month’s rent can wait until
tomorrow,” he said with a grin. “Unless it’s something you’d rather do alone…”
    Kylie really wished he wouldn’t smile at her like that. It made her
want to trust him too much, and that was something she could ill afford right
now. However, she also couldn’t afford to offend what could turn out to be a
good ally.
    She offered him a tiny smile. “I’ll think about it.”

CHAPTER NINE
     
     
    The moment Kylie stepped inside the architectural firm, a wave of scents
came crashing down on her, making her head swim so much that she had to grab
onto Hunter’s arm for a moment in order to steady herself.
    “Hey, what’s wrong?” Hunter asked, his brows knitting in concern as