Page 37 of Doubly Claimed
Epilogue
Misha and Ross snarled at anyone who dared get too close to them as they waited on the edge of the Challenge circle. Amy, in Sow form, paced up and down, roaring and stomping her feet while Bruce egged on a few younger members of the Clan.
The Kodiak Island Clan were made up of various species of Shifter. That was nothing new. But what was surprising was how many of the teens and younger adults had fallen under this mistaken belief that only Shifters were worthy of mate status.
“How did this happen?”
“I don’t know.” Ross shook his head. “I mean, I knew there was anti-normal sentiment, but I had no idea how rampantly it ran.”
“Yes, well. When Ginger comes out, we will announce—”
“She made us promise, Misha. I will not betray her trust.”
“I don’t want to either, but I can’t let her get hurt,” Misha said, despair filling him at the thought.
“Finally!” yelled Bruce, and Misha turned his head to see Ginger standing at the edge of the circle.
Tension filled him. She was smack in the middle of enemy territory.
The dozen or so young Shifters situated on that side of the circle stared at her, jaws dropped at her sheer audacity. Misha was filled with a fierce pride he felt echoed in his Omega. But behind that was worry and tension. Inside of him, as well. Any one of those youths could harm her or worse with a single shift of a claw or fang.
“I will kill them all if they dare,” snarled Ross.
Misha’s rumbling growl assured him, he was capable of nothing less. But they owed Ginger their trust, and he waited. It almost killed him, but he waited.
“I understand you have an issue with me and my status as a normal?” she questioned walking down to the center of the circle until she was the center of everyone’s attention.
Including, the angry Sow, who was even now baring her teeth and grumbling loudly.
“You are not worthy of your title. It should go to one of our own,” snapped Bruce.
The fucker obviously wanted to have his arms torn off, thought Misha with a damning snarl. His Bear was anxious. He wanted to kill the younger male for his audacity alone. The fact he was within a foot of his mate, made him positively homicidal.
“I see. Well, first,” Ginger said and snapped her fingers to get his attention, “you and Amy are Misha’s cousins. Can you say gross?”
The following ews and shit I forgots coming from the crowd was fucking comical if the Sow hadn’t moved closer to his mate. Ross snarled and moved forward. His Elk’s angry glunking rolled through the crowd.
“That’s a normal’s response to a very natural thing,” Bruce insisted, but even his fans were backing off.
“Yeah well, normal or not the idea of mating your cousin is gross, Bruce. Face it.”
“You’re just a stupid human!” he yelled like a petulant child.
But that was when Misha saw his mate’s brown eyes glow gold, and he smirked. It seemed he and Ross had forgotten something. Something big.
“Let me correct those assumptions,” Ginger growled softly. “I am a college educated woman and I am extremely well read. I assure you stupid is not a word you should ever associate with me. Next, it seems you have underestimated the power of a mating blessed by the Fates.”
“What?” Bruce sputtered as Ginger unbuttoned the dress she’d been wearing.
Misha snarled. What the fuck? She was disrobing in front of everyone, and his Bear was pretty unhappy about it. Her brown eyes flicked to his, and she winked before the most amazing thing happened.
Dropping to all fours, Ginger’s body became enshrouded by a blanket of golden lights softly pulsing and glowing until her skin grew fur and her shape changed.
“Holy shit.” Bruce stepped backwards until he fell on his ass.
In fact, the entire crowd squinted and tried to move back. The light radiating from Ginger was so bright and brilliant it nearly blinded them all. Except for Ross and Misha, who moved closer to their mate.
“Oh, my gods,” whispered the Elk before falling to his knees.