Cats And Dogs: A Shifter Novella Read Free

Really?” Axel drawled. “Because a
minute ago, she was your best employee.”

    “ Belle, why didn’t you tell me? My
god.” Agnes looked horrified.

    “ This sounds like something that
needs to be reported to the Panther Council,” Axel said, in a
low, dangerous voice.

    The council oversaw all disputes and all
matters that related to panthers in the state of Montana. Each race
of shifters in every state had their own council.

    “ You’re a wolf, not a panther. You
can mind your own damned business,” Edith said, her voice rising
with an undertone of panic now. “And I’ll have you know we took her
in when she was an orphan. We gave her a home, raised her like she
was one of our own, fed her and clothed her –“

    “ You mean you gave her your kids’
hand-me-downs and treated her like crap,” Agnes said heatedly. “And
big deal, you fed her. She’s family, that’s what you’re supposed to
do. And you live on a freaking farm. Food’s free for
you.”

    “ Get out of my store,” Edith
hissed. “Never come back.”

    “ Wait!” Belle cried. “Please –
don’t fire her. I won’t go out with Axel.” She saw the look of hurt
and dismay on Axel’s face, and wanted to cry. But if her aunt
wanted to make Agnes’ life hell, she could easily do that – and
Belle couldn’t let that happen.

    Edith turned to Agnes, a scowl stamped on her
face.

    “ This is your one last chance,” she
snarled at Agnes. “Watch your tongue, and stay out of my family’s
business.”

    Agnes, face pale, turned and
walked to the back of the store without a word. She began
straightening out a display rack with sharp, angry
movements.

    “ You’ll have to leave now,” Belle
said to Axel, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

    “ I’m not leaving you to be abused
by this monster,” Axel shook his head in protest. Edith let out a
sharp hiss of rage, and her claws shot out of her
fingertips.

    “ Please,” Belle pleaded. “Please
go. Don’t come back. You’ll only make it worse.”

    Axel nodded reluctantly, but he shot Edith an
angry glare. “This isn’t over,” he told her. And he turned and
walked out of the store, with his cousins following him.

    Belle braced herself for more verbal abuse
from her aunt, but Edith surprised her by turning and walking into
her office, and slamming the door behind her.
    The rest of the day at work was
torture. Edith came back out and watched Belle and Agnes with an
eagle eye, taking her anger out on Agnes with a continual stream of
insults, muttered just low enough that the customers couldn’t hear
them – but Agnes and Belle could.

    Knowing that she could never talk
to Axel again hurt her deeply, like a bruise deep inside her that
would never heal. Something had flared up inside her when Axel had
flirted with her, a fierce, primitive joy she’d never experienced
before. Being forcibly separated from him felt like one of her
limbs had been torn off. It made no sense, she barely knew him, but
her reaction to him when he looked in her eyes earlier had been
instant and primal.

    When they closed up shop, Belle
and Agnes followed Edith outside. Edith’s husband Jeb had pulled up
in front of the store and Edith glared at Belle and gestured at his
pickup truck.

    “ Get in,” Edith bit out the words
as if they tasted foul.

    Belle stared in shock, looking
from Jeb to Edith in bewilderment. They never offered her a ride
home, even in deepest winter when the snow was piled high on the
ground. She always shifted into panther room and ran the three
miles to their farm, which was on the outskirts of town. It was the
best part of her day; she was completely free, the wind and the sun
caressing her, with all the scents and sounds of the forests
rushing through her.

    “ I…I don’t need a ride. I can run
home,” she protested.

    “ I’ve had enough of your
disrespect. Get in the truck if you want your friend to be able to
set foot in any business in this town,” Edith