Shifter Read Free

out of my thoughts as she comes around to my side of the counter to lead me to the room they keep the cats.
    “I was really hoping to go home with something today,” I tell her with a hint of disappointment in my voice. I hadn’t meant to sound so disappointed. I could come back another day, no problem, but for some reason, I really want a new cat today.
    “The only other one we have is a foundling that showed up on our doorstep this morning. He isn’t a baby, but he looks to only be about three or four months old.”
    “Can I see him?” My God, the desperation in my voice is annoying even to me. The receptionist gives me a ‘psycho much’ look. In return, I try to give her a sheepish ‘I’m sorry for being weird’ smile.
    “Yeah,” she says, a little unsure if she really should allow me around the animals. “They just placed him in a cage. He didn’t have any fleas or any other physical or medical problems when we brought him in, but we always do a once over and give them a bath before putting them in with the other animals.”
    I followed the woman through a set of double doors to the right of the information counter. The other set of double doors on the left led to the hospital part of the building. Smith County is where I purchased Sebastian. I prefer adopting from the shelter because I like knowing that I’m adopting an animal that the doctors have examined. I’m not opposed to strays. I just prefer adopting my animals. I like feeling as if I’m saving one from death when I adopt.
    Dr. Smith, Sebastian’s doctor and one of the head doctors here at the shelter, promised me when I asked one time that they never put their animals to sleep unless they medically have to do so. I’m not sure I really believe her.
    The other reason I like adopting from this particular shelter is the discounts on vaccines and procedures you get if you adopt from them. I’m not a Scrooge, but I’m not made of money either. Half price on spaying or neutering isn’t something I’m going to pass up.
    I follow the woman into a large room lined wall-to-wall with cages. The dogs immediately start barking, reminding me of why I dislike them so much. The noise is deafening, causing my head to ache. Great, that is all I need. I can’t afford to spend the rest of the day in bed with a headache.
    “Here he is,” she says, stopping in front of one the cages halfway down an aisle.
    I’m in love the moment I see him.

     
     
    Chapter 2
     
     
    ~~~Dimitri~~~
     
     
    “What now,” I want to scream, but I know neither of the women standing in front of my cage can hear me. No one can hear me. I settle for giving them the most annoyed look my new body is able to conjure. They pay me no attention. God, do they have to stand there and stare at me like that? Their big heads bobbing at me from behind the barred door is creepy. They look like bug-eyed aliens from some B-movie examining their latest abduction. I’ve already had the anal probe, what more could they want?
    “You wouldn’t like it if I came to your home and stood in your doorway looking at you, examining you, would you? No, no you wouldn’t. Now go the hell away.” The words come out as an ineffectual growl that causes them to coo over me and causes me to turn away from them in disgust. This day keeps getting worse by the moment. The last thing I feel like doing is dealing with these women. “Just bring the musky smelling, greasy headed boy back to do whatever it is the two of you want to test me for or do to me.”
    “He’s cute,” the one not dressed in medical scrubs says and taps the bars with one fingernail as if that is going to get me to turn around and look at her. “Awe, he’s pouting.”
    Great. Just freaking great. I know that to them I’m merely a tiny, fuzzy creature, and people love to ogle tiny, fuzzy creatures, but damn it, if they only knew how humiliating it is for a man like me to be treated this way. I could kill that stupid bitch for doing