Chasing Tail (Paranormal Shapeshifter Werelion Romance) (Quick & Furry Book 1) Read Online Free

party. She undid the locks, turned the knob, and tugged the panel open. “Jennifer.”
    Sympathy filled the other woman’s gaze and Penelope tore her attention from her friend, unwilling to suffer under the expression. She didn’t want anyone to feel badly for her. She wanted to be left alone. It was bad enough that half the pride laughed at her on a regular basis while the other half sneered, but now with recent events… There would be no hiding from their torment. She knew it was only a matter of time before Alpha Palmer “encouraged” her to find a new pride. With today’s events, she imagined the order would come any time now.
    “Oh God, Penelope.” Penelope’s own heartache was mirrored on her best friend’s features and the dam broke.
    “Jennifer…” The first cry escaped, and then it was downhill from there.
    Hugs were shared, tears were wiped, noses were very unsexily blown, and more than enough wine was consumed. By the time they finished their second bottle, Penelope managed to release the whole sordid, seriously not long enough, tale. From the first grumble, to the first purr, and on to the first taste of his skin, she revealed all. There were no secrets from the woman who’d stood by her side year after year despite the teasing and poor treatment by the rest of their pride.
    “So, that’s it.” Penelope drained the last few drops from her glass.
    “That’s it?” Jennifer slammed her delicate glass on the coffee table and winced, waiting for it to shatter. Amazingly, it did not. “ Justin ,” her best friend sneered, “strides in, interrupts, claims some witch is behind it all, and that’s it ?”
    Justin… For a moment, Penelope forgot that Justin was Jennifer’s brother which was why the woman could even talk about the man with such a disrespectful tone. But just for a moment.
    “Yup.” She reached for another bottle. Knowing they were likely to drain them all, they had yanked the cork on each one before they began. “Pretty much.”
    “You’re joking.”
    “Nope.”
    “But… But…” Jennifer sputtered. “He’s wrong.”
    “I doubt it.” Fuck it. She was probably on the way out anyway. She could be disrespectful too. Penelope deepened her voice to imitate Alpha Palmer. “My decisions are final and unbreakable. You do not deny me, you do not disobey me. My word is law.”
    “But it’s not.” Jennifer shook her head. “The spell didn’t pick Marcus. It doesn’t work that way.”
    Marcus… Marcus was a nice name… It was sexy and sinful and it tasted delicious. “Marcus…” Penelope turned her head until she could stare at her friend. “Is that his name? Marcus…”
    “You didn’t even know his name? You don’t know who he is?”
    “Should I? We kind of skipped that part. He was a lion, then he was human, then he had his tongue in my throat. We jumped over everything else.” She sighed happily. “Did I mention how sexy he was? And the whole mating thing?”
    The mating thing. Or rather, the not mating thing. The not mating thing and the embarrassment that came from the entire process being stopped by Alpha Palmer.
    “…a mistake that would ruin the rest of your life.”
    “Yes, you mentioned that,” her friend drawled. “I’ll fill you in on your mate then.”
    Penelope shook her head and fought the dizziness that came with the action. “No, he’s not my mate. We just discussed this, didn’t we?”
    “Humor me.” Jennifer reached for her previously discarded glass and refilled it before sitting back once again. “His name is Marcus Tolson.”
    “That name sounds familiar.”
    The woman grinned at her and tried to hide the smile behind the glass but failed miserably. “Yes, I imagine it would. Especially considering he’s the North American Alpha.”
    Oh. Right. Nice. Super nice.
    Penelope groaned and flopped sideways, burying her face in a pillow. “Now I know he’s not my mate. I’m so not North American Alpha Mate material.” She was