Deer Heart [Shifter Crossroads 3] Read Online Free

into the back room where she stripped Venny efficiently. “Anything else?”
    “Can you pull my contacts? I do it right handed usually.” She grimaced. Her hair was skating the lower edge of her shoulder blades, and it was currently the only thing she was wearing.
    Lee scrubbed her hands and pulled the brown contacts from her eyes with little difficulty. She had obviously done it a few times.
    Lee asked, “Can I watch your shift? I have never seen a deer like you before.” Venny nodded. “Stay in the doorway. I react aggressively to predators, and I won’t be able to make it through the door once I shift.” The medic nodded and watched her with wide eyes.
    Venezia leaned forward, arched her head up and let her reindeer out. Her hooves stomped the floor, and she shook her head, frustrated that she couldn’t run out of this tiny box. A scraping was heard as she raised her head, and her antlers touched the ceiling.
    The lioness made a noise, and Venny turned toward her, pawing the ground in threat. Lee backed up, and Venny calmed down, shifting back into her human form.
    She flexed her hand and smiled. “That’s better.” Her hand was still tender, but it wasn’t swollen anymore.
    Moving quickly, she got dressed and went out to meet Lee.
    Lee was busy with another patient.
    Athon was sitting on the table and his head bore the gash from her impact.
    “I am so sorry.” Venny winced as Lee put stitches in place.
    Athon stared at her. “You look different.” Just half an hour ago, he had been putting the moves on her, and now, he stared warily. “I know. This is what I actually look like, well, minus the clothing and heels.”
    He wasn’t wincing as Lee put the stitches in.
    Apparently, he didn’t think that shifting was the easier medical option. Venny looked him over in the bright light of the clinic. He had a heavy pelt of black hair liberally threaded with silver. His skin said that the silver was because of what he was, not his age. He was looking at her as if he was engaged in sudden recalculation.
    Venny sighed, her shoulders slumped.
    “Thanks, Lee.”
    “Come back in for a follow-up tomorrow.”
    “After my run.” She waved farewell and left the clinic, heading back to her room at the B&B and hopefully some sleep and a fresh, new day.
    Dira was sitting and embroidering a napkin with some fanciful designs. “Oh dear. It looks like you had a rough first day.”
    Venny fought tears. “Something like that. How many days do I get?”
    Dira took her by the hand and hauled her into the dining room, putting out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. “You get as many as you need. This isn’t love at first sight, this is a mate-for-life situation. You take as long as you need to get it right.”
    They sat and talked for half an hour, and just as Venny was getting to her feet, Athon came in through the door. He paused. “You.” She blinked and sat back down. “I am sorry.” Dira looked from one to the other. “You have met?”
    Venny touched her forehead, and Dira took the hint. “Athon, cookies?”
    He scowled and stalked in, sitting and glaring at Venny. “Albino, huh?”
    She blushed scarlet. “You are certainly perceptive. All the power, none of the colouration of a regular one of my herd.”
    Athon sneered, “No wonder you had to come here. None of your kind would have you.” Venny paled and got to her feet. “Thank you, Dira. The cookies were wonderful.”
    She returned to her room and gave the scent of fresh laundry a watery smile. She showered and looked at herself in the mirror. With the change in colouring, her features went from average to striking.
    It didn’t do her any good. She crawled into bed and hoped that tomorrow would be a better day with a fresh start. She could really use one.
    * * * *
    Dira got to her feet and struck Athon in the shoulder. “What is wrong with you?”
    “What? She was a reject. She came here to find someone who didn’t mind that she was a reject.”