Chapter 15

“YOU OKAY, DARLIN’?” Travis caught Phoenix behind the neck and pulled her over the bar for a steamy kiss.

Long minutes later, she pulled away and murmured, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Max’s crew still giving you a hard time?” Travis threw a glare over her shoulder. Those stupid mutts and alley cats needed to stop harassing his mate.

She shrugged. “I can handle it. I know they’re just trying to help.”

“Did you see their faces when she carried that snake out of here?” A rasping cough preceded Cassie as she stepped up to the bar. 

“Jeez, you sound terrible, Cassie!” Phoenix exclaimed.

Cassie waved a hand airily. “It’s just a cold. I’ll be fine.”

“Wait. Shifters get colds?” 

Travis grinned at the stunned look on Phoenix’s face. “Of course we do since there’s still no cure for the common cold.”

“Well, sure, but I thought maybe–”

The rattling sound of Cassie’s laugh made Phoenix cringe. “You’ve been watching too many Hollywood movies. Or maybe reading too many steamy romances.”

Travis grinned at the blush on Phoenix’s face. When did she have time to read? All the woman ever seemed to do was work, eat and sleep. And play sexy games with him, of course.

“You should go home, Cassie,” Phoenix said. “Glory and I can handle the rest of the night. You should get some rest.”

“She’s right,” Travis said. 

“I’m fine. There’s only an hour left. I just need–” she leaned over the bar and rooted around on the shelf beneath it. “Aha!” She popped up and grinned at them. “I knew I left my cough drops here last night.” 

What occurred next happened so quickly Travis could never get it straight in his head – what happened first, what happened next. 

Everything just seemed to happen all at once.

Cassie opened her bag of cough drops and several flew through the air.

A brown blur flashed by on the bar, Cassie screamed and then her bag of cough drops were gone and so was Phoenix. 

Travis panicked and swung around, but didn’t see her anywhere. 

“I don’t believe it,” Cassie exclaimed. She was staring up above his head. 

Travis looked up, but didn’t see anything. He swung around and realized the entire bar had come to a standstill.

Everyone was on their feet and they were all staring at a point high above his head. 

Travis hurried around the bar and looked up. 

Deep in the shadows at the very top of the bar, he could barely make out movement. “What is she? Did anyone see her animal?”

“She was brown,” Cassie said. “That’s all I really saw.”

“How in the world did she even get up there?” The ledge Phoenix was sitting on was only about a foot below the ceiling.

“Climbed the wall,” Max said. 

“And man, was she fast,” Cole said. 

“Here.” Glory shoved her way through and handed Travis the ladder they used to change the lightbulbs. “See if you can coax her down.”

Travis went back behind the bar, set up the ladder and began to climb. As he got closer to her hiding spot, he crooned to her, “Hey, darlin’, it’s okay. It’s just me. I’m so happy you finally came out to play.” 

When he reached the top of the bar and saw his mate’s shifted form for the first time, Travis’ heart just about melted in his chest, she was that cute.  Big nose. Dark, round eyes. Brown fur. White chest. Big ears with white tufts of fur sticking out of them. 

She stared at him from her spot just out of arm’s reach. 

“You are so flippin’ adorable. Come here, sweetheart.” 

She hesitated, then slowly inched toward him, Cassie’s bag of cough drops gripped tight in the tiny black claws of her front paws.

“That’s right, darlin’, come here.” He held out his arms and she leapt into them, her arms and legs latching onto his shirt. She curled into him, much the same way he’d seen her curl into their bed for a nap. He wrapped his left arm around her, anchoring her small form to his chest, and slowly backed his way down the ladder. 

When he turned to face his sister and their friends, everyone gasped. 

“She’s so cute!” Cassie exclaimed. “She’s like a little teddy bear.”

“What is she?” Pete asked. “I’ve never seen such a tiny bear before.”

“I don’t think she’s a bear,” Travis said. “I think she’s a koala.”

“But aren’t koalas bears?” Cassie asked. 

“Yeah,” Karl said, “Koala bears.”

Travis shook his head. “I don’t think they’re bears. She doesn’t smell like a bear.”

“She’s a marsupial,” Glory announced, staring down at her phone.

“A mar–what?” Pete asked. 

“A marsupial. They have pouches where they carry their babies, just like kangaroos.”

“But that means she’s Australian!” Karl said. “She doesn’t sound Australian.”

“That’s because she grew up here,” Travis said. 

“Can we pet her?” Karl asked.

“Yeah, bring her around the bar, Travis. Stop hogging her!” Pete said.

Travis rolled his eyes, but after checking Phoenix’s expression to make sure she wasn’t too freaked out – she had her face turned toward their friends and was just watching them – he walked around the bar.

“She’s just adorable,” Glory said, reaching out a tentative hand to stroke Phoenix’s back.

Travis made a slow circuit around the bar, allowing each of their friends to gently pet Phoenix and murmur their congratulations to her.

“What’s she holding onto?” Dan asked when Travis reached him.

“My cough drops!” Cassie stepped forward to take the bag from Phoenix, but Phoenix pulled the bag closer to her body and let out a strange yipping, squeaking sound. 

It reminded Travis of the squeaky dog toy Cole had given Max for his birthday last year.

Cassie chuckled. “Okay, you can keep them. I’ll get some more later.” She reached out a hand and gently scratched Phoenix’s head. “You are just the cuddliest thing.” She looked up at Travis. “You’re so lucky. I want to go kidnap a real koala now.”

Travis barked out a laugh. “I don’t think Australia would appreciate that.” He turned to Glory. “I’m going to take her upstairs now. Can you close down the bar tonight?”

“Of course. Go on.” She shooed him away with her hands. 

“Hey, Phoenix,” Max called. 

Travis turned so she could see his face. 

“Welcome to life as a shifter. We’re so very happy for you.” He spread his arms as if to indicate everyone in the bar.

Travis nodded his thanks, turned and carried his mate upstairs.

* * *

“So who won the bet?” Pete asked.

“Glory?” Max turned and looked at her.

“Well…” Glory consulted their board. “It looks like Cole was the only one who had money on today, so he won that pool. No one guessed koala, so I don’t know what we’re supposed to do with that money. Let’s see. I’m not really sure what caused her to shift. Any ideas?”

“She wanted my cough drops,” Cassie said.

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” Karl complained. “The tuna didn’t work. The catnip didn’t work.”

“And the dandelions,” Pete said. “Don’t forget them.”

“Right, tuna, catnip, dandelions. None of those worked, but cough drops did?”

“I guess koalas don’t like those other things,” Cassie said.

“But they like cough drops?” Cole asked incredulously. 

“Not cough drops,” Glory said, staring at her phone again. “Eucalyptus leaves.” 

Cassie giggled. “Okay, that makes sense.”

“How so?” Dan asked.

“My cough drops have eucalyptus in them.”

“Well, that’s disappointing,” Pete muttered.

“Very,” Karl agreed. “I don’t know how we could have guessed that.”