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  “Oh, why’s that?”

  “I actually respect the man now.”

  JD gave a choked laugh, but she noticed him turn his head to watch Kirk too. “Yeah, me too.”

  They broke off the conversation as Kala and Raul came over. Larry had pulled Anne aside, and they were talking quietly but with sharp gestures that left no doubt as to the intensity of the conversation. William had drifted over to talk to a few EMT’s off to the side.

  “Am I going to face that?” Kala’s voice was soft. “I choose to give up my hijab to try to blend in. Is this going to make me stand out again? So many people make assumptions because of my heritage already.”

  “Probably. And don’t give up your hijab if you don’t want to. You’re allowed to wear it.”

  Kala shrugged. “I know. But it restricted my vision too much in some situations, and I’m not willing to wear it while in uniform.” She shrugged. “I have to meet Allah on my terms, and I’m okay with my own choices.” She shrugged. “This scenario is not one I’ve prayed about until recently.”

  McKenna grinned at Kala, she enjoyed her quiet strength. “Then you’ll be fine. People are assholes everywhere.”

  “And some of us appreciate women in all their variations and would never want to see any so pretty discriminated against.” Raul too smooth voice reminded McKenna of his presence. Kala blushed at his words, but McKenna looked him over trying to figure out his game. “But then some women are always the center of attention.” His voice held a hint of snideness as he shot a glance her way.

  She didn’t even stop the roll of her eyes this time. “If you would like the attention, please feel free to strip, walk down main street naked, then shift in to a hyena. I can promise you’ll have all the attention you can want.” Her smile featured most of her teeth and she saw him start to shift his weight forward, then caught himself.

  “True, but I don’t think the department would approve of that level of undress from me.” He capped the comment with a subtle leer than had McKenna’s nails itching to turn into claws.

  Before she could respond, and she didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing, William walked over followed by three EMT’s, two of which were women.

  “Officer Largo, these are few of the paramedics I work with and we were discussing the change, and what it means for medical support, and they have a question.”

  A large woman, with long dark brown hair, tattoos, gave her a wide grin striking against her on her rust colored skin. “I’m Mary Three Rivers, and what Bill means is I have a totally inappropriate request.”

  While from Raul that remark would have made her hackles rise, and it was disconcerting to realize in her other form she had hackles, this woman didn’t set off any alarm bells.

  “And what would that request be?” McKenna relaxed, curious as to what the woman would ask.

  “We get this is a new reality, at least for now. But I haven’t seen anyone shift, and I want to make sure I can either recognize it or know what happens.” She nodded at the woman standing next to her. “Gracie and I were hoping you might be willing to shift for us in the locker room, so we can actually see what happens, and get over our reactions, if any, now.”

  Grace standing next to her nodded. “Yeah. We get not wanting to do it public, but was hoping with just two women you wouldn’t mind too much? I mean I get this is odd, but…” she trailed off shrugging a bit.

  They what? Well, okay yeah, the video was good, but it makes it distant. And they do need to know not to freak out if they see it. And what happens if it goes wrong? I hate logic.

  McKenna snorted a laugh, frustrated more with her own thoughts than anything else. “Sure. It is a valid point, but I hope no one is going to think I’m making a habit of this. Come on, and I’ll strip for you.” She said it with a sigh but shivered at bit at the leering look she caught from Raul.

  “That isn’t a bad idea,” JD’s said looking at the other EMT. “I’m willing to offer up my body if you need me to.”

  The man blinked and grinned. “That’d be great.”

  “You mind if I watch?” William asked a bit diffidently. “I mean I’ve shifted but I don’t really know what it looks like from the outside. And besides it hurts like crazy.”

  JD shrugged. “The first few times, but after wards it really doesn’t, it just feels like a weird stretch.”

  Everyone there paused and looked at them. “You’ve done this multiple times?” Kala asked, her voice hushed as she glanced around them.

  JD and McKenna exchanged a look and then both of them shrugged.

  “Sure,” McKenna’s voice was calm as she looked over the shocked faces. “Four or five times.”

  “Can I watch also, Officer Largo? I’ve been too scared to shift again.” Kala’s voice could barely be heard over the general noise.

  McKenna nodded. “Sure, not an issue.” She turned and headed to the locker room pulling out her phone. “Five pizzas’?”

  “Better make it six, at least two carnivore’d and add some cheese bread for me, please?” JD said as he walked alongside her to the locker rooms.

  “Who are you feeding? An army?” Raul mocked even as he followed.

  JD turned, shooting him a look that must have been intimidating given that Raul faltered a step before starting to swagger again.

  “If’d you’d changed since, you’d have realized that you burn calories like crazy. Food after wards is almost mandatory.”

  McKenna nodded. “Yeah, I’ve lost about ten pounds in the last few days. Nice, but weird.” She put in the order, and set it to deliver to the station ASAP, with a note for JD only to pick up. She figured the desk sergeant might steal a slice, but he wouldn’t let anyone else take the boxes of calories.

  Mary and Gracie looked at her. “You’ve lost weight?”

  “Yep, clothes aren’t as tight anymore.”

  “Huh, I think I just became very jealous.”

  “Don’t get too jealous. This keeps up and my food bill is going to be more than my rent.” McKenna said as they paused at the two doors. One labeled Men, the other Women.

  “Well, everyone who wants to see me naked, come on.”

  Chapter 15 - Establishing Roles

  An interesting note, all the animals so far identified have been predators or opportunistic eaters except for the red panda and boar. This raises many questions as to what the link between who changed and the animal they turned into. A young girl who had changed into a wolf and then was hit by a car was autopsied over the weekend with the permission of her parents. She did not shift back to human upon death, and the only difference between her and a natural wolf were her size and her brain configuration. Scientists have no answers, but no one is suggesting human experimentation at this time. ~ AP Article

  McKenna pushed into the locker room, heading for her locker. She needed the hanger, so she could hang her uniform up.

  I’ll be damned if I rip this outfit, dress uniforms cost too bloody much.

  She had stripped to underwear and bra before she turned around and blinked at the number of women standing there. Looks on their faces ranged from curious to paranoid to suspicious.

  Anne Holich, as well as Kala were standing there trying to look calm.

  “Okay, I didn’t expect this. Um, Hi?” Her voice cracked a bit as she looked around.

  A mix of chuckles and snorts met her comment.

  “Okay, I don’t have an issue doing this for an audience, though I am beginning to feel ridiculous. Question how many people are armed?”

  At least three women raised their hands, and she though she saw one do an aborted hand raise.

  “Okay, I don’t want to get shot. Can everyone please either lock their weapon in a locker or disassemble it. I’m not willing to let your own reactions put a bullet in me.”

  “Do it people. It’s a valid request, and I’ll be at the front. So, if Largo here goes crazy, I’ll be the first one disemboweled if that helps.”

  “What?
Not worried I’ll use this as an excuse to attack you?” McKenna asked, mostly teasing but also curious as to how she would respond.

  “Please, if you wanted to attack me it would have been a long time ago. You like me, admit it.”

  McKenna laughed and felt relief at the low chuckle running around the room. Two put their guns in lockers and clicked them shut, others, with quick expert motions, disassembled their weapons, laying them on benches.

  She inhaled trying to soothe her nerves. Other than the first unexpected time, no one had watched her change. Anxiety rippled up and down, but she pushed it down and pulled off her bra and stepped out of her underwear.

  And once again I’m nude in front of people. How did this become my life?

  “What happens if you leave it on?” someone asked.

  “It rips. Or binds me up. Either way unless I’m getting a significant raise for being a shifter, I can’t afford to keep shredding my clothes. As it is, I’m about to start lobbying for kilts.”

  “What JD finally convince you?” Anne asked, a half-smile on her face.

  “No and yes. Let’s just say changing in jeans is a pain, a kilt is a lot easier to get in and out of. If I have to change, the time it takes to get out of the jeans might be an issue.”

  Anne’s eyes tilted up to the left as she chewed on her lip. “Point. I’ll take it under advisement.”

  Well, that was unexpected.

  Pushing that thought to the back, McKenna took one more glance around the room.

  I’m going to be really pissed if I get shot.

  Blocking out the people, she reached for the cat and let it flow into her and she into it.

  Her eyes snapped open and her hackles raised without conscious thought at the women staring at her, at least half of them choking back a scream. They were scrambling backwards, eyes wide, faces pale, and she huffed out a breath. Shaking her shoulders, she got her hackles to relax. With a single move she jumped up on the bench and sat down, wrapping her tail around her haunches.

  She heard faintly a roar, a muffled scream, and a huff of a bear, a familiar sound.

  Nice to know the guys aren’t fairing any better.

  “Dear gods, it’s real.” Mary’s voice was hushed, almost reverent. “Skin walkers are back.”

  The name didn’t mean anything to McKenna as she tilted her head, ears flicking forward.

  Mary shook her head. “Sorry, old legends. That was fascinating.” Gracie nodded in agreement, and McKenna noticed Mary, Kala, and Anne were the only two who hadn’t backed up as far as they could get when she shifted.

  “Is that what it looks like when I shift?” Kala whispered as she moved closer. “It both looks so horrible and fascinating at the same time.” Her hand reached out, then paused a few inches away from McKenna’s muzzle. “May I?”

  I swear if anyone scratches me behind my ears, I’m scratching them.

  With an internal eye roll she shoved her face forward and let Kala run her hands over her muzzle and ears, soft questing fingers feeling the fur. McKenna realized she had no idea what her own fur felt like to human fingers.

  Kala pulled her hand back rubbing her fingers together. “Thank you, that was amazing.”

  “McKenna, may I do a basic safety exam of you?” Mary asked as she moved slowly over to her. A basic safety exam was a pat down to make sure there were no broken bones, lacerations or pain from the victim. It was a valid request and no more invasive than a basic pat down she did on people.

  With a half-rumbled purr, she stood up on the bench, and heard gasps around the room, but no one had reached for a weapon that she saw, or put one back together. With the enhanced hearing as a cat, she would have heard the clicking if anyone reassembled their weapon.

  “Thank you,” there was an odd reverent quality in Mary’s voice and it rippled through McKenna, making her grasp at an idea that slipped just out of her minds grasp. Strong firm hands slid over her body, impersonal and efficient, in a minute Mary stepped back and nodded.

  “It’s all real. You’re a cat,” Gracie almost whispered the words, her eyes wide as she watched.

  Anne laughed. “Well I really didn't have any doubt about it after the video, but I will say seeing it in person has a visceral intensity I did not expect.” Her voice seemed shaky, and McKenna decided she’d had enough show and tell for the day. Resisting the urge to sink her claws into the bench she called herself back, the human her, the one with fingers and could speak.

  Her body moved, and she tried to pay attention to the way her body and shifted and reformed, but it was like trying to pay attention to water across your skin, you got the general sensation, but weren’t able to pull out specifics.

  Standing there, human once again, she stretched, making sure everything worked the way it should, and started pulling clothes back on.

  “Thank you for this, really. I know it had to be uncomfortable and embarrassing.” Mary said as other women grabbed their weapons and headed back out, the discussion low but fervent.

  Then why did you ask?

  The words almost slipped out of her mouth, but McKenna managed to focus on buttoning her shirt instead.

  “I think it helped in multiple ways, so not a big deal. Have to see what JD experienced with the men.”

  “You were gorgeous you know?”

  That didn’t make any sense to McKenna, and she paused tying her shoes to look up at Mary. Only Kala, Mary, and Anne were still there, and Anne tilted her head a bit at that comment.

  “Ummm, thanks?” McKenna wasn’t sure what to say. She’d been hit on by women before, but this really just seemed odd, and she had no idea how to respond.

  “Oh, no. Sorry, not hitting on you.” Mary blushed and shook her head, clarifying. “Your puma form. I’ve seen them from a distance occasionally, and pictures. I had just never realized how stunningly gorgeous they were. Just getting to touch one, well you, but you as a cat, was incredible. So, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” McKenna stood, grabbing her coat as her phone dinged. “Ah, Pizza’s here. Good. I’m starving.” She headed out, ignoring everyone else. The idea of food made her salivate, wanting to taste cheese and meat. She paused to pound on the men’s locker room door.

  “JD, foods here. Come on before I either eat it or give it away.”

  The door pulled open under her fist, as JD walked out, his jacket over one arm, and a large smirk.

  “How’d it go?” She asked, more because he so obviously needed to share than anything else.

  “Two screams, one diving for their weapon, and one urination.” The grin on his face sparked wicked hope in McKenna.

  “Please, please say it was Raul.”

  “I might have lunged a bit and roared slightly, and he might have squeaked and had an accident.”

  “Ah,” McKenna kept walking, the smell of pizza driving her, and she told herself the grin was focused on the pizza. Really.

  The sergeant sat at the desk with a delivery driver standing there, the huge pile of pizza boxes in his arms.

  “These all for you Davidson?” He asked giving JD a look.

  “Me and Kenna thanks,” JD said reaching for the stack of ten boxes as McKenna paid on the app.

  “Anne, may we use the conference room we were in?”

  “As long as I get a slice.”

  “Sure, I ordered a few extra. You too, Kala, I think you’ve got questions.”

  JD led the way, both of them feeling the need for calories claw at their bodies, making it hard to be polite. But she knew she had to be polite and didn’t demur when Raul and William joined them in the room. Though Raul had changed into a regular uniform.

  “We hope everyone enjoyed the show,” she said, looking at William and ignoring Raul. His sneer at both of them was making her finger itch.

  That thought a second time made her pause and glance down at her hands.

  Nah, I’m being silly. Hungry.

  She handed two pizza boxes to JD, and took two herse
lf, after verifying at least one of them was the meat lovers.

  “So, you’ve done this over and over again?”

  McKenna held up her hand. “Kala, give us a few, we’re at the can’t function point. And dammit forgot drinks.”

  JD grunted, he already had half of his pizza gone, not wasting time while McKenna tried to be polite.

  Screw that, I’m starving.

  She grabbed a slice, folded in half and took a huge bite. The mingled cheese and sauce exploded across her tongue and amplified her hunger. Four bites and she reached for another one, the food in her stomach not enough to even begin to slow the cravings. Three pieces later, the overriding FOOD need had settled, and she looked up to see everyone in the room staring at her and JD. He’d finished his box and had started on the next one, though like her, JD surfaced enough to start to chew normally.

  “What?”

  Raul smirked. “You keep eating like that, and you’ll live up to your thunder thighs nickname.”

  McKenna froze, that had been something from high school, a lifetime ago.

  Did he know me from then?

  “Are you always this much of an ass, or only when you aren’t being fawned over?” JD asked as he finished off a slice of pizza. “Kenna’s never been fat, and if you haven’t noticed we’ve both dropped fat in the last few days. As near as we can figure the shift burns thousands of calories, and you are driven to replace them.”

  The look he gave Raul covered all the thoughts McKenna had, and she stuffed another piece of pizza in her mouth to keep them there.

  “Oh, is that way I was so hungry the next day? I thought it was just an after effect. And tried not to eat too much.” Kala said, glancing at her hands under the table.

  “Well, technically I guess it was. But mostly, and this is our assumption, but we haven’t seen anything to contradict it, it is your body trying to replace all the calories you burned to shift.” JD answered as McKenna finished the last piece of pizza in first box and opened up her next.

  “So, no guilt at the food?”

  “NO,” both McKenna and JD almost shouted the word in unison, then glanced at each other and rolled eyes.