Together

I looked at Sammy sitting in the grass and frowned. Thaxter had his arms around him, comforting him while I patted his back gently.

"It's alright, Sammy." I told him.

"You don't have to change back if you don't want to." Thaxter cooed into his ear.

You see, Sammy had tried to shift, and when he got down to that last moment, he just broke down sobbing. He didn't want to be able to face it if he couldn't change back or if he couldn't change into a human again if he did successfully change into a tiger again.

"We love you Sammy, no matter what, so don't worry about anything." I cooed and leaned forward, kissing him gently on his cheek.

"What if I can't change back?" He asked, looking into my eyes. "What then?"

I shrugged, "Then nothing. You're beautiful no matter what form you are in. We loved you before, what makes you think that we won't love you as much?" I asked him, wanting to make it perfectly clear to him that Thaxter and i loved the shit out of him, and would still no matter his form.

"Sammy..." Thaxter whispered, "You can find out now, or go forever not knowing." He said quietly.

Sammy looked down at his hands, taking in a deep breath. "I....I want to try this." He whispered and then looked between Thaxter and I, his lovers, "Don't let me back down?" He asked, and we nodded.

Sammy stood up and looked between the two of us before taking in a deep breath and scrunching up his eyes close together.

Then, before we knew it, Sammy was not there as a human, but as a tiger. He looked to us with bright eyes and a smile on his face....or as much as a tiger can smile.

Then, while Thaxter and I hugged one another and cheered, Sammy was back again.

"I can do it!" He shouted and picked me up, twirling me around and then hugging Thaxter close to him and sharing a heated kiss with our mate.

"They're so cute." I heard, and looked up to see Sammy and my parents there, smiling at us, Pagai giggling.

"You know I could have showed you how to do that, love." Haven said to his almost look-alike son Sammy. "Your old 'rents aren't good for absolutely nothing." He chuckled, and Sammy nodded.

"I'll remember that for next time before I start panicking." He laughed, and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing me too.

"Well, the mark has already begun to take effect I see." Zikar said, looking at us.

I tilted my head, confused. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well look, Sammy has begun to change, he has begun to take on his shifting characteristics." Zikar said, "and if a book we've read is right, then you should be having the same thing happening to you, because you both will take on all our races; angel, demon, shape shifter." He said, looking at us.

"If the books are right." Haven stressed, "But we'll just take things one step at a time, and....be wary. Know that you both will be changing and try to get through it together." He finished.

"And Thaxter?" Pagai spoke up from being pressed against Zikar and Havne's sides. "Take care of my babies." He giggled out, and the three of them walked away.

I turned to my lovers. "I get the feeling they don't want to explain everything in that book they have to us..." I let on. We'd asked them for information and they said they didn't know much, not any worth reading, and then this.

"It must be for a good reason." Thaxter said, "They love you after all, probably just don't want to scare you with tall tales." He explained, and I nodded.

"Yeah, that's it." I said, and leaned into them who hugged me close.

"Whatever it is, we'll get through this together." Sammy said, and gave us each a kiss. Leaning into his touch, I smiled at his words.

Whatever happened, at least we would be in this together.