A fun excerpt from Ostrich and the ‘Roo

He pulled forth and waggled a leash.

A leash.

To go around her neck.

Before Mari could think twice, she’d struggled to her feet, darted her head through the bars, rapier quick, and snatched the offending thing.

Drawing it into the cage, she dropped it so she could stamp her great big, two-toed feet on it. She would have peed on it, too, if she weren’t a lady.

Instead, she tossed her head with disdain.

He wagged a finger at her and almost lost it. “Oi! Bad girl. Maybe I should have led with the fancy collar first.” From his other back pocket, he brought forth a pink nylon collar with rhinestones stitched all around.

Ooh. Pretty, shiny.

Resist the bling. She looked away, and he laughed.

Leaning close, he pressed his forehead against the bars, lips curved in a smile, eyes dancing with mirth. “Feisty thing, aren’t you, luv. An absolute ripper. I bet you’ll do well in the ostrich races once I get you back home and fitted for a saddle.”

Races? He planned to ride her like a horse? Like a common barn animal?

Hell no. Her breathing came hot and fast. Her wings fluttered. She wanted to slap the smug grin off his face. To yell at him that she was not just an animal. And he knew that. Had to know that because he was a shifter, too.

A weird-smelling one. What was he? With that accent, he could be any kind of exotic creature.

“You look angry, luv. How angry?”

So angry.

“Tell me.”

Squawk.

“Not like that. Tell me in real words.”

I would if I could, she tried to convey with a glare.

“Let’s see if I can help you.” With that odd comment, he raised his hand level with her face and blew. A fine powdery substance flitted forth to hit her eyes and open beak. She inhaled the particles with her next angry “Eep.”

It tingled. It burned. It eased a knot inside her, and the chains holding her pulled back.

Snap. Crackle. Squish. The sounds of Mari changing shapes, which, she might add, had a much cooler process when the Transformers did it.

But who cared if it was kind of icky and gross? She’d changed! Hooray.

For the first time in a long while, Mari stood in the flesh, completely naked, hands on her hips. Pissed. Pale. And still in a cage in a small room on a ship.

With a man.

A handsome man.

Her captor.

It didn’t make him any less sexy.

The coquette in her pursed her lips and tilted her head in amusement. His smile widened, his tanned and rugged features lighting with male enjoyment and appreciation.

The songbird in her let out a girlish titter.

The violent hen in her slugged him in the gut for being a jerk.

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