She thumped her forehead with her palm. “Damn, I forgot.” She hummed a tune I didn’t recognize, swaying back and forth to the beat, while observing the men, their lips twitching. She and I glared at them, and then, she smirked. “Truth or Dare. Mys style.”
Both men’s eyes were immediately guarded, so I jumped on her suggestion, confirming, “Oh, yeah. That’s good.” As I took another swig from my bottle, a thought occurred. “Mys style?”
Pearl’s eyes flashed gold, and she snapped her fingers, her power surrounding us again. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it. She explained, “Means you can’t lie.” A burp. “And you have to do the dare.”
Uh-oh. Lowering my bottle, I wore the same air as Ezra and Jack now. I had the secret that would get me killed. But then again, I knew Truth or Dare. I didn’t have to pick Truth. I could stick with Dare. That was a little frightening with this group, since we always seemed to be in some sort of trouble with our defiant ideas, but no dare was impossible.
I straightened my shoulders. Yeah, I could do this. And it wasn’t really up for debate. The men had picked the last game. This one was ours, and it was decided by her words and mine.
“I’ll go first, since the guys bamboozled us,” Pearl slurred, burping again. She pointed at Jack. “T or D?”
Jack’s lips pursed, then he stalled by taking another drink. “Truth.” He dove right in.
Pearl grinned. “Have you ever fooled around with someone not Elemental?”
Instant. “No.” He glanced around the group, his eyes landing on me. “T or D?”
After some thought, I decided to be brave. Plus, if the questions weren’t too bad at first, answering them would appear like I wasn’t trying to hide something. “Truth.”
Crossing his legs, Jack asked, “Have you ever fooled around with someone not Shifter?”
Straightaway, I felt a pull on my vocal chords. I tried to fight it, but the liquor made me slow, and my response popped out. “Yes. A Com.”
Silence.
Oddly, they kept their mouths shut. It was probably because of the spell Pearl had created. No one wanted to speak unless they had to, but their faces said it all. Eyes enormous and unblinking, they gawked. Mys routinely stuck with Mys, but Mys and Com were unable to produce offspring together, so they were acceptable bed partners, even if sniffed at. Swaying, I shrugged, and mumbled, “It was before I met Dominic.” Obviously, truth. I had kissed a Com at my old school.
Silence.
“Okay,” I muttered, breaking this awkward moment, placing my bottle away from me to rub my eyes. My attention swung to Ezra. “T or D?”
His jaw clenched. “Dare.”
“Hmm.” I thought about what would be good. Came up with a little revenge for the reaction I had received from the last question. “I dare you to kiss each Mys faction that’s not Vampire.” An evil grin lifted my lips.
Jack and Pearl chuckled, but Pearl stopped when Ezra was unexpectedly on his hands and knees in front of her. Lips on hers. He was so fast I hadn’t been able to track him moving. He swiftly kissed her, then moved like lightening, his lips on a startled Jack’s.
I hooted, snorting a few times, seeing Ezra’s face scrunch up at the action, but I hastily shut my trap when he was abruptly in front of me.
He glared, eye-to-eye with me, muttering, “Quit laughing, sweetheart.” The next second, his lips were on mine. His mouth was wide, his lips full and warm. Both our eyes were open, his scowling, mine wide in shock. He jerked back, opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it and returned to lie on his sleeping bag.
I smirked, not the only one of us now to have kissed someone not of their faction.
Pearl snickered right along with Jack.
Ezra didn’t appear so amused. He was still glowering at me, but asked, “Pearl, T or D?”
“Truth.”
His eyes met hers. “Do you want to be Queen?”
“No.” Her mouth snapped shut. Well, well. Guess Antonio had been right. No one really wanted to be Ruler. She cleared her throat and took a drink, asking me, “T or D?”
I picked up my bottle, teetering while taking a large swill. I wasn’t sure how this round of questions would go, so I had to be safe. “Dare.”
“I’ve wanted to see this for a while.” She leaned forward, almost falling over. “I dare you to shift.”
I sucked air, and felt the pull of magic. “Shit,” I mumbled, knowing I couldn’t fight it in my inebriated state as I hurriedly put my bottle down. Like a robot, unable to do anything else, I yanked my shirt over my head. Sitting there in my bra and panties with hands that weren’t being pulled by my own strings and were going to my bra, not able to stop my actions, I requested desperately, “I’m shy, alright. Everyone, close your eyes. Please!” Panic was etched in my tone, but my bra was still unclipped by fingers that worked without my ordering them to. “Please!”
They sat stunned, but my face must have clearly shown how humiliated I was because they quickly shut their eyes when I began yanking my bra straps down my arms.
As my panties went, I mumbled, “Thank you.” I shifted.
Wobbling drunkenly, I sat on my haunches so I didn’t fall, and woofed to tell them they could open their eyes. They did. Peering up at them, I saw their astonished expressions.
Yeah. I was tiny. Bright red, too.
Pearl murmured in a high-pitched girly voice, “Oh, she’s cute!”
I growled a little.
She didn’t care, petting the top of my head while steadying herself with her other hand.
I couldn’t help leaning into the touch. It felt so good.
“You’re miniature,” Jack breathed, tilting forward to touch me. He was gentle, his contact very light down my back. “And so adorable.”
I growled, which sounded all lazy-slurred being stroked as I was.
“He was right,” Ezra whispered ever so softly, gradually lifting his hand. “You’re just as beautiful in your shifted form.” He scratched behind my ear.
Ah, my favorite. Teetering a bit, I stepped onto Ezra’s lap and cocked my head, my other ear not to be forgotten.
He laughed softly, resituating himself when I squirmed, trying to get comfortable on his legs. He ended up lying on his back completely, gently placing me on his chest while he scratched behind my ears and under my chin.
Content, I rolled onto my side, letting Ezra’s warmth sink past my fur, heating me.