Chapter 49 Pink Pony Club
Pink Pony Club
Kit/Kat
Imake a frustrated noise and stomp my front feet hard, hoping he gets my point; I don’t know what the fuck that is.
It’s not a lioness, but it has four legs and a tail and…
I think about my body for a moment. Wings?
! Holy fuck, I have wings. Is… Am I like a pegasus?
Maybe, but if I was, he would have just said that, right? I wonder—
“Little demon, alicorns have been extremely rare since the human medieval ages. The species they combine—a pegasus and a unicorn—has never been plentiful. Many myths speak of their powers, so they have always had to elude humans and supernaturals, though for different reasons.”
I’m a unicorn-pegasus?! That’s why I had those insane cutie mark tattoos pop up; it makes perfect sense now.
Moving around a bit again, I stomp my feet and feel the wings flap.
I’m terrified of figuring out how to fly, and I guarantee I’m going to screw up shit with this head weapon.
I huff a breath again, the sound of my horsey frustration registering with my ears now.
Now that I know why everything differs from how I felt when I was a lion, I’m not sure how or why I got this response to my request to shift.
The guys already thought I was a target for getting the invite without my demon, having more than one shift, and being part of their caliphate.
Adding the layer of a super rare shift just ices the danger cake, man.
Slash frowns as I prance around the room, fluffing the wings and tossing my head.
He walks over and carefully puts his big hand gently on my muzzle.
I lean into his palm, making a calmer sound as it helps me stop wigging out in my head.
“I would like for you to try something, Kat. It is not something that everyone can do. In fact, I cannot, nor can most of our caliphate. Jasper and Oriel are the only ones who have the necessary power and genetics needed for it to be possible.”
I have no idea how to frown as a horse, so I just do my best and then press against his hand.
“I want you to take all the thinking in your head—the voice you hear that I do not—and focus on pushing it through the barrier to your animal. That sounds quite stupid, I understand, but since you have so many rare gifts, I am curious to see if you would fall in this designation as well.”
He wants me to talk as a pretty pony shifter?
My ears twitch as I give his request a try anyway, though.
Slash is patient with me during these sessions, and if he thinks it’s possible, I have to listen.
Picturing a barrier between the colors that represent all the new stuff emerging inside me, I jabber in my mind and push it gently.
It doesn’t work at first, so I flare my nostrils and shove the words harder.
An odd sensation ripples through me, and suddenly, a perky high voice says, “I don’t think it’s working, Slash. ”
The shark shifter blinks at me in surprise, then his hand moves from my muzzle to clap over his mouth.
Snickers escape anyway, rough and deep as he looks down at me.
I try to horsey-frown at him, but I still don’t know if it’s working.
He laughs and removes his hand, shaking his head with a soft look in his icy eyes.
“You seem to be wrong, little demon. Though in this form, you sound much more like your feminine self. It’s probably normal for this species—though Anton may confirm my supposition. ”
“Annie didn’t give me anything about alicorns.”
Slash looks down, his lips quirking at my high-pitched, silly voice.
“He wouldn’t have focused on things that are near extinction.
You won’t see them on the Games teams nor as challenges or obstacles.
No one risks getting themselves killed in this sort of event.
Unicorns charge incredibly high prices for their various powers and spell ingredients. ”
This is becoming too much, and I don’t know how to deal with it. A low whinny escapes as I scrape my hooves over the ground, and I toss my head. Slash moves closer again, his hand running lightly over my mane.
“I know this is a lot, little demon. You are going through so many changes at once. It would scare anyone.”
Not nearly as much as it does me, but I understand what he means.
“It’s time to go back to your normal body, Kat. Focus again, and this time, you need to visualize yourself in your Kit body.” He stops, then chuckles. “You know what I mean.”
I do, and I appreciate that he’s trying so hard to say things the right way.
Honestly, I’ve gotten used to being both Kat and Kit, so neither feels wrong to me.
Closing my eyes, I do as he says. It doesn’t work immediately, so I keep breathing and focusing on the images in my mind.
I’m not sure how much time goes by; it’s not fast. But I keep the image in my mind and my inner voice coaxing until a tingle runs over me.
It turns into heat, and my skeleton cracks as I finally get it to work.
“Excellent, little demon!” He moves back as my body reshapes itself, and I wing a prayer that he turns away when I end up naked.
I’m not quite ready for the full monte with him yet, but I do trust him not to take advantage—which is pretty big.
My limbs buckle after it’s done, and I land on the floor, smacking my ass hard. “Gonna have to learn how to stick the landing. This floor is really hard.”
“Your hoodie is to the right,” Slash calls over his shoulder. “Tell me when you’re ready to discuss your accomplishments.”
I scramble over and pull the huge sweatshirt on, covering myself to my knees. This is good enough for now; it covers as much as the now ripped gauze and boxers. “Okay.”
His toothy grin greets me when he turns, and the anxiety ball in my gut unwinds. Slash being himself without a single hint of remorse is comforting as fuck. “You did well, despite the surprise transformation.”
“I’m not fast enough,” I mumble as I scuff my foot on the ground. “I’ll still be a liability to you guys.”
“That is why we keep training.”
Sighing, I run my hand through my hair. “Yes, but an alicorn isn’t exactly a scary power. What if that’s what I shift into during the fights?”
The big guy gestures at the bench, and I follow him over to it. We sit down, and he puts his arm around my shoulder. “Alicorns have a lot of sought-after abilities. I am uncertain which ones are true and which are myths. However, I believe you know who can help you find out.”
“Really? Do you think it will have things I can use in the Games? It feels… silly and not at all useful for something like that.”
He nods. “I believe so, yes. But even if I am wrong, the lioness and your magic will certainly be strong offensively.”
“That’s true,” I reply as I lean against him. “If I can figure out how to use them reliably.”
“Now we’re back to training, little demon.”
“Okay, okay.” I sigh and pat his huge thigh lightly. “I get it. Find out about the Pink Pony Club later and work on technique and speed now.”
He rumbles a chuckle, standing and offering his hand. I let him tug me to my feet, then push up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek before I scamper back to my spot on the floor.
Time to make this shit happen or die trying.
By the time our three hours are almost up, I’m worn out.
I shifted into the anime pony a couple of times and got back to my normal body, though I’m still not very fast. The room looks like a strip club—it’s covered in glitter in a way that is going to make some custodial demon very unhappy.
But I feel victorious because I did a lot better this time than I did yesterday.
Progress might not be coming quickly, but it is coming.
“We need to get you back to the dorm,” Slash says as he hands me the second water bottle. “But you must drink while we walk.”
I pick up my bag, whistling for Dottie. She gives me a look that says she doesn’t want to touch the sparkling floor, and I laugh. Walking over, I hold my arm up so she can scramble down it to my shoulder. “I know, girl. The Pink Pony is messy AF, right?”
Dottie chitters her agreement, and Slash looks around with a frown. “I will text Jasper to find someone to clean this up as soon as possible. I’m uncertain anyone will connect it with us, but it would be better if it were gone before others come in.”
“No shit,” I mumble. “If this place were co-ed, we might have better options for putting the blame on cheerleaders or something. Sadly, that will not work at sausage school.”
Slash chokes, his eyes going wide. “You have been hanging around Salem and Oriel too much.”
Shrugging, I give him a shy grin. “I’m trying to immunize myself against all the boy talk. If I’m spitting dirty stuff, too, then I won’t get so blushy about it. And you know, maybe I won’t be so prudish about sex stuff. I need to get less…affected by it.”
He arches a brow at me, his smirk making my stomach flutter. “Why is that, little demon? Do you have plans I am not aware of?”
I wrinkle my nose as I walk up to him, smacking his arm. “Shut up. You don’t need me to say why. I’m not that immune yet.”
Laughing as he opens the door, Slash transforms into the quiet, threatening bodyguard he is when we are in public with effortless grace.
His posture is stiffer, and the aura of menace he exudes blankets the hallway.
“I believe in you, little demon. You are stronger than your trauma, and we have all noticed that you are healing. It is at your own pace, but I do not think any of my brothers are concerned by that.”
As we board the elevator, I tilt my head at him. “You think? It’s not annoying that I’m so damaged.”
“We are all damaged.” He reaches over to scratch Dottie’s head since we’re alone and shrugs.
“You are no less accommodating with our issues. The way you handled Jasper and Zavida the other night was impressive. I have not witnessed the prince being so open with anyone—ever. I do not think it will be easy, even now, but you may do something none of us have been able to achieve.”
“What’s that?” I ask curiously.
Slash gives me a grin, but his eyes are earnest. “You might get him to truly open up about the horrors of his home life. If so, he might come to terms with it, and that would be quite a coup.”
“I’m not trying to perform a coup successfully.” I frown as I fiddle with the strap of my bag. “I just want to get better, and I want him to do that, too. I think it will be good for everyone if Jasper can stop reverting to his dad’s bullshit brainwashing.”
“It will, and you mistake what I meant.” The big guy pauses, thinking for a few moments as the elevator dings and we exit.
He doesn’t speak as we walk through the lobby and down the steps, but once we’re a good distance from anyone else, he says, “I meant you would accomplish something amazing and, by doing so, it will benefit the caliphate.”
“Whew,” I breathe. “That I agree with. My fear is that if bad shit goes down, he’ll break his promise and it will hurt me. I’m fragile, and while I’m doing better, a stunt like the office thing would end our truce. I don’t think I could stand for him to go back to being cruel now.”
“He knows better.”
I arch a brow as we cross the middle of campus. “Why?”
“Because if he does, he will have to deal with me.”
Okay, then.