The Leopard Twins' Christmas Mate (Uncontrollable Shift Book Four)

By R.E. Butler

When Sasha Florentine agrees to help out her best friend’s catering business by filling in as a waitress for a dinner party, the last thing she expects is to see two of the four members of the band shift into huge leopards! She drops her platter and hightails it out of the ballroom, but the pounding paws echoing behind her tell her just what she needs to know—they’re coming for her! The question is, what will they do when they get her?

Twin were-leopards Hyde and Seek Sanders are feeling the need to find their mate and settle down. The one thing they’re both asking for this Christmas is to find a woman willing to be with two males at the same time. Hyde—the more optimistic of the two—believes they’ll find her when the time is right. But Seek is anything but positive that’ll happen. They’re twenty-eight, and according to their parents, should’ve settled down and given them grandcubs already. When their band Furred Wrath takes the stage for a Christmas Eve party—they both feel connected to a female in the room. Unable to control their shifts, their clothes tear off and they’re in the fur, desperate to find the female who called their beasts.

Sasha’s cornered in a stockroom by two leopard shifters. But while they’re positive Sasha is the one for them, their conservative leopards-only parents and clan are dead set against a human being in their midst. Hyde and Seek aren’t willing to let Sasha go for anything, even if it means splitting their clan as their people take sides to fight for the right to mate whoever they want. They didn’t mean to start a revolution, they just wanted to find their true mate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.E. Butler
• Release date: Nov 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005517915

R.E. Butler

A Midwesterner by birth, R.E. spent much of her childhood rewriting her favorite books to include herself as the main character. Later, she graduated on to writing her own books after "retiring" from her day job as a secretary to become a stay-at-home mom.When not playing with her kids, wrestling her dogs out the door, or cooking dinner for her family, you'll find her typing furiously and growling obscenities to the characters on the screen.Her best-selling series Wiccan-Were-Bear, The Necklace Chronicles, Hyena Heat, Wilde Creek, Were-Zoo, Arctic Shifters, Norlanian Brides, Saber Chronicles, and Ashland Pride are available now.

Book preview

The Leopard Twins’ Christmas Mate

Uncontrollable Shift Book Four

By R. E. Butler

Copyright 2020, R. E. Butler

The Leopard Twins’ Christmas Mate (Uncontrollable Shift Book Four)

By R. E. Butler

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Cover by CT Cover Creations

This ebook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locations is coincidental.

Disclaimer: The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic sexual content and is intended for those older than the age of 18 only.

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Edited by Sarah Dawn Johnson

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Much love and thanks to Theresa Hissong for talking musicians and instruments with me for the shifting scene!

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Thanks to Joyce, Shelley, and Ann for beta reading.

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Coming Soon from R. E. Butler

Contact the Author

Other Works by R. E. Butler

Coming in 2021… Desire (Vampire Beloved Book Four)

The Leopard Twins’ Christmas Mate

Uncontrollable Shift Book Four

By R. E. Butler

When Sasha Florentine agrees to help out her best friend’s catering business by filling in as a waitress for a dinner party, the last thing she expects is to see two of the four members of the band shift into huge leopards! She drops her platter and hightails it out of the ballroom, but the pounding paws echoing behind her tell her just what she needs to know—they’re coming for her! The question is, what will they do when they get her?

Twin were-leopards Hyde and Seek Sanders are feeling the need to find their mate and settle down. The one thing they’re both asking for this Christmas is to find a woman willing to be with two males at the same time. Hyde—the more optimistic of the two—believes they’ll find her when the time is right. But Seek is anything but positive that’ll happen. They’re twenty-eight, and according to their parents, should’ve settled down and given them grandcubs already. When their band Furred Wrath takes the stage for a Christmas Eve party—they both feel connected to a female in the room. Unable to control their shifts, their clothes tear off and they’re in the fur, desperate to find the female who called their beasts.

Sasha’s cornered in a stockroom by two leopard shifters. But while they’re positive Sasha is the one for them, their conservative leopards-only parents and clan are dead set against a human being in their midst. Hyde and Seek aren’t willing to let Sasha go for anything, even if it means splitting their clan as their people take sides to fight for the right to mate whoever they want. They didn’t mean to start a revolution, they just wanted to find their true mate.

Chapter One

Saturday afternoon, Sasha Florentine heard her phone buzzing but a cursory look over herself and the couch doesn’t reveal it. Lost again! Damn it. Why couldn’t she ever put the thing down where it was visible? Rising to her feet, she lifted the fluffy blanket that had been covering her legging-clad legs and heard the phone hit the ground with a thud.

She looked at the screen and swiped her thumb to answer. I know you’re not asking for a favor, because you owe me like twenty already, she told her best friend Jill.

There was a pause.

I knew it! Sasha said, flopping back onto the couch and pulling the blanket back up. What jam can I get you out of now?

I’m catering a dinner party tonight, and I’m short a waitress.

Pass.

Come on!

It’s Christmas Eve!

I know you’re not doing anything because Gram’s got her girlfriends’ annual party.

Don’t use what I said against me!

Jill snorted. Sasha!

I hate waitressing.

Everyone does. That’s not the point.

What’s the point then?

The point is that you don’t have to do any of the cleanup, just serve the appetizers, dinner, and dessert, and you’d really be helping me out.

It’s not a wedding, right? Those things take forever.

No, it’s an anniversary party for some bigwig shifter couple.

Sasha’s brows rose. Shifters? It just got interesting. Shifters mostly kept to themselves, although there were some groups that were friendlier than others, like wolves, which were the largest group of shifters in the States. She’d only met a few shifters in passing over the years.

Who’s the couple?

Well, not a couple exactly, a trio—the alphas of the leopard clan in Katy’s Point.

Katy’s Point was a rural town about an hour from where Sasha lived. She only knew two things about the leopard shifters there—the town was named for the alpha female—Katy Sanders—and leopards were notoriously against humans and shifters being together. According to the rumors, the Katy’s Point leopards were the stuffiest, snobbiest shifters on the planet, which had always seemed odd to Sasha considering the leaders were in a ménage relationship. She would’ve thought people who liked to get down with the kink would be a little more accepting of others.

They know you’re human, right? Sasha asked.

Jill snorted. Of course. Do you remember my friend Lena who dropped out of culinary school?

Sasha rolled the name around in her head, the image of a redhead coming to mind. Sure.

Well, she’s a leopard. The alphas are her parents. Usually they’d use their own people for catering, but Lena and her brother, Cynric, are in charge of the party and she hired me. Anyway, my best server got sick, and I really don’t want to do such an important job without being fully staffed. This could open the doors for more business for me. So say yes, and I’ll be your best friend.

You already are my best friend.

I’ll love you forever.

You do!

Fine, I’ll pay you two dollars an hour over my standard rate and let you take home a plate of leftovers for Gram.

Sasha’s maternal grandmother had raised her after a tragic accident took her parents when she was five. The woman was selfless on a hundred different levels, and Sasha loved her dearly for all she’d done for her. All right, all right. I just want you to know that you’re interrupting my plans to veg out and watch sappy holiday movies all night.

You can do that tomorrow. Plus, you probably still need the money to pick up a fabulous gift for your bestie.

I already picked out your gift.

You did? Tell me!

It’s me. You know, the gift of my friendship.

You gave me that last year.

Sasha burst into laughter at their banter. She wouldn’t deny, though, that she could use the money.

What should I wear?

Yay! Thank you, thank you. White top, black bottoms, black shoes. Hair up, minimal jewelry, and no weird makeup or nail polish colors. The leopards are pretty conservative.

You got it.

I’ll text you the address to their home. Be there by 5:45. We start serving appetizers at six on the dot.

I’ll be there.

You’re a life saver.

Of course, that’s why you love me.

You know it.

Sasha ended the call and got up, heading up to the first floor. She found Gram sitting in her favorite chair with a book. After telling her about the job, Gram said, Well, it’ll be nice for you to have some extra spending money.

True. I’m not going to make enough tonight to buy a private island or anything, though.

Well, maybe just the down payment. Gram smiled at Sasha over her half glasses.

Jill said she’s going to send home a plate for you.

That’ll be nice. If she’s cooking for the Sanders, then it’ll be amazing food.

I’m sure. When are you leaving for your party?

She looked at the clock on the wall. About six.

Then we’re leaving about the same time. I’m going to go get ready.

Sasha headed to the finished basement of the three-bedroom home she shared with Gram. She had a private entrance in the basement, along with a full bathroom and an area set up like a family room. She liked being in the same house with Gram, and the unique layout allowed them to both have their privacy. Sasha hustled to the bathroom for a quick shower. She dried her long brunette hair and then plaited it into a pretty french braid. In her bedroom, she grumbled when she realized her favorite black dress pants had slipped off the hanger and were now a wrinkled mess. With an hour drive ahead of her, she didn’t have time to iron them, so instead she chose a black skirt that hit above her knee and black low heels. She put on her only white dress shirt, which was a button-front satin with cuffs and a collar with embroidered flowers at the corners.

Once she was dressed, she applied mascara and a bit of highlighter to her cheeks, then swiped on her favorite lip gloss and grabbed her phone. She made sure her license, some cash, and a credit card were in the magnetized pocket in the case.

Back upstairs, she found Gram getting ready for her night out and kissed her cheek. I’m off.

Don’t do anything I would.

Har har, she said. Have fun tonight. See you tomorrow.

Grabbing her keys from the hook at the door, she put on her coat and shivered as she opened the front door, letting in a quick blast of icy cold air. It had snowed that day, but the roads were clear, so she didn’t have to worry about her little two-door having problems on the street. Sighing wistfully as she looked at the house and thinking of the lazy night she’d planned, she put the car into gear and headed toward Katy’s Point. Maybe she’d get lucky and something amazing would happen. But she didn’t really have that kind of luck. Probably it would be powerfully boring, and her feet would be killing her by the time the party was over.

But she’d always help out Jill because that’s what best friends did.

Chapter Two

Hyde Sanders set the electronic tuner on the baby grand piano and adjusted his guitar on his lap. He twisted the pegs gently until it was perfectly tuned, and then he did what he always did after he tuned it—gave it one loud strum.

Why do you do that? Seek, Hyde’s twin, asked as he walked into the ballroom where their three parents were having a thirty-fifth anniversary party.

Habit? Hyde said.