Shifter's Truth: Purple Oasis, #4

By Arizona Tape and Laura Greenwood

Stella has never felt ready to accept the shifter side of herself...until now.

 

Stella has always struggled with accepting her inner self, which is why she never went through her shifter ceremony and got her tattoo. But now she's determined the time is right, she can't get the bewitching tattoo artist out of her head. 

 

As one of the resident tattoo artists at Purple Oasis, Carly has done plenty of shifter tattoos before, but something about Stella's feels different. 

 

Can Stella find her inner animal and love all at the same time?

-

Shifter's Truth is part of the Purple Oasis paranormal romance series. It includes a sweet f/f romance involving a nervous deer shifter and a confident cat shifter.

If you enjoy light paranormal romances, coming-of-age storylines, post-apocalyptic settings, sweet moments, guaranteed happy endings, and casual magic systems, then start the Purple Oasis series today with Witch's Trust.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Twin Souls Publishing
• Release date: Aug 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201949891

Arizona Tape

Arizona Tape lives her dream life hanging out with her dog and writing stories all day.Her favourite books to write are urban fantasy and paranormal romances with queer leads, stories that she wished were around when she was younger.When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm in the kitchen, watching shows that make her cry, or trying her hand at her new hobby of the week.She currently lives in the United Kingdom with her girlfriend and her adorable dog who is the star of her newsletter. Sign up here for adorable pictures, free books, and news about her books: www.arizonatape.com/subscribeFollow The AuthorFacebook Page: http://facebook.com/arizonatapeauthorReader Group: http://facebook.com/groups/arizonatapeBookbub: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/arizona-tapeTwitter: http://twitter.com/arizonatapeInstagram: http://instagram.com/arizonatapeTikTok: http://tiktok.com/@arizonatapeHer books are available on all retailers and can be requested from most public libraries.

Book preview

One

Stella

---

Zoe let out a wistful sigh, causing me to turn in her direction. Not that I needed to in order to work out what she was looking at when Aaron was a few feet away chattering to his kestrels, gently stroking the feathers of the individual perched on his shoulder.

His bond with them was something I both understood as the natural course of things, and didn't at the same time.

A pang of longing went through me at the thought of the shifter tattoo I was supposed to have, but didn't. I'd been feeling the lack of it more recently.

Isn't he adorable? Zoe sighed, sounding still as lovesick as when they first got together.

I chuckled. I think you two together are adorable, but Aaron’s charms are lost on me. Too much scruff.

Zoe snorted. I’m not sure you’re going to find someone totally smooth, Stella. Especially with the apocalypse.

Post-apocalypse, I corrected.

Is there really a difference? she muttered.

One is actively trying to kill you, the other is a lot of mundane cleaning and rebuilding.

She shook her head in bemusement.

And for the record, I can deal with body hair, it’s the facial hair that weirds me out. Why is it there? Does food get stuck in it? Does it smell? I inquired, voicing questions I could only ask my best friend.

Before she could answer, Aaron returned with the kestrel still on his shoulder. Hey, what are we talking about?

Nothing, I said quickly.

Beards, Zoe replied at the same time, her voice bemused.

Beards? Aaron frowned, reaching up to touch his stubble. What about them?

I glared at my best friend, wishing she hadn't said that.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. Nothing that concerns you, she assured him. Shall we do something fun? It’s rare that we’re all free together.

He nodded. Sounds good. What do you think, Stell?

Count me in, I responded with a smile, glad he'd taken it in his stride that I was always hanging around with his girlfriend.

He took Zoe's hand in his and the three of us set off towards the recreational area of Purple Oasis.

I knew some people would think it was weird, but I didn’t mind being their third wheel. It had been that way since they reconnected a few months ago, and I had to admit that having Aaron around did make me feel a bit safer. Even if Purple Oasis was the safest place we'd been since this whole mess started, there were still a lot of strangers about. And more of them arriving day by day.

While many people were like us and had survived the apocalypse mostly through luck and being in the right place at the right time, I wasn't naive enough to believe that others hadn't found the means to fabricate their own survival. The Oasis might vet those who entered, and expel those who wronged the community once they were here, but it was still impossible to decipher who was who.

Not that I was complaining. I hadn't been as relaxed and settled as this in years. Knowing where my next meal was coming from, and that there wouldn't be torrential rain or deadly fire threatening my life the moment I opened my eyes, was nice.

But now my immediate concerns had been dealt with, I was starting to become more aware of what was missing.

A group of people our age walked passed, and my gaze strayed to the elegant tattoos gracing their bodies. Some of them were displayed proudly and in prominent positions where everyone could see, whereas others were hidden behind clothing.

But I knew who they were. Shifters. And if there had been any doubt in my mind about it, which there wasn't, the collection of creatures following them would have given them away. Aaron wasn't the only shifter to have a special connection with his animal.

A ginger cat proudly trotted in front of the group, parting the sea of people with confident meows, while a couple of small birds circled above them and one of the men had a ferret looped around his neck who was nibbling on his hair.

An ache grew in my chest at the sight. My lack of familiar was starting to cause me physical pain.

Stell? Zoe nudged me. You okay? You stopped walking.

I snapped out of my thoughts, realising she was right. Sorry. Yeah, I’m fine.

Is it the shifters? she guessed with startling ease, her gaze shifting to the passing group.

How did you know? I sighed.

I’ve noticed your eyes glazing over whenever we’re around them. She glanced at Aaron, like she was trying to work out if this was a conversation I wanted to have in private or if it was okay for him to overhear.

I smiled, appreciating her concern but after everything we went through together, I didn’t mind him being around. Especially not for a topic like this, he might even have some useful insights. And it wasn't as if he wouldn't ask her about it once they were alone.

I let out a loud sigh, realising that I was finally ready to admit what was bothering me out loud. Lately, I’ve been thinking I might be ready to find out what kind of shifter I am. The words were foreign when they left my mouth, but they were good at the same time too. I wanted this out in the open so I could do something about it. But I’m not sure where to begin or how to start, and then I worry about what people will think when they discover I didn’t go through with the ceremony at the usual age, what they’ll say, that they won’t accept me. And that’s without worrying about what kind of animal will choose me. What if I don’t find—

Woah, woah, slow down, Zoe interrupted, breaking my spiral. If you want to figure this out, we’ll help.

Aaron nodded. I don’t think anyone will think twice about your age. The apocalypse delayed a lot of things for a lot of people.

That’s true, I said slowly, omitting that skipping the ceremony had nothing to do with that. Which I was sure he was aware of. Even if Zoe hadn't told him that I skipped my ceremony on purpose, he knew we were the same age, I should have got my tattoo around the same time as he got his.

"And there are lots of shifters around, I’m sure