Thanks to the inspiration from Charlaine Harris with her Southern Vampire Stories that gave me the inspiration to write my first book And the Winner Is. Many of the characters contained in my first book as well as this one are hers and I have simply borrowed them to create my own version of what happens next. If you have read And the Winner Is you met many new characters that will resurface in this book along with a few more new characters. I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

~Many Thanks,

Michele

Chapter 1

Eric had chartered us a private jet to Alaska, he was secured in his coffin and it was the pilots, the flight attendant and me. I wasn't sure what I was going to do for six hours on a plane by myself so I packed a couple of books, my MP3 player, a puzzle book and a couple of magazines. As we were waiting to take off I scanned the plane, pilot – human, co-pilot – human, flight attendant – not human. She was a shifter. The brain patterns of shifters are close to impossible for me to read unless they were specifically directing their thoughts to me. She smiled and was very cordial making sure I was fine before she buckled herself in for takeoff. The plane offered a plush leather couch and two huge plush leather recliner seats. The far back of the plane was draped with a thick black curtain and behind there was Eric's coffin and our luggage, before that to one side of the plane was a kitchen area and on the other side a bathroom larger than any other I had ever seen on a plane. Take off always makes me have to go pee so as soon as we were leveled out I had to go check it out. As I came back the flight attendant checked on me again. I didn't need anything but I was curious about her name, ok, I was curious about what she shifted to, but I couldn't tell her that.

She became very apologetic when she realized she had not introduced herself, "Mrs. Northman, I am so sorry, I should have told you as soon as you boarded the plane; please forgive my rudeness. My name is Lacey."

"Lacey, it's nice to meet you. Don't worry, believe me I understand being in the service industry and sometimes you think you have already met everyone in the world, everyone should know you by now. Please, call me Sookie."

"Thank you ma'am, but it's against company policy for me to address you casually." She had a nervous smile. I knew that smile all too well.

"Tell you what; if you would like to call me Sookie when it's just you and me that's fine with me, it can be our secret too." I smiled trying to ease her mind.

"Thank you, may I get you anything, Sookie?"

"No, please sit, we can chat, nothing better to do." She looked around nervously then sat on the couch and I swiveled the chair around to face her. "So have you been doing this long?"

"No, well, not for Anibus, I was a commercial flight attendant for five years until just a few days ago."

"I was a waitress for years I can't imagine trying to keep a plane full of people calm when things are going just their way."

"You were a waitress? But you're the Queen." She was truly surprised.

"Well, I've only been a Queen for 24 hours and before and even after I met Eric I was a waitress at a little town called Bon Temps at a Bar and Grill called Merlotte's. It's owned by Sam Merlotte, do you know him."

"No, I don't believe I do, should I?" she was puzzled. I couldn't say that I blamed her, I knew it was a slim chance, all shifters don't know each other anymore than all humans do. But I thought on the slim chance she did it might relax her a little.

"No, I guess not. He's a, well, he's like you."

"Like me? "

"Yes, two natured."

"Oh, wow, how did you know? I've never met a human before that could tell. You are human right?"

I smiled at her, technically I am, "Yes, I am. It's a gift, I can tell. My brother is a shifter, made not born though."

"Oh, wow. I have been so nervous about being your flight attendant today ever since I found out it was the new King and Queen. Y'all are my first solo flight. But you're just as normal as can be, no offense ma'am."

"No offense taken. It's actually kind of a compliment someone thinking of me as normal. May I ask you a question?" My turn to smile nervously, but I didn't generally ask this question.

"Um, sure."

"What is your second nature? I know all types of shifters, I'm sorry I am being nosey and curious."

She squirmed a little uncomfortably, "I've never met another shifter like me. In fact I don't know many shifters, I've tried to lead my life as normal as possible, I was raised by my father, my mother left us when I was born. My father had no idea about me until I turned 13 and things started happening. I can't believe I'm telling you this."

"Please continue." I gave her a sincere look.

"Anyway, to keep me safe my father built a room in our attic with sound proofing and a cage and for the nights of the full moon cycle he would lock me up in the cage. When I got a little older he bought some land; wooded acreage along the Texas/Louisiana border that had a single dirt road back where he fenced off 50 acres and kept it stocked with deer, bunnies, and other little furry creatures so I could hunt. The older I got the better I could control myself, of course I have to shift in the full moon cycle, but I learned to do it at other times too and I also learned not to do it when I got angry."

"I really appreciate you telling me all this. So you shift into a large animal?"

"Yes, a tiger."

"A Bengal Tiger?" my mouth was gaping open. First I couldn't believe this and then I was thinking to myself how it made since for Quinn to shift with his huge human stature, but the woman sitting across from me was built so similar to myself, she actually reminded me of me in some ways.

"Yes. I know, you think it wouldn't be possible, but I do, I am a small swift strong tigress when I shift."

"You say you don't know any other Tigers?" How could she not know about Quinn? Because she led a normal life compared to mine, that's how.

"No, have you ever met another?"

"Yes, I actually know him quite well."

"Him? Is it your old boss you spoke of earlier?"

"No, someone else." I gazed into her eyes, "Lacey, are you wearing contacts?"

"You are kind of a spooky person to talk to, how did you know?"

"Are your eyes really purple? And do they turn yellow when you get ready to change or get angry?"

"Yes, the purple eyes really throw humans off, my eyes changed from brown to purple when I was 13. You really know another were tiger?"

"Yes, I do. Do you still live in North Louisiana? I suppose it doesn't matter where, he travels quite a bit, but if you don't mind I would like to contact him and maybe get you two together."

"Sookie that would be fantastic. You seem more comfortable in the shifter world than I do and I'm the shifter. Any help you can give me would be great. Is the weretiger you know handsome?"

"Yes, he is. I'll just tell you now that he and I used to date before I got involved with the Eric. I just want you to know so if I can connect you two there won't be any surprises."

She had been writing while I talked, she handed me a business card for Anibus with her personal information on the back. Lacey Williams cell – 555.720.1252, "He could have dated the Pope for all I care, I would just like to meet someone else like me." She and I sat and talked most of the trip; she would get up and check on the pilots periodically. I promised I would call her after we got back home and let her know if I was able to reach Quinn or not. As we started our decent to the Anchorage Airport I felt Eric begin to wake. A moment later he was sitting next to me and Lacey became nervous again. She rose and gave a quick bow of her head, "May I get you anything, King Northman?" I actually smiled it was odd to hear this come from someone. He graciously declined her offer and she hurried off. I took the time on the decent to tell Eric about my new acquaintance and that I would be contacting Quinn when we returned.

"Sookie, you aren't trying to match make are you?" He smirked at me.

"No, I'm not. She has gone through the whole experience of being a shifter alone. She's a tiger. Quinn is the only other tiger I know; she even has the same purple eyes. I think it would great for her to meet one of her own kind." I gave him a matter of fact look.

"Ok, ok. I don't like the idea of you bringing that tiger around, but I know you are trying to help someone. Do what you think is best." He took my hand and kissed it just as the wheels hit the landing strip.