Sage was two seconds from going postal on Corbin.

He gave a nod with a wide smile. “But I like you. And I know once you get that weight off, we can be a couple and you’ll be gorgeous.”

Her jaw fell open and she could not believe he’d just said those words.

“What?” he asked with a confused look. “Don’t you want to lose weight?”

She marched up to him, her anger simmering. “Let me tell you a few things about me, Corbin,” she growled. “I am very happy with my body. I exercise. Every goddamned day. I eat very healthy. Hell, even my doctor is impressed with how good my health is. I have no medical issues, and to make things even clearer for you, I have done at least five 10K runs this year alone. I am curvy and I know it. But I’m not sick, I’m not in need of medical intervention, and more importantly, I like the way I look. No, I’m not skinny.”

She tapped him on the chest. “I don’t want to be if it’s not medically necessary. As long as I am healthy, nothing else matters. I think you’re confused. You think I want to be skinny to feel valuable. No, Corbin. I am priceless just the way I am.” She shoved him out of the way. “Fuck your beauty standards.”

“Where are you going?” he yelled. “That’s not the right way.”

“I’d rather figure out how to get back on my own than to listen to you tell me how pretty I could be if I were skinny. By the way,” she yelled as she got further away, “we were never on a date. I thought you were just being nice, showing me the area.”

“Come on, Sage,” he ran toward her. “Stop being a baby. We both know—”

Sage slapped her hands on her hips, ready to chew him up and spit him out when the sound of a snarl came from behind her. Corbin stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide with fear.

“Sage, d-d-don’t move. There’s something behind you.”

She gulped, fear drumming in her chest. This couldn’t possibly be good. “What is it?”

“I think it’s a…cat,” he whispered, slowly moving away from her.

She scowled at the way he was almost shaking in fear. “A what?”

“A really b-big cat.”

She frowned, her feet telling her to run, but self-preservation making it hard for her to move. What if it attacked when she ran? “What kind of cat?”

Another snarl sounded, a lot closer to her back and he hopped farther away and didn’t stop. “Oh my god, Sage. It’s a big tiger. I knew there were some up here, but fuck. That thing is right behind you.”

“What do I do?” she asked, fear and anger making her voice pitch high. Was he really leaving her alone with a tiger to get mauled to death?

“I don’t know. I’m just going to back away,” he said, his voice faint from the distance.

There was a loud roar and something zoomed past her, knocking her to the side in the process. Corbin screamed and ran so fast, she lost immediate sight of him. The tiger stopped not far from where he’d been standing and turned to face her. She tensed, her body ready for the impending attack. Then she saw something that left her in shock.

The big tiger shrunk until it was a human. A child human. The girl climbed up from all fours and rushed into the trees, coming out with a bag. She pulled out a long top and slid bright leggings on, then put socks and sneakers on her small feet.

Sage blinked. The little girl was a shifter.

“Hi,” the girl smiled. “I’m Ramsey. I could scent your anger over that guy, so I made him go away. Did he hurt you?”

Sage inhaled sharply. She’d researched shifters enough to know they followed their animal’s scent for most things. “Hi, Ramsey. I’m Sage. How old are you? To answer your question, no, he didn’t hurt me.”

Ramsey frowned, rising to her feet. “I could scent something bothering you. I’m seven.”

“He said some mean things. Don’t worry about it.” She glanced around the area. “Where’s your family?”

Sage knew there was no way a child would be allowed to wander off alone without mom close behind. In that regard, shifters and humans were very much alike.

Ramsey glanced behind her and then back at Sage, confusion in her eyes. She raised a hand and scratched her cheek as if trying to figure things out. “I don’t know. Uncle Feral left to gather wood for our campfire, so I went for a run.”

“Oh, honey,” Sage said, her hand went to squeeze Ramsey’s shoulder. “We’ll find him.”

Ramsey’s small brows dropped in a deep V. “I don’t think we will. I went for a run early this morning from our campsite. When I got hungry, I stopped and then tried to go back but couldn’t find my way. I think I got too far away.”

Sage hugged her to her side. “Don’t worry, Ramsey. We’ll find your uncle Feral. Is his name really Feral?”

Ramsey nodded, brushing the hair away from her face. “Yeah. He hates humans, so he’s always growling or angry. So that’s his name. Feral.”

That didn’t sound good. The last thing Sage needed was an adult-sized tiger anywhere near her. “Do you know how to get back to the main road?”

Ramsey nodded. “I found it earlier. It’s not far from here. Maybe twenty minutes walking. Less if I’m in my tiger.”

“Let’s walk. We’ll find the main road, get something to eat, and then we can call your uncle to come get you.” She met Ramsey’s worried gaze. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? But I’m human. I have to eat or I turn into a gremlin, according to my mother.”

Ramsey laughed and relaxed. She gave Sage her hand as they walked. “A gremlin?”

“Mom exaggerates. Really, I need to eat because I get hungry. I’m sure you know what it’s like to get really hungry and in a bad mood.”

“Yes. Uncle Feral says that’s when we go hunting. To eat.”

“That’s right. I’m sure that works for your tiger side, but I don’t have a tiger.” She pouted down at Ramsey and winked at the little girl. “I’m not cool like you.”

Ramsey’s smile brightened. “I’m hungry, too. Uncle Feral does the hunting. He says I’m too loud still.”

“Loud?”

“I let my prey know I’m coming because I make too much noise,” she shrugged, “I’d like a burger with fries.”

“You and me both, honey. Let’s go find us some cow.”