Read Shifters of Grrr 1 for Free Online

machine; last year's birthday present to herself. Soon she found herself engulfed in gaming and conversation with four of her closest friends. Everyone asked how she felt and she was warm with love for them and their caring nature. She didn't, however, tell them her news. Better they grieve later than to be sad for months on end.

Chapter Three: Bearskin Tattoos
    Holden opened the shop feeling better than ever. Over the past week he'd let go of 30 years of anxiety. Today started his new life, at least for the next six months, of not focusing on turning dates and one night flings into something substantial. Taking sex off the table was going to open him up to new experiences and new thoughts, and he couldn't wait to see what life brought him.
    His appointment book was filled with his regulars. His clients loved his work and Holden loved how easy it was to enjoy his work when it was filled with people he saw on a regular basis. However, there was one name on the list he didn't recognize. He'd never tattooed her before, he wasn't connected with her on his tattoo social media account, and he did not remember ever talking to her about a tattoo. Emily Heart was penciled in for his last appointment with a "tattoo idea unknown" beside it. Holden rolled his eyes and tried not to tense up. He hated people who had no idea what they wanted. Typically it would take most of the appointment time for them to pick something and then would fuss about getting it because they weren't in love with the tattoo itself just the thought of getting one.
    He hoped that this experience would be different and even went to sketch in his down time some ideas in case she liked them. With the day filled as it were, there was only enough downtime for three sketches to be completed in the interim. If she doesn't like any of them, I'll just put them up on the wall as 'custom' work that people can chose.  
    He looked over his drawings which consisted of a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis, a tribal heart in reference to her last name that also has remnants of the letters that made up Emily, and lastly a black and white lion with an anatomically correct heart in vibrant red. He loved them all and was hoping that one was going to thrill her as much as it did him to draw them.
    At 9:05 a blonde haired curvy girl strode in looking like she belonged anywhere else but there. Everyone else in the shop was busy in their cubicles on other clients, so he went out to greet her.
    "Emily?" he asked as she came to the sales counter.
    "Yes, sorry I'm a little late." She seemed pale and a little out of breath to Holden.  
    "No problem. Everything okay?"  
    "Just a little more tired than I thought I'd be at this hour. Can we get started?" she said, not meaning to rush but knowing that she'd pay for staying stiff and unmoving throughout the time it'd take to get the tattoo completed. Her body would be on fire tomorrow and she'd more than likely spend the entire day in bed from it.
    "No problem. Fill out this paper and I'll prep the area. Since you didn't know what you wanted I brought out some of the idea books and three custom sketches that I did for you in case one of those tickled your fancy."
    He laid the books down in front of her and put the three sketches on top for her to browse.  
    He wiped down the entire station with alcohol, opened a fresh needle, loaded the tattoo gun and redid all the plastic wrap to ensure a clean environment before calling her back.  
    "Did you choose one?" he asked as soon as she walked in and sat on the table.
    "I really love this one. Could you put that on my thigh?"  
    He looked at the sketch she held, the one of the lion, before looking up at her with a slight smile. Emily the Lion-hearted.
    "Excellent choice, the color will just pop where you want it to be."
    She laid back and rolled her skirt up to her waist, unashamed and bolder than she'd ever been. She felt empowered already.
    Throughout the hours of line work and then shading,