"So this is the dog next door? What did you say his name is? Dieter? He looks like a Dieter."

Benny whined at her.

"A little cliche, don't you think? A German Sheppard named Dieter. Isn't he kind of a lofty stretch for a short-legged, long-bodied Corgi?" she asked.

Benny huffed through his nose. The sound came out more like a snort, but he settled on his paws again even if his tail twitched with anticipation. Dieter was the finest piece of pup Benny had ever seen. Unfortunately, Benny's confidence was as small as his stature when it came to meeting other shape-shifters he found interesting.

That's what Mommy was for. She'd agreed to walk Benny to the park to see what all the fuss was about. Since she'd adopted him from the pound a few months ago, the woman all paranormals called Mommy had become his biggest champion. Her diner was a safe haven, and she, their protector.

Dieter galloped across the open park grounds, leapt into the air and snatched a Frisbee cruising ten feet up. God, he was amazing. Finesse, sex appeal, and perfect form. What Benny would give to sniff that tail.

"What are you waiting for? Go get him."

It wasn't that easy, Benny thought. The shape-shifter community had a limited number of members in it. Breeds stuck together. The universe had yet to see a gay Corgi, German Sheppard paring. What could Benny offer that long-legged god?

He snorted. Well, there was one thing he could think of. Being small enough to stand upright underneath a Sheppard without bumping his head certainly presented some kinky options.

"Dieter," the Frisbee-throwing female called.

Dieter did a fancy mid-air flip when he heard his name, landed, and charged happily toward her, his tongue lolling to the side. He looked like he was having the time of his life. Work hard, play hard seemed to be the motto for most Shepherds. The Corgi? Run hard, look silly, and roll over a bunch. There was nothing work-related in the too-short legs of his breed. Unless it was floor sweeping.

Dieter was as unattainable to Benny as a millionaire to a gutter cleaner.

Mommy got to her feet, dumping Benny on the ground. His collar tugged before he cleared his head. He followed her instinctively, to keep the drag off his neck as Mommy charged toward Dieter and his owner.

Horror tucked his tale between his back legs as he realized Mommy had every intention of meeting the other pair. Benny sat, but it did little good. Mommy continued to trek forward, leaving him to scrape his furry ass all over the park lawn.

"Hello there," Mommy called.

Dieter and the owner looked to them. Benny leapt to his feet, not wanting to look like more of an idiot than he already did.

"Hello," the woman answered back. She looked confused.

Dieter lifted his nose to scent the air. His ears perked forward and he stood very still. He'd have to have noticed that Benny smelled like a shifter. He'd have that indefinable trace of something not completely canine and not completely human. It was impossible to miss it from one shifter to the other.

Dieter ducked his head cautiously, his eyes trained on Benny. Benny did the same. It was the universal shifter acknowledgement where neither breed took dominance nor accepted submissiveness. Just a greeting until motive could be determined.

In Benny's case, his motive was more about breaking leash and running far, far away. The Sheppard was even more handsome up close. Of course he was. He would be, damn his hide.

"That's a good-looking Sheppard you have there. What's his name?" Mommy stroked Dieter's head. Dieter kept his eyes trained on Benny.

"Dieter. Is that a Corgi?" the other woman asked.

Benny tuned out the conversation. He kept a watchful eye on Dieter, waiting for him to make some kind of move to tell Benny how to react next. Dieter took a step forward, touching his nose to Benny's. Benny had always been lousy at controlling his excitement. It was a curse of the breed, he supposed. Now he just wanted the same lightning that struck his heart whenever he looked at Dieter to just kill him now. Just strike him dead already, damn it, because the Corgi in him thought it was a great idea to happily hop up and down on his front paws to lick the underside of Dieter's jaw.

Benny managed to get himself under control as Dieter moved around him to sniff his tail. Sadly, Dieter's ass was too far up and though he looked at the tail longingly, he stood his ground to allow the other shifter ample opportunity to give him a sniff.

Something cold touched him. Benny trembled uncertainly, swinging his head to see what the fuck. Dieter's nose touched him a second time, then a quick lap of his tongue. Benny yelped and spun around. Dieter licked Benny's jaw, catching his parted jowls in a sloppy dog kiss with flapping sound effects over the loose skin.

Dieter's head was jerked back. Reluctantly, it seemed, Dieter followed his owner away. He shot a backward glance at Benny. Benny grinned like an idiot.

"Dieter," Mommy called after them. "Come find my diner. I'm sure Benny would love to play sometime."

It would have sounded strange saying that to a normal dog. But Mommy's words were directed at a shape-shifter who knew how to use human intellect and animal senses to locate people and places. If Dieter wanted to find him, he had all the tools to do so, thanks to Mommy.