Caught by Love — Josette Reuel

Dynah Singh fled home at sixteen, no way would she be tied down to some witch or warlock for the rest of her life. Living as a cat was freedom, and she loved it as long as the weather stayed warm and someone left food for her. Then, of course, there was her current predicament -- trapped in the pound with yapping dogs and scroungy cats. To add insult to injury, as a black cat which no one wanted, she found herself on death row. If a black cat loving someone didn't walk in the door in the next hour, her life would be cut short and she might have to admit things might have been better as a warlock's familiar.

Laith Aris had spent his life as an unwanted mediocre warlock-lion hybrid. Hell, he was a rare black lion when he shifted and his magic was sporadic at best. His parents loved him but even they admitted that it might be best if he never mated. Neither species paid him much mind, and he was fine with the situation. He kept to himself mostly, dated humans when lonely -- he was a bit of a ladies man in fact -- and took care of his bookshop that specialized in rare editions. Everything would be perfect if the damn mice would leave his books alone.

Distracted by a bad mane day and haywire magic, Laith forgot to hide from love.

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Note: This story is connected to 'Appointment With Love: Unexpected Magic 2' but can be read as a standalone.
Also, note, this story was originally published in the "A Guide to Claiming a Scaredy Cat" anthology.