by Jean Booth
It’d been three months since I’d left Atlantis and learned that I could change. Three months since I’d discovered everything I believed in, loved, and understood in my life was a lie. I shuddered, suppressing the memories as much as I could, trying to maintain my emotional control. I had eight hours to stay numb before I would be back at Stephan’s. He was the only person I could think of that could help me now. The absurdity of the fact that I was now depending on a vampire for assistance was not lost on me.
I curled up in my seat, watching the clouds pass by the airplane’s little window, and let the monotony of the view lull me to sleep. The exhaustion of the past couple of days, compounded with the stress of the last few months, finally caught up with me in my dreams.
I fled into my room at Katie’s house. My skin was itching painfully. I felt stretched, like I was going to explode in every direction at once and the only thing stopping me was the thin barrier of my skin. A wave of pain hit me so hard and so quickly that I barely made it to the garbage bin before I threw up. I needed to be outside in the fresh air.
The full moon cast shadows in the yard. My stomach clenched again, and I dry-heaved into the rosebushes Katie had planted by the back steps. I heard Ash following me, and I yelled at her to call her mother and stay inside. I didn’t know what was wrong with me; all I knew was that I didn’t want her to get hurt. The last coherent thought I had was hoping that Ash would listen to me for once.
The images came next. Ashlyn’s silhouette in the doorway, searching the yard for me. A glimpse of the stars as I writhed on the ground.
“Aunt Tasha, Mommy isn’t answering her phone, and the lady at her work said that she wasn’t there tonight. Are you okay? Aunt—” An involuntary growl escaped my throat. The growl was like a gateway to my animal side. Once it’d been opened, I couldn’t gain control of it.
I let out a deafening roar, my whole body confused but desperate to protect Ashlyn. My niece fell flat on her butt a few feet from me, still unable to see me in the shadows.
The scents of the night assaulted me. Each blade of fresh grass was distinct to my new nose. The wind blew scents off the mountain. In my new form, I could smell things that I had never been able to detect before. Coyotes had been here last night, sniffing out prey. The scent of a rabbit’s remains decomposing farther up the mountainside churned my stomach. Both the lioness and I thought it should have been buried better. The lioness…my new form.
Ashlyn was lying before me; the scent she was giving off both excited and confused my lioness. It took a moment to identify the scent, but soon I realized. Ashlyn was afraid of me. My beast and I didn’t like that she was afraid of us. I was grateful when the beast I’d become, the beast that seemed to have a mind of her own, decided that Ash was ours and started purring to ease her fear. We slowly crouched forward, inching out of the shadows on our belly to ease Ash’s fear and expose ourselves to her.
Ashlyn crawled toward us, reaching out with her palm up. She was muttering to herself, and when I concentrated, I realized she was saying, “good kitty,” over and over again. We let out a small snort of frustration. I couldn’t talk to her like this. I wanted to explain that this beast was really me, that she was safe. Another part of me knew that it was best that I couldn’t explain. I didn’t even know what was happening to me, how could she be expected to understand? She touched our nose, and we let out tension I didn’t know we were holding in a sigh. Ash giggled as the warm air blew her hair back.
She petted the soft, short hairs on the top of our nose, smiling when we leaned closer to her. My beast listened and scented the area for trouble the entire time Ashlyn was near. That we could multitask so well amazed me. We nudged Ashlyn’s body with our head and licked her face as we marked her as our own. We were rewarded with a squeal of delight.
Ashlyn smelled and tasted of a musky cinnamon apple. The musky scent was the exact scent I associated with Keith. The knowledge that the two of them must be related hit me so hard it almost took my breath away.
The sweet apple smell was all Katie. She always smelled pure, sweet, and crisp. It was a smell now forever associated with betrayal. The cinnamon was all Ashlyn. I’d smelled that scent for the past eight years in my human form while we cuddled reading stories at night.
The scenting seemed to calm the animal side of me, and I was able to gain control over my body again. I was still stuck in the form of the lioness, but she was content to let me lead.
I flattened myself against the grass, making myself appear as tame as possible so Ashlyn wouldn’t be afraid. She stroked my nose, talking to me like I was her pet. I tried walking, finding that I needed to share responsibility with my animal instinct rather than attempt to control it. Ash knew nothing of my inner battle. She followed me around, chatting and giggling with her new friend. She didn’t understand the danger she’d have been in if I was a real lioness.
Ashlyn quickly grew bored of my antics and wandered back into the house. I could hear her pause her video game occasionally and dial the phone. I assumed she was attempting to call her mother or my cell phone.
Suddenly, I was walking into a castle, human again. I knew this castle. It held wonderful memories, ones that I cherished and longed for. I wandered the halls, searching for the lavish gardens that held my love. Instead, I found myself in a chamber I’d never seen before.
It was a cold, bare room, bereft of any loving mementos. Somehow, I knew this was a room meant for cold, clinical calculations—a war room. I crept into the room, aware there was a debate going on. Three people were arguing over something at a small, round, stone table—three people that I remembered from my recent past, one of whom I loved dearly.
“She’s not ready. I feel her confusion, her anger…her pain. She’s not ready, yet.” Raif’s face was reddening, pleading with Atreyu to understand.
“Poseidon wants this done now. He knows of your sacrifice, of the prophecy. He is being as patient as a god is able to be. How much longer should I tell him he must wait for you?” Atreyu’s bored tone held an edge, warning Raif.
Raif hung his head. “I don’t know. I should have told her more, but in truth, I didn’t fully know what to expect. I should be with her now. It is killing me to feel her pain and be unable to help her through it. I thought this would be easier with less contact.” His voice trailed off as his broad shoulders slumped. He laid his head in his hands on the cold table. I found myself at his side and reached out to comfort him. My hands passed through his defeated form.
“Raifuku, none of us knew what to expect.” Cleito was different from when I’d seen her last. She had a hardness to her that surprised me. She was both less and more than what she’d been, and my heart grieved for her. “She is a strong woman; you must trust that she will find a way to cope. You cannot mourn what cannot be changed. We must continue with what must be done. Give her until the Hunter’s Moon. I can convince Poseidon to wait until then. After that, you must do what is necessary.” Her voice went soft. “If that is still what you wish. We would all understand if things have changed.”
“We are no longer alone. Please turn off all electronic devices and place your seat backs and tray tables in their full upright and locked positions.” Atreyu looked directly at me as he spoke.
I blinked, opening my eyes to the view of the ocean meeting the sky. It took me a full minute to realize I wasn’t in a castle on Atlantis, eight miles below the sea’s surface, but actually on a plane preparing to land at the Miami-Dade International airport.
I shook my head, trying to clear out the image of Raif’s sweet, concerned face. It hadn’t felt like a dream, but rather like an event I wasn’t meant to witness. As the clouds gave way fully to the ocean view and the haze of sleep cleared from my brain, the strange dream faded into nothingness.
We landed without issue, and I went to pick up my bags. I had about two hours before nightfall when I would be going to the Krypt Keeper to see Stephan. Forcing thoughts of that meeting from my mind, I focused
on what I had to accomplish before I saw him again.
I flagged down a large taxi to take me and the six bags of luggage that contained what remained of my life to the hotel. Three pulled over, and the cabbies all fought over helping me. I was beginning to get used to the unusual amount of attention I got. Ever since the first night I’d changed, it was as though people looked at me differently. It made me uncomfortable still, especially with all the looks I was getting from the other people waiting for taxis.
I picked the first cab and started throwing my bags into the back, not even waiting for him to come to my aid. He grabbed the last bag, struggling to get it into the trunk, and I blushed, realizing that I’d once again forgotten the strength that had come with my change. I hoped no one noticed that I’d pushed all six bags on the tiny cart without any effort or assistance.
The ride to my hotel was strange, yet uneventful. The cabbie kept trying to make conversation with me. He couldn’t seem to keep his mind or his eyes on the road. I squirmed in my seat, uncomfortable with his staring and uneasy in the car. I wanted out of the confines of the cab. Enclosed spaces bothered me ever since I returned from Atlantis. Attention from others had always bothered me a great deal.
When we got to the hotel, the cabbie insisted on unloading my bags and seeing to it that the bellboy was as equally attentive to my needs. I checked into my room, unpacked my carry-on, and started getting ready for my reunion. I only unpacked enough so that I could shower and change before seeing Stephan. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was. My beast was alert just under the surface of my consciousness, at the ready for any signs of trouble.
I showered, letting the warm spray relax my muscles and wash my apprehension away with the soapy suds. By the time I finished, I was looking forward to seeing Stephan. My beast’s anticipation and excitement at seeing someone from Atlantis for the first time was rubbing off on me. As the sun’s rays dipped under the horizon, I checked myself out in the large bathroom mirror.
Normally I avoided mirrors; the differences in my appearance were nerve-wracking to view. Tonight, though, I looked amazing. I had my black knee-high buckle boots on with tight, black suede leather pants and a blood-red halter top. My breasts were lifted in invitation, something that no longer could be helped with the weight I’d lost. Clothing that fit my breasts now made the rest of me look weird. My hair had turned auburn and hung in loose curls down my back. I felt sexy, powerful, like the predator I now was. Nothing could go wrong when I felt this good.
Walking the block it took to get to the Krypt Keeper, I tried to ignore the whistles and catcalls and just enjoy the muggy heat of Miami in late summer. The Krypt Keeper came into view and my steps faltered. I was unsure of Stephan’s reaction, terrified that he’d retract his friendly invitation and I’d be alone again. For the thousandth time, I wished Raif had given me more direction than he had. I squared my shoulders, knowing that even if Stephan did turn me away, I’d disappear from civilization and figure this out on my own.
Thankfully, I didn’t have any problems getting into the club and was pleasantly surprised to be directed to a table in the back. I stopped on my way to get some liquid courage. Bolstered with false confidence, I walked to the back tables to meet my fate. I didn’t have to wonder what table I should sit at because Victoria was there, waiting for me.
Stephan appeared in the room. One minute I was sitting in uncomfortable silence with Victoria, the next his presence hit me like a ton of bricks. My beast rose in me to greet the one that felt like home to us. We could smell him from across the room, like rainwater during a storm. The air around him was charged with power, mixing nicely with the musky cologne he was wearing. I took a deep breath to calm my confusing reaction to his presence, only succeeding in taking in more of his delicious scent.
Victoria gave me a strange look, one that I was starting to get used to by now from her. She shrugged her shoulders in a graceful dismissal of my behavior and stood.
“Stephan.” She inclined her head toward him in greeting. Had we been alone, she would have curtsied deeply, showing him the respect he deserved as her master. Since we were in public, she simply bowed her head, tilting ever so slightly at the end to expose her neck in a subservient gesture. “She’s acting very strange, even for her. You may wish to tread gently and retire to a less populated area.”
I couldn’t look at him. Embarrassment had me staring directly at the small of Victoria’s back the whole time they interacted, not even caring that she was talking about me as if I wasn’t sitting in the booth right next to her. I was having trouble containing my beast. She wanted to fling us into Stephan’s arms and rub all over him. She wanted the scent of home on us more than our next breath.
I couldn’t allow myself to do that. Not only was it completely, horrifically embarrassing, but it also felt like an utter betrayal to Raif. At my reminder of our mate, my beast calmed. She knew of him, felt his faint life force that lived inside us, but she wasn’t as aware of him as I was. She hadn’t been a part of me when I was with him.
I faintly heard Stephan dismiss Victoria. I watched as she sauntered away, hips swinging seductively in her miniskirt. He stood quietly at the side of the table, waiting patiently for my acknowledgement. I forced myself to meet his molten eyes. The shock I saw in their swirling depths surprised me.
“I’m really sorry to bother you. I didn’t know where else to turn. I need help.” My voice came out in a choked whisper. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be stronger than this. He nodded and folded himself gracefully into the seat across from me.
“Natasha, forgive me. I should have asked this of you before you left last time but was too caught up in my own thoughts. It was careless of me to leave you without any direction. Regardless, you are always welcome here, and I will do my best as the High Priest of Atlantis to help you. I ask you now—who are you mated with?” His eyes held mine. I could feel the power, the influence behind his words. Whether intentional or not, he was very manipulative. I felt the desire to tell him the truth about anything he wished to know, but it was a desire I knew I could ignore. His compelling voice didn’t work on me.
“You shouldn’t waste your power on me, Stephan. I came here seeking help. Whatever you need from me, just ask. I’m neither embarrassed nor ashamed. I’m mated to Raifuku Iochera, and I’m pissed as hell at him for not telling me a damn thing.” I leaned back in the booth, relieved at having said what had been on my mind for months.
“Have you changed yet?” he whispered so softly I could barely hear him over the noise of the pounding music.
“Yes. Quite a few times, actually. That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. Can we go somewhere quieter? The music hurts my head.”
He nodded, signaling for one of his staff as he did so. A young man was at his side before his hand lowered. He was average height, had sandy brown hair, and light brown eyes, lit with excitement. He barely looked old enough to drink, but with how young Stephan looked, this guy could be thousands of years old and I wouldn’t have a clue. He didn’t feel like Stephan, though, he felt young, normal. He didn’t have the weight of decades past that Stephan and Victoria held on their shoulders.
“Yes sir?” He was eager to do his master’s bidding. I wondered briefly if it was because Stephan paid him well, or if it was because he fed off the kid. I let it go, knowing that it was none of my business who Stephan fed off.
“Please bring refreshments to my suite. Also, have someone gather Miss Natasha’s things and take them to her suite. Darling, where are your bags?” He never took his eyes from me, and I felt heat rush to my cheeks.
“I wasn’t sure of my acceptance here, so I rented a room at the same hotel as last time.” He stopped me with a slight nod and told the boy to gather everything from the hotel and bring it back. I pulled my key card out and told young man my room number.
The kid was off and running, glad to be of use. I shrugged, hoping Stephan would explain later. I was curious to know ho
w he lived. Truth be told, I was more curious about his life than I had any right to be, and that bothered me.
He stood and smiled at me, holding his hand out in invitation. I took it, feeling nervous butterflies churning in my stomach and my beast sigh in contentment with finally having a connection to our homeland. We went through the crowd, people parting as we moved. He was as graceful as I remembered, his lithe body swaying seductively to the beat of the music. He led me to what I had assumed was a small janitorial closet by the bathrooms, typing in a code to unlock the door.
It opened, revealing exactly what I would expect in a janitor’s closet. Brooms, mops, and buckets lined one wall. A shelf with cleaning supplies lined another, and the third wall held a sink with a large drainage area in the floor. The door closed softly, leaving us in the tiny room with nothing but a swinging light bulb that threw strange shadows around the room.
“Stephan, what are we—” He cut me off with a smirk and a wink. It was as powerful as if he had slugged me in the kidneys. I wanted to jump on him, mark him as my own. The thought certainly didn’t come from my human side and had me shaking with its intensity. Thankfully, he turned to the wall with the shelves, did something I couldn’t see, and a hidden panel slid aside revealing a stairway behind. The stairs led up and down. Stephan led me upward, still holding my hand. The hidden door slid closed behind us, obliterating the pulsating sounds of the club.
The top of the stairs opened up into an average looking hallway with doors on both sides and one at the very end. We went directly to the door at the end of the hall. He opened it and stood aside, allowing me time to take in the room.
It was magnificent. The walls were painted a deep ocean blue. Silver and black sconces lit every two feet, creating a deep, mysterious feel. He had two plush chairs facing a flat screen television on one wall, two doors leading to what I assumed were a closet and bathroom on the adjacent wall, and across from the chairs was a large, king-sized four poster bed.
