Ruffled Feathers

by Zoe Chant

But at what cost?

  She wanted a career as a scientist. She wanted to become a tenured professor, like Professor Brown and others in her department. But she’d met the professor’s wife and two kids at his retirement party, and his wife had been so happy he wouldn’t be so busy with work anymore. His kids had been happy too, but they were clearly closer to their mother, joking with her, and more serious and distant around him.

  That wasn’t the life she wanted.

  Simon’s hand closed around hers. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She shook her head. She had no business being sad around Simon. “I was just—nothing.” She smiled at him. “I was thinking there’s no way I can make you breakfast this good.”

  “I’m sure you could heat soup for breakfast,” he replied. “Or a one-pan mac and cheese while you’re camping.”

  She shuddered at the thought of that.

  “Good point, I’ll need to check with the students that they’ve got supplies with them. If not, I’ll take them into town.”

  “You should do that today or tomorrow, anyway. Have everyone get used to them being here.” Simon got up to grab his own slices of toast.

  He’d mentioned that yesterday as well, but it made her wonder. “Are you sure that’ll help? Since they don’t like having us around very much.”

  “True.” He poured her the last of the coffee. “And I’m not saying Professor Brown should’ve visited the town every day.”

  “Yeah, that definitely wouldn’t have improved things.”

  “But since we will be working together, it’ll be good if your team comes here more often. Show everyone that you’re not plotting something evil.”

  “Not that you have ulterior motives in me visiting the town.”

  He laughed. “I’m only interested in having you visit one specific location.”

  She sipped her coffee. They’d mentioned dating last night, but not how it’d work. “I will be very busy with fieldwork over the next few weeks.”

  “Oh, I know. Obviously that comes first. Besides, I’ve got work tomorrow as well,” he replied easily. “And I get that you won’t be able to spend the night here every time.”

  But he wanted her to spend as many nights as possible here.

  She thought of her tent and how she’d looked forward to falling asleep with the leaves rustling in the wind, and waking up with birdsong around her. She’d looked forward to a simple breakfast and even to heating water for her terrible instant coffee.

  Her tent didn’t seem so inviting anymore.

  “We’ll figure something out.” Because she wanted to spend as many nights as possible together as well.

  “We will.” He took her hand again. “There’s no rush. I know it’s a lot for you to take in.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Although…”

  “What?” She wondered what had him looking so hesitant.

  “My parents and sister, we always have dinner together on Friday night. I’ve already told them about you and how you’re my mate. Would you like to come this Friday? It’s fine if you don’t,” he immediately added. “There’ll be other Fridays. And it’s a lot for them to take in as well.”

  A dinner with his family. She waited for her nerves to kick into overdrive, but they stayed at a reasonable level. “Why not? It’ll depend on how things are going with the students and whether I can leave them alone on a Friday evening, but sure?”

  He grinned. “Great! We’ll decide later in the week.”

  They discussed Simon’s schedule—he was working Monday through Friday this week—and her schedule, which involved a lot more ‘I’ll have to see how it goes’. But Madison was confident she could spend a few more evenings at Simon’s place, and Simon was more than willing to visit her in the woods even with the rest of the team around.

  By the time they finished breakfast, there wasn’t a lot of time left before she had to get back to her tent. But there was one thing she wanted before she had to go.

  “This may be ridiculous and you can say ‘no’.”

  He raised an eyebrow at that. “I probably won’t.”

  She bit her lip. “Can you turn into a hawk? It was dark last night and I never got a good chance to see you, and when am I gonna get another chance to see a hawk up close?” Without getting attacked, that was.

  He’d opened the door to his backyard before she’d even finished the question. “You can look at me as a hawk whenever you want.”

  When he pulled his shirt over his head, she briefly regretted not asking to do something else before she left. He did have really nice arms, and everything else…

  But she gasped in surprise and delight when he shifted, the hawk taking flight and circling above her before he settled on one of the lawn chairs. He cocked his head as if wondering why she was all the way over there.

  She moved closer, hesitating before running her hand down his back again. “You’re gorgeous. The colors!”

  He spread his wings, giving her an even better look at the browns and reds.

  She carefully ran her fingers across his wings, perfectly designed to let him soar through the sky. “You’re amazing.”

  Simon folded his wings back against his body, sitting up a little straighter than before.

  “And smug,” she told him. “Extremely smug.”

  The hawk shot her a look, spread his wings, then flew up with only a couple of powerful beats of his wings. Soon, he circled high in the sky and Madison had to raise one hand to shield her eyes against the sun.

  He swooped down a few times and Madison laughed. How had he learned to do that? Had his parents taught him like birds taught their young? Had he learned with friends?

  After a few minutes, he dove down, landing in one of the trees further down his backyard. From his perch, he flew back to her, shifting back and looking very pleased with himself.

  She pulled him in for a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing close. She could feel the heat and strength of his body through the fabric of her dress, and his hand ran down her back possessively.

  He was the one to break the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “That wasn’t even a mating display.”

  She giggled at the mental image. “Is it bad that I want to see that?”

  He kissed her again. “I’d be happy to. When there’s more time.”

  She was about to say that mating displays didn’t have to take very long, but the heated look in his eyes told her there’d be more to it than just the display. “Looking forward to it.” She leaned against him, wishing she could remain in his arms a little longer. “But I should go back to my tent to get things ready for when the others arrive.” She hadn’t even left yet and she already missed him.

  “You’re right. Hey, let me know when they arrive. I can see if the mayor has time and we can drop by for a visit.”

  “That’d be great!” And having the mayor visit would be wonderful too. “We should plan a few more visits over the next four weeks. It’ll be useful to discuss things with her face to face with the students there as well.” They had to learn how to handle locals as well as birds. “And I could show you where our nets are so you don’t fly into them.”

  “Looking forward to the tour.” He leaned in to kiss her again.

  She pulled back before she was drawn into another intense kiss. “I really need to go.”

  Her willpower could only take so many kisses and naked skin.

  7. Simon

  The mayor had immediately agreed to his suggestion that they visit Madison and her scientists later that afternoon, and Mayor McFadden was brimming with impatience the moment she got into his car.

  “This is an important meeting.” She had a slim folder with her, and he recognized Madison’s notes on top. “I want to know who’s visiting my woods.”

  “Madison will make sure the students don’t go where they’re not supposed to,” he reminded her. But he understood why she wanted this to go well. He was as nervous as sh
e was. Meeting Madison’s team wasn’t as big a step as Madison meeting his family this Friday, but it was definitely a significant moment.

  Why did she leave? Was our nest not good enough?

  Simon ignored his hawk’s opinions on whether he needed more pillows to make his bed extra comfortable. He didn’t want to think too much about Madison moving in with him. They hadn’t discussed a future beyond the next four weeks. He was certain they’d have one, just not whether that’d be in Kirkwood or Pinevale.

  He could move to the city and live closer to work. Pinevale was half an hour away, so visiting his parents every week wouldn’t be a problem.

  We can’t fly there! His hawk hated the city. Simon had tried shifting during a lunch break two or three times when he’d just started working at the museum, but quickly given up. It was so much noisier as a hawk, and the traffic and people milling around underneath him overwhelmed his senses. There were too many things to see and notice, and it had left him with a pounding headache.

  Shifting less often wasn’t that big a problem. He could do that when visiting his parents with Madison. They’d figure something out.

  “How many students are joining her?” the mayor asked.

  “I think she mentioned four.” He threw a quick look over his shoulder at the large shopping bag he’d brought with him. It wasn’t jostled around too much whenever he turned a corner, which was good.

  “What’s in that bag, anyway?”

  “Something to celebrate us all working together.” That’s what he’d say in front of the students.

  The mayor turned, reaching out to glance inside. “That should definitely get them on our good side.”

  It was a fifteen-minute walk to the camp-site after he’d parked, but it was nice to enjoy the woods with two feet on the ground for once rather than from above.

  “Doctor Adams, your visitors are here!” A young woman called out in a Spanish accent after spotting them, her black hair tied back. “Good afternoon!” She smiled at them both, gesturing for them to follow her. “I’m Daniela.”

  Simon introduced himself and the mayor, following her to the campsite. Two new tents stood next to Madison’s, and one was close to being set up. Madison was gesturing at the bright orange tent, but paused when she saw Simon. “You’re early!”

  “Thanks for the welcoming committee,” he told her, nodding at Daniela.

  Daniela pointed at the bright orange tent. “It was that or help Chloe with her tent.”

  A young black woman, wearing a red bandana to keep her dark curls out of her face, stood up from behind it. “It is a complicated tent!” She grumbled something in French, then sighed before ducking behind her tent again.

  Daniela went to join her, and Madison walked over to Simon and the mayor.

  “Paul and Natalie are putting up a net. They’ll be back soon,” Madison told them.

  Simon nodded at a backpack next to an unpacked tent. “More fun than putting up a tent?”

  “Definitely.” Madison looked over at where Chloe and Daniela had finished. “But they’ll get round to it unless they want to sleep under the stars. The water isn’t boiling, so I can’t offer you coffee yet.”

  “Don’t worry, I wasn’t expecting any,” the mayor informed her. “And I’m sure this won’t be my only visit.”

  Daniela walked up to them. “You’re interested in our research? What would you like to know?”

  “Don’t ask her, you’ll be here all afternoon.” Chloe had joined them, and Daniela elbowed her while laughing. “You always take too long when presenting.”

  “There’s too much to tell!” Daniela insisted, her Spanish accent becoming stronger in her enthusiasm. “Birds are too interesting!”

  “Agreed,” the mayor said, smiling at Madison as well. “Maybe you can take turns telling me what you’re researching.”

  “They could use practice presenting to a lay audience,” Madison mused.

  Simon raised an eyebrow at that. “We already know a lot about birds, remember?”

  “You could tell us more about the local birds,” Daniela enthused, while Chloe hung her head. Daniela beamed at Madison. “Right? Never disregard the knowledge of locals?”

  “Yes, but I’m not sure if this local knowledge is gonna be useful to us,” Madison told her. “C’mon, the water should be boiling by now.”

  Simon reached for the plastic container in his grocery bag. “Then now’s a good time to give you this.”

  “You didn’t have to get us anything.” Madison opened the container, revealing over a dozen muffins.

  “Oh, they look good.” Chloe eyed Simon. “Did you make them or buy them?”

  “I baked them earlier this afternoon.” That earned him an impressed nod from the French woman, while Daniela looked even more excited.

  “You really didn’t have to bake us anything!” Madison laughed before offering the muffins to her two students.

  “Just try them before you thank me.” He was more interested in Madison’s reaction, but Chloe and Daniela sounded pleased after their first bites.

  Madison picked off a piece. “I can see apple.” She put it in her mouth and closed her eyes in bliss at that first taste.

  He desperately wanted to kiss her, and it took all his self-control not to in front of the others.

  “His mother regularly wins the baking contest at our harvest fair, so he has all the good recipes,” Mayor McFadden commented.

  “You can have one too, if you like.” Simon smiled when she immediately took one.

  Madison handed Chloe the container. “Simon, why don’t you join me to find Paul and Natalie? I don’t want them to miss out on these delicious muffins.”

  Simon nodded. Going by the spark in her eyes, they’d be taking the long way round to find her two wayward students. “Good idea.”

  “Don’t hurry back,” Daniela told them, taking a second muffin.

  The mayor sat down in one of the foldable chairs around the stove. “And you two can tell me about your research while we wait.”

  Madison set off down one of the trails, and Simon immediately went after her and took her hand. “Apple and cinnamon?” she asked.

  “I wanted to do apple pie first, but muffins are easier to eat out here.”

  She moaned as she took another bite, and the sound went straight to his groin. “These are really good.”

  “I’m glad you like them. I didn’t want to visit empty-handed.”

  We would not be an unworthy mate! his hawk insisted, although the bird also felt certain they could do better than baked goods.

  When she finished her muffin, she licked the crumbs off her fingers, and he wished he could lick them off instead. He pulled her behind a tree to kiss her, tasting the apple and cinnamon as she pressed close and pushed him back against the tree.

  “I missed you,” he breathed, nuzzling her neck.

  “I saw you this morning.”

  “Still missed you.” He kissed her, desire thrumming through his body.

  She grinned up at him. “I missed you, too.”

  They kissed again, her fingers running through his hair. He wished they weren’t in the woods. Or at least, that they weren’t in the woods with people nearby and waiting for them. “Can you come by tonight?”

  She sighed, leaning against him. “No, I still need to go over everything with them before we get started tomorrow.”

  She sounded as disappointed as he felt. “At least you’ll have my muffins.”

  “Mm, I do.” Her hands slid down his back to squeeze his ass.

  He laughed, kissing her again. He didn’t want to stop.

  “I meant it,” she told him. “You don’t need to bring something whenever you visit. We’ve got groceries and plenty of snacks.”

  He caressed her cheek. “But I want to.” She’d asked about it this morning and he knew he hadn’t done a good job of explaining. Wanting to feed and take care of her was an instinct he couldn’t ignore. He might as well try
to ignore his need to breathe. “You deserve the best and baking muffins is pretty easy. What other kinds do you like? What do you like apart from muffins?”

  “Surprise me.” She kissed him again. “But don’t feel pressured or—”

  “I want to.” He’d repeat it as often as necessary. “I can’t be with you as much as I’d like, but at least you’ll have my food. I enjoy cooking for you. I enjoy baking for you. I enjoy watching you eat food I made.”

  Her face turned increasingly red. “Okay.”

  “Or is it too much?” He had to remember she wasn’t a shifter. “Too soon?”

  “I like that you want to make me food!” she exclaimed, leaning back. “I don’t want to be ungrateful! It’s just… adjusting. I need to adjust to you and shifters and everything.”

  “We can take it slower.” They had the rest of their lives together, after all.

  But to his surprise, she shook her head. “I don’t want you to.” Her blue eyes were wide as she looked up at him, excited with a bit of apprehension. “I missed you.”

  “You already said that.” Where was she going with this?

  “No!” Her fingers curled tight in his shirt. “It’s ridiculous. I saw you only this morning and then I was here and I missed you. When you got here with the mayor, it was like I hadn’t seen you in days.”

  He smiled, trying not to look too smug. “Fated mates.” She felt it.

  “It’s ridiculous,” she repeated. “I can’t love you this much already.”

  He grinned. “You love me?” His hawk soared inside of him.

  Her cheeks turned a deeper red. “I—yes.” She opened her mouth to say something, but he had to kiss her again.

  She knows! His hawk cried. She knows she’s ours and we’re hers. Forever.

  “I love you too, obviously,” he told her. “In case you didn’t know.”

  “I had a hunch.” She laughed, eyes shining with joy. “Does this mean I have to make you food as well?”

  “If you like.” He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “If that’s what your instinct tells you to do.”

  Her smile turned heated. “Mmm, that’s not what it’s telling me to do…”