by J. E. Taylor
The worry in his eyes made me nod. I didn’t need to help pack the cars anyway. I had some packing of my own to do. “Be careful,” I said.
“I always am,” he said and I huffed and Damian rolled his eyes. “I’ll try,” he added and disappeared from view.
Chapter Eight - Naomi
I made the mistake of turning on the television and taking in the news story. The raw anger that bit at me sparked a chuff from my lips and the shock of the feral sound pulled my gaze to the floor, and the white-furred paws.
Shock transitioned through my body and I took another step, still locked in tiger form. I hissed and spat and padded down the stairs. The keypad was difficult to manage with my paw but I finally had the idea to use one of my razor sharp nails.
The door squeaked open and I padded my way down the tunnel, turning into a gallop and by the time I reached the stairs, my heart pounded and I was sure Damian was being tortured on the other side of the hatch. I flew up the stairs, using the strength in my massive shoulder to open the hatch. I came to a sliding stop in the middle of the garage, a snarl coming from my mouth.
Damian spun along with one of the work crew. I growled and then chuffed and licked my chops, looking between Damian and the group of workers who were backing away slowly. Their expressions would have made me laugh had I been in human form.
Damian gave me a cocked-head stare and then he approached, slowly.
“Hey, baby, how’d you get out of your cage?” he asked with a soft voice, like one meant to disarm an angry tiger.
“Wo, dude, that’s yours?” one of the crew asked.
“Yeah, she’s mostly harmless unless you decide to attack me or something,” Damian said coming up to me and running his hand over my head and scratching me behind the ear. I rubbed my head against his leg, knocking him back a step.
“Sit,” he said with authority and I glanced up at him. While I wanted to tell him to fuck off, I obeyed and sat down on my haunches before stretching my paws out.
“That’s my girl,” he said and I actually bared my teeth at him for a moment before settling in place.
I wish I could have answered the questions in his eyes but I didn’t quite understand the switch either. I was angry at the news story, but I had been angry before and never just popped into the tiger like this. It’s usually caused by mortal danger but there was no danger here.
I licked my paws as I watched them load car after car until all the vehicles were loaded. After Damian closed and locked the doors, he turned and stared at me.
“What the fuck?” he asked and I stood and stretched before crossing to him and rubbing against his leg. He squatted and held my head between his hands. “Can you change back so we can talk?”
I licked his face and he sat back on his haunches, concern marking his handsome face. The man smelled wonderful and I stepped in, nuzzling against him.
“Naomi,” he whispered, his voice carrying a warning and I looked up at his face, but he wasn’t looking at me anymore.
I turned my head and followed his gaze to the back door. Paws smashed through the door, breaking the hinges and the door swung open. The stench of the thing made my nose crinkle. It smelled like a cross between a demon and a wet dog and it didn’t look much better.
The beast filled the exit and I bared my teeth, positioning myself between this thing and Damian. The sound of metal scraping pulled my attention in Damian’s direction and he stepped next to me, the crowbar gripped in his hand.
“What do you want?” Damian asked, like he expected the mutant dog to speak.
“I’ve been sent to bring your head back to my master,” it growled and stepped inside.
The shock of actually seeing a hellhound talk gave me pause, and I measured it up against my formidable size. It wasn’t quite as big as I was, and it certainly didn’t have the raw strength I had. It looked more like a mangy mutt than a powerhouse.
It wasn’t until the second one stepped in that my confidence wavered. The hatchway to the basement sat open and I wondered what our chances were of making it to the tunnel opening. Although, I had doubts the salt ring would keep these demon-dogs out. Especially since I thought Damian had reinforced the garage.
The two split up, circling the outside edges, their growls echoing in the empty garage. I flexed my paws, bringing out my deadly claws. That was my advantage against the mangy beasts. They had teeth, but I had both teeth and claws and I tightened my muscles, getting ready to spring.
Damian raised the crowbar like a bat and turned his back toward me, covering me from that side. I focused on the beast closest to me and I don’t think either one of them was aware of who I was, so another advantage. They were here to kill Damian and right now, I stood in their way.
“Let’s do this,” Damian whispered and I launched, twisting in the air and landed on top of the mangy beast. My claws latched onto the dog’s torso and I bit down on the back of its neck, hoping for a quick kill. It reared up and his howl of pain filled the garage. I shifted my nails, tearing at the beast’s front chest. It tried to turn its head but my jaws prevented him from reaching me. I ripped until blood started shooting and the thing stumbled to the ground. I shook it with a growl and then released, focusing on the one circling Damian.
The crowbar swung and connected with the beast’s shoulder, but it got a piece of Damian’s thigh with its teeth. Not enough to latch on, but enough to rip through jeans and flesh, drawing blood. With a roar, I launched. I hit the beast full on, my teeth clamping down on the underside of its throat, ripping through flesh and arteries in one powerful chomp. As we rolled, I raked my claws down its abdomen, tearing strips of flesh out and then I was on my feet, ready for more, but both hellhounds were down and Damian stood with the crowbar, waiting for another attack.
It took him a moment, but he looked between the two downed dogs and me.
“Holy shit,” he muttered and took a step toward the door.
A flash darted from the door and I moved just as quickly, launching at the same moment the mutt launched at Damian. I caught it in the air and took it the same way I had the other one, quickly, efficiently and bloodily. I didn’t let go until the beast’s heart stopped and Damian spoke my name.
“Naomi,” he said and I released, turning my attention to him. The taste of demon blood filled my mouth and the smell of death hung on the air.
I glanced toward the door and stepped away from the dead hellhound toward Damian. My paws were soaked red and I’m sure my white coat was sufficiently stained as well. After two paces, my view altered and I looked down at bloody hands.
“I guess the danger has passed,” I said brining my gaze back to Damian’s wide eyes.
“How’d you know?’
“I didn’t. One minute I was watching the news stories and the next I was the tiger. I thought I just changed because I got angry at the thinly veiled accusations on the television. They’ve even brought in some ex-FBI expert and you’ll never guess where the hell he’s from.” I shifted, trying to make the pants I was wearing more comfortable, but I couldn’t. Before Damian could venture a guess, I said, “I need a shower.” and headed toward the hatchway.
Damian didn’t follow me and I paused halfway down the tunnel, conflicted about going back until he was ready to come with me. The fact I was still human and not a carnivorous tiger clinched the decision. I continued to the downstairs bedroom and stripped when I stepped into the bathroom. The details in the marine mural still captivated me; stepping into the shower was like stepping into an underwater world of vibrant fish and coral reefs.
The water ran red for longer than I anticipated, even with scrubbing until my skin burned and my hair squeaked when I ran my fingers through it. When the water cleared, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the pummeling heat.
A breeze caressed my skin, creating goose flesh under the hot stream and I opened my eyes. Damian stood naked in the doorway to the shower stall. His gaze slowly scanned my form, lingering on my breasts before travelling lower. A crease
appeared between his eyes and his gaze bounced from my stomach to my face, locking with mine.
The question in his eyes made me drop my gaze to the bump in my belly. I had been so consumed with cleaning off the blood that I hadn’t noticed the newly stretched skin. Bump was an understatement. Between the time I pulled on my pants this morning and now, I had popped and my gaze jumped back to his.
“Holy shit,” he said and stepped under the spray with me, his hands finding the soft skin stretched over my abdomen. My gaze dropped to the red water running down his thigh and I turned him so I could inspect his wound.
“It’s just superficial. Leave it be,” he said studying my belly with the same intensity that I gave the cut on his leg. When he lifted his gaze, there were a hundred unasked questions swirling in his vibrant irises, but I had no answer for him. I looked like someone who was at least six months pregnant and that explained why my pants were so damned uncomfortable when I transitioned back to human form.
“I know how long human incubation is, but how long is a tiger’s?” he asked and I stared at him.
“You don’t think...” I trailed off and the candor in his expression brought forth an unwelcomed shiver.
“It’s not normal to grow this big overnight,” he said, running his hands over my stomach. “And you did just change into a tigress.” He smiled like he was not at all unsettled by this. “You know, you kicked ass like I’ve never seen,” he added and drew me into a kiss.
I pushed him away, still too preoccupied with the tiger conclusion to get into a romantic tryst with him. “Damian,” I said and his eyes widened into that innocent look followed by the brief appearance of his dimples.
“What?” He didn’t suppress the smirk fast enough.
“This isn’t funny,” I said. “Do you think I did something bad to our child by changing?”
His smirk faded and the first shadow passed over his gaze. He looked down at the symmetry under his hands. “No. I don’t think you did something bad,” he said meeting my gaze. “We aren’t normal, Naomi. To expect a normal pregnancy is asking for a lot, especially since this little bundle is a trinity.” He patted my stomach and I felt more than just a flutter. He pulled his hand away and then placed it back on my belly, awe painted on his features.
“The baby just kicked,” he glanced up at me and grinned. “Did you feel it?”
Dumb question. I felt more than just a kick; I felt rotation, as if the child was moving. The sudden appearance of motion meant my child was alive and I matched Damian’s grin, nodding.
The worry was still present, but it dulled in comparison to the joy I felt. This time when he pulled me into a kiss, I did not resist.
Chapter Nine - Naomi
I lay in bed, staring at the cloud-covered ceiling as Damian rested his ear on my stomach. He giggled a couple of times as a foot or hand passed over, connecting with his cheek.
“What if I give birth to some sort of hybrid?” I asked, voicing my growing concern.
He propped himself up on his elbow and offered a shrug. “We’ll deal with it,” he said.
“Aren’t you the least bit worried?”
Damian sighed and shook his head. “No. Maybe I should be, but I’m not. It’s...” He looked at the ceiling, his eyes moving around the room as he searched for the correct word. “Right,” he finally said when his gaze locked on mine. “I know it’s strange, but I can feel the rightness of this in my soul. Can’t you?”
For the first time since I got the news, a strange calmness settled over me and I nodded. I felt the perfection of this situation just as much as he did. He smiled and studied me for a moment, his features adopting a more serious expression.
“Do you know what prompted you to change today?”
“No, at first I thought it was because I was frustrated by the speculation on the news. But then I couldn’t just will myself back into human form, that’s when I thought there might be an issue in the garage.”
He huffed at me and pressed his lips to my stomach. “You’ve never had that issue before.”
“No, but maybe the hormones are messing me up.” That sounded like the most viable theory, it actually made sense, but who knows, it could be some divine intervention for all I knew.
“Do you think the hormones are giving you some level of precognitive ability? Sensing danger and forcing the tiger out?”
I laughed at his flawed logic. “I don’t think so,” I answered and his eyebrow rose in a silent challenge. “Then where the hell was the tiger when we were at the doctor’s office or at the hospital for that matter?” I asked. While I’d love to believe that, there were just too many holes in the theory. “I think it has to do with getting angry and my not being able to switch back was just a lucky coincidence.”
“You only transitioned back when there was no more danger.”
“I’m aware of that,” I snapped and rolled out of bed. “I need some clothes,” I said with my back to him. The bed creaked and a moment later, he wrapped a bathrobe around my shoulders.
“This is all that’s down here,” he said, crossing into my field of vision and tying the sash to his bathrobe. “Everything else is upstairs and based on what happened today, I think we should get the hell out of here as soon as possible. I already moved the car. It’s in the garage here for now and I didn’t lock the workshop, so anyone can get in.”
“What about the hatch?”
“The truck is sitting over it and surrounded by boxes. I still need to weld it shut along with the door at the end of the tunnel. But, that should take less than an hour. Then we should bolt.”
I wasn’t ready to leave yet, but we really had no choice, not when Lucifer’s hellhounds found us so easily. It stood to reason that he’d soon follow and we didn’t want to be anywhere near here when he arrived.
“What about Ted and Valerie?”
“She isn’t out of danger and he doesn’t have any idea when she’ll be ready to be released,” Damian said. “And I told Ted to find somewhere else to stay until she was good to come home.”
“We might have a problem,” I said, shifting and meeting his gaze.
He tensed and crossed his arms. “What?”
“The ex-FBI agent lives in York.”
Damian’s expression hardened but before he could balk, I added, “He’s the only one on the news who didn’t jump to the conclusion that you killed those people. He said he spoke to a witness, a cafeteria worker who saw what happened. He said you weren’t responsible for the officer’s death despite the evidence stacked against you. The cops disagree, in light of the surveillance video, they severed the agent’s connection to the case. That’s when I got pissed. Lucifer is doing a hell of a job setting you up.”
“I’m aware of what that bastard is doing, and now we have a garage smeared with blood. I’d bet my left arm there will be a missing person reported and he’ll make sure the blood in the garage is matched to the victim.”
“But the dogs?”
Damian pointed toward the tunnel. “You missed the coup d'état. The hellhounds disintegrated, so it’s just a bloody mess.”
“Jesus,” I whispered, my mind turning this new fact over. It was like Lucifer intentionally sent those beasts into the slaughterhouse. “It would have been better if the carcasses were found, even though they would have been a real bizarre find.”
Damian sent a sarcastic smile. “That would have made things eons better,” he said and ran his hand through his tussled hair. “Should we change our plans and head to Greece?”
I blew a stream of air from my lips, considering his offer, but I knew damn well both cops and Lucifer’s henchmen would pack the airports. “No. I think we need to look up that agent. He’s the only one who believed you weren’t responsible and both the cops and reporters made him look like a fool.”
“He’d hand us over in a heartbeat,” Damian said.
“Well, if he tries, I can always turn tiger,” I said and forced a smile, but the prospect of
hurting a human made me feel sick to my stomach. I swallowed the burn in the back of my throat. “But I don’t think he will. Before he got into his car, he said if we wanted someone on our side, to look him up.”
Damian rolled his eyes. “It’s a bullshit ploy,” he said, raising my irritation level.
“I know bullshit when I see it,” I said. “This wasn’t. Besides, I’d rather take my chances with him than the cops, because you know damn well if we end up in a jail cell neither one of us will walk out alive.” The memory of the roadblock in New York City crossed my mind, the sheer number of police officers Lucifer commanded had chilled my blood and even the memory made me shiver.
“How do you know this guy isn’t in Lucifer’s pocket?” Damian asked as if he got a whiff of my memory.
I focused on him. “I don’t.”
“Then why the hell do we even chance it?”
We stared at each other and I sighed. “It’s just one of those things, Damian. I trusted him. I don’t know how to explain it better than that.”
“What’s his name?”
“Special Agent Steve Williams.”
“As soon as I finish welding the doors, I’ll find his address. While I’m doing that, do you mind packing things upstairs?”
I didn’t mind, especially with him safeguarding the house from demons and other preternatural creatures. My gaze dropped to his leg. “Do you have any bandages down here?” I pointed to his still oozing wound.
“I don’t think so,” he said and turned, disappearing into the bathroom. The creak of a door drifted on the quiet followed by the crinkle of a package being opened. When he stepped out, a six-inch bandage covered the cut. “I guess Michael stocked us up,” he added and pressed his lips together.
Damian’s hands found his waist and his head dropped to his chest. It wasn’t until I saw the shake of his shoulders that I realized he was crying. I crossed and lifted his chin. His crystal-blue eyes swam with tears and more clear drops traced lines in his face.
“I guess grief hits at the damnedest times,” he said and laughed, swiping the tears from his face like they were an unforgiveable offense.
