by Dahlia Rose
They walked back to the others hand-in-hand, and Fane gave her a congratulatory clap. “Before you know it, it will be five pins.”
She rolled her eyes and dropped into the seat beside Sam. He chuckled. Tondi ended up eating four slices of the passable pizza, but foregoing the nasty soda for bottled water. The game ended with Fane and Zuria beating Sam and Tondi. The four of them left the bowling alley to stroll along Main Street. They ran across J Avenue, and the three others stopped at the red brick building on the corner. Tondi wondered at the significance of the place. An abandoned-looking welcome sign hung in the window made from a license plate, and somehow, the architecture of what had to have been a shop gave off a nostalgic air.
Tondi linked arms with Sam. “What’s this place?”
“The old coffee shop,” Zuria supplied. “The guys expanded where they are now and added a restaurant. The new building used to be a bookstore.”
Tondi breathed deep and imagined she could still smell the rich coffee blends from the small shop.
Zuria eyed her. “Probably kind of tame here in Aves for you?”
“Why would it be tame?”
Zuria shrugged. “You look like a big city girl.”
Tondi frowned. “Maybe you’re judging me based on yourself.”
They faced each other, Tondi’s temper rising. Zuria’s narrowed gaze dared her to start trouble. Sam snagged Tondi around the waist and drew her back to him. Fane did the same with Zuria.
“I don’t know why you don’t like me,” Tondi snapped.
“Who says I don’t like you?”
“The attitude ever since I got here.”
Zuria waved a hand as if Tondi didn’t matter. “I’m just protective of my little brother. That’s all.”
“Oh that’s funny, because the last time I checked, he was a grown man!”
Zuria broke free of Fane’s arms and approached Tondi, hands on her hips. “You think I haven’t seen women like you? We have Dixie Ann. We don’t need another ho.”
Tondi curled claws into her palms, and she felt Sam stiffen behind her. She didn’t know why either man didn’t stop them from arguing. Maybe they believed if Tondi and Zuria cleared the air the way they needed to, they would become friends. Tondi didn’t see that happening any time soon.
“What did you just say to me?” she growled in a low tone. Sam’s quiet warning was not for humans to hear. He didn’t have to worry. She would not attack his sister, nor had she ever harmed a human. They were far weaker and didn’t deserve that, even if they were loud-mouthed, opinionated heifers that needed to be set straight.
“You heard me,” Zuria went on. “You had your legs spread the second you laid eyes on Sam. A place like Aves is too small for a woman like you, but I see the way Sam looks at you. You’ll never stay, and you’ll hurt him in the end. He doesn’t sleep around, and I’m not going to let you mess with him.”
Zuria poked a finger in Tondi’s chest, and Tondi launched at her. She slammed into Fane’s chest when he jerked Zuria behind him, and Sam hoisted Tondi off her feet, pinning her to his length.
“Let me go, Sam,” she shouted. “I’m not going to break her. I’m going to just teach her a lesson!”
“Bring it on,” Zuria yelled, trying to get out from behind Fane.
“Stop,” Sam growled, and both Tondi and Zuria fell silent at his angry outcry. He clenched his teeth and looked at Fane. “We’ll be away for a few days.”
Fane’s eyes widened. “That time? With…her? Do you really think that’s a good idea, buddy?”
Tondi peered from one man to the other. From their conversation, she started to think Fane knew Sam’s secret, but that couldn’t be possible, could it? She was pretty sure his sister didn’t know.
“Yes, I’m taking Tondi with me.”
Various emotions flitted across Fane’s face, and then dawning understanding surfaced. Tondi’s heart sank. Fane stared at her with obvious shock and interest, but with Zuria still behind him, she obviously hadn’t picked up on what he figured out. Tondi was a shifter like Sam, and Fane now knew both their secrets.
“Wow,” Fane said. “Okay, do what you have to do. We’ll be here when you get back.” He turned to Zuria and drew her into his arms. “Zuria, this fight is over.”
“It’s not until—”
“Let’s go.” The firmness in his tone brooked no argument, and Tondi watched Zuria give her boyfriend a curious glance. She did relax, though, and the two of them disappeared down the street.
Tondi and Sam’s temporary truce dissolved with the others gone, and they strode in uneasy silence back to where he had left his SUV. He rode with her to pack a few things at the bed and breakfast, but normally when she had to shift, she didn’t shift to a human form until she had to. Clothes would be the last thing on her mind. As she and Sam headed toward the mountains, she wondered what the experience of flying with him would bring.
Chapter Five
Sam perched on a tree outside the cabin and watched the door for signs of life. Normally, when he came out here to the mountains, he stayed in his feathered form for ninety percent of the time. That was still true. Well, seventy maybe. He had trouble keeping his hands to himself, and human form was the best way to enjoy Tondi’s body.
So far, he had put off their talk in favor of flying, and when they weren’t doing that, they had sex. Everything about her intoxicated him—her face, her body, even her voice. Tondi tempted him beyond reason, and he had told himself if she was running from the law, he would do what he could to protect her. Such a thought was insane given he hadn’t known her long, but he didn’t need the mythological wisdom of an owl to figure out she was his mate.
He spread his wings as wide as they expanded, fully aware he was among the biggest of snowy owls in existence, larger in size than the normal non-shifting type, which reached in excess of two feet in height. His wingspan also exceeded six feet, unlike his brethren who maxed at almost five feet. That’s why he never allowed any human to see him in his shifted form, and it was what he had been taught the first time he changed.
Sam had feared Tondi would be frightened by his size, but she had stood naked before changing and just stared at him for a long moment. “You’re so beautiful,” she had whispered, her tone breathless. “So white and pure.”
She had extended her arm, inviting him down from the limb he perched on. Sam had twisted his head to the side, eyes wide. The woman must be crazy. His weight would snap her small arm. In the end, he had landed, changing as he flew, to step on two human feet in front of her. Aching need took over, and he had carried her into the cabin to explore her body once more before they both shifted and rode the wind together.
This morning, he decided, was enough of putting off the talk. He would not abandon her, so there was no need to hesitate. The sooner he knew what they fought, the better.
The cabin door opened, and Tondi appeared, dressed for the first time since they arrived. She knew him well already, had probably sensed he had come to a decision. Sam dropped from the limb straight toward the ground. He shifted the instant before he touched and walked ahead of her into the cabin.
A pair of jeans was all he bothered slipping on. He left his chest and feet bare, hiding a smirk of amusement when Tondi’s gaze followed his movements. He stretched arms over his head and expanded his chest, feigning a yawn.
Tondi made a sound of exasperation. “When you’re finished showing off…”
He flicked an eyebrow up, but she dropped into a chair and folded arms under her breasts. Sam joined her, allowing his thigh to brush hers. Tondi readjusted her position so they didn’t touch. He hid his disappointment.
“Should I go first or you?” she said. When he didn’t answer, she went on. “Don’t act like there’s nothing to share on your side, Sam.”
He considered pulling her onto his lap and held himself in check. The fact that she had moved away said she needed her space, and he didn’t want to crowd her. She lowered her lashes an
d fiddled with a pant leg, plucking at nonexistent lint.
“I told you I’m a jaeger, right?”
He agreed.
“That type of bird is… Well, to put it bluntly, like a parasite. They steal food from other birds, food the others have hunted for. As shifters, we are very close to humans, but we also have an animal nature. My family is like the jaeger.”
“You steal?” he asked, keeping his tone neutral so she wouldn’t clam up. He thought of the money in her bag. She’d denied robbing a bank, but it didn’t mean she hadn’t stolen the money from somewhere or someone.
Tondi held up defensive hands. “Before you jump to conclusions, let me just tell you everything.”
He waited.
“My father owns a corporation that’s sole purpose is to fleece other corporations and individuals out of their money, property, whatever interests him. He uses any means necessary to get what he wants. He has performed more hostile takeovers probably than anyone else. Legal and illegal is all the same, and when I finished college, I had planned to join him. I grew up in that environment, and I thought it was normal for a long time. Then it was like one day I woke up. I wanted to meet and get to know people without ulterior motives. I wanted to sort friends as to whether they were good and not based on the amount in their bank account.”
Sam saw her mouth tighten and fire light her big brown eyes. He welcomed the sight more than the shame he had glimpsed a moment before.
Tondi shook her head, staring at nothing. “You can’t imagine how I admire you for building your own coffee shop and expanding it with the restaurant. Everyone seems so happy to be working there, and the customers seem to love it. My dad gets death threats like fan mail. He laughs it off. I can’t… I won’t live like that.”
“You don’t have to.” He took her hand and threaded his fingers between hers. She didn’t pull away. “You’re an adult who can choose your own life.”
Her mouth turned downward. “My dad didn’t take my rejection of my family’s lifestyle well. Oh, he let me mess around in college, taking longer than normal to graduate. I even bummed around Europe for a while, but then a couple months ago, things changed.”
Sam sensed panic in her, although her face didn’t show it. Tondi straightened her back, steel in her gaze, but he picked up on her vulnerability too. The fact remained that Tondi was on the run. He knew it without a doubt. Even if she were old enough to make her own decisions, she hadn’t felt she could stay in the city of her birth. He guessed none of her people knew where she had gone, but he also figured it was a matter of time. Shifters, no matter the species, were good hunters. They would find her.
“What happened two months ago, Tondi?”
She sighed and got up from the couch to wander around the room. At some point, she stopped and rubbed the heels of her palms over her eyes. Her back was to him when she spoke, and he guessed she didn’t want to brave his reaction to her words. “My father threw me an engagement party.”
Sam was on his feet before he knew it. He crossed the floor space between them in two long strides to grasp her arm and spin her to face him. Narrowing his eyes on her, he demanded between clenched teeth, “You’re engaged?”
Her eyes rounded. “No, I’m not.” She tried to tug away, but he held her in place. “I told my father he had no right to pull that crap on me, and I walked out. I learned later that the celebration went on. Every one of those guests believes it’s just a matter of time before I fall in line with his plans. Well, he’s wrong. I’m not marrying Kofi, and I don’t care what my father thinks.”
“Who. Is. Kofi?”
To his surprise, Tondi relaxed and smiled. “You don’t have to be jealous, Sam.” She ran her hands up his chest to loop around his neck and arched her slender body into his. Desire flamed to life in him, and his cock hardened. Was she playing him for a fool? No, he was an excellent judge of character, and Tondi had lost herself to him as quickly as he had to her, from the first time their eyes met.
“I’m not jealous.”
She smirked.
“A little,” he conceded. “I don’t know who this Kofi is, but he is not getting you.”
“Aw, baby, don’t worry.” She smiled and patted his cheek. “I can handle this.”
“Handling is running?”
“For now. I confronted my dad, but when he didn’t listen, I realized I needed to stand on my own two feet for a while.” She laughed. “And before you comment, yeah, getting out on my own did mean taking the money in my bank account. It’s dirty money, but I’m not too good to let it help me get my new start. I’m not stupid.”
“I’m not judging you.”
She moved back to the couch and sat down. He joined her, and this time, he pulled her onto his lap. She settled her head on his chest while he breathed in her unique scent. Tondi was strong. He gave her that, but he refused to allow her to deal with her family on her own. He knew nothing of corporations other than what he had heard or seen on TV, something he didn’t watch a lot of. However, if anyone came looking for her and thought to take her, he would fight. In this instance, like her father, he didn’t care what the law said. Tondi would not leave Aves unless she chose to.
“Anyway,” she said. “I thought about going as far as California, but somehow, I ended up down here.”
You are my mate trembled on his lips, but he left it unsaid. Instinct led her to Aves, but he wasn’t sure if she had accepted it yet. “You have me now.”
“We’re not even a month old. I’m not letting you get caught up in my mess.”
He squeezed her thigh, and she shifted on his lap. The grunt rose to his throat before he could stop it. Tondi chuckled.
“Don’t growl at me, mister. You heard me.”
“We’ll see.”
* * * *
The afternoon passed quietly with Sam and Tondi in the sky and in bed. When they were in the cabin, Sam cooked spicy Bucatini all’Amatriciana for Tondi, an Italian spaghetti dish with guanciale or pancetta. For dessert, he kept it simpler, preparing strawberry cheesecake parfaits.
Mouth full of food, Tondi waved her spoon as she chewed. “Mm, now you know you wrong, Sam. You’re trying to make me fat. This is so good I’m tempted to lick my plate.”
Warmth suffused him, but he kept a straight face. “I won’t stop you.”
She rolled her eyes at him.
After she had stuffed more than he thought a woman of her size could get into her stomach, she moved on to the parfait and savored each bite with a moan, head titled back and eyes closed. Sam surged to his feet, snatched the empty plates up, and dumped them in the sink.
“Oh, Sam, this so good. I could keep you forever.”
Sam dropped a glass on the floor. The fragile container shattered into a million pieces.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
He grunted.
Tondi moved to help him clean up the broken glass, and their fingers touched. She moved away, but Sam caught her and drew her into his arms.
“Sam.”
He covered her mouth with his own and kissed her deeply. She responded, but he felt her withdrawing. In the end, he had to let her go. After lunch, they cleaned up and dressed to walk outside in human form. Tondi conceded to allowing him to hold her hand as they traversed the narrow trails between the trees. She moved with easy grace up and down steep inclines, but he insisted on holding her elbow anyway.
Tondi found a boulder with a flat area to perch on. She sat and patted the spot beside her. “Okay, mister, you’ve put me off long enough. You’re adopted. I know that much. Zuria is human, and I got the impression she doesn’t know you’re not. So spill it.”
He sat beside her and glanced toward the mountaintop. They had flown as high as they dared, but today the wind was pretty strong. Temperatures dropped to such an extent up there, snow covered the caps. Every year, he told himself he would come in winter, but he never got around to it. Business picked up in winter because more people wanted hot bevera
ges to warm their insides against the cold.
“Yes, I’m adopted,” he explained. “My dad—Zuria’s dad—found me on the side of the road, abandoned.”
“No!” She gaped. “I’ve never heard of shifters doing that. Are your kind different?”
He compressed his lips, resentment rising. “I don’t know.”
“So you’re the only one?”
Sam stood up. He hadn’t expected that talking about his situation would be as hard for him as Tondi’s had been for her. He took a step away, but she used his example, holding on. Sam refused to reject her for any reason. Maybe it was because of his own past.
“There is a parliament of my people nearby.”
“In Aves?”
“Not far. They don’t live among humans.”
“Wow, that’s interesting.”
“A long time ago, one of them came to ask if I would live among them. I refused. She helped me during my first change.”
“She?”
He sensed Tondi’s annoyance and stroked the soft skin of the hand he held.
“An older woman. I don’t know if she’s still around. I rejected them.”
“Sam, why would you do that? Just from knowing you, I figure your kind must be different from mine. If you have the chance to be with your family and they love you, why not? I’d give anything to have a normal, close family that didn’t spend all their time obsessing over their next conquest.”
Sam glared at her and dropped her hand. “You think I should embrace them? They are the reason I was alone at two years old. They killed my parents.”
She gasped, and when he faced her, he found her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. To his surprise, tears bubbled up from the sides and spilled down her face. In an instant, he stood in front of her and drew her into his arms.
“Don’t,” he said.
“I can’t help it. Your parents…and you were just a baby.”
“Two.”
“A baby,” she insisted. “You needed them. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been, and I don’t blame you for hating your people.”
