by Zoe Chant
Hayley, Hayley, Hayley.
Her name ran through his mind like a mantra as Reiner gathered himself to spring. Griff held tight to the memory of his wonderful, perfect mate. He wanted his last thoughts to be of her. He filled his mind with her beautiful face and stunning body, picturing her so clearly he could almost see her standing in front of him.
She was standing in front of him.
Time froze. With crystal clarity, he saw Reiner leaping toward them, leaping toward her. Hayley was right in his path, arms spread, protecting Griff with her own body. The lion’s long, powerful form seemed to hang in midair.
NO!
Every atom of his body, every part of his soul, united with the need to protect his mate. Shattered bones reformed, muscles coalescing around them. He surged to his feet. As unstoppable as an avalanche, he leaped to block Reiner’s attack, meeting the lion’s talons with his own.
Reiner roared in pain as Griff hurled him to one side. The lion hit the ground hard, rolling. He staggered to his paws, snarling—and stopped dead.
Griff spread his wings to protect his mate, his tail lashing. Reiner cowered as Griff screamed at the lion in rage. Griff didn’t give him a second to recover. He pounced, sinking his talons into the lion’s shoulders, pinning him to the ground. His powerful beak closed around Reiner’s throat.
The temptation to bite down was almost overwhelming. But…despite everything, Reiner was still Danny’s father. That single fact was the only thing that kept Griff from tearing the lion’s head clear off for daring to threaten his mate.
*SUBMIT!* Griff demanded, hurling the thought like a spear into Reiner’s stunned mind. *Submit, or I will kill you!*
Reiner whimpered. *I surrender! I surrender!*
Griff dropped him, backing away. He stayed tense and ready in case it was a trick, but Reiner just fell bonelessly to the ground. The lion rolled, exposing his belly in utter submission.
*Alpha.* Reiner’s telepathic voice shook with terror and awe. *You are Alpha. Forgive me.*
Griff’s hackles settled. Satisfied that the lion no longer posed any threat to his mate, he folded his wings-
…Wait.
Wings?
Chapter 31
Hayley
One second, Hayley was staring straight down Reiner’s throat as he leaped for her. The next thing she knew, she’d been hurled aside, a huge, golden form surging between her and the lion. Vast, gleaming wings spread protectively over her. For a mad moment, Hayley could only think that she’d been saved by an angel.
But it wasn’t an angel.
“Griffin,” Hayley breathed.
She wasn’t sure whether she was saying his name, or naming what he was, or both. But in any event, there was no mistaking that majestic, powerful form.
He could have sprung straight from a heraldic coat-of-arms, or some medieval bestiary. He had the head of an eagle, with fierce golden eyes and an enormous hooked beak, but halfway down his chest the ruff of feathers blended into a lion’s tawny coat. His front legs ended in the strong, scaled feet of a bird of prey, but his back legs were entirely lion. His wings spanned the entire width of the arena, every feather shining as if made of pure gold.
He was beautiful, and terrifying, and utterly overwhelming. And he was whole. Finally, he was what he was supposed to be.
He was a griffin. He was her Griffin. Her mate.
“Griffin!” she called out again, but he was too fixated on Reiner to notice. She could only stay back, out of the way, as the griffin ruthlessly pinned the lion down.
In a few short moments, it was all over. Reiner lay whimpering and defeated on the ground. And Griff…suddenly stopped and stared down himself, as if he’d only just noticed his new form. His beak dropped open in comic surprise.
“Griff!” Unable to hold back any longer, Hayley flung herself at him. She wound her arms around his soft feathered neck, half-laughing, half-crying. “You’re a griffin. That’s what you’ve been all along!”
A small, wondering noise rumbled deep in his throat, somewhere between a lion’s purr and an eagle’s call. The hard side of his beak rubbed against her cheek, tentatively, as if he didn’t quite trust his newfound strength.
She hugged him tighter, burying her face in his feathered chest. He was huge, at least double the size of even Reiner. He had a clean, wild scent that reminded her of both snowy skies and dry, sunbaked grassland—a strange but beautiful combination, as unique as he was.
“Ah.” They both looked up at the judge, who was staring down at them with a completely nonplussed expression. “Yes. Well, that seems to be quite decisive. Mr. MacCormick, it appears that you will be able to be the alpha that Danny requires after all. I shall…I shall have to reconsider my verdict.”
“Oh my God, Danny!” Hayley exclaimed, releasing Griff. “John’s still-”
She cut herself off, not wanting to spill the secret, illegal plan in front of the judge. Griff understood, though. He cocked his head, his golden eyes going a little unfocussed. Then his beak dropped open in an unmistakable smile. He nudged her shoulder, rumbling.
“You talked to John? Telepathically?” Hayley guessed. “You can do that now?”
He nodded. Spreading his wings in a heraldic pose, he gestured at himself with one front claw.
Delighted laughter bubbled up in her throat. “Of course. You’re a mythic shifter too. Just like John is. So you can talk to him. Did you tell him to bring Danny back? That everything’s okay now?”
He nodded again. The feathers of his ruff raised a little, as if he was starting to get a bit agitated. She could feel his delight and awe, glowing in her heart where earlier she’d felt his pain…but she could also sense a growing undercurrent of frustration. And worry.
She stroked his shoulder, a thrill shivering through her at the contrast of the soft fur over the hot, hard muscles beneath. “What’s wrong?”
He shuffled his clawed feet, looking a little sheepish. He gestured at himself again.
“I think he’s stuck,” said Michael, coming up beside her. For once, the polished lawyer had lost his air of ironic detachment. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Trust you, Griff. First you can’t shift, and now you can’t shift back.”
Griff rolled his eyes at him. He let out a pained hiss.
“Can you talk to him?” Hayley asked Michael. “You’re a mythic shifter too, aren’t you?”
The lawyer shook his head. “Fae hound. Similar, but different enough that I can’t contact him telepathically.”
People were starting to emerge out from behind overturned chairs and benches, creeping back down toward the arena with staring eyes and open mouths. Michael raised his voice, addressing the room at large. “Anyone here a mythic shifter? Charades are only going to get us so far. We need a translator.”
Unfortunately, none of the officials turned out to be dragons or anything similar. Hayley thought that Reiner, as a lion, might have been able to talk to Griff, but he didn’t seem to be able to shift back either. The arrogant lion shifter was nearly catatonic with shock.
In the end, they had to wait until John finally returned with Danny. Hayley spent the time anxiously checking Griff for any wounds, but his transformation seemed to have completely restored him. He was gleaming and flawless, from his powerful beak to his tufted tail. There was no sign that he’d ever been injured at all.
“Oh.” When he arrived, Danny didn’t seem at all surprised by Griff’s new form. He looked the griffin up and down thoughtfully, and nodded a little, as if something had become clear. “Yep. That explains a lot.”
“At last, oath-brother. What took you so long?” A joyful melody rippled under John’s teasing words. “Come now, shift back. You are an expert in the theory, are you not?”
Griff shot him a dirty look. He growled, low in his throat.
“Can you help him?” Hayley asked the sea dragon shifter. “What’s he saying?”
John chuckled under his breath. “That it turns out theory
is a lot more difficult than practice.”
“Mr. Griff?” Danny tugged on Griff’s feathers, his upturned face serious. “Think of cookies, Mr. Griff.”
Griff looked down at the boy…and shimmered.
“My boy,” he said, gathering Danny up. He turned to Hayley, pulling her into his embrace as well, his face shining with joy and wonder. “My mate.”
He held them both in his strong arms, and she knew he would never, ever let go.
Epilogue
Three Months Later…
“Mommy, Mommy, Da’s here!”
Hayley froze, her pulse spiking with anxiety. By court order, she was required to allow Reiner access to Danny, but until now he’d meekly followed every condition she’d set. His visits with Danny were strictly supervised, either by Griff or one of the other firefighters on Alpha Team. He wasn’t allowed to return Danny a minute late…or pick him up a minute early.
So what was he doing turning up a whole hour before his scheduled time?
Does he know Griff is still at work? Does he think he can snatch Danny and run before I can call for help? Has he just been biding his time all along, only pretending to be contrite and reformed?
“Da! Da!” Downstairs, Danny’s feet charged for the door.
“Danny!” Flinging aside her hairbrush, Hayley sprinted for the stairs. “Don’t let him in!”
She stopped on the landing, her mouth dropping open.
“I don’t have to let him in.” Danny paused just long enough to shoot her a single baffled glance. “He’s got a key, Mommy.”
Then he leaped up into Griff’s outstretched arms. “Hi Da! Did you have a good day at work?”
From the dumbfounded expression on Griff’s face, this was the first he’d heard of this new name for himself too.
“What?” Danny looked from him to Hayley and back again, evidently confused by their stunned silence. “You said I didn’t have to call you Mr. Griff anymore.”
“Aye, but…I thought you’d just drop the ‘Mr.’,” Griff said, rather weakly.
“I thought he meant Reiner was here!” Hayley’s heart was still hammering with shock.
“Hmm.” Griff cocked an eyebrow at Danny. “Lad, I’m afraid this might get a little confusing.”
Danny rolled his eyes at their obtuseness. “Katie at school has a Daddy and a Papa, and no one finds that confusing. So Daddy’s Daddy, and you’re Da. That’s okay, isn’t it?”
Griff looked up at Hayley, his golden eyes silently echoing Danny’s question.
“Of course that’s okay,” Hayley said, to both of them. Blinking back tears, she came down the stairs to embrace them both. “That’s more than okay.”
“Ugh.” Danny wriggled, squished between them. “Let go, Mommy. Da stinks.”
A rich chuckle rumbled through Griff’s chest. He released Hayley, and let Danny slide to the ground. “I bet I do. Sorry, lad. You’re going to have to get used to it, I’m afraid.”
Griff did indeed reek of smoke. When he’d left this morning, his firefighter’s uniform had still been pristine, but now it was covered in scuffs and smudges. There were streaks of soot at his hairline where he hadn’t quite managed to wash up thoroughly before coming home from his shift.
He looked tired, and sweaty…and utterly filled with a deep, quiet joy.
Hayley beamed at him, her heart swelling with pride. “First real fire?”
“Aye.” He knelt to undo the laces on his filthy boots. “It’s good to be back on the team.”
Hayley still wasn’t tired of seeing him bend his left knee casually, without even the memory of pain. She also wasn’t yet tired of seeing him in his firefighter’s uniform. And, she secretly had to admit, it was even sexier when he was all rumpled and disheveled from a hard day saving lives.
Griff glanced at her, grinning as he read her thoughts. “And I was worried that you were going to be worried.” His sweeping gesture indicated the evidence of the dangerous nature of his work. “When you realized what this job actually involves, I mean.”
Hayley ducked down to kiss him, an illicit thrill going through her at the taste of smoke on his lips. “I’m not worried. You are the Griffin, after all.”
His hand captured the back of her neck, holding her close a moment longer. “Amazing woman,” he murmured against her mouth. “My lion-hearted love.”
He let her go again, straightening. “I’d better go shower before Reiner gets here. Oh, John volunteered to chaperone him for us this evening. You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, of course not.” Something about Griff’s overly casual tone snagged Hayley’s attention. “Why?”
“Just thought it would be nice for us to have an evening to ourselves,” Griff said, much too innocently. “I thought we might go out.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you up to, Griff?”
Danny chortled, his small face alight with glee. “It’s a secret, Mommy. A big secret.”
Griff mock-growled at him. Danny slapped both hands over his own mouth, his shoulders shaking with muffled giggles. Before he could spill any more hints, Griff scooped him up under one arm, carrying him firmly off upstairs.
Hayley shook her head in bemusement, watching them go. What was all that about?
John, when he arrived, only added to the mystery. The sea dragon turned up with an overnight bag, his sword, and an air of great, secret delight.
“I simply thought it might be wise to bring a few essentials with me, my lady,” was all he would say. He held up his bag, which made an odd clinking noise, as if whatever John considered essential for a sleepover was made of solid gold. “So that I could guard your territory and your son overnight, if necessary. Just in case you found yourself…delayed.”
Hayley couldn’t get anything more out of him. His enigmatic silence just fanned the flames of her curiosity. By the time Reiner finally rang the doorbell, she was practically burning up.
What are they all up to?
“Hi,” she greeted Reiner. For once, she was too preoccupied to feel her usual flutter of apprehension at the sight of him. “Are you in on this too?”
He stared at her blankly. “In on what?”
“Evidently not,” Hayley stood aside to let him in. “Never mind. Griff and I are going out. John is going to stay here with you and Danny, okay?”
He nodded distractedly, as if he barely heard her words. He’d been oddly subdued over the last week, ever since he’d returned from his trip home to Valtyra. Now he too seemed preoccupied with something.
“Hayley,” he burst out. He drew himself up, setting his shoulders as if bracing himself for a fight. “I have something I need to say.”
Hayley eyed him warily. “Griff!” she called over her shoulder. “Reiner’s here. He wants to talk to us.”
“What about?” Griff had changed into his kilt, and Hayley momentarily lost her entire train of thought. He moved to stand protectively at her side, fixing Reiner with a piercing stare.
Reiner cleared his throat, fidgeting a little. “It…that is…well. You know how I’m paying maintenance for Danny now?”
“Yes, and don’t think you’re going to weasel out of it,” Hayley snapped. “The judge set a very fair level. Don’t tell me you can’t afford it.”
“No! I mean, that is, I can. It’s just…I realized that I should have been paying before. All these years, I mean.” He pulled a check out of his pocket. “So…I wanted to give you this.”
Hayley blinked at him in complete disbelief. “You want to give us more money?”
The piece of paper trembled, as if Reiner’s hand was shaking. “Yes. Please. If you’ll accept.”
Then he did something very strange. Keeping his head bowed, he knelt to lay the check at their feet.
What is this? Some sort of trick?
“If you think you can buy Danny-” Hayley started.
“Hayley,” Griff said, very quietly. He’d gone still as stone, his expression utterly blank. “Do yo
u mind if I handle this?”
Hayley threw up her hands. “Be my guest. I have no idea what’s going on tonight. Is everyone drunk? Is there something in the air?”
“Quite possibly,” Griff murmured. He looked down at Reiner, who was still crouched on the floor, head bowed. “Why?”
Reiner didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Because…Danny says you are a good alpha. I, I think perhaps I do not actually know what that means.” His mouth twisted, rather ironically. “But in any event, I do know that you are certainly stronger than my brother. Stronger than any lion. No one could challenge you. No one could shame me for not being able to.”
Griff blew out his breath. “We’ll…think about it. I can’t give you more answer than that right now.”
Reiner nodded submissively. “Thank you.” To Hayley’s complete confusion, he picked up his check, pocketing it again as he rose. “That’s all I ask.”
“Okay, spill,” she finally demanded, after they’d said goodbye to Danny and gotten in the car. “What on earth was all that about?”
Griff glanced at her sidelong as he drove, his expression still rather thoughtful. “If a lion wants to join a pride, it’s traditional to lay a gift at the alpha’s feet.”
Hayley could barely believe she’d heard him right. “Reiner just asked to join your pride?”
“No, he asked to join our pride. He was laying the gift at your feet too. He was acknowledging you as the alpha female.” Griff shook his head ruefully. “Believe me, I’m as shocked as you.”
Hayley chewed her lip. “Do you think it’s a ploy? A way to infiltrate us, and get closer to Danny?”
“No.” There was absolute certainty in Griff’s tone. “From his body language, he was completely sincere. He genuinely wants to join the pride.”
“Something must have happened when he went home to Valtyra,” Hayley said slowly, thinking back on Reiner’s subdued behavior ever since he’d returned. “Maybe his old pride kicked him out.”
“No, I would have been able to tell if that had happened.” Griff drove in silence for a long moment. “Reiner used to think that being an alpha meant crushing everyone else down and ruling by fear and intimidation. He got that idea from somewhere. I think…I think he went home to his own pride, and compared it to ours. I think, perhaps, his eyes have finally been opened.”
