A Man of Many Talons

by Vivienne Savage

  She snorted. “Of course they haven’t.”

  “These things take time, you know that. It can take years to build a case. In the meantime, at least no one is messing with Esteban.”

  “And if the feds give up the hunt, who do you think the Medranos will come after first?” she countered.

  I sighed and turned away from the view, putting my back against the rail. “I’m not giving up, Sash, I promise. We’ll get them before anyone quits.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” Her shoulders slumped and she drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for keeping me updated.”

  “Anything for you.”

  Because I wanted those corrupt bastards stopped as much as she did, but we needed hard evidence to bring them down. Evidence that was going to take time to collect, and at the rate the FBI was going, I’d be a grandfather by the time they made progress.

  That was why I wanted to start a department for supernaturals in the government. The Medranos were snakes, literally and figuratively. We needed shifters and witches to bring them down, not humans who didn’t even realize real monsters existed in the world.

  “You all right?” Sasha’s question pulled me from my morose thoughts.

  “No, not really.”

  “Leigh?”

  “Yeah. She’s beating herself up about the pregnancy thing. I mean really beating herself up.”

  “I talked to her on the phone a couple weeks ago and she didn’t sound depressed.”

  “She puts up a good front when she’s forced to. I had no idea you two had talked already.”

  “Well, it wasn’t for long. Now that I think back on it, she was a little harried. Didn’t want to talk long the way we usually do. I figured she was busy.”

  My head drooped. “It’s been weeks, Sasha. She won’t talk to me about it, and I’m at my wits end with what to do.”

  “Thus your constant overtime,” she said drily.

  “Did she mention that?”

  “Uh huh. One of the few things she did talk about.”

  “I—ugh,” I groaned into my hand. “You’re right. It’s just that she’s shuffling around like a zombie. We don’t talk anymore about anything but the bird and Sophia. She even rescheduled her appointment with Doc Kline. Remember earlier this year when she was mad at me for avoiding the doctor? Now it’s on her. What if...” Fuck. I could give a damn if she lost her sex drive and I had to settle for my left hand. What scared me the most was the possibility of losing Leigh to an insidious, hidden disease.

  “If?” Sasha coaxed.

  “What if it’s cancer?” I finally croaked, voice hoarse. “I don’t care about not having a kid. What if she’s ill and another visit to the doctor is all we need to pin it down and get her the treatment she needs?”

  “Oh, Ian…” Sasha wrapped her arms around me and squeezed tight, enveloping me in the motherly warmth I usually experienced around Gram. “She had scans and a recent Pap, remember? All of that was part of her examination with Jannette. If it didn’t come back clean, you both would know. When I sent you two to her, I did it because she’s one of the best in her field in this state, okay?”

  Relief drained the tension from my body. I sagged, exhaling a heavy breath of relief. “Thank God.”

  Sasha rubbed my back. “That doesn’t mean it’s responsible of her to put off the appointments, though. Jannette can’t do her job to help you both conceive if Leigh won’t hold up her end of the deal. You want me to talk to her?”

  “Would you?”

  “Best I can do is try. If she’ll answer my calls. It goes straight to voicemail lately.”

  “Shit, Sash, I’m sorry.”

  She waved off my apology. “I get it. If it were me, I’d probably avoid my new-parent-friends, too.”

  And that was the crux of the problem. Life moved on and our friends were starting families. I never resented them for it and didn’t want to lose them from my life. From our lives.

  “Don’t worry, Ian.” A cocky grin spread across her fair face, and she tossed her pale blonde curls. “I’ll arrange for a day off and head on over to Quickdraw. Covert mission. Leigh will never know what hit her.”

  The knot around my heart loosened the tiniest bit. If anyone could get through to my wife, it’d be Sasha. And to bring Leigh back to me, I’d let a lioness ambush her.

  Leigh

  Sophia had a playdate with a friend across town. I dropped her off to go bowling with Cecilia Martinez, the seven-year-old daughter of one of Ian’s deputies, then returned home to stare at our deep freezer’s contents. Ian had recently gone hunting for hog with Taylor and Lyle, which meant we had enough pork to survive for a year. We had two whole chickens, a whole rack of ribs, and at least forty pounds of brisket.

  I sifted through a few baggies until I found deer sausage, T-bones, and a whole leg of lamb. All of it looked good, but none of it tempted my appetite.

  Nine years ago, I’d have killed to have the kind of variety Ian provided us with his seemingly endless bank account. But what the hell could I make for dinner? Despite the generous selection of meat, a barren stretch of shelf awaited me in the area where I normally stored our frozen veggies.

  I’d slacked the last few weeks, resorting to pizza or frozen, premade meals most nights. My family deserved better.

  After shuffling through all my options, I pulled out a few chops to thaw and then went to the pantry. It was woefully empty, save for some oatmeal, stale cereal, crackers, and a few other staples, yet still more plentiful than the poorest years of my life when I’d survived on ramen and instant soup cups. Thankfully we had rice, which meant I could whip up pork in mushroom cream sauce. Tomorrow, I’d get myself up early and hit the grocery store.

  Satisfied, I started on the dishes while wondering when the hell my kitchen had become such a mess. Ian had been great about keeping up with the dishwasher, but it seemed like everywhere I looked there was dust speckling the surfaces or a crusty food stain.

  No wonder he wanted to hire a maid.

  I couldn’t let him do that. This house was mine.

  Every soap opera and reality television show I’d ever watched claimed that once you allowed a strange woman into your home as the nanny or maid, a marriage only went downhill from there. Weeks later, the husband was fucking her and—

  Whoa. Ian would never cheat on me.

  And I hated what these drugs had done to my body. Though they should have long since run their course and been out of my body, ever since I’d taken that round of fertility treatments, my moods had been as hot and cold as the temperature flashes they’d given me. I shook it off, feeling ridiculous for daring to even think my wonderful, compassionate shifter husband would cheat.

  He wouldn’t cheat.

  How many times had he told me eagles mated for life? He’d even soul bonded with me, imparting a fraction of his very essence into me.

  Shifters never strayed. Never cheated. They treasured their families and their mates.

  My rational thoughts splintered into a dozen insidious worries. We didn’t have a family like his other shifter friends. He’d taken on the role of Sophia’s father and agreed to raise her with me, but what if…?

  What if it wasn’t enough anymore?

  I yanked my cell phone from the counter and typed into the search bar.

  Bald eagles usually mate for life, but in the case of sterility and failure to produce offspring after many breeding seasons, it is not uncommon for one bird to seek a new mate.

  Fear compressed my ribs tighter than an iron band, and a flash of cold swept over my body. I blinked away the stinging sensation in my eyes and quickly set the phone down.

  Ian loved me. He loved me. It was completely irrational to think he’d leave me over this. Knowing the thoughts were wholly irrational didn’t help, but I dragged my favorite cleaning agents out from the cabinet beneath the sink and tried to move on.

  The doorbell rang before I could dive headfirst into scrubbing the place from top to bottom. No
t expecting anyone, I went to answer it and blinked at the woman on the doorstep. Sasha stood on the welcome mat in cutoff shorts, a tight-fitting tank hugging her slim upper body.

  “Surprise!” the lioness exclaimed.

  “Uh, hey. I didn’t know you were swinging by. What brings you to the neighborhood?”

  “Checking in on a friend. Being nosy. Also, I wanted to meet this little feathered troublemaker Sophia told me about. Where is the prince?”

  “Uh…”

  Sasha smiled and held up the bag in her hands. “Plus, I brought brownies.”

  She’d said the magic word. Besides that, closing the door in her face would have been rude. “Brownies actually sound amazing right now, so come on in. Prince Moonfeather is in the living room.”

  Rather than beelining for the bird, Sasha followed me into the kitchen. On the plus side, it meant quicker access to the fudgy goodness she’d brought over. I helped myself to a brownie first, recognizing Nandi’s kitchen handiwork. Globs of caramel and large pecan pieces studded each delectable bite. That woman always went the extra mile when she made treats.

  “Thanks for these. I’ve been craving chocolate.”

  “Anytime. You know me, I hate coming over emptyhanded. I even brought a bribe for the bird. I heard he likes fruit and Google told me pomegranates would be fun.” She pulled two of them from the bag.

  “We’ve never tried it.” And I’d only ever cut one open once. The sheer amount of work it had taken to get all the edible seeds out had been enough to make me never buy the blasted things again. “Here, I’ll start you out with something he likes.”

  After grabbing the prepared blend of veggie mix from the fridge, I led the way to our living room and opened the cage. He cocked his head at me, but made his way out and climbed to his preferred perch at the top.

  “Look, Moon, you have a visitor. Can you say hello to Sasha?”

  He cocked his head and raised his wings, only to settle down a moment later. “Hello.”

  Sasha’s smile widened to a grin. “He’s so handsome. Can I feed him?”

  “Sure. He can be a little nippy sometimes, but he doesn’t know he’s hurting us.”

  “Sophia mentioned that to me on the phone. Let’s see how much he hates me.” Sasha offered a blueberry to Moonfeather. Of all the treats we gave him, he loved those the most. He eyed her hand and the treat. Silence fell between the three of us, and we entered a stare-off with the little jerk.

  But Sasha had limitless patience. Her hand never wavered, never moved. Just when I was positive I would have already surrendered and put the treat away, Moonfeather reached out with his dark foot to take it in his claws.

  I released the pent breath I’d held while anticipating he’d bite her.

  “That was oddly anticlimactic,” Sasha said. “I bet he’s a real sweetheart with Sophia, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah, he is. Ian picked him out. Seven grand, girl. I couldn’t believe he paid that for her birthday present on top of all he spent on the party.”

  She arched one pale brow. “Are you really surprised? No cost is too much when it comes to his little girl.”

  His little girl. I glowed with warmth and happiness, because every reminder of Ian’s love for our daughter was another reason to smile. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Want some tea?”

  “Love some.”

  Not to be left behind, Moon flew after us. And because Ian refused to clip his wings, we kept a perch with a food stand in every room. I dropped two blueberries, diced kale, chopped zucchini, and a sprig of broccoli in his small bowl before moving over to fill the electric tea kettle.

  “Where’s Ian? Working?”

  “Yeah. He’ll be home by dinner, though. He mentioned picking Sophia up on the way.”

  “She loves riding with him. I’m pretty sure it’s because he turns on the siren for her.”

  “Wrapped around her little finger, he is.” While the water heated, I pulled down two mugs and my stash of tea bags for us to pick from. Sasha plucked a strong, smoky black tea from one of the boxes, and I chose a fragrant herbal blend with lavender and vanilla. Then we both fell silent. Avoiding her gaze, I fussed around with the pomegranates, first washing them and then settling them in the fruit bowl.

  “Leigh, are you all right? I mean, really all right?”

  “I’m fine. Really.”

  “Then why did you cancel your appointment?”

  My shoulders fell, and I kept my back to her. “Did Ian tell you?”

  “Don’t be mad, he’s just worried. Besides, I’m worried, too. You’ve been avoiding my calls.”

  “I’ve been busy.” The moment the lie left my lips, I cringed. Then I turned around to face her, expecting judgment. Instead, Sasha offered me another brownie and a tissue. I took the later first and wiped my misty eyes. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. We’re all entitled to our feelings, Leigh, and I don’t blame you for feeling down. Just talk to me, okay?”

  “I guess I just don’t want to go through any more procedures or tests. I feel like I could have fed a vampire coven with how much blood the doctors have already taken from me. And for what? A big fat nothing. They’ve poked, prodded, X-rayed, and scanned everything there. What else can she do?”

  “I get it. Plus, Ian told me about what the medication did to you. I saw you at the party, but I just assumed the sun wasn’t kind to your pasty skin.” Her eyes twinkled.

  “It was awful,” I admitted, finally able to give a rueful chuckle. “I would have done a third cycle, too, but Ian was right. I would have been miserable.” I tugged the taut waistband of my jeans and let my head fall forward, shoulders drooping. What little baby weight I’d lost over the years had come flooding back to me during the two months of fertility treatments, and hadn’t budged since I stopped taking them.

  “Or worse. None of us want to see you sick, girl. And we all understand how much this means to you.”

  “You don’t think I’m being ridiculous?”

  The tea kettle began to whistle. Rather than answer me straight off, Sasha fetched the kettle from the stove and poured boiling water into our mugs. Then she settled on a stool at the counter and looked at me.

  “Look, Leigh, I get it better than anyone. You know me and what I went through before we found Esteban. I was so desperate to find us a man so we could start a family that I was hitting up dive bars. Got roofied. A stupid risk that could have gone the wrong way.”

  “But then you found the perfect guy.” A perfect man who’d blessed Nandi with two beautiful babies.

  But not Sasha. Not yet.

  I reached across the counter and laid my hand over hers. Sasha smiled, but I recognized the strain around her eyes. Like me, she wanted a child of her own with her bondmate.

  “No matter what happens, even if I never have babies of my own, I’m gonna love those two boys the same way Ian loves Sophia.”

  “The only difference is, they’re lions, like you and their father. Ian has no one to fly with.”

  “Sure, he does. He’s got Prince Moonfeather of the Grove,” Sasha insisted, eyes bright and voice cheerful. She turned her hand over beneath mine and squeezed my fingers. “I get it, Leigh, I really do. But beating yourself up helps no one, least of all yourself. None of us want to see you like this.”

  Deep in my heart I knew she was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept. This time I took a moment before answering, drawing over the nearby sugar bowl to add some to my tea. Sasha didn’t rush me.

  “I’m afraid,” I finally said.

  “Of what?”

  “That he’ll look back and regret not making a better choice. I mean, he could have his pick of the women in town—”

  “He loves you, Leigh, and you know that as well as I do. You feel it through your bond.”

  “I do.”

  “So…?”

  “I don’t know what more to do.”

  Sasha turned in her seat, pulling her hand from mine only to ta
ke me by both my shoulders. “Stop punishing yourself. Live your life, girl, and take each day as it comes. If more children aren’t in your future, just look at Sophia to see that you have a wonderful child whom Ian adores. It doesn’t matter if she’s not his blood, not to him and not to her. That little girl loves him as much as she loves you.”

  “I think Moon beats us both in the affection department.” I cracked a smile and Sasha laughed. Just like that, the tension snapped and a weight lifted from my shoulders. Without another word, I leaned forward and threw my arms around my friend. She hugged me tight.

  Ian had changed my life in more ways than one. He’d not only given me his love—heart and soul—but he’d brought the best people into my life with him. Friends like Sasha and Dani and Jada. Friends who I would never have known otherwise. And it was time to stop keeping them all at arm’s length.

  12

  Leigh

  A new school year began at the start of September, taking Sophia away from the house and leaving me with Moonfeather. Since I couldn’t make a baby for Ian, I tried to be useful in other ways while at home. Only working Monday through Wednesday as the facility’s music therapist provided more than enough time to tidy our house.

  I started with the kitchen, polishing the table, washing the counters, and buffing the floor—by hand. Mops couldn’t get into those little nooks and crannies between the floor and the baseboards. Afterward, I defrosted the freezer and emptied the fridge, spraying down every inch and scrubbing the inside until it gleamed.

  Once I tossed out a lot of the spoiled leftovers and anything with an approaching expiration date, the rest went back into the fridge—this time with labels clearly marking the contents and when to trash it. Afterward, I slipped into flip-flops and drove into town for groceries. On a whim, I took a different path, through Quickdraw’s little business district instead of hitting the highway straight to Huntsville.

  A new store on the right called to me. New to You Antiques. Unable to pass up the chance to browse the shelves of an antique shop, I parked, grabbed my wallet, and stepped inside.