Brian turned to the stove and coffee pot. “You know it has still gotta be more, right? Lots of people lost their family in the war.” He filled a pot with water and turned on the stove burner. From behind him came the sound of wood scraping on the floor. Tony was picking up the damaged table.
“Well, this table is shit now.” The door opened, wood clunked outside, and the door shut again. Tony said, “Little boy Hall took it really hard. He’s half a mental case over it. Later, during the trauma after the war, he married and had a little girl. She and the mother were killed by one of the last few griffins. Cujo didn’t think it was either of Olivia’s parents, but that wouldn’t matter to Hall.”
No, it certainly wouldn’t. Hall would never quit. How in the hell could they protect Olivia from someone like that? They couldn’t hide her forever. Sooner or later, they’d have to fight. But they’d need a plan. A really, really good plan. He spooned coffee in a cup and asked over his shoulder, “You want one?”
“Nah, I’m gonna try to sleep. You care if I take the bed? That damn couch has a broken frame. It’s got a nasty sag right in the middle.”
“Be my guest. I’ll be outside until she wakes. Should be the rest of the night.”
“I really am sorry, man.”
Brian turned around at this. Tony looked the most contrite he’d ever seen him. “Water under the bridge.”
Chapter 39
Olivia woke on her back in the snow in broad daylight. Blinded by the bright sun above and its reflection on everything around her, she blinked several times and finally flung her arm over her eyes.
“How are you feeling?” Brian’s voice gently asked.
She moved her arm and saw him leaning against the cabin wall, holding a steaming cup of what smelled like coffee. His tired brown eyes regarded her from beneath half-closed lids. Tony stood inside the cabin, staring out the closed window at her. She noted the .357 tucked into his belt. He wore a frown and worry filled his face, as well it should. It could have been her imagination, but he looked paler than usual. Posh bastard. When she caught up to him, there would be a reckoning. She sat up with the intent to confront him in mind, but found she missed the cold wrapped around her, so she lay back down, packing heaps of the white crystals tightly around her. This snow stuff was wonderful.
From on her back, she said to Brian, “I’m sorry I fought you.”
He gave a rueful smile and rubbed his cheek where she’d somehow managed to hit him the night before. “The griffin overtook you. You’ll eventually learn to control it.”
The griffin. That evil thing, again. She shivered, but not from cold. Suddenly the snow didn’t seem so nice. She scrambled to her feet and came over to Brian. “Was it hard for you?”
He nodded, but declined to elucidate. It didn’t bother her that he didn’t want to talk about it. She already had a good idea that he’d probably killed one or more people. He handed her his cup, and she saw he’d left it black for her, not augmented with cream the way he took it. The steam rolled up into her face, moistening and heating her skin. She had a sudden urge to lie down in the snow again. “Is this overheating thing normal?”
“There’s no normal, but I’d imagine you’ll probably go through these sweats a few times before you actually change. I didn’t, but Tony said he did.”
“Great.” She took a sip of coffee. “Any thoughts on how soon the next one will be?”
“Just guessing by the severity, I’d say that it’ll be soon. The fever from your injuries must have either camouflaged the first few times or brought this one on sooner and harder. You should start experiencing other changes now.”
“Like hearing Tony stomp around the cabin, cooking…” she sniffed, “…Pancakes, steak, and eggs.”
“So, you do have the lion’s abilities.” He nodded, his beautiful chocolate eyes twinkling. “Hungry?”
“You have no idea.”
“I think maybe I do.” He tucked her hand in his arm and escorted her up the steps to her first meal as a shapeshifter.
That afternoon, Brian and Olivia squared off at a game of chess in front of the window. Tony lounged in his usual place on the couch, reading. The book in his hands was the same novel she’d seen him read before; he must have been a very slow reader. If it had been her, she’d have had books lined up, a new one started every day. The cabin felt warm, perhaps too much so, and she started fussing internally. She didn’t want to create a scene, but really, did they need that much heat in there? As she reached to steal Brian’s knight with her rook, she noticed the sheen of sweat covering her hand. Uh-oh.
Abruptly, she stood, knocking into the table with her thigh and upsetting the board. She walked out of the cabin into the winter, Brian hot on her heels with an extra coat. They must have walked in silence for miles while she tried to marshal her seething at the memory of Tony’ hitting her. It had built in her mind to an unconscionable act. She said, “It feels like a volcano lives inside me and is ready to blow at any moment. It only needs an excuse.” She now understood Tony’s need for the security of the gun.
She seemed to be burning up. The heat wouldn’t leave her body. She even stuffed snow down her shirt, but it didn’t help. She turned to ask Brian if he had any ideas, when that volcano deep inside welled up as if spewing lava in slow motion. Her body grew and stretched. She felt dizzy and disoriented. A blinding lance of pain speared through her every cell and she cried out. Brian stepped back and, for the first time, he looked up at her.
Olivia stood stock still, unsure of exactly what was happening. Slowly, she turned her head and saw that she was indeed growing bigger. Much bigger. Her shoulders, or whatever they were called, reached Brian’s full size when he was wolf, about eight feet. Neatly tucked wings were developing above her arms. Behind that, the golden-brown feathers sprouted, trimming down in size until becoming fur of the same color. Long lean haunches led to a swishing lion’s tail with a black tuft on the end. Turning her gaze downward, she noted her arms becoming bird legs with sharp talons. A lion’s paw feet grew huge claws of their own. Her eyesight sharpened. She saw a girl enter a house, miles away. She heard her, too, calling to her mother.
She felt…supreme. She fervently hoped her new sensory abilities wouldn’t disappear when she went back to human form. Neither Brian’s nor Tony’s did.
The griffin’s emotions and instincts boiled in her blood. At last, she understood. Like what Brian had said about legends, the griffin had been misrepresented. They weren’t evil. They just had a very low tolerance for being wronged, like Tony had done by hitting her. And they were badass enough they didn’t have to put up with it either. Though, she imagined it would be easy to overdo retribution. Meting out their particular brand of justice could easily be seen as evil. That would be her battle against the griffin: teaching it patience. Tony, therefore, would be the proving point in that.
Olivia glanced at Brian. His jaw dropped and he stared at her open-mouthed. She guessed she looked impressive as hell. She stretched her wings, allowing him time to move out of the way, and gave them an experimental flap. They seemed strong and capable. She could fly! She flapped them a few times and exhilaration filled her. Human reasoning faded and the animal took control. No longer did she belong to the land of two-legged men. She belonged to the sky. She let out a piercing cry.
“Olivia.” She heard Brian’s voice, but didn’t care to respond. He said, “Be careful, Olivia. The animal will take control the second you let it. Keep a tight rein on it.”
Why should she listen to him? She was supreme. She wanted to explore this body, take it to the clouds and see what it could do. Taking a step, she first discovered she needed to learn how to walk with four legs; she tumbled to the ground in an ungraceful heap. Try as she might, she couldn’t coordinate four legs well enough to get up off the frozen earth. Her now backward knees didn’t work like she thought they should.
She opened her mouth to ask Brian how to change back to human form, but only soft cries came ou
t. Damn. First drawback to being a shifter. She clacked her beak in frustration.
As if he understood her bird language, he said, “You’ll be griffin for a while. At least until you somewhat control it.”
She humphed. Why hadn’t they told her this before?
Brian came close to help her get up. His nearness sent her into a tizzy. Brian had told her neither he nor Tony could tell shifters while in human form because there were so many odors that humans carried. But she could. Perhaps it was the seclusion from most human activity, or the fresh mountain air, but she could smell it. The wolf scent permeated every pore of his body. Apparently, her creature didn’t like werewolves in such close proximity. Too bad. The griffin was going to have to overcome its natural antipathy. She fought hard to keep from biting and slashing at him. She regretted not telling him how she’d fallen in love with him. In case this whole griffin versus wolf thing didn’t work out, they’d at least be able to part knowing they had meant something to each other.
Once Olivia was standing on all fours, she tried moving again, hesitantly lifting one leg, moving it and then another. Her body stretched and then contracted. She moved like an inchworm. She tried lifting the front feet off the ground and walking on the back two only. That went well, but didn’t last long. It didn’t seem like what she was made to do. Brian mimed how to walk on four legs, moving on all fours in a diagonal pattern at almost the same time. She tried imagining she was human and crawling. That seemed to help.
As she got the hang of the walking thing, they turned for home. What she really wanted to do was fly, but she reasoned she should learn the baby steps first. Tony waited for them on the steps to the cabin, his blue eyes judging what she had become. He looked really worried. Again, she noted the gun in his beltline. At last he said, “Welcome to your new world, Griffin.” Then he went back into the cabin. Whoop-dee-do.
A moment later, he reappeared with several different bowls. “I’m not sure what griffins eat so be patient until we figure it out. You should probably try the meat first.” Funny he should use that word: patient. She chuckled, but it came out as a rolling trill in her throat. Odd. She wondered what other sounds would be normal for her. As far as she knew, golden eagles weren’t very talkative, and were pretty much limited to the cries such as the one she’d given Brian earlier. Lions, on the other hand, were quite vocal.
Strolling over to the dishes, she inspected each one, finally settling on a fish appetizer followed by raw beef and then a broiled steak. The rice with veggies smelled good, but didn’t interest her. She was definitely a carnivore. Half-eagle, half-lion, how could she not be?
An elongated yawn rumbled up from her chest, but came out a high-pitched roar that echoed off the cabin and down into the valley. Tony smiled and said, “I’ll bet that starts the neighbors talking.”
Brian laughed. He agreed. “Or keeps them up at night.”
Olivia turned in a circle three times and lay down, tucking her feet beneath her wings. Brian stepped close, and she noticed that the griffin didn’t fuss as much at his latent wolf smell this time. That boded well for their relationship. Laying his hand on her head, he said, “When you wake up, the creature will have you. Remember, you have to be in control.”
She bobbed her head in a nod and chattered at him. Whatever happened, they would face it together. She had no trouble drifting off and was soon asleep.
Chapter 40
Carl Hall sat in his truck and waited. The large building in front of him had almost every light burning in every room. Like his own worthless son, Brett, the occupants were wasteful kids. The girl, Melita, sashayed across the yard of the orphanage, her blonde curls bouncing with each step. She climbed in beside him. The cab filled with the exotic scent of her perfume and old smoke from a previous wood fire.
“You called me. Said you know something,” he growled.
She fiddled with her neckline, running her fingers up and down the V-neck of her sunny yellow top. The evening was still warm, no need for a coat. “What will you do for me?” She gave a shy smile.
He didn’t know what she thought of him and didn’t much care. But her obvious sexual innuendo was too well-practiced. “Such as?”
“I want out of here. I’m sick of looking after these brats. Give me a job at your construction site.”
He reached over and followed his finger behind hers up and down her bright yellow neckline. “I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry.”
She frowned and dropped her hand. Was she afraid? Or simply withdrawing from the game? He removed his hand as well. She said, “Olivia is in a valley below Lake John and just above the North Fork North Platte Falls. You know where I mean?”
“I do. You’re certain?”
She nodded. “Absolutely.”
He reached around her waist then and pulled her hips to him. He could take her right here and now. He fantasized about it. About how tight she’d be around him. He was already so hard, it would only take a few thrusts before he came.
Fear crossed her face, but she didn’t fight him. She was cool, as only someone with a secret weapon could be. He laughed. “What’s wrong? I thought you wanted me to take care of you.”
“Not like this.” Anger filled her amber eyes.
He stared down at her and let go. “You use your body to make people do what you want. You make promises with your actions that you don’t intend to keep. Someday, someone will take you at your word. Now get out.” He leaned across her and opened the passenger’s side door.
She scrambled backward to a sitting position, making no move to leave. “You promised you’d take care of me.”
“Honey, I gave you the best advice you’ve ever had. If that’s not taking care of you, I don’t know what is.”
In a flash, she changed to a sleek golden cobra. He’d been expecting something like that and was just as quick. His hand shot out and gripped her beneath the head, holding the cobra hood closed. He squeezed with the power of the grizzly within him.
It wouldn’t have bothered a real snake. Squeezing was a hard way to kill one. But, Melita wasn’t a normal cobra. She was a shifter, like him, and as such, her internal anatomy was just different enough that the pressure on her neck would cut off her air supply.
He grinned as her long rope-like body twisted and thrashed until it eventually ceased to move and she lay dead in his grasp. With a powerful shove, he threw the giant cobra out the open door.
Let the authorities have a heyday with that. He laughed as he drove away.
Chapter 41
When Olivia woke, it was full daylight once again. The sun showed that about one-fourth of the daylight hours had passed already. The crisp blue sky had no clouds and it beckoned her. The smell of a nearby werewolf alarmed her, though she couldn’t see it, and she lunged to her feet. Flapping her wings, she got maybe five feet off the ground before she dropped down again. Faced with that failure, she hissed and stalked into the woods. The human that smelled of wolf followed. In an instant, she whirled and snapped.
He’d been ready and easily sidestepped her, reproving her with the tone of his voice. “Olivia.”
That brought the griffin up short and allowed her to clear her mind of it. Brian. She hung her head and gave a soft trill. How could she let him know how sorry she was? He stroked her face, moving his hand across her beak. She looked in his eyes. He was unafraid of her. She trilled softly again and laid her head on his shoulder. She’d had enough of this new existence and wanted to go back to being human and in his arms.
And then she was. As simple as that. One minute the beast, the next woman. Brian took off his black parka and wrapped it around her naked body, holding her tight against him. He whispered in her ear, “Glad to have you back.”
“I’m sorry I snapped at you. I feel as if I’m two beings.”
“You will until you learn to keep her under control. Then, like a horse and rider, you become one unit moving together.”
She leaned back, reveling in the fact
that he towered over her again, and looked up into his eyes. She would put this off no longer. Without hesitation, she said, “I love you.”
Wonder filled his face. His eyes grew round, and he searched her face as if looking for confirmation. He softly asked, “You love me?”
“Yeah. I do.”
He hugged her even tighter against him. After a long moment, he said, “I have a confession: I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you.” He brought his lips down on hers in a fierce brand of ownership, his teeth pressing hard against her, bruising her lips. His tongue danced like a flame in her mouth and the fire burned through her, grabbing her and tugging her heart to meet his.
He broke away and grinned widely. Snatching her hand, he pulled her deeper into the trees. They ran like naughty teenagers, giddy and laughing, until they reached a rock slab jutting out of the snow. Aspens, Ponderosas, and other pines formed a natural curtain around it. Long bare branches overhung his and her chosen nesting place, enveloping them in their own world. They peeled off their clothes. Olivia had the advantage with only a coat to remove. While he worked his shirt off over his head, she reached for him, running her hands over his sinewy body, tracing the curves of his muscles and the ridges of his scars.
She felt no cold, only the rush of heat that came with passion. Her hands dropped to his belt, and she had it half undone by the time his fingers joined hers in a frantic flurry. He shucked his jeans, and she pressed hard against him, sandwiching his erection between their heated skin. Her lips and tongue busied themselves with his in deep exploration. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses; she wanted to drink him in.
In one move, he wrapped his hands around the curve of her bottom and lifted her, sliding her against his chest, nipping and licking her nipples. She locked her legs around his waist. He lowered her a fraction at a time onto his engorged shaft. The movement was slow, and she found herself fighting him, squirming, trying to take in more of him than he allowed. In frustration, she reached up and grasped a thick branch. She pushed herself down, forcing him deep within. A low groan broke from the core of him, mingling with hers.
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