by P. Jameson
Except hurting Daryn. Except being responsible for that. Or worse, his death.
Inside, deep down, she knew she wouldn’t survive that.
And if she wanted, when this was all over, she could run away, back home, where everyone was wary around her. Where she had no friends, but a thriving makeup business and a mother and father who loved her even if they worried about her and her quirks.
Another breath, and she steeled herself for what was coming. She drew power from some place deep in her center where there seemed to be an unending well of it. Like it would last forever, never run dry. She pulled all of it she could hold into her hands and placed them in front of her. She curled her fingers, working the snow from a distance, without even touching it.
Only touch it with your mind.
This was how she’d done it before, and it was working now.
She pulled snow from the air, from the ground, funneling it into a form that would meet their needs. First an arched roof, then a crawlspace sized door. Vent holes, like she’d been taught in that survival class. Except instead of a shovel, she did them her way.
She arced her arm, flinging more of the white powder onto their temporary dwelling, and pushed the snow showering them from the blizzard away.
She never looked at Daryn. Didn’t want to see his face change from admiration to horror. She only kept working until their cave was solid on the outside, and sturdy enough to hold up to the storm.
When she was finished, she let her power fade away so she could get closer and form the necessary sleeping platform they’d need on the inside, along with the drainage tunnel.
Work now, explain later. A new mantra for her to silently chant.
Because soon, they’d be safe inside, and she’d have the entire night to explain how she was able to manipulate frozen things.
Except, that was the tricky part. Because how could she explain something she didn’t understand?
Chapter Seven
Daryn watched, awestruck, as Cece dug the perfect snow cave, using her hands, but never touching it. All the while he was burning inside, and his renqua itched like it had in the chopper when he’d first set eyes on her.
This confirmed it. She was his.
In his head, he tried to think of all the flowers names that could use Cece for short.
All the radical emotions he’d felt since he flew into the storm for her. All the possessiveness he’d experienced when she told him she was wealthy. He could imagine males throwing themselves at her. Ones who didn’t deserve her. Ones that wouldn’t protect her. Ones that didn’t care about her heart.
But he did.
Somehow, he did. He cared about it a lot. Heard how it broke a little when she told him about her plans to settle down… because she thought it was a pipe dream.
But she could have what she wanted. He’d see to it.
She didn’t believe in fate, but fate had brought them together. He could feel it in the air. The vibration he’d sensed when he tried to give her mouth-to-mouth. The feel of power he didn’t understand. Similar to when he shifted forms, but different.
Daryn swallowed the lump in his throat as realization after realization hit him. The shiften in Idaho said it could happen like this. Fast and out of nowhere, but he never believed it would happen for him.
His mate.
He watched her as she worked, molding the cavern where they’d huddle in for the night. She was amazing. Dark hair billowing back behind her. Eyes lit from the inside as whatever force she wielded danced before her, building the thing that would keep them safe.
Oh, hell yeah. He was going to make every dream come true for her. Whatever she wanted. Because he was going to keep her forever.
Mine.
He thought of his flock, how this would bring them all hope. Hope of a future. Of a new generation. New beginnings.
Shit, it brought a fucking tear to his eye.
Hope. It came in the most unexpected packages.
His hope looked like a small raven-haired female with round freckled cheeks and rainy day eyes.
She lowered her arms and Daryn felt her power fade away. Felt a calm surround them. As if the storm didn’t exist anymore.
Cece kept her back to him and she was breathing hard, her shoulders rising and falling quickly. Either exhausted or… trying not to cry?
“It’s safe now,” she said quietly. “You can go inside. You’ll be safe in there.”
Daryn couldn’t speak.
“I… I mean… you can go inside by yourself. You don’t have to be near me. I’m safe in the weather. I won’t freeze. That’s why I was telling you to leave me on the mountain. Because I can handle it. But you can’t. You need to be warm. So… go inside.”
Daryn grinned to himself. His female thought he was human. Just like he’d thought she was.
They were both so wrong.
And because of that misunderstanding, they’d both been furiously digging in the blizzard to make the other one safe.
He realized she had only revealed her powers to keep him from freezing to death. She’d revealed herself to save him.
Sweet little mate.
And now, she thought he would be afraid of her. Reject her for what she was.
He remembered her words from earlier… somewhere I can be myself. He wondered how long his mate had been hiding her true nature, unable to ever be free. Daryn had a flock who knew of his animal and shared his experiences. What did Cece have before now?
“Go inside,” she whispered, thinking he wouldn’t hear her over the storm. But he did.
“Look at me.”
Cece shook her head, her back still to him, her shoulders stiff as a redwood.
“Look at me,” he demanded, and slowly she turned to face him. Snow billowed between them, but he could see the defeat in her expression. Like she’d already lost out on something she’d wanted so bad.
“Go inside,” she said again.
“Not without you.”
She looked away, like she couldn’t hold his gaze. “You don’t have to say that. I’ll be fine out here.”
She’d been so bold earlier, but this revelation made her raw.
Maybe he’d have to reveal a secret of his own before his female would listen.
“Look at me, Cece.”
When she finally did, he didn’t waste time explaining what was about to happen. He just began to shift, letting his skin meld into silken feathers, his fingers into sharp claws. He watched her through eyes that were human one moment, raven the next, as his wings stretched wide and free of his human form.
Surprise lifted her face until her gaze was so big all he could see was her green eyes.
“You… you’re…” She snapped her mouth closed, blinking hard at him. “You are weird too?” She said it like she was relieved.
Daryn cawed a confirmation. Weird wasn’t the way he saw it, but whatever.
“What… what are you?”
Carefully, testing the wind, he lifted off from the ground, flapping his wings to draw closer to her. She didn’t back away. Her jaw only dropped, still in shock. He landed before her, shifting back to human as he did, until they were face to face again.
This time, for a different reason.
“Shiften,” he explained. “I share my body with an animal. And I know exactly what you are too.”
She blinked, taking it in. “Y-You do?”
Daryn nodded. “Yes, and I’ll explain everything. I promise. But first this…”
He leaned in, watching for any sign of panic as he did. But she wasn’t scared of him. Her eyes were only curious and… excited.
He brought his gloved hand to her cheek, holding her softly for this first kiss. The first mark he’d put on her. Because after this, things were going to move furiously.
She can take it, his animal crooned, and Daryn agreed. His mate was strong.
Bending his head to hers, he brushed a kiss across those full pink lips. Remembering what had happened the l
ast time he’d touched them. There was no force pushing him back this time, but the contact was just as powerful. Instead, she pulled him in, her hands finding the back of his neck and gripping tight.
Yessss.
Daryn pried her mouth open with his, thrusting his tongue inside to discover her taste. It was like hot chocolate and graham crackers. Like heat and home. Like everything he’d ever need for eternity.
With his hand on her hip, he brought her closer, until they were fused together from lips to knees. He wanted more of her, more access to her, but for now this would have to do. Until he could tell her everything.
He drank hungrily from her mouth while the snow raged angry around them. And she gave as much as she took, her little tongue battling passionately with his, emotions swirling between them like a physical thing.
He pulled away when he realized she was shaking. Or was that him. Maybe it was both of them.
“What is happening?” she whispered, her big eyes locking onto his. He saw his future in them. One he’d always wanted, but never thought possible. A future with her, just the way she was. As beautiful and strong on the inside as she was on the outside.
Mine.
And he was hers. He just needed to tell her.
“I’ll explain everything. Let’s get inside.”
Chapter Eight
Cedar crouched low inside the frozen cave she’d built, listening to Daryn as he explained the shiften creation story the way it was passed down to him by his ancestors. Of how the goddess Rhen had needed help protecting humans from the demon Khain who was bent on destroying them.
Of how one night she’d asked a pack of wolves to help her, and together they fought the demon back. She gave them each a small piece of her body, which allowed them to shift into human. Those wolves became the first wolven, or wolf shiften and were tasked with helping her protect humans.
Of how later, Rhen found a group of bears who were using their paws to tamp out the fires Khain left in his wake. She gave the bears a piece of her also, and these became the first bearen, who were to keep humans safe from fire.
Of how Rhen ran through the forest chasing the demon even in her weakened state, having given so much of herself to the animal army she was accruing, and almost ran over a cliff. A mountain lion jumped in front of her, roaring for her to stop, and saved her life that night. She put a piece of herself inside the mountain lion, and found others as well. These became the first fellen, or feline shiften.
And finally, of how his own kind came to be.
“Later, Rhen lost track of Khain and needed help finding him by air as she was too weak to continue scouting the globe for him. She’d given nearly all of herself away at that point, to save humankind from destruction…”
An electric lantern from Daryn’s supplies lit the dark cavern and the storm outside raged on. He’d laid out a water barrier and their sleeping bags for them to sit on, and now he was pulling packages of non-perishable food rations from his pack and passing them to her. She had granola bars in her bag, but she hardly cared what she was filling her stomach with now.
She only wanted to know what Daryn knew. I know exactly what you are.
And then, if what he revealed wasn’t too terrible, maybe he’d kiss her again. In that soul-shattering way he did outside.
She’d never felt anything like that before.
“… so an eagle landed to rest beside her after a long flight. The bird had heard stories of the great battle between good and evil on earth, and knew what side he would choose. Rhen told the eagle, ‘I am weak and cannot find my enemy. Will you help?’ And the eagle crowed a plea to any bird who would listen, gathering a flock of them to fly the skies, looking for Khain.”
“Did they find him?”
Daryn nodded. “They did. And the wolven attacked, leaving the demon injured once more.”
“Let me guess,” Cedar interrupted, too excited to let him finish. “Rhen gave the birds a piece of her body.”
Daryn’s blue gaze shone as he finished the story. “They became the first bird shiften. She named them avien and asked them to watch over humans from the sky.”
“Wow,” Cedar whispered.
Daryn passed her a pouch of something he’d warmed using a heat pack. It looked like mashed potatoes but she couldn’t be sure.
“So that’s what you do. In the Coast Guard. You watch out for humans from the skies.”
“Yes.”
“Are there more of you?”
He frowned. “Lots. Not as many as the wolven or bearen or fellen. But enough. Not that you need to know any of them. Ever.”
She eyed him as she sucked some half-warm goop from her meal bag.
Was he… jealous?
“Is that right? Why, are they hot like you?”
He jerked his gaze to her, looking all fierce like he did out in the snow. It sent a lightning bolt of desire through her center.
“No. They are all ugly. Man-hags, all of ‘em.”
“Uh huh. I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true. But it doesn’t matter because you’re mine.”
Cedar froze. Wow, did that hit her hard. Square in the chest, where her heart was thumping truth truth truth…
She felt like his. She had since the moment she’d opened her eyes to a little hint of island on a snowy mountain.
But… what did it mean? To be his?
“You said you know what I am. So tell me, please,” she whispered. “How do I fit into all of this?”
His gaze softened. “Fit in. Is that something you’ve always longed for, Cece? To fit in?”
Blood rushed to her cheeks but she nodded, admitting it to him in the dark of the cave.
“You aren’t just a piece of this world,” Daryn rumbled. “You’re the future of it. You’re the answer to everything. You were born to find me. Me alone. And I was born to protect you, love you, make you smile… which I’ve done tonight. At least five times.”
“Which part?”
His blue eyes burned hot. “All three at various times in the past few hours. But I plan on doing a lot more. Tonight, and also for every night after this one. Understand?”
Cedar chewed at her lip. She got what he was saying. He wanted to be with her. Forever. It was fast, but she’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t want it too. What he was offering was exactly what she’d always wanted for her life.
Someone who could accept her powers without thinking she was strange. Who looked at her like he did, like she was special, not weird.
But was this more selfishness on her part? Was this her new adrenaline addiction, being with Daryn? Was she just moving from one high to another?
“What am I?” she asked, almost afraid of the answer. Somehow, she knew it would change everything for her. Her life, her business, her wants and needs. They were all hanging on what Daryn told her next.
Was she ready?
Daryn sighed, his expression growing grim. “As Rhen grew weaker and weaker, Khain knew the shiften were his greatest obstacle. So he figured up a cunning way to end them. In one fell swoop, he killed the shiften females. A few survived the demon’s poison but most were gone, leaving only the males. Including children.”
“No,” Cedar gasped. He killed them all? “When? When did this happen?”
“Many years ago. Khain thought with no females to perpetuate the race, shiften would eventually die out and he’d have free reign of the humans. But Rhen called for help, and the angel, Azerbaizan, was moved by her mourning. He came to earth for forty days, mating with thousands of human women all over the world, to create females who would someday be strong enough to mate with shiften.”
Cedar held her breath, instinctually knowing what was coming next.
“You are one of those females.”
“No,” she breathed.
“Yes. The prophecy states, In twenty-five years, half-human, half-angel mates will be discovered living among you. Warriors, all. With names like flora. Save them
from themselves, for they will not know their foreordination,” he recited quietly. “You are twenty-five, pretty damn badass, and I’m guessing Cece is short for something. Am I right?”
She could hardly breathe, but somehow she answered, “Cedar. My name is Cedar.”
Daryn’s gaze glowed. “Cedar.” His whisper sounded like he was testing her name on his lips.
“What else do you know?”
“Her body may respond to any, until she is mated in a ceremony of her choosing, then she will acknowledge only one male as he becomes her One True Mate. And he will be sworn to her and her purpose of rebuilding the shiften race, so that they may fight the evil demon and protect humans from him.”
The darkness from her nightmares. Could it be the demon she was meant to fight? Was it her instinct trying to tell her all along that she had a higher purpose than making really awesome makeup products?
Her soul settled inside, telling her this was right. This was why she’d never felt at home in her world.
“I’m adopted,” she murmured absently. “My nanny used to tell me stories of humans who could turn into animals. But my parents… I don’t think they know.”
“What happened to her? Your nanny?”
“She disappeared when I was young. Moved to be closer to family, I was told. Do you think… do you think she’s shiften?”
Daryn shook his head. “I don’t know.”
She stared at him. “So, my powers. I have them because I’m part angel?”
He nodded.
“I don’t feel like an angel.”
This brought a quiet chuckle as he grazed her cheek with his thumb. “You feel like one to me.” Under his touch her cheek heated once again.
“So, my dream of a simple life. It’s pretty much never going to happen, is it? Not if I’m meant to fight a darkness I’m only beginning to understand.”
His happy expression dimmed. “I don’t know about simple, love. I can’t promise you that. But we can give it our best shot. If you’re willing. If you want me. Because no one will try harder than me to make you happy. That’s a promise I can make. And will make every day of our lives.”
