by Cecy Robson
Hugs and kisses,
Ana Clara
Friggin’ vampires. The time on the text told me they sent the message around the time Aric and I had left for our walk…two days ago.
My body went numb. This meant my sisters and I had been asleep for two days. I called Aric as soon as I checked on my sisters.
“Hey.”
There was a pause. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Beneath Aric’s growl I heard his concern, and because of it, I continued to speak reasonably. “I’m sorry I haven’t called. I just woke up.”
Another pause. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d borrowed that idiot’s power?”
“I didn’t borrow it. He gave it to us following the fight at his house.”
“So you’d have the energy to risk your life to help him battle his enemies.”
Aric’s tone told me he thought Misha had manipulated and used me again. And that I’d lain down like a sap and let him. “He was only trying to help, Aric. See, getting the tar kicked out of us by your pack left us a little drained.”
Silence. Followed by a low growl. I paced around the island in our kitchen. “I didn’t call to fight with you, Aric.” I called to hear your voice…because I miss you, damn it.
His growls stopped. “I don’t want to fight with you either, Celia. And I’m not mad at you.”
I leaned against the counter. “You could have fooled me.”
Aric sighed. “I just don’t want anyone taking advantage of you, sweetness.”
Sweetness…? My heart flew out of my chest on the wings of a dove, soaring around the kitchen until it crash-landed against my sternum. “Thank you. Ah, thank you.” I repeated my words in haste, trying to find something worthwhile to say. When nothing came to mind I reached into my inner tigress for courage. “Would you like to come over for dinner again tonight? You and the wolves, I mean.” I supposed I could have asked him over by himself, but even my tigress remained a little shy.
There was a brief pause that felt more like a lifetime. Rejection pounded my heart with every passing second. “I’d like that very much. But this time let us bring the meal. We don’t cook, but we can barbecue. Do you have a grill? If not we can bring one.”
I smiled into the phone. “We have one built into our back deck, but we’ve never used it.”
“If it doesn’t work, we’ll build a fire out back.”
“Oh, you’re manly men, I see.”
He laughed. “Yes. For werewolves, that is. Does six work for you?”
No. I want you here now. “Sure. I’ll see you then. Bye, wolf.”
“Good-bye, sweetness.”
I stared at my phone as my thumb grazed over the screen. Bren was right. I was in trouble.
The doorbell rang at exactly six. I hurried downstairs. Koda and Liam sauntered in carrying several bags of food. It struck me as odd to see Emme with someone like Liam. He personified the typical bad boy, in his faded jeans, tight T-shirt, and spiky hair. But looks were apparently deceiving. Liam killed malicious creatures on a weekly basis, yet treated Emme with all the kindness she deserved. He bent to kiss her lips gently, only to laugh when she blushed. “You’re such a doll,” he told her.
Koda lowered his head when Shayna skipped toward him. “Hi, baby,” he whispered when she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
Gem came in next, awkwardly carrying a bouquet of purple roses. He smiled shyly and handed them to Taran. “I wanted to bring blue ones to match your eyes. I’m sorry I couldn’t find any.”
Taran approached like the shy virgin she so wasn’t. “They’re beautiful. Thank you for thinking of me.”
Aric stepped in last, carrying a large box and greeting me with a warm smile. “Hi, Celia.”
My natural impulse was to welcome him with an embrace and a kiss—a ridiculous thought, considering we’d only recently met. And yet his warmth drew me hypnotically to him. Liam stepped in my path to whisper in my ear, “Aric’s been thinking of you, too, Celia. He brought you a special treat.”
My bashful smile vanished when Liam hurried out of the way. Every part of me was stunned stupid by the smell of fur, moist forest soil, and whiskers—lots of whiskers—wafting from the box Aric held. His grin faded the moment he caught a gander at my face.
Emme glanced over her shoulder at me while my mind raced with what to say. “Um, Celia. Don’t you want to see what Aric brought you?”
I shook my head slowly and backed away, my mind stuttering with fear of what might happen and terror that I’d scare Aric away. Emme widened her eyes as I stood there like a jackass. She stepped forward. “Um, here, I’ll get it for you, Celia.”
My hand reached out to stop her. “Emme, don’t—”
She screamed upon lifting the flap. Eight wild rabbits scampered around inside. Koda picked up one by the ears like a prize bass. “We thought we’d skin them and roast them over a fire.”
Like that was the greatest idea ever. My sisters joined me in my petrified state. “Oh, shit,” Taran muttered.
Oh, shit was right. One of the fuzz balls poked his head out of the box and narrowed his little evil eyes at me. I tried to prepare myself and block his spirit, but the bastard bunny didn’t give me a chance. He leaped out of the box and nailed me in the chest. I fell backward as if tackled by a high school varsity team. A violent seizure rocked my body as my skull bounced off the hardwood floor.
Aric reached me before my sisters could, dropping the box of bunnies. I was vaguely aware of an army of scampering little paws and him yelling. “Oh, God, Celia!”
My sisters surrounded me. “Damn it, don’t touch her!” Taran yelled at him.
Aric ignored her and swept me into his arms. “I’m taking her to the hospital. Koda—get the truck!”
My skin peeled excruciatingly away where Aric held me. Emme inhaled sharply as my back bowed, and I clenched my jaw tight to keep from shrieking in agony. “Aric, no. You’re hurting Celia!”
Aric pulled me tighter, probably thinking his body heat could soothe me. I beat my screams back down, but couldn’t muffle my whimpers. “Sweet Jesus,” Aric whispered as tears streamed from my eyes.
Fortunately, Shayna kept her voice calm and managed to reason with him. “Aric, you have to let her go. Her skin is more sensitive during the seizure. Please, Aric. I promise she’ll be fine in a moment.”
Aric released me slowly. I knew he meant to be gentle, but the glide of his hands over my skin was like metal barbs scraping the span of my body.
“Breathe, Celia, just breathe. That’s right, honey,” Emme cooed at me.
The convulsions worsened until slowly my body shrank and my ears lengthened. I lay on my side as my body curled into a ball. Instead of panting, I felt my nose twitch in rapid succession, and my whiskers tickled as they brushed against the dark-stained floor. When the spasms subsided, I scampered out of my clothes. I sat back on my haunches and gazed up at everyone.
My sisters sighed with relief. “Damn, that was a bad one,” Taran said.
The wolves stepped in front of Aric, guarding him protectively. Gemini’s dark almond eyes watched me, waiting, it seemed, for the killer rabbit to attack. “She’s a shape-shifter.”
Aric shook his head. The doubt shadowing his features dissipated like a storm cloud in the face of the noon sun. “She can’t be. She’s not evil….I can sense her heart.” He took a step in my direction, but Koda pushed a firm hand into his chest.
“No, Aric. It could be dangerous.”
My little body trembled with shame. Koda referred to me as “it” and not “she.” Sweet God in heaven, what did they think I planned to do to him?
“Careful, Liam,” Koda said when Liam circled around to my other side.
“What the hell are you doing?” Taran seethed with boiling rage. “Nothing’s changed. She’s still Celia.”
Emme walked to Liam and took his hand, trying pointlessly to lead him away. “Liam, stop it. You’re scaring Celia.”
Liam s
cratched his head before glancing up at the others. “What if Emme’s right? I’d hate to have to kill her.”
My sisters went ballistic at the same time Aric rammed his way through the wolves. “Don’t even think about it!”
The hall table overturned, shattering the pot housing our fern as Koda and Gemini tried to haul Aric out of the house and away from me. The screams, growls, and chaos overloaded my sensitive nerves. My newfound instincts told me to run. So I did, up the stairs and under my bed. Seven pairs of feet paused briefly before scrambling after me.
I was probably five times the size of an average rabbit. It was a tight squeeze under the box spring. But my growing terror and mounting humiliation propelled me forward. The wolves think I’m a danger to Aric…and that he should stay away from me. My bunny eyes burned from impending tears. I covered my face with my little paw until part two of my dilemma sank in. Holy Mother. They also think they have to kill me!
A high-pitched sizzle followed a yelp and a snarl from Liam. Taran’s voice sounded muffled from beneath the bed. “You do anything to hurt my sister and I swear to God, I’ll fry your freaking snout off!”
“I don’t want to kill her,” Liam insisted. “I’m just worried she’ll attack Aric.”
“Celia would never hurt Aric.” Shayna may as well have told them I wanted to mount him with how hard the silence fell around the room. Heat rose from my twitchy nose to my bushy tail. Had I been human, I would have resembled a tomato with green eyes and big hair.
Gemini’s voice grew calm, like the discussion of how evil I was or whether I should be allowed to live never took place. “No one will hurt Celia. I promise. We just never met a shape-shifter with any trace of humanity left. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but the sister you know will soon leave you and fall into a pit of darkness so great, only a coldhearted killer with a thirst for power will remain.”
“Jesus,” Koda muttered from somewhere in the hall. “How many kills do you think she’s made?”
Taran’s voice stiffened. “She’s never killed anyone who hasn’t deserved it. And Celia is anything but coldhearted.” The back of my sisters’ feet appeared beneath the dust ruffle. I could almost picture them crossing their arms and scowling at them. “Maybe you should leave. Celia’s been humiliated enough.”
No one moved for the longest time. Finally, Aric’s big hiking boots stepped forward. “I apologize if we’ve offended you. Her…situation caught us off guard. Will you allow me through?” His voice rumbled with concern. “I just want to make sure she’s safe.”
Emme’s small feet parted, followed by Shayna’s and Taran’s. Aric peered beneath the bed skirt at my shaking form huddled in the corner. “She’s scared senseless.” His eyes softened. “She’s no shifter. I’m sure of it. She’s just…Celia.” He reached for me, but I scuttled farther into the corner. “It’s okay, sweetness. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Liam hurried downstairs to the kitchen. When he came back, he stuck his head under the bed and poked me in the nose with a carrot.
Take that carrot and ram it up your ass, Liam.
Aric frowned. “Liam, get the damn carrot out of her face.”
Liam ignored him. “It’s okay, Aric. I got this one. Come on, little bunny. No one’s going to eat— Ouch!” He dropped the carrot when I bit him.
“She may look like a rabbit, but she’s still Celia. Don’t freaking patronize her,” Taran snapped at him.
Shayna spoke up. “Why doesn’t everyone head downstairs? Aric and I will look after Celia.” She stuck her thin arms under the bed. “Come on, dude.” I allowed Shayna to pull me out. She held me close and kissed the top of my head before placing me on the bed.
The wolves wouldn’t budge. Aric growled low and deep. “If she wanted to kill me, she would have tried long before now. Leave us. I don’t want her frightened.”
Gemini nodded once and led the others out. Taran and Emme followed, but not before Emme shot me a nervous glance.
Aric backed away and leaned against the dresser. I hoped it was just to give me space and not because I finally creeped him out. Shayna smiled at him. “When Celia was about nine years old, she got really sick. We thought she had the flu. We found out later she was undergoing some kind of magical growth spurt.” She took a seat next to me on the bed. “When she started feeling better, our parents took us to the zoo to pick up her mood. They had new tiger cubs, and we won an opportunity to pet them. When Celia touched the golden cub, she fell into a violent seizure, similar to the one downstairs.
“Our parents rushed her to the hospital. The doctors thought it had been related to her illness and released her after they did some neurological testing. That night she turned into a golden tigress more than three times her size.”
I still remembered that night vividly. My mother prayed and doused me with holy water. I was beyond terrified and sought comfort in my father’s arms. My large paws wrapped around him. Taran and Shayna kept yelling, “Don’t eat Daddy. Don’t eat Daddy!” I tried to talk, but all that came out were growls and roars. Despite the fear I sensed in my father, he helped calm me. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Daddy’s here.” My father had been my rock and my strength. His soothing words helped me to relax. As I calmed, I returned to my human form.
“She eventually learned to control her change,” Shayna continued. “But if an animal brushes against her and she isn’t prepared, she’ll turn into that animal.” She giggled. “That’s why we don’t own any pets. Although…if Celia could just walk around as a tigress all day long we could adopt a kitten. For some reason, another animal doesn’t force her change if she’s in her tigress form.”
“It’s probably because her beast is so strong.”
Shayna nodded. “Yeah. I guess that makes sense.”
Aric fixed his gaze on my small, furry form…and smiled with understanding no sane wolf should have gathered so quickly. “What about the other animals she’s come in contact with? Can she return to those forms?”
“No, dude.” Shayna rubbed my ears. “This is just temporary. Her tigress form is the only one she’s ever been able to control. We figured it’s because it was the first animal she touched after her magic-like illness.”
Aric’s smile faded. “So why isn’t she changing back now?”
Shayna pulled the small throw blanket from the edge of my bed so it covered me up to my neck. “When she’s scared or stressed, she can’t relax enough to change back. I think since you’re a wolf, her rabbit instincts are telling her to be afraid of you.”
“She has nothing to fear from me.”
My nose twitched. Except for heartbreak and further humiliation.
Shayna rubbed the area between my ears and spoke softly. “Then why did Liam think he may have to kill her? And why did the others try to protect you?”
Aric kept his eyes on me. “They mistook her for a shape-shifter. Shape-shifters are born witches and spend years making blood sacrifices to command any form of their choosing.”
Shayna stopped rubbing my back. “Dude, Celia’s so not a witch. And I assure you she’s never sacrificed anyone.” She paused, her voice trickling hints of sadness. “Except herself…to keep the three of us safe.”
Aric smiled at her gently. “It’s obvious she would do anything for you.”
Shayna squeezed me tight. “And she has…but she’s so lonely because of it.”
I nudged her with my paw. The last thing I needed Aric to hear was more, “Golly gee, you wouldn’t believe how pathetically friendless and love-starved Celia is” testimony.
She laughed and whispered low into my bunny ears, “Don’t worry, Ceel. I won’t mention how long it’s been since you’ve had…relations.”
It was times like this I wished my powers included manifesting rocks to stone Shayna with. She might as well have screamed it out loud with how well Aric could hear.
She continued as Aric coughed nervously into his elbow. “Aric, I don’t mean
to insult you, but trust me when I say Celia doesn’t want the rabbits—live, roasted, or otherwise. I know you meant well, but rabbits aren’t her thing.”
Aric’s face reddened before he averted his gaze. “Of course. I didn’t mean to upset her.” He adjusted his weight, causing one of my picture frames to fall over. He glanced at it before placing it back on its stand. It was a photo of me wearing overalls and two big ponytails. Something about it made him smile. “She still looks the same in a lot of ways.”
Shayna laughed. “Oh, I’m sure a couple of things have developed since then.”
I thumped my hind leg with annoyance, causing Shayna to laugh harder. She smoothed down my ears and rose. “Aric? Would you mind taking over soothing-Celia duty? I think she’s in better spirits.” She nibbled on her lip. “Not to mention I’d like to spend time with that cute little buddy of yours.”
Aric chuckled as he sat on the bed. “I’m sure Koda would like that. Thanks, Shayna.”
Aric lay across the bed next to me as soon as Shayna left. He stroked my fur from my head all the way across my back. “In case you’re wondering…I still don’t care what you are.” He smiled. “And you make a damn sweet bunny.”
Said the big, bad beast to the little wabbit. I backed into his chest and rested my fuzzy face against the crook of his bent arm. For a bunny, I was pretty brave. Had I been human, I wouldn’t have dared to lie so close to him.
Aric stayed quiet for a long time, hypnotizing me with his strokes and the warmth of his body. The others moved around downstairs, and I could smell the coals burning when the barbecue was lit. Shayna laughed out loud at something Koda mumbled to her, and Liam fumbled with the playlist until he found a hard-thumping classic rock song. But in my room just then, things felt strangely peaceful. I wished I had the ability to freeze time, or at least slow it down. This moment between Aric and me was more perfect than the sun setting across Tahoe on a warm summer night.
And yet as much as I wanted to hold on to my time with Aric, I was no match for his gentle touch and the sound of the soft rain splattering against the window. My ears flopped against my head and I felt myself begin to change back.
