by Zoe Chant
Encouraged, Hayley bent to put her lips to his ear. “Griff?” she whispered. “It’s okay now. I’m here. Your friends are here. We won’t let anything happen to you. It’s okay to come back now.”
The drawn tightness around Griff’s closed eyes eased a little. Slowly, so slowly, his face softened back into more human features.
Chase made a strangled yelp, as though he’d started to whoop with joy and then remembered that Danny was sleeping upstairs. He snatched Hayley up, spinning her round in a brief, dizzying hug. “You did it! You did it! I could kiss you!”
“You do, and Griff will punch your lights out when he wakes up.” Grinning, Dai rescued her from Chase’s arms, depositing her back on the ground. “But thank you. From all of us.” He hesitated. “Ah, I don’t think we even know your name.”
“Hayley Parker,” she said dazedly. “And thank you. All of you. How did you even know where we were?”
Chase bowed extravagantly. “Just one of my many talents. We pegasus shifters have a knack for finding people.”
“I can still barely believe that there’s even such a thing as pegasus shifters. Or dragons.” She glanced up at John Doe. “You’re a dragon too, right? Griff mentioned you. He said he had a friend who was a dragon knight.”
John smiled, inclining his head in assent. “Sea dragon, and Knight-Poet, to be completely precise.”
“And…” Hayley looked at Ash in awe, remembering the fiery bird that had swooped into her kitchen. “You’re a phoenix, aren’t you?”
“The Phoenix,” said Ash, mildly. “Since we are being precise.”
There’s only one? Just like in the old myths?
Hayley felt like her entire worldview had been turned upside-down and shaken. She turned to Hugh, wondering what sort of walking legend he would turn out to be. “And you’re…?”
“Bloody exhausted.” Hugh took his hands off Griff’s chest at last, flexing his fingers as if he had pins-and-needles. “There’s nothing more I can do now. I want to leave him here, with you, if that’s all right. He’s not fully back to human yet. Maybe you can get him the rest of the way.”
“I’ll try.” Hayley sank cross-legged to the carpet, taking Griff’s hand. His fingers were still curled into claws, but they relaxed a little at her touch. “I won’t leave him alone.”
“And we won’t leave you alone.” Dai looked around at the other men. “So, who’s taking first watch?”
CHAPTER NINE
Griff
Griff woke up with every part of his body aching with a bone-deep, throbbing pain.
That was a pleasant surprise. He hadn’t been expecting to wake up at all.
Wincing, he very cautiously pushed himself upright on the couch. All the vertebrae in his back ground against each other like granite rocks, but at least he wasn’t hunched over on all fours like a beast.
His knuckles popped as he flexed his fingers, testing their movement. All his fingernails had gone back to human, but three of the fingers on his right hand were now crooked, curled into hooked claw-shapes. Grimacing, Griff tried to straighten them. The joints were locked solid.
Guess I’ll be learning to write left-handed, then.
He couldn’t believe he’d gotten off so lightly. Even with the wyvern venom instantly halting his uncontrolled shift, he’d expected to come back to a body that was more animal than man…if he’d come back at all.
What happened?
His eagle was still catatonic at the very back of his mind, leaving him with only human levels of perception. Griff looked around, blinking to clear his dry, strained eyes. Everything seemed dim and foggy, as if he was looking through smoked glass. He was so unused to the limitations of human sight that it took him a moment to recognize Hayley’s living room.
Hayley herself was curled up on the floor next to the couch, within arm’s reach of him. She was still wearing the same floral top and black leggings she’d worn yesterday. From the dark circles under her closed eyes, Griff guessed that she had to have been awake most of the night.
His eagle and lion both stirred at the sight of their mate, yearning toward her even in their poisoned, weakened state. Griff’s jaw tightened. He brutally chained his beasts back down again, binding them so tightly he could barely feel them in the depths of his soul.
Got to keep a tight leash on them. This can’t happen again.
Which meant other things couldn’t happen again.
Griff forced himself to look away from Hayley. Moving very slowly so as not to wake her up, he levered himself to his feet. His left knee screamed in protest as he tried to put his weight on it. He remembered that it hadn’t hurt, for those few magical minutes last night after he and Hayley had succumbed to the pull of the mate-bond…but it was definitely back to its normal state of wrongness now. His knee joint felt as though someone had been hammering rusty nails through it.
Oh well. It’s not like I’m not used to it.
Leaning on the wall for support, he managed to limp his way to the kitchen. He halted in the doorway, startled by the shards of glass scattered across the tiled floor and the scorch marks on the walls.
“What in God’s name happened here?” Griff muttered to himself. His dry voice rasped like sandpaper in his throat.
*I am afraid that I did,* Ash’s calm, quiet telepathic voice said in his mind. *I was in something of a hurry.*
Squinting out the broken window, Griff caught sight of Ash perched at the very top of the tree outside. The Phoenix’s fire was dimmed and controlled, but he still burned brighter than the sun rising behind him.
“Thank you,” Griff said out loud, wishing that he could communicate back telepathically, to show Ash the deep and sincere gratitude in his mind. “So Hayley did manage to contact you?”
*Just in time.* The Phoenix swooped down to perch on the windowsill, his sweeping tail feathers brushing the ground outside. Griff could feel the heat radiating from the massive, eagle-like form even from six feet away. *Hugh said that a minute later, and there would have been nothing he could do.*
Griff picked his way across the broken glass to the sink. He splashed cold water on his face, then drank from his cupped hand, too parched to waste time finding a cup.
“I owe Hugh an apology,” he said, when he emerged again. Catching sight of his cellphone lying discarded in a corner, he bent to pocket it. “That can’t have been pleasant for him, having to touch me right after Hayley and I had…ah, well, you know. Must have given him a splitting headache.”
Hugh was remarkably tight-lipped about the nature of his shifter animal…but there was no hiding such things from Griff’s eagle. He’d long ago worked out exactly what Hugh was, though he respected Hugh’s desire to keep it a secret even from the rest of Alpha Team. Griff couldn’t blame him for it. Hugh’s species was meant to be extinct, every last one hunted down and slaughtered way back in the Middle Ages.
If I was the main ingredient in a potion that’s meant to grant eternal youth, I’d be pretty damn secretive about my existence too.
Ash’s foot-long talons shifted on the windowsill, leaving scorch marks in the wood. Griff knew that the Fire Commander knew that he knew about Hugh, but Ash’s cast-iron sense of honor meant he would never openly confirm the paramedic’s true nature. *He is tired, but he will recover. Will you?*
Griff shrugged, gesturing with his crooked hand at his bad knee. “Ah, well, I doubt it. But I’ll live a while yet, thanks to you all. You can go back home and get some rest now. I’ll be fine.”
Ash spread his wings…then paused. He turned his head, considering Griff for a long moment with one blazing eye.
*I am sorry,* Ash said at last. *I understand what it is to taste something, only to have it snatched away. I share your pain. It is possible to live with it.…but you will have to be strong. For your mate’s sake.*
Before Griff could respond, he was gone. A trail of sparks swirled in his wake, quickly winking out.
He’s right. I have to be stronger
in future. This was all my fault.
If he hadn’t succumbed to temptation and indulged his base, carnal desires, he would never have provoked his inner beasts’ jealous rage. He’d selfishly taken advantage of Hayley, and as a result, had nearly left her with a monstrous corpse cooling on her kitchen floor. How would she have explained that to Danny?
I can’t ever touch her again.
The thought was as cold and bleak as the grey dawn light filtering through the broken window. But it was the truth. He couldn’t put Hayley through this again. He wouldn’t.
I have to leave. Now. Before she wakes up.
Nonetheless, he delayed long enough to sweep up the floor. It wasn’t safe to leave broken glass lying around, not when little bare feet would be charging downstairs at any moment.
His heart clenched at the thought of Danny bouncing into the kitchen, how his eyes would shine in delight if he found Griff still there…
No. I have to disappear, completely. It’s better for them both.
At the back of his mind, his lion roared, flinging itself futilely against its cage. Griff ignored it. Slipping on his coat and shoes, he limped down the hallway. He didn’t dare let himself take one last look at Hayley, for fear his animals would break loose and undo all his good intentions. Very quietly, for the last time, he eased open the front door-
And found himself unexpectedly confronting a man on the doorstep.
The man had obviously just been reaching for the door-knocker. He dropped his outstretched hand, taking a sharp step back in surprise. Griff had never seen him before in his life, yet there was something eerily familiar about his features.
The man’s nostrils flared. A low, deep growl ripped through his throat, possessive outrage flaring in his amber eyes.
The stranger’s scent hit Griff like a brick. He suddenly knew exactly who the man was.
“Who the hell are you?” demanded Danny’s father.
CHAPTER TEN
Hayley
Hayley jolted awake to the sound of snarling. Her body flooded with adrenaline in instinctive reaction, her deepest monkey brain screaming at her that there was a dangerous predator nearby.
Oh my God! He’s shifting again!
Heart pounding, she scrambled to her feet. “Griff!” Following the snarls, she raced into the hallway—and stopped dead.
Griff was still human, although the sounds ripping from his throat were pure lion. He had his back to her, his hands braced on each side of the doorframe as he squared off against a man outside.
The other man was a little taller than Griff, but much leaner. Nonetheless, he matched Griff snarl for snarl, forcibly trying to push his way into the house. His angular, handsome face was contorted with feral rage.
Even though Hayley hadn’t seen that face for five years, she instantly recognized him.
“Reiner?” she gasped.
The sound of her voice broke the two men’s stand-off. Griff lurched as he turned, his bad knee buckling. Reiner took advantage of the firefighter’s momentary weakness to shove past.
“Where is he?” he demanded in the clipped Danish accent she’d once found so sexy. “Where is my son?”
“He’s—what—how-” She felt as unsteady as Griff, her legs threatening to give way with sheer shock. “Reiner, what are you doing here?”
“I was in London on business. I came as soon as I got your email.” Reiner took a step toward her, his fists clenching. Hayley couldn’t help shrinking back from the raw, animal power emanating from him. “Now, where is my son?”
“Don’t. Move.” Griff caught Reiner’s arm, jerking the other lion shifter back. Even though Griff could barely stand upright, his golden eyes still blazed with primal fury. “You aren’t going anywhere near him until Hayley says you can.”
“He is my son!” Reiner knocked Griff’s hand away. “Stand in my way again and I’ll rip out your throat.”
“No!” Hayley thrust herself between the two men as they started to snarl at each other again. “Reiner, it’s okay, he’s my…he’s a friend.”
Reiner’s nostrils flared. His withering amber gaze flicked down her body. “It would seem he’s rather more than that. Unless you routinely fuck your friends.”
Hayley’s cheeks heated in humiliation. “That is none of your business, Reiner!”
“He’s under the same roof as my son. That makes it my business.” His muscled chest pressed hard against her shoulder as he leaned forward, glaring across her at Griff. “This is my territory. Get out!”
“Mommy?” said a small, sleepy voice from the stairs. “Are Mr. Griff’s dragon friends still here?”
All three of them froze.
Danny caught sight of Reiner, and his light brown eyes widened. Hayley had never realized it before, but they were the exact same shade as his father’s.
“Oh,” Danny said, in a very small voice.
All of the aggression in Reiner’s stance instantly vanished, replaced by awestruck wonder. He took three swift steps to the bottom of the stairs. Hayley let him go, unable to stand in the way of such obvious pure, simple joy.
“My son,” Reiner said, his voice shaking. He held out his arms. “My son.”
“Daddy.” Danny practically fell down the stairs into Reiner’s embrace. He clung to him with every limb, burying his face in Reiner’s chest. His little shoulders shook in wracking sobs. “Daddy. Daddy. Daddy.”
Tears sprang into Hayley’s eyes. An unbearable, unnamable swirl of emotions choked her throat. She had to turn away before she broke down entirely—and found herself facing Griff. Sheer, overwhelming jealousy was written in every line of his face as he watched Reiner and Danny.
He caught her looking at him, and his expression instantly went blank. “I should go,” he said gruffly.
“Wait!” Hayley caught his sleeve as he turned for the door. “You’re in no state to go anywhere.” She lowered her voice, casting a quick glance over her shoulder at the still-oblivious Reiner. “You nearly died last night, Griff! Stay, let me take care of you. I don’t care how much Reiner growls about it-”
“I have to go,” he interrupted, not looking at her. His shoulders hunched. “I can’t stay here. Especially not now.”
Anger and upset churned in her stomach as she realized that he already had his jacket and shoes on. “You were just going to leave, weren’t you? If Reiner hadn’t arrived, you’d have been gone before I even woke up.”
“It would have been for the best,” he said, very quietly. He met her eyes at last, and the broken agony in his own shattered her heart. “Hayley. Last night…we can’t let that happen again. Not ever.”
Memories of his contorted, half-animal form flashed through her mind, red-hot and searing.
He nearly died because of me. How can I ask him to risk that again?
She made herself open her fingers, letting his wrist fall from her grip. Even though she knew it was the right thing to do, it felt wrong, deeply wrong, to let him go.
“Will you at least come back to see Danny?” she asked hopelessly, as he limped away.
“No.” Griff didn’t look back. “He doesn’t need me any more.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Danny
Danny scowled ferociously down at his drawing. It was so unfair! His daddy had finally, finally come to see him, and yet he’d still had to go to school. Danny didn’t see why he couldn’t have stayed home with Daddy, even if Mommy did have to go out to work. Maybe Mommy just didn’t want him and Daddy having fun together without her.
We could pretend to go to the bathroom, Simba suggested. Mommy used to call Simba his “imaginary friend,” but Danny had always known that he was real. The lion cub bounced with eagerness in his mind, urging him to shift. We could jump out the window and run away.
Danny shook his head. Just like Mr. Griff had taught him, he held Simba back, not letting the lion take control of their body. The effort made him feel itchy all over. He took out his frustrations on his drawing, scrubbin
g so hard with the chunky yellow crayon that he nearly went through the paper.
Simba’s ears pricked up. The woman is talking about us, he informed Danny.
Danny cocked his own head, concentrating. Simba helped him to hear better, picking out his teacher’s voice from the low chatter of the rest of the classroom. Miss Hunter was over at the door, talking to someone Danny couldn’t see. He couldn’t make out everything she was saying, but he definitely heard his own name.
Are we in trouble? Simba asked anxiously.
“I don’t know,” Danny whispered as quietly as he could. He tried not to talk to Simba too much at school. He didn’t like the way it made the other kids stare and giggle behind his back.
“Danny?” his teacher called. She beckoned him over to her. “Someone’s here to see you.”
Worried, Danny slid off his chair. Halfway to the door, he caught wind of a familiar scent. “Daddy!” he yelled in joy, leaping up into his arms.
Daddy rumbled, bumping his forehead against Danny’s. That was lion for “hello” and “happy to see you.” No one had ever had to tell Danny that—he just knew, way down deep inside where Simba lived.
“You see?” Daddy said to Miss Hunter. He sounded a little mad, but it wasn’t with Danny so it didn’t matter. “I told you, this is my son. I have a right to take him.”
“You came to get me?” Danny wriggled with excitement. “But Mommy said-”
*Hush,* Daddy said in his head.
Danny fell silent obediently. It was different from when Mommy told him to be quiet—he could argue with Mommy, but Simba really didn’t like it if he tried to argue with Daddy. Or Mr. Griff.
Miss Hunter hesitated, fidgeting uncertainly with her long, curly hair. “I’m sorry, but you’re not on the list of people authorized to pick Danny up. I’m going to have to call Ms. Parker.”
