by SJ Davis
Not that it mattered now.
As he backed away towards the bedroom door, he watched Vanos as a strange look crept into those dark eyes. Something that caused that flicker of green to return, even just momentarily, and made his curious smile fade into a look of hopelessness.
Every instinct inside River told him what I meant, but the truth of that was too much to face right now. He turned and practically ran for the bedroom.
***
“River!”
Vanos’ voice was stark with panic as he burst into the bedroom with wild eyes. He took no notice of the fact that River was naked. He walked in and touched his cheek with a tender hand, instantly touching the cut that River could only assume had been the cause of his panic.
“It’s just a scratch,” he promised, trying to be understanding. “I tripped on my own stupid feet and walked into the door frame,” he explained, reaching up to draw Vanos’ hand away from his bare skin.
“I’m sorry. I sensed danger to you and could smell your blood,” he admitted, removing his touch and backing away. Yet that green flicker seemed almost constant now, as River met his eyes and saw a very thin sparkle of green breaking the black hole his eyes had been not so long ago.
The wolf in River wanted to return that hand to his cheek and nuzzle it. The werewolf wanted to throw Vanos onto the bed and see what may hide beneath his ratty clothes. The human simply looked and took his first notice of the ripped, loose trousers that covered Vanos’ lower half and the dirty t-shirt that must once have been white that clung to his broad chest.
A lingering silence overtook the room until it became unbearable. River had no choice but to step forward and placed his hands on Vanos’ chest. “How long have you worn these clothes?” he asked, pushing the t-shirt up in a hurry, until it snagged on his chin and prevented any further action.
“Since I arrived in this world,” he explained, his voice quiet and uncertain. “I was made aware by a human child that it was not appropriate to walk naked in your streets,” he clarified.
River nodded and couldn’t fight the instinct any longer. He grabbed the bottom of the t-shirt and dragged it up over Vanos’ head. The Griffin let him, as though his wolf instincts were right and Vanos would do anything that he asked or wanted, without question. “Then it’s time you took them off,” he decided, tossing the shirt aside, before instantly reaching for the fastening of the trousers.
“Sir?” His head snapped up in surprise, until the Griffin smiled tentatively. “You are the superior being and I am here to serve you in any way I can. To unite you with your mate and bring peace to your world. To do whatever makes you happy,” he urged, rushing his words as his bare chest rose and fell in greater excitement.
“Is that your own instincts talking or some command you were given?” River asked, as he smelled a greater influence at work here. More than just the mate bond.
Vanos hung his head and nodded, unable to look at him. “A great prophetess in our world foretold the ripping of space and time, which would lead me to the key for peace. She foretold that, when I found the key to saving your world, I would find my own happiness thereafter and we would have a world for men and creatures, separate but united, once again.”
His mind swirled, trying to put the pieces together, as River’s fingers fumbled with the fastening of Vanos’ trousers. Once he had them undone, he almost laughed, as he didn’t seem to understand or know about underwear.
“If you’re going to hang around, I’ll need to teach you how to dress. Unless you want to go au naturel and turn half lion and eagle?” River suggested, intrigued by this notion of Vanos having no concept of human elements. He’d noticed the same thing in most of the creatures who had appeared when the wall between worlds collapsed. The vampires had adjusted quickly, as had the half human creatures, but the rest of them were struggling.
“You disapprove of my state of dress?” Vanos asked, looking down as River tugged his trousers down over his hips and let them drop to his ankles.
“Oh, most definitely.” He nodded and splayed his fingers of one hand over Vanos’ well chiselled abdomen, wondering if the Griffin knew what a prize he was. He was physically gorgeous but strangely naïve at the same time, in a way that toned down the hotness to something sweeter.
Were the trappings of a relationship – his mating – also a human aspect that he’d have to teach Vanos or would he be led by his instincts? Closing his hand, he let his fingernails trace over the bare skin and watched the effect it had on Vanos.
His Griffin shivered and closed his eyes. “Sir...I thought–” He stopped to swallow and open his eyes, meeting River’s gaze unashamedly. “Will your mate not be angry with us?” he asked, in a whisper.
Clearly, this sweet Griffin had no clue what River was doing or why. It was part endearing and part frustrating to see how clueless he was about such things. But River wasn’t much better; he was running on instinct and, if he was brutally honest, trying desperately to distract them both from the conversation Vanos wanted to have.
He wanted nothing to do with saving a lost world that had already gone down the toilet. He wouldn’t shirk a duty, if fate had truly chosen him for something so momentous, but he wouldn’t walk blindly into a losing battle if he could help it. It was a much more pleasant thought to play with Vanos instead.
Stretching up, he kissed the man who was so much taller than him smack on the mouth. Lips pursed gently against his, but they trembled and that made River stop, while wrapping his arms around Vanos’ neck, to grasp at his short hair. The tickle of his beard against River’s chin was a pleasant reminder that this was real.
“You may totally piss your pants over this,” he teased. “but you’re my mate, Vanos. My destined, chosen by the fates, true mate.” He whispered against his lips, waiting for that fact to sink in.
As he expected, those dark eyes widened ridiculously, until he couldn’t hold his amusement inside any longer. River stood on his tip toes and pressed his lips to Vanos’, too eager to explore his true mate to keep himself in check. He had no emotional connection to this Griffin, but the sexual chemistry bubbled below the surface and, surprisingly, it was Vanos’ innocent naivety that drew him in.
It made no sense, but he didn’t care. He’d been alone long enough. He’d suffered long enough. His lips burned where they made contact, until he parted them over Vanos’ bottom lip. That seemed to wake the silly Griffin from his stupor, as he suddenly responded, hands gripping River’s waist tight while lips crushed to his and demanded attention.
It was the most authoritative he’d ever seen this man, since he’d been nothing but innocent and sweet since entering his house. Thinking back to the man who had killed Brendan, who had shown up so surprisingly in the garage and seemed so threatening, it was like they were two different men. This one – the nervous, subservient human-like man – was the one he liked best.
River had never been one to fall for dominant men. He’d always felt unworthy of relationships since he became a werewolf, so the last thing he wanted was to be proven unworthy by a more dominant personality. But this naïve, thoughtful, protective thing Vanos had going on was a comforting revelation for his heart.
Vanos moaned and broke the kiss, much to his disappointment. “You are not unworthy,” he whispered, his breath caressed River’s lips so seductively that he closed his eyes. “And, as much as I would greatly enjoy mating with you, we are not alone.”
Shocked by those words, his eyes flew open and he turned to the door, where a looming shadow stood, emitting nothing but fury.
CHAPTER 4
Tameron charged, before River could properly acknowledge his presence.
As the vampire advanced, with fangs bared and claws reaching for him, wings flared and knocked River to the floor. He stilled, as he heard a snarl from Tameron and a challenging birdlike noise from Vanos.
Right
before his eyes, his Griffin took on his proper form; all at once he was strong, with the back legs of a lion, his front eagle talons digging into the wooden floor as he skidded towards Tameron in defence of River’s life. The wings returned, all brown and white like an eagle and with his human head completely transformed to that of the same animal.
No fear took over him, as he lay on the floor in shock. River had forced his own full body transformation too many times to be surprised that his true mate was also in the same situation. If that was all he had to cope with, in this transition towards accepting a mate into his life, he was getting off lucky. He definitely couldn’t have suffered a mate like Tameron, who fed on blood.
Pearly white fangs bared on Tameron’s side of the fight, as he grabbed Vanos’ eagle head and pulled viciously. The ripple of fury that shot through River’s body at seeing his mate being so brutally handled brought out the monster within.
Whether he knew Vanos or not, nothing else mattered except that no one had the right to manhandle his mate. Not in his home. Not in front of him. Not ever.
A growl erupted from deep within his chest, as his hands became paws with large claws and his clenched teeth pushed and tugged as they became canines in a long snout. Get away from him! he demanded, using his ‘inside’ wolf voice, that he knew Tameron could hear without issue. It was the benefit of being a vampire with mind manipulation abilities; the bastard could tap into any mind he wanted and communicate silently.
Stay away, sir. Vanos sounded just as adamant, as he responded, his eagle beak emitting a high pitched scream.
I’m not sir. River snapped at Vanos’ lion heel as he walked around the back of his Griffin to face Tameron’s weaker right side. I’m your mate and you have to trust me, he demanded. It would take more than one person to take down a vampire. They might be two-footed and depend on blood, but they were smart and had as keen senses as River had. He certainly wouldn’t let anyone fight in his place. Not even his mate.
Besides, what he didn’t vocalise but hoped Vanos picked up anyway, he was the only one who knew that Tameron had a weakness in his sight, on the right side, after an attack by a pack of four werewolves. It had happened in the first few days after the rift between worlds and River had intervened, being stronger and faster than the werewolves who had recently arrived in his world.
Having that advantage and utilising it, River allowed Vanos to peck and swat at the vampire, while he circled around behind his right side to get the best vantage point. Careful not to get too close to the fight, River waited until Vanos caught his eye and turned to kick Tameron away from him, with his strong back legs.
Once the vampire landed on his ass, River pounced and tore at his throat. It was a fatal wound if he allowed it to be so, as he ripped and pulled the skin clean off his neck. Then he backed away, while Tameron rushed to cover the wound with cloth from his torn jacket.
In an instant, River turned back to his human form and crouched by Tameron’s side. “Attack again and I’ll finish the job,” he warned, reminding the vampire that he wasn’t a passive thing. He was strong and could defend himself. Even as those blazing blue eyes glared up at him, River didn’t waver.
There was no question of what he would do, now that the vampire had attacked him and his mate, especially just moments before their mating. His hormones demanded that he rip Tameron to shreds just for interrupting that blessed moment, but he wouldn’t sink so low as to punish someone for a crime that would mean nothing to anyone but himself.
He wasn’t yet an animal.
A small nip to his neck made him turn and smile, as he spotted Vanos standing over him, seven foot of tall eagle/lion cross. But those eyes...he nearly melted in the wake of that look of hunger and love, so clearly displayed in pin prick birds eyes.
“Thank you, Vanos.” River reached up to brush his fingers over the gentle feathers of the nearest wing. “I appreciate you coming to my rescue,” he admitted.
Vanos ducked his head to pinch at his hair in a tender, sweet way that said ‘you’re welcome’, but his eyes said so much more. Then he crossed to the bed and grabbed the sheet with his beak, dragging it across the floor until it lay over Tameron. His purpose wasn’t entirely clear, until he stood on one end and pulled the other with his beak.
River nodded and smiled. “To bind him,” he realised, patting his wing affectionately. “Thank you.” Silently, he added something he hoped Tameron couldn’t hear. Can you change back or is that a problem, right now? he asked, uncertain about how to react to this new creature beside him. It had taken him enough time to get used to Vanos in his human form. But he didn’t want to let on to Tameron that something might be wrong, so he kept up the act of shredding the sheet into stripes, transforming a nail into a claw to get the job done faster and without effort.
I cannot transform when injured, Vanos replied, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
His head snapped up in surprise and he stared at Vanos in panic. You’re hurt? he asked, looking him over from head to claw, to see if he could spot an injury. In response to his search, Vanos spread his left wing and revealed a deep, long cut that must have come from Tameron’s talons.
Finish securing the enemy and we shall talk, he suggested, while turning and perching by the only window of the room, where he ducked his head into his wounded feather and began nipping at the wound.
Are you supposed to do that?
It’s called preening and it will help, Vanos answered, with a casualness that said he didn’t mind being questioned.
The words didn’t alleviate his worry. But River did as he’d been told and continued sheering the sheet until he had enough thin but strong strips to bind Tameron’s injuries. Then he’d get him into the cellar, where he still had chains clamped to the ceiling and floors, for when he hadn’t been able to control his transformations. That would help secure him until River figured out what questions he wanted answers to.
And what questions Vanos could answer instead.
There was no point wasting an interrogation in search of answers that his own mate would give freely.
With more force than strictly necessary, River used one of the strips of the sheet to bind the neck wound he had created. Then used two more to bandage a nasty wound in Tameron’s side that looked as though Vanos had pecked out a large chunk of skin. The thought of coming across the find when he chose to clean this room made him feel a little sick. He might be a werewolf, but he had no taste for vampire flesh.
***
It took nearly an hour to deal with Tameron, to have him properly bandaged and chained into the cellar. With that sorted, River returned to the main house with one mission; to figure this whole mess out, before it interfered with his life any more.
Weary and frustrated, River approached Vanos, in his bedroom, and stood by the huge Griffin to stroke his beautiful feathers. “You’re quite handsome, you know,” he said, tangling his fingers into the delicate white feathers where his cheek should be. “Both as a Griffin and as a man. But why do your wings change when you’re a man? When I first saw you, there were like leather and they looked like that until you told me what you are,” he explained, seeking a few answers of his own, that had nothing to do with saving the world.
Vanos screeched and delicately pecked his cheek, making him smile. I searched your mind for what creature you would believe existed. You did not trust that my kind existed, so I showed you what you believed to be true, he explained inside his head, where the contact was so intimate that River closed his eyes to enjoy the full experience.
Such sensations rushed through him with the words that he knew they were true mates and that their bond would solidify every time they communicated this way. It seemed that the mind-reading aspect of their bond, known to all the werewolf pairs he’d met so far, was the one thing that had opened his mind to the bond.
Stepping forward, he brushed his cheek against t
he delicate feathers. “Well, I believe in you now. And I’d like to get to know you better. But I’m worried about Tameron. If he’s as dangerous as you say, I don’t want to release him in case he brings back reinforcements and tries to take me by force,” he confessed, still not fully understanding the problem.
He covets you, Vanos whispered inside his head, while nudging River’s hair with his large beak. Not for his own sake, but for the power you possess. If you choose to accept your fate and the powers granted you by your maker, all other werewolves would follow. And more creatures, too, who are less powerful than you have proven to be.
“So, having me would help him take over the world?” he guessed, full of disappointment. He’d had no attraction or interest in Tameron, even before today, but it was still sad to know that a bunch of the most powerful creatures were going to try to claim him, to use his power as a tool for their own ends.
The thought of being lowered to nothing more than a pawn in their game of power made River furious and, before he realised it, a growl escaped him.
Immediately after, warm wings enveloped him, along with a soft pip of sound that seemed more pained than soothing. River lifted his head and gazed up at his Griffin, realising that he was still in pain.
“Let me take care of your wing, then we can continue to talk,” he offered, pulling away, so that he could get to work. He didn’t know much about birds, but he used hot water treated with a special herb he often used on his own wounds to cleanse the various small cuts in between the feathers. Then he tightly bound the largest and deepest cuts.
Vanos flinched a few times and ruffled his feathers once, as though to get him to back off, but River was more patient now that he was in a good mood. And that thought made him feel awful for how he had treated his true mate.
“I’m sorry I was so rude to you earlier,” he began, while packing his supplies and kneeling before the majestic Griffin. “I haven’t had a great six weeks, since people found out I was a werewolf. I’d managed to hide it until the rift opened and let so many more people like me through.”
