by Chant, Zoe
She’d thought it was impossible to feel like this. Yet here she was, hopelessly in love with a man who could turn into a griffin.
He’s a good guy. He might be a shifter—but he’s a good guy. If I pull back now, if I decide to end this here, he’ll let me. He’s not the sort of man who’d hurt a woman.
Her heart was still pounding in her chest as she looked at him.
If she pulled back now—what then? She’d left her old, boring, normal life behind. She’d given up everything she’d known to hunt for information about the supernatural.
It had been the scariest thing she’d ever done. But it had also been unexpectedly freeing.
Instead of being the timid, mousy call center agent who cried in the bathroom at work at least three times a week, she’d sold her car, quit her job, dyed her hair, and left the country for the first time in her life.
She was no longer the person she’d once been. And she was sick and tired of the past Chiara who’d let chances slip by. The old Chiara’d allowed others to work her to exhaustion, until it felt like she would live and die in that gray haze of numb tiredness. She’d be working, paying the bills and sleeping on her rare days off until she was old and gray and no one would want her anymore.
But that Chiara was dead now. She’d killed her herself.
The new Chiara was perhaps a bit weird, or so people said—but she was strong and brave. She traveled. She went into old bookstores to look through books on magic. She followed treasure maps.
And why shouldn’t she love?
Sure, it might not work out. But she wouldn’t know until she tried it. And even if it didn’t work, at least she wouldn’t die without having loved.
Really loved, butterflies and all.
She took a deep breath. Then she reached out, resting her hand on Jared’s.
Again, a surge of heat went through her, her entire body tingling with a desire much stronger than anything she’d felt before.
“I still don’t know if I should trust you,” she said softly. Her heartbeat was as loud as a drum in her ears. “But I want to. I want to trust you, Jared, with all my heart.”
His gorgeous, azure eyes darkened. At the same time, spots of light seemed to flicker in them like stars. Distant suns burning far beyond, their light traveling even through the coldness of space.
She felt lightheaded. But she also felt that she was right.
Nothing in her life had ever felt as right as this.
She watched as he leaned forward.
Even now, he was moving slowly enough that she could have moved out of the way if she’d wanted to.
She felt an unexpected surge of tenderness. How was it that the man she’d thought was a monster was so much kinder and more thoughtful than any of the human men who’d claimed to love her?
Then their lips met, and she felt all remaining fears melt away.
It was right. She didn’t understand how or why—but she wanted him, more than she’d ever wanted anything.
His hands cupped her face. Then he buried his fingers in her hair as his tongue explored her mouth. He kissed her so tenderly that she found herself melting into his touch.
Warmth filled her. She felt as if she was drowning in his scent—warm, masculine musk mingled with something that smelled inexplicably like freedom, like the cool, crisp air of rugged mountaintops.
She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself closer. Desire filled her, hot and sharp, like something coiled tight in her belly.
And when he gently pushed her down, she followed all too willingly, never letting go of him.
He was still hard. She could feel his arousal, hot and firm against her thigh. His mouth was still on hers, the heat of his tongue playing with hers, making her clutch at his shoulders, holding him pressed to her body.
It was everything she’d always thought was a lie. His touch set her body on fire. Her nipples were drawn up tight, aching for a touch, and she could feel wetness drip from her folds.
Her body was ready for him. Her body wanted him, the way she’d never wanted anyone before.
And he wanted her just as much. She had no idea how she knew it, but for some reason, she could feel the same helpless desire thrumming through him when she pressed her hand against his skin.
Maybe it was just the fact that they’d nearly died yesterday. Maybe it was the aftereffects of the adrenaline of being kidnapped and rescued, all in one day.
She wouldn’t know, after all. Her life had been mind-numbingly boring before.
But right now, she didn’t care what had caused this. She was a new person. A woman who was tired of waiting. Someone who took her life into her own hands and grasped with both hands at any chances life gave her.
“Do you want to—” he began, his voice deliciously hoarse.
Chiara didn’t even let him finish the sentence.
“Yes,” she said with determination, her body throbbing with need. “I want you. I want this.”
At her words, his hard arousal gave a jolt against her thigh. His eyes heated, the blue so bright that it felt like she was looking at a brilliant summer sky.
He let go of her for a second, reaching over for the nightstand to rummage through the drawer. After a moment, he pulled back with a frustrated look.
“Shit. There aren’t any—”
“It’s okay,” she said, interrupting him again. “I just want to touch you.”
She felt almost lightheaded with need, and although there was a bit of disappointment—she’d really wanted to feel him—there were other ways to make him feel good.
Right now, she’d take any excuse to get her hands on his body.
She sat up, then boldly pulled off her shirt. As he watched, she reached around to unhook her bra, loving the way his eyes widened.
A second later, he was on her again, his hands reverently cupping her breasts as he kissed her.
That hadn’t been what she’d wanted, she thought dizzily as he pressed her down again.
Every flick of his thumbs against her nipples made her arch, her body pulsing with need for him.
She’d wanted to touch him, to feel his arousal in her hand and make him feel good...
Impatiently, she grabbed hold of his shirt and tugged on it.
“Get it off. Now,” she said, then added for good measure, “Please!”
She’d never been so forward before, but right now she felt as if she’d die if she didn’t get to feel his skin against her own.
He laughed, the sound low and soft. It made new sparks of heat erupt in her belly.
Then he sat up and easily pulled off his shirt. Her mouth went dry as her eyes traveled across the broad planes of his chest.
He was all hard, defined muscle, powerfully masculine. There was a light scattering of hair on his stomach, a trail leading down from his navel, vanishing beneath his pants.
As she stared, his hands went to open his jeans and push them down. And then, at last, he was fully naked, his arousal on display—hard and large, dark with blood. All because of her.
Hastily, she wriggled on the bed, stripping out of her own pants. The purple panties she’d worn beneath were already soaked through.
Before, the few times her dates had gone this far, she’d always felt incredibly self-conscious to get to this part. But right now, with his eyes on her, all she could feel was the heat of her desire filling her until she forgot all thoughts but her need for him.
She reached out for him again—and then, at last, they were skin to skin.
She gasped when he pulled her into his arms. He was strong, his shoulders broad—perfect for holding on to.
And she did need something to hold on to when his mouth traveled down from her throat again, searching out her nipples.
Every flick of his tongue set her on fire. Her inner walls pulsed, more wetness dripping from her as his tongue circled a nipple.
She ran her hands through his hair, holding on to the glorious, golden strands as he gently push
ed her back down again, his mouth caressing her breasts.
And then his mouth traveled further down.
He tasted her, slowly and tenderly, his tongue exploring her folds while she kept holding on to his hair. No one had ever done this to her—she hadn’t even thought of it as something he might want to do. She’d thought that she would stroke him, and just seeing him find his pleasure would be enough for her.
Now, instead, she found herself trembling on the bed as he took his time with her, his mouth taking her to heights she hadn’t thought possible.
She realized she was moaning when his tongue began to circle her clit. Gasping for breath, she released his hair at last. Instead, she clenched the sheets between her fingers, her entire body tense as incredible pleasure filled her at every caress.
And then his tongue got more demanding. All of a sudden, she found herself driven over the cliff, pleasure pulsing through her as white-hot heat rushed in, filling her entire body with fire as she throbbed beneath him.
His mouth was still on her, making the pleasure last and last, new pulses of ecstasy spiraling through her whenever she thought the pleasure was abating. Finally, it got so intense that she had to close her eyes.
He drove her on and on. Her heart raced in her chest as she felt herself coming completely apart.
And then, for some reason, in the darkness behind her closed eyes, she saw a light.
It was a brilliant gold, throbbing in time with her pounding heart. It grew brighter and brighter, until at last everything else fell away.
There was just his touch, the light, and the almost unbearable pleasure.
When it finally died away and he released her, she had to struggle to open her eyes. She felt utterly exhausted—and completely fulfilled, in a way she’d never before.
None of the small handful of men she’d dated had ever wanted to waste much time on foreplay—and it wasn’t like she’d missed it. She hadn’t even known that it was possible for sex to be this good.
At least, it had been this good for her. Now that her racing heart was finally slowing, she realized that Jared was still just as hard.
She felt a small smile appear on her own lips as she pressed herself against him.
“Good?” he asked her—sounding both hopeful and just a little bit smug, as if he knew exactly what he’d done to her.
And of course, with the way she’d been writhing beneath him, it had been more than obvious how good it had been for her. He’d completely earned the right to be a little smug about it.
But that didn’t mean that she couldn’t do her part to make him feel good, too...
“Incredibly good,” she sighed, wrapping one arm around his shoulder.
Her other hand slowly trailed down his body, admiring the hard muscles rippling across his stomach with every breath he took. Her hand drifted even further down—and there he was, beautifully hard and hot, his skin strangely soft, like velvet over steel.
He groaned in appreciation as she closed her hand around him. Then he buried his hand in her hair to pull her into another kiss.
That was new, too. The way he seemed to want to be close to her, constantly.
So far, she’d thought that men mainly wanted sex. The men she’d dated had hated cuddling in bed—and, she realized only now, none of them had been a good kisser.
Jared, on the other hand, kissed her as if he couldn’t get enough of her, his tongue playing with hers until she was breathless again.
She stroked him, slowly and demandingly, wishing she was better at this. But then, everyone had to start somewhere, and she certainly wouldn’t mind getting to practice a lot on him...
Embarrassed, she realized that she was daydreaming about a future with him.
A future with a shifter.
But right now, all the things she’d dedicated her life to—the werewolves, the aliens, the magical artifact—seemed completely and utterly unimportant.
There was nothing that could possibly be more important than the sensation of his lips against hers, the hot, demanding tongue exploring her mouth—and the rock-hard erection she was stroking.
Experimentally, she tightened her grip a little, twisting her wrist every time she reached the tip, and he moaned in appreciation into the kiss.
She stroked him again, once, twice, loving the breathless sounds he made. And then his body tightened, his muscles going hard against her body, and he came with a gasp against her lips.
A warm glow filled her. Chiara realized she was smiling. She trailed her fingers across his body, appreciating the way the muscles moved beneath his skin.
Shifter or no—nothing about this felt wrong. If anything, it felt more right than the sex she’d had with human men.
Which admittedly wasn’t that much—but enough to know that something about this was special. That she didn’t regret a single second of it.
And that she wanted to do it again.
Maybe it’ll all be all right, somehow, she thought as she allowed him to pull her against his body again.
His powerful chest made an unexpectedly comfortable pillow for her head. After a moment, she let her eyes drift shut.
She had absolutely no idea where all of this was going to lead. But she knew that she was tired of running, tired of hunting for information, tired of people calling her crazy.
Just once, she wanted to rest and relax and get to feel normal again. Like someone with a future.
Like someone who could be loved.
Chapter Fourteen: Jared
In the morning, they left the little cabin together. Jared shifted and flew them back to the mountain valley with its picturesque little town.
They only spent a few minutes hastily grabbing Chiara’s things from the small hotel, and then they were off again, just in case Zane had set a watch.
Chiara hadn’t yet figured out what the map on the amulet they’d found might mean. But it had to be a map.
“How do you feel about seeing a little more of my world?” Jared asked her after they’d spent some hours soaring across fields of lavender, resting in an olive orchard. “There’s someone I know who’s good with old maps.”
“A shifter, you mean?”
She didn’t sound quite as scared anymore as she had before. Of course, that might change once she met Gareth, the chimera. But on the other hand, Chiara loved research and discovering the mysteries of the supernatural world—and there was no one more knowledgeable than the chimera.
“A chimera,” Jared said. “He’s the master of the council of elements. He knows a lot.”
“A chimera,” Chiara repeated weakly. Slowly, she shook her head, as if she still couldn’t believe that Jared wasn’t ever going to call her crazy for believing in shifters.
Then she took a deep breath. “Sure. Why not?”
Jared reached out and took hold of her hand, pressing it in relief. “I think you’ll like my world,” he promised. “It can be weird—but I promise it’ll never be as scary as what you went through before.”
Her smile was still a little wobbly, but she had that look on her face he’d come to know so well—a look of pure determination.
The same determination that had made her cross an ocean to search for a shifter artifact.
No, he was sure that Chiara could deal with anything the shifter world might throw at her.
***
They caught a plane that same evening.
They were both exhausted from the long day of flying, and they didn’t want to talk much, in case any of the humans around them overheard their conversation. Even though Jared had booked tickets in first class and the seats were arranged so that it felt as if they were in a little cocoon of their own, shielded from everyone else close to them, he didn’t want to risk anything.
After all, Zane had human lackeys now. Which was a worrying development, and one the chimera wouldn’t like.
He didn’t think that there were any spies on their plane—but still, it didn’t hurt to be careful.
Once they’d returned to American soil, Jared shifted again. And then, with Chiara on his back, he soared. Blue sky stretched above them, sunlight warming his feathers as he brought his mate to one of the few places he truly considered home.
“Oh, my god,” he heard Chiara breathe when they finally approached the seat of the council of elements.
The mountain rose high before them. The summit was hidden in clouds.
Thanks to the chimera’s magical defenses, no humans had ever come close to the mountain.
And it would be good to be home, if only for a short while. He only hoped that Chiara would enjoy it as much as he thought she would...
He beat his wings, rising higher and higher, joy filling him at the sensation of the wind playing with his feathers. Above them, clouds had moved in front of the sun now, but Jared ignored them as he kept rising.
He could feel Chiara’s hands tightly holding on to his neck. She was a little tense, but she didn’t feel scared.
And then he dove straight into the clouds.
Chiara gasped. He sent a wave of reassurance through the fragile bond that had begun to form between them. Her own excitement came rushing back into him in answer, and his griffin’s beak opened in amusement.
Just as he’d hoped—she was seeing it as an adventure.
Warmth filled him. Maybe it would all work out after all. She’d changed her mind about him being a shifter, after all. And he didn’t doubt that she’d feel the same about Ginny, the mouse shifter, who was currently playing housekeeper for the chimera.
A second later, he broke through the clouds. The sun was shining down on them, warm and bright—and it was shining down onto the rugged mountaintop before them.
Stark, gray rock gleamed in the brilliant light, so close that Chiara cried out and tightened her hold on him.
Jared swerved a little, tilting his wings to slow down—and then he landed on an outcrop of stone that had appeared in front of them.
They were finally home.
He allowed Chiara to climb from his back before he shifted back into his human body. She barely had eyes for him; instead, she was staring at the large opening before them.
