by RJ Blain
I rolled my eyes at his favorite method of tricking me into going with what he wanted. “You’re shameless.”
“I’m an owl. We defined what it means to be shameless.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Daniel.” I tore into the paper, found a small box within covered in duct tape, and waged a bitter war to gain entry to my prize.
Another box wrapped in clear tape waited inside. If his goal was to keep my attention and ensure I spent the rest of my life obtaining my revenge, he succeeded marvelously. “I should be grateful you didn’t pull this shit where people might see me fighting with this tape.”
“That had occurred to me after I’d finished wrapping it.”
“This better not attack me.”
“Nothing inside will attack you.”
I didn’t believe him, but if I wanted to find out what was inside, I needed to accept the dangers of opening a potentially sabotaged present. The first glint of trouble made its appearance after I defeated the first layer of tape. “I’m not cleaning the glitter out of the carpet.”
“But it’s edible glitter and sugar.”
Fuck. “You either like ants or you felt the need to demonstrate your capacity for being an asshole.”
“I also enjoy watching you try to figure out how to eat the delicious treat I’ve placed inside that box as a booby trap. Now that you know it’s edible, you’re going to be less likely to want to spill any of it. I’ll be amused for hours while you try to get that open without wasting food.”
“You, sir, are a jerk.”
Daniel grinned at me. “But I’m a jerk who gives you what you need.”
“In what universe did I need a box full of edible glitter and sugar?”
“This one.”
I grabbed my new pot and pan set, tore into it, and retrieved the largest pot possible. To make it clear he wouldn’t thwart me, I cleaned it, made certain it was completely dry, and went to work retrieving my prize and preserving the sugar and glitter for later use.
Within twenty minutes, I questioned how such a small box could contain so much sugar and glitter. I glared at the mess in the pot, wondering what I’d do with so much sugar and edible glitter. Inside, another box awaited my attention, but unlike the others, it was only held together with a few strips of ribbon and a tiny bow.
“Your expression is priceless.”
Was it? I grabbed the box and eyed it. “Is this going to spill more food on me when I open it?”
“No. It’s the real deal. I’m impressed you were so determined to save some sugar and edible glitter you used your new pot, though.”
I flipped him my middle finger. “I will find something to do with this glittery sugar.”
“I have no doubt about that.”
After making sure I’d gotten all the glitter and sugar off the box, I tugged at the ribbon, discarded it and the paper, and worked off the lid.
I’d seen the keys to the work trucks often enough to recognize they belonged to a similar model, and my eyes widened as I pulled them out. Unlike the work trucks, it had a proper fob and alarm system, which put it as belonging to a newer vehicle. “Are these the keys to a truck?”
“They’re definitely not the keys to a car. After much discussion, I was forced to get you a diesel workhorse because you’d get pissy at the gas trucks, which, according to my sources, would never be able to handle the type of loads you’d be tempted to haul in it once you realize you have your very own manly truck for your personal use.”
I could live without mulching Brad’s body if I could run him over a few times in a big, manly truck. “You got me a truck?”
“We returned the rental because I was driving you around for the week, and I kept sneaking off while you were working to finalize the paperwork for your new truck. You kept hissing at the rental and complaining it was too dainty, which led me to believe if I wanted to earn your proper favor, I’d secure a proper vehicle for you. You can now mock me that I have to use an FBI vehicle while you romp around in your big, manly truck.”
“Where is it? How good do you think it’d be at dragging the body?”
“It’s parked somewhere safe, and I’m sure it’d be very good at dragging a body. I’m not entirely unconvinced you can’t drag an entire house behind this thing. It’s a very big and manly truck.”
I decided I could easily listen to him talk about my big, manly truck all day long without complaint. “Tell me more,” I demanded.
“It’s baby blue because I couldn’t bring myself to ask for it to be painted in pink.”
“Custom color?”
“Custom color. No flame decals, though. If you want flame decals, you’ll have to go to the auto parts store and pick them out yourself. I’m sure you can find some add-ons to get for your big, manly truck using your gift card.”
I had the best co-workers, and if Daniel meant to spoil me rotten, he was doing a good job of it. “You told them you were getting me a truck.”
“I may have been guilty of such a crime. I asked them what type of truck you would like. I never thought I could trigger the next World War with a question about trucks, but it got pretty intense for a while there. When I finally settled on a model, it got a stamp of approval from your co-workers.”
“That’s insane.”
“It’s part of being a lycanthrope. You’ll get used to it. And to sweeten the deal in your favor, I may have suggested to the CDC if they should ear mark part of Brad’s settlement fund to cover the full cost of the truck, which was approved as you needed a vehicle and work in the appropriate field. So, not only do you get a really nice truck, technically, Brad had to pay for it.”
“So, are you telling me that I’ll get to drag Brad’s dead body behind a truck you bought me with his money?”
“That sounds about right.”
“Is this when I’m supposed to tell you I love you?”
“You can do that whenever you want, however often you want, and wherever you want, but I assumed as much since you’d agreed to marry me. I’m even opting to ignore your primary motivation was securing Brad’s dead body.”
“I’d consider it a secondary motivation with multiple goals, including getting on with the rest of my life and setting Miranda up with a real man.”
“Does that make me your primary motivation?”
I looked him in the eyes and replied, “I haven’t felt a burning need to murder you and hide the body. Does that count?”
“You’re an evil woman, Emily.”
I smiled. “But you like it, and that’s what matters, right?”
“You have me figured out. Since you were cruelly forced away from work a day early, what would you like to do today?”
“Let’s go on a hunt!”
Daniel laughed. “You just want me to feed you again, don’t you?”
“How’d you guess?”
Chapter Eight
Why did we bother to make plans? Plans always had a way of failing.
Failure, broken dreams, and unfinished plans littered my life. Some had opened doors, some had closed them, and others diverted me from my original goals and changed me deep inside. I wasn’t sure if I believed in fate. Was it fate I’d join forces with my virus to claim the one man we could both agree on? My virus had jumped to conclusions faster than I had, but time had convinced me Daniel was a mistake I wanted to make, if I could consider him a mistake. I couldn’t. All along, he’d been caught up in the consequences of Brad’s actions. We both had our reasons to want revenge. We both wanted to move on. We both wanted to claim some form of happiness.
I found joy in flight and following Daniel, who flew circles around me without trying. Maybe one day I’d grow enough to keep up with him, but I didn’t mind chasing after his tail. I appreciated the view, and I could spend hours observing him cut through the air on silent wings.
From the comfort of our apartment, he guided me away from civilization towards the mountains, the ideal place for us to hunt without anyone bothe
ring us. We stopped more often than I thought Daniel liked to give me a chance to catch my breath, and while I recovered, he always brought me a mouse to snack on to keep up my strength. He ate, too, although he always made certain to bring me something first.
I almost blamed the lycanthropy virus for his behavior, but then I realized if he left me to fend for myself, I’d still be on the outskirts of the city hunting for my first snack of the day. When he’d taken me on my first hunt, he’d promised me it would get better. It would take time, but it would get better.
My virus cared less about getting better and more about sticking close to Daniel, and I didn’t blame it. The virus viewed the world in a different way than I did. Daniel represented comfort and safety to my virus. I doubted I’d ever get used to the sense of security he’d brought with him when he’d come crashing back into my life.
In time, I’d accept what my virus embraced. It helped Daniel understood I needed time to adapt. Change came in many ways, but I scooted closer to the edge. Tomorrow, I’d fling myself right over a cliff into a new life.
I counted the hours down to my new beginnings and the closure I’d needed for so long. It wouldn’t make me a good person, but I’d wear the badge of my sins with pride. Too much hinged on Brad’s death.
Miranda deserved better.
So did I.
Our plans faced a critical breakdown when we discovered we weren’t the only ones hunting in the mountains. I spotted the wolves first, and they hunted one of their own. I landed on the nearest branch, tense while I observed the hunt below. Daniel settled behind me and worked his beak into the feathers behind my neck, preening until I relaxed.
When the hunting wolves disappeared through the trees, Daniel bumped me, took flight, and pursued them. I followed, waiting for him to find a new place to land before joining him. The hunting wolves circled their target, and while I suspected their lethal intent, my virus anticipated it, savored the impending violence, and urged me to help out.
We liked the idea of one less wolf in the world.
I reined my virus in and dug my talons into the branch. I would limit my hunt to Brad. I’d be wearing the white dress Daniel had insisted on buying for me along with several others, holding a white crowbar decorated with ribbons. It’d be a gift to my bridesmaid-of-murder as much as a gift to myself.
What other wolves did with each other was no concern to me.
I thought about it, deciding my virus had infected me with a malicious streak a mile wide, since I found the hunt below interesting. Why did they hunt one of their own? Would the wolves play with their prey? I’d always believed wolves to be pack hunters, putting their pack above all else. Did the lone wolf belong to a different pack?
Damn it. Why hadn’t I kept a pellet? I could’ve made so much wonderful mayhem dropping a single pellet into the fray. I fluttered my wings and considered appeasing my virus’s desire to play with the wolves. I hopped along the branch, found a small branch, and broke it with a foot, gripping it in my talons.
Daniel hooted at me, and I ignored his disapproval, swooping off my branch with my prize. I aimed for the hunted wolf and dropped the stick on its head.
It howled, leaping in the air and snapping its teeth at me. It came short of catching me, although I hooted my alarm at how high the damned beast could jump.
Stupid wolves.
My virus snapped a lot like the stick had and demanded blood, and I got the feeling it wasn’t too picky about who bled as long as it wasn’t me. I beat my wings to keep out of the wolf’s reach. Either my alarm had gotten under Daniel’s skin or he gave up fighting off his virus’s instincts, but he dove into the fray and went for the wolf like I went for my first cupcake of the day.
I hadn’t realized just how much bigger Daniel was compared to me until he plowed into the wolf and drove him down to the ground in an explosion of fur and feathers. The feathers infuriated my virus, and I dove in to join the fight.
The four wolves joined in, and a mouthful of sharp teeth snagged the back of my head, using enough force to promise a bloody mess probably leading to death. I let loose my shrillest scream and flapped my wings. A pair of paws pressed against my back and pinned me to the ground.
Daniel hopped towards me, spread his wings, and hissed at the wolf who held me.
The other three pounced on the wolf we’d attacked and finished what we’d started, albeit they’d allowed it a chance to fight back before they tore it to pieces, leaving tufts of fur scattered between the trees.
Ew.
“Seriously, you two?” Miranda scolded. “What are you two doing out here? You’re supposed to be at your apartment being all lovely dovey. Daniel, you should know better. Taking her out to wolf country? It’s like you wanted to teach her how…” She blinked. “Oh. You wanted to teach her how to hunt using prey big enough for her to hit?”
Miranda? I hooted my astonishment, swiveling my head to regard the woman with wide eyes.
Daniel changed directions and hopped to the woman, hooting, chirping, and hissing at her.
“You know I can’t understand you when you’re an owl. Shift to your hybrid form and explain yourself. I’d say shift to be human, but Emily would get pissy.”
I appreciated Miranda acknowledged I would, in fact, get unreasonably upset if she got to see Daniel naked the same time I saw him naked for the first time. We’d kept his modesty fully intact despite him having enjoyed more than a few peeks of me in the nude.
We’d come up with the convenient excuse of him wanting to make sure nothing went wrong with my shifts because I was still far smaller than he liked.
I hadn’t seen him in his hybrid form before, and wolves forgotten, I hooted my enthusiasm at her suggestion.
“And you should probably let Emily go before he remembers you’re holding her, Luke.”
Ah. Luke was one of my favorite of Miranda’s potential suitors, a lawyer like her who specialized in family law. He released me, and I hopped to Daniel. When my hooted demands didn’t work to make him shift to his hybrid form, I snapped my beak at him.
“I don’t need to speak owl to understand she wants you to show off your hybrid form. It’s not like you need to save it for her as a wedding present. She knows you have the hybrid form, and it’s not like you’re going to be getting any hybrid nookie until she develops the form, too. Don’t be shy.”
Daniel hissed, but he hopped a few steps away from me and shifted, his body growing into a more human, feather-covered shape, his feathers barred to match his more mundane form. His face blended owl and human, his mouth and nose replaced with a beak while he possessed more human eyes. I could understand why he refused to shift into his hybrid form often. Instead of human hands, he had the classic talons of a bird of prey, each sharpened to a lethal point.
Tomorrow, I’d be marrying a living, breathing weapon, and he looked soft enough to use as a pillow.
When had I become a lucky, lucky woman? My virus wanted to secure him as ours immediately, but I ignored it. Tomorrow would do.
Then I’d have a living, breathing pillow that doubled as a weapon all to myself.
Miranda planted her hands on her hips. “Was there any reason you decided to jump into that fight head first?”
Daniel pointed one of his talons at me, and I bristled, hissing at his wordless accusation.
“You can’t really deny you participated, Emily. I found it rather amusing your weapon of choice was a stick.” Miranda snorted and shook her head. “You have no idea who you helped kill, do you?”
“I do.” Daniel clacked his beak, and I blamed his beak for his difficulty with speaking. I could understand him, but I worried if he tried multi-syllable words, I’d struggle to understand him. “Mike.”
“His fault for snapping his teeth at your mate. He’s been picking up some of Brad’s bad habits, and we identified a woman he was targeting. The pack decided to take matters into their own hands. He refused to back off from his plans, and when we warned her, she mad
e it clear she wasn’t interested in becoming a lycanthrope. He pushed the point.”
“Official?” Daniel swiveled his head to regard Mike’s body.
“We caught him in the act. He was planning on spiking her drink to convince her to go home with him. The pack wanted to deal with him. It was approved.”
Daniel stared at me. “This is why he wouldn’t make his residency California. They treat this harshly. Two or three a year. But he went for you. That would’ve stood in court.”
“We’d told him if he made the Nevada line, he’d get to live but he couldn’t return to California.” Miranda rolled her shoulders. “Ned wisely decided to leave California, promised to join a good pack, and is being placed by the CDC.”
“And Brad?”
“He’s going to come here to find out why Mike’s dead. These four gentlemen want words with him. I’ve decided they can have a violent discussion tonight while I watch. You’re welcome to watch with me. We made a deal. They will take care of him while I watch. The one who fights the hardest for the right to court me gets his chance.”
“Brutal but efficient. I guess you’re going to hide the body up here?”
“Seems like a good idea. No one will find them anytime soon.”
“This was not our plan, Miranda.”
“This plan is better.”
“What happened to Emily wearing her dress and her crowbar? I got her a really nice crowbar for this, Miranda.”
“She’ll like it for work. I’m sure she’ll have use for a white crowbar one day. Emily doesn’t mind me dealing with the problem myself. Right, Emily?”
I stared at her, stared at him, shook my head, and turned around, hopping to the wolf I thought was named Luke. I hooted at him.
He translated my call as an invitation to drag his wet tongue over my face.
Wolf breath disgusted me, and I took flight to the nearest branch, hissing over his foul slobber.
“Luke, please don’t lick Emily.” Daniel clacked his beak and sighed. “You’re certain you want to go after Brad tonight, Miranda?”
“I’m certain. He encouraged Mike. He was encouraging Ned, too. Ned hasn’t acted yet, but Mike? He’d gone too far. You might want to teach Emily she shouldn’t throw sticks at a pack of wolves, though.”