by Chant, Zoe
To a kind of normal-looking office kitchen. And asked me if I wanted a cup of tea.
Delilah managed to tear her eyes away from Euan’s broad back for long enough to glance around, trying to absorb more of her surroundings this time.
It really did look like a regular, albeit fairly fancy, office kitchen, kitted out in gray and white, a chrome kettle sitting on the bench next to an empty dish rack. It could have been the kitchen at her work.
Except no one there ever makes me a cup of tea, Delilah thought, as she watched Euan lifting the tea bag from the mug, the steam from the water curling up into the air above it.
“Milk and sugar?” Euan asked, half-turning back toward her.
“Both, thanks. Two spoons.”
Delilah swallowed, amazed at how… normal her voice sounded.
Am I really going to sit here and tell Mr. Hunk of the Decade how I like my tea after… after all that?
A shiver ran down her spine.
Not that I even know what all that even was.
If Delilah had been asked to put it into words, she wasn’t sure she could have. The only thing she’d known was that something was there, and that it was dangerous.
Something unknowable and unseeable, but definitely there.
Everything in her had been screaming at her to run, run, run, and not look back. Delilah felt her stomach twist into a cold, hard knot at the memory of it.
Euan had been right, though: she did feel safer here. He’d promised her she would, and somehow, she did.
She looked up as Euan crossed the kitchen to where she was sitting on one of the comfy lounges that lined the wall, her mug of tea looking very small in his huge hand. Her ill-fated gelati was still splattered across the front of his t-shirt too, though she guessed at least by now it’d be dry and sticky, rather than wet and sticky.
It’s chocolate, though, she thought ruefully. Nothing gets chocolate out.
“White with two,” he said as he placed the mug down in front of her. “That’s… kind of a lot of sugar, isn’t it?”
Delilah’s lip twitched as she lifted the mug to her mouth. She’d been hearing about how egregious it was to ruin her tea and coffee with that much sugar from baristas in trendy cafés since forever, and to be honest, she wasn’t sure whether she persisted with it now because she liked it or just out of spite.
Now, somehow, it felt comforting to hear something as normal as someone commenting on her sugar choices.
She could feel Euan’s eyes on her as she sipped her hot, sweet tea, cupping her hands around the mug. He was clearly holding back from asking her anything else until she’d had a chance to settle down and have her drink – but to be honest, she couldn’t say she blamed him for wanting to know what had just happened.
She’d like to know that herself.
May as well get it over and done with.
“Look, before you ask, I have about as many questions as you do,” she said, putting her mug down in front of her and looking him in the eye.
He really was kind of… distractingly handsome, she thought, swallowing. Dark haired, dark eyed, with bronzed skin. His hair was cut very short, almost a buzz cut, but that only made his gorgeous features stand out even more powerfully. The painter in her couldn’t help but admire his bone structure: high cheekbones, strong jaw, a chin that wasn’t too square or too round, just enough of a bump on his nose to make it interesting.
Gosh, he’d be great to paint, with all those strong lines and sharp angles, Delilah thought, realizing she was being a little inane considering everything that had happened, but it was hard to break the habit of looking at people and wondering how well she’d be able to capture them with canvas and oils.
“Are you sure about that?” Euan asked, frowning at her. “Because I have quite a few.”
Delilah nodded, forcing herself to look down at her tea to stop herself from staring at him. “I can imagine,” she said. “And I wish I had answers for you. But you’ll really have to take my word for it when I say I don’t have any.” She looked up, glancing around the kitchen, and then past Euan’s shoulder to the offices beyond it. “I don’t even know where I am right now. I don’t even know what – what do you call it? The Agency? – is.”
“You’re not a shifter, then.” Euan’s voice was blunt, his eyes looking directly into hers.
Delilah shook her head, bewildered. “No – you asked me that before. But I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“But you’re not human, either,” Euan said, his eyes narrowing.
Okay, that’s just rude, Delilah thought, staring at him.
“Is that some kind of joke? Obviously I’m human,” she said, shaking her head. “As human as you are.”
Euan’s eyes seemed to flicker at that, and he blinked, running his tongue quickly over his lips.
Uh, okay… Delilah felt a weird kind of unease creeping up her throat.
“I mean… you are human, right?” she asked, suddenly uncertain.
Euan didn’t answer the question. “The flash of bright light,” was what he did say. “That was you though, wasn’t it?”
“I don’t know what that was,” Delilah told him – which was the truth. It was also true that yes, she did think the flash of light had come from her. But that was also too bewildering to contemplate right now. Instead, she decided to focus on the fact that Euan hadn’t actually answered her question, and, despite his saying he had questions for her, she had the feeling he knew a lot more than she did. And if there was one thing she definitely wanted right now, it was some answers. “You keep saying things like the Agency, shifters – what is a shifter? You avoided it when I asked you directly if you were human, so is that what you are? A shifter? Because I’d really love to know what’s going on here. I trusted you like you asked me to, but you’re not being very helpful just now.”
Delilah realized she was being abrasive and that her voice was rising, but right now, she was at the absolute limit of her patience.
Euan was looking at her, his eyes so dark they were almost black and, despite how angry she was becoming, she could see the conflict in their depths.
“You’re right,” he said at last. “I haven’t explained myself very well. Delilah –”
“Well, we looked, but there was nothing out there, Euan. Nothing that we could see, anyway.”
Delilah blinked, whipping her head around at the sound of the voice behind her. She’d been staring so intently into Euan’s eyes, holding her breath as she waited for whatever he’d been about to tell her that she had forgotten there were even other people in the office building.
Annoyance fizzled through her stomach – it had seemed like Euan had finally been about to tell her something useful about what was going on! – but it quickly turned to surprise as her eyes fell on the men coming into the kitchen.
Do they grow them on trees here or something?!
The man in front – the one who had spoken, she assumed – was tall and kind of rangy, with dark blond hair, which he was currently in the process of running a hand through, as if he knew exactly how dashing it made him look. Behind him walked two other men, same height (extremely tall), same build (extremely muscular), same coloring (bronzed skin and dark hair), and Delilah wondered if they might be twins.
“Oh. Hey.” The tall one, noticing her, stretched out a hand. “Trent Bowman. Nice to meet you. And you are…?”
Oh right, he’s a ladykiller, Delilah thought, accepting his hand. But just now, I’m not in the mood to be, uh, killed.
“Delilah Park,” she said. Trent’s hand was warm, but apparently whatever adrenaline had been in her system before had worn off, because her skin didn’t tingle the way it had when she’d found herself latching on to Euan’s arm.
“Hector Richardson,” one of the other men said. Now that she looked at him, Delilah could see he was slightly taller. “And my brother –”
“I can introduce myself,” the final man said, a little impatiently
. “Rhys.” He jerked his head. “Like he said, I’m his brother.”
“Sorry, I’d like to say it’s nice to meet all of you –” she gestured at the trio of hunks “– but right now I really just want to know what’s going on. If it’s not too much to ask.” She glanced back at Euan. “Like what you were about to tell me just before, for instance.”
Euan’s expression was dark, but he nodded. “You’re right. I think we’ve been… talking past each other. It might be better if we start from the start. But…” He looked up at the man who’d introduced himself as Trent. “You said you found nothing out there?”
Trent shook his head. “Nothing. And believe me, I looked.”
Hector nodded. “Rhys and I took the risk of shifting and doing a quick aerial sweep. Neither of us could sense a thing.”
They’re talking about the… the danger I sensed out there before, Delilah realized with a jolt. But I know I felt something. It wasn’t just my imagination.
But even as the thought crossed her mind, she wondered: But how did I know?
Euan’s eyes slid to her face. He looked doubtful, but somehow, she knew that it was Trent, Hector and Rhys’s words he doubted, not hers.
“Delilah, what did –”
“Wait. No. Sorry.” She pressed her hands down on the table in front of her, looking around at all four of them in turn. “I don’t know about you guys, but I have never been more confused in my life. You all keep saying things like – like ‘shifting’ and ‘the Agency’ and whatever else, but I have no idea what any of that is. So until someone – and I really don’t care who at this point – explains to me what’s going on, I won’t be answering any more questions.”
She could see out of the corner of her eye that Trent, Hector and Rhys were exchanging glances, but Euan’s eyes stayed focused completely on her.
“That’s fair,” he said after a long moment’s silence. “I think I made some assumptions I shouldn’t have when we first met.”
Delilah blinked at him. Perhaps he had. But given how crazy the last half-hour had been, she thought she might be able to forgive him.
“Let’s start over from the very beginning,” Euan said. “No questions. No assumptions. Just the facts about who I – we – are.”
He leaned forward a little, and Delilah found herself swallowing, wanting to lean in closer to him.
“I work for the Agency. It’s a law enforcement organization that deals with shifter crimes only, and even then, only the high-level things, like espionage, illegal weapons trade, things like that.”
But what even are shifters? Delilah wanted to burst out, but she forced herself to hold back, waiting to hear what he had to say. Her heart had started to beat faster and faster with every word Euan spoke. Had she fallen into some kind of wormhole and come out in a James Bond movie or something? Had that been what that bright flash of light was?!
Maybe Euan had realized he’d gotten ahead of himself as well, because he grimaced before he continued. “But you also asked what shifters are. Shifters are… well, they’re different from humans. They can change their forms – shift – into other creatures. Almost any kind of animal you can name.”
“And some you probably can’t,” piped up Trent.
Delilah knew her mouth was hanging open, but right now, she didn’t feel like she had the wherewithal to shut it.
Is this guy for real?!
Maybe Euan saw her doubt in her eyes – well, on her entire face – because he looked a little grim.
“I’m not explaining this very well,” he said.
“No, no, you’ve been very clear,” Delilah said. “People who can shift form into other animals, like werewolves. It’s not the concept I’m having trouble with. I saw Twilight.”
I’m just not sure I believe it, she silently added in her head. She glanced up at Hector, Rhys and Trent, all of whom were nodding along as if Euan hadn’t just said something completely outlandish.
Perhaps coming here hadn’t been such a great idea after all.
“It’s pretty different from werewolves,” Trent said, speaking up again with a smile. “Werewolves only change their form during the full moon, and they can’t control their shift. They’re related to us shifters, but they’re not the same.”
Oh right, well, I’m glad that’s cleared up, Delilah thought.
It only hit her a moment later that Trent had said us shifters.
“So… all of you are shifters, then,” she said, looking at each of the men in turn. “You can all… change shape at will.”
Hector and Rhys nodded together. “That’s right,” they both said at the same time.
“Uh-huh.” Delilah nodded with them. She licked her lips. What was she supposed to say in a situation like this? The whole evening had been so weird that she was feeling like nothing she said or did even mattered anymore. She turned back to Euan. “I don’t suppose you could, like, show me, then? If you really can change?”
Euan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and for a moment, Delilah saw a strangely haunted look flicker in his eyes.
“I… can’t,” he said at last, as if the words were hard for him to get out.
“Oh. Right.”
How very convenient.
“But I can,” Trent said. He jerked his head at Rhys and Hector. “And so could they, but it might be a tight fit here in the kitchen.”
Hector nodded. “He’s right. Robb’s already had a go at me for breaking two coffee mugs this month. I don’t need him biting my head off because I knocked the microwave off the counter or something. It’d be better if you did it, Trent.” He glanced upward. “As long as the ceiling’s high enough?”
“Should be,” Trent said, frowning as he gazed at the ceiling. “That’s what, ten feet? I should fit. Just.”
Delilah’s mind was curiously blank as they chatted. After everything that had happened, she had literally no expectations for what was going to happen next.
“Okay,” Trent said, taking a few steps back. “But… let me warn you, this can be a little startling. Just remember kangaroos are herbivores, okay?”
Kangaroos? Delilah blinked. What does that have to do with literally anyth—
“Holy – holy shit!”
She hadn’t meant to shriek the words out loud – she definitely hadn’t meant to leap up onto the lounge she was sitting on, gripping the edges of it for dear life. But really, she wasn’t sure what else was the appropriate reaction to have to the fact that instead of the tall, kind of cute guy who’d been standing in the kitchen a moment earlier, there was now a giant fucking kangaroo.
“Delilah!” She heard Euan’s voice, then felt his hand on her arm. Just like before, it set her skin tingling, and a kind of comforting warmth shot through her, settling in her belly. Somehow, the touch of his hand calmed the sudden racing of her heart, as well as the purely instinctive panic that had shot through her at the sight of the massive creature appearing in the kitchen.
“Delilah, are you all right?” Euan’s voice was soft but insistent, and Delilah forced herself to take her eyes off the – the kangaroo (????!!!! Do they get that big??) and look at him.
“I – I’m okay,” she said, though she knew her voice sounded breathless and shaky.
But am I?
Physically, obviously she was fine. But she was clearly going to have to rethink some of her fundamental assumptions about the world.
As if a man disappearing in a puff of glittery smoke didn’t mean that already, she thought, as she turned her wide-eyed stare back to the kangaroo, which was now ducking its head a little as if to make itself look smaller – like that would make its appearance any less startling!
“What – what is that?” Delilah asked, grabbing one of the many questions that were whirring around inside her head and forcing it out of her mouth.
“A procoptodon,” Euan said. “You probably know them as giant extinct kangaroos.”
“Oh, right.” Delilah couldn’t quite believe she
was discussing this. “Except he’s not extinct. Obviously.”
“Not in shifter form,” Hector said. “But they’re the only ones who still exist. As animals, they really are completely gone.”
“Oh. Okay.” Delilah nodded, as if that made any sense whatsoever. She remembered learning about extinct megafauna in school – enormous marsupials and other mammals that had once roamed the earth, which were now only known from fossilized remains. She knew that it was possible some Indigenous legends were based on them.
She had never, however, expected to meet one.
Delilah gulped. For the most part, the creature looked almost exactly like the kangaroos she was familiar with. Just… bigger.
It – He? – still had the powerful back legs and feet and small forepaws of a regular kangaroo, the long tail, the brown eyes and quick, twitching ears. Delilah wondered how it hopped around – at this size, she’d be surprised if a herd of them moving fast didn’t cause a small earthquake.
But then, Hector said they’re still extinct. Maybe this is the only one that’s left.
“Okay,” she said, after a moment, still feeling a little breathless. “I – I think I get it now.”
He was still ducking down a little, watching her with his strangely intelligent but nonetheless completely animal eyes. But there was still an almost three meter-tall kangaroo in the kitchen, no matter which way you sliced it.
Euan’s fingers squeezed her arm gently.
“I’m sorry you were startled.” His voice was rough but soft. “I should’ve told Trent to wait a moment to prepare you more.”
Delilah shook her head. “No, no, I really don’t think that would’ve helped.” She swallowed, looking up at him. “So… you – you all turn into something like that?”
“Rhys and I turn into, uh, griffins,” Hector said. “So not quite the same.”
“Oh. Griffins. Of course.” Delilah decided that whatever else she was told today, she was just going to believe it right away. It seemed the simplest course of action. And it’d save her the time she spent initially disbelieving it, too.
“And you?” she asked, turning back to look at Euan.