Taking Shape

by Tielle St Clare

  He moved into the shadows, watching her as she followed him with her eyes. Finally, she sighed and closed her eyes. He waited, afraid to move, afraid to startle her.

  Her breathing evened out but he knew she wasn’t deeply asleep. He glanced behind him, considering the option of slipping downstairs and searching for the disk. He took a step back and her alarm screamed through the room.

  Nick stared at the clock. Who set their alarm for five o’clock on a Sunday? Frozen for a moment, he saw Tally snap awake. She rolled over, moving away from him to the other side of the bed where the clock sat blinking and buzzing. Seeing no other choice, Nick gathered his form around him, pictured the rubber ducky and poured himself into the image. His body collapsed and he lost his senses.

  Tally groaned as she rolled toward her bedside clock. Damn, she’d set it last night out of habit, forgetting today was Sunday. Her heart pounded in her ears and threatened to vibrate out of her chest as she collapsed back onto the bed.

  Wow, what a night. She dragged her arm up and over her eyes waiting for her heart to slow. The subtle movement shifted the sheet across her skin. Her bare skin. Tally looked down. She was naked? When had that happened? She’d been wearing a nightgown when she’d gone to bed.

  She pushed up onto her elbows and looked over the bedside. Her nightgown lay in a puddle on the floor. The dream came crashing back. Nick, stripping off her nightgown, throwing it down as he knelt between her legs, licking her, fucking her. It had been so clear, so real. She rolled over and the muscles inside her thighs twinged. She cupped her hand to her sex, surprised at the sudden ache between her legs. Like she really had been fucked hard last night.

  “That was some wild dream,” she said aloud, sitting up. She fluffed her hair back away from her face, trying to get the images out of her head. She rolled her head to the side, working out the kinks, and saw the rubber ducky lying on her floor in her doorway. “How did you get over there?” She climbed off the bed and picked up the toy. Looking back at the bed, she laughed softly. The sheets were crumpled and wrinkled as if she had spent the night in wild sex. She’d obviously been so caught in the dream she’d removed her nightgown and somehow flung the rubber ducky toward the door. She carried the toy into the bathroom and set it on the counter. She looked in the mirror. Her eyes were bright and tired but there was an energy flowing through her body. The glow that surrounded her seemed real and sexual.

  “Hmm. It’s a bad sign when my dreams are more exciting than real life.” She gripped her toothbrush and saw the rubber ducky staring at her in the mirror. The ducky’s smug smile made her blush. “Great. I’m embarrassed by my own sex toy.”

  Chapter Six

  Nick strode into the office and stopped. Caitlin and Devon leaned against the receptionist’s desk. Damn, he thought, he didn’t need this. Not this morning. His mind had been circling through explanations since he’d come out of the duck’s form on Tally’s bathroom counter. It was by the sheer grace of God that Tally hadn’t been standing beside him when the change had occurred. Thankfully, Caitlin had planned ahead and checked Tally’s usual Sunday schedule. She met her friends for breakfast early Sunday morning. When Nick came out of the form, he’d called Jameson who had appeared with clothes and dropped Nick back at his place. Now, Jameson was tracking Tally. Keeping her in sight. With the exception of a few hours yesterday morning, someone in their family had been watching her all weekend. It usually came to this at some point in every investigation. Thankfully with their family’s particular skills, very few people ever figured out they were being tailed.

  Nick started to walk by his brother and sister, hoping to ignore them, but their smiles stopped him.

  “What?” he demanded.

  “How was life as a sex toy?” Caitlin asked, letting go of the laughter she’d been holding back since yesterday.

  “Sometimes I hate you.” He moved past them into his office and dropped his coat onto the chair. Devon and Caitlin followed, naturally. He glared at his sister. “It was your stupid idea in the first place.”

  “I was joking.”

  “What?!”

  She laughed again and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes. “I was kidding. I thought you’d laugh and reject the idea but poof—you actually considered it.”

  “So you just had to egg me on.”

  “What else could I do? It was my sisterly duty to see if you’d actually go through with it. How was it?”

  Nick just glared at her in response.

  “Did you get the disk?” Devon asked, dragging them back to their purpose.

  “No.”

  “What happened? Surely you didn’t stay in that form all night.”

  Nick could hear the panic in Devon’s voice. That was a shifter’s greatest fear—trapped forever in a form from which he couldn’t free himself.

  “No, I came out of it.”

  “And you decided not to search…”

  Caitlin chuckled. “I think big brother got distracted by a certain accountant.”

  “Again?” Devon asked.

  “Yes,” Nick admitted. “And she took that damn briefcase with her when she left.”

  “So you have to go back in,” Caitlin pointed out. The twinkle in her eye made Nick snarl.

  “I’m not going back as an inanimate. I need something that I can control.” Unlike my libido, he thought, keeping the snide comment to himself. He looked at his brother and saw the same silent response.

  “I’ll handle it,” Caitlin announced. Nick started to protest but she shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll really do it this time.”

  Nick stared at her for a long moment but didn’t see any mockery in her eyes. She was serious this time. “Fine.” As they left, he saw the message light on his phone glowing. He dialed in and waited impatiently as the smooth voice of the voice mail greeter went through her spiel. Finally, he hit “0” and heard the message.

  “Mr. Conner? Martin Jessup. We’ve decided we won’t be needing your services any longer. It appears that Ms. Hayward is not a problem after all. Thanks for all you’ve done. If you’ll send me a final bill, I’ll get a check cut.”

  Nick tapped his pen on the desk. That was odd. Nick had left a message on Branch’s phone on Friday saying they were moving ahead. Why pull him off now? And strange that Jessup hadn’t said they’d decided Tally was innocent or they’d made a mistake, just that she wasn’t a problem.

  He heard Caitlin moving around her office. This case was officially closed and they all had plenty of work for other clients. Nick could send Caitlin and Devon home, call off Jameson. They could all have the day off. It was Sunday after all.

  But something didn’t sit right.

  Nick let his pen drop to the desktop. He would give it one more day. One more try to see what she kept on that disk she protected so well, then he’d back off. Jameson had reviewed the information Nick had sent him and found nothing unusual. Nick opened his computer and pulled up Tally’s file—everything they knew about her. She wasn’t stealing from AirPress. Nick would bet his reputation on it but she was hiding something and maybe that something was why he was hired in the first place.

  * * * * *

  “What’s this?” Nick stared at the puppy squirming in Caitlin’s hands. After a day spent plowing through computer files, he wasn’t in the mood for any more of her jokes.

  “Your way in.”

  He raised his eyebrows waiting for her to explain.

  “Same concept as the vibrator but you’ll be able to move around. Change into the puppy, I’ll deliver you. You’ll have free reign of the house.”

  He stared at the dog, currently licking his sister’s fingers, his little tail wagging with perky ecstasy. “I hate turning into little animals. Too yappy. It’s hard to keep control of their minds.” Everything had its own energy—even that stupid vibrator—but when dealing with a living creature, there was the added complication of psychic energy. In an animal, this energy revealed itself as instinct
. If he took on the puppy’s form, he would actually become a puppy with a human mind inside it. The human had to control the animal, fighting the natural instincts and innate responses. Some animals were easier than others. Baby animals tended to have very short attention spans.

  “You’d rather turn into an inanimate object?”

  No, but at least I had a chance of getting near Tally’s pussy. And that had worked so well.

  “Fine.” He took the dog from his sister and concentrated, absorbing the animal’s essence. It slipped into his system like a streak of electricity. The puppy stretched up and licked him across the chin. Nick smiled, no more able to resist the adorable puppy than hopefully Tally would be. He could easily imagine Tally on the ground, rolling around with the puppy—her eyes alight with laughter. The picture made his chest ache.

  Steeling his spine, he pushed the dog back in to Caitlin’s hands.

  “We’ll do it tonight. Late. So she doesn’t have a chance to get rid of the dog before bed.”

  Tally stared at the papers spread out across her kitchen table. No matter how she looked at the numbers on the Georgia plant, they didn’t add up. Profits were being tallied but she couldn’t find the source. She’d checked and rechecked the math but still it looked like money was appearing out of nowhere. She grabbed the expense lists for the factory. Maybe there was some savings realized that she hadn’t—

  The doorbell broke her chain of thoughts. She peered up at the clock. Nine forty-five? Who would be coming by at this hour? Richard? A warm shiver skipped down her spine at the thought. A repeat of the other night might have been part of her unconscious fantasies throughout the day. But as quickly as the thought came to her, it died. Richard had called and said he was safely in Chicago. He’d even called her “Baby Doll”. Ugh. She much preferred the hungry, growling “baby” when he was buried deep inside.

  She dropped her pencil on the table and went to the door, smoothing her clothes. The bell rang again. She peeked out the window. A woman in a crisp blue suit waited. Her lips were moving as if she was talking to someone.

  Still cautious, Tally opened the front door, keeping one foot behind it to block it from opening further.

  “Yes?”

  “Tally Hayward?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have a delivery for you.” She stretched her arms forward, pushing a brown bundle through the small opening of the door. Tally had little choice but to accept it. The door swung wide but that was no longer her biggest concern. It was the puppy twitching in her hands. The fluffy mound of fur was squirming and wiggling, as if trying to get closer to her. She pulled it against her chest and he began to lick her neck, up to her earlobe.

  “He likes you. Imagine that?”

  The puppy turned his head and released a little growl. The sound was low but hardly dangerous. The other woman chuckled and looked as if she was holding back a full belly laugh.

  She set a bag at Tally’s feet. “Here’s everything he needs for the next few days and a list of instructions on puppy care.” She started to turn away.

  “No, wait. What is this? You can’t leave him here. I didn’t order a puppy.”

  “He’s a gift.” She looked at a slip of paper. “From Nick Conner.”

  “Nick sent me a puppy? But I can’t keep a puppy.” She pushed out her hands, holding the dog away. He started to cry as soon as their bodies separated—the mournful, heart-wrenching cries of a puppy. The sound was so pitiful, Tally cuddled him back against her chest. He settled down and his little tail flipped back and forth in joy.

  “He doesn’t seem to want to leave you.” Again the woman looked on the verge of laughter. “But don’t worry. He’s housetrained.” She reached out and petted his head. “The best in his class at puppy school.” Another growl in her direction.

  “But why would Nick send me a dog? Can you keep him until I figure this out?” It was a sweet gift but she’d didn’t have pets. With the hours she worked, it didn’t make sense. Pets took time and energy. The puppy licked her chin. And love. She looked down into his deep blue eyes. They seemed to be pleading her with her…keep me, keep me. “He’s adorable—” Just like the man who sent him. “But…” She pled silently with the woman.

  “I’m sorry. It’s against policy. Once an animal has been delivered, it’s your responsibility.” She smiled and tilted her head. It was a friendly welcoming smile that seemed out of place with the casual relationship of a delivery person and her client. “It was nice to meet you, Tally.” She tapped the puppy on the head. “Be good.” There was a stern warning in her voice that the dog ignored. He rested his head against Tally’s chest and closed his eyes. “You’re going to have a time with that one. Good night.”

  The woman walked away. Tally could have sworn she heard her laughing as she went down the porch and back to her truck.

  Tally stood for a moment, thinking it had to be a joke. Nick couldn’t have sent her a dog. Why? Did he think she was in need of companionship? If so he should have come himself.

  With a sigh, she stared down at the puppy, now sleeping contentedly in her arms, his chin resting on her breast. He looked happy and pleased with himself. Almost as if his little mouth was smiling.

  There was nothing she could do tonight. She’d have to keep him tonight and return him to Nick tomorrow. She grabbed the bag of supplies and dragged it into her living room. Carrying the puppy carefully, she set him on the couch. She was two steps away when the cries started. He’d woken up and was standing at the edge of the cushions—alternately looking at her and the ground so far away.

  “You want to come with me? Okay, but no tinkling in my house, okay?” She doubted the puppy actually agreed but she picked him up and put him on the floor. With those sweet little puppy eyes staring at her, there was little chance she was going to get any more work done. It was time to admit defeat. The numbers were wrong and that meant someone was stealing. She’d have to talk to Edward Branch or Martin Jessup in the morning and tell them what she’d found. She gathered up her papers and tossed them into her briefcase. The puppy whimpered at her feet.

  “Are you hungry?” She looked through the bag that had come with him and pulled out a water bowl and puppy food. The dog sniffed the food and growled. “No good, huh?” She stood and stared at the cute little guy. He sat on the ground looking up at her with quiet adulation, melting any resistance she had to him. “Well, I’m ready for bed. How about you?” The puppy’s tail wagged furiously until she thought it would knock his little body over. “Need to go outside first?” She let him out into her backyard to do his business. He ran behind the one tree in her yard like he was shy then returned moments later looking as cute and adorable as ever. He ran back to her side and wagged his tail as if thrilled to see her again. Oh, he would be hard to give back. She crouched down and collected him in her arms, carrying him upstairs with her.

  “You really are too cute but I don’t think I can keep you.” The puppy whimpered as if he understood her. “Well, we’ll see.”

  The light immediately returned to the dog’s eyes. He sighed and snuggled against her, resting his head contentedly on her chest.

  Nick stared at the closed bathroom door and wondered if it was safe to risk changing into his human form. This puppy mind was driving him nuts. The puppy had no control over his reactions. Every emotion Nick felt the dog immediately amplified and showed. He briefly wondered if Tally thought it strange that the dog was reacting to her words.

  The thought passed quickly. Nothing stayed long in this puppy’s mind.

  The indignity of it all. First he’d had to pee in her backyard. Nick had been able to control the puppy enough to run behind a tree. Not that he was overly shy in his human form but he didn’t want Tally’s memories of him to be him lifting his leg.

  And then she’d locked him in the bathroom for the night.

  He heard a rustle of skin on sheets. Damn, I want to be with her. The puppy mind immediately reacted and the dog released a pitif
ul cry. And kept crying.

  “Oh, puppy, please be quiet,” Tally called from the other side of the door. But he could hear the guilt in her voice. He was getting to her. He kept crying and added a little scratching to the bottom of the door. She was silent for what seemed like a long time—though it was difficult to track the passage of time with the puppy’s short attention span. Finally he heard her move. Seconds later the door popped open and he skidded back.

  She was huge to him in this body but still adorable. Her scent was especially tempting. The puppy instincts took control and Nick felt his body twitch and shake with joy.

  “Okay, sweetie, you can come sleep with me.”

  Oh yeah. The tail whipped up into a frenzy.

  She held him against her chest all the way back to the bed. She lay down and placed him beside her. He crawled over her, cuddling between her breasts as she lay on her side. The warmth and her spicy scent enveloped him. The puppy’s mind responded to Nick’s pleasure at being beside her and instantly relaxed. Everyone had gotten what they wanted. Nick felt his eyes shutting and couldn’t keep them open. The puppy was exhausted and content. There was no way he could fight sleep.

  “You really are just way too cute,” Tally whispered. It was the last thing he heard before his mind faded to black.

  He woke with a start—the frantic puppy dream still racing through his head. He’d been bounding through a field of tall grass chasing butterflies.

  Nick recaptured the zipping little mind and lifted his head. He was snuggled up against Tally, practically sleeping between her breasts.

  The dog mind tugged at his attention but Nick managed to keep control. He had to get moving. Regretting the loss of her warmth, he slipped out of Tally’s embrace and padded to the edge of the bed. He peeked over the side. It was a long way down. He braced himself and jumped. The dog’s instincts took over and he landed gently on all four feet.