Dearborn

by Jenni Moen

  “All right. That’s enough, you two. We’re burning moonlight.”

  I carried her through the house and out the back door. Leaving Clive behind, we crossed the lawn. “How do you feel?” I asked.

  “I’ll be okay. The bigger question is how do you feel?”

  I didn’t see how my emotional health was more important than her physical one, but Willow was always more concerned about me than she was herself. “Don’t you know?”

  She answered with a sly grin. “Maybe, but I’d rather hear about it from you.”

  I swallowed my pride, and it went down surprisingly well. “Well, I’m nervous. Anxious. Scared. Am I making you sick?”

  She shook her head, and her soft brown hair brushed against my shoulder. “I’m pretty sure the spell is broken.”

  “Spell?” I stopped at the creek. “You ready to stand?”

  “Yes.” Gingerly, I set her on her feet but didn’t let go until I was sure she could support herself. The sheet slipped to the ground, and she stood there, naked and unashamed. “Let’s do this,” she said. “My feet are freezing.”

  I hadn’t even noticed until she said something, but mine were, too. “What about my shorts?”

  “Do you like them?”

  “Well, yeah, I guess so.”

  “Then drop ‘em.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “Seriously. If you don’t, they’ll be torn to shreds.”

  I ran my thumbs along the waistband, suddenly shy.

  “I’ve seen you naked, Quinn. Inside the house and out here. Trust me, there’s nothing for you to be ashamed of.”

  She was the one who shouldn’t be ashamed. Her pale skin glowed in the pale moonlight, brighter than the snow. Small but perfect breasts pointed at me in the cold night air. My eyes drank her in. From head to toe, I worshiped her, my eyes lingering on places I’d only begun to explore.

  “Oh, there’ll be plenty of time for that too when we get back.”

  “Change with me and I’ll tell you everything.”

  Just wish for it.

  I didn’t know if there were special words I was supposed to say or if an intention was enough. I took a deep breath and went for it. Make me a deer again. Unseen forces within me shifted and twisted, but I kept my eyes on Willow, marveling instead on what the change did to her. Through the haze of the glimmering air around us, I watched her two legs become four. A rich, sandy brown coat replaced her creamy skin and curved down to a snow white underbelly. Her nose was big and black and round, possibly the least dainty thing on her. A pair of pert little ears sat high on her head. But her eyes—

  –they were the same.

  She blinked at me. We can talk like this now.

  I looked down and realized I’d been so mesmerized by her that I hadn’t even noticed my own discomfort as my body had morphed into something I still didn’t recognize. So we can read each other’s minds? Like Clive?

  Not exactly. I can hear what you want me to hear and vice versa. It’s much like talking only we don’t need to. If you don’t want me to know, I won’t, but you have to be careful. Not everyone has filters.

  Some people can hear everything.

  Ryan can hear everything all of the time. She somehow appeared apologetic. Or maybe I could pick up on her emotions like she could mine when we were walking around on two legs. I’ve been meaning to tell you that.

  I stamped my feet. Ryan is a mind reader, too. Good lord, I bet I’ve given him some good material to relay to you.

  I don’t play games. If I won your heart unfairly, it wouldn’t really be mine. I’ve asked Ryan to stay out of our heads. She took a few steps to try out her own legs. Though sometimes he breaks my rules and sometimes I have to be okay with it. His heart is usually in the right place.

  She took a few more steps in my direction and nuzzled my neck with her nose. I wouldn’t have known you were going out to Tim’s land if he hadn’t told me.

  I wish he hadn’t. You wouldn’t have been shot.

  But it would have been you, and you wouldn’t have known what to do or even that the arrowhead was poison. You probably would have died, Quinn. Alone. Without ever learning the truth. Things happen for a reason.

  And sometimes they happen for no good reason. I would’ve taken the shot for you even if was my last heartbeat.

  I know you would’ve.

  Ahhhhhh. I didn’t think I said that out loud.

  She nudged me again. See. I told you. You have to be careful. Learn to filter. Right now, you’re like an open book.

  Let’s walk for a bit. She took a few steps and then turned back to look at me. Right after we get over the creek. Several fast strides and a leap later, she’d cleared it. I followed right on her heels, making it a good two feet farther than she had before sinking into the snow.

  Very nice. You’re so much bigger than I am. I won’t be able to keep up when you really get going.

  I’m in no rush. Even as I said it, my legs twitched. I wouldn’t leave her behind, but something innate in me made me need to fly through the trees. It would have to wait, though. She needed to heal, and I needed information.

  I let her lead. Something told me it wouldn’t always be the case.

  What do you want to know first? I didn’t know if she was reading my mind or not. I didn’t have the telepathy thing down.

  I don’t even know where to start.

  We walked a few paces in silence before she spoke. Have you ever heard of The Legend?

  Of course.

  He had died before either of us was born, but supposedly, he was massive. Every hunter in three counties was trying to get him between their crosshairs.

  Tim’s uncle claims to have been the one who took him down though he never could prove it.

  So I’ve heard, but my point is that I would imagine it was a lot like now. It seems everyone is looking for the big buck you guys call The Monster. Do you realize the first sighting of The Monster was about a month after you came back to town?

  I suddenly realized where she was going with this. Are you saying I’m The Monster?

  That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’m sure of it, in fact. I know you can’t see yourself the way I can. But you’re huge. You tower over me. As far as I can tell, you usually go out at night, and people have only spotted The Monster at night. And of course, there’s the rack. That is one phenomenal rack. She turned to look at me, and if a deer could look coy, she did.

  I think I’m supposed to say that to you, not the other way around. So you’re saying I’ve been hunting myself?

  Isn’t it ironic? The Monster is safest when you, a trained sniper, is looking for him. But Quinn, it was early in the evening when I found you today. Did you fall asleep while you were waiting for me?

  I think so.

  I have a theory. I know you have nightmares a lot and you sleepwalk. I’ve seen you do it a few times. I followed you this morning.

  You did?

  Yes. You walked out the back door, down to the creek, and then you shifted and took off. I was too shocked to follow. By the time I pulled myself together, you were gone. Honestly, I never guessed you were one of us. Normally, we can sense our own kind. But neither Ryan nor I picked up any kind of two-natured vibe from you. So when you shifted in front of me this morning, I was completely shocked. Ecstatic but shocked.

  No one was more shocked by these revelations than I was. But you didn’t say anything when I came in this morning. We talked about my nightmares.

  Honestly, I didn’t know how to tell you. You should’ve started shifting when you were about sixteen, but I could tell this morning when you came back home and we talked about your nightmares that you had no idea you were even doing it. I wanted to do some research before I talked to you about it.

  So I’ve been doing this for half of my life and I didn’t even know it? There was no way.

  No, I don’t think so. I think you’re a late bloomer. It’s been sitting dormant in your system, waiting to be triggered. I think eithe
r the PTSD triggers it or the ley lines triggered it when you came back to town.

  Ley lines?

  They cross and run through Running Deer State Forest and act like a magnet drawing creatures and other magical beings like us.

  Ley lines. Magical beings. None of this seemed real. So you think they’re to blame for … this.

  Well no, I think they triggered the shifter in you, but they aren’t to blame for it. That’s your parents’ doing, and I was actually on my way to your mother’s tonight when I saw your truck out at Tim’s and stopped. As soon as I got out of my car, I could feel the presence of a shifter nearby. So apparently, I can sense you in this form but not your human form.

  I just … I don’t know. I stopped to try to look at my reflection in an iced-over creek, but there was too much snow on the top of it. She snorted a real deer snort and then I heard a giggle in my head.

  You can shift at home so you can look at yourself if you want, but you had better not tear up my house.

  I laughed. With my magnificent rack?

  She ducked her head. Exactly. Look, your mother should have told you all of this years ago. It’s your heritage and your story, and she withheld it from you. I was going over there to confront her. One of us was going to tell you the truth tonight, and I wanted to give her the opportunity to make it right.

  Is my mom one of you too?

  One of us, Quinn. Us. No, she’s not.

  So then my dad was?

  He was. She pressed her big black nose into my neck, and I felt her need to be closer to me. I spent the afternoon doing some research, and I know who your father was. He wasn’t who your mom said he was. His name was Russell Buckley, and he was a well-respected doctor who moved to town a few years before you were born. By the humans in town, he was known as The Legend.

  My chest suddenly felt heavy. My head sagged to the ground. Tim’s uncle shot my dad and killed him? I asked.

  He was hit by a silver arrow like I was today. Apparently, those stupid silver arrows are a fancy-pants Reyburn thing.

  I knew it to be true. They had them custom made and each one was actually imprinted with the Reyburn ‘R.’ Once upon a time, I’d thought it was cool. Do they know about us and want to kill us? Is this some crazy vendetta?

  We don’t think so. After your dad had died, there was some discussion about that, but ultimately it was decided that it was just a horrible accident. Still, my family wasn’t pleased when I briefly dated Tim.

  I bristled and stamped the ground a few more times.

  Your dad ran, she continued. It’s instinct when you’ve been hit, and he ran for miles. He made it almost to the park before the poison in his system forced him to change back to his human form. The herd sent out a search party for him, but it was more than a day before they found him, and it was too late.

  She stuck her head under my neck and nudged my head up again. So can you imagine what it was like to be your mom at the time? She was young and crazy in love with your dad. Apparently, no one even knew they were dating when he died, leaving her alone and pregnant. I think she protected you the only way she knew how.

  By not telling me who my father was? I snorted out a puff of air in anger.

  According to Janice’s diary, Janice was the only person she told. Since your mom’s not a shifter, there was only a fifty percent chance you’d inherit the gene and continue the bloodline. I guess she couldn’t bear the idea of you following in the footsteps of your dad, so she took matters into her own hands. It was wrong, but I don’t blame her.

  What do you mean?

  Janice wasn’t one of us either, but she was well versed in magic.

  I couldn’t help myself. I snorted and then could practically feel the eye-roll coming from Willow.

  You saw what Clive did for me tonight. He’s Janice’s half-brother. All the ‘stuff’ I was talking about him taking is her wizardry stuff down in the basement. I’ve been hanging onto it all this time because I didn’t know what to do with it. He saved my life, and who knows, maybe Janice saved yours. I don’t know what would have happened if you’d shifted the first time while you were away. There would’ve been no one there to explain what was happening to you.

  Willow had sufficiently returned me to my place of little knowledge. I’m sorry. So what exactly did Janice do for me?

  At your mom’s request, she put you under a cloaking spell. It hid you from us, making it so we couldn’t sense your second nature.

  How’d you figure all of this out? As crazy as it all sounded, I believed her.

  Clive has been giving me some hints, but I didn’t pick up on them. After watching you shift this morning, though, I had a little chat with him, and he led me to Janice’s diaries. It’s all in there. You can read it for yourself if you want to.

  I shook my big heavy head. I think I’ll take your word for it.

  There’s something else. A few weeks ago, Clive called my love for you contrived.

  Rage flared through me. He’d saved her life, and for that, I would be eternally grateful, but there was nothing contrived about the way we felt about each other.

  Easy there, tiger. She nudged me again with the side of her head, and my anger instantly dissipated.

  Do you know any of those?

  She giggled again. A few. You know a bear.

  Who?

  Ryan.

  That’s fitting. He looks a little bear-like.

  I know, right?

  Vanessa?

  She’s a woodpecker.

  Oh. So there’s no problem with interspecies dating?

  In their case, yes, but not generally. Love is love. Get it any way you can seems to be the general consensus. But Vanessa and Ryan’s families have always been at each other’s throats. After I get you taken care of, I need to work on their problem next. Clive also hinted that the answer to their problems is in the books, but you’re my only concern right now.

  I’d kind of like to kiss you right now.

  She giggled. I’d kind of like to kiss you, too. Let’s head back. I’m feeling much better.

  Roll over, I commanded her.

  She cocked her head at me and then immediately did as I asked.

  You’re a born leader, Quinn. Don’t abuse it.

  I didn’t have the first clue what she was talking about. I only wanted to see your wound. Ohhhh. Unbelievably, it was almost completely healed. The skin was pink but closed. It looks really good.

  We are quick healers, even in human form, but especially in animal form. That should have been my first clue you were one of us. She rolled back over and hopped up on her spindly little legs. I brushed the snow off her back with my muzzle. Your ankle healed overnight. It was also the first night I saw you come out of the woods naked. I should’ve known then you were a shifter, but you were embarrassed as you ran across the yard and that’s not a normal shifter trait, so it threw me for a loop. Then you said you’d been misdiagnosed your whole life. I don’t think you were ever misdiagnosed, Quinn. I think you just healed faster than the average person did.

  So my ankle was broken.

  I think so. I think you had a PTSD nightmare that night, sleepwalked, shifted, and healed. I found your boot in the woods. Where did you wake up?

  I thought for a minute. I don’t know. Somewhere out by the high school.

  Long walk home when you’re naked.

  Yeah. It happens a lot.

  We started walking toward the house. Wait, I said. You said there was something else. Something to do with contrived love. My anger flared again though to a smaller degree this time.

  Clive and Janice have a sordid history. I’ll tell you about it sometime, but he didn’t always agree with her use of magic and the cloaking spell she put on you was one of those times. He felt like she was trying to alter fate, which is a no-no. They do operate by some ethical standards. So to counterbalance the cloaking spell—and keep Clive happy—she put you under a protection spell to make you more susceptible to all other kinds
of magic. It’s why you’re so much louder in Ryan’s head than anyone else in the diner is. It’s why I can feel your emotions so much stronger than I feel anyone else’s. I call it the Dearborn Effect because no one has ever made me sick the way you do.

  Ahhhhh. As I’d always feared, I was not good for her.

  You are good for me, Quinn. But it drew you to me and made you more susceptible to my empath abilities. In Clive’s eyes, it made our relationship a false one.

  Like a love spell?

  Kind of.

  But you said the spell is broken.

  Yes. It broke when you accepted who and what you are. I used to see rainbows around you. Different colors for every emotion. I haven’t since we woke up. I’m going to miss it, honestly. You were the most beautiful chaos I’ve ever seen. Sadness laced her voice.

  Are you actually worried about what Clive said?

  You won’t be drawn to me now. Not like you were.

  Nothing’s changed, Willow. When I woke up wrapped around you, it wasn’t because some magic spell drew me to you, it was because I feel safe when I’m with you. When you were standing out in the snow in all your gorgeous naked glory, if you hadn’t had a hole in your chest that needed healing, I would have aborted this mission and carried you back to bed. When we’re standing here on far too many legs than possible and all I want to do is touch you, it’s not because I’m drawn to you. It’s because I love you.

  I love you, too.

  You’re calling in sick today.

  Aren’t you bossy?

  You did say it’s in my nature.

  I did, didn’t I?

  What are we going to do with our sick day?

  We’re going to spend the entire day making our own magic.

  Keep up, she said as she bolted toward the house.

  I chased after her, still happy to let her lead. In the course of one night, my life had become something else entirely. I was a shifter. A descendent of a legendary man who’d been withheld from me my whole life. A foreigner in a new world I still didn’t understand.

  But as we ran for the house with all of the magic stripped away, all I could think about was Willow. My heart raced, but not because of my legs pumping beneath me.