Taken in the Night

by Tara Fox Hall

  “Hi, Terian. I decided to take a walk with Ghost and Darkness first thing, before it snows again—”

  “He wants me to make another fertility potion for him,” Terian interrupted. “He said you agreed. Did you?”

  “Yes,” I said, nodding. “I want to try.”

  “Have you given up?” Terian said, his eyes searching mine.

  I relayed the story Nineva had told us last night. As I told of Nineva’s and Theo’s torture blackness seeped out of Terian to fill the room. I shivered in its embrace and quickly finished the narrative.

  “So he is dead then,” Terian said with a note of finality.

  “He has to be,” I said, mirroring his sadness. “I don’t have any reason to hope otherwise.”

  Terian hugged me. “I’m sorry, Sar. I’d hoped for a better ending for you and him than this one.”

  “So did I,” I said sadly, as we released each other. “I’m hoping for a new beginning with Danial.”

  “I’ll get started right away.”

  “Is there anything I should be aware of, outside of normal pregnancy stuff, I mean?”

  “Not that I know of,” Terian replied. “It should be a normal delivery, like Cia’s was.”

  “Were you there in case something went wrong?”

  “No, I wasn’t there, and I wouldn’t have been much help if I had been. I don’t really have any healing powers. My power is more suited to destruction and illusion, sad as that makes me. Most of my creations are temporary, like the wings I made for you and Elle.” He shrugged.

  “Then who was on hand?” I asked worriedly. “Dr. Camlyn might not be able to make it here in time if I went into labor early—”

  “Sar, wait until you get pregnant to worry,” Terian reassured me. “It will take a while to make Danial fertile—” He stopped abruptly, coloring.

  I looked away from him so as not to make him more embarrassed. “You’re right. I’m just worried.”

  His reminder also gave me something else to consider. This time we had to be sure Danial was completely ready before trying. I’d concluded a possible reason for my past miscarriage was because Danial had been between stages; fertile enough to get me pregnant, but not changed enough his semen was capable of helping create a healthy fetus. Even if that wasn’t the reason, I was not taking any chances that it might have been.

  * * * *

  Two weeks later, far before dawn, Danial came early to bed. “Terian gave me my first dose earlier tonight.” He paused. “I’ve not told Elle. She’d expect you to produce a sibling in a few months’ time.”

  That was true, but he was really worried I might be unable to get pregnant again. “I won’t mention it to her, either.”

  Danial began unbuttoning his shirt. “I hope you’re not too tired. I came down early in hopes of celebrating.”

  Time to bring up protection. “I’d like to use condoms until Stephen pronounces you fertile,” I said quickly.

  Danial gaped at me. “Sar, I don’t want to use anything with you. I don’t see the point.”

  I looked at him silently. What words wouldn’t hurt, wouldn’t make him feel I blamed him for what had happened last time?

  Danial resumed unbuttoning his shirt. “This is just your nerves talking, sweetheart. There’s no danger from us being intimate.”

  “Last time, Stephen said you shouldn’t have been able to get me pregnant,” I persisted, “but you did. I think maybe there was a problem, because you had just started taking the potion and the change wasn’t complete—”

  “Are you saying what happened last time was my fault?” he said, offended and hurt. His eyes were red tinged, his mouth a grim line.

  Sigh. “No, it was not your fault. I went to a doctor back in January to get checked out myself. After he pronounced me fine, I told him what happened and asked for his opinion on why I’d miscarried. He said there had to have been something wrong with the baby.”

  “Something must have been and it had nothing to do with me.”

  “Danial, I don’t want to argue with you. This is how I feel—”

  “Fine, Sar. We just won’t have sex again until we know for sure I’m ready to get you with child.” He stood there watching me, obviously waiting for me to back down.

  Ouch. I stood by my guns. “I respect that if you feel that way,” I said softly.

  He turned from me and slammed out of the room, the door hitting the frame so hard it bounced back open. Very faintly, I heard the sound of an engine started on one of the SUVs followed by the sound of tires spinning and catching in the driveway.

  Disheartened, I decided to go and see if Elle was still awake. I found her in her room, looking through her baby book.

  “You were so small.” I sat down next to her, peering at the pages of pictures as she slowly flipped them. There she was, the first day we’d come home to my house. A picture of her trying to make friends with Ghost and Darkness, and them avoiding her. A picture of her asleep, her paws outstretched lying on my bed. Pictures of her in her Halloween costume I’d made her, then her first picture in human form, of us painting her room, paint everywhere, even in our hair. Pictures of her shooting and posing next to the time she’d put the whole clip of bullets inside the target. Lastly, a picture of the three of us, Danial, me, and Elle sitting next to the tree the night we’d put it up. Cia had snapped it for us.

  “Mom, how old am I?” Elle asked.

  “It’s hard to say,” I said vaguely. “You matured as a cougar your first few months. Now that you are human, you are aging a lot slower. You should be about five or six, at least that’s what we think.”

  “When was I born? How many years ago?”

  Damn you, Danial, for leaving and not being here to help me answer this. “Seven months. You were born in August. You are a Leo, like me.”

  “I’m not even a year old?” she said in shock.

  “Elle, you are just as you are supposed to be—”

  “There’s something wrong with me,” she cried, throwing the book hard against the wall.

  I grabbed her, holding her still. “There is nothing wrong with you,” I said to her calmly, a good deal more calmly than I was feeling. “You are just the way you are supposed to be.”

  “I can’t remember how to change. How I did it. I was a cougar for so many months, and now I can’t be one, no matter how hard I try.” She began sobbing, and I let her, telling her that it was okay, that she was okay.

  Suddenly, I had an idea. “Elle, there is a man staying with us who is also a lion.”

  “Like me?” she said quickly.

  “No, but close. He’s an African Lion, not a cougar. He’ll have a mane and a tufted tail, like the pictures you’ve seen in books. His name is Nineva.”

  “Can I see him?” she said.

  “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to him,” I assented. “I’ll bet he can give you some pointers about changing.”

  She hugged me so tightly I gasped. “Mom, I would love that. After breakfast?”

  “I’ll have to ask him and see. You have to realize Nineva was hurt badly. He may need some time to heal before he’s able to teach you anything.”

  “But I can see him tomorrow?”

  “Yes, tomorrow,” I said, relieved.

  “Mom, I love you,” she said, releasing me to look up into my face.

  “I love you, too, Elle,” I said, kissing her forehead. “Now let’s get you tucked in.”

  “Danial has to come in and kiss me goodnight.”

  “He’s out, but I’ll remind him, as soon as he returns.”

  She snuggled in to go to sleep. “Goodnight, Mom.”

  Emotionally exhausted, I decided to go and sit in the Jacuzzi for a while. I turned on the water, checked on the pets one last time, and returned to a brimming tub. The hot water felt wonderful as I slipped in. I turned on the jets, letting the water pound away at my aching muscles as I thought about Elle.

  It was true something was unusual in terms of her devel
opment, even taking into account being werecougar. Theo had said she should have been born human. Whatever was unusual about her had accelerated her growth, not just in her body, but also in her mind. It didn’t affect how I felt about her. I just thought of her as gifted.

  My thoughts brought back other memories of her, like the first time she had seen snow. She’d tried to eat it and then spit it out when it didn’t taste like ice cream. For some reason, she had expected it to.

  Elle’s eating habits were like mine now, though occasionally she ate raw meat. I encouraged that, remembering how it had always helped Theo to stay healthy. That and Chinese food. I smiled, thinking of him wolfing down quarts at a time...

  The bedroom door opened and closed.

  Quickly, I climbed out and dried off. I put on my pajamas I’d left warming in front of the woodstove and went into bed. Danial was already there, his back to me. I knew he wasn’t sleeping, but I said nothing, just lay down beside him and went to sleep.

  The next morning, Elle and I went to see Nineva at the fox compound. He was reclining on the couch, watching some TV, his expression intent.

  “You look better already,” I said looking him over.

  “I ate a side of raw beef last night,” he replied. “It speeded the healing process. Now who might this be?”

  I brought Elle over closer. She looked at him shyly. “This is Theo’s daughter, Elle.”

  “I see the resemblance,” he said, touching her face. Elle shifted her feet nervously, but she let him touch her.

  “Elle, this is Nineva.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” she said politely, giving him a tentative smile. He smiled back at her.

  “Nineva, you said if there was anything we needed from you, you’d be glad to help,” I said boldly. “Elle could use some pointers on how to change form, when you’re well enough.”

  Nineva didn’t look shocked or apprehensive. He didn’t ask how old she was or anything else I’d expected. Instead, he just took her hand and drew her close to him.

  “Reach inside yourself,” he said to her softly. “Can you feel something inside you, something that wants to come out?”

  “No,” she said worriedly.

  “Concentrate, Elle. Close your eyes. Breathe in and out, slowly and deeply. Look inside.”

  Her eyes closed, and so did his. He kept holding on to her, her hand in his. “Can you feel it?” he said, after long minutes had passed.

  “No,” she said, with tears in her eyes.

  “Shush,” he said gently. “Don’t worry. There is a way to bring the change that never fails between great cats. I’ll change form myself and bring you with me.”

  “Should I leave?” I said tentatively to Nineva.

  “Don’t leave, Mom,” Elle said nervously.

  “I’m not embarrassed if you aren’t,” he replied.

  I was embarrassed, but Elle had asked me to stay. “I’m okay.”

  Nineva slowly got up and with difficulty lay down on the floor on his side. He had Elle lay down also, so she was facing him.

  “Hold on to me and close your eyes,” he said. “I can help you; I’m male to your female.”

  Though the sexist remark annoyed me, I kept my mouth shut. This mattered too much.

  Nineva began to move, his body twitching. His back arched, and his fangs began to lengthen. Elle’s mouth was open as well, her fangs were growing. Clothing ripped, as shoulders and legs were suddenly too wide for the fabric. Fur sprouted, noses flattened, fingers shortened into paws, and tails grew. A few moments later, there were two lions lying on the floor.

  Nineva raised his head, his huge eyes golden in his regal face. He shook his mane and rose slowly to his feet. He was absolutely beautiful, down to his tufted tail. Elle raised her face and looked at me with yellow gold eyes. She still looked for the most part like the cub she had been, but she was much larger now, easily three feet long. Her spots were lighter, but she didn’t yet have the white patches on her face that Theo had.

  She rolled to her feet and rubbed against Nineva, purring. Her purr had deepened a bit, but it was still high pitched compared to Theo’s. Nineva purred, the sound a deep base, almost echoing in its loudness. He licked her head, and she closed her eyes, enjoying it.

  I watched, enraptured, as Nineva began playing with Elle. He was still recovering, but he was able to hold her down with his paws while she growled at him and tried to bite him. He couldn’t chase her, but he did roll her over a few times when she crawled over him. After only a few moments, he lay down with her and fell asleep, her small body curled next to his big one.

  I watched them curled together; thinking about Theo, about what he had missed. If he’d been here, he would have been the one to teach her how to change. He would be sleeping with her now…

  I woke up to Elle shaking me, holding a blanket around herself. Nineva was gone.

  “Mom, I can do it!” She hugged me fiercely.

  “I knew you could,” I said, hugging her back.

  “Nineva said I should come back every day until he leaves,” she said happily.

  “Good,” I said, smiling. “Now come on, let’s go find you some clothes.”

  * * * *

  The problem with Danial was not solved so easily. What had begun as a simple misunderstanding easily stretched into weeks and then a month. He talked to me, but no longer touched me at all. When I tried to touch him, he held me at arm’s length gently. Terian noticed, but he didn’t say anything.

  Elle noticed too and bluntly asked what I had done. It irritated me that she immediately took his side.

  “I didn’t do anything, Elle,” I said, trying to be calm.

  “You must have done something,” she persisted. “Danial still hugs me.”

  “Elle, this is private between Danial and me. Go to sleep and please don’t ask about this again.” I kissed her quickly and then left.

  I was reading in bed a little later when Danial stalked in.

  “I’ll thank you to not be telling Elle lies about me, Sar.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Danial, I said nothing—”

  “She wanted to know if I had hit you again, Sar. She asked me.”

  Great. We were going to fight. “Stop saying my name as if it’s a curse word.”

  “She said ‘again’, Sar,” Danial said, deliberately ignoring me. “How does she know of this? What did you tell her?”

  I put down my book and faced him. Despite him being an ass, he had a right to know what had happened.

  “She overheard my mother a while back, yelling at me for going back to you after what had happened. She asked me later what was true and what wasn’t. I told her you had hit me and now regretted it. I told her I’d also done things I shouldn’t have, that the situation was of our making, not yours alone.”

  Danial sat on the bed, studying me. “I believe you,” he said softly.

  “Good for you,” I said and picked up my book.

  “Sar—”

  “Don’t ‘Sar’ me, Danial. You come in here and accuse me of badmouthing you to our daughter, when all I did was defend you. You were wrong to hit me, no matter what I had done.”

  I glared at him pointedly, then shook my head and looked away. This was pointless, bringing this all up again.

  “What did you tell her, exactly?”

  “I know how you feel about her. I didn’t tell her all the sordid details.” I put the book down, turned over, and lay there fuming with my back to him, too mad to read.

  “You are right,” he said softly. “It was right to tell her the truth and not to hide what had happened. I was wrong to hit you. I’m sorry, Sar, for what happened then and tonight.”

  “So am I, Danial,” I said, my back still to him.

  Danial took off his clothes and got under the covers with me. “Are you ever going to forgive me?”

  His supplicant tone placated me slightly. “I already forgave you, like I’ve told you many times now. Please don’t speak of it anymor
e.”

  “As you wish.”

  I felt his hands on me, pulling me backward carefully into his embrace. It had been weeks since he’d held me, and his body felt amazing fitting against mine. I sighed in pleasure. Abruptly, it came to me he was warm.

  “You’re warm.”

  “It’s working.”

  “Are you, um—?”

  “No, not yet. I am being tested daily now by Dr. Camlyn. He said it should be within the week.”

  To have him so close and know it was still a week until I could have him…I groaned. Danial shifted against me. With a jolt, I felt his hardness against my bottom, pressing through the thin cloth of my pajamas.

  “Darling,” he said to me softly, kissing my neck, brushing me with his fangs. I groaned again and reached back to run my hands through his hair. He pulled me against him tightly, flexing, making me painfully aware of how ready he was for me. I lay there aching for him as he moved against me.

  His breaths came faster as he grew more and more excited. He turned my head and kissed me, his hands reaching around under my pajama top to caress my breast. His hips still moved urgently against me.

  “Stop, please,” I gasped.

  He slid his tongue into my mouth, tasting me, filling me. I moaned, and he turned me over toward him and rolled his body on top of mine. He kissed me deeply, putting his hands under my buttocks to lift me and slid off my pajama bottoms. Before I knew it, they were off, and he began to slide inside me.

  “No, wait—” I said fearfully, looking up at him, my eyes wild with wanting him and sudden panic.

  “Sarelle, look at me.”

  “I am looking at you,” I said, swallowing hard.

  “Look down at me,” he said, his voice husky with need.

  I looked down and saw the condom encasing him. My eyes darted up, and I opened my mouth to speak. Danial drove himself into me in that moment, and my words became a cry of passion. He clasped me to him, moving as fast and as hard as he could. Then he was yelling out my name, jerking inside me as he climaxed.