Phantom Warriors Volume 2

by Jordan Summers

  “I must go,” he said. “But I shall return. Soon.”

  She didn’t trust her voice enough to respond, so Lynn nodded and forced a smile. As much as she wanted him and couldn’t imagine life without him, she knew this was for the best. Today had been a mistake. One she’d never forget.

  Talon gripped her chin and tilted it up until their eyes met. “Be safe, mate.” He gave her another quick kiss, then turned and left.

  Mate? What did he mean by that?

  Lynn held her tongue. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched him go. She had the overwhelming urge to run after Talon and beg him to stay, which was reason enough not to.

  She shook her head and forced herself to get her climbing gear together. She wasn’t a weak woman. So what if she’d had the best sex in her life? So what if it felt like her heart was breaking?

  She’d get over it like she’d gotten over all the others. It just might take a while longer with Talon. Okay, make that a lot longer. Determined to overrule her emotions and bypass her raging hormones, Lynn forced her brain to focus on her work. She finished packing in record time and hit the trail.

  * * * * *

  Talon made sure that he was out of sight before he shifted and took to the sky. It had taken every fiber of his being to walk away from Lynn Regis, but he’d had no choice. He had to contact the ship and let them know that his hunt for a mate had been a success.

  He’d planned to tell Lynn the truth before he left, but he hadn’t been able to. At first she’d seemed so vulnerable, then that vulnerability shifted to anger. He still didn’t understand what had made her mad or why she’d grown suspicious, but he’d find out eventually. Lynn was changing quickly. Quicker than he’d anticipated. The red ring that had begun to form when they were making love was now complete.

  Talon had watched it darken while they ate. Soon the rest of her body would follow. He needed to be there when that happened. No one should experience a shift on their own, especially a human not used to seeing such things.

  He hurried to the rim, then opened a pouch on his flight suit. A small communication device glowed inside. Talon took it out and set it on the ground, then pressed a button. A Phantom pilot from the Tooth Clan appeared in three-dimensional form before him.

  “Commander, are you ready to return to the ship?” he asked, shifting forward with feline grace.

  Talon shook his head. “Not yet, but soon. I have found my mate. She’s in the process of transformation now. Once that’s complete, we’ll be ready for extraction.”

  The pilot smiled. “Congratulations, Commander.”

  “Thank you! May you have the same luck upon your arrival, Linx.”

  The Phantom cat blinked, then gave him a lazy smile. “From what I hear, I’ll have many to choose from. Perhaps I’ll have to give a few a try before settling down.”

  Talon laughed. “Be careful, warrior. The women here might not like your alley-cat ways.”

  Linx grinned. “I’ve never had any complaints.”

  “That may be true, but cross the wrong woman and you might end up neutered,” Talon said and laughed at the young warrior’s confused expression. He’d learn the score soon enough.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Eight

  It only took an hour for Lynn to realize that she wasn’t going to make it in time to the cliff-side to get in a climb. She’d spent too many hours fooling around with Talon. Just the thought of his muscle-strewn body sent a rush of desire through her. Between the brush of her t-shirt and the slide of her khakis, Lynn was convinced she’d go out of her mind.

  Her body seemed hypersensitive and far too revved for someone who’d just spent the afternoon having mind-blowing sex. Shouldn’t she be sated by now? She hitched her backpack higher and began the slow journey back to camp. As much as she’d enjoyed her day with Talon--okay more than enjoyed—she couldn’t allow him to distract her tomorrow. Lynn had a job to do.

  She picked her way along the trail wondering not for the first time if he’d be waiting when she returned. He’d told her that he had to check on his campsite. Was that the truth? Or was it just a polite way to blow her off? Lynn didn’t know. She shouldn’t really care…but she did.

  She’d never let a man get under her skin. Had never met a man capable of doing so until she’d met Talon. Something inside of him called to her. As sappy as that sounded. There was a familiarity, a comfort that she felt around him that had never existed in her life before now—at least with people.

  Lynn didn’t connect with many people. In fact, she connected with very few. Most people didn’t get her. And to be honest, she didn’t get most people. She was far more at ease in the company of her birds.

  She’d certainly never fallen into bed at the drop of hat. No, she was the watch first, calculate, analyze, then leap kind of girl. So why had she thrown caution to the wind and jumped at the chance to be with Talon?

  She was still asking herself that question when she returned to camp. Lynn had just rounded the final boulder when her tent came into sight. It was immediately apparent that Talon had not returned. Or if he had, he’d left again. Her heart sank at the thought that she might have missed him.

  You’re pathetic. Snap out of it, the voice inside her head shouted. What did you expect?

  So maybe she had hoped he’d return. Maybe she’d hoped that this morning and afternoon meant more to him that a quick roll in her sleeping bag. Lynn wasn’t disappointed, darn it. She wasn’t…and she would just keep telling herself that until she believed it.

  Lynn went to work cleaning up her campsite. If she were busy, then she’d have no time to think about Talon. She cleared brush and re-washed her clean dishes, then took a quick swim. The water was warmer now—thanks to hours of direct sunshine. She stroked back and forth across the expanse until exhaustion threatened and her muscles quivered. If nothing else, being tired would allow her to sleep better.

  She made a quick meal of mushrooms and rice, then got ready for bed. The sun had already sunk behind the rim, leaving the lower Canyon draped in shadows. When she ran out of things to do, Lynn slipped into her tent and zipped it closed behind her.

  Inhaling, she instantly realized her mistake. The whole tent smelled like Talon. Her sleeping bag, the mat beneath it, even her floor held a hint of the spicy scent that he carried on his skin.

  She groaned and threw the sleeping bag open. As much as Lynn wanted to unzip the tent door, she couldn’t afford to since there were predators who hunted in the Canyon…not to mention snakes and scorpions. Nope, she’d just have to suck it up for the night or maybe plug her nose with tissues. She punched her pillow and closed her eyes.

  The second sleep yanked her under the dreams began. They were foggy at first, smudged images on a dirty lens that refused to come into sharp focus. Stunning battles played out between giant winged creatures and lizard-like beings that were barely humanoid in shape.

  The foes changed, but the large raptors remained as the battles raged on. Outstretched talons gripped bits of flesh. Blood covered dark feathers. Fierce cries pierced the green sky.

  Scene after scene, fight after fight, Lynn watched in fascinated horror as the creatures took on enemies twice their size. The fact that they had wings didn’t seem to matter. They fought just as hard, if not harder because of it.

  Eventually, the blood faded and the birds’ proud faces morphed into men. One of those faces she recognized instantly. It was Talon. He stood before her, his head held high. Eyes, once so familiar, now glowed bright red.

  “Now you know,” he said quietly.

  “Know what?” she muttered in her sleep. Where had the beautiful bird gone?

  * * * * *

  Talon knew Lynn was asleep, when he returned. He’d sensed her restlessness, heard her incoherent mumbles. He thought about waking her, but decided against it. She needed her rest and so did he. Tomorrow was going to be a very trying day. The Phantom ship would reach them and Talon had to somehow convince his mat
e to come with him.

  He didn’t relish having to do the latter. Lynn was a logical woman. Telling her that he was an alien wouldn’t sit well with her. Humans believed they were alone in the universe. Talon knew better. Still, there had to be a way.

  Already he could sense the changing taking place within her. Her skin no longer held the honeyed aroma it once had. Now Lynn smelled like a combo of them both. A rich earthy fragrance that he more than approved of. No Phantom Warrior would be stupid enough to go near her now.

  Talon wondered if she’d missed him as much as he’d missed her today. They’d only been apart a few hours, yet he felt as if it had been eons. Is this what having a mate felt like? Or was this unique between them? He hoped it was the latter. Talon liked the idea of his mate needing him, wanting him—and only him, while they were apart.

  He listened to her steady breathing for a few minutes more, then slipped away, taking to the sky. Talon perched himself on the rim so he had a good view of her camp and could see danger coming from any direction.

  “Sleep well, mate,” he whispered on the wind. “For tomorrow you’ll need all your strength.”

  * * * * *

  Lynn awoke alone. Being alone wasn’t a surprise, but the disappointment that followed sure was. Regret snapped doggedly on its heels, leaving her in a grumpy mood. It didn’t help that her neck had crick in it. She threw the sleeping bag back and climbed out of the tent to stretch.

  A dark shadow glided over her. Lynn glanced up and saw the strange bird soaring above the Canyon rim. It was back. She shielded her eyes to get a better look, but once again it was gone as quickly as it had arrived.

  “Not today you don’t,” she said, throwing her clothes on. She’d left her gear packed from the previous night, so within minutes she was dressed and ready to go.

  Lynn caught sight of the massive bird thirty minutes into her hike to the condor’s nesting site. It seemed to be making large loops in the sky, circling back around to look at her. She took out her camera and shot a few photos. The first image looked like a black smudge on the screen, but the second one was clearer. Lynn enlarged it hoping to identify the bird. But no markings gave it away.

  “What are you?”

  She reached the condor-nesting site thirty minutes later. She’d lost sight of the big raptor again, but if it stayed true to form it should be circling around in a few more minutes. Lynn wanted to get up the cliff before it did. She wanted a better look—a closer look at the bird. She also wanted to make sure it hadn’t disturbed the condors’ egg.

  She gathered her gear and began the slow climb up the cliff face. Like before, the climb took her way longer than she would’ve liked. Lynn was sweating and her face was flushed by the time the outcropping came into sight. She cleared the remaining feet that separated her from the condor nest, then clamped down on her rope.

  Lynn could tell by the dark head popping out of the nest that one of her condors was sitting on the nest. She dare not get any closer. She didn’t want to startle the bird and have it crack the egg. She pulled out her camera and took a few photos, then put it away to retrieve her notepad.

  “Beautiful, isn’t she?” A masculine voice said from behind her, sending her heart rate rocketing.

  Lynn yelped and fumbled with her notebook, nearly dropping it down the cliff. Despite her immediate disbelief, she’d recognize that voice anywhere. She twisted in her ropes until she could see Talon. He looked even more beautiful perched on the side of the cliff than he had rising out of the water. How was that possible?

  “Wh-what are you doing up here?” she sputtered. He hadn’t been there before. She was sure of it. She would’ve seen him as she ascended. Had he repelled down? She scanned the cliff face.

  He shrugged. “Climbing.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she took in his strange attire and the fact that he had no ropes to speak of. Okay, so he hadn’t repelled. Well he darn sure hadn’t flown. “How did you get up here?” she asked, checking for climbing spikes.

  “I’m quite nimble when I want to be,” he said, a secretive smile forming on his lips.

  Surely he wasn’t crazy enough to free climb this rock face. Didn’t he know how dangerous that was? What if he fell? “You’re insane,” she said, trying not to let the fear creep into her voice.

  Talon frowned. “I thought you’d be glad to see me.”

  “I was.” She paused to align her thoughts. “I mean I am. You just startled me. I thought I was up here alone. What are you doing here?” Lynn needed to know. Nothing made sense when it came to him. She’d overlooked a lot thanks to the mind-shattering sex, but not now. Not halfway up the Canyon side. Lynn wanted answers.

  Instead of giving them, Talon went into a summary of condor history and breeding habits that would shame any ornithologist. Well, any ornithologist, but her. By the time he’d finished his little educational speech, Lynn had moved from surprised to downright suspicious.

  The only people who knew that much about condors were either ornithologists or egg thieves and Talon had already hinted that he wasn’t in her field of study, which made him…a thief.

  Was that the reason they’d met? Had he planned the whole thing just so he could get close to her and find the nest? Talon was a gorgeous man. He could have anyone he wanted. Yet, he’d picked her. Why? The truth stung, hurting way more than Lynn wanted to admit.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, watching her closely.

  “I don’t like being lied to,” she replied. Lynn’s back started to burn like a fire ant colony had suddenly taken up residence under her skin. She swung around, trying to scratch it against the rock, but it didn’t seem to help.

  “You need to get down.” Talon inched closer.

  Lynn held out her hands. “Just stay right there before you fall. I’ll be fine,” she said, but she didn’t feel like she was going to be fine. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Lynn glanced up and saw that the rim was only six feet away. It would be easier to climb the short distance, than to rappel down.

  “You need to get on level ground.” He followed her line of sight. “Yes, up will do nicely.”

  She didn’t know what Talon meant by that last remark and Lynn didn’t care. Whatever was happening to her was getting worse. She did need to get onto solid ground fast or she was going to fall. “What about you?” she grit out between clenched teeth.

  “Don’t worry, I’m used to heights. I’ll be right behind you,” he said.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Nine

  Talon was waiting for Lynn when she pulled herself up and over the Canyon’s rim. She flopped onto her back, panting from the exertion. The crunch of loose rock caught her attention and she whipped her head around.

  “What are you…how did you?” She sat up and glanced over the side. No way had he beat her up here. She’d had ropes. He was free-climbing and he darn sure hadn’t passed her. The warning bells that had gone off earlier now chimed like Big Ben in her head.

  “It’s time,” Talon said, not answering her question.

  Lynn slowly climbed to her feet. “Time for what?”

  “Have you ever dreamed of flying?” he asked, instead.

  “Sure, hasn’t everyone?” she said, not liking the direction this conversation was taking.

  “What if I told you that you could fly without the use of a plane?” he said.

  Lynn paused. “I’d say you were crazy.”

  Talon didn’t respond.

  The pain in her back increased, doubling her over at the waist. “What’s happening?” she gasped, twisting and turning to try to get a better look at her shoulder blades. Fat tears welled in Lynn’s eyes, then spilled down her cheeks. “Did you drug my water or something?” The thought terrified her, but she didn’t know what else could be causing so much pain.

  * * * * *

  Talon flinched at the accusation. He’d never drug his mate. If she weren’t in agony, he’d explain as much, but he didn’t think Lynn was up to listening to re
asoning at present.

  Every cry that ripped from her throat shredded his soul. If he could take it away, he’d gladly do so, but there was no avoiding this part of the transformation. It mattered not that Lynn was a human. Even Phantom Warriors experienced this growing up.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, meaning every word. “The first time is painful, but it does get easier.”

  Lynn glared at him. “The first time for what? You’d better start explaining what you’ve done to me.”

  “I can’t. You wouldn’t believe,” he said, hoping that the process hurried up. Talon couldn’t stand to see her like this, especially knowing that he was the cause.

  She took a step toward him and swayed on her feet. “Why would you do this to me?”

  “It was the only way to know for sure.” Talon had been dreading this since he’d found Lynn. How could he explain that he was from another world without convincing her that he was mad? He couldn’t. Already she believed the worst. “Words are inadequate. I think it’s time to show you the truth.” He walked toward her.

  * * * * *

  Lynn tried to stop him. “Don’t touch me.” She was afraid if he did, she’d crumble. Or do something really stupid like let him hold her. God, somehow Talon had turned her into one of those simpering heroines that were too stupid to live.

  He stopped a few feet away, watching her like she was a dancing amoeba under a microscope lens. “I can help you, but I must get closer to do so,” he said patiently.

  Lynn vowed to kick his perfect butt, when she was feeling better. Until then, could she trust him to come closer? Fire sliced down her back, taking the choice out of her hands. She screamed. “I don’t care what you have to do. Fix it! Fix it now!”