by Zoe Chant
It was wonderful to be able to fly, soaring free in the open sky...
...if only it didn’t come at such a high price.
Gabriel loved becoming a griffin, but his strange power cut him off from the rest of humanity. If he could even call himself human. He could never tell anyone what he could do—what he was—and keeping such a huge secret about himself meant he could never get truly close to anyone. He didn’t want to lie, so his only option was to keep a distance from everyone.
It was bad enough that he’d never known his family. It was worse that he had acquaintances and co-workers rather than friends. But the very worst part was that he could never let himself get close enough to a woman to fall in love. He lived in the most beautiful place in America, doing an important job that he loved. His life would have been great... except that he had no one to share it with.
Who cares? his inner griffin said. We can fly!
I care, Gabriel replied.
But he put those thoughts aside. He’d been alone his entire life, and he’d always be alone. That was just something he had to accept. Right now, his feelings weren’t what mattered. The important thing was making sure that no one died on his watch.
A glint of metal caught his eye. He arrowed downward, toward a dense grove of trees at the base of a steep cliff. As he circled above them, he was astonished to see a scraped and dented car, its windshield and windows shattered, caught in the branches. It must have fallen from the cliff above.
Gabriel folded his wings and dropped down to perch on a nearby branch to get a better look. Snow had blown into the car and collected in drifts on the seats and floor. No one was inside, and all the seatbelts were unbuckled. Whoever had been in the car had either been thrown out or had climbed out. When he examined the tree trunk, he saw that bits of bark had been knocked off, probably by the scrape of shoes. That was a good sign. Anyone who could climb down a tree couldn’t be badly injured.
He flew to the ground and became a man. He was warmly dressed—though he couldn’t carry objects with him when he transformed, his clothes disappeared and reappeared with him—but the chill was still shocking against his bare face. His griffin body, covered in warm thick fur and feathers, barely felt the cold.
Gabriel peered at the ground. There was no sign that anyone had been thrown from the car. But at the base of the tree, he could make out footprints, half filled in with snow. They were small, probably a woman’s. He frowned. She must have set out a while ago, and she almost certainly wouldn’t be dressed for this weather. He’d need to move fast, before she froze to death.
Gabriel became a griffin again, feeling his limbs extend and his body expand, and leaped into the air. His wings caught the wind, and then he was aloft, skimming just above the trees, his sharp eagle’s eyes following the faint tracks.
He thought he’d find the woman within a few minutes. An unprepared person whose car had fallen off a cliff wasn’t likely to have gotten very far before giving up or wearing out. But the tracks went on and on, giving him a sense of the determination of the woman who had made them. How in the world had she kept herself going?
A strange anxiety gripped him as he flew on, peering through the blizzard. He’d be concerned for any person lost in this storm, but the worry that twisted his heart felt different. As if this woman, whom he’d never met, was someone he personally cared about.
We have to save her, his griffin demanded. Find her!
That’s what we’re doing, Gabriel replied, confused by his griffin’s urgency. Normally his griffin seemed to feel that rescuing people was a human thing, something he was fine with doing but didn’t feel driven to do the way that Gabriel did.
Then he spotted a small figure trudging through snow past her ankles. An overwhelming sense of relief warmed his heart, along with surprise that she was still on her feet. Especially since she was dressed even more inappropriately for the weather than he’d imagined, in a short skirt and lightweight jacket, leaving her legs and hands bare. She must be freezing.
Gabriel landed far enough behind her that she wouldn’t see or hear him, then became a man and ran to catch up.
She kept on stumbling forward, clearly unable to hear his footsteps over the howling wind, even when he was almost close enough to touch her. Not wanting to scare her by suddenly coming up behind her, he circled around so he could step out in front of her.
He scared her anyway. She jumped backward, stumbled, and nearly fell. Gabriel sprang forward, catching her by the shoulders and steadying her.
“Sorry.” Once Gabriel felt her get her balance, he let go of her. “Don’t be afraid. I’m a park ranger.”
“Oh!” She raised her head and looked into his eyes.
A shock went through him like he’d been struck by lightning.
It wasn’t just that she was pretty, though she was. Even cold and shivering and covered with snow, she was absolutely gorgeous, a beautiful black woman standing in a field of white. Her eyes were dark pools, their long lashes frosted by tiny flakes of snow. Her lips, which had curved into a charming smile, were full and kissable, and her skin was a smooth even brown. Black curls framed her lovely face.
Her body was just as good to look at. She was nothing but curves that made him long to touch more than her shoulders: full breasts, plump legs, wide hips, everything promising sweet softness. Gabriel had always been attracted to curvy women, but he’d never seen a woman as sexy as this one. Even standing in the freezing wind, he felt a sensual heat gather within him.
But what he felt when he looked at this woman was much more than just appreciation of her looks and arousal at her sexiness, or being impressed by her determination and resourcefulness in climbing down the tree and walking through the storm. He was meeting her for the first time, but he felt like he’d known her forever. More than that: he wanted to be with her forever.
Gabriel didn’t believe in love at first sight. But he didn’t know how else to describe what he felt. He didn’t even know the woman’s name. But he loved her.
She’s our mate, his griffin said.
What do you mean, “mate?” Gabriel asked silently.
The woman who’s meant for us. The one we’ll love forever.
As soon as his griffin said it, Gabriel knew it was true. He could feel it in his blood and bones, hear it sing out with every beat of his heart. He’d spent his life convinced that he’d always be alone, but now that he’d seen this beautiful, brave woman, he knew that he was wrong. She was the one for him... if she felt the same way about him that he did about her.
Why didn’t you ever say anything about this before? Gabriel asked.
I didn’t know, his griffin replied, sounding as awed as Gabriel felt. I didn’t know until I saw her.
Gabriel realized abruptly that he had been standing silently, staring at the woman he loved. His mate. The shock and joy of meeting her faded a little, leaving him feeling awkward and embarrassed. He wasn’t used to talking to people, and now he didn’t know what to say. That couldn’t be making a good first impression.
But her sweet smile didn’t fade. Unexpectedly, she chuckled. “A park ranger! I wanted to stop at Blue Oak National Park, but I didn’t have time. I stopped here, all right—I got stopped by a tree!”
He smiled back, impressed that she could joke about a crash that had destroyed her car and easily could have killed her. “I’ll take you on a real tour later. But now, let’s get you indoors. Here, take this.” Gabriel shrugged off his coat and offered it to her.
She didn’t take it. “Won’t you be cold?”
Gabriel couldn’t believe his ears. She was standing with her bare ankles buried in snow, dressed for a warm sunny day or a heated office, and was refusing his coat out of worry for his comfort.
“No. Here, feel my shirt.” He offered her his arm. She reached out and touched it, first with a light brush of her fingertips, then rubbing her hand up and down his forearm. She was only feeling the cloth, like he’d suggested, but it felt like a
caress. His breath caught in his throat, and his voice came out hoarse when he spoke again. “See? It’s thermal cloth. Plenty to keep me warm. Now put on the coat. I don’t need it, but you do.”
She obeyed, pulling it on and zipping it up. It came down nearly to her ankles. She gave a deep sigh. “Oh, that’s nice. Thank you, Mr...?”
“No Mr. Just Gabriel. Gabriel Allen.”
“I’m Emily Green,” she replied, then offered him her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
His big hand engulfed her small one. He shook it, enjoying the feeling of her dainty fingers curling around his. Her hand was so cold. He didn’t want to let it go, but longed to hold it and warm it in his own.
For a moment they stood there, holding hands in the snow. Gabriel marveled at his luck at meeting Emily. It was hard to believe it was real, it had happened so quickly. One minute he’d been a lonely man doing his job, and the next minute he was in love.
Then doubt stole in like a trickle of cold water down the back of his neck. He knew she was his mate because his griffin had told him, and he knew he loved her because he felt it in his heart. But what about Emily? She didn’t have her own inner griffin to tell her that Gabriel was her mate. Did she feel anything more for him than gratitude at being rescued? If she didn’t, might love grow with time?
And whatever she ended up feeling for him, would it continue once she learned what he was? What woman could love a man who wasn’t entirely human—a freak of nature—a monster?
Chapter Three
Emily
Emily’s face and feet were freezing, but her body was warm in Gabriel’s coat and her hand was warm in Gabriel’s grip. Once she’d realized that there was no way to get back up the cliff to the road, she’d been sure she’d never make it to safety in time. Emily had kept walking out of sheer stubbornness. But not only had she been rescued, her savior was the handsomest man she’d ever seen.
She stole another glance at him. He was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and big hands. His black shirt showed off his ripped chest and huge biceps. Emily knew that park rangers had to be fit and strong, to trek through the rough terrain in any kind of weather, but she was sure that Gabriel was something special even for a ranger.
His rugged features would have looked as forbidding as the Blue Oak cliffs, except for his unexpectedly sweet smile and the tempting sensuality of his lips. His hair was black as her own, but soft and fine, falling across his forehead in snow-damp locks that made her long to reach up and brush them back. But what caught her attention most was his eyes. They were a blue as deep and pure as a summer sky, but seemed shadowed with some inner pain.
No, she had to be imagining that part. What pain could a man like him possibly have? He was an incredibly good-looking, sexy park ranger. He was living the dream. He’d escort her to safety, then return to his cozy cabin and loving wife—no, Emily didn’t feel a ring on his hand—loving girlfriend, then.
Emily glumly imagined the girlfriend. She had to be the opposite of Emily. That would make her tall, blonde, rail-thin, and rich. Probably a model. A supermodel. A supermodel who didn’t even know what a pterodactyl was, let alone how to spell it.
Though if Gabriel did have that blonde supermodel girlfriend, it was odd that he hadn’t let go of Emily’s hand.
And then he did. She bit back a sigh.
“We need to get going,” he said. “We’re pretty far from my cabin, and the storm’s only going to get worse. I don’t suppose you’re wearing hiking boots?”
Emily laughed and lifted her foot, showing him her wet and scuffed leather pumps. “Hardly. They were fun to climb in, too. But don’t worry. I walked this far, I can—”
She broke off with a startled gasp as he swept her into his arms, lifting her as if she was light as a feather.
“You don’t have to walk.” He strode forward, then stopped abruptly, looking down at her with a worried frown. “I’m sorry. I should have asked first. Is it all right if I carry you? We have to get through some rough areas, and with shoes like that in snow this deep, it’s a toss-up which you’ll get first, frostbite or a sprained ankle.”
Emily didn’t know which amazed her most, that he was able to carry her, that he was willing to carry her, or that he cared enough about what she wanted to realize that he should have asked first and to apologize for not doing so. “It’s fine. Thank you. I was worried about frostbite myself.”
As he walked on, carrying her easily through the blizzard, she let herself enjoy the feeling of being nestled against his chest, feeling his muscles flex and contract against her body. No man had ever lifted her before. She turned her head, stealthily breathing in his clean masculine scent and letting his silky hair brush across her cheek, and caught herself hoping that it would be a nice long walk to the ranger station.
“How did your car crash?” Gabriel asked. “Ice on the road?”
Emily hesitated. It wasn’t like it mattered what he thought of her—once he got her to safety, she’d never see him again—but the truth was so weird. Even if all they’d ever have was this one brief encounter, she didn’t want him to spend it thinking she was a lunatic.
“Never mind,” he said. “If it’s too traumatizing to talk about...”
“Oh, no, it’s not that,” Emily assured him. “It’s just that I don’t know exactly. Something flew at my car—something big. I didn’t get a good look at it.”
“Might have been a great horned owl,” Gabriel said. “They can have a five foot wingspan.”
“It was bigger than that. I thought maybe a condor. But—” She turned her head, looking up at his handsome face. It showed nothing but concern and curiosity, and something about him made her not want to lie to him. Slowly, she said, “It was bigger than a condor. Much bigger. I saw its claws. They were as long as my forearm. It took a swipe at my car and knocked it through the guard rails. I don’t know what could do that.”
Gabriel’s expression froze, as if she’d said something not just bizarre, but... upsetting? Shocking?
He’s regretting that he rescued the crazy lady, she thought. But that made no sense. He was a park ranger, so he’d rescue anyone, whether they saw imaginary pterodactyls or not.
Figuring she might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb, she went on, “I’m a reporter. I was investigating some sightings of a big winged thing, and I guess I sighted it too. I don’t suppose you’ve seen any unidentified flying objects? Definitely animals. Not flying saucers.”
Gabriel laughed, but it sounded forced. “No. I see a lot of birds, but I can identify them. We do have condors around here, though. I’ve never heard of one attacking a car, but they don’t normally fly when it’s snowing. It might have been confused and disoriented by the storm. As for the size, I can tell you that anything looks twice as big as it actually is when it’s lunging at your car. I nearly hit a wild turkey once, and I would’ve sworn that thing was the size of an elephant.”
He’s hiding something, Emily thought.
The thought came to her unexpectedly, but she was sure it was true. She’d interviewed enough people to get an unerring sense of when someone was holding something back. Gabriel was talking too much and too quickly, stumbling a little over his words as if he was making them up as he went along.
But she had equally keen instincts for people, and she didn’t get any kind of sinister vibes from Gabriel. Whatever he was concealing, Emily was sure it wasn’t anything bad or dangerous.
As she lay in his arms as he walked easily through the blizzard, she thought, Maybe being a park ranger is his second career. Maybe he’s a former Olympic athlete and doesn’t want anyone to know because he doesn’t like publicity. Or former special forces and doesn’t want old enemies catching up with him. Though she had no idea what any of that could possibly have to do with her condor/pterodactyl/unidentified flying thing.
She fell silent, curling into his warm body and watching the snow fall. Emily couldn’t see anything in front of her but white,
but Gabriel’s confident stride never broke.
“You must know Blue Oak so well,” she said at last, as he skirted around something she couldn’t even see. “What did you just walk around?”
“A really big boulder,” he replied. “And yeah, I do.”
“Got it memorized?”
“Pretty much.”
“All eight hundred square miles of it?” she teased.
That brought him to a brief halt. “Now why do you happen to know exactly how big it is? Do you come here often?”
Emily chuckled. “You sound like we’re in a bar. No, I’ve never been here before. But I love the wilderness. I looked it up because I was hoping to visit on my way back, if I had time.”
“I love it too,” Gabriel said, starting to walk again. “Wait till the storm lets up. Then you’ll get to see how beautiful it is.”
Emily was startled when he stopped again. Blinking through the ice that kept clogging her lashes, she made out a small cabin with a wooden door. That must be the ranger station. Blue Oak National Park was so big, she’d expected the station to be larger.
“We’re here,” Gabriel said unnecessarily. He shifted her in his arms as he fumbled in his pocket for a key.
“Thank you again,” Emily said, trying to keep the regret from her voice. Five more minutes, and she’d never see him again. Why couldn’t she ever meet men like him? Handsome, sexy, kind, brave, strong, and a lover of the wilderness, just like her. If only they didn’t have to part forever, after this one chance meeting...
...or did they have to?
She’d promised herself that if she lived, she’d visit Blue Oak and keep looking for love. Well, she was visiting Blue Oak right now. And she was far more drawn to Gabriel than to any man she’d ever met before. Emily normally didn’t ask men out, but then again, she rarely met men she’d want to go out with.
I survived my car going over a cliff, she told herself. I trekked alone through the snow in a short skirt and pumps. If he rejects me—and he probably will—I can survive that, too.