by Elin Wyn
There was just no way for me to know. Human interactions are governed by so many intricate rules that I was at a complete loss on what had happened.
But there was one thing I knew for sure: Megan wanted me.
She wasn’t alone. More than anything else, I wanted her—human or not, that woman was one of the most passionate and fiery beings I had ever met.
She was kind, too, a loving and dedicated mother that’d stop at nothing to get her child back.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that she was absolutely gorgeous.
“It’s settled then,” I whispered to myself, making peace with the fact that I would have to help Megan get her child back.
That was a serious breach of protocol, but by now I was way past caring.
For once, I’d be going off-script for a good reason, instead of for the skith of it.
If the Vondin High Command wanted to court martial my ass just because I wanted to do something nice for a change, then let them.
Nothing was going to stop me from helping Megan or her little girl.
Closing my eyes, I let a smile spread across my lips as I remembered the warmth of Megan’s embrace. Her lips had been so damn sweet and appetizing, her curves clamoring for my touch as her whole body burned with desire.
It was impossible to forget about her touch.
It had been electrifying, sparking a fire I hadn’t even realized lay dormant within me.
Shaking myself, I walked across the cabin and went toward the door.
I needed to clear my head, and the cold would help with that.
Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to check out the surrounding area and establish a perimeter. Outside, the wind howled.
Drifts of snow swirled aimlessly around the cabin, and the tall pine trees at the edge of the forest swayed back and forth in an angry dance.
Even with my enhanced vision, it was hard to see more than a couple of feet ahead of me, but I resisted my urge to shift.
Even though that would help me navigate the terrain, I couldn’t risk having someone see me transform.
If that happened, the High Command would definitely lose their skith.
Holding one arm in front of my face, I walked across the space separating the cabin we were in from the next one.
My boots pressed down on the snow, the crunching sound of it making itself heard over the wind, and I made a conscious effort to watch my footing, trying to be silent.
There were a dozen cabins in total, all of them boarded up for the winter season, and there didn’t seem to be a living soul around.
The cabin Megan was in looked just like the others, and the smoke escaping from the chimney was quickly picked up by the wind and thrown into oblivion.
Even if someone was watching, they’d have no way of knowing which cabin we were in.
Still, something made my hackles rise.
I ventured further away from the cabins and into the woods. The wind howled more timidly here, the pine trees forming a protective barrier from the storm.
I kept on walking until my shirt was soaked, and only then did I start thinking of making my way back.
I hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps back to the cabin when I sensed something in the woods that made me wary.
Not exactly something I could hear or see, but I felt it all the same.
There was a presence, furtive but watchful.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a fast-moving shadow coming toward me. Reacting on pure instinct, I rolled to the side as fast as I could, throwing myself on top of a blanket of snow.
The shadow rushed past me and stopped, sniffing the air before it turned around.
“Skith,” I muttered, watching as the massive beast got up on its hind legs and roared, saliva dripping down from its mouth and onto the fur on its neck.
The beast was similar to an animal I had seen in my reports, something the humans called a bear, but this one looked much bigger than anything I could’ve expected.
Its fangs were as long as daggers, and its eyes shone with a murderous crimson light.
“I don’t want to fight you,” I tried to say, looking up at the beast.
The damn thing was much taller than I was, and it looked stronger, too.
Even with skimming, there was no way I’d have missed a mention of this thing in my report. Customs and small talk? Of course, I’d skipped that.
Massive killer carnivores roaming my target area?
I’d at least have found it interesting.
The thing took another step closer and roared again.
There was no way I’d be able to survive an attack, at least not like this.
Showing the creature the palms of my hands, in what I hoped it’d interpret as a peace gesture, I started walking backwards.
One more roar, and the creature put its forelegs on the ground.
Then, with its murderous eyes set on me, it launched itself in my direction. I threw myself to the side and crashed shoulder-first into a tree, narrowly avoiding having the beast’s jaws around my neck.
“Skith,” I groaned, looking around as I tried to spot a way out.
It was useless. There was no way I’d be able to outrun a creature this massive. I could try and climb a tree, but something told me the bear would be even better at that than I was.
That, of course, left me only one choice.
I would have to fight.
Finally.
Taking a deep breath, I shed my outer garments and I flexed my fingers, stilled my mind, and just let it happen.
My bones started pushing hard against my muscles, my skin stretched to accommodate my new frame, and my fingers blended in and hardened, hooves replacing my hands.
It was a painful process but, at the same time, it was absolutely exhilarating.
It had been quite some time since I had shifted last, and both my body and mind relished the sweet pain of the transformation.
The antlers came last, the bones growing straight out of my skull.
How do you like me now? I thought, my eyes locked on the bear’s.
My breath condensed into thick clouds as I breathed, and it hung between the two of us lazily, like a flimsy curtain keeping us away from combat.
Stomping the ground with my front hooves, I exhaled sharply and lowered my head, presenting my antlers to the beast.
It snarled at me, impatient, and its fangs seemed to gleam in the darkness. My heart was beating hard, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
It felt good.
Eager to go on the offensive, I pushed myself forward with my hind legs, cutting through the falling snow as fast as I could.
The bear jumped toward me, its razor-sharp claws aiming for my neck, but I was too fast for it—sidestepping it, I pushed my antlers against its torso, the tips piercing through skin and muscle, even as its claws raked my side.
Red blood sprayed onto the white carpet of snow underneath us, and the bear staggered back, its eyes wide with confusion.
It was a big one, and it wasn’t expecting to find a match for itself in this part of the woods.
Unfortunately for the damn thing, no one’s a match for a fully shifted Vondin.
I stood my ground, hoping for the creature to give up and go on its way, but it only seemed more pissed off now.
It charged at me once more and lowering my head again, I put all my strength into another strike. I hit it straight in the neck, probably severing a major artery, and more blood gushed out from its gaping wound.
Whimpering instead of roaring, the bear went down on its forelegs and started swaying back and forth drunkenly.
With a gurgling sound that rose from the back of its throat, it finally collapsed.
I waited for almost a minute, barely moving, as I watched its chest rise and fall at random intervals. When there had been no more movement for another minute, I let out one sharp breath and closed my eyes.
What a fucking night.
Closing my eyes, I cleared my
head and held my breath. I forced my heart to start beating at a slower pace, then felt what I could only describe as the crackle of electricity under my skin.
My joints popped as my bones shrunk, my thick fur receding back into the skin, and I found myself down on my knees, gasping as my antlers slowly disappeared back into my skull.
I pressed my hand against my side, feeling the hot blood slow. One lucky strike for the creature, whatever it had been.
But not lucky enough.
Naked, I stood up and looked around. I was about to start making my way back to the cabins when I noticed movement behind a couple of trees.
It was dark, and the storm made it impossible for me to see who was there. For a moment, I wished I hadn’t shifted back.
Still, even though I didn’t have my shifted eyes, I knew there was someone there, trying to hide behind the trees.
I didn’t make a move. I just stood there and considered my options.
If whoever was hiding there had seen my transformation, I was in trouble.
Missions on class-B planets had a strict ‘don’t be seen’ directive, and that was one of the rules the High Command really didn’t like to see broken.
But maybe I had been lucky. Maybe whoever was there had seen nothing but two wild animals going at it.
There was more movement.
Gingerly, the human standing behind the tree came into view.
It was Megan.
“Ryant?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear and confusion. “Is that you?”
Oh, skith.
Megan
I didn’t know what to think, say, or do.
All I knew was that the impossible had just happened right in front of my eyes.
“It’s alright, Megan,” Ryant said, his voice patient and calm.
I ran my tongue over my lips as I tried to think of something to say, but I simply couldn’t. I couldn’t even feel the cold seeping through my hoodie as my brain just stuttered on what I’d seen.
“I don’t know what you think has just happened,” he continued, “but—”
“What I think happened?” I repeated, my voice sounding shriller and more hysterical than I had anticipated. “You’re a freaking reindeer!”
Okay.
That wasn’t exactly what I’d meant to say, but it seemed to wrap it all up.
I shook my head at the absurdity of it all, slightly afraid that I was going crazy, but deep down, I knew I was perfectly sane.
I had seen Ryant transform into a reindeer, beat the crap out of some oversized bear, and then shift back into his handsome self.
It was absurd, but it was also the truth.
“I have no idea what a reindeer is,” he merely said, casually shrugging his shoulders.
I looked at him, aghast, and only then did I realize that he was completely naked.
I had been so shocked by his sudden transformation that I hadn’t even had the time to process that fact.
If possible, he was even more impressive without clothes on.
His muscles looked as if they had been carved out of a block of marble by a master’s chisel, his six-pack so perfect, you’d think someone had photoshopped it, but that wasn’t even the best of it.
Holding my breath, I let my eyes be drawn to what hung between his legs, and my heart did a backflip inside my chest as I registered its size.
Yeah, the reindeer thing was a definitive shocker—but his freaking size was what really stunned me.
I didn’t know what Ryant was, but he sure as hell wasn’t human.
“Megan? Are you okay?” he asked me, carefully closing the distance between the two of us. “You look a little pale.”
I didn’t know if I looked pale or not, but I didn’t feel alright.
Naked-reindeer-man was a good kisser, though...
My knees were growing weaker, my thoughts felt like balloons floating up into the sky, and even though my eyes were open, I couldn’t see a damn thing.
“I think I’m gonna…”
I trailed off then, the words feeling too heavy as they rolled off my tongue.
One final breath and I dove forward into Ryant’s arms, the dark shadows of unconsciousness wrapping around me.
I opened my eyes lazily, the warmth of the flames bathing my cheeks. I was lying down on the cabin’s couch, a blanket covering me. On the table, steam rose from what looked like a cup of coffee.
“Ryant?” I tried, kicking the blanket off me and sitting up.
“I’m right here.” Standing against one of the wooden beams supporting the roof, he had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at me, frowning.
“How are you feeling? I made you some coffee.”
“I’m better now,” I whispered, reaching for the cup on the table. I took a sip before I continued, waiting as the instant coffee warmed me up from the inside out. “I fainted, didn’t I?”
“That’s right.” Hesitantly, Ryant pushed himself off the beam and started walking toward me.
He took small steps, his eyes never leaving mine, as if he was worried about spooking me. “I was worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” I smiled. “I think it was just the shock of it all.”
“Ah.”
“What exactly are you, Ryant?” I finally forced myself to ask. “And don’t lie to me.” I swallowed, my throat tight. “I’ll know.”
Somehow, I wasn’t afraid of him. Even though I had seen him kill a savage beast three times his size, I couldn’t think of him as a violent man.
Reindeer.
Whatever.
“I think you would,” he answered solemnly. “I’m a Vondin.”
He didn’t say a word more, his eyes carefully taking in my reaction. There wasn't a lot to take in, and that was because I didn’t know how to react to his revelation.
I mean, a Vondin? As far as I was concerned, a Vondin could be the name of a gluten-free yoghurt brand.
“I don’t know what that is.”
“Right, of course,” he cleared his throat. “Obviously. I’m not human, Megan. I was sent here on a mission. My superiors lost something, and I’ve come here to retrieve it.”
“You’re not human,” I echoed, those three words popping like fireworks inside my head.
It all sounded so incredible and ridiculous, but it was the truth.
I had seen him transform with my own eyes, and why would he bother to lie? “And the bear outside? Was it someone looking for you? Someone of your species?”
“It was just an Earth bear,” Ryant shrugged, oblivious to the fact that the bear he killed was definitely not a normal one. “There’s no one looking for me. This is a simple retrieval mission I’m on. Or it was, anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to help you find your daughter,” he said, his eyes on mine. His words were as solid as granite, as if there was nothing I could say that would sway him from his decision. “When I saw that beast outside...I knew I had to keep you safe, no matter what.”
“Ryant…” I didn’t even know what to say. My brain was struggling to process all this new information. It wasn’t just about the fact that Ryant was a shape-shifting alien—one that could transform into a freaking reindeer, of all things.
It was about the fact that, despite his otherworldly nature, he was willing to help me.
My parents wouldn’t. They’d made it clear that they thought their accidental granddaughter was probably best with her father, far away from embarrassing them with her existence.
The PI would give me information, but only for a steep price, that I just couldn’t afford anymore.
This stranger was the only one willing to help me.
Just for my own sake.
I stood up from the couch, wanting to hug him, then I noticed the dark stain on the side of his shirt.
“Is that blood?”
He looked down. “Probably?”
“Get over here, let me see,” I pulled him towards the light of th
e fire and tugged his shirt up, exposing the bright pink skin of a newly healing wound.
“How is that even possible?” I wondered, running my fingers over his side, marveling at how the injury seemed to be healing, practically right before my eyes.
Ryant hissed softly and I jerked back my hand. “I’m so sorry, it’s probably tender and sore and-”
He grabbed my hand, cutting off my babbling.
“It’s fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “But when you touch me...I can’t promise I’ll be able to control myself.”
I cocked my head to the side, considering. “Would you hurt me?”
His eyes flashed, intensely blue. “Never.”
And I believed him. So much so that I didn’t even care if this was another terrible decision.
Pulling my hand gently from his grip, I slid it under the back of his shirt, watching his face tense.
“Then maybe I want you to lose control.”
“Are you sure?” he managed. “I’m not…”
“I know,” I found myself saying, then just dove toward him and crushed my lips against his.
He seemed surprised by my reaction at first, but a fraction of a second later and he was prying my lips open with the tip of his tongue, his hands roaming down the sides of my body, desperate and hungry.
“Come.” Grabbing my hand, he dragged me toward the finally warmer bedroom. The moment we stepped through the doorway, he pushed me back against the wall and started kissing me once more, every touch claiming, worshiping.
His hands worked fast, busy with tearing each piece of clothing off my body, and my heart hammered faster and faster as the cool air in the room lapped at my naked skin.
“I’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you are,” he said, his eyes on mine as he peeled the bra off my body, my nipples hardening. “Not on a dozen planets, a hundred.”
Gently, he ran both his hands down my body and hooked his fingers on my drenched thong; one quick movement and he pulled it against my outer thigh, tearing the fabric apart.
Then, with lust burning in his eyes, he spun me around and led me toward the bed. I exhaled sharply as he gently tossed me on top of it, the mattress shifting under my weight.
He climbed after me, his movements almost predatory, and my heart skipped a beat as he grabbed both my wrists and pinned me against the mattress, his body on top of mine.