by Johanna Rae
As if the whole ‘omgiod’ factor of the moment hadn’t been shocking by itself, or the idea that she’d crossed some sort of personal space boundary appalling enough, Jodie knew something that she hadn’t before. Summer Matthews was a Kodiak bear.
At first the revelation had been so surprising that Jodie didn’t know what she’d just seen, she almost convinced herself she’d wished Summer was a bear for Rufus’s sake.
How or why this ability had chosen to burst forth right then and there would forever remain a mystery to Jodie. The dilemma she faced now was whether or not she should tell Rufus.
The way it had all come to light just seemed so deceitful. Jodie felt dirty even knowing such personal and undisclosed information. She looked back at Rufus, frantically grasping at passing thoughts, needing to offer some sort of explanation.
“You really should ask her out. Really.”
A frown drew his brows down over his eyes, “you gotta let it go Jodie.”
With a sigh of acceptance, Jodie nodded and reached for the daiquiri.
LUKE PACED THE FLOOR of his bedroom, the note he had hidden from Leon balled up in his fist. He’d had it for five hours now and he couldn’t think straight. Anger boiled in his veins as he thought about what might happen. Well I’m not going to let it, he vowed, the silence in the room belying his rage.
Walking over to the dresser, he picked up the photo that had come with the note and his whole posture wilted. In the picture Grace sat hunched over her school desk working on a junior reader, her face scrunched up in concentration and her stubby little finger pressed hard to the glossy page.
The shot had been taken from outside the classroom with some sort of telephoto lens, the window frame visible in the corner of the image. They hadn’t just identified his daughter, they were watching her.
Unfolding the accompanying piece of paper, Luke sank down onto the bed and read it again. There could be no mistaking the threat entailed in the brief message. Either he did what they wanted or they would take Grace. Luke thought she would be safe at school. Between himself and Leon, they’d done a fine job keeping the girls safe at home but it wouldn’t be enough anymore.
Once Grace stepped into that classroom there would be nothing either could do to protect her. What am I supposed to do, home school her for the rest of her life? Tell the teacher she needs to bring her cat with her to school? Yeah that would work great, wouldn’t it?
Luke let the paper slide from his grasp, floating across the room to rest on the carpet near the window. He sat for a long moment with his head in his hands, trying to conceive a better plan, and failing miserably.
If he told Leon about the note, Leon would report it back to the Unit, then they’d come in with their knife flinging, karate chopping nonsense. Grace wouldn’t stand a chance. He’d been up close and personal with the pigs before, the fact that she was just a little girl didn’t mean a damned thing to them. No, Luke had to deal with this himself.
Not bothering to remove his shoes, Luke pulled his legs up onto the bed and lay down. Staring up at the ceiling, he swallowed the bile rising up the back of his throat and prayed for a miracle.
Chapter 30
Jodie had a sense of deja-vu, awakening with a weight on her chest. Eyes opening, she turned her head to find it was Danny cuddled up to her, not Rufus.
With a smile she rolled onto her side, wrapping her arms around him. He stirred in his sleep and she lay there for a few minutes blissfully watching his gorgeous face in slumber.
“I can feel you looking at me,” he murmured without opening his eyes.
With a giggle she gave him a kiss. “I’m in far too good a mood for you to be grumpy.”
“I’m not grumpy.” At last he opened his eyes, reassuring her with a dimpled grin. “I’d have liked a little more sleep but I’ll forgive you.”
Jodie rolled her eyes in bemusement, “gee, thanks for that.”
Danny hooked a leg over hers, pressing his lips to her neck. “Mmm, I like waking up next to you. I’ve missed it.”
“Me too.”
Jodie leaned into his touch and found herself purring. The sensation felt unlike anything she’d experienced before, leaving her staring at Danny in wonder. Danny smiled back and began a little purring of his own.
A knock sounded at the door and Mark’s voice could be heard. “Are you two still alive in there?”
“Yeah smartass, what’s up?” Danny called back.
“I thought I’d better make sure since all my pictures are still on the wall, last call for breakfast if you want it.”
The way he’d inserted the wisecrack into casual conversation irked Jodie. “How come they give us such a hard time? I never see anyone harassing Eddie when Ainsley stays over.”
Chuckling, Danny slid out of the bed and pulled on some pants. “Personally I see it as a compliment. After all, Eddie didn’t get a round of applause either now did he?”
“Well no...” Jodie watched as Danny stood at the dresser, brushing his hair and putting an elastic band around it.
“Unless you plan to go to breakfast naked, I suggest you get a move on.” He teased.
“Maybe I did,” she argued in stubborn defiance, throwing back the sheets back and placing both feet on the floor. Nevertheless she put on some clothes and walked to the door, braiding her hair as she went. Danny gave her ass a slap when she walked past, so she squealed and threw open the door.
“Keep the door closed if you’re going to start sexing it up in there would you?” Eddie drawled as he sauntered past.
Jodie gave Danny an exasperated look. Sidling up to her, blue eyes twinkling, he slipped an arm around her waist and they walked to the kitchen together. Though she had protested Mark and Eddie’s jibes, Jodie felt in great spirits. Having things right between her and Danny again had left her on a natural high.
DANNY HAD CLEARED HIS schedule so he and Jodie could spend what remained of the morning in the basement working on her change. Having learned to halt the leopard was only half the battle, even if the more important half. Now Jodie had to work on instigating it.
Thankful to be granted the opportunity, Danny proved to be a patient teacher. He sat on a chair in the center of the room, giving Jodie as much or little space as she needed. She chose a spot about ten feet from him and once she had stripped naked, sat facing him ready to obey his instructions.
Latching onto her energy with his, Danny allowed the two to merge. His eyes sought Jodie’s, confirming she felt comfortable and happy for him to proceed. Gently he drew on the bond, trying to coax the leopard out of her core. He employed much greater care than he had at the Therian dinner, determined to prove to her that he could do this without fear.
The first time, he had to bring her to the very brink of the change. Danny had drawn it out bit by bit until he’d felt that Jodie had control of it. As soon as her barriers came up thus halting the change, he paused.
“Good honey, that’s very good,” he praised in a low voice. “Now slowly let go of that barrier you just put up.”
He watched as she followed through, soft golden fur rolling down her limbs as they changed shape and took on that of her graceful feline form. She gave herself a shake and yawned before sitting back on her haunches and gazing up at him. Danny grinned from ear to ear.
“Well done. Now put it back.”
“Pirrrt?” She cocked her head to one side, eyes still upon him. “Remember the change, feel your limbs moving and your body transforming. Now hit rewind. Imagine that all the fur is being swallowed up by your skin and your body is becoming human again. Push your Therian energy back and secure it with that barrier you had up just before.”
Danny could tell that she’d tried, but just couldn’t quite push herself over the edge. He called on the energy of his tiger, filtering it so that just a small portion reached her. He gave Jodie enough to calm her but not enough to send away her leopard. She grasped his offering and though she had to fight hard, she managed to pull
herself back out of the change. Sitting wide eyed and naked on the concrete floor, she stared up at him.
“I did it!” she breathed.
“Yes you did.” Danny grinned, eyes alive with pride. “Now see if you can do all of that again all by yourself.”
It took her numerous attempts before she perfected it but Jodie’s persistence paid off. Though Danny offered to take a break, she refused. I love that she’s so unrelenting, he mused to himself as it reminded him of his own perfectionism. So caught up in the exercise, Jodie almost missed the part where it switched from lesson to practice. When Danny suggested they call it a day, she’d seemed surprised.
Jodie stayed one more night before announcing that she wanted to move back home. Danny had always known her being at his place was temporary but that didn’t make it any easier to watch her go. It seemed so wrong now that things were functioning well between them. He’d wanted to ask her to stay, the words had been right there on the tip of his tongue but Danny hadn’t said them. It’s too soon, she’s not ready.
It wasn’t just the newness of the relationship against him, if Jodie did ever decide to move in she’d be signing on for seven other roommates besides Danny. Not a decision to rush into no matter how well everyone got along.
Sleep fought him hard that night. Though he’d spent more nights alone than nights with her, Danny wanted her in his bed so much that he could think of nothing else. He pined for her, which annoyed the hell out of him. Be a man Archer for crying out loud! He scolded himself. Surely I can make it one night without a woman sleeping beside me.
With Jodie dominating his thoughts so much, it came as a relief to have Therian business to get on with the next day. Danny needed to get his head back in the game, he and Eddie were lined up to attend a mediation session between two very small clans of horses that were at war with each other. A cumbersome enough task to demand his complete attention but not the type of job that required his full skill set, a welcome compromise under the circumstances.
Lost in thought, Danny had travelled several miles before he realized Eddie hadn’t spoken a single word since they’d left the house. The silence told Danny one of two things, either someone had royally pissed Eddie off and he’d chosen to process it in silence, or something had happened between him and Ainsley.
Several failed attempts at initiating small talk later, Danny grew concerned. He could have put his ‘boss-hat’ on and reminded Eddie how unacceptable it would be to let personal goings on affect his work but he didn’t. There’d be no point in rubbing Eddie’s nose in whatever the fuck had happened, Eddie knew the drill. Instead, Danny took the best friend approach.
“You want to tell me what’s eating at you before we get back to the house? It’d be good to get it off your chest because you know Mark’s going to ask.”
Eddie shook his hair out of his face and gave Danny a look.
Danny smiled, keeping both hands on the wheel and turned his gaze back on the road. “I’m not going to force you to talk but it must be serious to have you this preoccupied.” “Bro, I’ve got problems,” Eddie sighed.
“Indeed.” Danny switched off the stereo.
“I have to decide whether or not Ainsley is the one.”
Quirking a brow, Danny pulled the car over to the side of the road. Pressing his lips together in consternation, he looked at Eddie. “If you even have to ask yourself that, doesn’t it tell you she’s not?”
“It’s not that simple.” Eddie stressed. “Why am I even telling you anyway, you could never understand. You have your Eros.”
Massaging his forehead, Danny took a deep breath. “I’m going to ignore that for now. Focusing on you here, why is there a sudden need to decide anything? Is she putting pressure on you?”
“No...”
Danny could see trouble written all over his face, Eddie couldn’t sit still. Restless and shifting in the bucket seat rubbing at his temple, Eddie seemed to be struggling to pluck the words from his brain.
“Tini wants me to bring her to meet the clan.”
Exhaling in a rush, Danny understood. Tiniraumano wasn’t just the king of Eddie’s clan; he’d been crowned king of all the Lizard people. The king of kings, reiterated by the name he’d been given at birth, for Tiniraumano meant: Leader of many nations. Eddie’s choice of bride would not be made lightly.
If Eddie chose a human wife, Danny felt certain Tiniraumano would accept it, but certain protocols and ceremonies would be observed. Eddie had been dating Ainsley for long enough that his father wanted the clan to pass judgment on her. If Eddie were to ever assume the national throne, or even the local one, his people would have to accept her first. This would only be an issue due to her non Therian heritage and Eddie’s social standing.
Eddie’s chances of having an Eros were remote at best. The waning numbers of his people combined with the distance across which they were dispersed meant that even if one existed for him, he may never find her. He’d resigned himself to that fact long ago. So now he had a decision to make. Eddie didn’t have to propose to her right now, he just had to decide their relationship had become serious enough to put them both through the ordeal of clan judgment.
“Yeah see, now you’re wishing I hadn’t said anything.”
Danny gave Eddie a wry look. “Untrue. I intended to come up with something helpful to say but all that sprang to mind was: If you broke up tomorrow, how long do you think it would take you to get over it? Can you imagine your life without her in it?”
“No.” The conviction in which he spoke left no room for doubt and Danny wondered why he even hesitated about any of this at all.
“Well, what’s holding you back?”
“I’ve never met my Eros, so I have no idea what that’s like. What if I married Ains and then met the person I was really supposed to be with?”
That would be the worst kind of hell imaginable. Danny thought as he recalled the mere week that he and Jodie weren’t talking, but he kept that to himself. “I guess that’s something only you can decide. Do you love her?”
“Fuck yes.” Again the lack of hesitation implied more than words ever could. Eddie combed a hand through his dark hair and sighed. “I couldn’t imagine feeling this way about any other woman, I just couldn’t. I don’t care that she’s human, if she can accept what it means to walk among my people I can live with her not being my Eros.”
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe a human could be your Eros?” Danny pondered, ideas turning over in his mind.
Eddie shook his head, his brow furrowing with doubt. “Not possible bro.”
“I beg to differ.” Danny disagreed. “There’s no way to prove it but think about it. Humans meet other humans and connect in such a way that there is no life without one another, and yet they don’t have the Eros bond. Maybe the bond is stronger if you are lucky enough to have your Eros be a member of your own animal group, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it with anyone else. What if Ainsley is your Eros and you just can’t close the bond to share emotion because she’s not Therian?”
This seemed to offer Eddie a degree of optimism. “I didn’t think of it that way. Do you honestly think it’s possible to have a human Eros?”
Grinning, Danny shrugged. “I don’t know, but if it existed I’d say you and Ains have it. I’d hate to see you two split up just for the sake of politics.”
Matching Danny’s grin, Eddie’s spirits appeared to have lifted. “Thanks. If it all works out and you happen to be right about this, I’m making you wear a monkey suit.” “Nice.”
Danny laughed and moved to restart the vehicle, when his cell phone rang. On the other end of the line a hysterical woman began shouting at him. It took Danny several precious moments to figure out who he was speaking with and even then he could barely understand what Penny Fletcher said. In the end he had to terminate the call, promising he would get there as soon as he could.
An ominous silence had settled over the place, both men felt it before they
even got out of the car. Danny and Eddie exchanged worried looks as they hurried to the front door. When Penny didn’t respond to their knocking, Danny tried the handle and found it unlocked.
She sat in a crumpled heap on the kitchen floor, wiping her hands over and over on her skirt, her trauma level great enough that they were met with a vacant look. Drying blood smears beneath her palms indicated someone in dire need of medical assistance nearby.
“I couldn’t get hold of John. He took Rose to visit his mother. He won’t answer his phone and I don’t know why that is. I couldn’t get hold of Jodie either. I tried five times.” Her voice sounded empty and artificial as her truncated sentences kept coming. All the while she spoke, Penny’s hands rubbed against her cloth covered thighs as though trying to free herself of the horror.
“What happened?” Danny asked her. “Is someone hurt?”
An unhinged laugh spilled out of her mouth. “The cat turned into a man. Imagine that, as if things weren’t crazy enough already... ”
“Shit...” Breathed Eddie, his eyes fixated on Penny’s bloody hands.
“Where is he?” Danny urged her, resisting the impulse to hold her hands still and stop her from grinding the blood even further into the skirt.
“I think he’s dead,” she said, her voice empty and her features devoid of expression. “I tried to help him, I tried to help everyone. Now I’m the only one left. Where’s John? I should tell him what happened, I should call him.” Growing more and more agitated, Penny had begun to regress fast.
“Stay with her,” Danny ordered. “I’m going to look around.”
Eddie nodded and got down on his knees beside Penny. Placing a hand over hers, he tried to calm her with words. Observing the compliance, Danny hurried from the room, progressing further into the house as he searched for the source of the blood.