could smell her fear. It was a scent he’d always gloried in, as long as it wasn’t his. It had always meant he was close to a kill, and the kill was what his life had been all about in that other time.
Her scent made him feel defensive—not a familiar emotion—and that made him mad. He shouldn’t care what she felt about him. “Okay, I get that you’re not here to watch TV or because you want to be with me.”
Jenna narrowed her gaze on him. She had to recognize the aggression pushing at him, and she didn’t like it. Too damn bad.
“I just got through talking with Fin. He explained the basics of what’s going on with you guys, but he left a lot of blank spots.”
Al empathized. “Fin is all about blank spots.” How many times had Al felt that Fin lived in his own hidden world? Their beloved leader was a font of nonanswers. Al hated being manipulated, and deep in what passed for his heart, he believed Fin was using all of them.
“Fin didn’t get to answer all my questions because someone named Shen interrupted. Fin said you’d fill me in on the rest.”
Al wanted to be anywhere but here. Exactly how much had Fin told her? Did she know what he was? She might have a clue, but she probably wasn’t certain, because if she was certain she wouldn’t be here at all. Thanks, Fin, for laying this load on me.
Somewhere in his mind, he heard Fin’s laughter.
“Sure, what do you want to know?” Do you want to know how much I need your long bare legs wrapped around me? How about if I tell you how much I want to bury myself in your heat and feel your soul-deep shudder as I drive deeper and deeper? Sure, ask me anything.
She nodded but didn’t quite meet his gaze. “What are you?”
Ah, she was starting with the money ball. “What do you think I am?” Coward. He wanted her to say it first. He didn’t want to be the one to put the word out there and watch it scare the shit out of her.
“I hate game playing.” Jenna finally met his gaze. Her eyes were cool and controlled.
Brave lady. He shrugged. “Otherkin have nonhuman souls trapped in human bodies. Our cook, Greer, is otherkin. He has the soul of a tiger.”
Al studied her expression. So far no panic, just intent interest. She nodded for him to go on.
“Greer has all the instincts of the tiger, but he’ll never walk the Earth in the form of his beast. His soul is trapped. The Eleven are a kind of otherkin, but we have the power to release our souls.” And sometimes their souls escaped and ran wild.
Some emotion flooded her eyes and then was gone. “The shadow I saw to night.”
“Yeah.”
“What happens when you release your soul? Do you shift?” She edged forward in her seat. She’d stopped stroking the arm of the chair. Her gaze was intent.
“My soul manifests its physical form with every scary detail in working order. It’s a flesh-and-blood ancient predator stalking the city streets looking for prey. But it’s not powerful enough to completely overwhelm the human part of me. If you look closely, you can still see the shadow of my human form within the…beast.” That hurt. Not because he was ashamed of what he was, but because of how she’d react to that word.
“Fin talked about sixty-five million years ago. That’s when the dinosaurs went extinct.” She swallowed hard, a brief sign of what she must be feeling if he could only get past the calm exterior. “So your soul is a T. rex?” She blurted it out as though the word burned her tongue.
“Allosaurus.” He waited a beat. “Ty’s the T. rex.” Then he held his breath and watched her.
Hours and years passed before she slowly nodded. “I see.”
Did she? He didn’t think so. She didn’t see his agony at being an abomination in a time he despised. She didn’t see his aloneness without his pack, his failed attempts to fit in with this new pack. She didn’t see his disgust at his rage and inability to control it. “Anything else you want to know?”
Then the
Her scent made him feel defensive—not a familiar emotion—and that made him mad. He shouldn’t care what she felt about him. “Okay, I get that you’re not here to watch TV or because you want to be with me.”
Jenna narrowed her gaze on him. She had to recognize the aggression pushing at him, and she didn’t like it. Too damn bad.
“I just got through talking with Fin. He explained the basics of what’s going on with you guys, but he left a lot of blank spots.”
Al empathized. “Fin is all about blank spots.” How many times had Al felt that Fin lived in his own hidden world? Their beloved leader was a font of nonanswers. Al hated being manipulated, and deep in what passed for his heart, he believed Fin was using all of them.
“Fin didn’t get to answer all my questions because someone named Shen interrupted. Fin said you’d fill me in on the rest.”
Al wanted to be anywhere but here. Exactly how much had Fin told her? Did she know what he was? She might have a clue, but she probably wasn’t certain, because if she was certain she wouldn’t be here at all. Thanks, Fin, for laying this load on me.
Somewhere in his mind, he heard Fin’s laughter.
“Sure, what do you want to know?” Do you want to know how much I need your long bare legs wrapped around me? How about if I tell you how much I want to bury myself in your heat and feel your soul-deep shudder as I drive deeper and deeper? Sure, ask me anything.
She nodded but didn’t quite meet his gaze. “What are you?”
Ah, she was starting with the money ball. “What do you think I am?” Coward. He wanted her to say it first. He didn’t want to be the one to put the word out there and watch it scare the shit out of her.
“I hate game playing.” Jenna finally met his gaze. Her eyes were cool and controlled.
Brave lady. He shrugged. “Otherkin have nonhuman souls trapped in human bodies. Our cook, Greer, is otherkin. He has the soul of a tiger.”
Al studied her expression. So far no panic, just intent interest. She nodded for him to go on.
“Greer has all the instincts of the tiger, but he’ll never walk the Earth in the form of his beast. His soul is trapped. The Eleven are a kind of otherkin, but we have the power to release our souls.” And sometimes their souls escaped and ran wild.
Some emotion flooded her eyes and then was gone. “The shadow I saw to night.”
“Yeah.”
“What happens when you release your soul? Do you shift?” She edged forward in her seat. She’d stopped stroking the arm of the chair. Her gaze was intent.
“My soul manifests its physical form with every scary detail in working order. It’s a flesh-and-blood ancient predator stalking the city streets looking for prey. But it’s not powerful enough to completely overwhelm the human part of me. If you look closely, you can still see the shadow of my human form within the…beast.” That hurt. Not because he was ashamed of what he was, but because of how she’d react to that word.
“Fin talked about sixty-five million years ago. That’s when the dinosaurs went extinct.” She swallowed hard, a brief sign of what she must be feeling if he could only get past the calm exterior. “So your soul is a T. rex?” She blurted it out as though the word burned her tongue.
“Allosaurus.” He waited a beat. “Ty’s the T. rex.” Then he held his breath and watched her.
Hours and years passed before she slowly nodded. “I see.”
Did she? He didn’t think so. She didn’t see his agony at being an abomination in a time he despised. She didn’t see his aloneness without his pack, his failed attempts to fit in with this new pack. She didn’t see his disgust at his rage and inability to control it. “Anything else you want to know?”
Then the
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