once, but blinked, sniffing the air, then glanced over her shoulder. Her golden eyes quickly returning to mine, she whispered, “Tom’s on his way over. You want to see him?”
I stiffened. “Oh, hell no.” I ducked, sputtering, “He squawks.” He was a hawk Shifter.
Jack and Ezra instantly laughed at my words, even while Elly simply nodded. She started to turn to cut him off, but stopped. She was staring at my lap, so I peered down. Ezra still had his hand on my leg, gifting me gently with his power, the softest of tranquility past the chill.
I hadn’t even noticed. No wonder I hadn’t been cold. I had even forgotten to turn the heater up. To make matters worse, in Elly’s view, his hand had slipped under my dress when he had reclined his seat.
She bent halfway through the window, over me, asking softly, “What’cha think you’re doing with your hand up my Prodigy’s dress, Vampire?” Her lioness growled, and it was a fairly frightening sound, coming from a supposedly weak Shifter.
Ezra kept his hand where it was, grinning unrepentantly, not helping the situation any.
Taking a firm grip on her shoulder, I explained, “He’s only relaxing me.” Realizing that hadn’t come out right when Jack choked and Elly’s lioness growled louder, I added hurriedly, “Like, literally, relaxing me. With his power. I was freezing in this dress.” The growling died down, and I gently pushed her out the window when I smelled Tom on the wind. “I’ll see you tonight, Elly.”
She still glared at Ezra, but nodded, her nostrils flaring, and she quickly turned to stop Tom’s progress. Things had changed. I knew this as I rolled the window up. I wasn’t completely used to it — I probably never would be — but I knew why every Shifter treated me differently. I was their Prodigy. I had the power . It had altered my relationship with Elly. Not purposely, but it was undeniable. My mastery of being able to hide my Shifter power was even more important to me now, but it was still a work in progress.
Jack murmured, “Well, I do believe you have some clue what relations are going to be like from now on.” He chuckled, a few snorts categorical from the backseat.
Ezra slowly joined him, sputtering, “He squawks ? Sweetheart, what were you thinking?”
I groaned, banging my head back against the headrest a few times. “I wasn’t.” I paused, and then added honestly, “I ended up wanting fowl for dinner. It was like he was prey.”
They thought that hilarious.
Arriving at the high-rise commercial building in downtown New York City, I parked in a parking garage a block away. Pearl was still laughing her butt off as we exited the Hummer, Jack and Ezra having a dandy time retelling what had happened. I took it like a champ, almost completely ignoring their ribbing. I shivered as I stepped into the frigid air, only then noticing Ezra must have gifted me with his power the entire drive there. Oddly, the others hadn’t complained about the chill.
Blinking slowly, I glanced back inside the car, comprehending that they hadn’t complained because the heat had still been on low. It was warm enough for a Mys, but Ezra’s added power had kept me oblivious. Wrapping my jacket tighter around my shivering frame, I slammed my door and locked it. Next time, I was going to wear pants when it was this cold, even if I had to dress up.
Pearl was wiping her eyes — still chuckling — and I reached up, fixing a smudge of her shimmering gold lipstick, which she had screwed up smooching forever with Gideon. “There.” I shoved my hands in my pockets as the guards surrounded us. “No one will know you had your tongue down your mate’s throat for a half-hour.” I smiled sweetly.
Said tongue peeked out in a rude gesture. Yep. That was the perfect golden doll.
As we exited onto the streets, everyone’s eyes turned in our direction. Stared. Nearly all Commoners, only a few Mysticals in the mix. Like, a ten-to-one ratio.
I
I stiffened. “Oh, hell no.” I ducked, sputtering, “He squawks.” He was a hawk Shifter.
Jack and Ezra instantly laughed at my words, even while Elly simply nodded. She started to turn to cut him off, but stopped. She was staring at my lap, so I peered down. Ezra still had his hand on my leg, gifting me gently with his power, the softest of tranquility past the chill.
I hadn’t even noticed. No wonder I hadn’t been cold. I had even forgotten to turn the heater up. To make matters worse, in Elly’s view, his hand had slipped under my dress when he had reclined his seat.
She bent halfway through the window, over me, asking softly, “What’cha think you’re doing with your hand up my Prodigy’s dress, Vampire?” Her lioness growled, and it was a fairly frightening sound, coming from a supposedly weak Shifter.
Ezra kept his hand where it was, grinning unrepentantly, not helping the situation any.
Taking a firm grip on her shoulder, I explained, “He’s only relaxing me.” Realizing that hadn’t come out right when Jack choked and Elly’s lioness growled louder, I added hurriedly, “Like, literally, relaxing me. With his power. I was freezing in this dress.” The growling died down, and I gently pushed her out the window when I smelled Tom on the wind. “I’ll see you tonight, Elly.”
She still glared at Ezra, but nodded, her nostrils flaring, and she quickly turned to stop Tom’s progress. Things had changed. I knew this as I rolled the window up. I wasn’t completely used to it — I probably never would be — but I knew why every Shifter treated me differently. I was their Prodigy. I had the power . It had altered my relationship with Elly. Not purposely, but it was undeniable. My mastery of being able to hide my Shifter power was even more important to me now, but it was still a work in progress.
Jack murmured, “Well, I do believe you have some clue what relations are going to be like from now on.” He chuckled, a few snorts categorical from the backseat.
Ezra slowly joined him, sputtering, “He squawks ? Sweetheart, what were you thinking?”
I groaned, banging my head back against the headrest a few times. “I wasn’t.” I paused, and then added honestly, “I ended up wanting fowl for dinner. It was like he was prey.”
They thought that hilarious.
Arriving at the high-rise commercial building in downtown New York City, I parked in a parking garage a block away. Pearl was still laughing her butt off as we exited the Hummer, Jack and Ezra having a dandy time retelling what had happened. I took it like a champ, almost completely ignoring their ribbing. I shivered as I stepped into the frigid air, only then noticing Ezra must have gifted me with his power the entire drive there. Oddly, the others hadn’t complained about the chill.
Blinking slowly, I glanced back inside the car, comprehending that they hadn’t complained because the heat had still been on low. It was warm enough for a Mys, but Ezra’s added power had kept me oblivious. Wrapping my jacket tighter around my shivering frame, I slammed my door and locked it. Next time, I was going to wear pants when it was this cold, even if I had to dress up.
Pearl was wiping her eyes — still chuckling — and I reached up, fixing a smudge of her shimmering gold lipstick, which she had screwed up smooching forever with Gideon. “There.” I shoved my hands in my pockets as the guards surrounded us. “No one will know you had your tongue down your mate’s throat for a half-hour.” I smiled sweetly.
Said tongue peeked out in a rude gesture. Yep. That was the perfect golden doll.
As we exited onto the streets, everyone’s eyes turned in our direction. Stared. Nearly all Commoners, only a few Mysticals in the mix. Like, a ten-to-one ratio.
I
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