fact that he had placed the idea into my head did little to quell the sudden flush that colored my cheeks. My temper flared. If there was one thing I hated, it was being forced to do something against my will—a fact that Bren knew well. Helping the chimera shift had obviously weakened my shields…
Bren was laughing out loud, one of the few times I had ever heard him do so, and I quelled the desire to make a big deal out of the event. I need to start letting things go once in awhile and now was as good a time as any to start. Sighing, I explained the situation. “He’s been living here with Meg, who incidentally is Richard’s friend, for a few months now so he hasn’t made the change for awhile.” I didn’t even know why I was explaining the situation to the vampire. It wasn’t as though he cared, and from the look on his face, I realized it wouldn’t have mattered to him if the chimera had just come out of a coma. I clamped my mouth shut.
Rolling up the sleeves of his silk shirt, he leaned closer to the naked man on the floor, sniffing softly. “If you keep taking in strays, there won’t be room for the rest of us.”
“That’s the idea,” I mumbled, rubbing my temples.
He hissed and left the room, disappearing as suddenly as he had shown up. I knew that would be the last I would see of him for a few days and it pissed me off. He’d show up days later like nothing had ever happened. Vampires just irritate me in general. They are the most self-serving, egotistical creatures in the world, and when you live in a house full of preternatural beings, that was saying something…
I sat on the floor next to the “cat formerly known as Daniel,” and pulled my hair into a loose ponytail with the soft band I kept in my pocket expressly for that purpose.
Reaching down, I stroked Daniel’s shoulder as if I were still petting a cat. Weres always run hot and I expected him to have a raging fever. Instead, his skin felt cool to the touch. I grabbed a blanket from the antiquated couch and pulled it around his body letting him place his head in my lap.
“Why are you helping me?” He said, keeping his eyes closed as he clumsily forced the words.
“It’s what I do,” I answered simply.
Hell, I’m not sure why I do this work myself. Some days my ability to communicate with animals is a curse; on others it’s a blessing. I suppose I could have turned down the chance to take the position. No one forced me to accept—in fact, the Council was completely against it. No one even knew where my abilities had originated, although it was obvious from the day Brock had taken me off the streets for good that I would be following this path.
“You’ll feel better soon,” I said. “Just try to stay still for a bit.”
Daniel glanced up, causing me to gasp. His eyes still retained the almond shape of a cat. Eyes always take the longest to revert back to human, but I’ve heard of cases where they never wholly regain their human shape again—I could see that Daniel may well fall into that category. He may wind up being the type that would always retain a feral quality—something between man and beast. Sighing, I pulled him closer to me. Obviously he had stayed in this form for far too long.
But, I didn’t tell him that.
I couldn’t…
While honesty is a beautiful trait in others, I’ve never been convinced it works for me.
Instead I wrapped my arms around him, warming him and whispering nonsensical words as he rested.
He would find out soon enough that his life was about to change in a big way.
I cursed as the car in front of me slowed, forcing me to shift down. Flipping the wheel to the right, I passed the slower-moving vehicle, the engine whining in protest until I could shift back into fifth gear. Maneuvering back into the fast lane, I pressed the gas and raced past the line of cars.
Safely in the carpool lane, I pressed the LCD on the steering wheel to access my phone, and told it to dial Richard as I
Bren was laughing out loud, one of the few times I had ever heard him do so, and I quelled the desire to make a big deal out of the event. I need to start letting things go once in awhile and now was as good a time as any to start. Sighing, I explained the situation. “He’s been living here with Meg, who incidentally is Richard’s friend, for a few months now so he hasn’t made the change for awhile.” I didn’t even know why I was explaining the situation to the vampire. It wasn’t as though he cared, and from the look on his face, I realized it wouldn’t have mattered to him if the chimera had just come out of a coma. I clamped my mouth shut.
Rolling up the sleeves of his silk shirt, he leaned closer to the naked man on the floor, sniffing softly. “If you keep taking in strays, there won’t be room for the rest of us.”
“That’s the idea,” I mumbled, rubbing my temples.
He hissed and left the room, disappearing as suddenly as he had shown up. I knew that would be the last I would see of him for a few days and it pissed me off. He’d show up days later like nothing had ever happened. Vampires just irritate me in general. They are the most self-serving, egotistical creatures in the world, and when you live in a house full of preternatural beings, that was saying something…
I sat on the floor next to the “cat formerly known as Daniel,” and pulled my hair into a loose ponytail with the soft band I kept in my pocket expressly for that purpose.
Reaching down, I stroked Daniel’s shoulder as if I were still petting a cat. Weres always run hot and I expected him to have a raging fever. Instead, his skin felt cool to the touch. I grabbed a blanket from the antiquated couch and pulled it around his body letting him place his head in my lap.
“Why are you helping me?” He said, keeping his eyes closed as he clumsily forced the words.
“It’s what I do,” I answered simply.
Hell, I’m not sure why I do this work myself. Some days my ability to communicate with animals is a curse; on others it’s a blessing. I suppose I could have turned down the chance to take the position. No one forced me to accept—in fact, the Council was completely against it. No one even knew where my abilities had originated, although it was obvious from the day Brock had taken me off the streets for good that I would be following this path.
“You’ll feel better soon,” I said. “Just try to stay still for a bit.”
Daniel glanced up, causing me to gasp. His eyes still retained the almond shape of a cat. Eyes always take the longest to revert back to human, but I’ve heard of cases where they never wholly regain their human shape again—I could see that Daniel may well fall into that category. He may wind up being the type that would always retain a feral quality—something between man and beast. Sighing, I pulled him closer to me. Obviously he had stayed in this form for far too long.
But, I didn’t tell him that.
I couldn’t…
While honesty is a beautiful trait in others, I’ve never been convinced it works for me.
Instead I wrapped my arms around him, warming him and whispering nonsensical words as he rested.
He would find out soon enough that his life was about to change in a big way.
I cursed as the car in front of me slowed, forcing me to shift down. Flipping the wheel to the right, I passed the slower-moving vehicle, the engine whining in protest until I could shift back into fifth gear. Maneuvering back into the fast lane, I pressed the gas and raced past the line of cars.
Safely in the carpool lane, I pressed the LCD on the steering wheel to access my phone, and told it to dial Richard as I
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