The delivery guy stares into my eyes. I wonder if he’s searching for pupils among the purplish clouds shifting over the surface of the orbs that allow me to see. He won’t find any.
“Can I see you again?” he asks.
You want to?I barely keep the vulnerable question to myself with a reminder that I don’t care if people want to see me or not.
“Sure.”
The shifter beams, leaning forward to snatch one of my hands. He brings my palm to his mouth and presses a surprisingly intimate kiss to the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. Left speechless, I hold my hand against my chest when he releases it.
“See you soon, my blue beauty.”
3
The sky spreadsin a black mass above my perch, a void illuminated only by stars. Some call this the night of the new moon.
Among mythics, we call it the dark moon.
This is a night of shadows. Without light, we can easily hide yet also be free in that secrecy.
I stand easily on a thick branch, gazing over the treetops that spread for miles. Folk Haven sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, among the Chattahoochee National Forest. The wilderness pushes in on all sides. I love it, and tonight, I’m going to explore as much as I can from above.
I’m not the only one venturing out. Selkies have pulled on their magical pelts to swim in animal form, diving deep under the surface of Lake Galen. Sirens have freed their wings and play games in the air above their cove of the lake. Many other mythics let loose in the darkness.
But I’ll spend the night on my own, as I’ve always done.
Sometimes, I pretend the bats are my companions. Their little squeaking voices fill the cool night air, and I watch their fluttering bodies glide back and forth. Once I take to the sky,they’ll find somewhere else to hunt, scared my size makes me their predator. I don’t blame them. I’m used to being feared.
Just as I ready myself to launch into the air, a loud rustling sounds beneath my tree. Glancing down, I spy a large mass lumbering among the trunks.
A bear.
Folk Haven has had the occasional black bear stray into town limits. But this creature is massive, and if my night vision isn’t failing me, he’s a reddish color. As the scent of freshly cut grass drifts up to me, I know exactly who has wandered into my territory this dark moon night.
When Mahon made his promise to see me again soon, I was left without a timeline. Of course, his delivery was yesterday, so I shouldn’t have continued to glance out my window and at my phone every hour. The bear shifter doesn’t even have my number.
And one day? How needy am I?
Apparently, very because I immediately swoop down from my perch to land a short distance in front of him.
Shit. Until I’m on the ground, I don’t realize the result of my impulsive move.
This night, I left my baggy sweats at home. Despite expecting to be alone, I maintained a sense of modesty by pulling on a tight set of black bike shorts along with a matching sports bra. The straps of the top are all Velcro because that’s the only thing I’m able to manage with my wings.
Wings that are now on full display. If Mahon has night vision anywhere near as good as mine, he’ll see my extra limbs along with the scales that cover me from toe to hip, climbing up my back and then spilling over my shoulders and down my arms.
A living, breathing lizard person. Exactly what one could expect from mashing together a human and a dragon. Not thatI’m ashamed of my appearance. It’s the way that others react that cuts.
Why can’t they see the beauty of me?
Already in front of Mahon, I have no other choice than to stand tall and give him the best view possible.
The bear plops back on his gargantuan ass, beady black eyes tracing over my form as his wet nose sniffs the air.
Shifters are an interesting breed. In their other forms, they appear almost like the real animal. But something is always different. My bet is, no true bear has a ginger coat. Unless we’re talking about red pandas. If Mahon could transform into one ofthosecuddly creatures, I’d have to kidnap him and keep him forever just because the adorableness factor would be too much to handle.
The man is pretty cute too.
Bear Mahon heaves to his feet and trundles forward. When the furry creature is almost in my personal space, he reaches out a paw the size of a Frisbee.
