I hope.
Forcing down a wave of apprehension, he slid his rucksack off his shoulder. “You’d better take this. And stand back a bit. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to keep a lid on the light show.”
Honey’s eyes went wide as she caught his meaning. Taking the rucksack, she retreated a few steps. He waved her back further, until he was sure she’d be out of range of any stray lightning. Then, taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes.
He hadn’t the faintest idea where to start. When he’d done this before, it had always been in the heat of the moment, driven by instinct and need. He didn’t even know if hecoulddo it on command.
Feeling like an utter dickmuffin, he turned his attention inward. He tried to visualize that other part of him, lurking in the ancient darkness beneath his conscious mind.
All right, he told himself.Come out.
He’d expected a feeling of displacement, something surging out of his soul to take control. Instead, it was just like… he wasn’t surewhatit was like. Waking up, maybe. Or letting go.
He didn’t even really feel all that different. One moment, he was standing there, bracing himself as though for a prostate exam. And then, he was standing there, the breeze ruffling his fur, wondering what the fuck he’d been so damn worried about.
“Oh,” Honey breathed. Letting the rucksack fall, she came forward, face alight with wonder. “You’re still there?”
“Of course I’m still here, woman,” he said—or at least, he tried to. It came out as an undignified string of yaps and barks. He snapped his mouth shut, nearly biting off his own tongue.
Honey giggled, reaching out to scratch behind his ear. He tried to glare at her, but got distracted by the sensation of her fingers rubbing through his fur. It felt… good. Not at all in the same way it felt in his own skin—not that she’d ever scratched hisearswhen they were in bed—but still damn good. He couldn’t help leaning into her fingers, eyes half-closing in contentment.
Honey giggled again. “You’re wagging your tail!”
God damn it.
Part of him really wanted to flop over for a belly rub, but there were limits to how much dignity he was prepared to abandon. At least right now.
Spreading his wings, he nudged her with his nose. Honey didn’t need more of a hint than that. Scooping up the rucksack, she scrambled onto his back.
Buck took a moment to adjust to the peculiar sensation of having her straddling his spine. Then he gathered himself, unfamiliar muscles bunching across his chest and shoulders.
Here goes nothing.
He sprang into the air. He’d been half-expecting to come straight back down again, like an absolute asshat, but instinct took over. He didn’t have to think about how to flex his wings, any more than he had to pay attention to his toes when hiking. He justknew, as if he had been flying all his life. As if some part of him had always known.
Honey whooped, clinging onto his fur. At first, he flew cautiously, worried that she might slip off, but the concern soon faded. She leaned into every motion he made, as though they were a single body. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to shake her off if he’dtried.
Probably not.He found his tongue was lolling out, in a way that felt like a smile. Honey had always stuck with him, even when he’d been trying to push her away. A little thing like gravity wasn’t going to tear them apart.
He risked a more daring swoop, sweeping low over the trees before soaring up again. Honey laughed out loud in open delight. Succumbing to some primal urge, he let himself show off for her, twisting and leaping across the sky. Honey encouraged him with wordless cries of glee, snuggled so close against his back he could feel every beat of her heart.
But he had more than frolicking on his mind. He circled, getting his bearings. Finding his target, he spiraled down.
Honey slid off his back. She hugged his neck, burying her face in his fur.
“That was amazing,” she whispered.
He wanted to hold her, so he did. Shifting back to human form was as easy as shrugging.
“So are you.” He kissed the side of her neck. “And don’t go praising me yet, woman. I’m just getting started.”
She gasped as his teeth grazed her throat. “Where are we?”
“Can’t you guess?” He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around. “Look.”
He heard her breath catch as she gazed at the view—the mountains on the horizon, and the vast sweep of the sky, bright with stars. The whole camp spread out before them, far below.
“This is where we brought the kids.” Her hand found his. “On that first hike.”
