Even as he thought it, Kieran wasn’tquiteconvinced of the explanation – but then again, what else could it possibly be?Ghosts?
Kieran chuckled at himself as he walked. He’d been so freaked out that first night – or rather, his griffin had been – that he’d completely lost his head. He’d spent the night out in the woods for nothing.
Though if I hadn’t done that, I guess I never would have run into Natasha like that…
It was just lucky, he supposed, that he’d resumed his human form in his sleep before she’d found him there!
I did not lose my head,his griffin interjected, growling surlily.There was something there. You know it. There was a danger.
Yes, so you said,Kieran replied.But it was just some weird sounds! We didn’t even see anything!
The griffin let out a long, low snarl, but it lowered its head, seeming to retreat a little. It was clearlynothappy, however, and when Kieran tried to reach out to it placatingly, it turned its head away, clearly not wanting anything to do with him.
I don’t know why things have gotten like this between us,Kieran tried, feeling a stab of pain in his chest.Aren’t we one and the same? Aren’t we supposed to be partners?
But it didn’t feel like that anymore. Kieran had always appreciated the presence of his griffin inside him – and he’d lovedbeingthe griffin, the times when he’d been free to shift and to use the power of its wings and body to do things no normal human would ever be able to experience. He’d always felt blessed to have been born a griffin shifter, even though some would have said that his shifter type made his life harder. He wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, in the way a wolf or a cat or a bird shifter could be, so to shift he’d always had to wait until he was sure he’d never be seen by human eyes.
Is that the problem?Kieran wondered, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets as he walked, remorse winding through him.Have I just forgotten how tobea griffin?
It was possible – after all, when was the last time he’d taken the time to shift and simply allow the griffin to fly free? Now that he thought about it, he realized it must have beenyears. He’d just gotten used to living in a city, and he’d thought working with his hands had been enough to keep the griffin satisfied. But maybe that wasn’t true.
I’m sorry?he tried to offer, but again, the griffin sulkily ignored him.
At least, until it said,You treat us as if we were a shameful secret. You won’t even show us to our mate.
Kieran paused at that, frowning. He could see the main street of Girdwood Springs coming into view down the steep, tree-lined hill, and he knew he couldn’t really get into a big discussion with his griffin right now about this. His date with Natasha was in twenty minutes – plenty of time to get to the diner, but not nearly enough to hash things out with an ornery griffin.
I’m sorry,he told it again, his chest tightening.I really don’t mean to do that – it’s not what I mean at all when I say we shouldn’t shift in front of her. I just mean that we need to give her a bit of time. She’s human. She doesn’t know –
It is not only our mate,the griffin interrupted him.When was the last time I was allowed to fly, before we came here? And we came here only because I forced you to. If I had not, we would still be in the city, still cramped and confined and not living as we should.
Kieran swallowed, guilt filling his chest. As much as he didn’t like it, his griffindidhave a point. It was an animal – a beast. It needed its freedom. As it was, perhaps living in the city had been like trying to keep a lion in a cage.
And it’s not like I can drive a mini-bulldozer as a griffin… or trim hedges… or prune trees…
All right. It wasjustpossible his griffin had a point, then.
But can we talk about it later?he asked, as he passed a sign reading ‘Welcome to Girdwood Springs!’.Right now, I really just need to get to know Natasha a bit more, and see if I can –
You always put these things off,the griffin roared, as if it were suddenly furious.Always, I am being asked to wait. Always, I am told my needs aren’t important. We are supposed to be partners! Friends! Companions! And yet, I am never treated as an equal!
Kieran could feel the griffin pushing up against his consciousness, struggling to rise to the surface of his mind.
Not now,he told it desperately, as it tried to wrest control from him.Please, not now – we’re going to see our mate! I really, really can’t stand her up for our first date. I need to show her I’m someone worth getting to know before I can –
But it was clear the griffin wasn’t listening – and moreover, it didn’t want to. It was having a full-blown mythical creature-sized tantrum, and right now there was nothing Kieran could do to stop it.
Really, if you just have a bit of patience –Kieran tried, but that only seemed to enrage the griffin even further.
We have been patient enough!it roared, as it finally broke free of Kieran’s control and went rampaging through his mind – and his body.
Kieran could feel himself beginning to shift even as he continued to try to first reason, and thenbegthe griffin not to do this. Especially not right now.
There’s no way we can go to the diner in griffin form!
Not only would Natasha probably run away screaming in terror, Kieran would be lucky if he didn’t get local animal control called on him – and, even though it might take a little more of the stuff to work on him, he didn’t think he was impervious to tranquilizer darts.Waytoo many shifters had found themselves in sticky situations thanks to those things. True, but most of those had been non-mythical shifters like wolves or bears. And while it had never actually happened to him or anyone he knew, Kieran wasn’t keen to find out if griffins could be knocked out just like any other animal.
At least let me text her to cancel!he said – though it was already hopeless. He barely had enough time to throw himself into the dense trees beside the road before he fully took on his griffin form, let alone send a text.
