“I know,” Kieran rushed in. “And I’m sorry – I really am. But I swear I have a good explanation. It’s, uh, a little complicated though. Would it be possible for me to come inside?”
“I don’t know about that,” Natasha said a little dubiously, and Kieran had to say he couldn’t blame her. Her face was still cold – but then, after a moment, she visibly relented. “But if you like, we can talk in the back garden, and you can give me your explanation.”
Kieran thought that was a fair compromise. Natasha opened the door wider and stepped out, closing it behind her before leading him around the side of the little brick house, and into a surprisingly expansive garden. It was only just now beginning to sprout again after the long, cold winter, but Kieran could tell just by looking that it would be spectacularly beautiful in spring and summer. Whoever had designed it had put a lot of thought and care into it, clearly.
“So,” Natasha said, gesturing to a wrought iron garden seat, next to a matching table. “Take a seat, and tell me what you have to say.”
Again, Kieran hesitated. He knew what he had to do – and yet, how to explain this?
This would be much easier if she knew about Sylvie and Gale,he thought, but Sylvie had told him before he’d left the bakery that no one in Girdwood Springs except her, Kira, and Kira’s mate Caleb, the dragon, knew about shifters and mates.
“Natasha…” he started, before, gritting his teeth, he decided to just come out with it. “The truth is, Natasha, that I’m not really like a normal human being.”
Natasha’s eyebrows shot up and her mouth opened, before she closed it again. Then, she shook her head. “Okay, well, that’s at least original. In what way are you different, then? You don’t own a watch?”
Kieran swallowed.Not a great start…but I don’t have much choice but to continue.
“No, that’s not it,” he said. “I swear, usually I’m very punctual. But what I mean is… I’m actually not really human at all. I’m what they call a shifter – that is, a human who can take on the form of an animal. In my case, a mythical creature.”
As he talked, he could see Natasha’s expression growing more and more confused, her eyebrows drawing closer and closer together.
Well, who can really blame her for that?he thought, as he tried desperately to come up with something more to say.
“I’m not the only one in the world,” he hurried on, without stopping to think about what he was saying. “There’s a lot of us around – some of us turn into mythical beings, like me, and others turn into regular animals, like cats, dogs, bears, even insects sometimes.” He thought for a moment about telling her that she already knew at least one person who could turn into a unicorn, but in the end, he decided against it. He hadn’t gotten Gale’s permission to reveal that he was a shifter, after all. “You wouldn’t know it to see us on the street, but I swear we exist. I know it sounds a little farfetched, but…”
“Uh, more than just alittle,” Natasha interrupted him as he began to run out of steam, shaking her head. “So… instead of telling me you had car trouble, or that you got an emergency phone call, or literally any other even slightly plausible explanation, you’re saying the reason you couldn’t make our date was because… you’re a mythical creature, actually?”
“I know how unbelievable that is,” Kieran said, feeling desperate. This wasn’t going wellat all. “But I swear, it’s the truth. Would I really say something so ridiculous if I couldn’t back it up?”
For a moment, Natasha hesitated, seeming to think over what he’d said. “I guess you make a point there,” she said, shaking her head. “And to be honest, I thought I’d heard it all, but thisisdefinitely a new one.” She looked up at him, her dark eyes piercing. “So, you said you could back it up. I guess you’re going to offer to… what was it you said? Shift? In front of me then? Or are you going to say your mythical form is too secret for human eyes, or something like that?”
She’s still not convinced at all,Kieran thought worriedly.But that’s okay – Icanin fact show her I’m telling the truth.
“No – no, I can definitely show you my griffin form,” he said quickly. “In fact, there’s nothing I’d like to do more. Can I put these down on the table?” he asked, gesturing with his chin to the roses and pie, which, he couldn’t help but notice, she hadn’t asked him to give her.
“Uh, sure,” Natasha said, giving him yet another bewildered look. “So, uh, just so we’re clear – what you’re going to do now is… turn into a, uh, a griffin?”
“Yes.” Kieran took a few steps back from the table, wanting to give himself plenty of space. His wingspan was pretty wide, after all, and his griffin form wasa lotbigger than his human one. “Don’t be startled – it’s still me in there. No matter what I look like.”
“Okay then,” Natasha said, her tone turning a little curious. Was it possible she was actually starting to be won over a little? “I’m ready to see it. Go ahead.”
Kieran nodded. “Okay. Here goes.”
Taking a breath, he reached out to his griffin, calling it forward.
And was met with complete silence.
Um. Wait. Let me try again.
He closed his eyes, seeking his griffin where he usually found it, nestled inside his chest, waiting for him to call upon it. But now, when he searched inside himself he found… nothing.
Nothing at all.
What the hell is happening?!
Panic lanced through Kieran’s chest, not only at suddenly not being able to find his griffin where it had always been inside him – but also because he wasveryaware of Natasha’s eyes on him as he stood in the garden, very muchnotturning into a griffin.
“Does it usually take a little while?” Natasha asked, her tone still more curious than annoyed – but Kieran knew that wouldn’t last much longer.
