Chapter 14 - Fates, Fins, and Fangs

AS WE MADE THE SHORT drive to Gesa's house, I could feel the tension rising around me. The streets were all but deserted, and the few people who were out scurried down the sidewalks at a near-run, their eyes darting everywhere, looking for danger.

We pulled up to Gesa's house to find the place already buzzing with activity. Gesa and her family had chosen the perfect place for their new home, right on the edge of town, where they were just a moderate walk away from everything, but were able to claim an extra-large wooded lot with acreage that stretched out toward the national forest beyond. When she had moved out of the bookstore, it made sense. She had twins who were old enough to walk, and thus get into everything. And with the kids, their little poly family consisted of eight people. They needed the space. But now I knew there was more to it. If they weren't human, maybe they'd needed the space for other reasons.

I slid out of the car and followed Chike to the house. Rhys paused to take a deep breath, as if he was scenting the air, then trailed behind us, his eyes flashing as he constantly scanned our surroundings. The door opened before we reached the house, and I was both relived and slightly irritated to see my other best friend standing in the doorway, decked out in leather pants, with her guns and knives strapped to her like she was ready to go to war.

A supernatural war that I hadn't even known was possible until a few minutes ago. She had some explaining to do.

Her eyes glowed gold as she looked me over. Then she shot an annoyed look toward Chike and Rhys. "About fucking time you got here," she growled, herding us all into the house.

She yanked on a leather jacket and spun to point a finger at me. "You do not leave this house, no matter what. Got it?"

I glared at the muscle-bound blond, crossing my arms over my chest and tapping my foot in irritation. "I'm getting real tired of everyone suddenly barking orders at me."

She smirked. "Get used to it." She glanced at Rhys. "Did you explain?"

He pressed his lips together. "The things that were mine to explain, as much as time allowed."

I rolled my eyes. "Which wasn't fucking much." I moved into Gesa's space and glared up at her as the rest of her harem of lovers hurried around the house doing Hecate knew what. "What are you?"

She arched a brow and looked down at me, shaking her head. "That's the question you're going with right now?"

I bared my teeth at her, and she relented. "I'm a gryphon shifter. You know—"

"Lion body, eagle head, wings," I cut her off. "Duh. Mythology and weird shit nerd here."

Con passed by, his usually good-natured face drawn into a deep, worried frown. He was muttering something to himself about hellsbane flowers and the cleansing effects of holy wood.

Gesa reached out and snagged the front of his shirt, hauling him to her for a brief, hard kiss before pushing him away again. "It will be okay," she bit out. It wasn't an assurance, so much as a command.

His brown skin flushed a dusky color and he shook off her grip. "Speak for yourself, gryphon, some of us are breakable."

Hisashi and Oisin appeared as if out of nowhere. They both looked...different. There was a terrifying edge under their usual easy-going nonsense. "We've got him," Hisashi said, smacking Con on the back. The tall, fair man had a pair of wicked looking sai strapped to his thighs.

Oisin was clothed in some sort of all-black assassin-looking get up. He gave me a feral smile that made me want to run and hide. "Why hello Troya, darling. So nice of you to join us." His bright green eyes were full of mischief, but somehow the tiny, pretty little man suddenly seemed like the scariest one in the room. "Have you heard from your grumpy guardian angel yet this evening?"

"Uh," I said intelligently. "What?"

"Stop messing with her, you little asshole," Gesa warned. Then she turned and yelled. "Halstad! Kai! Move your asses, we need to go!"

I held up my hand like a kid in grade school. When everyone looked at me, I put my hands on my hips. "Oh, hi. Hello. Still here. Still confused. Would someone please explain to me what the hell is going on? I saw the news. I know some wolfman ate some people. But nothing else is making much sense right now. And where are you all going?"

Rhys stepped close and caught my face between his big hands. Things shimmered again. His light green eyes glowed and sharp fangs flashed as he spoke. "I'm sorry this is all so rushed, love. But I promise you, we'll explain everything as soon as we can."

I covered his hands with my own. "I can see you," I informed him, pushing away the part of me that wanted to run. "Tell me you're not what I think you are. Because that's just too much."

He closed his eyes and took a breath. Then he stepped back and released me. "Stay here. There are magical wards around the property. They should keep most things at bay long enough for us to take care of things and get back to you."

Chike squeezed my hand. "Please, just stay put and don't do the crazy movie heroine thing and come after us, okay?"

I laughed. "Maybe if you tell me why?"

He sighed. "Because up until now, only some humans knew supernaturals like us existed. But someone decided today that everyone should know. By showing them the absolute worst side of things. Ontonagon is a safe haven for outcast supes, Troya. But whoever did this wanted to turn the humans against our kind. We have to protect the city."

I breathed deep and tried to maintain my calm. "Okay."

He smirked at my easy answer, probably knowing I was still freaking out inside. "Okay." His lips brushed mine and he spun away, going to join the others, who were gathering in the middle of the room. But when he turned, he ran straight into Rhys, who had somehow just appeared behind him.

The taller man steadied Chike by gripping his upper arms, staring down into his eyes. They had some sort of weird battle of wills I didn't understand. "You're staying with her," Rhys said softly.

Chike narrowed his eyes. "Are you kidding me? I've been dying for a good fight for weeks. This is my town too. I'm going."

Rhys bared his impressive teeth at the smaller man. "You will stay here where I know you'll both be safe."

I looked to Gesa, expecting her to jump in and save or condemn her adopted son, but the gryphon just watched, her arms crossed over her chest as she silently laughed at the two men.

"If it makes you feel any better," I told Chike in sympathy, "I’m not that thrilled about being the lone weak little human that gets left behind."

Con gave me a confused look. "But you're not—"

Someone elbowed him in the ribs, and he clamped his mouth shut.

Chike sighed. "I'll stay," he said, his eyes still on Rhys's face. "But don't think you're going to get away with this possessive, ordering me around bullshit now just because you've had a little taste. You don't own me, leach."

Rhys didn't reply, just stepped away and moved with an unsettling, fluid grace to stand by the others.

Gesa clapped Chike on the shoulder. "Kai is staying here to protect the kids." She gave him a meaningful look. "You know the strongest one has to protect what's most important."

He huffed. "Oh, get lost. It's so annoying when you try to act like you're my damned mom."

She squeezed his shoulder and walked over to join the others. Gesa's girlfriend, Kai, came in from the kitchen, holding an ice cream cone and watching everyone assemble like it was just another Friday night. She rested her free hand on the slight swell of her stomach that was barely visible beneath her long, clingy shirt dress. "Have fun," she called cheerily. "Come back without any missing parts!"

Gesa shook her head. Oisin leered at her. And Hisashi...shimmered. I didn't even try to fight the change that washed over my vision this time. Everyone in the room looked different—features sharper, eyes glowing. Oisin even had tall, pointed ears like something out of World of Warcraft. But what caught my attention was the change that rippled over Hisashi. His platinum blond hair turned white. The symbol tattooed on the shaved side of his head glowed blue. And a cluster of fluffy white fox tails sprouted from his back. He twitched his fuzzy ears, and sharp fangs flashed when he said, "Okay folks, grab on and don't let go!"

Everyone else got a grip on one of his waving tails. They went all ghost-like and see-through. Then they just...vanished.

I blinked at the place where everyone had stood just seconds before. "Well, that was...something."

Chike let out a sigh. "He can travel in the otherworld. They'll pop out closer to the action. Probably on the outskirts of town."

I turned and studied him. "Your scales are really pretty," I said calmly. I was managing to maintain a sort of numb acceptance, somehow.

He arched a lavender brow at me. "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale."

Kai laughed and took a bite of her ice cream. "She's fine. I knew you had guts, Troy. I think Gesa has rubbed off on you over the years. You've got too much attitude to care about a little thing like monsters suddenly appearing in your world."

I shrugged. "Are we really just going to sit here and eat ice cream while they fight bad guys?"

She straightened and waved us toward the kitchen. We followed, to find Gesa's twins sitting at the table polishing off their own bowls of deliciousness. "Actually," Kai said with a wink. "When Asa and Kana finish up here, we're all going to go out back and hang out by the pool. I can protect everyone better from there if anything manages to breach the wards."

I shook my head. So, after eating ice cream, we were going to hang out poolside while the world imploded. This day could not get weirder.