Talons (22 page)

“
When did you plan to tell
me you were leaving?” she asked quietly as she slid from the bed,
reaching for her clothes with shaking hands, feeling her heart
clench.

“
I would have told you
sooner, Vivian,” he said in frustrated anger. “I know this looks
bad. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was looking for the right
time.”

“
You didn’t find the right
time, it would appear!” she accused as she pulled on her
jeans.

“
Vivian, I can’t stay here
with you and pretend this is what I want,” Ty said softly, eyes
filled with some unknown emotion in them. “I’m sorry.”

“
Why are you sorry?” she
asked with a furious expression. “You got what you wanted and now
you’re bailing on me! It’s pretty obvious, Ty!”

Ty glared at her and spun around in his
computer chair, his golden eyes furious. “Is that what you think?”
he raged and rose from the chair, watching her dress. “You think I
avoided telling you just to get you into bed?”

“
You could have told me from
the beginning. Don’t tell me you didn’t know right after we got
here,” she pointed out as she slid on her shirt and gazed at him
with anger and hurt in her gaze. “If I'd known you were leaving and
never coming back; I wouldn't have gone here at all!”
Liar!
She slid on her
sandals and gazed at him sadly. “It seems like it would have been
worth you mentioning it; if you cared at all for me.”

Ty regarded her stonily as she passed
him and left his bedroom. He muttered a curse and followed her, his
gaze holding her fast before she left his room.

“
I never lied to you,
Vivian,” he said quietly. “I never promised you this would end like
some human fairy tale you have programmed into your head. We had
our time together, and that’s it.”

Vivvie gazed at him with bitter tears
in her eyes. “No, you didn’t lie to me, Ty. You just allowed me to
assume whatever I would, without correcting me. That’s just as bad.
Good luck in Florida.”

Vivvie ran then, tears blinding her.
She felt pitiful at that moment for baring her soul to Ty. She dove
into their affair with both feet, not even holding back. Her heart
felt sick to know he kept this from her until he could no longer
hide it.

Vivvie could hardly feel used. Ty
showed her another world. Those few awkward moments she endured
Kevin’s attempts to get into her pants were nothing compared to
what she experienced with Ty. Knowing he would leave her now made
her feel panic. Ty was her friend, her lover, and her mentor
through it all, and now he would leave her. The thought of being
left here to endure the consistent hostility alone was too
much.

She rerouted and ran to the elevators
now, punching the buttons frantically. A run would soothe her
troubled mind. Vivvie was so distraught she didn’t see Eli at the
end of the hallway, watching her with glowing-eyed
interest.

Vivvie disrobed behind a tree and
shifted. Her mournful growls made the birds cry in alarmed protest
and flee the trees where they perched. It was before dawn and not
quite light. The dew felt wondrous between her paws. She ran then,
unmindful of anything but unburdening her worries of the future.
She ran farther than she should have, down the narrow
mountainside.

Her three dimensional gaze noted every
movement in the trees, seeing the rabbits, the deer, and the other
woodland creatures grow still to her presence. Heightened senses
told her when she entered the dense woods she wasn’t alone, hearing
the ground stirring from a mile behind. The scent of another came
to her, but too late did she sense the danger until the huge black
cat sprang from above, blocking her path.

The glowing blue eyes seemed to laugh
at her. She hissed, knowing it was Eli who gave chase. She didn’t
want company. Her swishing tail and low growls informed him of it.
His words in her mind taunted her.

Relax. I’m here to hunt,
not to fuck.

Vivvie stared at him in confusion,
having heard him clearly in her head. But how was that
possible?

We all have our special
gifts
. He said it as he circled her, his
teeth glowing in the early morning light. He was huge and
spectacular, his large body long and sleek, glowing blue black in
the dawn. His blue eyes were startling.

It was clear Eli was talking to her
without saying a word. Great! What next? Her gaze
narrowed.

Good, than I can tell you
to go fuck yourself and not offend the group!

Vivvie, I’m your leader.
You might try to remember that. I have been lenient because you’re
new with us, but don’t push it.

I came out here to be
alone.

I take it you know Ty is
leaving now? I can see it went over well. He should have told
you.

Yes, well, I have you to
thank for that, don’t I?

I didn’t force him to
leave, Vivvie. He has a choice in this. I think we both know he
wouldn’t stay with you. Ty desires his freedom more than anything
else.

It doesn’t matter. I’ll get
over it.

For whatever its worth; I’m
sorry you’re hurt. Our ways are not conducive to
monogamy.

Yes, I see that.

Did you come out here to
whine or hunt? I could use a partner. A buck just entered the
meadow behind us. Join me for breakfast. I won’t tell
Ty
. He pawed the ground impatiently as she
debated hunting with him.

Vivvie was furious to learn Ty was
given a choice. It appeared he chose to go to Florida rather than
be with her. She watched the huge panther take off at a dead run
and followed. Eli went down on all fours, his belly brushing the
ground as he entered the meadow, his keen eyes surveying the scene.
The medium-sized buck lifted its head from grazing on grass,
chewing and seeming oblivious to danger.

Vivvie moved in from behind the buck,
trapping any flight for the creature as Eli moved closer. Blood
roared in her ears, hearing the pounding of her own heart. She only
hunted with Ty, taking and running to ground rabbits and the like.
Anticipating a glorious meal, she got down and crept stealthily
along her belly, tail down, ears perked.

Eli was halfway through the meadow and
the buck hadn’t sensed him yet. Vivvie moved in closer as well.
They would have the deer blocked in soon. Primal anticipation made
Vivvie’s eyes dilate and she salivated as they moved steadily
closer.

Eli sprang before the buck lifted its
head, his massive jaws going to the buck’s throat. His teeth
pierced and ripped at the deer’s neck. His massive paws dug into
the deer’s sides, forcing it down.

Vivvie came in from behind, her teeth
piercing the deer in the groin, forcing it down to the earth. Eli
looked at her in gratitude as the lifeblood of the deer drained
onto the ground. The animal thrashed, grunting in pain. In minutes,
the animal was dead. Eli ripped the animals belly open, feasting
upon the meat exposed.

Vivvie joined him, ravenous. He looked
at her with admiration in his blue gaze.

Bon Appétit!

After they ate their fill, Eli sat
back. His blue eyes met Vivvie’s with amusement.

Unless you want an eyeful;
I have to drag this up and need my thumbs back.

Vivvie realized Eli meant to shift to
his human form. Not wanting to see his alarmingly well turned
backside again, she hastened away from the meadow to find her
clothes.

Vivvie was fully dressed when she
exited the woods, seeing Eli in the distance, naked as the day he
was born, dragging the carcass of the buck behind him. His nude
beauty wasn’t lost on her and she shook herself from staring. The
fluid strength in his one hand was enough to snap her neck, she
knew. Eli terrified her when she first arrived, sensing his raw
power and his distrust of her.

Eli also reminded herself of her new
instincts. Despite the fact she found him disgustingly arrogant and
ruthless, she also couldn’t argue the animal attraction she felt
for him. With his long, wavy black hair and muscular body, he
reinforced her new nature. He seemed to glorify what he was. He
didn’t apologize or sugarcoat his words. As much as he got on her
nerves, she knew he was selfless when it came to the
tribe.

Vivvie felt her pulses dance as she
hurried to the elevator, wanting to be on it before he arrived. She
met his amused blue gaze as he grew closer. His nudity made her
mouth go dry. Her eyes were filled with the beauty of Eli and
ashamed of comparing him with Ty. Ty was an eyeful but Eli was a
mouthful.

Chickenshit!

She glared at his taunting words as the
elevator doors shut, knowing them to be true.

Vivvie went back to her
room, feeling like she reeked of blood and sweat. The hunt made her
feel better. Eli didn’t lie to her. Ty made his choice to run the
Florida compound with Derek. The hurt to know she didn’t mean
enough to him to stay made her miserable.
Story of her life.

She got into the shower, determined she
wouldn’t let Ty’s imminent departure bring her down. Just her luck
to fall for another man she couldn’t have, she thought in disgust,
washing the deer blood from her body.

Vivvie dressed in snug Levi’s and a
cropped Abercrombie shirt, thinking about how exhilarating it felt
to hunt with Eli. He scoffed at her wounded feelings and injured
pride. She had to admit she felt better when she returned to the
compound.

It was movie night again, only tonight
she was going dateless. Ty might object, but he soon would discover
she was no pushover. She took extra time with her hair and makeup,
feeling perverse pleasure in spraying on perfume.

Vivvie spent the rest of the afternoon
registering for classes. Derek got her new papers before he left
for Florida. As far as University of Phoenix online was concerned,
she was Louisa Ruiz now, freshman.

Signing up for school gave
her a decidedly better attitude. Moving forward had its
disadvantages too. She missed her family and friends, and was sick
she couldn’t tell them she was alive and well and living as a cat
woman under a mountain in Colorado.
Yeah,
as if!

Thoughts of the future soothed her
wounded feelings in the wake of Ty’s leaving her. She took a full
course load and her books were shipped Fed Ex to the post office
box Derek gave her. She started school in two weeks and was
bristling with pride of how easy it was.

Her goal was to leave the compound one
day, and live as she had before. Ty said it wasn’t possible. He
didn’t realize how determined she was to live a normal life. Living
down here was slowly breaking her spirit. She knew she would never
fit in.

Vivvie decided to take a nap before the
movie and curled up on the couch, her last thoughts of the wild and
thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

~~~~

Ty saw Eli dragging in the buck
bare-assed and grinned in amusement. He joined his leader and
helped him drag it to the kitchens.

“
You seem pleased with
yourself,” Ty said, seeing his leader’s satisfied expression. “Good
hunting, I see.”

“
The best,” Eli acknowledged
with a smug smile, his blue eyes meeting Ty’s unwaveringly.
“Nothing warms the blood like a good kill in the
morning.”

“
Derek emailed me an hour
ago to let me know he is there,” Ty said quietly as they swung the
bleeding deer up onto the butcher block island, his expression
tense. “Ryken and his followers left the compound before he got
there. They’re on the run.”

Eli looked undisturbed. “We knew he
would run, Ty.”

“
He could go to any city in
the country and start all over again,” Ty replied angrily. “Derek
said the breeders were put down after they arrived. The rest of
those there gave up without a fight.”

“
How many children did they
make?”

“
Derek said twenty-eight
were born the last four months. They’re all children yet. They’re
confused and slightly feral. I think Mara should go down to start
their teaching.”

“
Does Vivvie know about you
and Mara?” Eli asked curiously. He took a knife and began removing
the hide from the deer.

“
Her name is Vivian! Vivvie
makes her sound like she’s ten years-old,” Ty snapped and looked
slightly apologetic as Eli grinned at his words. “No, she doesn’t
know, and I would appreciate her not knowing. She is young and
likely to think the worst of me.”

“
Ty, you don’t have to go.
Make the girl your mate,” Eli said quietly as he tossed the hide in
the trash and began gutting the deer. “I can send Jericho in your
place. In truth, it’s more his responsibility than
yours.”

“
No, I have to go, Eli,” Ty
said moodily and his golden eyes filled with indecision. “She makes
me want to change, but I’m too set in my ways. I would only hurt
her if I stay.”

“
You hurt her if you go,”
Eli pointed out, his knife hacking away the deer’s
innards.

“
I have taught her all she
needs to know,” Ty protested and shook his head sadly. “She needs
to settle in as one of us now. We both know I’m not one to take a
mate. She is free to find another”