***
The rear door clicked as a key was inserted.
Quinn rolled off the couch in the dark and grabbed the knife from nearby, moving as stealthily as possible to her chosen spot behind the door.
A second later the door opened and someone strode inside.
She shrieked and swung the knife at the intruder.
A hand shot out, grabbing her fist and holding it still, the grip like that of a steel vise. Then it twisted and brought her around so that her back ended up pressed against the intruder with the knife still in her own hand, but now resting against her throat.
“Quinn?” the voice asked in surprise, reaching out to flick on the lights.
“Asher?” She relaxed, sagging with relief now that he was back.
“What the hell was the knife for?” he asked, his second hand coming up to take the weapon away from her.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long, stressful day of hoping that nobody realized I was here, and I guess I just created some demons in my head.”
He released his grip on her, though she lingered an extra moment before pulling away, enjoying the burst of heat that had spread across her back as she was enveloped in his grip. She turned to look at him, and her jaw dropped open.
“You look like I feel I did yesterday,” she said. Her heart still hammered at her ribcage from the start he had given her, thinking someone had finally come back around to look for her from earlier.
He managed a grin that sent the hammering into overdrive. Despite his clear exhaustion, he still genuinely looked happy at her comment.
“You have no idea,” he told her with a wink that set adrift a thousand butterflies in her stomach.
Even as bedraggled as he was, she still had to admit he was more than good-looking.
“Thanks,” she replied with a shake of her head. “By the way, what happened to my clothes? I appreciate the outfit, but I really don’t think it’s my color,” she joked with a wave at her clothing.
Asher laughed and opened a set of doors to reveal a laundry machine and dryer. He grabbed her clothing and handed it to her. “Here you are. Sorry, I realized halfway through the day I forgot to put that in the note.”
“It’s okay. It’s not like any of my visitors commented on it.”
He gave her a quick glance, until he determined she was joking.
“Where were you anyway?” she added.
He didn’t say anything for a long while. Then he gestured to the couch. Quinn got the feeling that he was going to confide something with her that he might not normally. She felt a surge of…something, rise in her at that knowledge.
“Why are you being so kind to me?” she asked suddenly, before he could begin.
Asher looked at her strangely, then shrugged. “You have guts. You decided to take things into your own hands when governments and others wouldn’t help you. That takes bravery, and a good bit of stupidity as well. But you didn’t half-ass it. I saw the effort you went to, to get in here undetected. It was one of the better attempts we’ve seen over the years. You had no weapons on you either, so you weren’t here to harm. Other than the fact that you’re a normal and I’m a dragon shifter, there really isn’t that much different between us.” His expression hardened. “Besides, I know what I would do if my mother went missing.” Then he smiled. “I’d thank my graces for an hour that I don’t have to listen to her nag, and then I’d go after her, just like you.”
Quinn sat back into her seat on the couch, intrigued by the look into his mind. The amount of information he’d gathered about her from one night was astounding. As was his insight and ability to read it. Perhaps there was more to him than just the muscles and dreamy eyes.
Which she was currently staring into.
“Quinn?” Asher raised his eyebrows as he called her name.
“Sorry, yeah,” she said with a shake of her head. “Well, thank you for that. It’s nice to know you aren’t secretly harboring any plans to rip me limb from limb.”
Asher looked startled by her words, but he didn’t say anything in response.
“So, where I was at today is also going to cause a problem.”
He looked more stern than she had seen before, which told Quinn she should pay attention to what he was about to say. It was important.
“How to start,” he murmured aloud, half to himself. His eyes unfocused as he stared into space, trying to form his words while she waited patiently.
“Think of it this way,” he said at last. “Take a dog. Lives their entire life on four legs, right?”
She nodded.
“Now, what if, three years into its lifespan, you tried to instead teach it to walk around on two, like you. How would you imagine that would go?”
“It wouldn’t,” she replied, wondering if it was a trick question. “Not without intense amounts of practice and training, at least.”
“Exactly!” he pointed vigorously at her. “Which most dogs don’t receive. Now, imagine you took a dog, made him walk on two legs and gave him a set of wings. How do you think that would go over?”
“Terribly.” Her cheek twitched. “Can you imagine how messy it would get when they tried to pee all over the fire hydrants while flying?”
Asher stared at her for a moment, and then his thoughtful expression fell apart as he dissolved into uproariously loud laughter, holding his stomach as he doubled over, his face turning red.
It was contagious, and seconds later she joined him, tears streaming down her face. It wasn’t that funny of a joke, but she had timed it well enough that it worked, and both of them let off a lot of stress as the laughter overtook them.
“Okay, good point,” Asher said after a few minutes, regaining his composure. “But in general, the dog would have no idea what the hell to do, correct?”
Quinn nodded. “Correct. They aren’t used to flying or walking on two legs. If it was a permanent change, they’d eventually adapt to a degree, but it would never be second nature like it is to those born to do it.”
The big shifter snapped his fingers and again pointed at her. “Now you know. So it is with most of the shifter species. We grow up in human form, until we’re in our teenage years. The mind of the animal is with us the entire time, but it’s too weak to do anything. Then, with puberty and all the fun that entails, the animal inside grows with us and becomes powerful enough to manifest. So, just when we’re learning all the other fun things we can do as we turn into adults, we also have to learn how to move about as an animal.”
He shrugged, leaning back and crossing one leg over his knee easily. “It’s not something that comes naturally. Especially for those of us from flying species. But,” he said, pointing at her again, “there are some who mastered the skills. And occasionally those skills are passed down to a select few.”
She watched as his face grew serious once more, and he sat up straighter, his voice filled with reverence. Whatever it was he was talking about, it meant a great deal to him in more ways than one.
“I, after doing something rather stupid, was lucky enough to receive an invite to train with those who have knowledge. Their animal forms come as easy to them as the human form does to all of us.”
She blinked. “Asher, that’s amazing! I obviously don’t completely grasp what you’re saying, but from the sounds of it, that’s an incredible honor that was bestowed upon you.”
He nodded. “It was. Er, is,” he corrected. “But there’s a problem that I did not foresee until you came tumbling into my life.
“What problem? Nobody knows I’m here, do they? They can’t hold that against you!” She felt her anger rise at the thought they would hold her against him.
“No, not like that. Much simpler. You see, I’m supposed to live on the training grounds for the duration.”
She nodded. “How long is that?”
“Months. Years maybe. I have no idea. I’ve already made a lot of progress and I was only there for a day. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you have people around to help you, to make you push harder than you’ve ever done trying to learn it on your own. It will take me years to get to where my instructors are now, but to become a graduate? Probably six months at least of intense daily training. Maybe double that.”
Quinn frowned. “That is a problem. More so for me than for you.”
He nodded unhappily.
“Maybe you should just take me back to where you found me then,” she suggested. Quinn wasn’t thrilled with leaving him behind, but she had what she came for now. She could go.
Asher looked unhappy. “No. You need to find your mother. That’s just as important. I will help you. I’m just not sure how much help I’m going to be now, that’s all.”
Quinn smiled externally, partially relieved that she wouldn’t have to leave, but also disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to get out that easily.
What have I gotten myself into?