Becoming Forever (Waking Forever Series) (42 page)

Holding her claw-like hand up in front of her, she took slow and steady breaths, amazed at what she had done. “Emma!”

A moment later an alarmed Emma stood in the study, her eyes wide with shock. “How did you do that?”

Ash, her eyes still fixed on the claw, shrugged. “I just focused, and then it happened.”

Emma walked over, and looked closely at the appendage. “I’ve only heard of natural born shifters being able to perform partial shifts.” She reached out and ran her finger down the course skin. “That’s amazing.”

Ash turned her hand back and forth. Other than the added weight of the increased muscles and tendons, the claw felt completely natural to her. “I’ve always prided myself on being a quick study.”

Emma tisked. “Of course you make a joke.” The woman poked at the extended claw. “Can you change it back?”

Ash closed her eyes and imagined pulling a pair of wet latex gloves off her hand.
Her hand felts like it had been submerged in hot water, and then seconds later, she opened her eyes to see her hand had returned to normal. She flexed her fingers and rubbed her forearm. “It’s happening quicker now.”

Emma nodded, and took Ash’s hand in hers. “What else can you do?”

Ash chewed nervously at the inside of her cheek, her mind running through a list of animals. She stood up, and undressed. Emma fought the urge to pull the woman to her, and practically had to sit on her hands to stop from reaching for Ash. The room filled with the odor of burning leaves, and dirt. A series of cracks and pops emanated from Ash’s lower back and hips. Her knees bent forward, and her calves and thighs lengthened as her height increased by nearly four inches.

Emma stared in amazement. “You’ve - you’re a
female Satyr.”

Ash arched her eyebrow. “A what?”

Emma cleared her throat. “It’s a creature from Greek mythology.  Usually they’re male. The torso is human and the lower portion of the body is goat-like.”

Ash looked down at her body. She stood balanced on two
limbs reminiscent of the two hind legs of a goat. A fine hair covered the limbs as they tapered down to black, split hooves. “I was visualizing one of the characters from Aiden’s video games.”

Emma stood, and walked in a circle around Ash. “I’ve never heard of a shifter being able to become imaginary animals.” She shook her head. “The possibilities are limitless.” Crouching next to Ash
, she ran her hand down the taut muscles of Ash’s calf. “It makes sense though, as long as the anatomy has some basis in reality.” She stood and rubbed the back of her neck. “Can you walk?”

Ash easily took several steps forward. Her center of gravity felt lower because of how her knees now jutted out in front of her, but she was able to adjust quickly. “It’s a little odd, but nothing I couldn’t get used to.” To make her point, she took several quick strides into the hall, and
back again. With the longer gait, she cleared the twenty feet and back in three bounds.

Emma nodded. “Impressive.” She continued to be in awe of the woman she loved. Initially her beauty and intelligence had attracted her. After knowing Ash though, Emma felt confident adding creativeness and ingenuity to the list.

Ash stretched her left leg out in front of her, and in a few seconds both legs were back to their human form as Ash rotated at her waist, a series of pops followed as the lower part of her spinal cord aligned. “What’s that smell?” Ash turned her head toward the hall.

Emma’s eyes widened. “Damnit! The waffles.” She vanished from the study
instantly.

Ash put on her clothes and followed at a more
leisurely pace. Rounding the corner, the kitchen was full of smoke as Emma opened both of the French doors leading to the back yard. “I blame you.”

Ash grabbed a hand towel and began fanning the smoke toward the open door. “I blame me too.”
She smirked as Emma unplugged the waffle iron, and moved it next to the sink.

Prying the appliance open, burnt waffle clung to the griddle. “Lovely.” Emma ran a sponge under the tap, and began the task of cleaning the griddle. “Add another thirty minutes to that breakfast order.” She frowned as a glob of burnt waffle fell from the sponge into the sink.

With most of the smoke gone, Ash closed the doors, and hung the towel back up. Walking up behind Emma, she wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist. “You’re very sexy when you’re not practically perfect in every way.”

Emma shook her head. “I’ve never claimed to be perfect.” She used her index finger and pried the hot batter from the waffle press. Ash cringed for a second, forgetting Emma couldn’t be burned.

“Hence the
practically
qualifier.” Ash kissed Emma on the side of the neck.

“Don’t distract me further, or you’ll never get fed.” Emma teased, and pushed Ash back.

Ash hopped up on a stool and put her elbows on the counter top, content to watch Emma. The comfort inherent in domestic chores felt just as intimate as what she and Emma had shared in the bedroom upstairs. Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, Ash marveled at how fortunate she felt being with this remarkable person.

“You’re staring Ash.” Emma toweled the now clean griddle dry, and plugged it back in.

Ash grinned. “Am I?”

Emma opened the refrigerator and took three eggs from
a brown carton. “I’m not complaining, just making an observation.” She hesitated as she laid the last of the eggs on the counter. “I need you to do something for me.”

Ash lifted her head, the sudden nervousness in Emma’
s tone concerned her. “Of course.”

“We need to go see Coleen. She knows about us, but she doesn’t know about you becoming a shifter.” Emma cracked one of the eggs into a large white porcelain
mixing bowl.

“I don’t see what business it is of hers.” Ash leaned back on the stool, her hands laid flat on the
granite counter in front of her.

Emma
cracked the last of the eggs into the bowl, and using a wooden spoon, quickly mixed the batter. Wiping her hands on the towel next to the sink, she slowly turned around. “She’s a friend, and if she finds out through other channels -” The woman paused, her eyes fixed on the floor. “Let’s just say she would be very angry.”

The tag line from the nineteen seventies
television show
The Hulk
flashed through Ash’s mind.
You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.
“Is it important to you then?” Ash asked.

Emma ladled waffle batter onto the griddle, and turned around to face the dark haired woman. “
Yes, it is - she is.”

Ash felt a twin
ge of jealousy skitter through her chest, and she hated herself for it. Hopefully she and Emma had many more years together, and she had to get over the fact that Emma had a very long and complicated relationship with Coleen. That had nothing to do with the two of them. “Okay.” She forced a smile and sliding off the stool, walked around the island and hugged Emma.

The hug quickly intensified when Ash’s lips pressed firmly to Emma’s, and her hand wandered up to the woman’s firm breast. Emma pulled back, and smiling
at the mischievous grin on Ash’s face, shook her head. “No, no, no. This is the last of my waffle batter.”

***

Ash’s heart raced as she and Emma drove up Coleen’s driveway. Emma reached over from the driver’s seat, and took the nervous woman’s hand. “It’s going to be fine.”

The tentativeness in Emma’s voice didn’t give Ash a lot of confidence. She imagined this is what it
would be like to be introduced to someone’s parents, but with the added risk of having the parent possibly tear your throat out. “Of course it will be. I mean Coleen wasn’t thrilled with me and you being together when I was human, so I’m sure she will be absolutely thrilled that now I’m a vampire equivalent of a forbidden fruit.”

Emma chuckled. “Forbidden fruit. Really
, honey?”

Ash pouted and slouched in the seat. “You know what I mean.”

Rayven greeted them just outside the door as they walked up, her stare set on Ash. “Em - what’s
that
doing here?”

Ash stopped dead in her tracks. “Excuse me?” She squared her shoulders.

“I said -” Before Rayven could repeat the insult, Coleen’s voice chimed in from the doorway.

“What you said was rude. Let them come up
, Ray.” Coleen turned and disappeared into the house.

Emma and Ash looked at one another, and then waited. After several seconds Rayven stepped slightly to the left, forcing Ash’s shoulder to graze hers as the two women passed. “Lamb to the slaughter.” The dark haired vampire ran her tongue along her full red lips.

Ash stopped and turned to face the vampire. “What is your problem?”

Emma put her hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Forget it. I promise you it’s not worth it.” She pulled Ash by the arm toward the house.

Once inside, Ash shrugged Emma’s hand off her arm. “Seriously, what is her issue? We’ve never even met.”

Emma took Ash’s hand, and
led her toward the garden. “Rayven and Coleen have been companions for over thirty years, and because of that a lot of Coleen’s biases have become Rayven’s.” The woman stopped, and taking Ash’s other hand, faced her. “Coleen believes very strongly that vampires and shifters have no place in each other’s lives.” Her gaze darted to the floor. “And up until - well until you - I felt the same.”

A
sharp exhale came from Ash. “But you don’t - you can’t still think?”

Pulling Ash to her, Emma kissed the woman firmly. “I love you, and that’s all that matters to me now.”

“Touching, Em.” The two women turned to see Coleen standing in a stone archway leading to the garden. “Now, are you coming back or not?”

Emma and Ash, shoulder to shoulder, walked toward the garden. Ash had the distinct impression a death march might be more fun than what she was about to endure.
“She hates me.”

Emma smiled. “More than likely.”

Ash looked at Emma. “You could at least lie to me.”

Emma squeezed her hand. “You’re too smart for that.”

Huffing, Ash shook her head. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

Th
ey walked into the garden. In spite of her trepidation, Ash was in awe of her surroundings. The garden’s vegetation was lush and a large, empty, stone fountain sat in the center of the space. Ash lifted her head up, looking at the foliage laden canopy of the garden. The diffused light cast shadows throughout the space, so even though it was midafternoon, the area was completely shaded.

“Please sit down.” Coleen was dressed in a long, navy blue cotton skirt that
went down to her bare feet, hugging her perfectly round hips and backside. A cream colored cotton wrap top clung to her breasts, and her long dark hair was pinned up in a loose bun. Ash loathed that she found this woman attractive, but reminded herself that Emma cared for her very much. In that case, there must be something redeeming about her.

“Thank you.” Emma acknowledged Coleen’s invitation and the three women took their seats at a round wrought iron
patio table.

“Would you like some tea, or scotch?” Coleen asked the latter of Emma.

Ash nodded. “Tea with sugar would be great. Thank you.” Looking at the surprised expression on Coleen’s face, she realized the offer was to be polite, and not intended to actually be executed. “Or -nothing is great too.” She looked at Emma, but couldn’t tell what her lover was thinking as her eyes were still and focused on Coleen.

“Ash, you smell different.” Coleen mused. “If I had to take a guess I would venture to say -”

“Stop it.” Emma interrupted the woman before she could continue with her sarcasm. “I don’t want this Coleen. I don’t want games, and banter that amuses you and hurts me.”

Coleen leaned back in the wrought iron chair, and crossed her legs. “Then let
’s dispense with the pleasantries.”

“That was pleasant?” Ash muttered before she could stop herself.

Coleen leaned forward, and glared at the woman. “You are not welcome here. The only reason I tolerate your existence in
this
space is because of my history with, and affinity for Emma.” The woman’s eyes began to glow an eerie blue. “But on your own, you are less than nothing to me.” She leaned back, and crossed her arms over her chest.

Sitting in stunned silence
, Ash was torn between livid and being petrified by the venom in Coleen’s voice. What she did know, what years of dealing with grief stricken loved ones and guilty liars had taught her, was Coleen’s fervent anger was masking something. No doubt, the woman felt strongly about the vampire, shifter dynamic, but to be this enraged took true devotion - and love.

The realization that Coleen was in love with Emma, that for all her coolness and cunning she had lost her heart to a woman she could not have, lessened Ash’s animosity and cast the angry woman across the table from her in a new light.

Emma shifted in her seat, and put her hand on Ash’s knee. “Coleen, I don’t want to lose our friendship over this, but please know I will always choose Ash over you.”