Talons (8 page)

“
These creatures want their
own colony now,” Dave said coolly. “They don’t like the rules of
ours.”

“
So they took my friends to
breed these things, for what purpose?” Vivvie asked in
disgust.

“
They mean to take over our
group, Vivian, and the human one eventually,” Dave said as he set
down her suitcases. He went to the corner by the sliding glass
doors and undid his pants.

Vivvie watched in disgust as he pissed
on her wall, her look outraged.

“
What in the hell are you
doing?” she sputtered furiously. “The bathroom is down the
hall!”

He zipped his pants and turned to grin
at her. “I’m marking over his territory and letting him know I was
here. That should get his attention. He’s been coming in here for
months while you were at work. He knew your roommate was allergic,
so he rolled around her room. Ryken wanted you alone, so he could
have you all to himself.”

Vivvie said nothing to that, unable to
deny his words. Sybil showed her the cat hair all over her room.
She had no explanation for it, but Dave knew. He watched Ryken
stalking her. She knew what he was, what Dave was, and what she
would be. A damned cat! No way!

Dave took her suitcases. She looked
around at her place sorrowfully as she locked up and followed him
out. Dave led her to a brand new black Yukon and put her stuff
inside the hatch. He opened the passenger door for her.

She slid in and looked appreciatively
at Dave’s vehicle. It was spotless and smelled brand new. He got in
and started the vehicle, glancing at her sharply.

“
Buckle up. Even if you do
have nine lives, I’m not taking chances.”

“
Very funny,” she responded,
buckling up.

“
It’s no joke,” he said as
he pulled out of the lot.

Vivvie saw Sebastian become a speck in
the rearview as they got onto I-95 heading north.

“
So your name’s not Dave,”
she said hesitantly. “Can you tell me your name?”

“
It’s Ty,” he replied
shortly, not taking his eyes from the road.

“
Short for?” she asked,
unwilling to allow him to blow her off now. Not after such a
fantastic tale. Her mind was racing.

“
Just Ty, Vivian, it’s not
short for anything,” he said and continued to drive, ignoring
her.

“
Ok, Just Ty, can you tell
me what it is I’m going to turn into?” Vivvie asked, dying to know
and scared, just the same.

“
You will see,” he replied
softly with a killer smile at her.

“
You think this Ryken dude
will really follow us?”

“
I have no doubt of it.
Ryken sees you as his. He won’t like me interfering. It’s an Alpha
thing.”

“
He certainly doesn’t want
to be exclusive,” she joked and saw Ty wasn’t amused.

“
Vivian, he wouldn’t
hesitate to kill you,” Ty said grimly. “Don’t think because you
didn’t share your roommate’s same fate; it means anything more. He
does this to amuse himself because you angered him. It was cruel of
him to make you endure the change. It won’t be pleasant. The heat
is the least of it.”

“
This is all because I
turned him down?” Vivvie asked and rolled her eyes. “That’s not a
way to handle rejection; turn a chick into a cat!”

“
Ryken breeds an army,” Ty
said and shrugged. “He keeps only the male offspring. The females
are killed at birth. They lure women away like your roommate to use
as breeders, and kill them when they’re done with them.”

“
Nice guys,” Vivvie said in
disgust. “Why do you let them live? Why not kill them?”

“
We don’t kill our own kind.
It’s one of our rules. Elijah, our leader, won’t budge on it,” he
replied tightly. “Even if Ryken appears to have no problem with
exterminating his own. Eli will see it different when I get
back.”

“
So what do you hope to gain
by taking me with you? If you don’t plan to kill him when he
catches up with us, what will you do to him?”

Ty smiled. “He’s getting neutered if I
catch him, as are the rest of them who follow him.”

She rolled her eyes and made a
disgusted noise. “Neutering? You can’t be serious?”

“
Eli’s theory is if they
can’t mate they will be no danger to the human’s. It’s what we hope
will discourage Ryken from his current path.”

“
And if that does not
work?”

“
My hope is Eli will see
that’s not an option when he knows everything and I have the
pleasure of killing Ryken,” Ty said grimly. “You needn’t worry. I
won’t give you to him.”

“
Who is this Eli you keep
talking about?”

“
Your new leader and mine,”
Ty replied with a taut look. “He won’t be happy to have another
female in our compound. Knowing Ryken follows your scent will
appease him enough to agree, you needed to come along with
me.”

“
What’s the exact issue with
females?” Vivvie said angrily. “What about equal
rights?”

“
Vivvie, females of our kind
breed very fast. They’re not exclusive either. It’s not uncommon
for unchecked females to have a litter sired by many different
males at a time. It causes real problems in a group of Alphas, as
you will see when you arrive. You will be the new flavor of the
moment. It will cause discord.”

“
Why not just get them all
spade?” she asked with a chuckle, knowing she sounded ridiculous to
her own ears.

“
Females are allowed one
litter of offspring with only one mate,” he said and smiled at her
obvious amusement. “After that, they’re pressured to get sterilized
for their own good, and that of the group.”

“
Sounds like a blast,”
Vivvie said caustically. “I can hardly wait.”

“
Do yourself a favor and
choose your mate carefully,” Ty said with a grin. “You get only
one. We don’t have divorce.”

“
These rules sound
pathetic,” Vivvie replied with a scowl.

“
They’re strict for a
reason, Vivian,” Ty said with a shrug. “We have to try and control
our natures and our numbers these days. If you haven’t realized it
by now, you would lay down with anyone in your condition right now.
It’s much worse when you make the change.”

“
So I’m turning into a
slutty cat lady and I’m going to Denver to live under a mountain?
Sounds perfectly joyous to me,” she grumbled as she looked out the
window in despair.

“
Sounds like your life is
looking up, Vivian,” Ty responded with a teasing grin. “You really
did need to get one, you know? You current one was pretty boring,
if you don’t mind me saying so? I fell asleep watching you many
times.”

Vivvie glared at him, but remained
quiet. She didn’t doubt Ty’s words now, or his explanation of what
was happening to her. The unexplainable changes in her these last
three months were too startling. Her OCD was indeed gone, and
suddenly she missed it.

Ty looked at her out the corner of his
eye. “There are some benefits to it.”

“
Tell me we don’t get
hairballs, please!” Vivvie snapped and he laughed outright at
that.

“
No, you will get those if
you go overboard on your grooming,” he said and grinned. “You live
a very long time. The nine lives thing is not a myth. You could
live forever if you’re careful.”

“
Immortal? You must be
joking?”

“
No we’re not immortal. We
can and do die, it just takes longer. We have nine souls, as I
said. When they’re gone, so too, are we,” he said as she rolled her
eyes.

“
How many lives do you have
left?” she said flippantly and saw his smile fade
immediately.

“
Just one,” he said quietly
and looked at the road ahead of him. “It was the reason I was sent
to spy upon Ryken and the others. They didn’t expect me to
return.”

“
You were sacrificed, you
mean?” Vivvie said, shocked he could be so casual about
it.

“
Vivian, I have lived nearly
three hundred years this way,” was his reproachful reply. “It does
get old, chasing your own tail. You’re newborn and will doubtless
be frisky for a long time to come.”

“
You don’t have a mate back
in Denver?” she asked curiously.

“
No, I saw friends take that
path,” he said tensely. “It’s rarely a satisfying arrangement. It’s
our natures to explore, wander, and to be free.”

“
Don’t you ever get lonely?”
she asked, feeling sad for some reason he refused to be held
down.

“
Vivian, I’m hardly lonely
for females,” he drawled and chuckled at her blush. “I said you
could only marry and procreate with one of your choosing. If you
stay single, you can have sex with as many as you
choose.”

“
I don’t get it,” she said
with a confused look.

“
You will go into heat every
six weeks, Vivian,” he informed her with an amused look. “You will
get caught eventually. We can’t take birth control
pills.”

“
How do you avoid getting
pregnant?” she asked with unease.

“
You don’t engage in sexual
activity when you’re in heat, as hard as that sounds,” Ty said in
amusement. “You would be smart to avoid contact with the group when
your time is upon you. Many of the unmarried females go into
seclusion.”

“
But people do marry and
settle down?”

“
Vivian, you still think in
terms of fairy tales,” Ty said in amusement. “Getting tied down for
us is worse than for humans.”

“
You make it sound
awful.”

“
It can be when you make the
wrong choice, with the wrong one,” he said and chuckled at her
downcast expression. “It’s no easier finding true love, believe me.
I’m sorry if that disappoints you.”

“
How is it you’re able to
hide from the rest of the world?”

Ty shrugged. “We don’t hide so much.
The lucky of us, that learn to control our natures, can and do hold
jobs. The compound is run like a commune in that way. We support
one another and the group.”

“
What do you do?” she had to
ask, her eyes lit up with interest.

“
Computer analyst,” he
replied and sounded a bit smug. “I can do my job from the compound
and don’t have to leave like the others.”

Vivvie was impressed. “You went to
college?”

“
Online college works, you
might take advantage of it,” he said and looked at her pointedly.
“You will get bored if you don’t do something. It’s part of your
nature. You will get restless staying at the compound. That is how
Ryken and his followers got so discontented.”

Vivvie thought of what he said and
sighed, thinking of her dream to become a school guidance
counselor. She always wanted to do it. Knowing it was reality now
intrigued her.

~~~~

Vivvie woke and they were in Georgia.
It was getting dark, and she felt herself growing hungry. Ty
glanced at her and smiled.

“
Did you know you snore,
Vivian?” he asked, laughing at her furious expression.

“
It’s not polite to mention
it!” she snapped in anger.

“
You really need to calm
down,” Ty pointed out and grinned. “It’s amazing how the change
intensifies one’s personality. Were you always this
punchy?”

Vivvie glared at him. “I had OCD until
your friend bit me.”

She was outraged at his raucous
laughter. He chuckled until he got tears in his eyes.

“
I don’t find it funny at
all,” she said with a glower.

Ty got himself under control and met
her furious look. “No wonder Ryken couldn’t resist. That combined
with your new power should be interesting.”

“
It’s a nervous disorder,”
Vivvie pointed out. “I’ve struggled with it all my life. I don’t
see it as an asset at all.”

“
Combined with your new
nature, it’s an asset,” Ty said. “Cats are quite basic, even us.
They tend to have short attention spans; easily distracted. Your
condition makes you quite a catch. Ryken no doubt saw this when he
made you. When you make the change, you will see what I
mean.”

“
You said it was painful,
this change?” Vivvie said quietly, fear in her gaze once more.
“Does it hurt?”

“
I won’t lie to you. We
haven’t ever made any humans,” Ty disclosed with a compassionate
look. “Our ancestors did. I can only tell you we’ll do what we can
to ease any of your discomfort.”

“
This power; what is it
like?”

“
Illness is a thing of the
past. You will feel very healthy, strong, and your reflexes are
incredible. Your sight will get acute, as well as your smell and
hearing, and some even have extra senses. You must wait to see what
the change gifts you with. It’s different with each of
us.”

“
What is your gift?” she
asked and he didn’t answer her right away. She folded her arms
across her chest. “You told me everything else; what is
it?”

“
I can see future events,”
Ty said tensely and his expression was bleak. “Knowing never makes
it less painful; I have found.”