Knight Shift (21 page)

As she sat in the cool water, Ice said, “That’s a good place for you.” Getting into his role as protector, he said, “Stay there, My Lady. Allow me to vanquish the offending fowl.” He decided to share the real Ice with Penny to see how she reacted.

After he turned his attention toward the animal, Penny felt his low growl in her chest. The sensation told her that Ice was allowing his inner hunter to come forward.

Ice loosened his pants and kicked off his shoes. Since he already had his shirt off, Penny was able to watch as the muscles in his large arms and chest started to broaden and bulge. At the same time, leathery skin started to cover him in large irregular shaped spots. The colors matched the nature around him. “Camouflage” she whispered in fascination. She was disappointed that he had worn loose fitting work pants so he didn’t need to take them off. She would have liked to have seen the spots from head to toe.

Ice’s exceptional hearing allowed him to hear her words and he turned to look at her.

She couldn’t stop herself from gasping at his now solid black reflective eyes, sharply pointed teeth, and still slowly changing features. Although she knew she should be afraid, she wasn’t. In fact, she desperately wanted to crawl over to him and touch his cool skin and feel the hardness of his muscles. When the change finally stopped, she gazed at him in wonder. She had imagined him as a creature ten feet tall and the size of a grizzly bear. In reality, he wasn’t that much taller than when in his Human form. Although his features were a cross between a body builder and a lizard, she still saw Ice. When her visual journey led her to his hands, her eyes opened wide at the very lethal looking claws. When he flexed the fingers she was locked on to catch her attention, she looked up into his eyes. She could see his hesitation, like he was waiting for her to scream. Instead his form gave her a tremendous feeling of protection.

She gave him a brilliant smile and said, “Go, save me, dear knight.”

He stretched his body, making every joint crack. He then crouched low to begin to stalk his prey. The fowl instantly froze but, instead of feeling protected by the creature, the bird raced off in fear for its life with the hunter close behind.

Penny continued to sit in the water, overwhelmed by what she had just seen. She felt deeply honored that Ice felt comfortable enough with her that he allowed her to watch him shift. She kept reliving the scene in her mind until she heard someone approach. She looked up to see her knight return in his fully Human form.

Not seeing her nemesis, Penny asked, “Where’s that awful bird?”

“I chased it away.”

“You didn’t kill it?” she asked.

“As you’ve mentioned more times than I can count, in nature we’re the intruders in their territory. We weren’t going to eat it so there was no reason to kill it. It just needed to find a new place to get a drink. I think I can safely guarantee that it will never come near here again.”

She was touched by his thoughtfulness and that he actually listened to things she said.

Looking up into the sky he announced, “The sun is almost down. How about we get you back to the cabin so that you can dry off?”

Penny nodded and, when Ice offered his hand, she accepted it gratefully and without fear. Just as she was pulled out of the water and took a step toward shore, she slipped again. This time she took Ice down with her. As the two of them sat in the water side by side, Penny cringed and said apologetically, “I’m so sorry.”

Ice laughed off the situation and said, “I was a bit sweaty and needed to wash up.”

After a second try and they both managed to get to dry land, Penny said, “I don’t want you to go home all wet. Why don’t you come in and take a shower while I wash your clothes? I could fix you something to eat for dinner. It’s the least I can do for your help on the deck and for rescuing me from that crazy chicken.”

“It was a wild turkey.”

“It had feathers like a chicken so it’s a chicken to me.” After Ice slipped on his shoes, Penny led him back to the cabin. As they walked up the trail toward her home, she asked, “So will you stay?” She hated that her question made her sound pleading.

Sniffing his arm which was covered in river mud, he announced, “I could use a shower.”

Penny had to look away to hide her excitement at spending more time alone with her guest.

Once in the house, she took him to her bedroom. Although he knew her home better than he knew Sam’s, he followed her lead and even acted surprised when he saw the artwork on her bedroom wall.

After she gave him a visual tour of her work in progress, she pointed him to the bathroom and said, “After you get undressed, toss your clothes out the door so that I can get them in the laundry.”

Ice decided to once again wield his weapon against his favorite Human. After he stepped into the bathroom, he stripped and handed her his clothes before closing the bathroom door. Penny stood motionless for a moment, learning to breathe again while a wicked grin washed across her face. With a deep sigh, she forced her feet to guide her out of the room. She put his all black clothes in the washer and, at the last second before she walked away, she added her own wet clothes to the machine. She had to admit she liked seeing their clothes mixed together like they were a couple. After putting on a robe, she headed into the kitchen and began to make dinner.

Spaghetti was well on its way when Ice walked around the corner with a towel wrapped around his waist. Penny was standing on the counter trying to reach a large bowl stored on top of the cabinets when she spotted him. Between his body’s visual distraction and her attempting to adjust her robe so that she wasn’t giving Ice an inadvertent show, she lost her footing. When she began to fall, Ice easily caught her in his strong arms.

As he put her feet safely back on the ground, he said, “Your mind seems to be elsewhere. Why don’t I take over cooking so that you can jump in the shower?” Again seeing a look of disbelief, he rolled his eyes and said, “Yes, I know how to cook.” He realized Penny was right. He really had hidden the part of him that was Jax from everyone else he knew.

After Penny stuttered in an attempt to offer a response, she gave up and just nodded.

As she left the kitchen, Ice added, “By the way, I’m going to get you a step ladder before you kill yourself climbing on these counters.” When she started to protest, he growled at her and, while pointing toward her bedroom, he commanded in his deep Ice voice, “Go. Take your shower. Now.”

Penny conceded defeat and, before heading to the bathroom, she flipped the laundry while she cursed at herself for her continued lack of mental and physical control around Ice. After her shower, she frantically dug through her closet, trying to pick out the perfect outfit. Looking at the clock and smelling the food in the air, she finally gave up and selected a dress Ice had once mentioned that he liked on her. She normally wore a camisole under it for modesty since it scooped low on her chest. Tonight she tossed her modesty to the side and let her assets shine.

By the time she walked into the kitchen, Ice had the meal on the table waiting for her. Penny caught him scanning her with obvious interest and, when he fumbled trying to help her sit down, a grin instantly appeared on her face. She was thrilled to know that she also had the ability to impact her guest and she planned to wield her newfound weapon whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Ice was saved when the dryer buzzed. He left and returned moments later. Much to Penny’s dismay, he was dressed.

At first their conversation was awkward and forced like they were on a first date. But when they started to talk about projects planned for the cabin, conversation started to flow. Long after they were done eating, they were still sitting at the table, deep into plans for adding a small art room. When it was starting to get late, Penny stood and began to clean up the dishes. To her joyous surprise, Ice helped and stayed at her side.

Once everything was put away, Ice announced, “It’s getting late and you have to go to work tomorrow. I should go.”

Penny reluctantly escorted her guest to the door. Although she hoped that he might give her a hug and kiss good bye like the rest of her Changeling family did, she happily accepted his smile and a touch on her cheek.

As he walked to his car, he turned to her and said, “Promise me that you’ll call me when you’re ready to tackle the fishing dock or if I need to come back to slay any unwanted feathery friends.”

“I’ll call; I promise.” As he drove off, she found his sudden absence bothered her and she argued with herself over how long she should wait before calling him to come back. After she walked back into the cabin, she went to bed and anxiously waited for Casper to arrive so that she could share the news about her unexpected day and that her crush on the bad boy was rapidly growing into so much more.

When Penny rose for her normal nighttime romp, she found Casper’s tingling sensation waiting for her. Before her feet touched the floor, she was already excitedly telling her ghostly friend all about her day. Her story continued as they went into the other room for a late night snack. She said, “When I was in high school I used to ridicule all the love-sick girls whenever they swooned over a boy or scribbled the name of their object of obsession on their notebooks. I never had real feelings for any of the boys my age so I didn’t understand. For the first time in my life I know how they felt.” She looked down at the sketch pad she was doodling in and turned the pad so that her Casper pillow could clearly see what she had drawn. “I’ve got it bad,” she admitted as she showed him a beautiful sketch of Ice’s shifted form she had just drawn from memory with ‘Penny and Ice’ written in the corner inside a heart shape.

With a deep sigh, she set down the sketchbook and asked, “What am I doing, Casper? I’m a grown woman.” She ripped out the drawing and tossed it toward the garbage. As Ice reached out as if to catch the treasure, Penny called out with a giggle, “Don’t worry, Casper. I have a thousand more.”

After a moment to ponder on her situation, Penny said casually, “You know Casper. Ice is a self-admitted member of my family now, so don’t you think I should start treating him as such? The next time I see him, I’m going to walk right up to him and wrap my arms around that big chest of his and then give him a friendly kiss whether he likes it or not.” She chuckled at the thought, but then her mind painted a different more intimate picture and she added, “Then again, there’s no denying it. He’s more than family to me. I know he teases me because it’s painfully obvious when I’m around him that he curls my toes, but he did come here today on his own and there were times when he looked at me…” She sighed deep. “Maybe he doesn’t despise me as much as he wants me and others to think.” With her shoulders back, she said, “I’m now twenty-six not sixteen and it’s time for me to start acting my age. He and I are both grown adults. I’m going to invite him over here for dinner and, while he’s here, I’m going to confess to him how I feel and ask him out on an official date.”

With her resolve set, she stood and headed to her bedroom with her Casper pillow clutched tightly in her arms. Suddenly she stopped and her smile instantly faded. She asked with much less confidence, “But Casper, what do I do if he says no or bursts out laughing at the thought of him and I together? His actions may be just to tease a silly smitten Human. Lord! I’ll never tease a man again about asking someone out on a date. This is terrifying!”

After Penny went to bed and finally fell into a deep sleep, Ice knelt at her bedside. He whispered, “I won’t say no. And when we’re alone together, you and I will have a very long talk. The time has come and there’s much I need to confess to you as well. Until then, sleep tight, my little damsel.” He caressed her cheek and she moaned softly in her sleep.

As Ice passed through the living room to leave her cabin, he retrieved the parchment Penny had tossed away. He took a moment to stare at the drawing. Although she had drawn him true to life, she somehow managed to do it without the evil and hate he saw in his own reflection. Not only could she sense his nature when he was Casper, she also saw below the surface even when he was visible. With the paper clutched tightly in his fingers, he headed out into the night.

The next day when Penny arrived home from work, she found a step ladder in her kitchen with an enormous pink, sparkling bow and a single deep pink rose. Although there was no note, she knew that it was a gift from Ice. As she caressed the smooth, shiny aluminum, her face lit up in a brilliant smile and warmth filled her chest. She whispered, “Maybe he won’t say no.”

As she put the rose in water and then carefully removed the bow, she whispered with a giggle, “And he has great taste in colors.” Although she let everyone believe that her favorite color was green, it actually was pink. It was, yet another, secret only her ghost knew. She carried the bow into her bedroom and gently placed it on a back shelf in the closet where she hid other keepsakes.

Although her budget wouldn’t allow her to start another large project right away, she was desperate for an excuse to get Ice alone with her in the cabin. She knew that realistically they had no future together but, after a long mental argument, logic was thrown out the window. She decided to contact him after work the next day. That gave her twenty-four hours to decide exactly what she wanted to say and to work up the nerve to ask him out on a date.

Penny was reviewing inventory reports at Gone Wild and daydreaming about a particular tattooed Changeling. She was trying to decide on which excuse to use to get him over to her cabin when she looked out at the main floor. It wasn’t the noise that attracted her attention; it was the lack of sound. When she went to investigate, she found a group of workers and customers huddled around a large television that had been playing back-to-back football games all day. Normally they would be yelling at every play, but the group was whispering quietly to each other.

Penny walked over and asked those assembled, “What’s going on? Game over already?”

Quinn replied, “No, the game was interrupted by a newsflash.”

Seeing everyone’s somber expressions, she asked, “What happened?”

“About an hour ago, a plane carrying several hundred people went down.”

Penny asked, her tone now matching those around her, “Any survivors?”

A customer replied, “They haven’t said, but it doesn’t look good.”

Penny asked, “Do they know how it happened?”

“They say something exploded within the plane moments before landing. The plane fell apart on impact. There are bodies and plane parts scattered over the entire stretch of runway.”

“How horrible. Did they say where it crashed?”

“Richmond Airport in Virginia.”

Penny got a lump in her throat, hearing that her home state was involved. Her eyes darted to the calendar on the wall and seeing the date, said a silent thank you that her family had flown home late the night before.

Given the interest in the growing crowd around them, Penny instructed her workers, “Please leave it on the news station. Call me if they announce anything new.” She flipped open her phone and called her father. When he didn’t answer, she left a message to have him call her back. Although she returned to her normal routine, she periodically joined the crowd throughout the afternoon, trying to catch the latest information.

Penny looked up when Quinn approached her and said, “They just announced that there weren’t any survivors. They’re starting to contact family members now.”

“Those poor families. I can’t imagine getting that call.” Penny turned to Mr. Thompson, who had walked into the store for the evening shift. After explaining what was going on, she said, “It’s my state. Maybe we could collect donations for the Red Cross to help the families? I have family out there. I could coordinate with them to get it to the right people.” He agreed and soon a small group of workers and customers joined them to discuss options for how they could help in the relief efforts.

As they talked, Penny’s cell phone rang. Catching the familiar Virginia area code, she leaned over to her boss and said, “This is my parents calling me. I’ll be right back.” She stepped away, flipped open her phone, and said, “Hi, Dad.”

A deep voice on the other end asked, “Is this Penny Blanchard?”

She was surprised to hear a stranger’s voice and replied, “Yes, I’m Penny. What can I do for you?”

“My name is Kent Williams. I’m so sorry to inform you, but your family has been involved in an accident.”

As the voice on the phone continued to talk, Penny stared unblinkingly at the television screen. When one of her employees noticed all the color drain from her face, they approached her and asked, “Are you okay, Boss?”

Penny stood motionless with the phone at her ear, not hearing anything. When several other workers joined her side, Taylor and Tadd walked into the store. Seeing the assembled crowd, Taylor’s voice called from behind, “Why weren’t we invited to the party?”

Penny continued to stare at the screen and whispered, her voice shaking, “They’re all dead.” Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed, sending her phone skidding across the floor, stopping abruptly at Taylor’s feet.

While everyone scrambled to Penny’s side, including Tadd, Taylor picked up the phone when he heard a voice calling out, “Miss Blanchard, are you there?”

Taylor put the phone to his ear and asked, “Who is this?”

“Where’s Penny Blanchard?” the voice asked.

“She’s collapsed. What did you tell her?”

“Are you a relative?”

“Yes, I’m her family. What’s happened?”

“I regret to inform you that her parents and two brothers were killed in the plane crash of flight 2117.”

Taylor looked at his twin with an expression that Tadd had never seen before. Taylor said, “Stay with Penny.” Hearing the extremely serious tone, Tadd did what was asked without question. Taylor stepped away and talked for a long time to the man on the phone. They exchanged information and then he gave Taylor the number to call later to work out details. After he hung up, Mr. Thompson approached and, before he could ask, Taylor whispered to him while nodding toward the television screen, “Penny’s family’s flight was cancelled last night and they were bumped to this morning. They were on flight 2117 and her entire family was killed in the plane crash. They need her to come identify the bodies.” When he spoke his voice shook and his words were broken with emotion.

Several overheard their discussion and the news spread instantly throughout the store. While Mr. Thompson raced to Penny’s side, Taylor called home. He woke up Sam and, after he told him what had happened, he asked, “What should I do?”

Sam said, “She can’t be left alone. Bring her home and we’ll take care of her until we figure out what to do next.”

Penny was in complete shock and wasn’t responding to anyone. Mr. Thompson was going to call an ambulance but, when Penny grabbed onto Tadd’s hand, the twins announced that they were going to take her to their home instead. At first Mr. Thompson was going to argue but, seeing the genuine concern and gentleness they had with Penny, he agreed.

Tadd said, “We rode our motorcycles into town.” He turned to the manager and asked, “Could someone get Penny’s purse? We’ll take her car and drive her home.”

Moments later, Quinn returned with Penny’s bag.

The manager handed Taylor his business card and said, “My personal cell number is on the back. Please call me as soon as you work out all of the details. Tell Penny not to worry about the store. She’s on a leave of absence effective immediately.”

Taylor uncharacteristically held out his hand to the manager. They shook and Taylor said, “Thank you. And don’t worry about Penny. We’ll take good care of her.”

*~*~*~*

Penny was locked in a daze and didn’t even notice that she had left the store and was now sitting on the couch with Susi’s arm protectively around her and Chad’s Great Dane head resting on her lap. They both tried to get Penny to respond to them, but with no success. Ben stepped forward to see what he could do. He mentally reached out to his friend, but even his skills were useless against the mental wall that she had erected to block out the pain.

They all turned when the door swung open and Ice came racing into the room. In an instant, he spotted Penny and rushed to her side. Ben stood, allowing Ice to take his place. While Ice knelt in front of Penny, he asked the room, “How is she?”

Taylor said, “She hasn’t said a word since she got the call at the store.”

Ben added, “I’ve tried to connect to her, but she isn’t responding. All I can pick up from her mind is a constant buzz like a radio station that isn’t receiving a signal. She’s in shock. If we can’t get through to her soon, we’ll be forced to take her to a hospital.”

Ice reached out and touched Penny’s cheek, calling sweetly “Penny, can you hear me?”

When she remained unmoved, he decided to try calling on someone that he knew Penny held dear to her heart. Ice leaned toward her and, while tucking his hand behind her neck, he called on his stealth ability to make just his hand disappear. Although no one in the room saw what he had done because his hand was hidden under Penny’s long hair, he knew Penny felt Casper’s presence when her body involuntarily shivered. With the connection established he said in a low whisper into her ear so that only she could hear, “Penny, it’s Casper. Talk to me.”

At first she didn’t respond, but when her mind finally recognized the familiar tingling sensation and heard a voice she trusted, her wall started to crumble.

Ben sensed the change and announced, “I don’t know what Ice is doing, but he’s getting through.”

As soon as Penny blinked her eyes, attempting to focus on the world around her, Ice dropped the partial cloak and returned his hand to its fully visible form. Although the others in the room wanted to ask him exactly what he had done to bring her back, they decided now was not the time for the discussion. They were grateful that Penny was starting to come around.

Ice said, “Penny, talk to me.”

She focused on his eyes and whispered, her voice breaking and hoarse, “My family…they’re all…”

Ice interrupted her and said, “I know.”

To everyone’s shock, she unexpectedly jumped to her feet, pushing Ice to the side and announcing, “I have to go.”

Ice placed his arm in front of her to stop her and asked, “Go where?”

With her words coming out in staggered chunks, she replied, “They… called me. Need me…identify…” After a long pause, she finished her thought, “…the bodies.” With her hands shaking, she fumbled through her pockets, trying to find her non-existent car keys.

Ice took her hands in his and said, “You aren’t going anywhere right now.”

With her mind unable to make coherent thoughts, she mumbled, “I have to go. They’re waiting for me.” Her whole body started to shake.

Knowing that talking to her was useless right now, Ice turned to Sam and said, “Her mind must rest. Can you help her go to sleep?” Sam caught the meaning behind his words and nodded in agreement.

Ice scooped Penny into his arms and carried her to a guest room with Sam following. After Sam sat on the side of the bed, Ice gently placed Penny in his arms. She was still mumbling incoherently and insisting that she had to leave. Since she wouldn’t sit still, Ice helped hold her while Sam penetrated her neck with his fangs and latched on.

Moments later, Penny stopped moving and then went silent. As Sam continued to use his skills to force her into a deep sleep, her eyes flickered and then finally closed. Once Penny was finally out, Sam had to close his eyes and concentrate hard in an attempt to force his body to give up Penny and her blood. Ice ultimately had to step in and help Sam physically release the one locked in his arms.

After Sam finally regained complete control on himself, he wiped his mouth and said, “I took what I needed in order to influence her mentally, but I had to take more than I would have liked. Her mind wouldn’t turn off and was fighting me, but I think she’ll be out for at least a few hours.” What he kept to himself was the rush of energy that was flowing to every cell of his body as her blood coursed through his veins.

After Sam and Ice returned to the living room, Ice turned to the twins and asked, “Give me the whole story from the beginning.”

Taylor provided the details he knew, but found it difficult to talk about Penny’s brothers. He said, “I’ve never had love for Humans but, like Penny, her brothers were different. Tadd and I both instantly felt like they were part of the family. We’ve spoken to them many times since their visit to plan another outing together and I honestly couldn’t wait to see them again.”

Seeing the pain in the twins’ eyes, Ice announced, “Give me the contact numbers and I’ll make all of the necessary arrangements.” Given the look on his face, no one argued with him.

Taylor handed him the store manager’s card and said, “This is the number for Penny’s boss. We need to call him and let him know what the plans are.” He then handed him Penny’s cell phone. “The number to call out east is on her phone. I told him we were Penny’s family and we’re supposed to call them back to work out the details.”

Ice stepped into the moon room and made the calls. At the same time, Susi approached Sam while staring at his face inquisitively. She asked, “How are you feeling? I swear your cheeks are pink.”

He decided to be honest and, in a low voice so only Susi could hear, he said, “I feel better than I have ever in my entire life.” He pressed Susi’s palm on his chest and asked at a whisper, “Do I feel warm to the touch? I swear warm blood is once again flowing through my veins. I haven’t felt that sensation since before I turned.”

Susi felt his pulse. Although their kind had a heartbeat, it was typically very slow and hard to pick up. With a shocked expression, she announced, “Your pulse is strong and you do feel warm. But how?”

Sam looked toward the bedroom and whispered, “It’s Penny’s blood. The sensation is intoxicating.” He flexed his muscles and chuckled. Realizing that his excitement wasn’t appropriate for the situation at hand, he apologized and said, “We can talk more about this later.” When he saw Ice return he asked loud enough for everyone to hear, “What did you find out?”

Ice replied, “Taylor was right. They need Penny to identify the bodies.”

Susi exclaimed, “She can’t do that! It would kill her.”

Ice said, “I agree, but they say that she’s the only living relative and, once she’s in her right mind, she’ll insist on going.”

Sam said, “If she has to go, we can’t let her go alone. Maybe someone could fly with her.”