Page 39 of Saving Destiny

The reality that could have been is horrifying, to say the least. Everything he says makes sense when I consider it alongside the knowledge provided by the library. If it were possible to create random beasts from different combinations of shifters, it would happen more often. Right now, most shifters live in tight communities with their own kind. Shifters and magicless rarely mate, and the babies are typically weak mages or magicless.

Does Addington hope to create more shifters from humans? If they outnumber the other supernaturals, there’s a chance they could band together to oppress the others. I add the terrible prospect to my constantly growing list of doomsday scenarios.

“The past doesn’t matter,” Bren whispers, but I think he’s talking to himself.

“Hopefully, we’ll find the answers we seek sooner rather than later. We have barely any time before we open, so I should shift and explore the upper levels. Walthers and Addington will probably wait until the library opens before they bother us again. They won’t want to fail twice.” I’m not convinced it was much of a victory, but they didn’t get Kodi, and they didn’t get inside. Just thinking of the two men trying to trespass makes me irrationally angry.

I need to arm myself with knowledge before they return, and knowing every inch of my domain feels equally crucial before we open to the public. Most of our patrons will be limited to the ground floor, but the library will grant higher-level access to a rare few. I’ll need to be prepared to aid or thwart them, depending on their intentions. Sage eases my nerves when she tells me no one will be granted any liberties until we’ve processed the recent threats and I’m more comfortable with my position. If necessary, the goblins and I can retrieve books.

“Magic involves intent and shifting is no different. Set your intent upon retaining only your shirt as you transform,” Bren says matter-of-factly, as if continuing a conversation we hadn’t interrupted.

I nod my understanding and set the brakes on my chair. The moment I scoot forward, the two brothers flank me, each of them taking an elbow. I don’t bother protesting because I know they mean well. I also need assistance unless I want to slide clumsily onto the floor. I don’t think it’s smart to shift while I’m in my chair. What if I break it or get stuck? Avery and Kodi watch from opposite sides in their unique ways – the vampire monitors our energy signatures while Kodi hovers several feet above us and grumbles under his breath.

The hasty decision I made in my room comes back to bite me. As the brothers lower me to the floor, I realize how large the shirt has to be to accommodate my sphinx torso. It gapes in front to reveal cleavage and in the back, displaying my scars. I hope the front view distracts them from seeing my back, but Garrett’s indrawn hiss of breath says otherwise. I stiffen, but he doesn’t say anything. When my butt is safely on the floor, Bren adjusts my shirt. His touch is unbelievably tender as he pulls the front up and tugs the back together to cover as much skin as possible.

When I nod my thanks, they both step backward. A muscle ticks in Garrett’s jaw, but I ignore it and focus on shifting. I don’t want to talk about my scars right now.

The power surges through me, already easy and familiar. I embrace it fully as my magic shifts me from a human to a hybrid beast. The pain is barely noticeable this time; it’s just a minor ache as my wings push through the thickly scarred skin of my back and my hind legs alter their shape. All the while, I maintain a mental image of my sphinx form wearing the shirt. While the redesign is almost effortless, the newly heightened force of my senses shocks me with its intensity.

I keep my eyes closed and breathe deeply as I adjust to the new sensory input and my body’s shape. While I sort scents and sounds, I shake my body and extend my wings. My body feels the need to stretch just like waking up after a long sleep. The amount of time I spent worrying about my wardrobe was a waste of effort. The shirt stayed on, and a simple shake of my wings settles them into their intended place.

Finally, I open my eyes and recalibrate to my new vantage point. I’m used to accommodating different heights based on whether I’m in my chair or using my braces, but this is lower still. If I don’t tilt my neck backward, my eye level is even with Bren’s and Avery’s flat abdomens. It's not the same for Garrett, who is several inches taller. I’m currently staring directly at his crotch. I notice his jeans are a little tight before I look away. Although I’d thought of meeting the university students as a sphinx, greeting their waists and hips wouldn’t make me an intimidating foe. A glance downward reveals that the shirt covers my breasts and doesn’t appear as ridiculous as a doggy sweater.

One by one, the men’s unique scents drift toward me. When I smell Avery, my nostrils flare wide with surprise. My ears twitch, and my body lengthens as I instinctively close the distance between the vampire and me.

“Avery … you smell … different,” I murmur and inhale deeply. A mouthful of sharpened teeth doesn’t mangle my speech, but I speak slowly so I don’t accidentally cut my tongue or lips on the pointed tips.

The vampire doesn’t seem to have difficulty understanding me, and he doesn’t appear surprised. He takes a step closer to me as if he senses me reaching for him. “You might be catching the scent of your blood because I recently fed.” He sounds a little uncertain, but I barely notice. The lyrical quality of his voice is always beautiful, but it’s even more pleasing to my enhanced hearing.

He’s close enough now that the tip of my nose brushes the crisp linen covering his flat stomach. I inhale deeply. If I were fully human right now, I’d be mortified at my actions. The newly awakened cat within me has only one concern, however, and that’s determining the reason for his luscious smell.

“No,” I argue automatically as my sphinx's senses reject his idea. Sudden comprehension widens my eyes and flattens the cat ears on my head. It’s almost comical when I compare myself to a domesticated feline. I’d always adored the gang of alley cats that flocked to the street near the orphanage. I’d bring them scraps of food from the kitchens when I could, and they’d rub against my braces or climb into my lap or lay on their backs and let me pet their soft bellies.

When I watched from the orphanage's windows, I'd noticed they weren't as kind to others. They'd hissed and scratched at any other human who invaded their territory. I'd always wondered why, and now I have my answer. The cats had been submitting to my sphinx, while I’d simply been grateful for the chance to pet them.

“It’s not just my blood. You smell like you’remine.” This form has no filter, either. The last word escapes with a possessive growl despite my best intentions to keep them in my head.

Garrett grunts and scrubs a hand over his shorn head. I can’t read his expression, but I smell his jealousy.

Almost simultaneously, Bren gapes dramatically. “Did your bite create a mate bond? Already?”

Avery’s silver eyes shine with pride rather than irritation. “Only ancient vampires are blessed with fated mates. I’ve always assumed my differences would prevent me from receiving that gift.” His eyes narrow as if he’s studying the energy between us. “Ah … I see it now. I’d thought the bond we’d started with the library contract had grown stronger. There’s a clear difference, though.” Gracefully, he sinks to one knee and bows his head. “It is an honor, Zosia Abram.”

I blink rapidly and barely stop my body from shrinking backward with rejection. “I didn’t do ….” The protest dies in my throat as the library reveals the lie. My sphinx has chosen him. The more human part of my being might not have been fully conscious of the agreement, but it hadn’t protested. In the end, the two parts were the same.

I clear my throat and my ears twitch with irritation. “I guess I did do something, but I didn’t do it on purpose. I shouldn’t have done whatever I did without your permission, Avery.”

“I wouldn’t have protested because I consider it as a blessing and an honor,” Avery repeats. His words ring with truth and his silver eyes caress my face as if he can see every feature. “I knew when I first met you that my soul was meant to accompany yours through this life. The contract made it official and the bite enhanced it, but our connection existed long before both. You’re only noting the manifestation of the universe’s approval. You never needed my permission, Zosia. You bestowed a gift on me that I accepted the moment my soul recognized yours.”

I might be blushing, but it’s not as easy to tell in this form. The library confirms every word he says as truth, and accepting it is easier while I'm a sphinx. We were already connected. Our bond is just stronger and easier to sense now.

Avery glances toward our audience. “Does she bear a mate mark?”

Bren skips toward me with a smile that radiates joy; he’s undeniably happy with the development. Garrett and Kodi both bear inscrutable or indifferent expressions. I consider it a good sign that neither of them is openly glaring or growling.

“Where did he bite you?” Bren asks, and I respond before my mind processes the strange question. I balance on my haunches and one fore leg while lifting my front left paw. Will I bear a mark in this form? I know very little about mate marks. When I first learned about them, I thought they were archaic and barbaric, like a brand. The library’s knowledge refutes that, however, and insists that the mark will eventually be visible in both forms because the match is meant to be whether I'm a sphinx or not.

Although I understand what the library tells me, the sight of the mark still shocks me. The kids in the orphanage called the thick pads on a cat’s pawbeans, but the library informs me that the anatomical term iscarpal pad. It’s the extra bean on a cat’s paw and the closest comparison to a wrist in my animal form. Just above the leathery pad where my fur isn’t as dense, I see a mark I wasn’t born with. I’m unfamiliar with the symbol, but a quick search through the library’s resources provides me with answers.

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