“Griffin,” Hayley breathed.
She wasn’t sure whether she was saying his name, or naming what he was, or both. But in any event, there was no mistaking that majestic, powerful form.
He could have sprung straight from a heraldic coat-of-arms, or some medieval bestiary. He had the head of an eagle, with fierce golden eyes and an enormous hooked beak, but halfway down his chest the ruff of feathers blended into a lion’s tawny coat. His front legs ended in the strong, scaled feet of a bird of prey, but his back legs were entirely lion. His wings spanned the entire width of the arena, every feather shining as if made of pure gold.
He was beautiful, and terrifying, and utterly overwhelming. And he was whole. Finally, he was what he was supposed to be.
He was a griffin. He was her Griffin. Her mate.
“Griffin!” she called out again, but he was too fixated on Reiner to notice. She could only stay back, out of the way, as the griffin ruthlessly pinned the lion down.
In a few short moments, it was all over. Reiner lay whimpering and defeated on the ground. And Griff…suddenly stopped and stared down himself, as if he’d only just noticed his new form. His beak dropped open in comic surprise.
“Griff!” Unable to hold back any longer, Hayley flung herself at him. She wound her arms around his soft feathered neck, half-laughing, half-crying. “You’re a griffin. That’s what you’ve been all along!”
A small, wondering noise rumbled deep in his throat, somewhere between a lion’s purr and an eagle’s call. The hard side of his beak rubbed against her cheek, tentatively, as if he didn’t quite trust his newfound strength.
She hugged him tighter, burying her face in his feathered chest. He was huge, at least double the size of even Reiner. He had a clean, wild scent that reminded her of both snowy skies and dry, sunbaked grassland—a strange but beautiful combination, as unique as he was.
“Ah.” They both looked up at the judge, who was staring down at them with a completely nonplussed expression. “Yes. Well, that seems to be quite decisive. Mr. MacCormick, it appears that you will be able to be the alpha that Danny requires after all. I shall…I shall have to reconsider my verdict.”
“Oh my God, Danny!” Hayley exclaimed, releasing Griff. “John’s still-”
She cut herself off, not wanting to spill the secret, illegal plan in front of the judge. Griff understood, though. He cocked his head, his golden eyes going a little unfocussed. Then his beak dropped open in an unmistakable smile. He nudged her shoulder, rumbling.
“You talked to John? Telepathically?” Hayley guessed. “You can do that now?”
He nodded. Spreading his wings in a heraldic pose, he gestured at himself with one front claw.
Delighted laughter bubbled up in her throat. “Of course. You’re a mythic shifter too. Just like John is. So you can talk to him. Did you tell him to bring Danny back? That everything’s okay now?”
He nodded again. The feathers of his ruff raised a little, as if he was starting to get a bit agitated. She could feel his delight and awe, glowing in her heart where earlier she’d felt his pain…but she could also sense a growing undercurrent of frustration. And worry.
She stroked his shoulder, a thrill shivering through her at the contrast of the soft fur over the hot, hard muscles beneath. “What’s wrong?”
He shuffled his clawed feet, looking a little sheepish. He gestured at himself again.
“I think he’s stuck,” said Michael, coming up beside her. For once, the polished lawyer had lost his air of ironic detachment. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Trust you, Griff. First you can’t shift, and now you can’t shift back.”
Griff rolled his eyes at him. He let out a pained hiss.
“Can you talk to him?” Hayley asked Michael. “You’re a mythic shifter too, aren’t you?”
The lawyer shook his head. “Fae hound. Similar, but different enough that I can’t contact him telepathically.”
People were starting to emerge out from behind overturned chairs and benches, creeping back down toward the arena with staring eyes and open mouths. Michael raised his voic
e, addressing the room at large. “Anyone here a mythic shifter? Charades are only going to get us so far. We need a translator.”
Unfortunately, none of the officials turned out to be dragons or anything similar. Hayley thought that Reiner, as a lion, might have been able to talk to Griff, but he didn’t seem to be able to shift back either. The arrogant lion shifter was nearly catatonic with shock.
In the end, they had to wait until John finally returned with Danny. Hayley spent the time anxiously checking Griff for any wounds, but his transformation seemed to have completely restored him. He was gleaming and flawless, from his powerful beak to his tufted tail. There was no sign that he’d ever been injured at all.
“Oh.” When he arrived, Danny didn’t seem at all surprised by Griff’s new form. He looked the griffin up and down thoughtfully, and nodded a little, as if something had become clear. “Yep. That explains a lot.”
“At last, oath-brother. What took you so long?” A joyful melody rippled under John’s teasing words. “Come now, shift back. You are an expert in the theory, are you not?”
Griff shot him a dirty look. He growled, low in his throat.