Pt to of my new experimental heterosexual shape shifter/human hybrid romantasy.
(PT one is linked in the story)
CRETE GREECE THREE DAYS BEFORE.
Gideon Kalbus was among the minotaurs called back to Greece for the meeting. Officially called The Oshaite, the council was the governing body over the ever increasing non-human or other beings in the world. They kept the records and the history. Giddy like his best friends Hawthorne and Mason were all under their thumb. When he landed he made his pilgrimage to the original site of the labyrinth and silently thanked his gods he wasn’t in trouble. He’d been put in the labyrinth shortly after his 16th birthday and never wanted to repeat that again.
He was the first to arrive at the meeting the next night and sat by himself watching others wander in. He spotted an elf, several cat girls of some kind, a group he was certain were probably witches. The commotion when Hawthorne walked in with Mason made him laugh. He called to Mason, “as-salām ʿalaykum little brother.” Across the room Mason looked up beaming, grinning wide and waving, “wa alaikum assalam, Giddy my big brother.” Gideon stood so they could hug. He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Mason in forever, “where you been at?”
–
“Eli baby!” The voice cutting through the murmur of people waiting at the curb at the airport finally got Eli’s attention as she was staring mesmerized at an announcement board, “Elijah!” she turned, blinking then she dropped her brightly colored carry on and ran to the pregnant woman with her arms out, “’Nita!” Squealing and crying the two women hugged fiercely enough to almost fall over, Freddy followed smiling. “Hey hey, you two don’t start wrestling in public.” When Anita let Eli go she looked down at her frowning slightly, “have you lost weight? Are you eating enough?” Eli smiled while Freddie retrieved her bags and Anita started feeling her up, muttering. “Where is your ass?”
Anita had both hands on Eli’s butt and was squeezing it like a stress ball, “’nita get your hands off my ass. I’m fine. I just started working out more is all. Calm down. Look at you preggo.” Anita was so proud she lifted her shirt over her belly and Eli bent to kiss it, “hey kid.” The two of them kissed each other all over the face then turned on Freddie as he struggled trying to lug Eli’s huge shiny luggage. “God damn girl, you moving in or nah?” The ladies ignored him in favor of the wafting scent of steaks from a restaurant, Eli’s nose was almost quivering. “Freddie come on I’m hungry.”
Freddie knew better than to retort and just hustled to catch up listening to them complain to each other about being hungry, Eli glanced at him. “Did your horns get bigger Freddie?” Freddie got her bags in the SUV and carefully climbed in, “no. Eli stop stop, quit it.” Eli had reached over the seat and was tapping on his horns with her nails, he shook his head violently. She was giggling, “so you guys are coming to the opening right?”
Eli was in town to host a special art opening in one of her galleries, Anita turned a little in her seat. “Hold on baby pull over I’m getting in back.” Freddie grumbled under his breath and did as he was told. A police car slowed next to them, and he gave a slight nod, “evening sir. Wife is pregnant wants to sit in back.” As Anita waddled around the front of the truck the cop gave Freddie a thumb’s up, “good man. Evening ma’am.” Anita smiled, “hello officer.”
When she was settled, and they got back on the road Freddie wisely tuned out so the girls could talk without interruption. “So ‘nita what is this big favor?” Anita gave her a sweet smile, “Freddie’s brother is coming to town and I think you two should meet.” Eli rolled her eyes and plucked a baggy of cheese crackers from the center console, “again Anita? Do we have to talk about how it is perfectly fine I’m not mated or married?”
Anita made a cute pouty face, “it is fine. Totally fine do you. And maybe do Mason, you’ll like him. You tolerate Freddie. Look he’s gorgeous and single and-” Eli turned her head and bit Anita gently on the arm, “shut up Anita. Fuck I don’t need some dude. I’m fine.” Anita made a noise and thumped Eli on the forehead with her fingertip, “you are so gross stop that. Don’t bite me Elijah.”
When Eli straightened, they faced each other almost nose to nose, Eli with a little smirk, Anita trying not to bite or snarl. Elijah and Anita had been friends their entire lives, from being in a creche nursery for shifters together as tots up through going to Fisk together. Freddie piped up, “Eli be nice. And it isn’t our fault, ‘nita been waiting on them reservations since May.”
Elijah got dropped off at her apartment in town and started to unpack. She’d just flown in from Greece and that bullshit meeting. It wasn’t that she was at all surprised, she was officially feral. Unnamed. Disconnected from clan bloodlines and staunchly anti-authority. And yet none of that ever stopped any of the men in charge from finding her and dragging her to wherever when they wanted her skills.
Inside her apartment Eli stopped feeding her energy to her glamour. Unlike other hybrid shifters, her glamour worked on everyone. Human, hybrid, magical whatever. She’d had to do some terrible things to get it but, she loved being truly incognito. She flopped onto the couch after ordering food to deep dive Mason Jones social media. The first post she looked at was recent. “God damn okay.” Muttering, brows raised. He’d posted a gym selfie, shirt off, sweaty and big and dark and pretty.
Yes, he was her type for sure. Big, dark skinned, locs and a cute goofy smile. She toyed with the end of one of her brightly colored braids, lips pursed. Anita was right about that; Eli ate men like that for breakfast. She also had her other work and no time to manage a whole ass man. When her phone dinged, she almost dropped it then frowned at the notification from the door to the apartment building, she answered. “Hello?” she pulled up the security camera to see who was ringing, it was a man in a suit waving awkwardly at the camera, she didn’t recognize him. He shifted, cleared his throat.
“Good evening, Ms. Mohamed I am Everett Blackbone, I have some paperwork for you.” She rolled her eyes, of course she’d forgotten they were watching and waiting always for her to show up. She buzzed him in, “okay come on up. Elevator is straight ahead then go to the left bank of elevators. Floor ten.” Eli like her mother and the rest of the women on that side of the family all served The Oshaite, the supposed ruling body of non-human supernaturals.
Unlike Anita and Freddie, Eli’s family never signed a contract. Instead, she worked as work came, she had a good reputation as a tracker and hunter, she hated dealing with them but loved the fat paychecks. She stood to go to the door to let the stranger in and when she cracked it, she thought she heard just a tiny sound of quiet sneaky footsteps. She stuck her nose out of the door and sniffed.
Citrusy industrial cleaner, weed, her neighbors side piece’s cologne, the regular home scents. Strangers of course but she felt fine and ignored the little warning in the back of her head. A moment later she heard the elevator ding and went back to the door after a few seconds. Just as she was getting it open three enormous men rushed in, knocking her to the floor. She crouched, looking up growling in her throat. Her gaze flickered to the bookshelf; the men loomed over her. “I do apologize Ms. Mohammed; you are needed in Crete.”
Mason forgotten for the moment, she shifted slightly and eased her socks off. The big men looked to Blackbone and she took her chance. She was up and running at the bookshelf before they moved, she climbed the shelf and perched on top looking down at them, snarling. “Get the fuck out. I told them two weeks ago, fuck you pay me. Mr. Blackbone.” She kept her eye on the biggest goon, the way he was standing she knew she could take him down before the other thought to do anything, she knew how they were trained.
While Blackbone was trying to gather his thoughts she shifted slightly, her butt settling on her heels as she tensed, ready to pounce on her prey. She hadn’t worked with any of them and clearly they had no idea just how wild she was, she landed on the biggest one knees first on his face. As he crumpled, she wrapped her small muscular body around his head and started growling from deep in her chest, he was under orders not to hurt her and he swatted at her as gently as he could in panic, he shook trying to toss her off, nobody warned them. He couldn’t tell what part of her was squeezing his face, nor had he planned on having a woman wrapped around his head.
As he stumbled, she dug claws into his meaty shoulders, he yelped as she gripped harder. She got onto his back somehow and met Blackbone’s wide eyed look as she sank her teeth deep into the back of the big man’s neck hard enough for his eyes to well with tears, she felt and smelled the adrenaline and fear but there was no way she was going to give up her prize. He was just a big human. “Ms. Mohommed please, please let’s not do this. Don’t hurt him, he’s done nothing wrong.” She let go, scraping a good bit of the skin off with her sharp teeth. “Get the fuck out of my house or I’m going to eat this one and you too. You, yo hey yeah you. You can go. The fuck out.” The other man turned and fled shaking his head, muttering to himself as he trotted away struggling not to break into a run.
The second man made one call and hustled down to the car to wait, muttering. “Nobody told us it was a fucking big cat. God damn it. This is bullshit.” When his phone rang he wailed and dropped it before answering, “what.” It was Blackbone sounding calm and cool as ever, “will you call our friends to see to our companion. And text me when you see them arrive.” He closed his eyes, over the phone he could hear that awful sound the girl made, hybrids weren’t new to him but hearing that sound come out of such a pretty girl scared him in ways he could never articulate. “Yes, sir I already called they are on the way.”
Upstairs Eli let the big man go and he curled on on the floor whimpering, the smell of his blood and fear was making her want to hunt for real. She looked at the other man, “what?” Blackbone attempted a tight smile and failed, only managing to look more constipated. His thin brown face was tight, “Ms. Moha-” she held up a hand, “don’t. I did what they asked for and they agreed to the price. Unless you got a money order or can hide a lot of cash up your narrow ass, this visit is done. Tell them I said fucking no.”
Blackbone bowed his head, hands folded in front of him. He was only human but was dedicated to Sekhmet as was his entire family, they were always sent to deal with the big cats. “Elijah please. They only want to talk to you.” She knew he was stalling and why, she walked away and came back with a damp towel. “Hey, come on big boy lemme clean you up, I feel bad now. Stop crying.”
The big man was sobbing silently, weeping like a frightened child and shivering on the floor. He moved slowly, letting her clean the wound. “See you’re gonna be okay, it’s just a flesh wound. I didn’t even nick the bone. I could have broken your neck, you know who to blame.” Blackbone’s phone rang, blaring some old soul song. “A moment please excuse me.” Eli didn’t watch his fingers on his other hand, she didn’t see the series of gestures, he didn’t even smell like magic, but he quickly cleared the protections from the entryway. “Yes hello? This is Everett.” He turned his back, Eli snickered at him. “He always like this?”
The man let Eli clean his face then he finally looked her in the eye. He wanted to run and cry and panic, he saw in her eyes what she wanted to do. She smiled and booped his nose gently, “I’m not gonna eat you big boy. You’ll be fine. You want a beer or something?” The man just nodded; his confusion evident as she helped him to his feet. He followed to the kitchen and sat at her table looking nervous as she set a bottle of dark beer in front of him, “enjoy that. Stay here.” He murmured, “thanks Eli.” She patted his shoulder as she walked back by, “good boy. You’re welcome.”
Eli left him and he sat still, too nervous to touch anything or move lest she leap on him and eat his face. He called his partner who answered, “are you all right? Fucking Blackbone he’s supposed to disclose when we’re handling apex predators. You need medical?” The man chuckled, “no she only got me a little bit and cleaned me up. I’m sitting at her table drinking a beer and I’m hoping Blackbone called who I think he did.” The other man was quiet for a long moment then he groaned, “oh fuck yeah, he did. Two minutes.”
At that moment Blackbone turned to smile down at Eli. “I value your concerns I truly do. It was not my intention to come for a fight.” Eli hadn’t locked the door behind her guests and as Blackbone was droning his apologies she heard it the split second before everything turned to chaos. Men in sleek black streamed in and one of them got his arms around her before she could run. Eli roared and started flopping and kicking, trying to bite and the man looked at Blackbone who gave a short nod. The men struggled to hang onto her muscular whipping frame, she nailed one in the belly with one booted foot, and he fell to his knees moaning in pain.
Between kicks and bites Eli felt the needle jab and snarled, “you mother fuckers. Kill all of you.” Blackbone kept his eye on her until she hung limp in the other man’s arms unconscious, he rolled his eyes. “For fuck sake, I told them she wouldn’t come willingly. Get her to the car we’ll lock up, the plane is waiting.” The man shifted Eli in his arms and slung her over his shoulder, he called. “Let’s go gentlemen, we only have four hours until the next dose and she’s going to wake up pissed. I’m not getting mauled. Someone go get Jack.”
Two men helped Jack downstairs after the medic checked his wound and got him bandaged up, “this ain’t like werewolf shit, is it? I don’t wanna be a cat man.” The man carrying Eli laughed, “no it isn’t lycanthropy Jack you’re fine. It’d be more likely you get an infection, but she got you cleaned up. You’ll be fine don’t be embarrassed. Her kind regularly takes prey two to three times their size. Be glad she didn’t want to eat you.” Jack went pale, he’d seen some things.
The team hustled Eli into a waiting modified ambulance and they got her secured on a caged stretcher. Blackbone took his time and picked up the things knocked over, he got her phone and found her go bag. He knew she and Anita Jones were close and he sent Anita a text from his own phone. “Kitty is secured. Stand by. All well.”
–
Crete
While Mason sat with Giddy and a few of the fellas catching up at the meeting, the team brought Eli in. She was covered head to toe including gloves. Every man there looked up hearing the commotion, snarling and growling as three men struggled to carry the woman in. Arthurium still giggling about screwing with Mason sniffed and smiled, he knew who they had and likely what she’d done. When they went by he murmured, “hello kitten.” Her head turned, the snarling got deeper, and he heard her voice. “Fuck off.” Like Mason, Eli hated elves. When she heard the man say, “nice perfume.” She had calmed down a bit, stopped growling, her voice sounded low and rough.
“Don’t even look at me Arty. Fuck you.” Anthurium was giggling but it trailed off when he met her eyes, she meant it. He couldn’t hear the growl but felt it as did several men nearby, they shifted uncomfortably. “Eli, darling. Why are you so mean to me?” She rolled her eyes and shook her head; nobody knew why she hated Anthurium so much. He moved a little closer, watching Mason move off. “The offer is still open kitten, why be feral when you could be a familiar.” She grunted and rolled her eyes, “I’m not a housecat. And just so you know, that shit sounds racist as fuck. Get away from me I’m about to go.”
Anthurium moved off, still chuckling. He had no intention of trying to really get her to be his familiar but, he liked how it made her growly. While he made his exit Eli turned to the nearest guardian and allowed him to take her wrist. She rolled her eyes, newbies. Nobody trained them on dealing with felines. The moment just enough space opened up Eli dropped to the floor and turned her head to sink her teeth into his forearm.
Mason looked up when the guy started squealing, he watched the little hooded woman pop up off the floor, then she faced a pair of huge men, juked and ran past them easily avoiding their attempts to grab her. Mason sat back down with Giddy, who’s nose was twitching, dragoon? Cynamisia maybe? “nah not a Cynamisia. Human probably a witch. You know how they be acting with witches these days.” As men on the other side of the hall tussled and tried to follow the woman, Mason turned his attention back to the front.
–
L.A
The night of the opening Eli was ready early. She’d escaped Crete and gotten home that morning. When her phone rang and she heard Blackbone’s voice she wanted to throw her phone but didn’t. “What do you want man? I have shit to do.” He sighed heavily, “Eli, why did you run?” She rolled her eyes and put her earbuds in, “hold on I need to put my phone down.” She did and then after making him wait another full minute while she groomed one of her eyebrows, she made herself be calm. “Obviously I don’t feel like being bled and taxodermied for study. I know what they do in those rooms.” The man on the other end stood up and paced in his office.
“Eli, you must understand. It isn’t personal, you can’t be feral and be behaving as you have been. You are Homo Panthera pardus sapiens, not some simple killer.” She laughed loud and long, he cringed. “I’m an apex predator. I’m being what I am. I’m not some sicko human killing people for fun. I don’t hate the work; I hate the employer. I don’t need some mystery men to rule over me. I’m not a lioness I don’ t need a whole ass group of people. Let me work, pay me and leave me alone.”
Eli hung up and turned her phone off in favor of her burner. She was met with texts from Anita reminding her that she was meeting Mason that night. Eli had no intention of doing more than playing with her food then ruining him and sending him home sore and empty, knowing Anita she’d told the poor man to woo her and she didn’t want it. At the gallery when she walked in she walked around the installation managing a few last touches before guests started to arrive.
When the doorman called Eli turned and smiled, as promised there stood adorable huge Mason Jones. He had flowers and a cute smile, she could see past his glamour that his locs were wrapped in a pretty woven pattern around the base of his horns, she knew Anita had done that. Seeing that made her want to be nice to him so she walked over smiling as he stared at her. It occurred to her he might be afraid of her, the first time she’d met Freddie he almost bolted.
Smiling Eli extended a hand when she got close and he melted, she could see his cute floppy ears flapping. “You smell so good. What perfume are you wearing?” Eli’s brows lifted and she chuckled while he held her hand not shaking it but cradling it between his, “iSomeone makes it for me but you can find it. She calls it, for Elijah, google it. Please tell me you’re Mason?” Mason realized how long he’d been holding her hand right as he started to open his phone then he blushed hard, and she could smell him getting hot.
He started to enter that on his phone then looked at her, “oh it’s bespoke.” She gave him a long up and down look before taking his arm, “oh and you talk good.” “Is your first name Elijah?” She rolled her eyes, “yeah. I was named after my maternal grandfather out of spite, he was real mad my Mama was pregnant. And I’m a girl.” Mason had to adjust his gait so he didn’t walk past her as they started to stroll together. She was still smiling and it made him happy.
“Shit my manners Anita is gonna whoop my ass. I’m Mason and thank you for letting me come. I like this artist.” Eli looked at him, “Zahira Zodhrobut is amazing do you know her work?” Mason couldn’t stop his mouth, “I do now. I followed the links from your instagram. Anita uh you know.” She kept giving him that look, it felt familiar. “I know, USDA Approved M.J.” He blushed so hot he felt like he might faint, “oh I wasn’t trying to be creepy I just wanted to know your vibe.” Eli paused in front of a huge painting of a plains scene of some kind.
“I figured you’re fine. You like this piece?” It was titled Botswana Pastoral with family, he looked close and tried to count the lions in the painting. “This detail is incredible, are those female maned lions?” She brightened, “how can you tell?” He pointed, “those are cubs, that is a creche. Males would get torn apart.” She rubbed his arm and he wanted her never to stop, “look at you exceeding expectations. I should apologize to you, I was expecting less.” Mason was insulted but tickled and he wanted to kiss her but didn’t make a move.
Instead of sweeping her into a movie style kiss he chuckled, “I was on her shitlist for a while. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you to rob me.” Eli cackled, “you are so cute Moo. Come on Sir Loin.” Elijah liked the man, she let him wander by himself while she made a few opening remarks and did a little mingling to greet a few people. When she showed him the piece she’d bought from the show she watched him get into it.
“What’s it called?” She moved to stand next to him, “Botswana Pastoral with family.” He was examining it closely, brows knit. Even his cute little tail was swishing back and forth, “are those maned lionesses?” Impressed she took a half step closer to him, “how can you tell?” He pointed, “those are cubs, that is a creche. Males would get torn apart.” She rubbed his arm, and he wanted her never to stop. “You’re right. Good boy. Shit you be all right here for a few minutes?” She was staring past him into the other room, he watched something come over her. “Yeah I’m good do what you need to do.”
Mason heard the sound and didn’t register what it was, it was just a little growly grumble she made that sent a chill down his spine as he watched her walk away. For some reason he thought of watching his cat Abigail stalking bats or birds in the yard but he shook it off and turned back to the painting. Mason hung around for a good part of the party but had to tap out at one point, Eli walked him to his Uber.
“You should follow me on instagram, I’ll text or call you soon.” She turned to look up at him and stood on tip toe, Mason blushed and bent so she could kiss his cheek. “It was nice to meet you. I’ll tell Anita you were the goodest beefiest boy.” Mason’s blush went from his hairline into his shirt and he started to sweat, he had the cutest breathy deep giggle when he was getting embarassed, Eli wanted to make him blush until he fainted. “Thank you for letting me be here, I’m gonna follow you later.” He was struggling not to start babbling and simping, he was saved by the SUV that pulled up and the guy calling, “Mason Jones?”
After he left and Eli was back in her apartment she laid in bed and dm’d Mason then she posted a photo of the two of them and tagged him. She started a voice note for Anita, “Anita oh my god he’s so cute. Why didn’t you tell me he’s kind of bashful. Anyway I’m not mad about it he is delightful. I love you Mamas don’t go into labor tonight I’m tired.” She hung up but not before she saw Mason reshared her post and tagged her, she’d read the dm the next day.
Eli’s phone rang and she moaned as she answered, “what oh my god.” Anita giggled, “hi baby, did you not tell Mason?” Eli had to think about it, “oh shit I don’t think I did.” She giggled sleepily, “it’s fine we’ll figure it out. Are you okay?” Anita sighed, “I guess. Freddie used that body wash he has, the whole bed stinks. I’m gonna sleep on Mason.” Eli shook her head, “you are the worst pregnant princess. Okay good night go the fuck to sleep. I love you.” Anita yanked Freddie’s pillow out from under his head and threw it across the room on her way out, “I love you too, I’ll see you at brunch.”