A Hippogriff for Christmas - Zoe Chant Page 0,72

possible way.

“Scott, go tell your dad all this honestly,” Annie said. “And if he doesn’t listen, then… then I’ll try to explain things to him. Or if he won’t accept it, then maybe you’ll just have to tell him you’re leaving to make your own way in the world. Without taking any money from him.”

Scott swallowed, his eyes shifting. “I… I can try, I guess,” he said sulkily.

Maybe he hadn’t liked the part about not taking any money. But he seemed to rally after a moment, warming to the idea of leaving town.

“Maybe once everything’s… cleared up, I can go on a road trip,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“Sounds great, Scott.” Annie tried her hardest not to sound fed up – without Scott, after all, none of this would have happened – but right now, she was just too tired to keep the cynicism from her voice. Honestly, if Scott did just disappear on a road trip for a while, she’d be perfectly happy not to see him for however long he wanted to be gone for.

Beau, clearly sensing her tiredness, began to steer her away, just as Landon came over to collect Scott, straightening out his weird foil blanket and nodding to Beau.

Annie wasn’t really aware of anything after that until she felt the chill of the mountain air on her face, and realized they’d come out of the mansion and into the open night air.

“How should we get home?” Annie asked, still feeling a little dazed.

“The same way we got here, I suppose,” Beau said. “That is, if you feel up to flying. It’s the shortest way home, though. Not to mention the only way down off this mountain.”

Annie laughed lightly. “I should have guessed.”

Beau flashed her a grin, making sure she was steady on her feet before he threw the jacket he must’ve grabbed on their way out over her shoulders. Then he took a few steps back from her, before taking a deep breath and shifting.

This time, Annie didn’t hesitate at all before she pulled herself up onto his warm solid back. The feathers of his neck were soft beneath her touch, and the crooning sound he made to her seemed to reverberate through her whole body, soothing her frazzled nerves and making her feel warm.

Unable to stop herself, she leaned down, resting her aching head against his neck, feeling his feathers beneath her cheek.

Let’s go home.

Perhaps he heard her, because in the next second, his massive, powerful wings were carrying them up into the air, above the snowy mountainside, sure and strong.

Annie closed her eyes, letting herself be rocked by their rhythm.

And then, without even meaning to, she fell fast asleep.

Epilogue

“You ready for this?”

Annie looked up at Beau where he sat in the driver’s seat of the car, watching her face closely. He’d paused in his driving just outside the open gate leading down a long driveway, surrounded on both sides by thick trees, covered in snow.

The driveway of Beau’s family home, Annie thought, biting her lip.

She’d been in this kind of position before. She’d had quite a number of foster families over the years, and she remembered the way her heart had always beat with trepidation the first time the orphanage staff had driven her to their homes to meet them.

But it’s a little different this time, Annie told herself. This time, I’ve got Beau with me.

He’d assured her that as his mate, his family would love her too and accept her as one of them.

But how can he know that? We haven’t even met!

“What if I stick my foot in my mouth?” Annie blurted out, clenching her hands into fists. “What if –”

“Well, if you do, then you can just say ‘Whoops! Don’t mind me,’ or something like that,” Beau said, smiling so that his eyes crinkled at the corners in a way that Annie found totally, irresistibly sexy. “No one’s looking to judge you or jump all over you if you make a mistake, Annie, I promise. And we’re a pretty hard to offend bunch. I really can’t imagine you saying anything that bad, anyway.”

Well, that was true, Annie had to admit – she couldn’t really remember sticking her foot in her mouth that many times over the course of her life either, but that was mainly because she’d often been too shy to open it in the first place.

Annie swallowed.

Well, we can’t sit here all day, she told herself, forcing her hands to relax, and doing her best