rafters of the room, was an incandescent phoenix.
Absolutely stunning.
And absolutely a blaze of gold, red, and orange flames that only highlighted the intoxicating blue and purple inferno that seemed to surround her. The woman I loved was by far the most unique and glorious shifter I’d ever seen.
When I looked back to the doctor, I could see pure shock radiating over her, and I steadied myself… Somehow I knew that this was about to get ten times more complicated.
10
Maya
Exhilaration. Excitement. Pride. Everything seemed to morph into one moment of pure and untamed joy as I once again connected with the creature inside of me, feeling our bond solidify into something absolutely amazing. I had a feeling the more I shifted, the stronger our connection would become and it’d be easier to shift like this. For just a moment, it was easy to ignore everything else.
Doctor Bates.
The Dreki realm.
My insecurities and questions.
None of it mattered, and I could feel my mates’ energy in the room as I let out a sound, desperately wanting them to join us. The sound was crisp and clear and immediately had Atlas standing as I swept downward, gliding while leaving an inferno-like trail in my path.
As I glided past one of the large windows, I nearly circled back in order to see my reflection once more. I had never seen myself shifted before, and I found myself momentarily shocked. Not just because of the stunning array of reds, oranges, purples, and blues that decorated my large avian frame but because that gorgeous creature was… me. That concept seemed unreal. For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of pride and worth that radiated from within myself, not from others, and it vividly contrasted the concern I had about the doctor’s reaction to how I looked.
Doctor Bates seemed like a nice woman, but she also left me feeling a bit uncomfortable. Not because of anything she was doing, but because of the truth she could represent. And based on her expression? I was going to guess that I truly wasn’t a normal phoenix.
That realization gutted me.
I desperately wanted to be normal for my mates. I wanted to be what they assumed I was, but the shock on her face left me feeling as though there was something drastically wrong with me.
I didn’t want to burn any of the furniture, so I landed on a metal shelf, looking over my three mates and the doctor. A sad sound broke from my throat as Croy’s fists tightened, his wolf attempting to surge forward. I knew my phoenix and I were pulling on our bonds with them, and Sai was gripping the couch in an attempt to not shift. I wanted him to shift though—the only thing holding me back from demanding it was that he so clearly was trying not to. I didn’t understand why.
Didn’t he want to fly with us?
A disappointed sound almost left me at the concept of him not wanting that.
“I don’t understand how this is possible,” Doctor Bates demanded, looking at them. “Locked up? Where was she locked up? Outside of the crown, we haven’t had a Blue Phoenix in nearly two decades. You said Maya is eighteen, correct? I mean, the chances of that being a coincidence is extremely unlikely, and if that’s the case, then—”
“I understand what it would possibly mean,” Croy responded, looking more tense than before as I felt confusion run over me. Recognition as well, because the term ‘Blue Phoenix’ sounded familiar… possibly because I was shifted, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember why it was familiar. I racked my brain, trying to pull that term from the conversation I’d had with Croy.
“Then you understand we need to go see the queen immediately, correct?” The doctor’s face was filled with passion. “We absolutely cannot wait. In fact, with the calls she is letting out, I’m surprised the queen hasn’t shown up herself.”
Calls?
Queen?
The story Croy told me was jostled from my subconscious, turning my mood darker as I recalled the heartbreaking tale of the Dreki realm queen, who was a Blue Phoenix, and her mates losing a child. A pulse of pain went through my chest, nearly causing my phoenix to let out a sound of distress and sadness.
“Maya.” Sai stepped forward, his eyes flashing with heat that both enticed me forward and worried me because I got the distinct feeling that he wasn’t particularly happy with any of what the doctor was saying. “Can