It had not taken long for Snowhawk’s physical wounds to heal, thanks to Dr. Lisa, but the scars left on her mind and body were still quite obvious. She would often wander aimlessly about the estate, doing her best to avoid everyone. She looked lost, as if something important was missing, and perhaps there was. Quillen had stolen nearly the last shred of sanity she had left and she seemed to grow ever more distant with each passing day. Janus was greatly pained to see her in this state. It had been almost six months and she’d not allowed him to touch her. She would never answer his questions when asked what was wrong, only running away from him to hide.
He finally managed to track her to her room one night. She was laying on her bed, her back to the door as she usually would be. Janus sat down on the edge of the bed, between her and the door. He reached to touch her on her shoulder and she coiled into a ball when he did. “Love, please tell me what’s wrong,” he whispered.
Some five minutes later, she finally, quietly answered, “I failed you. I betrayed you.”
“You did nothing of the sort, Snowhawk.”
“I did. I don’t deserve you anymore.”
“You know that’s not true.”
“And why not? I couldn’t fight. I’m weak.”
He realized she’d been mentally beating herself up the past months. “In that case, I’m the one that failed. I failed to protect you.”
She shook her head. “I wandered off. I let my guard down. I set myself up for it.”
“Love, please stop blaming yourself.” Snowhawk refused to answer him. “You can’t ultimately blame anyone but me.”
“Why?”
“I took you from him. I know how he must have felt. We just handled our frustrations differently. He became violent. And I waited too long. I just wanted to be certain of where you were.” He sighed. “But that’s just an excuse. That’s why I should be blamed for this.”
She curled up tighter and cried. “So broken,” she whispered.
Janus wrapped his arms around her. “Then let me help you, love. Please. I never want to lose you again.”
She uncurled and turned around, then buried her face in his chest and cried. “I’m sorry,” she whispered several minutes later, “I’m just not– not myself any more.”
“It’s alright,” he assured her, stroking her back. “You’ve been through a lot. Just, please, don’t hide from me.”
She nodded slowly, then gently nuzzled him and cuddled closer. He held her tighter, then lifted her head slightly and kissed her on the forehead. She gave a long, slow sigh, then snaked her arms around him and wrapped one of her legs around his. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered.
He answered her by tilting her head back a bit further and giving her a long, slow kiss. He had been so afraid he would lose her over the past weeks. There had been more thoughts of worry going through his mind than he would ever admit. Between her habit of running from everyone when she was hurt, the vampire Kione, that bastard Quillen, and even his own brother, he was almost certain he would lose her. He shook away the thought, now reassured that she would not run this time. A gentle nuzzle from her got him to look down to see she had fallen asleep in his arms. “I love you, Snowhawk,” he whispered. “More than you could ever know.”
*********
The following day, as Snowhawk half lazed on the long bench on her balcony, enjoying the sight of late summer’s colors. Janus wandered out to see her. He greeted her with a kiss, then sat down next to her. She smiled softly and leaned against him, wrapping her arms around him. A moment later, she crawled into his lap, having turned to face him, sitting on her knees and straddling him. She nuzzled him softly, then kissed him on his cheek several times, each kiss moving closer to his mouth. As their lips met, he pulled her closer to him, holding her tightly. Once that kiss broke, he picked her up and carried her inside. She had definitively reassured him that she was not leaving him anytime soon and it would now be up to him to make sure she knew that he would not leave her.
*********
Adian switched off a monitor as he saw his brother carry Snowhawk inside. Things finally appeared to be getting back on track between them, he thought as he leaned back in his chair, but nothing ever stayed peaceful for long when it involved her. She seemed to attract trouble. While this brought out a strong urge to protect her, it also tended to make her feel like she was little more than an annoyance. He tapped a pen on the desk as he thought. She used to be very proficient with a dagger, and she had some skill with a sword. “It wouldn’t take much to get her back to where she was, ” he mused. “But we would have to get her out of that neck sensitivity, or at least lessen it so she’s not paralyzed.” Though, even he had to admit that was an interesting prospect. But, it would turn out better for them all if she were rid of it.
So, with that in mind, he just needed to wait until their little cuddle session was finished. He wouldn’t interrupt them. After all, God only knew how many his brother had left.
*********
Late that evening, Snowhawk awoke in Janus’ arms. She looked to to see that he was still asleep. She already felt much better, and even a little mischievous. She carefully slipped away from Janus and wandered into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She remembered that, along with her appearance changing as she aged, she also gained the ability to shift into forms other than Delphin and human. She stood in front of the mirror for a moment, leaning on the bathroom counter, her head lowered and her eyes closed, searching for any signs of a new form. She smiled as she found what she was looking for, then her form began to glow as if she were shifting into her Delphin form. However, instead of growing in size, she began to shrink. The shift stopped when she was some five feet tall and she opened her eyes. Her reflection revealed a long pale lavender furred, dark amethyst striped feline morph. She giggled and brushed her light blue bangs from her eyes. “Oh the possibilities,” she giggled.
As she opened the door, the stopped for a moment, having felt this form had more to offer. She removed her hand from the door knob and closed her eyes again. She began to glow once more and her form further shrunk. Once she was done, she hopped up on the counter, now seeing full feline reflected back at her, slightly larger than a normal house cat. She gave an approving nod, another giggle, then pawed the door further open, hopped down from the counter and padded toward the bed.
*********
Janus felt something on him. He could feel it’s paws on his shoulder and it’s fur brushing along his back as it tugged on his loosened hair ribbon, then felt the satiny ribbon being drug across him. He wasn’t really concerned for himself as much as he was for Snowhawk.
It was at this point he realized that Snowhawk was no longer asleep beside him. He waited until the creature moved away before he opened his eyes.
*********
As the feline formed Snowhawk chewed on the distractingly shiny ribbon she’d pulled from Janus’ hair, she never noticed him wake up. She did, however, notice when she was grabbed from behind and spun around. She could do only the first thing that came to her kitty mind: look cute and hope it got her out of trouble. “Nya?” she went, dropping the ribbon.
Janus blinked at the feline he held at arms length from him. “A cat?” He thought for a moment. “How in the world did a cat get in here? Especially a purple one… with blue hair…” He again blinked as she desperately tried to grab his bangs. “Snowhawk?!”
“Mya?” the feline went, looking even cuter.
“How did you–”
She gave a small feline grin and began to shift her form again as he held her. Janus looked away, the light of the glow seeming brighter than usual in the darkness of the room. Once in her morphic form, she gave him a small nuzzle. “Just a new trick, love,” she informed him with a small giggle.
“Should have known,” he smirked, pulling her into a hug. “I take it you’re feeling better then?”
She nodded. “Yeah, Just needed a little reassurance.”
He gave her a small squeeze. “I think we all do sometimes, love.”
They lay in bed together for another fifteen minutes until a knock was heard on the door. “Who in the hell?” Snowhawk mumbled as Janus stood, pulling on a pair of pants.
“This had better be good,” he yelled to whoever was beyond the door.
“Better than you’d know, brother,” Adian’s voice returned.
Janus opened the door, revealing his brother’s lupine form leaning against the wall opposite the door way. “What do you want, Adian?”
“There is a problem.”
“What?”
“Her,” the younger Lupino returned, pointing to Snowhawk. At this point, his mind registered that Snowhawk was a feline. “What the hell?”
“New trick. Now, what’s the problem?”
“Would you prefer being shown or told?” he asked, moving toward the door.
“It really depends on what you’re planning to do, Adian.”
“She has a very strong weakness, brother. But it’s something that can be changed.”
“What weakness?”
“You haven’t noticed how sensitive her neck is?”
“Well, not really.”
“Snowhawk,” Adian began, “would you care to come here for a moment?”
“Mrh?” she mewed, then crawled from the bed and padded toward the two.
Adian stepped toward her once she neared him, then reached out and gently touched her face. With one sudden, swift movement he grabbed her throat with the hand that had been gently caressing her face a half second earlier. She immediately froze, clenching her eyes shut. “This is the problem, brother.
Janus stepped in and batted Adian’s hand away from her. “Leave her alone, Adian,” he said as he pulled her to him.
“We need to rid her of that, Janus,” Adian said as he crossed his arms across his chest. “Otherwise, she’ll continue to be at a high risk.”
Janus gently stroked Snowhawk a few times as he thought. “What would you need?”
“Her, time– and you willing to leave us alone for a while.”
The older brother gently pulled Snowhawk’s chin up. “Love, would you be willing to do that?”
She thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, this is a weakness I’ve been needing to overcome.”
Unwillingly, Janus released Snowhawk, his vampiric brother gathering her small frame into his arms. “Don’t look so worried, brother. She’s in good hands,” he grinned, then led her away.
*********
The younger Lupino led the small, feline formed Delphin to his room. Holding her delicate little paw, he gently brought her inside. She was obviously nervous at being in unfamiliar surroundings. This was multiplied by the fact she was alone in a darkened room with a vampire. “Here,” Adian said, bringing her a long, dark green dress, “I’ll be needing you in your human form.” He turned away, shifting forms himself, as she pulled the dress on. The glow she gave off while shifting forms illuminated the darkness, then as it died, he turned back to her. The dress hung perfectly on her, and covered all but the scar on her neck. She held one hand up to the base of her neck to try and hide this scar, still missing her velvet choker. “Shall we begin?
She gave a small nod, closing her eyes and ducking her head slightly. “Yes.” She jumped and spun around as the door of the room fully closed and locked.
Adian moved behind her, wrapping his hands around her shoulders. “Please understand that what I do will be only to help you, dear Snowhawk.” She gave a small, unsure but affirmative whimper. “Now,” he began, gently pulling her hand away from her neck, “I’m going to start slow. All you need to do is move away when I touch your neck. I know that sounds a little silly, but we need to start somewhere.” Adian’s right hand moved to the back of her neck and gently took hold. She froze for a moment, then slowly stepped to the left. “Good,” he complemented, “That’s a start.” He repeated the process over the next several hours, alternating which hand he grabbed her with. After this, Adian changed things. When she tried to step away, he grabbed a hold of the back of her dress and pulled her to him. His arm went across her chest and his hand reached to her throat. “Now, I will make things more complicated, dear bird. You have to discover how to break away on your own, now.” She had frozen again, clinching her eyes closed in fear. Adian released her throat and gently touched her chin with the backs of his knuckles. “I’m sorry, I went too fast.”
“No,” she whispered, “I need to get over this.”
“Truly sorry,” he said, gently pulling her chin around. He leaned down as he pulled her chin up, as if to kiss her, but she instead pulled her head away. “Very good,” he grinned, removing his hand from her neck. She had never felt him touch her.
“How did you–”
“Snowhawk, if you can resist a vampire, then Quillen will be no problem. You’re making progress, dear, but I believe we shall have to continue this tomorrow night, if you don’t mind?”
“Ok,” she nodded.
Adian led her back to his brother. Once there, Janus gathered Snowhawk into his arms and held her tightly. She nuzzled him softly, but was soon nearly asleep as she was held. “Accomplish anything?” Janus asked his brother.
“Yes, we did. But I am going to need more time. This is very deeply ingrained.”
“Indeed?”
“Yes. Don’t act so suspicious. I’m not trying anything.”
“Your little speech at the hospital would lead me to believe differently, Adian.”
“Huh?” Snowhawk sleepily asked.
“Nothing, love,” Janus replied, gently stroking her arm. “She seems awfully tired, Adian.”
“I’m sure you would be as well if you’d just spent several hours fighting your biggest fear.”
Janus glared at him for a moment, then scooped her up. “You’re not going to win, Adian.”
“But you’re not the immortal one, brother,” the younger grinned. “Don’t forget she’ll naturally outlive you several times over.”
“– the hell are you talkin’ about?” Snowhawk sleepily queried again.
“You’ll know when the time is right, dear Snowhawk,” Adian replied.
Janus again glared at Adian, then carried off his nearly asleep love. “I have mixed feelings about this, bird,” he whispered.
“Adian’s not trying anything,” she groggily returned. “His intentions are honest. Promise. Not leaving my wuff,” she continued, nuzzling him gently.
Janus sighed and smiled, then turned into their room. “I didn’t think you would, love.” As he placed her on their bed, she wrapped her arms around him, then pulled him down to her. She cuddled close to him and he, in turn, wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She sighed quietly and contentedly, then had soon fallen asleep in his embrace.
*********
Several days later, the again feline formed Snowhawk trained outside in the gardens one night, relearning and remembering her strength with a dagger and her gymnastic skills. Janus and Adian were off to the side watching her with Adian said, “She’s almost back to the form she was in at eighteen.”
“Yes, when I lost her the first time,” Janus paused. “I just pray that history won’t repeat itself.”
“Watch what you say and do then, brother. I won’t take her from you without a reason.”
“I was young and stupid back then. Hopefully, age has given me better judgment.”
“I hope so as well. For her sake.” Adian paused. “Well, I guess it is time for us to continue our training. I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know she’s advancing wonderfully.”
“I’d rather hear that she was over it.”
“Time, brother. We just need time,” Adian grinned and walked toward Snowhawk. He nearly found himself at the wrong end of her blade, but a quick grab of her small wrist stopped her dagger inches from his face. “Careful, dear. Though, it’s not like you could do much damage,” he smiled. “Now, shall we continue your training?” She nodded slowly and he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and led her back inside.
To say Janus was a little jealous would be a gross understatement. The same could be said about his annoyance at Adian. Still, he had to step carefully. One wrong move and he would lose his bird forever. That was something he never wished to happen.
*********
Once in Adian’s room, the door again closed behind them. Snowhawk’s feline ears pricked up, listening to every sound around her. Her eyes were not quite adjusted to the darkness. A light brush against her fur was the only sign and warning anyone was near her. A half second later, a pair of arms snatched her up. She was cradled in one arm as the other trailed up her between her breasts, the hand grabbing her throat. “Surprise you?” Adian chuckled. “Now, how will you escape?”
Snowhawk moved her leg closest to him, hooking her paw behind his knee. “Like this, “she said, then quickly pulled her other leg around the on one already hooked behind his knee and used her arms to push off him. She managed to pull his leg out from under him, sending him collapsing backwards. He released her as he fell, and she jumped away from him but a slight hesitation on her part left her legs entangled with his. “Em–” she blinked.
“Very good, dear,” he complimented. “But,” he began, sitting up and grabbing hold of her ankles, “you hesitated.” He turned her so she was sitting on her rear, facing him, then slowly began to pull her to him, her legs on either side of him. “You enemy will take advantage of that,” he stated, grabbing her waist and pressing her small form against him. One of his hands remained on her waist as the other reached up and grabbed a hold of her throat. “Now what?”
She closed her eyes, thinking for a moment, then grabbed a hold of the wrist of the hand on her neck. She slowly, yet forcefully began to pull it away.
Adian could see the battle against her fear on her face. But she was winning. She had begun to pull his hand away. As a test, he tightened his grip on her. She whimpered and froze for a moment, then began pulling his hand away again. “Such determination,” he grinned.
She held his hand away from her neck with one of her own and batted the hand from her waist, then sprung backwards and away from him. She panted a few times, and a few seconds later collapsed to her knees.
“You are doing wonderfully, Snowhawk.”
She was silent for a moment, then asked quietly, “You’re not trying anything… are you Adian?”
“Snowhawk,” he sighed, “as much as I would love to have my brother’s place in your heart, I shall not attempt to take you from him. The only way I would is if you told me differently.” He paused, looking away for a moment, then back at her. “Or if he were to ever harm you. Be that in the physical or the mental sense. I don’t think he ever would, but if he does…”
She nodded and closed her eyes. “I understand.”
Someday, though, Adian thought.
“What now?” she asked.
“We need to work on your speed. You will have to react as quickly as you can.” She nodded in agreement. “So, if I okay this with my brother, what if I were to give you a small bite each time you hesitated?”
“I suppose…”
Adian grinned. “Good. I’ll discuss that with him.”
“Now?”
“Of course now. I’ll need you in your human form when I return, regardless.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
The door unlocked and opened, then Adian quickly walked out. A moment later, Snowhawk left the room and walked toward hers. Once there, she grabbed the first dress she saw and had no high collar. It was the long green dress Adian had given her. She shifted forms then pulled the dress on. She tied a ribbon of the same color around her neck to hide the scar, then fastened two close fitting bracelets to each wrist to hide those scars. She pulled her hair up and looked at herself in the mirror, sighing quietly, but never noticed the man sneaking up behind her.
*********
“You want to try what?” Janus growled.
“To bite her each time she hesitates. Think of it as an incentive program.”
“I’m concerned she may find being bitten the incentive…”
Adian quirked an eyebrow. “Know something about that, then?” he smirked.
“What I may or may not know about her is my knowledge.”
“I could really care less what you two do in bed. That’s not my concern. What is my concern it that she–”
“What?” Janus said at his brother’s abrupt stop.
“I think we may have an uninvited visitor,” he simply said, then turned and walked out of the room, Janus soon following after. The younger Lupino stalked toward Snowhawk’s room.
*********
A pair of arms slipped across Snowhawk’s chest and held her tightly. “Hello, dear…” Kione’s voice soothingly said.
“K– Kione.”
“Correct, love. Don’t act so scared. I’m here to talk.”
“About what?”
“Do you remember what you were in your past?”
“What”
“That silver Delphin, do you know what she became?”
“Considering who’s asking I have an idea.”
“I was the one who turned her. She was such a beauty. I couldn’t just let that go to waste. Her horn eventually regrew, but those beautiful wings never did.” He turned her around, tightly hanging onto her small waist with one hand, his other forcefully grabbing a hold of her jaw and pulling her head up. “I wonder, have you looked at your wings lately?”
“Why would I need to?”
Kione grinned, moving the hand on her back up to the zipper of her dress. “Just take a look,” he told her, slowly drawing the pull down.
Snowhawk held her breath for a moment, then jerked her head free of his hand and quickly stepped away from him. “No free shows for you.”
“How intriguing. The wolf’s training actually worked,” Kione said, grinning again. “But that is of no concern. I will have what I want. And I do enjoy a challenge.” The vampire advanced toward her, soon backing her into the wall. “You won’t be able to fight me forever.”
As Kione placed his hand gently on her neck, lifting her chin up with his thumb, the door to the room was kicked open. “Should have known it was you,” Adian growled.
“It’s a pleasure to see you, too, Adian. You seem to have overlooked something in her training.”
“And what’s that?”
“Just this lovely timidness of hers.”
“You just haven’t pissed her off yet,” Janus said, shifting forms. “Now release her, Kione.”
“Take her, wolf. I just wished to speak with her,” Kione grinned and let go of her.
Not needing to be told, Snowhawk half stumbled, half ran to Janus. He gathered her in his arms and glared at Kione. “Since when does ‘talking’ involve her clothes coming off?”
“I just intended for her to see something. Get her to show her wings.” Kione looked directly at Snowhawk, and said, “You’ll understand soon, dear Delphin.” With a slight bow, the elder vampire vanished.
“What was he talking about, love?”
Snowhawk looked away, not responding for a moment. “Nothing.”
“Do you still wish to continue your training?” Adian asked.
“Yes. I’ve gotten this far. I’m not gonna let some idiot vampire beat me.”
Adian nodded. “I do believe you’ve had your share of excitement for the night, though. I’ll leave you two for now.” He slightly bowed his head to them, then turned and left the room.
“Now, what was this about your wings, love?”
“I can’t really say, I’ve not looked at them since my change. No need to.”
“Well, let’s see what he was talking about,” Janus said, leading her to the bed. He unzipped her dress the rest of the way and slid it forward and off her torso, then sat off to her side. She closed her eyes and exposed her wings.
She gasped when she looked back. Instead of her dragon wings were a pair of dark amethyst hued feathered wings. “What the hell…”