Page 85

Quinn walked back in with Ori on his heels, putting a hold on our shared thoughts. Like most times I'd seen them, Ori had clearly taken time in front of a mirror today. The only time I'd seen them looking less than perfect was the day Krenshaw took Quinn. Today they'd swept their hair back into a loose bun, with delicate strands falling to frame their face. The beads and charms I'd grown used to seeing in their hair still sparkled whenever they moved their head, echoing the hint of gold on their eyelids and lips. An oversized cream-colored cardigan fell low on one side to reveal their shoulder, bare save for the strap of a lacy lavender camisole. Tight jeans and a pair of ankle boots completed the look.

In just sweatpants and a t-shirt, Quinn should have looked frumpy in comparison, but he caught my eyes and held them in a way Ori, as beautiful as they were, never could.

"You're looking better," Ori commented as they sat down in the armchair near the couch. Quinn reclaimed his spot beside me, not quite as close as before. Without hesitating, I reached over and took his hand in mine, relishing the little smile it earned me.

"I've been doing my best to stay still while I heal." It grated having to lie around and let someone else take care of me, but I didn't have a choice if I wanted to heal. Falling on the stairs and ending up confined to the couch yet again had taught me a painful lesson about letting my body recover.

"Lelo said she would come by next week. If you're feeling strong enough to try shifting again, she'd like to look at your wing, if that's alright."

A sick pit opened in my stomach. I'd been trying not to think about the damage the other chimera had done to my already battered wings. The few memories I had of flying were exhilarating, awe-inspiring, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know if I'd never get to feel that again. I clung to Quinn's hand,

"That should be okay," I said despite the nauseating fear trying to take hold of me. "I might not be able to do it on command, but I'll try."

"I can ask a friend to help with that whenever you feel up to it. As someone who's stuck in one fabulous body, I'm hardly the best teacher," they teased lightly, but it felt forced. Ori's regular visits had begun evolving into friendship, and while they were more relaxed around me now, this was different.

"It's bad, isn't it?" I asked instead of responding.

To their credit, Ori didn't play dumb and pretend not to know what I was talking about. Their wisp of a smile faded away into a tiny wince.

"It's not great, I'm afraid."

"I'd guessed as much, otherwise you would have told me over the phone."

Quinn gave up trying to keep any distance between us and tucked himself against my side, mindful of my injuries. I let go of his hand, but only to wrap my arm around his shoulders and hug him against me. It wasn't entirely comfortable, but I had the feeling I was going to need him close for this.

Ori tugged at the sleeve of their cardigan and shifted to sit at the end of the chair, perched on the edge. "Once we had your old name, I had a friend try to track where you came from. I thought it would be simple, since most of us settle into communities like here at The Crossing."

"Since it took this long, I'm guessing it wasn't so easy?" Quinn asked when I didn't speak. I couldn't. My heart had lodged itself in my throat, locking any words I had behind them.

"I neglected to take your species into account," they said with a nod towards me. "It was a bit difficult to tell with the changes they made to you, but your base form seems to be a panther. They're solitary in the wild, and those who take on that form when shifting have followed suit. Outside of mated pairs and families, it's rare to find a group of them together."

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, cautious relief easing the tight grip of fear in my stomach. "Is that the bad news? That no one was looking for me?" It hurt to think I had no one before, but it was better than the alternatives.

"Not quite…" Ori hedged. I knew them enough to know they weren't being dramatic, which meant they didn't want to tell me the rest.

"Do—" Quinn cleared his throat and when I glanced at him, he had his eyes trained on the fireplace over Ori's shoulder, carefully not looking at them. "Does Seth have a mate?"

Hearing that name from Quinn's lips was jarring. I didn't like it. By unspoken agreement, he'd been calling me 'Typhon', and it just felt right. Maybe I'd been Seth Ibarra once, but that name chafed now, rubbing against the edges of who I'd become and leaving me raw.

"No, no. I should have started with that," Ori said quickly, shaking their head. "I'm sorry. I'm usually better at this." They took a deep breath, letting it out before continuing. "Typhon, from what my friend could learn, you were part of a rather unorthodox pack. You and a few other lone shifters shared a house in Nevada. There were possibly a few others we haven't been able to identify, but I don't know for sure yet. I asked that friend to keep investigating."

"So, I had friends? Or have friends?" I combed back through my fragmented memory, but came up with nothing. "Why would I volunteer for Krenshaw's experiments, then?" I'd assumed I must have done it because I was alone and wanted to be a part of something. Nothing else I could think of made sense.

"I wish I had more answers for you. I really do," Ori said. "I don't know as much as I would like, but I'm beginning to think you didn't volunteer so much as get conscripted."

"What about the rest of his… pack? Is that the right word?" Quinn asked, looking to both of us.

Ori shrugged. "It's as good a word as any. I haven't been able to track down any of them so far, but given the little I know, I think we'll find at least one of them at the compound with Wyatt."

A flicker of memory sparked in my mind, almost too fast to hold onto. Golden fur warmed by the sun. A relaxed smile and warm brown eyes. Sharp talons and fangs ripping into my flesh.

"The other chimera," I choked out, realization slamming into me. "The one that nearly killed me. You think he was my friend once." It wasn't a question. Even as I said the words, they felt true.

"I do. I'm sorry."

Fuck my injuries. I pulled Quinn closer, practically tugging him into my lap despite the warning twinges shooting through my shoulder and hip. I didn't care. I needed him close more than anything right now. Thankfully, he understood. He always understood. It took a little maneuvering, but in seconds he was straddling my lap, his arms around me as tight as he dared. I clung to him even tighter, needing something to anchor myself to before I flew apart.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered, resting his head against mine. "We'll figure this out."