Phantom Warriors: Talon (9 page)

Lynn didn’t like the sound of that. It sounded suspiciously like Talon was being forced to leave, which was impossible since she hadn’t heard a phone ring and they were out in the middle of nowhere.

“Maybe you should start from the beginning,” she said, trying to calm the panic threatening to overwhelm her.

“As you know, I am not like you,” he said, glancing at the sky.

“Or at least I wasn’t when we first met.”

Lynn folowed his gaze, but other than a few random white fluffy clouds, didn’t immediately spot anything. “Yeah, I kind of got that when you threw me over the cliff and shape-shifted into a bird.” She was proud of herself for sounding so calm while recaling the most terrifying moment in her life.

“I knew that if I told you the truth, you would not believe me.

It was best to show you,” he said, flushing at the reminder.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Can we have this conversation after I’ve dressed? It’s getting drafty,” she said.

Talon glanced down at his body and frowned.

“Normaly, I wouldn’t mind, but I’m feeling a little over-exposed here. Your clothes seem to be
specially
made for…for whatever. Mine on the other hand, came from Wal-Mart. They’re not designed to disappear and reappear at wil.” His jaw clenched and he glanced up at the sky once more, then said, “I’l be right back.”

Good to his word, Talon came back within minutes, carrying her backpack. It was stuffed ful of her clothes and her journal.

Lynn dressed quickly, then looked at him. “Okay, now spil,” she said.

Talon stared at the sky.

“What are you looking for?” she asked. Were there more bird people like him nearby? Female bird people? Maybe that’s what he meant when he’d said he had been summoned back. Lynn chided herself. Why in the world was she worried about that when she had way bigger problems?

Something Talon had done to her had changed her. She was no longer the person she’d been when she hiked into the Canyon.

Was the change temporary? Or permanent? What if it was permanent and Talon left her? Lynn didn’t think she could deal with this alone.

“Who are you?” she asked, staring at him. No more lies.
Tell
me the truth.

Talon took a deep breath. “I am a Phantom Warrior.” Lynn blinked. There was a military group of some kind that went by the same name. Was he part of some secret government experiment that had gone awry? Was the X-Files real? She’d never been a conspiracy theorist, but that made as much sense as anything else.

He shook his head. “I am not part of that brave group of soldiers.”

How did he?

“Read your thoughts,” he finished.

Lynn took a step back. “Okay, that’s just freaky. How are you doing that?”

“I’m able to speak to you in various forms because we are now linked,” he said, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

Lynn watched the nervous action. Talon was teling her the truth, but not al the truth. “What do you mean by linked? Is that why I was able to shift into a bird?”

He exhaled. “It’s hard to explain, but yes, that is one of the reasons.”

One of the reasons? Meaning there were more?
“Who do you keep looking for?” she asked. There was no doubt in Lynn’s mind that Talon was searching for someone in the sky.
It had
better not be his wife,
she thought, running through al the ways she’d pluck his feathers off if that were the case.

He grinned. “You are jealous,” he said, sounding more than pleased by the realization.

“I am not!” she lied. “I just don’t want anymore surprises.” That was the truth.

A soft humming noise reached her ears. “What is that sound?” she asked, looking around.

Talon stepped forward and grasped her hands. “I know this is going to be a lot to accept in such short notice, but I am a Phantom Warrior. That is the truth. I am not part of any government experiment. I am not part of any government on
this
planet.”

“Meaning you are part of a government somewhere else?”

“Yes, I’m a soldier of sorts,” he acknowledged. “I come from a place caled Zaron. The noise you’re hearing is my ship’s approach.”

Lynn’s mouth fel open. She knew Talon was speaking English, but the words coming out just didn’t make any sense. This had to be some kind of cosmic joke. Things like this didn’t happen to people like her. “Are you teling me that you’re an…an…alien?” The theme to the X-Files grew louder in her head.

He nodded. “Not a term I prefer, but yes.” This was too much. What could she say to that? How did he expect her to respond? “How did you turn me into a bird? Did you use some kind of mind control? You didn’t probe me, did you?” Talon’s brow rose. “I did not use mind control to mate with you,” he said with more than a smidgen of agitation. “As for probing, as I recal, you welcomed
my version
of a probe—and you wil again once we get aboard the ship.” Lynn’s hands moved to her hips. “Do I have a choice in the matter? Because frankly that sounded more like a command than a request.”

* * * * *

Talon bit back the word ‘no’. It took every fiber of his being, al the skil he’d acquired as a warrior over the years to do so, but he managed with only a slight tremor, giving away his true emotions.

He didn’t want to force Lynn to come with him. He wanted her to choose him. Just like he’d chosen her. Yes, he’d had to do it in an unorthodox way, but he’d had no other options. Three days on Earth wasn’t exactly a lot of time to find a woman, test her, and if al went wel, mate with her. His journey might have started out clinical, but the rules had gone out the escape hatch the second he met Lynn.

Al Talon had wanted to do from that moment on was hold her and tel her the truth. He’d hated lying. It mattered not that they were lies by omission. He wished he could say that given the chance he’d change the course he’d taken, but Talon knew that wasn’t the case. He’d do it al again and more, if it meant there was a chance he could have Lynn Regis as his mate.

The sensors in his flight suit indicated the ship’s steady approach. It was stil cloaked, but would be over them in a matter of minutes. He brought her hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss onto the back of her knuckles.

“I know I am not who you would’ve picked to be in your life given the choice. I understand that I’m asking more of you than you may be able to give. But know that if you choose to come with me to Zaron, I wil do everything in my power to become the man you want. The man you desire,” he said, then slowly dropped her hands and stepped back. “I wil make you happy. Promise...”

* * * * *

Lynn’s heart was beating so loud, she’d almost missed his last words. Joy blossomed in her chest, along with hope. Talon might have lied to her in the beginning, but he wasn’t lying now. “What about my condors?” she asked.

Disappointment flashed across his handsome face, but was quickly replaced by a warrior’s stoic continence. “They wil be cared for in your absence or if you’d prefer we could take them with us.”

She glanced up at the sky and caught a black smudge riding the thermals. Her life’s work had been spent bringing these noble creatures back to the Canyon. She knew there were others, younger researchers waiting to take her place.

The sky shifted and suddenly a massive ship appeared above them. “I must go,” Talon said. “It’s your choice, Lynn. Come with me or stay. If you choose to stay, I
will
wait for you. Forever if need be.”

She stared at the ship. “You’d find someone else,” she said, even though it hurt to do so.

Talon gave her a sad smile, then shook his head. “Now that we’ve mated, there is no one else for me. Only you.”

“I can’t just drop everything and leave,” Lynn said.
Could
she?

A beam of light appeared out of the bottom of the ship. Talon took a step toward it.

“Wait!” she cried out. “Wil I stay this way, even if you go?” He nodded. “Yes, consider it a gift. Something to remember me by. I’m sure it’l be of help while you study your birds.” Lynn watched Talon step into the light. He touched his heart, then raised his hand to wave goodbye. Something inside of her shattered. She’d spent her whole life reading about connections like this in romance novels. At first she’d dismissed them as pure fantasy, but a part of Lynn had always held out hope that she’d experience one for herself. Now that she’d been offered that chance, was she realy wiling to throw it al away just because she was scared?

Definitely not.

Lynn didn’t even realize she was running until she tripped and fel. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that she’d made a huge mistake by letting Talon go. She pushed to her feet and kept going. Just a little further. Almost there. The light blinked off as she reached it. Lynn looked around, but Talon and the ship were gone.

“No!” she shouted at the sky. “Come back. You can’t leave me.” Her voice broke as she realized she’d just lost the best thing that had ever happened to her. Once again she’d alowed her logical mind to get in the way of her happiness.

A warm hand touched her shoulder. Lynn ignored it at first, afraid that she was imagining it. The touch firmed and she spun around to find Talon behind her. “I thought I’d lost you.” She sniffled, then fel into his arms, holding on for dear life.

“Never,” he said. “I disobeyed a direct order just so I could see you one more time.”

A huge sexy beast of a warrior appeared out of thin air, prowling behind him. His gait was lethal as he silently stalked forward, his golden eyes sparking off the fading sunlight. Lynn yelped, holding onto Talon tighter.

Talon turned and nodded to the man.

“Does he fly, too?” Lynn whispered, trying to imagine the size of
his
wingspan. He would make one fierce raptor from the looks of him. She pitied any woman who happened to get in this man’s sights. There’d be no escape.

“Fly?” Talon snorted. “Hardly. Cats might be able to land on their feet, but they can’t fly.”

“Lynx,” Talon said, casualy, but Lynn felt his muscles tense.

“Talon,” the warrior said in response. “There seems to be a problem with the transporter.”

Talon’s lips twitched. “Yes, you’d better run a diagnostic.” Lynx’s amber eyes glittered dangerously. “Already have. It’s good to go now.” He pointed to a flash of light a hundred yards away. “I suggest we get a move on before Area 51 scrambles jets to check us out,” he said, stroling toward the beam. Without looking back, the cat shifter added, “Try not to forget your mate this time.”

Talon puled her close and Lynn snuggled against his warmth.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”