Becoming Human by Holly Gray

Author:Holly Gray [Gray, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: NineStar Press, LGBTQIA+, romance, paranormal, Action, Urban Fantasy, lesbian, Animals, Bodyguard, interracial, Magic, mythical creatures, pets, Road Trip, slow burn, shifter/animals
Amazon: 1648900933
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2020-10-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Jack regretted the end of their overnight vacation. For the first time since these people had thrown her life into the logic woodchipper, and especially since she had insisted on staying no more than twelve hours in one location, she had let herself relax. And sleep.

Maybe she could ask Seba to schedule these mission oases every week or so till they all ended up in South Dakota.

Breakfast that morning included sourdough toast, hot eggs—not reconstituted—and steaming platters of bacon, sausage, and fried ham. And hot pancakes, of course, for Marin. Smiling and cutting up her pancakes with her spoon, Marin marveled over the brilliant invention of peanut butter. Jack thought peanut butter on pancakes looked revolting, but no one sitting near Marin, even Ohitaki, could do anything but smile at her enthusiasm.

Auro and Wendy eventually joined them at the table. Seba, Lynna, and Elijah sat in the other room, speaking quietly.

Several minutes into breakfast, Auro pointed a sausage link at Jack. “I know you have something on your mind, young lady,” he drawled. He tore a chunk out of the link and eyed her while chewing slowly.

“You psychic?” she asked casually.

He raised a single bushy eyebrow. “Or maybe you been sneaking looks at me between bites. But yeah, let’s go with psychic.”

“I was wondering what special—gift you have.”

Auro stared at her for a long moment. “You mean besides my good looks?”

“Jack doesn’t care about looks,” Marin said. The back of her spoon smoothed the peanut butter over her pancake. “She knows the idea of beauty is made up.”

She did? Jack sneaked a quick look at Marin, hoping her friend had never heard her refer to her as pretty or beautiful.

Jack cleared her throat. “I do think it’s subjective. In college, I wrote a paper about changing beauty ideals in…” She trailed off. Who the hell cared about her college papers? Mostly, though, she wondered why Marin was nodding.

“Don’t you think it’s a teensy bit rude to ask Auro to share his secrets with you when you’ve made it clear you devalue his origin?” Wendy asked tartly.

His ori—? Oh. The vulture thing again.

Through slightly gritted teeth, Jack said, “I have nothing but the highest respect for birds in general and vultures in particular.”

Wendy harrumphed. “You can’t even entertain the idea that your girlfriend is a vulture.”

“Not because I don’t like vultures. It’s because she’s not one.”

Marin tilted her head at her and smiled.

“Eh, who cares what she thinks about vultures, Wendy?” Auro asked, but he patted his companion’s hand.

“Me,” Wendy retorted. “And what ‘gift’ does Miss Marin have?”

“I heal,” Marin offered and took a bite of her peanut butter pancake. “Can we buy peanut butter next time we visit the grocery?”

“Yep,” Jack said.

“Chunky, though, right? I mean, creamy is amazing, too, and I am so pleased it exists. I know many people, and dogs and mice and other animals, love creamy. But chunky peanut butter provides an additional texture to the experience. It makes the pancake slightly crunchy too.” Marin smiled at them all.

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