after Jason, steadily gaining on him. To his credit, he was maintaining his balance and doing what he could to regain control of the horse. He might actually have succeeded except the horse again spooked, this time braking to a sudden halt. Susan felt her heart leap into her throat as she watched Jason vault over the horse’s head, arms and legs flailing.
The next events happened in slow motion for Susan. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ryan’s horse approaching Jason’s at a sharp angle. But Ryan was not on the horse anymore, she was already in the air, having leaped from its back the moment Jason was launched forward. In an improbable move, she caught the back of his shirt in mid-air, holding him like a much larger version of her son. In an even greater impossibility, she did so while still casually cradling Drake in her arm. She twisted, and all three went tumbling into a pile of leaves, Ryan breaking the fall of the two boys.
Susan rode up, breathless although she no longer needed to breathe. She dismounted, thinking she heard Jason crying, but then realized he was laughing. He was buried up to his neck in leaves, and Ryan herself to her waist. Ryan could barely contain her mirth and Drake was in high spirits. The three quieted as Susan stood there with her hands on her hips.
Ryan nudged Jason. “I think you’re in trouble.”
Jason looked up at his mother, then back at Ryan. “I don’t think it’s me she’s looking at.”
Ryan glanced up at Susan, noting the exasperated expression. “I think you may be right.”
Ryan stood, still grasping the back of Jason’s shirt and bringing him easily to his feet. He brushed himself off, plucking a few leaves from Drake as well. Ryan also brushed a few leaves from Drake, who seemed greatly entertained by the entire incident. Ryan glanced up at Susan.
“Please stop looking at me like that. It reminds me of my father.” She brushed a few more leaves off, then said under her breath, “Or even worse, Abigail.”
Susan’s expression softened, but Jason did Ryan no favors.
“You didn’t need to worry mom, Ryan can run faster than that horse. Last time that happened—”
Jason’s voice trailed off at Ryan’s pained expression. Susan raised an eyebrow.
“The last time?”
Ryan glanced down at Jason. “Thanks.” She turned to look down at Susan, who had stepped closer.
“Nothing will happen to Jason, Dr. Ryerson,” Ryan said, gazing at her intently, “or to you.”
Susan realized she had made a tactical error in moving so close to Ryan. It created all sorts of sensations she was incapable of dealing with. As logical and dispassionate as she tried to be, her Change had created desires in her she could not reconcile with her former life as a scientist.
It was also blocking her ability to sense anything else, a difficulty her son did not have.
“Um, Ryan?” Jason asked uncertainly. There was a trace of fear in his voice.
Ryan showed no concern. “I know, Jason, they’ve been here for quite some time.” She turned, apparently addressing the empty forest around them.
“If you’re quite through terrifying my guests, please show yourselves.”
Her words were gently mocking but without anger. If anything, there was a trace of pleasure in her voice. Susan looked around, suddenly able to sense what Ryan had so easily perceived.
The forest appeared to shift and move, then figures began to materialize from the shadows. Susan was quite certain she would have been frozen in fear had Ryan not been present, and Jason shifted closer to Ryan as well. Only Drake looked on without fear, taking his cue from his mother.
The figures were all ebony-skinned, some black as night, all clean-shaven. As a whole, they possessed piercing dark eyes above strong jaws, beautiful princely features. Although they wore contemporary clothing, the cloth seemed barely able to contain the bulging muscles and rippling sinews of their bodies.
One particularly handsome man
The next events happened in slow motion for Susan. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ryan’s horse approaching Jason’s at a sharp angle. But Ryan was not on the horse anymore, she was already in the air, having leaped from its back the moment Jason was launched forward. In an improbable move, she caught the back of his shirt in mid-air, holding him like a much larger version of her son. In an even greater impossibility, she did so while still casually cradling Drake in her arm. She twisted, and all three went tumbling into a pile of leaves, Ryan breaking the fall of the two boys.
Susan rode up, breathless although she no longer needed to breathe. She dismounted, thinking she heard Jason crying, but then realized he was laughing. He was buried up to his neck in leaves, and Ryan herself to her waist. Ryan could barely contain her mirth and Drake was in high spirits. The three quieted as Susan stood there with her hands on her hips.
Ryan nudged Jason. “I think you’re in trouble.”
Jason looked up at his mother, then back at Ryan. “I don’t think it’s me she’s looking at.”
Ryan glanced up at Susan, noting the exasperated expression. “I think you may be right.”
Ryan stood, still grasping the back of Jason’s shirt and bringing him easily to his feet. He brushed himself off, plucking a few leaves from Drake as well. Ryan also brushed a few leaves from Drake, who seemed greatly entertained by the entire incident. Ryan glanced up at Susan.
“Please stop looking at me like that. It reminds me of my father.” She brushed a few more leaves off, then said under her breath, “Or even worse, Abigail.”
Susan’s expression softened, but Jason did Ryan no favors.
“You didn’t need to worry mom, Ryan can run faster than that horse. Last time that happened—”
Jason’s voice trailed off at Ryan’s pained expression. Susan raised an eyebrow.
“The last time?”
Ryan glanced down at Jason. “Thanks.” She turned to look down at Susan, who had stepped closer.
“Nothing will happen to Jason, Dr. Ryerson,” Ryan said, gazing at her intently, “or to you.”
Susan realized she had made a tactical error in moving so close to Ryan. It created all sorts of sensations she was incapable of dealing with. As logical and dispassionate as she tried to be, her Change had created desires in her she could not reconcile with her former life as a scientist.
It was also blocking her ability to sense anything else, a difficulty her son did not have.
“Um, Ryan?” Jason asked uncertainly. There was a trace of fear in his voice.
Ryan showed no concern. “I know, Jason, they’ve been here for quite some time.” She turned, apparently addressing the empty forest around them.
“If you’re quite through terrifying my guests, please show yourselves.”
Her words were gently mocking but without anger. If anything, there was a trace of pleasure in her voice. Susan looked around, suddenly able to sense what Ryan had so easily perceived.
The forest appeared to shift and move, then figures began to materialize from the shadows. Susan was quite certain she would have been frozen in fear had Ryan not been present, and Jason shifted closer to Ryan as well. Only Drake looked on without fear, taking his cue from his mother.
The figures were all ebony-skinned, some black as night, all clean-shaven. As a whole, they possessed piercing dark eyes above strong jaws, beautiful princely features. Although they wore contemporary clothing, the cloth seemed barely able to contain the bulging muscles and rippling sinews of their bodies.
One particularly handsome man
Similar Books
