sperm. That would be a huge help. The fact that Phoenix was from a royal line was going to make progeny even more valuable to Headquarters.
"What is it? Are you working for someone?"
Answering that would just confuse the matter so he left it for now and decided to jump in with both feet. "You're a shapeshifter. A Saffron Tiger to be specific." There it was, as bald and plain as day.
Now came the disbelief and the laughter--he'd done more than a few of these and knew how it went.
"Fuck you. That's not cool. What? You got Mom's medical records? You're a sick fuck."
"I had no idea your mother was committed until you told me. But once you did, I knew why." Grio shook his head. "I know it's not easy to believe, but it's true. And I'm willing to bet that you know it. Deep down inside you've always known you were different."
"Everyone's different. You're insane."
"No, I'm not." He shook his head. "Indulge me a moment--I've still got two minutes left. What did your mother tell you about yourself?"
"The same shit every mother does--I was special, magical, that our family was special. The difference is that she believed it."
"The difference is that she was right. Did she never tell you why or show you?" That was the part that confused him. If Phoenix's mother had known, why hadn't she offered her son proof?
"Show me what? She was insane, man. She was on lithium for her entire life."
Ah, that would explain it.
Grio pushed away the anger that someone would drug a Saffron Princess into oblivion. She should have been revered, pampered and cared for. He couldn't change that now, though, none of them could. He could, however, bring her son home to his true being.
"Show you this." With that, he thought of his beast, drew it out of hiding, knowing his eyes would be glowing, and then the air would shimmer and then he would be his tiger.
Shaking off the remnants of his tattered clothing, he pawed the ground and bowed to his Prince--he might have been able to fight that instinct as a man, but his beast knew better.
"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ. She was right. I'm crazy, too."
Grio shook his head from side to side. That was not the take-away here. Amazing Saffron Tigers was the take-away. He was one--big and strong--and so was Phoenix. He hadn't counted on Phoenix not believing his own eyes.
"Okay. Okay." Phoenix's fingers wrapped around the door handle.
Changing back was harder, especially so quickly, but Grio did it because his tiger was clearly not helping Phoenix believe in shapeshifting man tigers. Now the question was, which would Phoenix find scarier--a tiger or a big naked man?
Phoenix bolted mid-change, slamming the door behind him and taking off.
Fuck. Grio was already mostly human, so he stumbled to the door as he made his change the rest of the way, pulling it open and taking off after Phoenix.
Phoenix was fast and fueled by fear and utter panic, feet pounding on the dirt. Grio was tapped into his beast, though, and it fueled him. As did the knowledge that he couldn't let Phoenix get away.
He was soon on Phoenix, leaping for the man and bringing them both down. They fell hard together, but he couldn't help that.
Phoenix roared, the earth seeming to shake for a moment. Oh, that had to hurt a human throat.
Staying right there, Grio kept them both down. "Easy, Phoenix. Easy."
"Let me go. You don't tell them I'm crazy, I won't tell them you grabbed me." Phoenix sounded hysterical, the words coming out as near screams.
"You're not crazy, Phoenix. You're a tiger like me."
"People aren't tigers. People aren't tigers." Phoenix repeated the words like a mantra.
"No, but Saffron Tigers are people."
"PEOPLE AREN'T TIGERS!" Oh, Phoenix could shout. It was rather magnificent. He was going to be something else when he finally believed.
"You saw for yourself," Grio pointed out. He was prepared to make another demonstration, too.
"I've lost my mind."
"No. You've found yourself." He stood, grabbing Phoenix up.
Phoenix's
"What is it? Are you working for someone?"
Answering that would just confuse the matter so he left it for now and decided to jump in with both feet. "You're a shapeshifter. A Saffron Tiger to be specific." There it was, as bald and plain as day.
Now came the disbelief and the laughter--he'd done more than a few of these and knew how it went.
"Fuck you. That's not cool. What? You got Mom's medical records? You're a sick fuck."
"I had no idea your mother was committed until you told me. But once you did, I knew why." Grio shook his head. "I know it's not easy to believe, but it's true. And I'm willing to bet that you know it. Deep down inside you've always known you were different."
"Everyone's different. You're insane."
"No, I'm not." He shook his head. "Indulge me a moment--I've still got two minutes left. What did your mother tell you about yourself?"
"The same shit every mother does--I was special, magical, that our family was special. The difference is that she believed it."
"The difference is that she was right. Did she never tell you why or show you?" That was the part that confused him. If Phoenix's mother had known, why hadn't she offered her son proof?
"Show me what? She was insane, man. She was on lithium for her entire life."
Ah, that would explain it.
Grio pushed away the anger that someone would drug a Saffron Princess into oblivion. She should have been revered, pampered and cared for. He couldn't change that now, though, none of them could. He could, however, bring her son home to his true being.
"Show you this." With that, he thought of his beast, drew it out of hiding, knowing his eyes would be glowing, and then the air would shimmer and then he would be his tiger.
Shaking off the remnants of his tattered clothing, he pawed the ground and bowed to his Prince--he might have been able to fight that instinct as a man, but his beast knew better.
"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ. She was right. I'm crazy, too."
Grio shook his head from side to side. That was not the take-away here. Amazing Saffron Tigers was the take-away. He was one--big and strong--and so was Phoenix. He hadn't counted on Phoenix not believing his own eyes.
"Okay. Okay." Phoenix's fingers wrapped around the door handle.
Changing back was harder, especially so quickly, but Grio did it because his tiger was clearly not helping Phoenix believe in shapeshifting man tigers. Now the question was, which would Phoenix find scarier--a tiger or a big naked man?
Phoenix bolted mid-change, slamming the door behind him and taking off.
Fuck. Grio was already mostly human, so he stumbled to the door as he made his change the rest of the way, pulling it open and taking off after Phoenix.
Phoenix was fast and fueled by fear and utter panic, feet pounding on the dirt. Grio was tapped into his beast, though, and it fueled him. As did the knowledge that he couldn't let Phoenix get away.
He was soon on Phoenix, leaping for the man and bringing them both down. They fell hard together, but he couldn't help that.
Phoenix roared, the earth seeming to shake for a moment. Oh, that had to hurt a human throat.
Staying right there, Grio kept them both down. "Easy, Phoenix. Easy."
"Let me go. You don't tell them I'm crazy, I won't tell them you grabbed me." Phoenix sounded hysterical, the words coming out as near screams.
"You're not crazy, Phoenix. You're a tiger like me."
"People aren't tigers. People aren't tigers." Phoenix repeated the words like a mantra.
"No, but Saffron Tigers are people."
"PEOPLE AREN'T TIGERS!" Oh, Phoenix could shout. It was rather magnificent. He was going to be something else when he finally believed.
"You saw for yourself," Grio pointed out. He was prepared to make another demonstration, too.
"I've lost my mind."
"No. You've found yourself." He stood, grabbing Phoenix up.
Phoenix's
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