Here's Part 2. Enjoy. (:

I dropped the letter, on the table, and searched frantically for my phone. I found it, and dialed a friend's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"We have a problem. Somebody knows."

"I'll call the others. Meet us at the Spot."

I should probably explain a bit. I am a lawyer. I am also an avian shape shifter. My animal is that of a Northern Goshawk. I am not a lycanthrope. (God, those awful creatures.) Yes, they're real, too. So are vampires, ghosts, demons, and every other supernatural entity you can think of. Except Dragons. I think they've been extinct for a while, now. I know what you're thinking: 'Why, Victoria? How did you go from being a lawyer and an upstanding member of society to a monster?' Well, for one, I am NOT a monster. And two, I was a participant in an experiment for a potential Avian Influenza vaccine. Long story short, it gave me certain… benefits. Like raptor vision, incredible smell, and hearing, and strength to match any body builder. Also, I gained the second form of a Northern Goshawk. And just like all of the other Ava'rin, those who were originally infected during the experiment, I can partially shift any part of my body, to gain the benefits of my second form. Seems like a good deal, right? Well, it has its downsides, too. Like secrecy. Nobody, except my merry band of feathered friends, can know that I shift. Not family, friends… lovers.

The reason for all the secrecy? Well, a few years ago Vampires decided it would be a lovely idea to finally announce themselves to the world. Now there's motions to make Vampires legal citizens. I'm adamantly against it. They can be citizens when ordinary people can bench press a train. And not to mention the whole hypnosis thing. Because of this, shape shifters, and were-animals have also come out of the 'fur.' Needless to say, Humans in general resist change until it is forced upon them, so there are plenty of people being fired for being a lycanthrope, or vampire. So by being able to shift into a bird, I am on this list of prejudices.

Something you may not know: Shape shifters are normally not contagious. Their ability is passed through birth. Lycanthropes, however are contagious. You can catch the disease through a scratch, bite, transfer of bodily fluids. But a lycanthrope is only contagious in its animal form, or half-form. Also, lycanthropy is not limited to wolves; a common misconception. Lycanthropy can come in many forms, the only limitation is that the animal in question has to be a mammal. Don't ask me why, that's just the rule; I'm a lawyer, not a scientist. And because of this, I am classified as a Shape Shifter, even though my strain is contagious, and can be passed down through birth. Best of both worlds, right?

I ran into my closet to change. I stripped out of that blue jacket, and shirt, but kept on the black bra. I pulled of my pants, and stockings, leaving me bare in matching bra and panties. I pulled out the clip in my hair, and let it all fall down my back in waves. There was no time for a shower, though I really wanted one. I reached into the closet and pulled on an orange t-shirt, a few shades brighter than my eyes, and black shorts. I grabbed some back flats, and slipped them on. I ran out the back door, stopping, to turn back and grab the letter. I checked the front door, making sure it was locked, and quickly stepped outside into the warmth. I concentrated, and felt familiar warmth spread throughout my body, and could picture the Goshawk I had inside me, and I felt her stir inside, and she flew up towards my skin. She burst through my skin, and I was soaring up, flapping to gain altitude. I caught a thermal, and rose above the city.

Another major difference between lycanthropy and shape shifters is, lycanthropes leave behind some nasty clear goo, when they shift. It's like their body explodes, and reveals the Beast in their place. If they're really good, they can shift only parts of their body. Shifters kind of just melt into their animal form, and some just appear. Also, most shifters can usually shift with their clothes on, and they'll appear as they were prior to the change. The markings on the feathers may imitate slightly what they were wearing, but this is rare. Those that cannot carry over clothes can shift with skin-tight material. Lycanthropes however, shred all clothes during the shift, and shift back nude.

I looked around with my raptor vision, and could see a few birds that belonged to my Flight. There were four Peregrines, two Ospreys, and a Bald Eagle.

Our Flight started out as just 6 members, but some strains of the virus that infected us were stronger than others, and were harder to control. There were several accidents by several members, infecting people with their strain. The Flight had grown from 6 to almost 20 in three months. Fortunately my Beast, the Goshawk, was a very simple bird, and I have yet to attack anyone.

I fell into a flight pattern with the other Flight members, and we rode the thermals together. We coasted over the city, and had anyone been bird watching, I'm sure they'd have had a heart attack. All of the strains of bird we carried were all native to Texas, except the Red Kite. But most of the birds hunted each other when food ran scarce.

We flew into an open window in single file, in one of Houston's tallest buildings. It made a great meeting place for the Flight. The room was big, taking up most of the floor, which was a penthouse of sorts. It was owned by one of the Flight, who was a CEO. He was one of the first of the attacked. He doesn't resent being infected, though. Says his life is better because of it, and he understands the urges; He took it a lot better than most.

I shifted back into my skin, feeling my beast roost just beneath the surface, ready at a moment's notice. Flying was exhilarating, and my beast was content, for now. No matter how much I flew, my beast was always just content. Maybe birds just don't feel pleasure as we do.

Kris Chance de-shifted from his Peregrine form. He greeted the others in the room, who were de-shifting, and those that had been there already. He was wearing a tight blue X-Armor t-shirt, which framed his body nicely. His black and blue biking shorts left little to the imagination, but it was a necessary evil; Peregrines were one of the lines that could not shift with clothes. Kris ran a hand through his dark brown hair, which was becoming longer, down to his shoulders. He was searching for me with his grey eyes. His eyes held mine, and for a moment, they held an edge of fear and something else. They quickly blanked, becoming unreadable. During the day, Kris Chance was a top-notch Private Detective, and he was a damned good one. I'd consulted him for many cases I needed a little assistance with, and he has yet to let me down. He was only 23, but his eyes held more wisdom and pain than most men over 50 that I knew.

"Kris. Thanks for calling everyone, and meeting me here, so fast." He came over and gave me a hug.

"Do you have the letter?" He was all business. I reached into my pocket, and unfolded the note, then handed it over. "I can run a fingerprint scan and handwriting analysis. We'll have to be extra careful. Do you know if anyone else got this note?"

"No. I called you as soon as I read it."

He seemed to think for a second. "It may just be aimed specifically to you. Do you have any enemies?" I gave him a look.

"I'm running for ADA. Of course I have enemies." He nodded.

"I'll tell my Peregrines to be careful." He closed his eyes, and nodded a few times. "Everyone says they'll hold of shifting until our monthly meeting."

I stared at him. "How do you do that?"

He smiled. "Being the progenitor of a supernatural race does have it perks, Vicky."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "We've discussed this. I don't want to take someone's choice away. It's like supernatural rape. I won't."

"Not even to save someone's life?"

"Not even then." I was adamant with my beliefs, and maybe my strict policy helped me keep control of my beast.