different circumstances, he might have
found her stance amusing and completely female.
“Look,” he began once seated back
in the car. “You have every reason to be angry with me.” He saw she was about
to interrupt—with an agreement, he guessed—and headed it off. “Let me finish,
will you?” She nodded. “I’ve been a shapeshifter for as long as I can remember.
It’s become like breathing, and, while it’s not a great excuse, it’s also been
that way about keeping it secret.
“I know it probably changes
things for you, and that you probably see me in a different light now, but that
can’t be helped.” He glanced over at her to see if he could guess her thoughts,
but she sat, head tilted to the side, staring out of the window, and what
little he could see of her face was unreadable. He wanted to sigh, but instead
continued. “If you can tolerate what I am, at least temporarily, I’d like to
finish what we’ve started regarding your mom and the break-ins. Even if you
don’t want me around afterwards. I want to find out what’s going on.” She
wanted honesty, so he’d give it to her. “I’ll investigate it on my own, behind
your back if I have to, but I’d rather not go that route. Whether you like it
or not, I’m in this to the finish, Lana. I hope you realize that.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he
saw her head turn in his direction and shifted his gaze to meet hers. Her
shoulders relaxed a little, and he wondered if that meant she was less angry or
willing to cooperate with him.
“Cole, honestly, I don’t know
what to—”
“Don’t say anything. Just
listen,” he interrupted, speaking quickly now. “We don’t know who’s after you.
You’re in more danger now, and you know it.” He had to make her realize she
still needed him around for protection, if nothing else. “Agree, Lana—because
ultimately, you know you have no choice. I’m the best protection you have.”
“Will you stop interrupting me
now?” she demanded. His gaze met hers for only an instant, but he saw the
warning. “You’re not the one with semi-psychic abilities now, are you?” When he
shook his head, she said, “Then stop trying to read my mind.”
She paused for so long that he
began to think he had pushed his luck too far. “You think I’m afraid of you
now, is that it?” she asked in a mild tone.
“Yes.” It was the logical
assumption under the circumstances.
“You really are an idiot,” she
snapped. “I’m not afraid of you, Cole. Now the wolf? The wolf scared me. You
just pissed me off.”
Seeing a man turn into a tiger
wasn’t an everyday occurrence, despite the current topic of conversation.
He felt a shimmer of hope. “But,”
she continued, causing his shimmer to evaporate, “I don’t know how I can trust
you, when you can’t trust me in return. This isn’t and can’t be a one-way
process. This is my life on the line, Cole, as you’re constantly pointing out
to me. How can I believe in you if you aren’t up front with me?”
“You’re really not afraid of me?”
he asked.
“No, why should I be? Are you
afraid of me?”
“Of course not. Why would I be
afraid of you?”
“I’m not exactly Normal Nancy
myself, you know. People don’t like psychics, or whatever I am.”
He stared at her in awe. How
could she face the things she’d seen recently and be so brave? She’d had
someone break into her house, chase her down, and she’d come face-to-face with
two shapeshifters.
“Well?” she said impatiently.
“Well what?”
“I’m still waiting on a reason to
be afraid of you.”
The question was so ridiculous,
but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why or a response.
He pulled into a parking space in
front of her apartment a few minutes later and got out of the car. As she
walked to his side of the car, he grabbed her and swung her around, bringing
her body against the driver’s door. In the next instant, his mouth covered
hers. He needed this,
found her stance amusing and completely female.
“Look,” he began once seated back
in the car. “You have every reason to be angry with me.” He saw she was about
to interrupt—with an agreement, he guessed—and headed it off. “Let me finish,
will you?” She nodded. “I’ve been a shapeshifter for as long as I can remember.
It’s become like breathing, and, while it’s not a great excuse, it’s also been
that way about keeping it secret.
“I know it probably changes
things for you, and that you probably see me in a different light now, but that
can’t be helped.” He glanced over at her to see if he could guess her thoughts,
but she sat, head tilted to the side, staring out of the window, and what
little he could see of her face was unreadable. He wanted to sigh, but instead
continued. “If you can tolerate what I am, at least temporarily, I’d like to
finish what we’ve started regarding your mom and the break-ins. Even if you
don’t want me around afterwards. I want to find out what’s going on.” She
wanted honesty, so he’d give it to her. “I’ll investigate it on my own, behind
your back if I have to, but I’d rather not go that route. Whether you like it
or not, I’m in this to the finish, Lana. I hope you realize that.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he
saw her head turn in his direction and shifted his gaze to meet hers. Her
shoulders relaxed a little, and he wondered if that meant she was less angry or
willing to cooperate with him.
“Cole, honestly, I don’t know
what to—”
“Don’t say anything. Just
listen,” he interrupted, speaking quickly now. “We don’t know who’s after you.
You’re in more danger now, and you know it.” He had to make her realize she
still needed him around for protection, if nothing else. “Agree, Lana—because
ultimately, you know you have no choice. I’m the best protection you have.”
“Will you stop interrupting me
now?” she demanded. His gaze met hers for only an instant, but he saw the
warning. “You’re not the one with semi-psychic abilities now, are you?” When he
shook his head, she said, “Then stop trying to read my mind.”
She paused for so long that he
began to think he had pushed his luck too far. “You think I’m afraid of you
now, is that it?” she asked in a mild tone.
“Yes.” It was the logical
assumption under the circumstances.
“You really are an idiot,” she
snapped. “I’m not afraid of you, Cole. Now the wolf? The wolf scared me. You
just pissed me off.”
Seeing a man turn into a tiger
wasn’t an everyday occurrence, despite the current topic of conversation.
He felt a shimmer of hope. “But,”
she continued, causing his shimmer to evaporate, “I don’t know how I can trust
you, when you can’t trust me in return. This isn’t and can’t be a one-way
process. This is my life on the line, Cole, as you’re constantly pointing out
to me. How can I believe in you if you aren’t up front with me?”
“You’re really not afraid of me?”
he asked.
“No, why should I be? Are you
afraid of me?”
“Of course not. Why would I be
afraid of you?”
“I’m not exactly Normal Nancy
myself, you know. People don’t like psychics, or whatever I am.”
He stared at her in awe. How
could she face the things she’d seen recently and be so brave? She’d had
someone break into her house, chase her down, and she’d come face-to-face with
two shapeshifters.
“Well?” she said impatiently.
“Well what?”
“I’m still waiting on a reason to
be afraid of you.”
The question was so ridiculous,
but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why or a response.
He pulled into a parking space in
front of her apartment a few minutes later and got out of the car. As she
walked to his side of the car, he grabbed her and swung her around, bringing
her body against the driver’s door. In the next instant, his mouth covered
hers. He needed this,
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