by Sammie Joyce
I bound forward, eager to escape the eyes of my companions, as if they could see right through me. I didn’t care if they were behind me or not. I suddenly was overcome with the need to put as much distance between myself and the park as possible. Or rather, myself and the mysterious jogger.
Others have found happiness with humans, a little voice chirped out at me. Why can’t you?
I ground my teeth together and silenced the irrelevant and ridiculous question. Others were not me. They were not members of the Council, elders. They had not committed to separating the shifters from the humans as I had my entire life.
I’m supposed to be leading by example, not drooling over strange human men.
Moreover, who was to say that there would have been any future for me and the human, even if we had been formally introduced?
But as I slunk off into the night, I knew that no amount of rationale was going to make me forget the light brown of the man’s eyes or the way his intense stare had taken me in. I had never experienced such magnetism with anyone in my life on this earth and I doubted I would ever feel it again.
And that’s too damned bad. He’s gone now. Get over it, Amity.
That would prove to be much easier thought than done.
4
Wes
What was that? Why did I let her go so easily? Who was she? What was she doing out there?
Question upon question flowed through my mind as I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, making my vision slightly cloudy as I ran back to my car and jumped in. I wasn’t scared, despite the panther-woman’s best intentions to freak me out. I was intrigued, mystified, and so aroused, I almost wasn’t breathing.
I trained my eyes on the rearview mirror, half-hoping and half-dreading the idea that I might have been followed by the blue-eyed panther who had stolen my breath away.
I wouldn’t have minded so much if she had come after me but the threat of others in her midst worried me, if only a little. It was the first time I’d ever considered myself endangered by the shifters and Dan’s words reverberated through my mind again like a ricochet.
I caught her off guard, I told myself calmly. She was just trying to put on a tough exterior. I was never in harm’s way… I don’t think.
But how could I really know?
What had she said? That the shifters were hypervigilant now with Anticlaw running amok? Were the shifters apt to shoot first and ask questions later? I shouldn’t want to know but I did—badly.
Moreover, I didn’t really care if that was the case. The spell that she had held over me nulled all my other senses and I couldn’t still my heart from its racing. I really wished I’d gotten her name. I should have stayed there until she had.
Go home, I growled to myself, realizing that I hadn’t even put the keys into the ignition. Whoever she was, she’s long gone now and I’ll never see her again. She’ll make sure not to circle back here, if only to avoid me.
I didn’t think I’d ever been more depressed by a thought in my entire life.
With a resigned sigh, I started my Mercedes and pulled out of the parking lot, again glancing back, the glimmer of hope I had fading away with the treeline.
At least I got my cardio in, I mused with grim mirth. My heart was still pounding. The park was only a few minutes from my house but I felt like I needed to drive around to still my pulse. Who was I kidding? I drove around in hopes that I might catch another glimpse of her, if only the fleeting shadow of her panther frame disappearing into the shadows. I hadn’t imagined the attraction between us. I knew she’d felt it too, bizarre as it had been. It was almost as if she had been fighting it, but could I really blame her? Shifters didn’t traditionally trust us and the feeling was generally mutual.
After half an hour, I knew for certain that the moment had passed, that I was not going to see her again, and I had no choice but to return to my lonely, empty house.
Except I’d forgotten all about Vero, who was parked at the curb when I arrived. My gut dropped as soon as I laid eyes on her vehicle. It was too late to cancel our plans now—she was there and I couldn’t very well send her to Eugene, even if I could make up an excuse last minute. I could tell by the expression on her face that she’d been waiting a while and a quick glance at the time told me it was nine thirty. I had completely lost track of time, hunting for the shifter woman.
Shit.
“Where were you?” Vero demanded as I climbed from the car. I opted to park in the driveway to greet her halfway.
“Jogging,” I answered quickly. “I told you I was going for a jog.”
Her green eyes flashed with indignation and she tapped her cell phone.
“And I told you I was coming at nine,” she reminded me. I nodded contritely.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I lost track of time.”
“I tried calling you,” she muttered, following me up the walk toward the front door. “I was about to leave. I thought you stood me up.”
I found myself slightly annoyed by both her tone and the implication.
“When have I ever stood you up?” I asked, unlocking the front and letting her inside. Alexa was still playing my classical music playlist and Vero frowned.
“Who was here with you?”
I blinked, guilt shooting through me as I stared at her. It was just the kind of question Vero would ask and usually, I would mock her lightly for it, but that night, it bothered me.
“What?”
“Did you have someone over?” she insisted.
I scoffed and shut the door, kicking off my shoes and leaving them in the foyer as I padded toward the kitchen. Vero didn’t bother to take off her sandals, a small fact that annoyed me about her. I took pride in keeping a clean house and Veronica was perfectly content leaving a mess in her wake.
Hurricane Vero, I thought without a hint of humor.
“How would that even work?” I replied shortly. “I told you—I got home from dinner with Dan and went for a jog.”
I was getting irked by her suspicion but more than that, I was feeling intensely ashamed.
I had no right looking at that woman by the lake the way I did, I realized. I’m seeing Veronica.
Or was I?
She was certainly making me feel guilty but Vero didn’t have that right either. My head was still fogged from what had happened and Vero’s grumbling wasn’t helping my cause in the least. Everything about the night was making me want to go to sleep and start fresh the next day.
Maybe I’ll wake up and realize it was all a dream.
“You want a drink?” I asked, catching Vero’s skeptical gaze. She shrugged, her shoulders sinking slightly as she relented in her pursuit of an argument and flopped on one of the stools at the kitchen island.
“Sure,” she agreed, nodding. “I’m exhausted. Let me tell you about my day…”
I half listened as she started in on her diatribe about her co-workers while I poured her a glass of rosé and settled across from her. Yet my mind wasn’t on her in the least. It was still on the panther with her shining ebony mane and flashing cerulean eyes. Over and over, I played the image of her full mouth in my mind, wondering what it would be like to taste.
Do shifters kiss differently than the rest of us? I asked myself inanely. Do they feel differently?
The questions filled me with shivers of excitement. Sometimes I wondered if I had dated shifters without knowing. Seeing this woman reopened the myriad questions I’d stored away.
If I had ever dated a shifter, she certainly wasn’t like that woman by the lake.
“Are you even listening to me?”
I snapped back into focus, swallowing quickly as I nodded.
“Of course,” I lied. “You were talking about Sal.”
It was a wild guess but Sal was always on the top of Vero’s list of complaints. To my relief she nodded, her face softening.
“That bitch always steals my sales,” Vero went on, again lea
ving me to tune her out.
But she’s a shifter, that ever-present voice of reason reminded me firmly, bringing me back to the woman again. And I’m a human. It would never work in a million years. I know how the shifters look at us. Even if she let you into her life, there would be obstacles on both sides to overcome.
I was almost aghast at my thoughts. I had set my eyes on this beautiful creature one time and I was making plans for the future between us. It was insane and I needed to get my head on straight.
I had Veronica—or whatever it was that Vero and I shared. I had a thriving business and a good relationship with the shifters I knew. Why would I dare jeopardize any of that based on a gut feeling? That wasn’t the way I operated. I was steadfast and sure, not impulsive and stupid. I hadn’t gotten where I was in life by throwing everything away on a hunch. Everything about the way I was acting was atypical and strange. I wasn’t sure I liked what was happening. Once again, I forced myself to listen to Veronica’s tirade, reminding me who I was and where I belonged.
And it wasn’t off chasing some shifter woman in the middle of the night even if that was what I wanted to be doing with every fiber of my being.
“Hey,” Veronica said coyly, blinking demurely at me, her tone taking on a very different meaning. “Want to take this to your bedroom?”
She held up her glass of wine and winked suggestively, her meaning unmistakable. I gave her a tentative smile but before I could agree, I found myself shaking my head, possibly for the first time in my history of being with her.
Did I just say no? Isn’t that why I asked her to come over?
“I think I’m going to take a quick shower and call it a night,” I replied, surprising myself with the answer. “I have an early morning tomorrow.”
Disappointment clouded Vero’s face but she didn’t push the issue. After all, she had no reason to suspect that I couldn’t possibly imagine anyone else but the panther by the lake that night.
This will pass, I told myself sternly. Tomorrow, I’ll see things more clearly.
Yet even then, I knew I was lying to myself. I would be waking up to Veronica at my side, not the black-haired vixen who would surely haunt my dreams for days to come.
5
Amity
Through the magnifying glass, I cautiously swiped the ends of the brush over the piece, holding my breath as I worked. The slightest movement could hurt the piece, the paper delicate and ancient.
“…seems like a decent enough guy,” Brigit was saying. I was half listening, my attention mostly fixed on the painting before me. It was second nature to me now, preparing the item for restoration. It wasn’t exactly my job as a curator but it was something I’d taken upon myself at the Junction City Museum of Historical Art. I liked being able to fixate on these detailed projects, allowing my mind to be overcome with the task at hand. Hours could fly by without me noticing and in the end, a piece of history would have reclaimed its proper place and function with my help. It was satisfying, if not a bit nerdy, but anyone who knew me could hardly consider me wild.
Excluding my shifter side, of course, but who really knows about that?
“So? What do you think?” Brigit asked. “Do you think I should do it?”
Without raising my head, I chuckled.
“Does it matter what I think?” I asked lightly. “You’re going on the blind date anyway.”
“That’s not true!” Brigit cried indignantly. “I care about your opinion.”
I slowly raised my head and regarded my co-worker with a half-smile. As far as humans went, I liked Brigit, despite her sometimes annoying determination to please everyone. It was almost endearing, her happy-go-lucky way and goofy smile on a chubby face. She reminded me of a Cabbage Patch Doll in some ways and I could have done a lot worse in terms of co-workers.
She was bubbly and seemingly young for her age of thirty-four, constantly chirping, even when she was upset. Slightly overweight, I often wondered if she was overcompensating for some childhood trauma of being bullied, always trying to get people to like her. Luckily for Brigit, she was easy to like.
Brigit blinked her sky-blue eyes at me and I could read the hurt there. I stifled a grin and shook my head.
“I’m starting to think that maybe Tinder isn’t the way to go,” I replied. “I mean, how many of these dates have you gone on, only to end up disappointed?”
“But that’s the thing, isn’t it?” Brigit insisted. “You need to go through a whole bunch before you find Mr. Right. Where would the fun be if you just settled for the first guy you met?”
Inadvertently, my mind shot back to the previous night at Zumwalt Park and my pulse quickened slightly.
The human man had made several cameos into my psyche since I’d left him standing by the lake. I’d have to have been senseless not to feel the effects of our connection. Not that it mattered—whatever I thought I’d felt could never be. I wished he’d stop popping into my mind at the most inopportune times.
I wish I’d given him my name… or taken his.
All I had to go off was the perfectly preserved image of his gorgeous face imprinted in my brain for the rest of my life. I’d never seen him before and I wasn’t apt to see him again… unless I went back to Zumwalt Park looking for him..
I had thought about it countless times.
Stop it! I yelled at myself. I wasn’t a Protector, easily forgiven for fraternizing with the humans because I was young and impressionable. I was a member of the Shifter Council, an elder and leader. I needed to remain strong in my resolve to keep our paths separate. My position on the Council wasn’t worth jeopardizing over a handsome human. Why was this so hard for me?
Over the years I had met dozens of attractive men, human and shifter. Had any one of them ever had such an effect on me? I would have remembered if they had.
“Did I lose you somewhere?” Brigit asked lightly. I blinked, realizing I’d zoned out in thoughts of the mystery jogger.
“Sorry. I was just thinking about the budget meeting,” I improvised, turning my head back down to the painting. “You were saying?”
“I’m just saying, I haven’t given up on love yet and you shouldn’t either.”
Again my head popped up and I gazed at her in disbelief.
“Love is the last thing on my mind,” I choked, feeling my cheeks turn pink as I spoke the words aloud. “My job keeps me busy enough.”
Am I a worse actress than I thought? Can she see my loneliness?
“Your job isn’t going to cuddle you at night,” Brigit replied, laughing. “And don’t pretend you’re not interested in dating. I’ve seen you eyeing my Tinder profile.”
“I’m not interested in dating like that,” I insisted, shaking my head. “And I look at your profile because it’s kind of new and interesting, not because I’m interested in getting on it.”
At least I was being honest about that. The age of technology, ordering a man at my fingertips, it was all a bit tacky.
Or maybe I’m really getting too old for all of this, I thought, smothering a sigh.
“Fine,” Brigit chirped. “Then let me find you a date.”
I gaped at her.
“What? No thanks,” I laughed nervously. “I can find my own dates.”
“Can you?” Brigit challenged. “When was the last time you went out with anyone?”
“I…” I trailed off, my mind shifting back to such a time. Humiliated, I came up blank but my bouncy co-worker didn’t see this as a flaw.
“See?” Brigit cried. “It’s high time you got back on that horse. You know, women need to address our libido issues as much as men.”
“Oh, for god’s sake,” I muttered, knowing my cheeks were the color of ripe tomatoes.
“Oh please, Am! It’ll be fun!”
My eyes narrowed at her wording.
“What are you proposing exactly?” I asked slowly. Whatever it was, it sounded mildly ominous. The idea that she would find me a Tinder date made my skin crawl
slightly.
“A double blind date,” Brigit said. I laughed and shook my head instantly.
“I think not,” I replied, pushing my dark hair away from my face and settling back on the swivel chair.
“Why not?” Brigit insisted. “What’s the worst that can happen? I’ll be there, you’ll be there. We’ll have each other’s backs.”
I loathed that she was swaying me to her line of thought without much effort. I knew it had more to do with the fact that I wanted to put the jogger out of my mind than it did having a date but for whatever reason, I found myself hearing Brigit out.
Then again, Brigit was a human and likely to hook up with human men. I didn’t need to replace one human with another.
“I can see you’re warming up to the idea,” Brigit cooed, her eyes widening happily.
“I’m not,” I insisted. “I don’t want any part of this.”
“Fine.” Brigit gave me a mock pout and folded her arms underneath her ample chest. “Leave me to fend for myself on yet another fruitless date.”
My dark eyebrows rose questioningly.
“You already agreed to the date?” I asked, half chuckling. “I thought you were weighing in on my opinion first!”
The way she’d made it sound, she was still on the fence about it. I should have known better.
“If I didn’t, someone else would snatch him up!” Brigit replied defensively. “The dating market is competitive.”
“Much like the housing market,” I replied dryly. I shook my head. “You’ll be fine. You can text me if you need an out. Or I can send you an emergency text that you can use as an out. You’ve done that before.”
Brigit sighed heavily.
“You’re a party pooper,” she informed me. “You’ve still got a couple good years of your thirties left. You should appreciate them before they’re gone.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended.
“You make it sound like forty is ancient.”
“It’s not much older than thirty-eight,” she reminded me. I couldn’t help but groan at the reminder.
