by Vella Day
Being excellent with computers, he could figure out the rest on his own. “That helps. Thank you.”
“You can thank me by answering your stupid phone if Mom or Dad calls.”
Greer had taken time out of her day to fly to the office to have a chat with him. It was the least he could do. “I promise.”
After the quasi disastrous meeting with Deke—and his mate—followed by the very long interview with Mr. Landry, Wendy was emotionally spent. Wanting some time to think about her options, she ate at the hotel restaurant instead of exploring the city. The good meal, along with a few glasses of wine, helped calm her brain.
Then after a long soak in the tub to help her sleep, Wendy crawled into bed and turned on her phone for the first time since leaving Edendale. Wendy had shut it off, because she was out of range for her Avonbelle service provider, and those long-distance charges could be brutal. Wendy wouldn’t have bothered checking it, but Danita or Deke could have called.
After a quick look, she saw she had missed a few messages. Four to be exact, and they all had come from Avonbelle—only not from Danita but rather from Logan. While Logan seemed to have gotten the hint that now was not the best time to date, he must have changed his mind. What could he possibly want that would require four attempts to contact her?
Oh shit. Had Danita leaked it to Griffin where Wendy was and why? She wouldn’t be surprised if Griffin had called his brother and told him that Wendy was in Thedia. Thankfully, even Danita didn’t know about the drug connection to this province. Or did she?
Considering the late hour, she wasn’t about to call Logan back tonight. Most likely, he’d thought of some cool place to take her when she’d finished writing her article, and he was concerned when her cell kept going to voicemail. As soon as she was back in Avonbelle, she’d call him back.
Wendy swallowed her disappointment that Deke hadn’t called by now to say that he’d contacted a few friends—possibly at the police department—to see what they knew about any drug trafficking ring. She told herself that he hadn’t because he’d come up empty-handed.
It was just as well. Instead of worrying about some drug dealer, she needed to replay the newspaper interview to make sure she understood exactly what would be expected of her should she decide to take the job. While the offer was beyond anything she had hoped for, there was something strange about Mr. Landry, only she couldn’t put her finger on it. Sure, he’d asked for a lot of details about her last exposé, but that was to be expected. He would want to see how resourceful she was. Something else had bugged her, only Wendy couldn’t figure it out.
Right now, she needed to rest. Tomorrow, she’d fly home and then decide what her next course of action would be. Mr. Landry had given her a week to decide, but it shouldn’t take her that long. Usually, she was able to figure things out after a good night’s sleep.
Wendy closed her eyes and managed to shut off the rampant questions racing through her mind—that was until the image of Danita appeared. While her cousin had Griffin Caspian in her life now, she and Danita had a bond that would be frayed if she moved away. Could Wendy live with the guilt of knowing Danita had no direct family in town? Ugh. Now wasn’t the time to contemplate that big decision though.
Just as she pushed her concern for Danita aside, Logan Caspian, who was too handsome for his own good, filled her thoughts. She could tell from their two face-to-face meetings, along with the tidbits of information Danita had told her, Logan’s main characteristic was being tenacious. When he wanted to find an answer, he never let anything go. That was a good trait—unless it interfered with her life.
Sleep, her wolf said. I want to dream about him.
I’ll sleep, but I can’t afford to think about him, or I won’t get any peace.
That’s your loss.
Not that it would do any good, but Wendy slapped a pillow over her face, hoping her wolf would get the hint and leave her alone.
Luck must have been on her side, because she fell into a deep slumber. She couldn’t say how long she was snuggled under the covers, but her arm twitched and then her leg spasmed, rousing her.
When Wendy pulled down the covers to cool off, the scent of smoke registered in her brain. As much as she wanted to ignore it, her animal took over, forcing her to sit up and assess the situation. The smoke made no sense. She was inside a hotel room. Sure, she’d flipped on the heater before she crawled into bed, but it wouldn’t smell so pungent, would it?
Even though it was in the middle of the night, Wendy eased out of bed, and only then noticed the insidious smoke pouring in under the door. Oh, shit. With lightning reflexes, she rushed over to the entrance to see how bad it was in the hallway. No one was shouting orders or screaming, which meant she had to time to get out.
Needing to learn her options, she opened the door an inch. Whoa. That was a mistake. Not only did the handle burn her hand, the hallway was consumed in flames, blocking all escape routes. If she was on the fourth floor, what did the floors below her look like?
Sirens sounded from far away. Good. Help was on the way—at least she hoped they were coming because of the blaze.
Breaking the window from this height and jumping out really wasn’t a good choice, but at some point, that might be her only one. Of course, she’d be in her wolf form. Humans were way too fragile for a four-story descent.
Think. There had to be something she could do. Wolf? Help me.
Get the hell out of there, her animal shot back.
No kidding. Any idea how?
Her animal didn’t answer, but it felt as if her wolf was using its claws to scrape against her stomach lining.
While it was probably stupid to care about her possessions, Wendy snatched up the few toiletries from the bathroom and stuffed them in her backpack where her tablet and day clothes were already snug inside.
If she had any chance of avoiding burns during her escape, she needed to wear something over her pajamas.
After donning her coat and slipping on her shoes, Wendy grabbed a towel from the bathroom, wet it, and placed it over her nose. Screams sounded from underneath her room just as her metal door began to glow red. Decision made, exiting the window it was.
Wendy rushed across the room and fumbled with the latch to open it. After jostling the swollen wood for a minute, fresh air blew in. The bad news was that the window only partially opened. Damn. Red and yellow lights flashed where a lot of fire trucks were littering the street below.
Wanting to let them know that she was trapped inside, she leaned out the window. “Help! I’m up here.”
There was so much commotion on the sidewalk that it didn’t appear as if anyone had even heard her. Crap. The door hinges crackled, implying it might break any moment. With the cross-ventilation, the whole room could explode.
It was time to jump or burn to death. Okay, she had no choice anymore. It was only a matter of how long she should wait before taking the dive. The firefighters had placed ladders against the building to help those on floors two and three, but she saw no tall extension ladder that reached the fourth floor.
Several firemen were placing large blow up mattresses on the sidewalk below that were only now inflating—albeit slowly. Wendy leaned further out the window and waved. “I need to jump now!” she shouted.
Apparently, the screams from the other hotel guests drowned her out, because no one even looked up. It was time to shift. With as much of her body out of the window as possible, she transformed, working hard not to tumble before she succeeded. But before she had the chance to inhale and push off, an explosion from behind knocked her out of the window, sending her spiraling downward.
Wendy wasn’t sure which deity she should pray to, but right now what she needed was a miracle.
Chapter Six
Holy shit. When Logan made the decision to check on Wendy in Thedia, he never expected to find her hanging out of a window in a hotel that was on fire. Had she not called out for help when she did, he might not have even spo
tted her.
Good thing it hadn’t taken much sleuthing to find her hotel reservation at the Sawmill Vacation Resort, in part because it was the nearest hotel to the Thedia Provincial newspaper office. Danita mentioned that the paper was picking up the tab for Wendy’s airfare, hotel, and food, so it made sense they’d want her close.
As pleased as he was that the paper was treating her fairly, it meant they really must want her if they were willing to foot the bill. Just as soon as he saved her, he would do what it took to convince her not to take the job.
Logan shifted and soared upward just as a powerful fireball shot through the room, jettisoning her into midair. His instincts exploded. With his quick reflexes, Logan managed to snatch her fifteen feet from the ground. Having her in her wolf form helped since he was able to grab her whole body with one claw. Cradling her with his other claw, Logan held on tight as he searched for a spot to land safely.
Wanting to be out of the way of the rescue workers and the commotion, he found a nearby field in a park and landed. When he released her, she collapsed onto the ground, her breathing coming hard and fast.
Logan shifted back, dropped to the ground next to her, and placed a gentle hand on her flank. His heart rate tripled at the lack of response. “Wendy?”
No answer. Her body was warm but not hot, making him think she hadn’t been burned. “Wake up!” he pleaded.
When she whined, and then opened her eyes, his relief made him grunt. A few seconds later, her body shook, and fur flew. Wendy shifted into her human form but remained on the ground. It reminded him of the first time he’d seen her after she’d been removed from her prison cell in the underground mine—somewhat disoriented and slightly dirty.
She looked around. “What happened? What are you doing here?”
She had to be scared and confused, but answering her question about why he was there might not be in his best interest considering what had just happened. He didn’t need to tell her why he’d followed her to Thedia either. That conversation would come later.
“That’s not important at the moment,” he said. “Are you okay? Were you burned?” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She slipped her backpack off her shoulders and stared straight ahead, as if she couldn’t figure out how she’d ended up in the park. Nearly falling forty feet would disorient a person.
When she didn’t answer, Logan reached out and pulled her to his chest.
It was several seconds before Wendy leaned back and looked up at him. “I’m fine, and no I wasn’t burned. Just shaken a bit. I’ve never been blown out of a window before.” Her voice had trailed off, implying she was still in shock.
He expected her to scoot backward, but instead she melted against him. Logan would hold her for as long as she wanted, but at some point, he needed to find a paramedic to check her out. She hadn’t been in her wolf form long enough to fully heal, and wolf or not, inhaling smoke could do a lot of damage to a body.
Logan ran his palm over her head and then leaned back. “Let’s get you checked out just to be sure there won’t be any after-effects from all that smoke.”
Wendy eased out of his grasp and stood. She brushed off a few leaves and small twigs and lifted her chin. “I’m good.”
He bet her stubbornness had served her well in the past, but right now, he wished she’d do as he asked. Logan rose to his feet. “I’m just trying to help. There are ambulances nearby. It will only take a minute.”
She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. “Logan, while I appreciate the suggestion, I’m good. I swear.”
“If you say so.” The moment she showed any signs of distress though, he’d take her to a hospital whether she agreed or not. “Then how about we grab something to eat? I’m hungry, and I think you should drink something if you inhaled smoke.”
“Fine, but how did I get here? All I remember was falling.”
“I caught you and flew you to the park to make sure you were okay.”
“Really?” As if she’d lost her mind for a moment, she stood on her toes and lightly kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
Her touch unnerved him. Wendy had actually kissed him. So what if it was as a thank you? A kiss was a kiss. He called that progress. “Let’s find us some grub.”
“Sounds good, but you never answered my question. How did you manage to be at my hotel halfway across Tarradon at the exact moment I was blown out of the window? And in the middle of the night?”
Logan forced a smile. “Good luck?”
She punched his arm, and then her lips actually curled upward. “I am so not buying that.”
Relief slammed through him, because he could almost believe she was feeling better—at least physically.
“Once we find a place to eat, I’ll tell you about it.” Which meant he’d have to think of what to say.
He had flown to Thedia, so they had to hoof it. Not that they had much of a choice. There was no way a taxi was getting anywhere near the hotel area with all of the rescue vehicles blocking the way.
They walked south away from the commotion. At three in the morning, it took some doing to find a coffee shop that was open. During their stroll, Logan studied Wendy’s posture to make sure her breathing wasn’t labored. She must have sensed the smoke quickly because she didn’t seem to have been adversely affected, thank goodness.
Once inside the coffee shop, they slid into a booth across from each other. Only then did Logan notice she was wearing a coat over pajamas. At least she had been thinking clearly enough to protect herself. “Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.
She opened her mouth, but then quickly shut it, acting as if she wanted to grill him first. Thankfully, she didn’t push it and answered. “There’s not much to tell. I woke up in the middle of the night to find smoke billowing in under the door. After studying my limited options, I put on my shoes and coat, grabbed my stuff, opened the window, and then yelled for help.”
“I appreciate the unemotional listing of the facts, but can you give me a few more details, such as the heat level, noises in the hallway, unusual sounds, and such.” He held up a hand. “Pretend you are writing an article about it.”
She flashed him a smile. “You sound like my editor.”
“Thank you.”
Wendy started again, describing how she roused from a deep sleep rather disoriented. “I think it was my wolf who made me get out of bed. Only then did I realize something wasn’t right.”
“Good. Go on.”
“There was smoke, of course, but when I grabbed the door handle and tugged, it was really hot. Wanting to see if there was a viable escape route, I opened it an inch or two but quickly realized that fire was blocking my way.”
“Flames on the fourth floor probably meant the fire started there. Did you notice if the floor in your room was hot?”
She glanced to her right. “No. I have to admit I wasn’t in an investigative mode at that moment. I was more in a save-my-life-mode.”
Logan could fill in the rest of the blanks. “You figured you would sustain fewer injuries if your body was covered.”
“Yes, and then I rushed to the window, only to find the sash was painted shut. I had to force the window open.”
“I’m not surprised. The building looks old.”
“When I finally got it open, there wasn’t much space to crawl out. I did yell for help, but because of all of the commotion, no one heard me.”
“I did.”
Wendy reached across the booth and placed her hand over his, and her warmth seeped deep into his soul. “I owe you for that. I will never be able to repay you.”
He smiled. “How about a proper dinner date once we get back home?”
She grinned. “Deal, but it still begs the question: What were you doing in Thedia in front of my hotel at three in the morning?”
“In due time.” He smiled. “Finish your story first.”
“That’s about it. I looked down, wondering how many bones I’d break wh
en I jumped. The firemen were blowing up those big air mattresses, but they were only partially inflated. While I believed my wolf would heal me after my fall, I had no idea how long it would take to recover.”
“I’m glad you didn’t have to find out.”
“Me too.”
The waitress stopped by and took their order. They both asked for a coffee and a pastry. “By the way, how did the interview go?” he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral and off the topic of why he was flying by her hotel.
“Danita told you, didn’t she?” Wendy asked.
She had perfected the art of not answering his questions—kind of like him. “Actually, it was Greer who asked Danita about you. You weren’t returning my calls, and I became worried.”
Her eyes widened. “Because I got into trouble the last time, you thought I’d run into trouble again?”
He lifted one shoulder. “It was a reasonable assumption.”
“You might be right,” she said. “I’d turned off my phone, because I didn’t want any roaming charges.”
That made total sense. He should have thought of that. “Tell me. Are you considering taking the job?”
Since he almost lost Wendy tonight, Logan needed to know what his chances were of the two of them spending enough time together for her to realize they were mates. He didn’t relish the idea of moving to Thedia, though he would if he had to. Not only would it make running the family’s mining business more difficult, it would inhibit his ability to be an effective Guardian.
“I was considering it, but I’m not sure I want to leave Edendale. Danita and I are close.”
He mentally pumped a fist. As will the two of us be after our date. “I see. So, you’re going to turn down the offer?”
“I think so.”
Something in her tone implied another issue was rattling around in her head. “You only came for an interview, right?” Logan would never ask if she was there to rekindle something with her former boyfriend.