by Maeve Hart
“You did this?”
“I would’ve thought ‘thank you’ would be your first response.”
“You made this happen?”
He smiled.
“You got me out of jail? How did you get them to change their minds?”
“Come with me.” He walked toward the door and I hurried to catch up with him.
Soon we were in the street. He had to have heard about Don.
“You heard about… about…?”
“Yes.
I continued to follow him into a nearby parking lot. When we passed a row of cars, he clicked his keys and a car in the distance lit up.
“Get in,” he ordered and I obeyed.
“You haven’t told your family yet, have you?”
“Yes. I called Mom and told her as soon as the police came.”
“I’m talking about you being a shifter.”
I gasped in shock. “Don has just died—”
“There are more important things at stake. I tried to tell you. I thought you might not have realized your life would be in danger from those closest to you.”
“Firstly, I’m not convinced about what you said before.”
He glared at me and his eyes glowed almost the color of amber. The same color as the wolf’s eyes I’d come close to in the forest.
“That was me in the forest and you were very much a wolf.”
I sank into the cream leather car seat. I hadn’t told anyone about the dream in the forest. How could he know? Unless… Could it really be true?
As soon as he sat, the car turned on automatically and the lights on the dash lit up.
“Can you take me back to my friend’s house?” I asked.
“Absolutely not.”
He scared me a little and I didn’t think I was brave enough to ask where we were going, but I pushed myself. “Where do you think you’re taking me?”
“To my place.”
I knew he wasn’t talking about the loft apartment. I remembered he said he had many places.
“And where exactly is that?”
“You’ll soon see.”
“Thank you for getting me out.”
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t take his eyes off the road for a minute.
I guessed he lived in one of the new apartment blocks in this area, and in no time, he was swerving his car into an underground car park and I was whisked to an elevator. The elevator opened into an apartment and I stepped into the foyer.
It unnerved me that I’d guessed he was taking me to a city apartment. He guided me past a library room and I was thrust into a living room where three men were sprawled on couches. There were two large men in casual clothing and a small younger man in a suit.
They sprang to their feet when they saw me.
“Destiny, this is Seamus.”
Seamus was almost leering at me through his blue-green eyes. His rusty light brown hair was shaven at the sides, but longer through the crown and at the back. He stood well over six feet and was solid. The man I was introduced to next was his brother, Lewis, who looked similar only with darker hair. They both wore plaid shirts with rolled up sleeves and tight jeans.
“Hi, I’m Jimmy.”
I shook the hand of the young well-dressed man wondering if he might be a lawyer. That would come in handy right now. “Nice to meet you, Jimmy.”
“I’ll be back in a minute. I need to have a talk with Destiny,” Jacques told them.
“A minute?” Seamus asked.
“Several minutes,” Jacques shot back.
I was taken into the next room, which was a den. He guided me by my arm to the leather lounge.
“This place is awesome. Can you show me around?” I was interested from a design point of view and excited to see the finishes in the kitchen. “How many bedrooms are there?”
“Four. The master has a terrace bigger than the bedroom. Then there are various bathrooms and dressing rooms. Anyway, I’ll show you all that later. Firstly, I want to have a talk with you.”
“I think you should take me back to Abbie’s. Everyone will be worried about me.”
“No they won’t. They think you’re safely tucked up in jail and they won’t find out you’re not until tomorrow morning. You’re fine to stay here tonight.”
“Here?” I heard myself croak.
He gave a throaty chuckle. “You’ll be perfectly safe. I didn’t bring you here to take advantage of you.”
I shook my head, knowing he could have any woman he wanted and there was little chance he’d choose me.
“I didn’t think that for a moment. If you’ve got all this, what would you want the loft for? A rental?”
“That’s for you.”
“For me?”
“You have to stop repeating everything I say or we’ll be here for a very long time.”
“What do you mean it’s for me?”
“I guessed you wouldn’t want to go back to your apartment with Don being killed there.”
“Don was killed after you hired me to work on the loft,” I said slowly. “Nothing is making sense.” I really meant that he wasn’t making sense but I didn’t want to enrage him by telling him so. Sadly, I’d become accustomed to men flying into rages around me and if he had a temperament anything like Don’s, I wasn’t going to risk prodding the bear.
“It’s nearly done. I’ve used all your ideas.”
“Are you talking about the loft?”
“Yes.”
“First of all, how did you get past the co-op? It takes weeks for them to approve things.”
He smiled. “I am the co-op.”
“You own the whole building?” Why the heck was I surprised? The guy was a gazillionaire.
“I do.”
“And you bought it for me to live in?” That’s the part I couldn’t work out.
“Yes. You’re going to need somewhere for people to think you live.”
“Where will I actually be living?” I thought it was best to go along with what he was saying, at least for now.
“With me, but you can’t let your family know about me.”
I already knew the answer he was going to give, but I decided to ask the question anyway. “And why is that?”
“Your family are your enemy and mine. They’ll kill you if they find out what’s happened to you.”
I held my head. I didn’t even find what he said funny. “My family would never kill me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Since you changed into a shifter, you’re their direct enemy. How long will it take your grandmother to find out the remains in that jar have been tampered with?”
“So you’re convinced I’m really a shifter?”
“That was me in the forest the other night, Destiny. I thought you sensed it was me.”
“I was having a dream. Just a crazy dream.” I believed him, but I didn’t want to.
“I sensed it the first night we met at your engagement party. I was drawn to you from the moment I walked in the door and sniffed you out. I knew then who your relatives were. And I could also sense you had turned and it was my family’s scent on you. It didn’t take long for me to put two and two together.”
I put common sense to one side for a moment. “So you are a descendent of the shifter my grandmother killed?”
He smiled and nodded. “The grandson.”
I was shocked. “Why did she kill him?”
He looked away from me and I could tell he didn’t want to tell me the full story of what had happened. “They never really got along. Shifters generally don’t get along with witches, but they thought they’d be different.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t explain why she killed him. Who do you mean by ‘they’?”
“That’s all you need to know for the moment,” he said. “When you were told all the stories of your grandmother slaying the shifter, did she ever mention a number or tell you something he might have told her?”
I shook my head. He’d already asked me
that question. My grandmother had said something about the full moon and she had mentioned some kind of a number, but I wasn’t about to tell Jacques that until I knew we were on the same side.
“I don’t want to be a shifter.”
“It’s too late for that. Anyway, I saw you running in the woods and I know you enjoyed it.”
I had relished running in the woods, it was true, and I found him as appealing in wolf form as he was in human form. Still, this was all so much to take in.
“No. Wind back a bit. I don’t understand why the loft is for me. How would you even know I was going to need somewhere to live? Am I part of your pack now? Are you in charge of the pack—the Alpha?”
“Yes to the last question and as for your other questions, they’re not important for now.”
“Who are those men in the other room?”
“They’re part of the pack.”
I stared at him, wondering if he was serious. “Part of the shifter pack?”
He nodded.
“You’re the Alpha?”
He nodded again. “I just answered that.”
“Does that make us related since I became a shifter from your grandfather’s—?”
“No.”
My stomach swelled with nausea and my head suddenly hurt. “I think I need to lie down. I’ve had too many shocks and I can’t cope with any more.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. “I’ll show you to a bedroom.”
We walked back the way we’d come, past the elevator doors. He led me to a bedroom and sat me down on the bed.
“There’s everything you need in the bathroom there.” He nodded to the ensuite. “I’ll bring you food a little later.”
“Thank you again for getting me out of jail.”
“It was for me as much as for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Being a shifter is new to you and it’ll be hard for you to control the first few times you change. What would’ve happened if you’d changed in the cell?”
I got the message. “Thank you just the same.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him. I pulled back the covers and rested my head on the soft pillow, closing my eyes.
I woke to the sensation of something on my neck, but was scared and kept my eyes closed. Then I smelled a strange odor, damp—a wet dog smell. Something dripped onto my neck like a warm water droplet. I opened my eyes and found myself looking right into the eyes of a wolf. I screamed as I sat up and pushed him away. Then he pounced right back on top of me, pinning me down so I couldn’t move. In the darkness of the night, I knew this was Seamus in wolf form—I just knew it.
Was he trying to kill me or mate with me? Either option was not going to happen. Anger rose from deep within me and I allowed forces to take over my body. Pain ripped through me and with sharp teeth I bit into Seamus’ leg. I heard him yowl and he sprang off me.
A ferocious growl came from the doorway. Seamus and I both looked to see the black wolf—Jacques. Seamus backed into the corner and when Jacques moved beside me, Seamus ran out of the room. Jacques leaped out the door after him and I heard banging, like someone was being thrown through a wall. I hoped Jacques was okay.
I was glad when he came back into the room. He was still in wolf form and so was I when he jumped on the bed beside me. Ever so gently, he put his teeth around my neck and pushed me toward the door. He jumped off the bed and I knew he wanted me to follow.
I woke up a short while later, back in human form. The bed I was in was Jacques’ and I felt his arm around my waist. I was safe. Naked, but safe for now.
Chapter 15
When I woke up the next morning, Jacques was gone. I put my hand out to feel the place where he’d been. It was cold.
Half sitting up, I saw from the clock on the bedside table it was six o’clock. It was a modern clock and I knew it was expensive, but there was no time to stop and admire the knickknacks. Everything in the penthouse was unusual and obviously worth a lot of money. Billionaires need to spend their money on something.
Seeing the bathroom door open and no one inside, I headed there quickly before anyone walked into the room and saw me naked.
Resisting the urge to stop and check out the gold-flecked white marble and figure out what part of the world it had come from, I padded toward the shower. The glass screen opened when I got close. Stepping into the shower (which was big enough for five people), I suddenly felt inadequate as a designer—the only thing I’d thought I was good at. When I stood in the middle, warm water pelted down from above.
I reminded myself to hurry—I needed to find Jacques and ask how he’d gotten me out of jail. It could only be a matter of time before the police caught up with me if my name hadn’t been cleared properly. Then again, it could all be legitimate or he could’ve bribed the judge or someone in a position of power.
As I moved closer to the entrance of the shower, the water turned off and the door opened. I stepped through, reached for one of the white towels on a nearby shelf, and dried myself off before I towel-dried my damp hair. Then I had no choice but to wear the clothes I’d been wearing the day before. My makeup was still in my bag in the other bedroom. Not wanting to see Jacques before I looked my best, I went back to the other bedroom.
The bed was tussled and unmade—a dreadful reminder of the night before. I wondered if I was safe anywhere. Jacques had told me I wasn’t safe with my family, but how was I safe with him if a shifter felt he could come at me like that? Spotting my bag on the floor, I grabbed it and headed to the ensuite bathroom. Once my face was on, I went in search of Jacques, hoping like hell he hadn’t left me there alone.
Having no idea where I was going in the massive penthouse, I backtracked the way I’d gone earlier and instead of going into Jacques’ room I headed the other way. Soon I found the kitchen and was relieved to see Jacques.
He spun around as I came close. “Coffee?”
I smiled at him and sank into one of the stools behind the counter. “Yes please. Are you allowing me to go today?”
He turned around. “Destiny, you’re not a prisoner here; you’re a guest.”
“You mean I was free to go?”
“Of course you were. I only wanted you to come here so I could tell you your life could possibly be in danger if you don’t keep quiet about recent happenings.”
“I get the message, but I wasn’t exactly safe last night.”
“I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again. They’re gone—it’s just you and me here now. I’ll take you to your friend’s place later, since it’s still early. Abbie, was that her name?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t stress enough that you can’t tell your family about your change.”
I looked at him blankly. “Based on what you’ve told me, I can’t believe what you’re saying.”
“Why?”
“Why would my family suddenly turn on me because I’m a shifter? I didn’t want to be one and you tell me I can’t change it. Maybe they could change me back since they’re witches.”
“And so are you.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You had the power to be one.”
“Anyone can be one if they want to.”
“Your family is different. They have power.”
I looked away from him; that’s what the three in my family kept telling me. I didn’t want to believe it.
“I can’t tell you everything. That would only put you in more danger,” Jacques said.
“You’ll have to tell me more if you want to convince me I’m in danger from my own family.”
He pushed a cup of coffee toward me. “Drink your coffee and you’ll feel better.”
I took a sip of coffee.
“It’ll be a full moon soon,” he said.
“Is that significant because you’re a shifter?”
He stared at me and one eyebrow slightly rose. “It’s not only me who’s a shifter.”
“I
thought it was a myth about the full moon and shifters.”
“There are a lot of stories and legends circulating. Some true and some not so true. We don’t need to wait for the full moon so we can change, as you yourself have experienced. The thing about the full moon is that the veil between the two worlds becomes thin.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, taking another sip of coffee.
“You need to be wary and stay away from your family on the three days of the full moon.” He leaned slightly forward. “Destiny, I’m not joking about any of this.”
“I know,” I said. “One thing I don’t understand is why you bailed me out of jail. It doesn’t make sense. You don’t even know me—for all you know, I could be a murderer. Unless…”
“Firstly, I didn’t bail you out. They dropped the charges. Secondly, I had nothing to do with Donald’s death. I can assure you of that. Intuitiveness is not something that solely graces the minds of the people in your family.”
“Granny says psychic ability is something quite separate to witchcraft. Anyway, do you mean to tell me you had a premonition that a fiancée of someone who worked for you would need somewhere to live?”
“It sounds extreme, but something along those lines. You’ll understand in time.”
“Somehow I doubt it.”
“Eggs?”
“You can cook?” He was getting better looking all the time.
“I’m a very good cook.”
“Yes please, I’ll have eggs.”
“We’ll stop by the loft on the way to Abbie’s house and see how it’s going. I’ve used all your ideas, so I hope you find it suitable.”
“That was just an initial concept.”
“And a good one.”
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable living there. I won’t be able to afford the rent.” I didn’t like being indebted to anyone.
“We’ll work something out.”
“I don’t think I could go back to my apartment, but thankfully the lease is about to end. Although I guess I’ll have to go back to clear it out.” I looked up at him. “Tell me again why you’re doing all this for me?”
“You’re important to me.”
“Why? Because of this thing you’ve got going on with my family?”
He gave me a blank stare.