by Lola Kidd
When she looked in the mirror, she realized how lucky she was. Anyone who saw her would have known she’d been attacked. Besides the blood and torn clothes, she was pale as a ghost. She took a shower and got into bed with another bottle of juice.
All of her clothes were going to have to go into a dumpster. No one could know what had happened to her. Jasper wouldn’t want to marry her if he knew she’d been attacked—but that wasn’t a good thing. She wouldn’t put it past her father to actually lock her away if he knew. He would come down hard on all the shifters in Penicalla and the Wasteland, but there was no telling what he would do to her. What if he blamed her for what had happened? She’d gone off into the forest without her guards. Had she been more careful, it wouldn’t have happened.
Even if her father forgave her, she wouldn’t be in the clear. Everyone in town would ostracize her at best. She would have to talk with the authorities and she would be watched for a year. That was the one shifter law her father had been able to get passed while he was a state representative: anyone bitten by any animal was supposed to report to the authorities. She could see how it might be a useful database. If there was a rabbit shifter going around turning people left and right, it would be nice to know.
But she didn’t want to be on the list. People watching her wouldn’t make her transition any easier and who knew what they would do with that information in the future.
The thought of turning made her light-headed. What she needed was to find a shifter. She needed information about what the transformation was like. She had no idea how any of this worked. It was a very good thing she was going to Baghera. Daria’s brother Ben had gone through all of this. He’d be able to give her some advice.
Unless the legends in her mother’s books were true. If there was a genie in a lamp, it was more important than ever for her to find it. She could ask him to make her human again.
As if she needed more incentive to get to Rose Valley and search for it.
She slept fitfully for a few hours before her alarm went off. She cleaned the wound again and put a bandage over it. It looked like it was almost healed and it didn’t hurt at all. That worried Jessica even more. If it had been a regular bite, it would have been worse.
She tried not to worry as she went downstairs and had breakfast with her father. She needed to get out of the house and get her mind off her bite. She didn’t want to try to leave again before nightfall. That meant she had to occupy herself for a whole day.
It was a perfect day to go to the market. She’d just gone yesterday, but there was new stuff every day. Vendors came from all over to sell their wares in the open-air market. She could lose herself searching for clothes or the perfect painting to hang over her bed. The only problem was, her dad wasn’t going to be happy to let her go back to the market when she’d just given her security the slip there yesterday.
Toward the end of the meal, she finally asked him, “Dad, can I go to the market today? I wanted to look at some fabric for new summer pillows.”
Roger shook his head. “Tomorrow would be better. Jasper Collins is getting into town in an hour. I thought you could come with me to greet him.”
Jess managed a weak smile. “Of course. I’ll go change my clothes.”
She excused herself from the table and went back to her room. Along the way, she noticed Kevin was shadowing her today. That was strange. Alek didn’t take many days off, especially not when there would be visitors. After what had happened in the woods, she would have been glad to see his hulking figure behind her all day. He could be annoying, but she knew she was safe whenever he was around. She truly believed Alek would put his life on the line and take a bullet for her if he had to.
Before she went into her room, she asked Kevin about it. “Where’s Alek?”
“He’s off today, Ms. Sheridan,” Kevin said.
She nodded and closed her bedroom door, then changed into a long-sleeved dress and tights to meet Jasper. She was shaking as she checked to make sure nothing was visible beneath the dress. The bandage was bulky, but it wasn’t very noticeable. As long as Jasper didn’t try to hug her, she’d be fine.
Jess opened her computer and saw that Daria was online. She quickly set up a Skype call and crawled into her closet. She didn’t want to risk Kevin hearing her through the door.
Daria’s face filled the screen. Her blonde hair formed a halo of frizz around her pretty, heart-shaped face. “Morning. Happy to see you’re still in one piece.”
“Kind of.” Jess burst into tears. “I was bitten.”
“What? Honey, I can’t understand you. What’s wrong?”
Jess cried hard for a few minutes. “I…Jasper is coming today.”
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. They can’t force you to marry him.”
“I know. I’m just freaked out.”
She couldn’t tell Daria. What if it was nothing? Daria already had enough to worry about. She would tell her once she got to Baghera. It was better to tell her in person if it was something to worry about. A small part of her was also scared that Daria would blame her for being so stupid. After Ben had been bitten, Daria had been furious at him for causing his family so much pain. If he hadn’t gone to that sketchy party, he never would have gotten bitten. She’d gotten over it, but Jess didn’t want her friend thinking that about her for even a minute. It was better to wait.
“Let me buy you a ticket to Baghera,” Daria begged. “We can go back to the Wasteland together. You don’t have to do this now.”
Jess shook her head. “This is something I want to do alone. I’ll leave tonight and I’ll see you before the end of the week. Sorry for bothering you so early.”
“Call me whenever you want. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Jess got out of the closet and put her laptop on her desk. Then she went to the bathroom and washed her face before applying makeup. When she was finished, she almost looked like her normal self. She’d meet with Jasper, and then she would leave that night.
There was bound to be one shifter in the Wasteland who could help her. At least talk to her about what it was like to transform. She didn’t feel different so far. Maybe another shifter could smell if she was one of them.
There was a knock at the door. “Ms. Sheridan? Mr. Collins is here. Your father would like you to come to the foyer.”
Jess walked down to the front of the house with Kevin trailing her. Her father was dressed casually in jeans, a button-down shirt, and a blazer. He smiled when she got close. “You look beautiful. Thanks for coming to say hello.”
“Of course.”
She clasped her hands in front of her body and waited. She could hear Jasper and her father’s personal assistant talking outside. Jasper was telling him how he wanted his clothes laid out and what he wanted for dinner. Typical Jasper.
The assistant opened the door. “Mr. and Ms. Sheridan, Jasper Collins is here.”
Jasper stepped in. He was still handsome as ever. Tall, blond hair, powerfully built, with a dazzling smile. “Jessica, Roger. Great to see you again.”
Roger shook his hand and clapped him on the back. “Great to have you back! How was the drive up?”
“Long,” Jasper said while looking at Jess. “You look beautiful, Jess. How have you been? Still volunteering at the school?”
“Yes. I’m working with the pre-K kids.” Her voice sounded wooden and lifeless. She tried to sound more cheery. “Would you like me to show you to the guest house? I’m sure you’re tired.”
Jasper beamed. “That would be great. Lead the way.”
Roger kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks, honey. I’ll see you at dinner. I’ve got to get to work.”
She nodded and took Jasper’s arm. “You can drive us over.”
The last time she’d seen him, Jasper had been driving a big SUV. This time he was driving an expensive sports car. After they got in the car, she pointed in the direction of the guest house. �
�Just drive this way and it’ll take us right to the house. Where are your bags?”
“The trunk is nonexistent in this car. I had my assistant drive them up in his car.” He pulled out, going fast. “Can I speak to you frankly, Jess?”
She buckled her seatbelt. Her stomach churned. Was he really going to ask her already? They hadn’t even been on one date yet! She had no idea how she was going to let him down gently. “Sure.”
“You look very frightened. I want to reassure you that I’m not here to marry you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Really?”
Jasper laughed. “Of course not! It was my father’s idea, but I told him no. You’re a very beautiful girl, but you don’t seem to be very enamored with me. Most importantly, you’re not my mate.”
Jess laughed. “What a relief! I mean, you’re great, but I don’t want to get married to someone I don’t love.”
“Well, I hope you at least like me,” Jasper teased.
“I think you’re great, now that you aren’t going to ask me to marry you.” She was so relieved. “Why have you been coming down to Penicalla if you aren’t courting me?”
“I’m courting your daddy.”
“What?”
Jasper laughed as he parked the car in front of the guest house. “Not like that. We think he should run for president, but he’s reluctant. I’m hoping that with a lot of hand-holding, he’ll say yes in a few years.”
“President. I’m not sure he’d be able to win,” she said honestly.
“Because of the shifter thing.” Jasper shook his head. “That’s part of the hand-holding. Your family story is tragic, but I think it would be even more touching if you could find it in your hearts to forgive.”
“I have no problem with shifters. My dad is the one you’re going to have to work on.”
“Any tips? What made you forgive shifters?”
She shrugged. “I never hated shifters in the first place. Dad didn’t have a problem with them either until the attack. I think if he had a few more shifter friends, he’d be more inclined to being a little more flexible.”
“He doesn’t have any shifter friends at all? Not even work friends? I could have sworn there was a shifter state representative.”
“There is, but she was the only state representative not invited to the freshmen luncheon last year. It was all very scandalous. I can’t believe you haven’t heard about it.”
“I must have missed it. I guess my work is cut out for me, then. It would be a real shame if he couldn’t ease up on shifters. He has a real good shot. Your father is a great man.”
“Thanks.”
It was almost true. He used to be a great man and he could be one again. She hoped Jasper was right and he could convince her father to change.
Then she wondered how her father was going to react when he found out Jasper didn’t want to marry her. She didn’t want to be around to see the blowup after that one.
“I’m feeling a little tired. Mind if I head back to the house?”
“Sure. I’ll drive you. Thanks for taking this so well.”
Jasper drove her back to the house and she went to her room to check her bandages again. There was no blood and the wound was completely healed. She ran her fingers over the area where the wound had been. It looked like nothing had even happened to her. She was starting to think she was losing her mind. If it weren’t for the bloody clothes shoved under her bed, she would have thought she’d imagined the whole thing.
This was her second piece of good news that day. First Jasper and now this. It was the perfect time to search for the lamp. Luck was on her side, and if someone like Jasper Collins thought that shifters weren’t so scary, maybe going to the Wasteland wouldn’t be so bad.
She studied her maps again. She was going to have the route memorized by the time she left. It was a simple walk to a mountain. With all the good luck she was having, she had a very good feeling about this trip.
Four
He was a monster. The scum of the earth.
Alek was stalking the forest alone. He’d turned human long enough to call his boss and take a personal day. As soon as the call was done, he’d let his tiger take control again. It was risky—it was hunting season and if someone saw him, he’d likely get shot. He didn’t care. He deserved whatever he got.
His tiger had bitten a defenseless woman. He’d not only attacked a human, it had been a human under his care. He was supposed to keep her safe, and instead he’d scarred her for life.
At least she was still alive. Unlike the animal who had attacked her mother, his animal at least had let Jess live. Still, this was bad. Roger was going to come down hard on shifters in retaliation.
He had no idea how it had happened. One minute he was following her and the next he was transforming. Worst of all, his tiger didn’t seem too concerned about what it had done.
He’d never felt so out of sync with his animal before. In his youth, he’d had a hard time controlling his shifting, but he’d never lost control like this. The tiger had never been interested in hurting people before now. He’d never believed that something like this could happen to a shifter without mental problems. Roger’s campaign promises suddenly made a lot more sense to Alek. If any shifter could go crazy at any time, maybe it was better to keep an eye on them.
He had no idea what he was going to do. He could easily go back to work, but his heart wasn’t in it anymore. He had likely been fired anyway. His boss hadn’t mentioned it, but maybe Jess hadn’t gotten home yet. Maybe she had gotten up and continued on with her plans. The thought horrified him. Why hadn’t he thought about it sooner? She was in great danger if she had gone to the Wasteland alone. He had to find out where she was.
He took control of his tiger again and went back to the spot where he’d attacked her. He sniffed around, but her trail stopped at that spot. She hadn’t gone back into the forest. That made him feel better. The dirt smelled of blood and jasmine but not decay. Maybe he hadn’t injured her too badly.
It was time to find out how she was. He’d spent enough of the day being a coward. He shifted back to his human to make the trip home. He had to take the most indirect route to his rental home since he was naked, and he couldn’t risk his neighbors seeing a tiger enter his house. They would easily put two and two together once Jess’s attack was publicized.
Once inside, he took a long shower to get the smell of blood off him. The water falling over his head was relaxing. His tiger liked the water too but it was going to be a long time before he let the big cat take a swim.
Out of the shower and still in a towel, he called Kevin.
“How’re you feeling?” his friend asked as soon as he picked up. “You must be real sick. I’m glad you called. I was ready to send the National Guard out to check on you.”
“I’m fine. How are things at the house?”
“You mean how’s the princess?” Kevin teased. “She’s out on a walk. Boring as always. You did miss a lot today, though. You picked the wrong day to get sick, man.”
“What happened?” Alek asked, breathless.
“You aren’t going to believe this gossip. Wait, I need a sip of water first.” Kevin paused. Alek hated when he dragged things out for dramatic effect. “Jasper Collins showed up today.”
“That’s not gossip.”
“You didn’t let me finish,” Kevin chided. “Jasper came today, and word in the halls is that he isn’t going to ask Jess to marry him.”
Alek’s tiger perked up at this news. “How’s Jess doing?”
“She’s been in a great mood all day. So I would say she’s relieved.”
“So she isn’t hurt or anything?”
“No, she’s fine.”
Alek almost wept with relief. “Good. I’ll be in tomorrow. I’m feeling a lot better.”
“Of course, now that your girl’s still on the market, you’re feeling great. You’re so transparent.”
“Shut up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alek leaned against the wall next to him. He couldn’t believe his luck. He had attacked a human and she was fine. It sounded like she hadn’t even reported the attack. Roger was going to be pissed if Jasper wasn’t going to marry her, but it made Alek feel better. At least Jess wasn’t being forced into a marriage she didn’t want. As easy as it would have made his life to hand her off to Collins’ security team, she wanted her freedom.
He would do whatever he could to do right by her. He was going to have to find a way to make it up to her. Maybe he would help her leave the mansion. He was going to leave his job anyway. If she wanted to go, he could at least make it easier for her. He was going to have to think of how to broach the subject with her or figure out a way to do it quietly.
He cleaned his house top to bottom to keep himself busy for the rest of the day. It wasn’t until he was cleaning out the oven that he started to get nervous. His tiger had attacked Jess and left her for dead. A ferocious killing machine had attacked her, and she had walked home and gone to bed. Nobody had even noticed that anything was wrong. That didn’t make any sense.
Alek sat on the kitchen floor, shaking as he realized the only logical explanation. She had to be his mate. His tiger hadn’t been attacking her; it had been marking her. There was no other way for her to survive the mauling. His tiger had never acted that way before, but he wasn’t particularly in touch with his animal. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d shifted for the joy of it. He spent most of his time in the human world and preferred being in human form. It had literally been years since he had let his cat run free.
But it seemed hard to believe that he’d miss something like this. He’d been around Jess nonstop for the last few years. If she was his mate, he would have known. Something else must have happened, or his tiger had made a mistake, he told himself. It had to be a mistake. If he had spent all that time around her and not noticed, he was in a bad place.
His phone rang, freeing him from his torment. It was Kevin.