turned the heat up a notch. She sensed Xandi’s concern and her shoulders slumped.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” Keisha turned and leaned back against the wall. “It just feels really weird, coming back here. It’s not home anymore.” She swept her fingers slowly across the textured wallpaper. “I decorated every inch of this place, made it into exactly the space I wanted. Now I realize it’s not what I want at all.”
Xandi nodded as if she understood completely. “Maybe it’s time to sell. Move on. It was a positive step for me when I resigned my job, gave up the apartment…gave myself to Stefan without any ties holding me anywhere else.”
Keisha stared at her friend for a long moment. Xandi had never seemed happier, more content than she was now that she’d permanently moved with Stefan to Anton’s Montana home.
Keisha wanted that same feeling—the solid foundation of Anton’s love—but what of her hard-won independence? Her need to control the direction of her own future? Would Xandi understand?
Would she have any answers?
“Xandi, do you ever feel as if Alexandria Olanet has become lost in Stefan Aragat? Do you worry about losing you in him? Losing your identity, your sense of self?” She held her hand up, giggled and shook her head. “Now I sound like my shrink!”
“No you don’t. You sound like a very serious-minded woman who is still a bit unsure of this whole life-changing set of events.” Xandi drew Keisha into a brief but loving hug. “I finally decided, just like Popeye, I yam what I yam. I’m not merely human. I am Chanku. I’ve had to reevaluate my feelings about a lot of things. Being mated to a hard-headed shape-shifter is only one of many adjustments.” She laughed. “Try not to worry. You will always be Keisha Rialto, even though you are Anton Cheval’s mate. It works. Trust me.”
Trust. That’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Xandi nodded, smiling. Exactly. C’mon. Let’s unpack and go eat. I’m starving.
They went out just after dusk and found a popular restaurant and bar combo in the Castro district. It was near a small restaurant just like this one where Keisha had been kidnapped so many months ago. Would she ever totally get beyond the seemingly random act of violence that had changed her life in so many ways—changes both good and bad?
A tremor ran along Keisha’s spine, a reaction to the memory of her horrifying assault—the bloodied bodies of the three men who’d attacked her, their torn remains spread about the apartment after her first unconscious shift to wolven form. Then, shortly afterwards, Xandi had appeared on her front step and changed into a wolf before her disbelieving eyes.
Keisha had awakened to Anton Cheval’s beautiful amber eyes staring into hers, awakened to the face of the one man she knew she would love forever.
No, life would never, ever be the same.
Shivering, Keisha grabbed Xandi’s hand at the crowded entrance and held on tight.
A massive bouncer blocked their way. His muscular arms were folded across his broad chest and he looked the women slowly up and down, as if assessing their attributes. His gaze lingered a bit too long on Xandi’s full breasts and there was a curl to his lip as he took in the women’s tightly linked hands.
Xandi returned his insolent gaze. “Hello, big boy. Seen enough, or do I need to strip for permission to enter?”
Blinking in surprise, the man jerked his head in a quick nod for them to go inside. Keisha still held tightly to her hand but Xandi burst into giggles once they got past him.
Keisha jabbed her in the ribs. “You’re not supposed to taunt the help.”
Xandi laughed. “Have you ever been tempted to just say to hell with it and shift, right in front of everyone? I bet that big jerk would have peed his pants.”
Still grinning, Keisha glanced over her shoulder as Xandi found them seats at a table near the back. The bouncer watched them.
A waitress brought menus. Xandi studied hers, but Keisha couldn’t concentrate. She felt the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. A shiver ran over her arms. She shuddered.
Xandi looked up, obviously sensing Keisha’s discomfort. Is something wrong?
“I don’t…” Keisha turned slowly and looked across the crowded restaurant toward the entrance. The bouncer was leaning over, obviously in deep discussion with a small, dark-haired man. Suddenly he looked directly at Keisha and Xandi and pointed. The man looked up, hesitating as if giving his eyes a chance to adjust to the dark.
Keisha felt her heart skip a beat.
“C’mon. Act like we’re going to the restroom.” Keisha grabbed her purse in one hand and Xandi’s wrist in the other and dragged her to her feet. “Get your bag.”
Walking quickly, fighting the urge to run, she found the narrow hallway to the restroom and from there a door that led through the kitchen. Ignoring the cook’s orders to go back the other way and Xandi’s questioning looks, Keisha dragged her friend through the small kitchen and out a door that led to a dark alley.
What’s going on?
Carl Burns. I’m positive that was him talking to the bouncer, and the big oaf pointed directly at us. “Hurry.” Keisha hiked up her calf-length skirt and took off at a run down the alley. She heard Xandi’s footsteps just behind her.
Keisha heard her thoughts as if Xandi had spoken aloud.
We’d move a lot faster if we shifted.
Without slowing her pace, Keisha shook her head. That’s the last thing we want to do with a tabloid reporter on our tails. I think his camera is surgically implanted.
Within minutes, the two of them rounded a corner across from Keisha’s home. Breathing hard, they ducked behind some shrubbery. Keisha studied the street in front of her house. “Looks clear. Let’s make a run for the porch and get inside. I do not want to talk to that man!”
They raced across the street and up the stairs. Gasping for breath Keisha fumbled with her keys.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. Xandi’s frantic mantra echoed in Keisha’s mind.
Keisha jammed the key in the lock and twisted, then ripped the door open. Stumbling over the threshold, Xandi slammed the door behind them. Keisha twisted the deadbolt and both women leaned back against the door, gasping for breath.
Xandi turned to Keisha and burst into nervous giggles. “You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
Keisha slumped against the door and sighed. “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Why does he keep following me? At least he’s so familiar to me now, I can usually sense when he’s near.” She shoved herself upright. “C’mon. I’ve got some stuff in the freezer we can heat up for dinner. Hanging out in town has suddenly lost its appeal.”
“You need to call Anton and let him know what’s going on.” Xandi sipped her glass of wine and tried to look relaxed. She couldn’t pull it off. Her actions felt jerky and her veins practically sizzled. She’d been running on adrenaline ever since they’d fled the restaurant and the slimy reporter. If she didn’t find an outlet soon for all her pent up energy, she knew she’d explode.
“I know. I’ll wait and call him in the morning, before his meeting.” Elbows resting on her knees, the wineglass clasped in both hands, Keisha turned her head to look at Xandi. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “At this point, I think we can charge Burns with harassment. Anton wanted to call the newspaper and complain the last time he followed me, but I wouldn’t let him. My mistake, I guess. Anton worries so much about me. He’d want to fly out here immediately, and he can’t do that. Let the man at least get a good night’s sleep. There’s nothing he can do tonight, anyway.”
She set her wineglass down and rubbed her hands up and down her arms,