“And I guess you would know a lot about that,” I said, softly.

  “I’m not like them,” he said, quietly.

  The truck had slowed to almost a snail’s pace, but we were driving in the middle of the night so there weren’t any other cars coming or going in either direction.

  “I know, and I’m not what you think either.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that.

  “Oh yeah? I’ve heard it all and seen it all. I’m a shifter…an anomaly in this world. There’s nothing you can tell me that will shock me.”

  I shrugged. “Then we’re both anomalies.”

  “So…what’s your tale? New woman in town wanting to start a new life. She gets kidnapped. Now she’s safe, but she wants no cops involved.”

  I sighed.

  “There’s a code of silence where I come from. I also came to an agreement with the investigators on my case never to talk about what happened back in Arkansas. Since I won’t be going back and you don’t deal with cops either, it wouldn’t matter what I say to you now, would it?”

  “I’m not exactly into gossip,” he replied. “I’m not going to judge you, but it sounds like you need to get something off your chest. Sometimes it helps.”

  I swallowed and caught his gaze. Mesmerizing green eyes stared back me. If I was going to trust anybody since I left Little Rock, I should’ve been him. He saved my life.

  “You promise?”

  “I promise.”

  “When I was born, my mother died giving birth to me. My uncle who was supporting my mother at the time worked for the local mob. He wrote the contracts or something like that for his boss. He also owed them a great deal of money, so he paid for it in services. I was barely legal then and I depended on him like any child would their parent. I was told that if we tried to run and leave that we’d end up homeless and hungry. My uncle even went as far as taking me down an alley where the homeless congregated. I decided that one day I would leave as soon as I was old enough. But my uncle disappeared one night. His associates believe that he was murdered. He would never leave and not call, so I knew foul play was involved. So then that left me…”

  “Oh…?” Treyton looked straight ahead.

  He was speechless. It was so quiet in the truck that if I tried hard enough, I could probably hear his thoughts.

  “I doubt you understand. Most people who don’t know anything about the lifestyle don’t,” I said. “Shifters run in packs, yes? Well, in the mob, they operate much like a close-knit family.”

  “I see. You’re not a stranger to violence then, are you?”

  “Well, I was never involved or saw anything out of the ordinary until I came downstairs one night and saw my boss’s girlfriend lying on the floor dead. She was shot.”

  “Whoa.”

  “You still want my story?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “After my uncle died, I was considered one of his assets. They showed me the debt that both my mother and uncle racked up while doing business with the mob. I was given a means to pay back the money in services by working as a maid at one of their mansions. When I arrived to work the first day, I was told that the male resident was an accountant who closed the books. My job was very easy really. All I did was clean house and do laundry. He stayed at the home maybe one weekend a month. He entertained a lot, but only invited one or two women at a time on various nights. I lived in the apartment in the back of the mansion, so none of it bothered me. I earned a bachelor’s degree in my spare time. My debt was paid, but I told myself I’d stay a couple more months so that I’d have a nice cushion when I moved. The accountant told me that he’d let me walk away once my debt was paid. I wonder if I should have trusted him, you know, would he have really let me go?”

  “Who shot the girlfriend?”

  “A disgruntled lover. Out of all the ways in the world that this man could’ve gone down, it was ultimately his extracurricular activities that ruined him. The ex gained entry to the home, killed the girlfriend, shot him, and then called the cops. She had her story all planned out. She’d blame it on the dead girl and then she and my boss would go scot-free and live happily ever after. Their stories didn’t add up. In the end, they had him linked to dozens of murders and he went straight to prison. The mob cut ties obviously so that nothing could be traced back to them. I had a lawyer who made it her priority to get the investigators to let me go. After all, I didn’t know anything, so I couldn’t tell them anything. Nothing led back to the mob boss. They thought I had fabricated my story about my uncle who was still missing.” I chuckled nervously. “I didn’t even know the guy I was cleaning house for was a hitman until I was being questioned. I didn’t even have the mob boss’s name. I’m glad I didn’t. It’s probably the only reason why I’m still alive. The cops let me go. I got a tip that I should leave town. And that’s what I did. I haven’t told anyone this. I don’t have anyone to tell.”

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, quietly.

  “So, here I am. Back at square one. Mixed up with some violence. Does the cycle never end?”

  “It gets better,” he said.

  “At least I was saved by a wolf. If I should ever end up behind bars again, I could always confuse them with that one.” I tried to make light of the situation, but my heart was still heavy.

  Treyton was quiet. Was it something I said?

  “I was just kidding. I’m not going to run to the cops about you being a shifter.”

  “I wasn’t worried about that,” he said.

  “If I accepted help from that agency, my name would have ended up in the system again. I was told to lay low for a long time for a good reason.”

  “Now I understand.”

  “I’m glad you do. You were right. Getting that off my chest really helped.”

  He grinned. “Glad I could help with that.”

  “Now that I’ve aired my dirty laundry, I bet you’re wanting to get me to the nearest bus stop as fast as possible.”

  “Actually, that’s not even remotely close to what I want. I was going to ask you before right after we met…”

  “Ask me what?”

  After pausing to turn off the highway onto a gravel road, he asked, “Would you be interested in a date with me?”

  I felt my lips break out into a grin.

  “When everything settles down, of course,” he added.

  “Yes.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  TREYTON

  “Well, here we are,” I said, as I pushed the door open. I took a peek inside, flipped on the light switch near the door, and stood aside so Tatia could pass through.

  I shoved the large piece of tarp aside that I used to shield her from the rain on our walk from the truck to the home. The rain was still pelting down pretty hard and thunder rumbling in the distance.

  She crossed the threshold slowly.

  I brought the two small bags into the house and then set the cooler of sandwiches and drinks on the counter in the kitchen. I’d been in the small ranch house once before when Dr. Greyson needed help repairing a roof before the spring rental season began. Other than that time months ago, I sort of kept to Timber Rock territory or the area just north of there.

  The little one-bedroom ranch couldn’t have been more than 1,200 square feet. I went from corner to corner and then to the bedroom and then the full bath, making sure that the place was clear. It smelled like no one had been here for quite a bit, but in the wilderness, you never knew. In a town like Arrow Lake, we usually got the occasional hitchhikers who took it upon themselves to help themselves to free room and board.

  “You hungry?” I asked.

  “Very, but I’d like to clean up first.”

  “Sure. I should do the same. I’ll go after you. Make yourself at home. It’s really late and I think both of us could use some sleep and a clear head starting tomorrow morning,” I replied.

  She nodded.

  “The bedroom’s yours, by the way. I can sleep out here.”

  “Okay,” she said, grabbing the small sack of clothing and taking it into the room. She looked at me before slipping inside and closing the door.

  I sighed, grabbed my cell phone and texted an update to Draven. Not a minute later I got his response back.

  Glad you found shelter. Get some rest and then call me in the morning.

  While Tatia was in the shower, I adjusted the thermostat and checked the inventory on hand. Dr. Greyson kept an adequate supply of staples in the cabinets, but I prayed we wouldn’t be stuck out here long enough to need to use them.

  As I passed the bedroom door, I heard a noise. I paused by the door for a moment and listened. She was crying. But these weren’t cries for help. In Tatia’s private moment—a moment that I was never supposed to witness—I realized that she must have been holding in her emotions this whole time.

  My heart broke into a million pieces and my animal tensed up within me.

  Tatia was only human, and even if she was like me, she was still permitted to feel. To let it all out. She had gone through a lot. And even after she started to make her home in a town that she felt was safe, something else happened to her. Women who were kidnapped and threatened the way she was usually broke completely under all the pressure. Tatia, on the other hand, was strong.

  But I couldn’t have her feeling this way. I felt like I had an obligation to protect her. And I would. If it was the last thing I did, I would make her feel safe again.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  TATIA

  I scarfed down two of Mrs. Greyson’s sandwiches and didn’t think twice about it. At first bite, my appetite came back tenfold. I almost didn’t notice the way Treyton stared at me as I ate. He had just finished telling me some amusing stories about their past pack runs which usually ended in one big BBQ picnic at the lake and eventually fun and games.

  It brought me comfort to know that his particular pack wasn’t involved in the same evil practices as the rogue pack. I knew he was trying to keep my mind off what happened to me. It was working. I had no time to let my thoughts linger on my misfortunes because Treyton would say something that would make me break into a fit of laughter. It also helped that he found a glass jug of really expensive wine hidden behind a box of crackers.

  The rain had slowed to a drizzle. The rain pelted the roof and the gutters, creating a calming sound in light of the recent events.

  I lifted the wine bottle and refilled my glass.

  Treyton lifted an eyebrow. “Careful now. That’s your third glass.”

  I grinned. “I didn’t know you were keeping count. I really needed this. Glad you found it in the kitchen. I hope the Doctor won’t be looking for this later.”

  “I’ll replace it,” Treyton sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “So, what’s next for you?”

  “Hmmm, you said something about taking me on a date.”

  “I haven’t forgotten about our date. I won’t let you out of my sight, ginger cat, until I show you my side of town,” he said.

  “Timber Rock, right?” I’d heard the name before, and he also mentioned it once or twice when talking about the pack runs.

  “Yeah.” His gaze narrowed. “Mind if I ask you something?”

  I shrugged. “I’m an open book for you.”

  “How did you learn about shifters? How did you know we existed?”

  “It started with rumors. I didn’t get any concrete evidence until I moved in with my uncle though. We lived on the bad side of town. Lots of things go on at night. And in the city, it’s not like they have lots of trees and bushes to hide behind like you do here.”

  “You’ve seen a shift?” he asked.

  “No. More like a dark shadow on two legs standing behind a dumpster and then morphing and reshaping until it resembles an animal on four legs. My uncle didn’t believe. He told me I was imagining things.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay with what I am. Some people are freaked out by this.”

  “Nope, not me. But, if you had told me you were a mob boss or a hitman, I’d be on the bus right now, mate,” I joked.

  We laughed together.

  Things went quiet, but he was still smiling. And staring at me.

  “Wow,” he said quietly, with a glint of wonder in his eyes.

  “What?”

  “It’s just that I’ve never met anyone like you.”

  He looked cute gushing over me, but I wasn’t used to all of the attention.

  “We talked about this. I’m an odd anomaly, remember?”

  Treyton shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s definitely not that.”

  A blush passed over his face. It surprised me because I’d never really seen a man blush before. Before I could ask, he collected our sandwich wrappers and got up to place them in the trash. He returned to his chair, reached out, and took the wine bottle. He filled his glass halfway. That’s when I saw it. A distinct birthmark on his inner right arm. The mark was so distinct and familiar, I might as well have been looking at a carbon copy of the birthmark on my right hip.

  “Where’d you get that?” I nodded toward his arm.

  “Get what? The wine? Are you drunk?” he chuckled.

  “No. The mark? On your inner arm?”

  He looked down at his arm, extending it outward on the table. “It’s an um…a birthmark.”

  “I have one too. Almost like that.”

  All expression dropped from his face. “Where?”

  “Um…” I shifted in my seat. “It’s covered up.”

  “Covered up?”

  I swallowed. “Yeah.”

  “Oh…okay.”

  “Yeah. On my hip,” I stated.

  “Ah. About that…for shifters, birthmarks are a little different. We refer to them as such because that’s really what they look like on the surface. But they have a greater meaning.”

  “What’s the meaning of yours?”

  “We call them mate marks.”

  “Mate?” I frowned in confusion. “Does that mean you have a mate?”

  “Yes.”

  I shrank back. I felt my lips part. I was speechless.

  “Oh, no…I know what you’re thinking. I don’t have a girlfriend or anything like that. Matching mate marks are carried by fated mates. Sometimes we meet them and sometimes we don’t.”

  “Really? How so? How do you know someone is your fated mate?”

  “It’s not something we can control or choose. Well, ultimately we do choose because we find that our fated is often the perfect match for us.”

  “Sounds like a fairytale,” I breathed.

  “No fairytale. It’s real.”

  I reached out and touched his arm, tracing the outline of the caramel-colored birthmark. It was still fascinating how similar our marks looked. I’d never been interested in birthmarks before. Almost everyone had them. Or at least that’s what I always believed.

  I didn’t realize what my touch was doing to him until I looked up and caught his gaze. His gaze looked hungry, almost feral.

  I stopped touching him. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “It’s so perfect,” I said. “It reminds me of a clover and a knot all in one. It’s so complicated.”

  “Triquetra.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The trinity knot is also known as a Triquetra.”

  “Triquetra,” I repeated, getting the pronunciation right on the first try. “What does that mean?”

  “To shifters, it symbolizes the phases of the moon. Full, waxing, and waning.”

  “So, no one else in your pack has this birthmark?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “In my pack? No. Just me. Only two people in the world would have the same identical mate mark.”

  “My mark looks the same, but that’s impossible because I’m not a shifter.”

  “You don’t have to be. We mate humans too.”

  I blushed and sighed. “I…your kind is truly unique. I don’t know what to say or think. I guess I’m a little tired.”

  “We’ll figure it all out tomorrow with a well-rested body and a clear mind.”

  “Okay.” I started to get up, but a dizzying spell took me.

  “Whoa.” Treyton got up to hold me steady.

  I planted my head against my forehead. “I’m so embarrassed. I guess I did have too much to drink.”

  “That’s okay.” Without warning, he bent down and scooped me up. “I’ve got you, ginger cat.”

  I felt so warm and protected in his big arms. “I wish we could talk more,” I said, as he walked me into the bedroom.

  “We will,” he said.

  “Promise you’ll stay tonight. Don’t go. I don’t know where we are and I have to admit, I’m a little afraid to go outside by myself.”

  “I promise I’ll stay. I won’t leave you here alone.” He placed me on the bed, and I swung my legs on top.

  I fell back onto the pillow and he brought the covers up to my chin.

  “I’ll be right outside the door. On the couch. We won’t let anything happen to you, okay?”

  “We?”

  He looked downward. “My wolf is part of me.”

  “Are you going to change again?”

  “If you want me to…” he said, quietly.

  I touched his forearm momentarily and said, “No. Not right now. Stay this way, please.”

  “I will.”

  He turned around and left the room.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  TATIA

  “Is there anything you’re not good at?” I asked, observing as Treyton flipped the trout over in the pan.

  The sun had risen just over an hour ago, but it still felt early to me. My biological time clock was off somehow. I woke up at the break of dawn and just laid there in the bed thinking about what might have been if Treyton hadn’t come for me. Don’t get me wrong. Had those men forced me to run or tried to breed me in anyway, I would have used all of my strength to fight them off—kill them even. Every day they held me hostage, those thoughts had same through my head. I was almost at my breaking point by the time we reached the gate that night, but then the shots went off…