Chapter Three
Kate was almost to Mayors, the jewelry store where she worked, when the sudden urge to pee hit her. Damn it—she should know better than to drink those freaking shakes on her break! But they were pretty filling and a lot less empty calories than grabbing a corn dog or a big plate of noodles which Mimi preferred.
The main restrooms were back in the food court but luckily, there was a small, winding hallway—more of a service corridor, really—down at her end of the mall, just past the jewelry store where she worked. It was mostly storage areas and closets filled with janitorial equipment but there was also a tiny employee bathroom at the very end of it. Kate didn’t really like going down there—it was kind of creepy, especially in the evening if the mall wasn’t very busy—like tonight. But it did come in handy in a pinch.
She cast a glance to her left, looking over the waist-high railing that ran around the top floor. It was a long drop down to the first level. She didn’t like heights—it made her wish that her store was located at the ground floor instead. The top floor of the mall, where she was walking, was nearly deserted. There was more activity down below, however.
She could see the play area from here with some scattered moms sitting around the perimeter chatting while their kids ran around like crazy things playing tag in the enclosed area. The indoor playground had been sponsored by Busch Gardens and had been decorated to look like a giant zoo with an immense plastic elephant, a kangaroo with a pouch big enough to climb in, a lion that roared when you pulled his tail, and a zebra to crawl on and “ride.”
Kate watched the kids playing for a moment, imaging how it would be to have children of her own. Of course, that would never be unless she found Mr. Right and settled down. Ha—as if that was ever going to happen! Long term relationships never lasted for her. She was too weird—the Knowing made her different and even guys who didn’t have the slightest bit of sensitivity to unseen things seemed to sense it. Plus, when they found out she could read them by touching their skin, they became a whole lot less interested in touching her. And even if she could have found a guy who didn’t mind having his secrets revealed every time they made skin-to-skin contact, there was the little matter of her scars…
Kate shrugged her shoulders irritably. The scars in question ran the length of her spine, just between her shoulder blades. The tissue there was tight and unyielding, making her itch sometimes.
The itch made her self-conscious—as though everyone could see the ugly scars beneath her clothes. Which was silly. She ought to be over it by now—her scars were part of her, like her red hair and green eyes—like the Knowing. Besides, she was always careful to dress appropriately and keep her back covered. Nobody would ever catch her out on the beach in a bikini, even if she did live in Florida now.
She came to the long, narrow corridor, started to go down it …and stopped. Was it her imagination or was it darker down here than usual? Were some of the overhead lights burned out or was management just cutting them back to save money? It seemed like a ridiculous gesture in such a huge, expensive mall but Kate had known them to do stupid, petty things in the hope of saving a few pennies before. For whatever the reason, the service corridor certainly seemed dimmer and spookier than usual.
For a moment she debated going back to the main restroom but she only had ten minutes left on her break and it was a long walk back to the food court. Besides—what was there to be afraid of? A lot, whispered a voice in her head and she flashed on the tall man with glowing blue eyes.
But that had probably been just her imagination working. She hadn’t slept well last night—mostly because of the damn dreams she kept having. Probably her subconscious mind had just turned some random guy into her own personal boogieman and played a little trick on her because she was so tried. She was armed, after all. The comforting weight of the Glock under her arm made her lift her chin and step confidently down the dim hallway.
She used the bathroom and washed her hands without incident and in plenty of time to get back to work.
“See?” she muttered to herself as she swung open the door. “You were scared for nothing. There’s nobody he—”
The words died in her throat as a huge, menacing man stepped out from the shadows where he had plainly been waiting for her. He was wearing tight black leather trousers, a wife beater t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. She recognized him from the brief glimpse she’d had in the food court. It was the man from her dreams again. So her subconscious hadn’t been making him up.
He was real and he was more frightening than any nightmare could ever be.
Kate looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. He was massive—6’8 at least—with shoulders fully twice broad as hers. Either one of his muscular thighs was as big around as her waist. His hand, when he held it out to her, was a big as a catcher’s mitt.
“Kate,” he growled, in an inhumanly deep voice. “I’m here for you. I finally found you.”
Kate stumbled backwards, trying to get away from him but he was blocking her only exit from the narrow hall, his muscular shoulders filling the tight space.
“No!” she gasped. Just as it had when she saw him in the food court, her pulse started racing and she suddenly couldn’t get a deep enough breath. She took another stumbling step, tripped over her sensible work heels, and fell flat on her back.
Trapped! I’m trapped! her mind screamed. He’s come for me and now I’ll never get away!
“No!” she moaned again when he reached for her. She tried to roll away but he was too quick. One big, hot hand closed over her wrist and pulled her to her feet.
His touch had an immediate effect on her and not a good one. Had her heart been racing before? It was beating triple time now—pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to beat its way right out of her chest. Her breath got shallower and shallower until she felt like she was sipping air through a straw. Bright stars started to dance in front of her vision.
Panic attack—I’m having a panic attack! She’d never had one before but her aunt had been subject to them. Kate had always prided herself on being too strong for that kind of weakness but here she was, following in her relative’s footsteps in the worst way possible.
“Kate?” he asked, looming over her, still holding her hand firmly. His piercing blue eyes were actually glowing in the dim hallway, Kate saw. “Lalli?” he rumbled in that deep voice. “What’s wrong? Don’t you know me?”
“I…I know you…” Kate’s voice shook and she felt like her heart might burst. But suddenly the Knowing was on her and she couldn’t stop the words from coming. “The Beast…you’re the Beast,” she whispered. “Oh God, the Beast has come to devour me!”
“What in the Seven Hells?” He dropped her hand abruptly and took a step back. “Baby, no—what are you talking about?”
The minute he wasn’t touching her anymore, some of the panic eased. Not much—Kate still feared for her life. But at least the stars stopped exploding in her field of vision and she no longer felt like she was going to pass out.
She took a deep, shaky breath and another measured step away from him. Somehow she had to get around him—somehow she had to get free.
“Kate?” he said again and was there hurt and confusion in those glowing blue eyes? Kate didn’t know and she didn’t care.
“Look,” she said evenly. “I don’t know who you are or how you know my name but you’d better get out of my way now if you don’t want a hole blown in your guts!”
She’d been too panicked and too close to passing out earlier to think of it but now she gripped the Glock and pulled it out from under her arm in one smooth motion. She pointed it at the huge man and made a shooing motion with it.
“Go on—get out of my way.”
He looked at her incredulously.
“You’re not serious. You won’t shoot me.”
“I’d shoot anybody who attacked me in a dark hallway and you’re no exception, buddy,” she snapped. “You might be too big to take down with one bullet but that’s okay—I’ve got a full clip. And I’m going to empty it into your stupid head if you don’t back up nice and slow and let me out of here.”
“All right…all right.” Still looking at her like she was the crazy one, the big man raised his hands and began backing down the long, narrow hallway. Kate advanced on him steadily, making sure to keep well away from him. He was freaking huge and those muscular arms of his promised he had a long reach. She didn’t want to give him a chance to get his hands on her again.
“Kate,” he said again but she shook her head.
“Zip it, buddy. Not interested.”
“But if you would just listen to me for a minute…”
“What part of ‘not interested’ do you not understand?” They were almost to the end of the hallway now—Kate could see her freedom in sight. She motioned with the gun again when it seemed like he might be slowing down. “Keep moving. And once we’re out of this freaking hallway, you’re going to take a right and walk away from me nice and slow. You do anything else and I’ll shoot first and ask questions afterwards, you got it?”
He was still backing away but now he shook his head.
“I don’t believe you—you won’t shoot your own mate.”
“My what?” They were finally out of the hall but instead of turning to go, he was just standing there, staring down at her.
“Your mate,” he said quietly. “Lalli, I’m your mate. What you humans call a husband. I’m a Wulven Kindred and you’re my bride—my wife.”
“You’re crazy,” Kate said flatly. And he certainly looked it. His black hair was long and shaggy and his face was badly in need of a shave. Now that she saw him in the light, she could tell the piercing blue eyes were red-rimmed, as though he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said softly. “For so long. I was so afraid…”
“Tell you what,” Kate said evenly. “I don’t know where you saw me or why you fixated on me but you need to take your crazy and move along. You go away and forget about me and we’ll pretend this never happened. But you mess with me again and I’ll blow your head off!”
He shook his head in despair.
“Kate,” he whispered hoarsely. “Baby, do you really not know me?”
“I’ve never seen you before in my life,” Kate said, glaring down the barrel of her Glock. Except in your dreams, whispered a little voice in her head but she pushed it away. “And I better never see you again if you want to keep breathing,” she continued. “I mean it, buddy—back off.”
“All right,” he said quietly. “I’ll leave you alone.” He gave her one last, despairing look and turned away.
Kate watched him go down the deserted upper deck of the mall with a strange feeling in her gut. Of course the big guy’s assertion that she was his wife was insane but she couldn’t help feeling just a little sorry for him. Probably she looked like someone he had lost. Maybe he had PTSD or some other condition which was sad…but it didn’t make him any less dangerous, she reminded herself.
She debated on calling the security office and reluctantly decided against it. There would be all kinds of questions about how such a petite woman had gotten away from such a huge, menacing attacker without a scratch. And no doubt her gun would come up—she didn’t want that. Speaking of which, she realized she was still holding the Glock openly in the middle of the mall. Quickly, she holstered it, glad for once that the upper gallery was so deserted.
“Well, I’d better get to work,” she said to herself in a low voice and was glad to hear that it didn’t tremble. She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see that her break wasn’t quite up. The whole incident in the hallway had barely taken two minutes—she wasn’t even going to be late if she hurried.
Lifting her chin, Kate walked briskly down the hall, her heart pounding to the beat of her clacking heels. It was all right—everything was going to be all right. The guy from her dreams had come after her but she had confronted him and driven him away. And come to think of it, that was probably what the dreams had been about all along. It was just the Knowing trying to warn her she was going to be in danger.
But I’m fine now, Kate thought as her store came into sight. Just fine. Danger over. Crisis averted.
She had never been more wrong in her life.