Page 208 of Secret Shifters Next Door

“Why?”

I stopped, a piece of cheese halfway to my mouth, and looked at her. “Huh?”

“Um…why did you bring me on a date?”

“I’m not sure I understand the question,” I said, genuinely confused.

“I’m pretty self aware. I know enough about myself to know that most guys don’t want to date me. You’ve been around me a few times. You know what I’m like.” She cast her eyes down, not wanting to make contact with mine. “But you still brought me here.”

I mulled over that, trying to think of how to answer that. There were a hundred things I could say. Instead of going on and on about how shitty all those other guys had been, I gave her the simplest answer I could think of.

“Celina, I like that you’re different. You aren’t weird or odd. You are different, and I like that. I’m also different. It makes me want to protect you. The thought of anyone hurting you, honestly, doesn’t sit right with me. I’d like to show you that good guys do exist. A good man will accept you exactly how you are. Everything you see as flaws aren’t flaws at all. I think you’re beautiful.” I grinned at her. “And I selfishly want all that beauty to myself.”

As I spoke, Celina’s eyes grew wide. I could tell that I had surprised her. “I guess…I don’t know how to respond to that.”

“You don’t need to right now. Go on and eat.”

She nibbled on a few grapes and more cheese before speaking up again. “How did you turn out like this?”

“Like what?”

“Confident. You always seem so sure of yourself.”

“Well, damn. Now I’m not sure how to answer that.” I thought for a minute about how to respond without giving away too much. Finally, I said, “I guess it’s because I grew up in a really tight-knit community. We always helped each other. It was like one really big family. I had tons of people telling me I’d do great in life, people who helped me become a better person every day. Once it was time for me to…uh…venture out on my own, I did it with the knowledge that I had all the tools I needed to do anything I wanted.” My wolf and I both felt a pang ofregret, remembering my childhood and the pain of banishment. “I carried all those childhood lessons with me.”

I was surprised when Celina put her hand on mine. I glanced up and saw the look of understanding in her eyes. We sat like that, unmoving, for several seconds. Some kind of connection happened at that moment.

“I know what that’s like. To lose what you love. To be abandoned.”

I’d never said anything about my banishment. In fact, I’d done everything I could to keep that part hidden. Still, she must have seen the pain in my eyes and guessed there was more to it than what I’d revealed. My heart lurched to my throat, the wellspring of sadness on the verge of spilling over. Thankfully, I was able to choke it all back down.

“I won’t ask any questions,” Celina said, squeezing my hand. “Things like that aren’t easy to talk about. But if you ever want to? I’d be happy to hear the whole story.”

My heart gave a happy lurch. I turned my hand over so our fingers could intertwine. “Fair enough,” I said. “I promise to tell you the whole story one day. All the details.”

She smiled and squeezed my hand again. “I look forward to it.”

We got back to the apartment complex a couple hours later. It had been one of the best days I could ever remember. That was why the feeling of impending danger that filled me as we pulled into the parking lot was so off-putting.

My wolf felt it first, then the same sense of unease filled me. The complex itself looked dangerous. Like there was something wrong. Or, more accurately, there was someone wrong. At the top floor, leaning over the railing and watching us, was Felicity. My eyes narrowed as I climbed out of the truck. Felicity saw us and waggled her fingers at me in a wave while Celina grabbed the cooler out of the backseat of the truck.

Celina finally noticed the other woman and gave a big wave. “Hey. I didn’t know you were coming over. Have you been waiting long?” she called.

Felicity shook her head and started down the stairs. Every instinct in my body was telling me that this woman was trouble. I couldn’t get a read on exactly why. She kept looking at me like a slab of meat to be devoured. If I had been less perceptive, I would simply have assumed she was just another horny woman looking for a fun night. But Felicity came on too strong. Almost awkwardly so, like it was an act she was really hoping I’d fall for.

I stepped close to Celina and put an arm around her. “What’s your friend’s last name?” I asked.

“Huh? Felicity? Cruz, I think. She told me when we met. Why do you ask?”

“She seems familiar is all.” The lie burned in my throat.

Felicity got to the bottom of the stairs and gave us both a wave. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“No worries. I was just dropping Celina off. I need to head to work. I was going to walk her up to her apartment.”

Before I could say anything else, Felicity stepped forward and looped her arm into Celina’s, then stepped toward the stairs. “I’ve got it from here.”

I put a hand on Celina’s face and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll see you later. Make sure you put your feet up after all that hiking.”

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