many have been thinking. Your friends’ actions merely confirmed what everyone has been afraid of.”
“I don’t even know those shifters,” he lied. Damn! This isn’t going the way I planned at all!
“You don’t know them? So how many of you are out there?”
Chogan shrugged. “I couldn’t say for sure. Maybe one in every one thousand are spirit shifters. Some people don’t even know they have a touch of a spirit guide, they just think they’re particularly observant or have a knack for picking when someone is about to knock on their door or for when a cab is about to come around the corner. They don’t realize they have a spirit guide helping them along the way.”
She smiled, but the expression was hard. He’d thought he had an ally in the pretty redhead, but he’d been wrong. “That’s all sounding a bit fantastical now, isn’t it? Are you saying I could have a spirit guide looking after me?”
He met her gaze, equally cool. “No, not you.”
Chapter Ten
PETER HAD DRIVEN the back streets to stay as far away as possible from any more trouble. It meant they’d needed to go around in a circle in order to get to his home in the Near North Side, but they’d had little choice if they wanted to stay away from the riots.
Mia was still shaking from their experience, and she barely even registered the grandeur of Peter’s big Victorian home as he pulled into the drive. He jumped from the car and raced around the car to her side, opening the door for her. For once, she didn’t mind his tendency toward old-fashioned behavior as he took her by the arm and helped her out. Her legs felt like they didn’t belong to her and she was grateful for his support. Together, they walked up the paved drive with its small privet hedges and mounted the five steps that led to the house. Four white pillars held up the porch roof overhead, and a thick walnut front door barred the way. Peter used a key from the chain which also held his car keys and opened the front door, allowing her to go in first.
Mia didn’t even have the head space to be impressed by his large home.
Instead, she found herself pacing the impressive hall, with its polished parquet flooring, shaking her head, her hands spread out in front of her, trying to make sense of it all.
“I can’t believe what was happening out there. You know this is all crazy, right? I mean, I saw what you changed into, so I know this is real, but that doesn’t make it any less crazy. And those people, all the ones who were attacking the car, those people didn’t even know you were one of them, one of the things they’re ranting and raving about.” In the back of her mind, she was dimly aware that she was doing a little ranting and raving herself.
“People are scared of what they don’t understand,” Peter said, watching her, the hint of a smile on his normally serious face, as if he found her outburst amusing.
“Well, they shouldn’t be scared of you! It’s the other crazies out there who are causing the problems. It’s the regular humans. I mean, you,” she gestured toward him with hands that trembled and flitted, like two agitated birds, “are probably one of the most steadfast, unthreatening people I know. Why would anyone want to hurt you? You’re gentle, and strong, and ridiculously handsome …”
She realized what she had said and drew in a sharp breath. “I mean—”
But he didn’t let her finish. A couple of steps placed him directly in front of her. Her breath stuttered in her lungs, not knowing if she was supposed to be inhaling or exhaling. Her head spun, her heart thumping, with anticipation of what might happen next.
He reached out and touched her chin, gently lifting her face so those serious gray-green eyes bored into hers. Her lack of height meant she needed to crane her neck, so he ducked his head, pressing a firm, warm kiss to her mouth. She kissed him back with a passion that surprised her.
“I don’t even know those shifters,” he lied. Damn! This isn’t going the way I planned at all!
“You don’t know them? So how many of you are out there?”
Chogan shrugged. “I couldn’t say for sure. Maybe one in every one thousand are spirit shifters. Some people don’t even know they have a touch of a spirit guide, they just think they’re particularly observant or have a knack for picking when someone is about to knock on their door or for when a cab is about to come around the corner. They don’t realize they have a spirit guide helping them along the way.”
She smiled, but the expression was hard. He’d thought he had an ally in the pretty redhead, but he’d been wrong. “That’s all sounding a bit fantastical now, isn’t it? Are you saying I could have a spirit guide looking after me?”
He met her gaze, equally cool. “No, not you.”
Chapter Ten
PETER HAD DRIVEN the back streets to stay as far away as possible from any more trouble. It meant they’d needed to go around in a circle in order to get to his home in the Near North Side, but they’d had little choice if they wanted to stay away from the riots.
Mia was still shaking from their experience, and she barely even registered the grandeur of Peter’s big Victorian home as he pulled into the drive. He jumped from the car and raced around the car to her side, opening the door for her. For once, she didn’t mind his tendency toward old-fashioned behavior as he took her by the arm and helped her out. Her legs felt like they didn’t belong to her and she was grateful for his support. Together, they walked up the paved drive with its small privet hedges and mounted the five steps that led to the house. Four white pillars held up the porch roof overhead, and a thick walnut front door barred the way. Peter used a key from the chain which also held his car keys and opened the front door, allowing her to go in first.
Mia didn’t even have the head space to be impressed by his large home.
Instead, she found herself pacing the impressive hall, with its polished parquet flooring, shaking her head, her hands spread out in front of her, trying to make sense of it all.
“I can’t believe what was happening out there. You know this is all crazy, right? I mean, I saw what you changed into, so I know this is real, but that doesn’t make it any less crazy. And those people, all the ones who were attacking the car, those people didn’t even know you were one of them, one of the things they’re ranting and raving about.” In the back of her mind, she was dimly aware that she was doing a little ranting and raving herself.
“People are scared of what they don’t understand,” Peter said, watching her, the hint of a smile on his normally serious face, as if he found her outburst amusing.
“Well, they shouldn’t be scared of you! It’s the other crazies out there who are causing the problems. It’s the regular humans. I mean, you,” she gestured toward him with hands that trembled and flitted, like two agitated birds, “are probably one of the most steadfast, unthreatening people I know. Why would anyone want to hurt you? You’re gentle, and strong, and ridiculously handsome …”
She realized what she had said and drew in a sharp breath. “I mean—”
But he didn’t let her finish. A couple of steps placed him directly in front of her. Her breath stuttered in her lungs, not knowing if she was supposed to be inhaling or exhaling. Her head spun, her heart thumping, with anticipation of what might happen next.
He reached out and touched her chin, gently lifting her face so those serious gray-green eyes bored into hers. Her lack of height meant she needed to crane her neck, so he ducked his head, pressing a firm, warm kiss to her mouth. She kissed him back with a passion that surprised her.
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