Page 5

Chapter 5

Clueless

KEENAN

“T ake this.” I look up as Thorny tosses my jeans at me. “Your shirt is beyond repair. You’d think after several centuries of shifting you’d learn to plan better. Maybe take your clothes off first.”

I stand and drag the jeans on, buttoning them. “The dragon ripped her clothes, too,” I say defensively.

“You’re lucky this one doesn’t have the temper her brethren are known for.” He sits on the pavement next to the shack and opens his briefcase, taking out a Tupperware container filled with seeds. “In the years you’ve been watching this iteration of your mate, you never noticed the fuchsia dragon?”

I shake my head, still annoyed at myself for not getting close enough to sniff Pinky out. “Vanessa is my mate, not an iteration. Show some respect.”

He clears his throat. “My apologies. She seems like a tolerable young human.”

I drop to the pavement next to him, slinging my arms over my upraised knees, thinking of her words. Of how she slept outside, an uncommon practice for most humans. “All these years, I tried to protect her. But somehow, I’ve failed. My mate has known misery. How is this possible?”

Thorny chews on a handful of seeds, his brows wrinkling with thought. “What did you do to protect her?”

“I answered the call when she was distressed, when I could feel her fear.” I rub my hand over my chest. “But she rarely called. Sometimes I came without the call, to check on her. She seemed happy, so I didn’t concern myself with the particulars of her life.” I couldn’t bring myself to get too attached, knowing how things would end.

“Then you have done an exemplary job of caring for your mate.” Thorny’s matter-of-fact speech takes on what I assume he thinks is a reassuring tone. “You have seen to her needs. Humans are not complex and not often prone to distress. Trust me, I know. I’ve been observing them for years.”

I look at him skeptically, wondering how much time he’s spent with humans. If today has shown me anything, it’s that humans are quite prone to distress, at least the ones at the dinner party, and after, the ones in the police station. They were plenty anxious when I was throwing their tables against the walls.

But maybe not my human. Maybe the owl shifter has a point. Perhaps she’s different from the rest.

I settle against the wall, my arms crossed over my chest and my knees bent as I close my eyes. The long day washes over me and I can’t bring myself to open them again.

I hear the flap of Thorny’s wings as he shifts and leaves to find a perch for the night.

I’m feeling more optimistic. My human seems to be resilient, an excellent survival trait. Perhaps her resilience will… but no, I can’t bring myself to hope. I’ve lost too many mates to the same fate. There’s no point in hoping this mate might be different.

Though I tried to leave her alone, tonight’s events have pushed us together. I’m here now and there’s no going back. We must see the bond through. Now that she’s aware of my existence, she would suffer if we were separate. Her yearning for my presence would grow by the day until my absence became unbearable, driving her insane, eventually killing her.

With her sweet face in my mind and the distant beat of her heart setting the pace for mine, I drift into slumber.

Several hours later, something nudges me and I’m on my feet in an instant, senses alert, ready to shift if there’s a threat. The morning sun is peeking over the horizon and Vanessa is hovering next to me, her eyes wide, a bright orange bundle clutched in her hands. She looks beautiful in a pair of tight jean shorts and a too-small crop top, her long red hair in a tangle down her back.

She thrusts the orange bundle at me. “I grabbed this from the shop for you.”

My lips tug up and I drag what turns out to be a T-shirt over my head, the seams creaking in protest as I force it to accommodate a torso several sizes larger. “Thank you.”

Her eyes light with humor as she looks me over, lingering on the few inches of belly between my jeans and the orange monstrosity. “You look, uh, very LA.”

I’m not sure what that means but decide I’m acceptable.

We stare at each other, our thoughts the same. What now?

On the one hand, I should probably be running as far and as fast as I can from this bizzaro situation, but on the other hand, he’s cute and sort of fun. Okay, the murder mystery debacle landed me in jail, but when was the last time I had a Friday night like that? Oh, and on the third hand, he’s a prince. When will I get another opportunity to date a prince?

I suppress the urge to fist pump the air as her thoughts tip the scales in my direction. I decide to push my luck. “Can I treat you to some breakfast?” She tilts her head to the side, thinking. Seeing a stack of pancakes in her thoughts, I add, “IHOP, perhaps?”

She beams at me. “You read my mind.”

Yup, I did.

“Let’s take my vehicle,” I say.

At the same time, she says brightly, “I’ll drive!”

Recalling how she nearly killed a man yesterday, I say, “I need to practice driving in LA traffic. We’ll take my Jeep.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t get into strange cars with strange men on the first date.”

I give in with grace, shuddering at the thought of getting into a car with her behind the wheel. “Sure, you drive.” Wait… “Has there been many of those?”

We walk toward the parking lot. “Men or first dates?”

My hackles rise as I think of Vanessa with other men. She’s so beautiful, of course she would attract suitors. “Both.”

“Lots of one and very little of the other.” She sends me a mischievous look as she skips ahead.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She’s talking in riddles and I’m strongly reminded of Brenna, the second reincarnation of my mate. She had a mischievous streak as well. I’d thought for sure she would be safe from death, having placed the immortality amulet around her neck as soon as she agreed to take it from me, but I learned that immortality doesn’t necessarily equal a long life. Accidents can still happen. She died in a fire.

My next mate popped into existence within hours of Brenna’s death.

“I’m great at first dates, but not much after that. I don’t have time for hookups or boyfriends.” Vanessa’s cheerful voice pulls me from my morbid thoughts. “What about you?”

A shot of jealousy goes through me and I have to push it back. Vanessa lives in a time and place where dating multiple men is acceptable. “I’ve had… dates, I suppose you can call them, but nothing lasts long term.” As always, when I spend time with a reincarnation of my mate, my feelings become jumbled and confused. I’m with this mate, focused on her, the bond telling me she’s the one… yet the memory of the four who came before her crowd my head. I feel disloyal. To them. To her.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I realize we’ve stopped and I force the others from my head, focusing on Vanessa. I give her a reassuring smile. “Hungry for pancakes, that’s all.”

She beams and unlocks her car, waving me around to the passenger side. I open the door and look at the interior skeptically before jamming myself in, grunting as my knees hit the glove box.

She reverses out of the parking spot with the confidence of a woman on death row with nothing left to lose and rockets out of the lot, heading toward the highway.

I brace myself against the doorframe as she forces her way into an IHOP parking lot and hurtles into a spot that isn’t really a spot, but a small piece of pavement between a tree and a garbage bin. Cheerily, she hops out of the car and waits expectantly as I unfold my body from the metal prison.

She strides toward the restaurant, leaving me to follow.

“Vanessa!” Inside, a woman whose name tag reads Cherise folds Vanessa into her arms and holds her against generous breasts. “It’s been ages, girl. Where’ve you been hiding?”

I follow in bemusement as we’re led to a booth near the kitchen. Sliding in, I’m about to ask Vanessa how often she comes to the pancake house when the kitchen door swings open and a large male with a bushy mustache steps out and beelines toward us.

He hugs Vanessa, picking her up off her feet. “Long time, no see, Red!”

“Calvin,” she says warmly, hugging him back. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in lately; I’ve been so busy!”

“Of course you have.” He beams at her as she sits across from me. “You’re the most talented actor of your generation. You have people to see, places to go, awards to collect. You’ll have hordes of fans following you around in no time, screaming for a picture.”

It sounds like my worst nightmare.

She laughs. “Can you tell the casting directors all that? They haven’t gotten the memo about me yet.”

“They will, they will,” he reassures, squeezing her shoulder. His gaze settles on me and his pleasant expression melts away though his tone is still jovial as he says. “And who is this young man?”

Vanessa snickers and Cherise rolls her eyes. “You don’t know a shifter when one sits in your restaurant? I bet this guy is older than you, Cal.”

Surprised, I give her a closer look. It’s not often humans have the ability to peg a shifter so quickly.

Her shrewd gaze catches my expression and she taps her nose. “I can sense a shifter a mile away. You guys move a little different, smoother, you know?” I sense an ally in this woman.

Vanessa looks at me with curiosity, while Calvin’s gaze is tinged with hostility. I sense it’s not shifter prejudice, but protectiveness toward my mate that has his back up. His interest appears to be fatherly, so I let it pass.

“What’ll you have, darlin’?” Cherise asks Vanessa.

I search for menus, but there’s nothing on the table.

Vanessa pipes up. “We’ll have the Belgium Waffle Combo with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon, as well as the Breakfast Scrambler, eggs over medium, two sausage links, and shredded hash browns.” She pauses and I think she’s done, but Cherise continues to wait. “Oh, and we’ll get the banana chocolate French Toast Combo. I’ll have an orange juice and a coffee too, please.”

Cherise turns to me. “What’ll you have, love?”

“Uh, same.” I’m not sure which part I’m agreeing to, but Cherise nods and walks away.

“Thanks for letting me order for you,” Vanessa says, tucking a lock of her beautiful red hair behind her ear. “Most guys don’t like that, but I really do know what’s best to eat here. I used to come all the time when I was new to the area. Calvin and Cherise discounted my meals when I was down on my luck.”

Again, my heart aches at her words, though they’re spoken with a cheer that belies the heartbreak. Does it really not bother her to have known hardship?

“Why don’t most guys like it when you order for them?” I ask, still stuck on her dating past.

She shrugs. “I suppose ego, but it’s not just guys. I think most people probably don’t like having their order hijacked.”

“Then why do you do it?”

She bites her lip and draws on the table with her fingernail. A nervous habit maybe? It’s cute, but I wish her eyes were on me. The warmth in those green orbs keeps the terrible memories of lost mates at bay. “I feel anxious when I think about my tablemate accidentally ordering something they won’t like and then never wanting to come back here with me again. So, it’s better that I just order for both of us.” She pauses and then rushes to add, “I ordered extra. I figure you probably have a big appetite to go with how big… everything else is.”

Her gaze drops down my chest to the edge of the table and I shudder as though she physically touched me, pleasure rippling through my body. The bond is growing stronger and we’ve barely spent any time together.

“I do have a large appetite and I’m glad you ordered for me. I enjoy good food and wouldn’t want to order anything bad.” When she grins, I know I’ve said the right thing. I’m warmed by her admission that she wants me to enjoy my meal enough to come back with her. Maybe she says it to everyone she eats with, but I’ll make sure I’m the last guy she says it to.

The food arrives and we dig in, Vanessa leading the way by taking small bites from every dish on the table, rather than just one as is the usual custom when humans dine. I follow suit, taking bites from the same things she tries, chasing her fork around the table.

She eats until she’s satisfied, then leans back, her hands on her stomach. She makes a face and blows her cheeks out to show how full she is. I chuckle and wolf down every morsel left behind before announcing, “That was delicious, I will definitely be coming back here with you.”

“Good!” She jumps to her feet and reaches for me, tugging my arm to indicate she wants me out of the booth. When I stand, she says, “You pay. It’s the least you can do after ruining my best dress.” As she skips away from me, she says, “I’ll be in the car. Next, we’re going to see my agent, Laz.”