She knew he was not Pack. He smelled human. Still, was it possible he could be working for Leo? This far away?
The rough bark of the tree dug into her palms and she realized she was clasping the trunk with a death grip. Forcing herself to loosen her hold, she eyed the trespasser and wondered what he wanted. To kill her? Though she’d come halfway across the country to escape Leo, his operations had a long reach. She wouldn’t be surprised to learn he’d found her. He had resources she didn’t even want to think about.
Leo. Drug lord and murderer.
She thought of the last time she’d seen her ex-husband, at his federal trial on charges of drug racketeering. Aristocratic features hard and cold, he’d glared at her across the packed courtroom and loudly vowed to see her dead. He didn’t understand that she’d already died a hundred times during their marriage.
Though the federal Witness Protection Program had promised to keep her safe, she hadn’t trusted them. All it took was one weak link, one person to reveal the wrong fact, and she’d die from a silver bullet through the heart.
No thank you. She’d taken to the road alone, telling no one. She’d changed her name, her hair color from brown to blond and changed her style of clothing. Now, she was a new person. Only her face and form remained the same.
Touching her necklace, she tried to convince herself she’d never be found. Leo would never look in Texas—he had no reason to suspect she’d have come so far.
All she had to deal with now was the fact that Leo’d done something to her to make her unable to change, knowing she’d go mad and die. If she didn’t overcome this, he’d have his revenge at last.
A movement brought her sharply back to the present, to the man prowling on her rented land, sniffing around like an untrained pup.
A quick glance assured her he wasn’t armed, though she found small consolation in that. If she could have become wolf, she could have taken him easily, but as a human female she was petite and small boned, untrained in combat.
Instead of defending herself, as her every instinct urged, she’d remain hidden and watch. See what he did, what he was looking for. Maybe then she could figure out how to stop him.
Though she expected him to advance on her house, when he reached the middle of her lawn, he stopped, as still as a statue, staring at her cabin. Then he turned, looked toward the trees as if he could see her, and touched the brim of his cap in a salute.
She stifled a gasp. How had he seen her?Hadhe scented her? But he wasn’t like her, and only her own kind could do that. Readying herself for combat, she couldn’t believe it when instead of approaching, he climbed back in his boat, started the motor and pulled away.
Staring after his retreating shape in disbelief, she put her hand to her chest, willing her racing heartbeat to slow. Trembling and furious with her weakness, she remained behind the oak until she could no longer see him and the sound of his motor was a distant hum.
Then and only then did she step into the clearing.
What was that all about?
Disturbed and puzzled, she returned to the cabin, locked the door and slid between the sheets. The soft cotton felt rough on her overheated skin, abrasive and making her already-aching body hurt. She tossed and turned, knowing she wouldn’t sleep.
Somehow, she did.
The next thing Jewel knew, bright sunshine poured through the windows and the bedside clock read 10:00 a.m.
Stretching, she woke with a sense of purpose, a renewed optimism and hope. Time to take action. If she couldn’t become a wolf, she needed to learn to fight as a human. Just in case.
Even making this simple decision cheered her, made her feel empowered.
After a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon and coffee, she did a little research. According to the phone book, Anniversary had two martial-arts studios. Jotting down both locations, she pulled on a pair of stretchy shorts and a tank top and hopped into her car. Carefully keeping to the speed limit, she headed toward town, windows open, wishing her air-conditioning worked.
By the time she reached the outskirts of Anniversary, her tank top was plastered to her back.
The first studio, located on Main Street, was in a new, white-stucco strip mall. She parked outside, watching as a class of children, all dressed in white robes, practiced their moves. Apparently, this place was popular with the under-twelve crowd. She needed something a bit more hard-edged and discreet.
Checking her notes, she started the car and headed over to the other place.
Much smaller and less flashy, Chuong’s side street location gave it less curb appeal. Here, too, watching through the large front window, she saw a class comprised entirely of younger children, but she also noticed as several women entered alone. A hand-lettered sign on the upper corner of the plate-glass window advertised self-defense classes for women. She made a decision.
Jewel stepped inside, glad to leave the sweltering heat behind her. The air conditioner ran full blast, and the cold stung her nostrils. From one extreme to the other. Standing in front of a small reception area, she rubbed her arms to keep warm.
“Can I help you?” A slender Asian teenager looked Jewel up and down, her aristocratic face expressionless. Her name tag proclaimed her to be Candy.
“I’d like to sign up for the self-defense class.”
Popping gum, Candy nodded, handed her a clipboard and some papers. “Fill these out, please. Which credit card will you be using to pay?”
