Page 29 of Scout’s Honor

Dallas pointed. “That’s what made the magic house birth itself out of the ground, too—when Dakota first got close to a vampire.”

Dario’s lip curled. “Bro…”

Dallas was already pacing down the front walk, where soft rain still fell. “So it has to do with vampires, and if she hasn’t seen a vampire ever, you won’t see her glow.” He turned around and pointed at Dario. “Not until she sees a vampire.”

Dario nodded. “Sure, seems plausible.” The radio on his belt called for a Unit 130 and Dario unclipped it. “This is me,” he said to Dallas, then into the radio, “130.”

“A male fitting the description of your suspect has been picked up and taken to the hospital. He doesn’t remember anything since being in a bar two hours ago. I’m sending you a picture.”

Dario pulled out his phone then turned it around to show Dallas.

Dallas nodded. “That’s him.”

Dario spoke into the radio. “We’ve got a positive I.D. Have him taken into custody.”

“10-4.”

Dallas was glad the guy was caught, but still, all he could think about was Bonhi, and whether or not he was going to tell her what he was, and what he thought she was… even though no one other than him had seen her glow.

17—Surprise of her Life

Half an hour later, Bonhi stood at her front door watching the police car pull out. The officers had been thorough, and the fact that they’d found and arrested the guy that’d abducted her gave her a lot of comfort.

The police car drove away. Bonhi closed the door and turned around to face Dallas. He leaned against the wall, dark eyes on her.

“You still owe me an explanation,” she said.

He stared quietly for so long she thought he’d decided differently, but then he pushed away from the wall and backed into her living room. “I want to show you,” he said, “But I don’t want you to be scared.”

She followed, saying, “I have… a suspicion but it’s crazy.”

He nodded, curiosity in his eyes.

“You’re a werewolf,” she whispered.

He smiled and shook his head. “Not a werewolf.”

Bonhi flushed and dropped her eyes to the floor. “Oh, I’m so stupid. I saw Jameson earlier out at Cove Springs in the middle of nowhere and he was right where I’d just seen a wolf and it was so strange and my imagination ran away with me—”

Dallas grasped her by the arm. She looked up, trusting him fully.

His expression was deadly serious. “You’re not stupid—watch.”

He pulled her drapes closed, then moved away from the wall and faced her. He bent forward and changed, clothes melding to jet-black fur, face and body morphing into a big cat—a massive cat—a black jaguar with golden eyes and a prosthesis on one rear leg.

Bonhi felt weightless, like her feet didn’t even touch the ground. Her breath came in short gasps, as she was carried away to a world where men could turn into animals.

She had a jaguar in her living room.

Her legs felt weak and she spilled to her knees, saying, “You’re… you’re…”

The big cat came forward and nosed her arm. She touched him on the neck, in wonder, sliding her fingers through his short, thick fur.

“You’re beautiful.”

He chuffed, making a lovely sound she would have thought came from a smaller animal.

He stepped back, then seemed to stand on his rear legs, and he changed again, clothes replacing fur and body changing shape, until he stood in front of her as a man. His shirt was on inside out. He looked down like he was expecting it, then whipped the shirt off and turned it right-side out, displaying a thick, muscled torso and strong arms and chest. Bonhi drank in the sight until it was gone. She gaped at him, speechless for the first time in her life, still on her knees.