“Didn’t you even read the magazine after you found out who I was?” Strangely he felt equal measures of hurt and amusement.
“No. I didn’t think I needed to. I’d much rather get to know someone in person.”
He couldn’t help but pull her in for a kiss then. “I like you,” he told her, meaning it.
“I like you, too.”
At her sweet words, he felt a small premonition of warning. Things were going too well. She was his ideal woman, everything he could want, including claiming not to want a relationship. Why then did he feel as if the hammer was about to come down?
* * *
The idyllic time on the boat went way too fast, as good times often do. All too soon they pulled back into the harbor and toward the marina.
Maria knew enough about herself to understand that once she got home, she would have regrets. Tons of regrets. Almost the way a junkie repents the first time trying a drug, she should never have explored Ryan Howard. One taste of him had potentially ruined her for everyone else.
Not good, especially for a woman who felt as though she always had a ticking clock hanging over her and needed to find her mate soon.
But she refused to feel regret that their time together was over.
After Ryan had parked the boat back in his slip, she went below and grabbed her bag. Rejoining him topside, she accepted his hand as he helped her onto the dock. This time, she ignored the immediate tingle the contact brought and summoned up her friendliest smile.
“Thanks for an amazing time,” she told him, her tone a bit too bright. If he noticed, he gave no sign.
“Do you have a ride home?” he asked.
Holding up her cell phone, she shook her head. “I’m about to call now.”
“Don’t. I’ll drop you off.”
Briefly, she considered declining, for the foolish reason that she wasn’t sure she wanted him to know where she lived. But, she realized, he’d agreed to the parameters they’d set and wouldn’t be dropping by unannounced or anything. “Thank you,” she said. “I’d appreciate that.”
When they pulled up in front of her modest home, she realized belatedly she wasn’t sure how to say goodbye. Should she kiss his cheek or his mouth, or only shake hands? Since this had been a one-time, casual encounter and she’d never done anything like it before, she had no idea what would be acceptable.
So, instead, she did nothing. As soon as he put the car in park, she opened her door and hopped out. “Thank you so much,” she began, but Ryan wasn’t looking at her. He stared past her, his expression suddenly thunderous.
Turning to look, she saw a man climbing out of her bedroom window.
“Do you know him?” Ryan asked, his voice low and urgent.
“No. I think I’m being robbed.” She dug in her purse for her phone so she could call 911.
But Ryan didn’t wait. Pulling out a pistol, he took off running after the intruder.
As she watched, her heart pounding, the man shape-shifted into a dragon. Ryan squeezed off a few shots, but they were too late and did nothing to stop the dragon from launching himself into the sky.
Stunned, Maria watched as the Drakkor flew away. All she could think of was how what he’d done was in direct violation of every law set forth by the Drakkor Council. He’d changed in front of Ryan, and while she knew Ryan was Pack, this Drakkor intruder had no way of knowing.
Plus, it was broad daylight. Anyone could have seen. Did this mean Polacek had somehow escaped from prison?
Stunned, she looked back at Ryan. He, too, stared after the dragon until the huge beast disappeared into the clouds.
“Did you...” He cleared his throat. “Did you see that?”
“I did.” Unable to keep the anger and fear from her voice, she folded her arms across her chest.
“What was it?”
She took a deep breath. “You’d better come inside. Those gunshots are sure to attract attention.”
He stared at her. “After all that, the one thing you’re worried about is my gun?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m wondering how many others saw him and, worse, what will happen if someone got a picture.”
Ryan followed her into the house without saying another word. She placed her purse on the little table near the front door and tried to collect her scattered thoughts so she could figure out what to say. She knew she had to choose her words carefully.
After holstering his pistol, Ryan paced the length of her small living room. “I should call someone, don’t you think? I mean, that thing is flying loose over Galveston.”
“That thing is a Drakkor,” she interrupted. “And who would you call, the Pack Protectors?”
That stopped him in his tracks. “You know what I am?”
“Of course. You wear your aura just like we all do. I saw your wolf the first time we made love.”
He narrowed his eyes and studied her. “Okay. Touché. Since we’re exchanging personal information, tell me what manner of Shifter you are.”
“That’s not necessary.” Her tone let him know she refused to budge on this. “We’re not in a committed relationship, so there’s no need. Plus, I thought you wanted to discuss the Drakkor we just witnessed.”
“How do you know what it’s called?”
Now came the tricky part. “Because I’ve studied.” Not entirely a lie. She went to her bookshelf and pulled out a well-worn book. “Here. Take a look at this.”
Accepting the heavy hardback, he carried it over to the kitchen table. “History of Shape-shifters,” he read. “This looks like something we would have learned in school when we were young.”
“It probably was.” She glanced out the window. “The Drakkor are a very old and venerated people. However, that still doesn’t explain what that one was doing breaking into my house.”
“Or the fact that he broke every law of our kind by changing into a dragon like that.”
Grimly, she nodded. “Broad daylight. It will have to be reported. By the way, why do you carry a gun?”
“It’s Texas. I have my concealed handgun license. Maybe me shooting at it will make that Drakkor think twice before coming back.”
“Maybe.”
Ryan began paging through the book. “Here we go. The Drakkor.”
While he read what was admittedly a brief and incomplete article, she hurried to her bedroom to see if she could figure out what this intruder might have taken.
Everything appeared to be exactly the way she’d left it, her bed still perfectly made, her clothes hanging in her closet. She checked her dresser drawers, but her neatly folded underwear looked untouched. The same for her T-shirts and pajamas. Even her jewelry box didn’t seem to have been rifled through.
“What did he steal?” Ryan asked from the doorway.
“That’s just it. I don’t know.” Delayed reaction had set in and she realized tears pricked the back of her eyes. Horrified, especially since she didn’t cry, she took several deep breaths and wrestled her emotions under control.
Good. Now she had to call her father and report what had just happened.
“You need to leave,”