Part 51 (2/2)

He didn't know why she had gone out, except that she needed to get away from him. The question was-would she come back?

He had thought the two of them had worked out their problems. Now he knew that was just male arrogance.

He had satisfied her as a lover. But had that settled anything else?

d.a.m.n. What should he do now? He wanted to rush out and look for her. Maybe she was even in trouble out there.

It flashed through his mind that maybe he needed more wolves to help find her. Then he told himself he was overreacting.

And more importantly, if she had taken her bird form, a bunch of wolves would never catch up with her.

RINNA had learned to listen to her inner feelings when they guided her in one direction or the other.

Too bad that wasn't true about her relations.h.i.+p to Logan.

She flew due east, trying to pick out familiar landmarks. When she spotted the convenience store, the place Logan called the Easy Shopper, she slowed, her wings beating the air just enough so that she could hover over one spot. A man was sprawled on the hard surface in front of the building. He was lying on his back, and as she circled lower, she felt a shock wave roll through her. She knew him!

It was the police detective who had been waiting for them at Logan's house yesterday. And it looked like he was hurt.

In the sky above him, she hesitated. He had wanted information from her and Logan-information Logan hadn't been willing to give. And she should stay away from him.

But she couldn't just leave him like that. And as she hovered over him, she saw something lying on the ground that made her heart start to pound. A spear! From one of Falcone's warriors.

She came down beside the detective, landing lightly on the hard surface, then moving closer to peer into his pale face. He didn't move.

Her heart still pounding, she pressed her beak against his cheek.

To her relief, his eyes blinked open, and he stared at her as though he were contemplating a vision from a nightmare.

She wanted to tell him that she meant him no harm. But speech was beyond her. All she could do was make a kind of deep-throated chirping sound.

”What the h.e.l.l?” He fumbled on the ground and grabbed the gun that was lying beside him.

Gasping, she dodged to the side. If she rose into the air, he could shoot her from behind, so she stayed where she was, her gaze moving from his hand to his face and back again.

”What are you, a trained bird?” he asked.

She didn't answer, but she summoned her old skill, using it as best she could to send him an urgent message, pus.h.i.+ng past the pain that gathered in her head as she spoke to him.

You don't want to hurt me. When he lowered the gun, she added something else, something she didn't entirely understand herself. You should keep people away from the Easy Shopper. It's a dangerous place.

”What?” he croaked.

Again she sent him the thought.

”Jesus. Am I going nuts?” His eyes wary, he put his hand to the back of his head and winced. ”Better call for help,” he muttered.

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