Forgotten Read online

  “I have to close.” She sighed and then brightened. “But I have a customer coming back that I think might really pan out. He’s interested in buying one of the Rolexes. A Yacht-Master edition I think.”

  “Ooo…” Mimi leaned forward, her kindly face lighting up with interest. “And how much do those run?”

  “He’s looking at one in the 70,000 dollar range.” Kate smiled. “Which means I can finally pay you all the back rent I owe.”

  “Oh please…” Mimi made a shooing gesture. “You know I don’t care about that!”

  “Yes, but I do,” Kate said stubbornly. “You’ve been so good to me, taking me home and letting me stay with you, even after I remembered about my mom’s house.”

  “I’m glad you decided to come back to Tampa even after our little road trip.” Mimi smiled. “The apartment would have felt so lonely without you.”

  “Well, there’s nothing for me in Mississippi.” Kate smiled back. “And a really good friend here in Tampa. My only friend.”

  “Hey—you’ll meet new people. If you ever come out of your shell.” Mimi patted her hand gently. “I wish you could come to Pat’s party tonight. It’s going to be a hoot.”

  “I bet.” Kate tried to paste a regretful look on her face but the truth was, she was more than glad to be missing the party Mimi was talking about. The good thing about Mimi was, she loved everybody. By the same token, the bad thing about Mimi was, she loved everybody.

  Pat, who was throwing the party, had been over to their apartment once before. He was tall, balding, somewhere in his mid-thirties and seemed to be stuck in perpetual hippie mode. His entire wardrobe consisted of baggy, torn jeans and big tie-dyed t-shirts that couldn’t quite hide his hairy gut. He also had long, dirty fingernails and smoked pot that he grew himself in his own hydroponic garden. Kate would rather watch paint dry than go to a party at his house.

  “Pat’s going to be upset you’re not there,” Mimi remarked, finishing the last of her noodles. “I think he likes you. Like, really likes you?”

  “Oh, really?” Kate tried to keep her voice neutral but inside she was cringing. Now she was doubly glad she was working late tonight. Just the thought of Pat pawing at her with those big, hairy mitts and long, dirty fingernails made her feel queasy.

  “Really.” Clearly Mimi wasn’t aware of the reaction she’d caused by mentioning Pat’s feelings, which was just as well.

  “You know, Mimi…” Kate tried to find a nice way to say what had to be said. “When it comes to Pat, well…I really don’t feel ready to date anybody just yet.”

  “Oh, of course.” Mimi put a hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Kate—I swear I won’t say anything to encourage him. Are you…” Her voice dropped. “Are you still having those bad dreams?”

  Kate took a last sip of her juice, trying to hide her confusion. She wished she hadn’t told Mimi about the dreams—the ones where a huge, muscular stranger with burning blue eyes was stalking her. But she’d apparently been thrashing around and crying out one night and Mimi had woken her up. The whole bad dream had come pouring out and now her friend knew everything.

  Well, not quite everything. She only knew about the man Kate saw in her dreams. She didn’t know about the other thing—the Beast—as Kate had come to call it. It was somehow attached to the man but she didn’t know how. It snarled and snapped at her, its burning, silver eyes narrowed in menace and its knife-like teeth hungry for her blood.

  It’s the Beast you really have to watch out for, whispered a little voice in her head. The man you could take down with a couple of well-placed shots. But the Beast…nothing’s bringing that monster down. Not once it sets its sights on you and decides you’re dinner. If that happens, you’re toast, Kate—as good as dead.

  “Sometimes,” she admitted, feeling a cold chill run down her back at the thought. “But I’ll be okay. I’m just…not ready to date right now.”

  “Of course not. And you don’t have to until you’re ready.” Mimi patted her arm comfortingly.

  “Thanks Mimi. Did I ever tell you how sweet you are?” Kate grinned at her with genuine affection. “You’re like my guardian angel, you know that, girlfriend?”

  “Aww…” Mimi’s narrow cheeks grew red. “Stop it.”

  “I will not,” Kate said. “If you hadn’t found me when you did, I—”

  Her voice died in her throat and a feeling of dread clutched at her heart like an icy fist.

  “You what? Kate? Are you okay?” Mimi looked at her anxiously.

  “I…I just…” Kate couldn’t form anything coherent to say. Across the busy, crowded food court a tall figure was standing, watching her. A tall, muscular man with dark hair and burning blue eyes.

  The man from her dreams.

  Kate felt like her heart was about to stop. Cold sweat broke out all over her body and suddenly she couldn’t get a deep enough breath to fill her lungs, even though she was gasping for air.

  Him—it’s him! He’s coming to get me!

  Her hands clenched into trembling fists and she started to see spots dancing in front of her eyes. God, was she going to black out?

  No, can’t do that! Have to take control. Have to breathe!

  “Kate? What is it? What are you staring at?” Mimi looked to see what had put the expression of horror on her friend’s face. But just as she turned her head, the tall man, who was head and shoulders above anyone else in the food court, somehow melted into the crowd and disappeared.

  As soon as he left, Kate’s heart gave a little skip and started beating normally again. Her breathing slowed and her tense muscles began to relax.

  “Nothing,” she said in a voice that trembled only a little. “It’s nothing. For a minute I thought I saw—”

  “Saw what?” Mimi looked at her with genuine concern on her long face. “Seriously Kate—what? You looked white as a sheet. For a minute I thought you were going to faint or have a panic attack!”

  “It was nothing.” Kate waved a hand, trying to dismiss the dark figure. “A figment of my imagination, that’s all.”

  “Well…if you’re sure.” Mimi was clearly reluctant to let it go.

  “I’m sure,” Kate said briskly. Standing, she grabbed her empty cup and Mimi’s tray. “Come on—break’s over. Time to get back to work. I have expensive watches to sell.”

  “But—”

  “And if I sell that Yacht-Master, we’ll have our own party!” Kate promised recklessly. “It’ll be amazing.”

  “That sounds like fun.” Mimi seemed willing to let herself be distracted, at least for now. Kate breathed a sigh of relief. She dumped their trash in the can and they chatted lightly about possible party themes as they left the food court together. Of the tall, dark-haired man with blue eyes, there was no sign. Kate tried to tell herself he was just a figment of her imagination, brought on by Mimi’s mention of her dreams. But he’d seemed so real standing there, staring at her.

  So real and so very, very dangerous.

  Chapter Two

  Rone watched her from the shadows of a nearby shop as she walked down the long, winding mall hallway. The shop was a purveyor of trendy Earth clothing with dim lighting and loud music blasting from its darkened interior. The harsh noise hurt his ears but Rone barely even noticed it. All of his attention was focused on the petite female with a riot of coppery curls. That was Kate all right—his sensitive Wulven nose confirmed what his heart had already known. His breath caught in his chest—Lalli! Gods, been looking for you for so long! Thought I’d lost you forever!

  She’d disappeared right under his nose from the Holy Mountains on Rageron—leaving nothing but the white robe she’d been wearing. He’d searched everywhere, frantic with fear for her safety and had run himself ragged, unable to sleep at night as he imagined horrible things being done to her.

  Rone’s mind kept showing him pictures of his beloved mate being tortured or raped and he couldn’t force the images away long enough to get a moment’s rest. What rig