Heart of the Demon (27 page)

“Absolutely.” He walked over to her dresser, making her stiffen for a moment. Not that there was anything he could get into—the
schematics to the device were under her pillow. When all he did was stick a finger into the glass bowl of potpourri, she relaxed.
He stirred the fragrant mixture around, making the scent of lavender and vanilla permeate the room. “It’s been great to finally
find you,” he said without glancing her way, his tone one of a stranger making small talk. They might as well go back to discussing
the weather.

He sounded less enthused about being with her than she’d like. It befuddled her. What was going on beneath that brush cut?
She’d thought they had been on their way toward rebuilding the relationship that had been put on hold by their trip through
the rift all those years ago, yet he seemed remarkably disinterested.

Before she could delve into it further, her cell phone rang. With a murmured apology, she slipped the rift device under her
pillow and then grabbed her phone from the nightstand. She noticed her brother’s sharp eyes hadn’t missed the fact that she’d
hidden the alleged MP3 player. She’d have to make sure to find a better hiding place than a book and her underwear drawer.
She answered the phone on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Got a brouhaha over on Chaparral, just east of Hayden,” the council dispatcher said without any formal greeting. He was an
irascible werebear who didn’t put up with a lot of crap, though he sure could dish it out. “Local LEOs have things in hand
at the moment, but you need to get your furry self over there.”

“What happened?” All business, she rose from the bed and headed toward her closet. For now, at least, the Scottsdale police
had things under control. She paused as she reached for a blouse and wondered if Dante MacMillan was already at the scene.
A sensual shiver worked its way through her. There was something about that man, something that, even though he was human,
called to everything feminine and primal within her.

“Some kind of skirmish between a werewolf and a vamp,” the dispatcher answered, drawing her back to the conversation, “with
a human bystander caught between ’em. Think the human’s okay, though. Well, mostly okay.” The werebear gave a little growl.
“As okay as one of ’em can be in the middle of a fight between two prets, I suppose. But you need to get over there pronto.”

“Ten-four.” She grinned at the dispatcher’s disgruntled snarl. He really hated it when she used police codes. Tori rang off
and looked at her brother. She shoved the phone into the pocket of her robe. As she pulled the blouse from its hanger, she
started, “Rand, I—”

“Let me guess,” her brother said. His voice held a hint of sarcasm that dismayed her. “You have to go.”

She nodded and went to her dresser to pull out a clean pair of jeans. “Rand, we really—”

He slashed a hand through the air. His face darkened, glittering gaze meeting hers. “Just forget it, Tori. It’s always been
this way with you. Job first, family second.” He sounded like a sulky child.

She tamped down a surge of irritation even as she felt the need to defend herself and her choices. “That’s not true!” She
dropped her clothing on the bed and went over to him. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I love you,
you know that. And I love having you here. It’s just like old times. With you around, it makes this place, this planet, feel
like home.” For the first time since she’d arrived in this strange, new world it felt…comfortable. Family made all the difference.

She was surprised to see a film of tears make his blue eyes shine. “It’s not that I don’t like being here with you,” he said,
his voice low, a little hoarse. “It’s just…” He shook his head with a sigh. “I’ve always felt like I existed in your shadow.
‘Why can’t you be more like your sister?’” he mimicked in an excellent approximation of their father’s bellicose tones. “‘Your
sister never disappoints us.’” He went back to his normal voice. “I knew he was disappointed in me. Always disappointed. And
I’m just not sure that, if I stay, things will be any different. I’ll be known as Tori’s little brother, the inept one. The
loser.”

“Rand, no you won’t.” Tori felt much more compelled to build up Rand’s self-esteem than to defend her father. He had been
strict, demanding perfection from a son who was too emotionally fragile to withstand the pressure. She gave her brother’s
shoulder another squeeze. “You’re not inept. And Father loved you. You know he did.”

“Did he?” Rand shrugged. His fingers started tapping against his thigh. “Whatever.” He wore the same churlish expression he
had when he’d been a teen. She felt momentary dismay that he could still be so immature. Hadn’t he learned anything from his
trip through the rift? Had he not grown at all in the century and a half they’d been on Earth? He seemed to shake his mood,
because a slight smile tilted his lips. He lifted his hands, spreading them in a sheepish gesture. “Listen, I’m just being…”
He shook his head. “Don’t pay any attention to me. Go. Get to work. Save the day,” he said in an approximation of a superhero’s
voice.

She returned his smile, though she couldn’t get rid of the worry niggling at the back of her mind. He was lost and alone and
resisting her attempts to make him part of her life again. If she pushed too hard she might lose him again. On impulse, she
hugged him and quickly released his thin but firm body. Anyone who made the mistake of thinking he’d be physically weak might
make the last mistake of their lives. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and tried to ignore the sour-milk scent of his sullen
discontent. “I’ll see you later, all right? We’ll have dinner together. Think about what you’d like, and I’ll stop by the
grocery store on my way home.” She searched his eyes, looking for a sign, any sign, of what he might be thinking, what he
was feeling. “We’ll talk. Catch up some more.”

“Yeah. Sure.” He gave another smile, though this one was definitely forced. With a nod he left the room, pulling the door
closed behind him.

Tori grabbed the device and schematics from beneath her pillow. She slipped the folded paper into the pocket of a fleece jacket
she hardly ever wore and tucked the device into the toe of one of her boots. The jeans she shimmied into were formfitting,
and the blouse was frothy in various shades of turquoise. Her women’s athletic shoes were serviceable with bright purple along
the edge of the sole. Being a werewolf was so much a part of what she was, she needed to find ways to feel like a woman. To
be feminine. To be more than the beast. Purple shoes and filmy blouses helped.

She brushed her still-damp hair and braided it, then slipped her brush into the fanny pack she usually wore instead of carrying
a purse. After shrugging into her shoulder holster, she retrieved her Magnum from the gun safe. It was a requirement of the
council that all liaisons, in essence law enforcement officers for preternaturals, had to carry guns. Tori didn’t usually
mind, but sometimes the gun was the least favorite part of her job. While it often made her feel sexy, it rarely made her
feel feminine.

Besides, when it came to defending herself or running down a suspect, all she really needed were her claws and fangs.

Many thanks to my readers. I appreciate your support!

As always, huge thank you to the team at Grand Central Publishing who did such great work getting this book out, with a special
shout-out to Latoya Smith for all her help.

Thanks also to Susan Ginsburg, who rocks the house!

Kiss of the Vampire

Into the Rift

Secret of the Wolf

“Garner returns to her paranormal world, where supernatural beings are in constant conflict with each other and humans often
become collateral damage. Filled with hefty doses of action, suspense, and romance, Garner’s latest is an intriguing read.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“With mystery, romance, and plenty of paranormal, this series will appeal to a variety of genre lovers.”

—
Parkersburg News and Sentinel
(WV)

“Fast-paced…Tori is a terrific individual torn between the two most important people in her life…Readers will appreciate the
fascinating Garner mythos.”

—GenreGoRoundReviews.blogspot.com

“This was a quick read with a good mystery, a memorable heroine, and a hero that will charm you.”

—ParanormalHaven.com

“An inventive spin on supernatural mythos draws readers into this fast-paced paranormal series launch…Garner shows promise
with great characters, constant action, and steamy sex.”

—
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“Intriguing…Garner provides both a cool premise and interesting characters. One to watch!”

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RT Book Reviews

“A deliciously dark and scorchingly sexy treat for fans of paranormal romances.”

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Chicago Tribune

“Various characters in the story have complex, yet compelling, backgrounds…As for the ending—
awesome
!…I closed the cover of this book while wishing that the second title was available for me to dive immediately into.”

—HuntressReviews.com

“A refreshing look at the origin of vampires, werewolves, and other myths. Fast-paced, the romantic and police procedural
subplots deftly balance a strong story line…never slows down as Cynthia Garner provides a fascinating take on the supernatural.”

—GenreGoRoundReviews.blogspot.com

“I cannot wait for this series to continue…Garner seamlessly combines paranormal romance and romantic suspense that has you
on the edge of your seat.”

—ANovelAddiction.wordpress.com