Marisa Chenery (8 page)

“Thanks. You clean up pretty good yourself. So where are you taking me?”

“I have reservations at the Everest.”

“French food. You really are going all out.”

“Well, you’ll be proud of me. I did a search online for a list of Chicago’s most romantic restaurants and the Everest was on it.”

“Way to go, Konner. You’ll be an old hand at the internet in no time.”

He chuckled. “I doubt that. I am ashamed to say it took me three tries and a half hour just to find it.”

“At least you did it.”

Having reached their destination, Konner parked the car in a parking lot not too far from the building of the Chicago Stock Exchange where the restaurant was located on the fortieth floor. The Everest had complimentary valet parking in their underground garage, but Konner didn’t want to use it. He didn’t like the idea of someone he didn’t know driving his car.

He took Alexis’ hand once he helped her out of the car. “You don’t mind the little walk to the restaurant, do you?”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not that far.”

“Good. I prefer to park where I can do it myself.”

“If I had a car as expensive as yours, I’d probably feel the same way.”

After the elevator ride up to the fortieth floor, the hostess seated them at a table near a window that had a spectacular view of Chicago. The food was delicious, and Konner made a mental note to bring Alexis here again sometime since she enjoyed it so much.

As they finished up their meal, Konner lifted the bottle of wine he’d ordered with the food and held it over Alexis’ glass to fill. She quickly placed her hand over the top to stop him before he could pour any of the liquid.

“That’s enough for me,” she said. “I don’t need to be feeling it.”

“No more wine for both of us then. If you’re done I’ll pay the bill.”

Konner knew for a fact Alexis wouldn’t have to worry about getting drunk ever again. Being as immortal as he, she’d be able to drink and eat however much she wanted and not have it affect her in any way.

“I’m done,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for taking me. It was a really nice meal.”

Once the waitress brought their bill and he paid it, Konner guided Alexis to the elevator, already looking forward to getting her back to his place and having her all to himself.

Alexis walked at Konner’s side as they headed for the parking lot where he’d left his car. The meal had been perfect. She’d never eaten in such a fancy restaurant before and had thoroughly enjoyed it.

When they arrived at the lot, there were only a couple of other cars there along with Konner’s. It was also a bit on the dark side since one of the lights had burned out. It didn’t bother Alexis. With Konner at her side, she really didn’t think she’d have to worry about anything. He was a big enough presence to scare any would-be muggers off. But that didn’t look as if it would be a problem. No one else was there but her and Konner.

Just as they neared his car, Konner jerked to a stop and let out a moan of pain. Alexis turned to ask him what was wrong, but found herself unable to form the words as she watched with horror as his body began to change shape. The sound of his bones shifting and realigning was loud. Her eyes widened as he grew taller, standing at almost seven feet tall, his body heavier with muscle. At the end, he was the creature she’d seen in the picture on that website about the warriors of Anubis, right down to the jackal’s head, black fur, kilt and armbands.

Alexis wanted to scream when he turned his gaze on her, but her throat had gone so dry she wasn’t even capable of that. She stumbled back, not wanting to be close to him.

Konner reached for her, but jerked around at the sound of male laughter coming from nearby. “Demon,” he said in a voice that was deeper and gravelly compared to his normal one.

Alexis watched as a man stepped out of the shadows.

His glowing red eyes gave it away that he couldn’t be human. She tried to sidestep away in the hopes that she could make a getaway, but Konner backed up until she was directly behind him. Each step she took, he matched to keep even with her.

“Who is that you’re trying to keep from me, warrior of Anubis?” the man, demon, asked as he sauntered closer.

“Keep away from her,” Konner said on a growl.

The demon cocked his head to the side to peer at her.

“It looks as if she’s scared of you. She mustn’t like the form your god has you shift into whenever you’re around evil. That’s too bad since my spell is going to keep you like this until morning.”

The demon shifted a little closer, angling himself so Alexis had a better view of him. The smile he gave her and the way he looked at her gave her the chills. A sense of wrongness seemed to roll off him in waves.

Never so scared in her life, she reached inside her purse and wrapped her hands around the one thing that might give her a chance to escape the thing Konner had turned into and the demon—a small can of pepper spray.

Sabrina had given it to Alexis for Christmas. At the time, she’d laughed at the gift, but now she was thankful her friend was so paranoid all the time and had convinced her to keep it in her purse.

The opportunity to use it came seconds later. The demon disappeared, then reappeared right next to her.

Konner let out a growl and turned, but that didn’t stop Alexis from pulling out the pepper spray and spraying it directly into the demon’s eyes. He bellowed as he wiped at them. He then disappeared again. She frantically searched for him as she kept the can held out at the ready.

“I don’t think he’s coming back,” Konner said. “The pepper spray took care of him for now.”

Alexis didn’t give herself time to think. She turned, took aim and sprayed Konner in his jackal’s eyes. He bellowed a lot like the demon had, but she wasn’t about to stick around. Shoving the spray back into her purse, she took off at a run, not once looking back to see if Konner followed her.

* * * * *

Konner couldn’t see and found it hard to breathe. He coughed as his nose ran. Alexis had actually sprayed him with pepper spray. And now he was in agony.

Basically blinded since his eyes had immediately swollen shut after getting hit, he felt his way to the car.

He tried to open the door, but then remembered he’d dropped his keys just as the shift had torn through him.

Returning to the spot where he thought they’d be, he felt around on the ground until he found them. One push of a button and he had the car unlocked.

Inside, he felt a little more protected then being out in the open. Stuck in his half-human and half-jackal form, he didn’t need any mortals to see him like this. He wanted to leave, but until he could see again, that wasn’t going to be possible.

Luckily for him, his immortality took care of the pepper spray. It only took a matter of minutes rather than the thirty to forty-five minutes a mortal would have to suffer through during the full effect.

Once his vision was clear enough, Konner drove out of the parking lot and headed for home. He took the less-busy streets, which added time to his trip, but he didn’t need to be seen by too many mortals looking as he did.

His thoughts then turned to Alexis. Was she safe? Would she make it home by herself all right? All he could feel was the dread that this would doom their budding relationship.

At his house, Konner went straight to Anubis’ temple and called for the god. “Anubis.”

Yes, Konner.

“The demon finally made his move. He used the spell you told me about. I’m stuck in my other form.”
Did he appear before you?

“Yes, but he didn’t stick around long enough for me to send him to you. I think he would have tried to take me out right then, but he had a weapon used on him that I doubt he was expecting.”

What happened?

“Alexis hit him with pepper spray.” Konner paused.

“Then she turned it on me.”

Where is she now?

“She’s more than likely back at her place. She ran from me. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her what I was before the demon used the spell.” He cleared his throat.

“It’s too late to give her the choice, anyway. I lost control of myself and couldn’t fight the urge anymore.” Anubis sighed.
It’s all right, Konner. I had hoped Alexis
would have reacted better at seeing you in this form.

“Why would you think that? She didn’t know what I was.”

The other night when she slept over, I took what I thought
were steps to help ease her into your world. When she was
working on your laptop, I had it go to a page she thought was
on the internet. It gave her plenty of information about my
warriors. I even included a sketch of what you look like shifted.

After she read that, I drew her to this room. I’d hoped she’d sort
of put everything together and guess on her own what you
were. But it obviously didn’t work like that.

“No, it didn’t. She was scared shitless of me. Thus the pepper spray in the face.”

She’ll come to accept you. The other warriors who have
found their mates went through this and didn’t lose the ones
meant for them. Alexis will come around.

“I hope so. For now I’m stuck at home until I shift back. I wish I had Alexis here. The thought of the demon finding her while I’m not there to protect her haunts me.”
Go to her tomorrow. She should be okay for tonight. I don’t
think the demon will be back that soon, especially after the
pepper spray. By morning you’ll be back in your human form
and you can go after your mate.

Konner felt Anubis’ presence fade away. He looked down at himself, and for the first time, wished he had the ability to shift at will, to undo whatever spell the demon had used. The look of fear on Alexis’ face as she’d stared at him in this form would be something he wouldn’t be able to forget.

* * * * *

Alexis had managed to find a taxi not too far from the restaurant to take her home. Once she’d arrived, she had ignored the questions her mother and father had asked as to why she’d come back so early. Even when her mom had come to knock on Alexis’ bedroom door she ignored her.

She’d gotten undressed and put on her pajamas before she’d climbed into bed and curled up into a ball.

There she stayed until morning, not able to sleep. Her mind kept replaying Konner shifting into that creature.

Along with it, all the information she’d read on that website worked its way in with it. What she thought was just a myth wasn’t. The demon had called Konner a warrior of Anubis. But it couldn’t be.

Once dawn lightened the sky, Alexis dragged her aching body out of bed. Her head pounded from lack of sleep and her muscles protested as she uncurled from her cramped position.

She stretched, then sat on her bed, staring at nothing for the next couple of hours, feeling numb. But then the need to read that web page took hold and had her rushing to the laptop she kept in her room. Once it booted up she did a search for the website, but nothing came up. There was absolutely nothing on warriors of Anubis. It was if the page she’d seen that night had never existed.

Hearing her parents moving around, Alexis knew she couldn’t stay locked inside her bedroom. Her mom would become too concerned, would demand to know what had happened last night. Alexis couldn’t tell her parents the truth. They wouldn’t believe her.

After running a brush through her hair, she opened her bedroom door and headed for the kitchen. Her parents were sitting at the table quietly talking. They both grew silent when they saw her.

Her mom stood and came to stand in front of Alexis.

“Honey, is everything okay?”

Alexis shook her head. “Not really.”

“Did you and Konner have a fight?”

“Sort of.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but if it isn’t too serious, you both can still make your relationship work. You love him. Was it bad enough to say goodbye for good?” Alexis wished she could tell her mom everything, but that wasn’t going to happen. Did she still love Konner? During the night, she’d only thought of how scared she’d been of him, didn’t remember what it was like before she’d seen him shift. But if he really was a warrior of Anubis then that ability to shift had always been there. And from what she’d read, he was supposed to be one of the good guys. Thinking he was a bounty hunter wasn’t too far off from what he truly did each night.

“I’m not sure, Mom.”

“Wait until you see him again, then you’ll know.” Right at that moment, the doorbell rang. In Alexis’

heart of hearts she knew it was Konner. She didn’t know if she was prepared to see him again, but she couldn’t avoid him forever.

She hurried out of the kitchen and went to the front She hurried out of the kitchen and went to the front door. Alexis heard her parents following behind her. She unlocked the door and pulled it open. Konner stood on the porch once again the handsome man she’d fallen in love with. Seeing him standing there, she realized she did still love him.

“Hi, Alexis,” he said. “Can I come in?”

She stepped back to allow him into the entranceway.

“We need to talk,” she told him.

He nodded. “Yes.” His gaze skipped over to her parents. “Alone.”

“We’ll go to our bedroom,” her mom said.

But before her parents could walk away, the nightmare from last night returned. The demon appeared and Konner shifted into his half-human and half-jackal form. Her mother screamed and her father called out to Alexis. She couldn’t get to them. She was stuck between a demon and one of Anubis’ warriors.

Alexis found herself pushed to the floor by Konner as a sword appeared in the demon’s hand. One appeared in Konner’s, and then the fight was on. She felt helpless as she watched them do battle. With each blow, the demon managed to slip past Konner’s guard, and she became more anxious for the man she loved. The thought of losing him scared her more than what he was.

She looked over at her parents and saw her father wasn’t about to stand around and do nothing. He must have gone into the closet where he’d put a baseball bat just in case someone ever tried to break in while they were home. With his hand wrapped around it, he worked his way closer until he stood behind the demon.

Lifting the bat, he swung, braining the creature.

The demon staggered from the blow, which gave Konner the chance he needed. Konner rammed the hilt of his sword into the demon’s jaw. The creature dropped his weapon as he shook his head. Konner grabbed him by the throat as his sword disappeared to be replaced by a black-bladed dagger. He used it to slice it across the demon’s chest. The creature bellowed with rage as he slowly lost substance before disappearing.

“Is he gone for good?” she asked Konner.

He nodded as he fought to catch his breath. “The dagger sent him to the underworld and Anubis who will judge him.” He closed the distance between them while still giving her some space and met her gaze with his jackal one. “Are you okay with this, Alexis? This was not how I wanted you to find out.”

“Alexis? Is that really Konner?” her mother asked in tears.

Konner walked over to her parents, he looked them each in the eyes and they seemed to fall into some kind of trance.

She went to stand at his side. “What did you do?” He looked at her. “I put them in a trance. I have to wipe their memory of what happened here. That’s why I haven’t shifted back yet.”

“Do you have to?”

“Anubis decrees that no mortal should know of his warriors.”

“But what about me? I’m mortal and you aren’t going to wipe my memory. Are you?”

He cupped her face. “No. And you’re no longer mortal. You’re immortal and my mate, Alexis. That night I bit you, I tied our life forces together.” She looked from Konner to her parents and back to him again. “If I’m immortal, that means I won’t age. And if my parents can’t know, I’m going to have to give them up at some point.”

“Can you handle that? What’s done can’t be undone.

You’re mine and will always be.”