Free Forever and a Day by Ann Gimpel Page B

back very straight. She went into the bedroom and shut the door, taking care to engage the lock.
    •●•
    Lars wanted to whoop and dance around the room, but he forced himself to turn on the television and flip through channels. Garen’s intel had been right on. Tamara must be a shifter. If she summoned her animal form, she’d heal quickly. He pumped his fist in the air, and then jammed it over his mouth to stifle a triumphant laugh. Her hearing would be acute in her animal form; he turned up the television’s volume.
    This development would make the shifter conversation much easier, but there was no reason to have it just yet. Tamara must be on sensory overload after everything she’d been through in just a few short hours. No point in making things any worse, or more difficult, for her. He wondered what she was. Wolves, bears, and mountain cats were most common, but he’d known coyote, bird, and even deer and elk shifters.
    Deep in his computer bag, his cell phone jangled. Lars dove for it, but by the time he located it, it had quit ringing. He brought up his call log, but it simply said private , just like the last call to his phone. He punched one of the speed dial numbers, the one that would connect him to Garen.
    “I just tried to reach you,” Garen said.
    “What? No hello, how are you, old friend?”
    Garen snorted laughter. “My, you’re sounding chipper, particularly since I just heard there was an attempt on your life, or the girl’s anyway. It came in on my satellite feed.”
    “Our uninvited visitor, a woman by the way, was an amateur. The problem went away.”
    “A woman, eh?” Garen sounded interested.
    “ Ja . A Russian national from what I could tell, but her English was excellent.”
    “Hmph. How’s everything else?”
    “Better than good, my friend. Tamara was shot, but she is closeted in the bedroom healing herself.”
    “Aha! Not that we have a corner on the magic market, but I was probably right about her being one of us. It makes things much easier. Did you talk with her about working for The Company?”
    Lars blew out a breath. “I broached the topic, but she has lived through a great deal in a short time. Things like this, well, they—”
    “I’ll have Miranda work on her when the two of you get here. It isn’t as if we’d be sending her out on the front lines anytime soon.”
    An almost savage protectiveness surged, surprising Lars with its ferocity. “She has worked as a journalist. Surely we could use a decent PR person.”
    Garen laughed so hard, Lars held the phone away from his ear. Irritation tensed his jaw. A straight-shooter, Garen could be incredibly insensitive. When he could talk again, Garen said, “What we do doesn’t generally require public relations. Aren’t we usually flying beneath the radar?”
    Lars chuckled, and his annoyance crumbled like over-baked bread. “It is only that I wish her to feel comfortable, safe.”
    “This is sounding serious, old friend. Is she that good in the sack?”
    “I have not yet found out, but I am working on it.”
    “Maybe I should hang up. You can mosey on in there, shift, make a grab for her hot animal form—”
    “No. Once we have coupled in both forms, we will be linked forever. You made that mistake with Miranda—before you discussed the ramifications. I wish to be more aboveboard.”
    “Aw, come on. I was more sloppy than shady.”
    “Whatever. I am fond of the fair fraulein . If we do make love, it will first be in our human forms. She does not know what I am, and I did not question her when she went into the bedroom alone.”
    “Playing it close to the cuff, eh?”
    “Christ, Garen! In less than twenty-four hours, she has killed for the first time, been shot at, taken a bullet through her shoulder, and understands she is running for her life.”
    “You’re probably right to ease into things.” The teasing tone had left Garen’s voice. “You always did have excellent instincts. See you soon.”
    “