Free Changing Hearts by Marilu Mann Page A

other night. I know it was the same wolf because of the markings on his left leg. Those markings are in the same place that Malcolm has his tattoo. And his eyes. They were glowing.”
    Slade stood dumbfounded. Just as the old woman had said, Joie was working her way around to the realization of what he was and she hadn’t freaked out about it, yet. He zipped his jeans and stepped into the kitchen. Both women turned to face him. Joie stared hard at him then walked a little closer. “What are you?”
    Slade stiffened slightly as he met her eyes. “What do you mean?”
    “You’re a werewolf.” She could have been telling him gators lived in the swamp her voice came out so damn matter-of-fact. It zinged him clear to the soles of his feet to realize she really didn’t seem to be scared.
    “I’m a shapeshifter.” He spoke quietly, staring straight at her, waiting for her to scream, faint, something.
    “Then I wasn’t dreaming?” Her eyes widened but he couldn’t smell fear.
    “No.” He shook his head slightly, still watching her closely.
    “ Loup Garou , Joie. We got us a real live Loup Garou .” Tante Kay cackled, breaking the tension holding Joie and Slade in place. The old woman slapped her knees with both hands as she watched them.
    “What are you doing here, in the bayou?” Joie stared hard at him now. Slade met her stare with his own and let his eyes glow slightly.
    “Hiding. I had to leave my Pack.”
    “Why?” Joie sank into a chair at the kitchen table.
    Kay stood to fill three coffee cups then joined her. Both women looked at him expectantly. Slade stood in the doorway, staring at them. He couldn’t believe they weren’t freaking out. He considered the wealth of questions she’d posed in that one word. Why?
    “My former lover tried to kill me by poisoning me. Then she got her boyfriend to fight me. I wound up killing him. But I couldn’t win another fight because of what she’d done, so I got the hell out of there. Now the Pack will be looking for me.”
    “Lover?” Joie arched an eyebrow at him and Slade couldn’t stop the brief grin that stole across his face. She sounded jealous.
    “Former lover, and yeah, I’d say trying to kill me qualifies her for ex-lover status. I damn sure don’t want to fuck the bitch again.” His language intentionally harsh, he wanted some response from her. Pushing away from the doorframe, he stuck his hands in his back pockets. Joie’s eyes strayed over his chest before moving back up to meet his gaze.
    Tante Kay burst into laughter while Joie’s face tightened. She got up, moving jerkily across the kitchen. Pulling eggs and butter out of the fridge, she shot a glare at him.
    “Why are they looking for you?”
    “I was Alpha. When you’re Alpha, you’re responsible for the others you lead, you don’t just leave. I issued a challenge to someone outside the Pack. While I fought him, Maggie and Cutter tried to kill me. I turned on them instead of the person I’d been fighting. I killed Cutter, I may have killed Maggie. Another shifter, one who isn’t even part of my Pack, forced me to change.” He paused, remembering how it felt to have the change forced on him, how his body had felt stretched to the limit, the pain he’d endured. Shaking his head, he continued, “I still don’t know how he did that. Then I ran.” He shrugged again.
    “You killed…” Joie’s voice trailed off and she shuddered. Tante Kay just continued to stare at him.
    “They were tryin’ to kill you, Loup Garou ?”
    “Yeah, Maggie slipped me some silver nitrate to weaken me before the fight. The other guy should have killed me but I was winning. That’s when they jumped in. Cutter came at me with a knife and Maggie came at me tooth and nail. I fought them off and broke Cutter’s neck. I left when the rest of the Pack started to fight. If I didn’t kill Maggie, they’ll be looking for me.”
    Not even sure why he told them the truth, Slade couldn’t stop the words.