Shadow of My Heart

chapter Ten



Raven held up the leather coat for Cara to slip into before turning her and reaching for each button.

“It’s always cold in the Shadow Dimension,” he said, enjoying his task of pushing each button through its hole, his fingers brushing against her breast. “You need to stay alert and keep where you want to go uppermost in your mind. People have gotten lost in Shadow and were never seen again.”

“If it’s so dangerous, why do you go in?”

“We are going to travel in a few seconds what it would take twelve hours to drive in a car. Saving that kind of time is worth the risk, don’t you think?”

“I guess I can see the benefits.”

Raven took her hand and walked over to the corner of the room where the shadows were thickest. Releasing her, Cara watched in fascination as he crouched down and felt around near the floor. Finding what he was looking for, he pushed both hands into the shadow and then stretched them apart. He continued to stretch them apart as he rose up from his crouch.

“You have to open the door big enough to walk in. But once through, you always need to close it behind you,” Raven said, taking her hand again.

Cara followed Raven into the Shadow Dimension and, while he closed the door behind them, looked around in amazement. Cold hit her first and seemed to sink into her bones. The other times she had come through Shadow, she had been injured, but this time she wanted to take it all in. Here was another whole world, writhing with black wisps of mist and shadow. But at the same time, she could see Raven’s apartment dimly as if looking through a dirty window.

She opened her mouth to speak, but wisps of mist flowed into her mouth, and she started to cough. Her lungs hurt from the cold.

Use telepathy while in Shadow. It is much more comfortable, Raven sent into her mind, as his arm surrounded her waist and he lifted her into his arms.

Focus on the front porch of the ranch house. See every detail in your mind, the railing of the porch, the siding of the house, the window, the front door.

Cara did as she was instructed and could see the image Raven held in his mind of the porch. Then, there was a sense of movement, the mist flowed around them, and instead of Raven’s apartment, Isanti’s front porch could be seen on the other side of the Shadow barrier.

Raven lowered Cara to the ground and moved to the side of the porch that was in shade. He quickly opened a door, and they walked out of Shadow and onto the porch.

“That was amazing,” Cara said, rubbing her arms and shivering from the change in temperature, while Raven closed the door behind them.

“I’m glad you think so because I travel this way all the time,” Raven said, before moving to the front door and knocking lightly.

The front door opened quickly, and Gwen stood in the entryway, looking worried. She hugged Raven tightly.

“Thank you for coming. I’m sorry I dragged you away from work,” Gwen said.

“I took the week off, Gwen. It’s not a problem, really,” Raven said to reassure her. “Cara needs your help getting Shadow-walking clothes and shoes. Can we come inside? I want to get her warmed up.”

“Oh, of course. Forgive me, Cara. Come in. I have hot water on for tea,” Gwen said, stepping back and ushering them inside. She closed the front door and smiled faintly, before turning and leading them into the kitchen.

Raven kept his hand on Cara’s back, escorting her to a chair at the table, before kneeling in front of her. He picked up one foot and rubbed it vigorously, warming and massaging each toe, before moving to the other foot.

“I’ll get you a pair of slippers,” Gwen said as she hurried out of the room.

“Are you warming up? Let me get that cup of tea for you,” Raven said, rising and moving around the kitchen.

Cara had to admit that she was still shivering slightly and felt cold all the way to her core. Raven seemed fine, and she felt kind of jealous at how well he handled everything. It wasn’t every day you walked through another dimension.

He stood at the counter, pouring water into a cup. The sun from the window made his black hair shine. As Cara’s eyes traveled down from his hair, she took in the cotton sweater and black jeans that hugged his luscious behind before moving to his muscular legs and black cowboy boots. The man was eye candy of the highest order, and he was hers.

Warmth suffused her face as he glanced back and caught her ogling his butt. Shadow hadn’t stolen all of her warmth after all. Raven could make her hot all over quicker than a hot beverage ever could. His eyes lit up, and he smiled, while bringing the tea over to the table and placing it in front of her.

Lowering his head, he kissed her lightly. The contact brought more warmth rushing to the surface, and her lips tingled from his touch. She reached up, grabbing his sweater and holding him to her as she licked his lower lip. Deepening the kiss, she tangled their tongues together. The sound of Gwen returning to the kitchen and clearing her throat convinced Cara to release Raven. Sighing, she picked up the tea and took a sip.

“I brought you these slippers. I have two pairs, and this one is the newest.”

“Thank you, Gwen. I appreciate your letting me use them. All of my shoes would disintegrate in Shadow,” Cara said, sliding her feet into the leather, fur-lined slippers.

“I know of a couple of stores where we can shop for shoes. But it means traveling through Shadow to reach them. You can borrow a pair of my shoes when we’re ready to go. Maybe Lindy would like to go with us. She’ll be home this afternoon. We can make it a girls’ day out. Ana is out of the country, or she would come too.”

“That sounds like fun, if Raven doesn’t mind,” Cara said, looking up at him.

“Of course, I don’t mind, tehila. I’ll give you girls the company credit card. Just don’t go too crazy.”

“Three women out shopping? That would never happen,” Cara said before they all started laughing. She liked Raven’s foster sisters. It would be fun to spend time with them.



§



Now that the women were on their way to go shopping, it was time to find out what was going on with Isanti. Gwen was right in saying he disappeared into his studio for hours at a time. He hadn’t appeared for lunch, even though Gwen had knocked on his door and called him.

Raven felt as if he needed to beard the lion in his den. Running his hand through his hair, he walked down the path to the small two-room building Isanti used as his studio. Raven knocked loudly and waited. Would Isanti answer? When no one appeared, Raven knocked again and then called.

“Quiet Thunder, open the door. We need to talk. Isanti, you are scaring the girls. Open up.” Should he Shadow-walk in? If Isanti didn’t open the door soon, that was plan B.

Moments after, Raven finally heard shuffling on the other side of the door, the deadbolt was pulled back, and the door opened. Isanti Quiet Thunder stood there, his silver braids reaching almost to his waist. He looked Raven up and down, before turning and walking back the way he came. Raven sighed and followed him inside, then turned and closed the door.

“What are you doing in here that you cannot come out to eat?” Raven asked as he walked among the tables covered with everything from bows and arrows to herbs and cauldrons. On the back wall stood a desk strewn with papers, and Isanti walked over and sat down at the desk. Picking up a pen, he scribbled in a book open in front of him.

“I wasn’t hungry,” Isanti said, turning to look at Raven. “The girls worry too much. Where is Little Mother? Did she come with you?”

“Gwen took Cara shopping for clothes that are Shadow-Dimension proof. They will be back late tonight.”

“Hhm, women shopping. I hope you can afford it.”

“What is going on, Isanti? What are you doing in here?”

“I am preparing a book of recipes to give to you and Little Mother. When I am gone, you will be the new shaman of the tribe.”

“When you go is still many years away. But you must take care of yourself. Skipping meals isn’t good for you. As for me being shaman, I would think you could find another more suited to the job.”

“Being shaman is not a job. It is a calling. You are being called. The question that remains is, will you answer?”

“Isanti . . .” Raven didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t take on another responsibility. He needed to spend time with Cara. He was already CEO of Isanti, Inc., and acting chief of the tribe. “Can we talk about this later?”

“If you wish, but soon. I will not be here forever.”

“Come into the house and let me fix us an early dinner. The girls will pick something up on their way.”

“How is Little Mother getting on? Has she recovered from the attack?”

“Cara is doing well, thanks to your potion. But she still fears a life with me. I need to reassure her that she is safe with me.”

“Teach her to Shadow-walk. If you had taught her before, she could have escaped her kidnappers.”

“Don’t you think I realize that?” Raven asked, as he paced back and forth in front of the desk. “I haven’t had time to teach her. I gave her the first lessons today.”

“Do not let guilt come between you. It is not your fault she was taken.”

“Isn’t it?” Raven asked, stopping suddenly and leaning forward on his hands on the desk. “I should have been there. I should have protected her.”

“Red Hawk was there, and he couldn’t protect her. Why do you think you could have done better? Your brother is an accomplished warrior, and he had to withdraw.”

“I would have fought harder,” Raven said, standing up straight and running his hand through his hair. Cara belonged to him. He would have protected her.

“Shame on you, Soaring Raven. You always underestimate your brother. You would have fared no better. He gave his all for her protection. He lost so much blood he almost died. But you never even checked on him until he was already treated by White Fox.”

Was it true? Did Derek almost die, and Raven didn’t even realize it? Raven had been so terrified for Cara, so wrapped up in her emotions that were feeding his own fears. When Katherine mentioned that Derek’s heart rate wasn’t right, it had concerned him. But he had trusted that Dr. Rick would let him know if there was a problem.

“Forgive me, Isanti. I didn’t realize.”

“Do not ask me for forgiveness. It is your brother you must ask. You always try to walk alone. Your brother loves you. Family is important, Soaring Raven. Soon you will begin your own family.”

“Let’s go inside. I’ll call him after I get you something to eat.”

“All right. It seems you will not let me get anything else accomplished tonight,” Isanti said, closing the book on his desk and walking to the door with Raven. “What’s for dinner?”



§



Gwen held Cara’s hand on one side while Lindy held the other. It almost felt as if they were back in grade school, lining up for a field trip and holding hands while they crossed the street. But this field trip was through the Shadow Dimension, and taking chances wasn’t a smart thing to do. Cara didn’t know where they were going, and until she could picture it in her head, it was better just to hold onto Gwen and Lindy. Gwen released her hand and opened a door out of Shadow, before leading Cara out onto a street full of cars. Cara looked around in amazement.

“Oh, my goodness. Are we in Italy?” she asked, gasping.

“Well, one of the safest things to wear in Shadow is leather, and Italian leather is the best,” Gwen said. “I know the owner of this store down on Villa della Spiga who takes special orders for Isanti, Inc. Giovanni will help us find something nice for you. Come on. It’s just a block from here.”

“Lindy, pinch me. I must have died and gone to heaven,” Cara said, clutching her chest.

“If we hurry we might be able to catch dinner at my favorite café in Paris. Come on, Cara,” Lindy said, grabbing her hand and hurrying her down the street.

Cara eagerly followed Gwen and Lindy down the block and onto Villa della Spiga.

“Gwen, are we dressed well enough to shop here? Is that Dolce & Gabbana? Oh, and look, there’s Gucci and Armani. Are you sure we can afford this?”

“Not to worry. Raven gave us the corporate credit card. Come on down here.”

Cara followed Gwen and Lindy into a trendy-looking shop with windows full of leather clothes. As they entered, a handsome older man walked over and started speaking to Gwen in Italian. Gwen answered easily, before turning and introducing Cara to the man.

“This is my future sister-in-law. She needs several outfits.”

“It will be my pleasure,” the man said, switching to English. “Come, bella, let me show you some things to try on.”



§



Raven had just finished cleaning up the kitchen when the phone rang. Isanti was in the living room, watching the news on TV, so Raven picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Raven, it’s Joe. I just got a call. General Holland has been shot. He’s in the Bethesda Medical Center. It doesn’t look good. They aren’t sure he’s going to make it. He asked for you.”

“What happened? Who shot him?”

“I don’t know the details, but I don’t like it. I think we need to go find out what’s going on.”

“All right. Give me ten minutes and then meet me at the hospital. Before you hang up, how is Derek?”

“Dr. Rick released him this morning. Last I saw, your secretary was delivering his lunch to him. He gets all the luck.”

“Jealous, Joe? I didn’t know you were interested in Katherine?”

“I’m not. She always belonged to Derek. I just sometimes wish I had someone to come home to.”

“Hopefully, you’ll find that someone soon. All right, see you in ten,” Raven said, hanging up the phone, then rushing into the front room.

“Isanti, I need one of your healing potions for General Holland. He’s been attacked, and I need to get to the hospital. Can you explain to Cara that I will be back as soon as I can?”

“I cannot give you a potion for your friend, Raven. He is not a Shadow-walker.”

What? Raven didn’t have time for this. “But Isanti, he knows what we are. Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to heal him this one time.”

“But it would hurt. What if one of the doctors became curious about his sudden recovery? No, we cannot take chances like that. I am sorry.”

“Then, come with me and heal him. Nothing would show up in a test that way.” He would just have to leave a note for Cara.

“Raven, I cannot. If I heal him this time, what is to stop him from asking me again and again? I am not here to heal the world, only to work toward the continuation of my tribe.”

“He could die. I owe him so much,” Raven said, leaning over the arm of Isanti’s chair. Why was he being so difficult?

“No, Raven. You paid any debt to him years ago. I am sorry, but the answer is still the same. I will tell Little Mother you had an emergency.”

“All right. I’ve got to go. I don’t understand you sometimes. If he dies . . . ”

“If he dies, then it was his time to go. You cannot save everyone, Raven.”

Raven ran his hand through his hair and looked around for the thickest shadow in the room. It wasn’t long before he was opening a door and Shadow-walking to the Bethesda Medical Center in Maryland.

Raven found a group of shadows by the circular drive that led to the front entrance of the hospital, before he opened a door and stepped out of the Shadow Dimension. He hurried inside the hospital and was glad to see Joe waiting for him by the receptionist desk.

“He’s on the fourth floor. The elevators are over here,” Joe said, leading the way.

Raven nodded before following Joe. What was wrong with Isanti? Why wouldn’t he help the general? Sighing, Raven stepped into the elevator.

“I’m sure he’ll be all right,” Joe said. “The care here is remarkably good. How is Cara doing?”

“She’s out with Gwen and Lindy. I’m sure they’re having a good time shopping. I hope she doesn’t return before I do, but if so, Gwen and Lindy will keep her company.”

“Homeland Security picked up Davidson. He is spilling his guts. He’ll get jail time for sure.”

“Did you contact Fred Black’s sister yet? I would hate for her to learn of her brother’s death on the television or some other way like that,” Raven said sadly. What a terrible waste, and now the general had been attacked. Was Cara right to fear living in Raven’s world?

The elevator opened, and Raven and Joe walked down the hall to the private room the general occupied. Through the door, Raven could see that the older man looked haggard, his skin pasty-white and sweating. He was hooked up to several machines and an IV bag. Breathing deeply to steady himself, Raven opened the door and walked over to his friend’s bed.

“General, we came as soon as we heard,” Raven said gently.

The general’s eyes fluttered before they opened, and Raven felt better seeing keen intelligence still shining in his eyes.

“Good to see you, Son. They almost got me this time. Damn traitors. But I asked for you because of this,” the general said, leaning forward and holding an object out to Raven.

Raven reached for the object, and in his hand was a silver ring depicting a large hawk. “General, where did you get this?” Why did he have Derek’s ring?

“It was found at the crime scene. I told the cops it was mine. Someone is setting Derek up. I didn’t see much. The criminals came out of an alley, wearing black hoods, and started shooting. I dove for cover, but not before I got hit. Luckily, a police car was just down the street, and they saw what was going on. The shooter ran. I know it wasn’t Derek. Hell, he called me this morning to tell me he was being released from the clinic today, but was put on bed rest for the next two days.”

“I don’t understand how someone got Derek’s ring. Why would anyone try to implicate him in your shooting?”

“I don’t know, Son. But you need to find out who is behind this,” the general said, falling back exhausted on his pillows. Raven knew he and Joe needed to leave him so he could rest.

“All right, Sir. I’ll get people on this right away. Thank you for protecting Derek. You need to rest now.”

“Yeah, I know. Keep me informed, Darkwood,” the general said as his eyes fluttered shut and his breathing deepened.

Raven nodded to Joe and walked into the hall. “Get one of our men over here to keep an eye on the general. I don’t want someone to come in here and try to finish what the terrorists started.”

“You got it. Fighting Eagle is just getting off leave. He can be here right away.”

“I think we need to find out when Derek last had his ring,” Raven said.

“Didn’t Isanti give that to him?”

“Yes, when he passed the tests of manhood. Normally, the brave’s father gives him a gift. But our father was already gone by then. Isanti made the ring himself. He is a gifted silversmith. We can take so little with us into Shadow.”

“Well, we can speculate as to when he lost it or we can just go ask.”

“Let’s go then. I want to get back to Cara,” Raven said, striding down the hall. It was going to be a long night.



§



Cara opened the door from Shadow while Gwen and Lindy looked on proudly. They had insisted Cara memorize the location of each store they visited so she could always find her way back. Then, after a scrumptious dinner at a little café in Paris, they asked Cara to hold the image of the ranch house to allow the group to get home.

“I did it. I’m a real Shadow-walker now,” Cara said, carrying the leather bags full of her purchases. Lindy had insisted she buy several outfits to wear through Shadow. Cara couldn’t wait to show Raven what she had bought, including a very short, black mini-skirt.

“Yes, you are. Now you can travel through Shadow without harm. Just remember to always keep a clear image of where you want to go in your mind at all times,” Gwen said, carrying her own bag. She walked to the front door and opened it.

“I always love being able to hop from country to country. I think that is my favorite part of Shadow-walking,” Lindy said with a smile.

“I thought it was the shopping you liked best,” Gwen teased.

“Well, that too. Of course,” Lindy said.

“It’s amazing to realize we can go anywhere in the world in seconds. Why is it that no one else can do it?” Cara asked, walking into the front room and dropping her bags on the floor before flopping on the couch.

“I don’t know. It’s always been the people of our tribe who can walk Shadow. There are other tribes who have special gifts. I remember Dad mentioning the Wind-warriors. They can control the wind and call storms to fight for them, or did in the old days. There may be others as well.”

“Didn’t Dad talk of shape-shifters? I thought there was a tribe who could turn into crows,” Lindy said, her brow furrowed as she tried to remember.

“Where are Raven and Isanti?” Cara asked, looking around. The house was quiet, and all the lights were out except for those in the front room. The hands on the wall clock showed it was seven in the evening.

“Maybe they got tired of waiting for us and went out to eat,” Lindy suggested, plopping down in one of the recliners.

“I hope so,” Gwen said. “Dad didn’t eat any lunch, unless Raven got him to come out of his studio after we left. I’m exhausted from all that shopping. Too bad it’s too late to take a nap.”

“You could turn in early,” Lindy suggested. “Take a bath, read a book.”

“That sounds heavenly. Will you be okay without me?” Gwen asked, turning to Cara.

“Of course, Gwen,” Cara said. “I’ll go upstairs to my room and put away my clothes. I’m stuffed from dinner.”

“If you want, we can watch a movie, Cara,” Lindy said. “We should take advantage of the guys being gone. They always hog the television. I’ll fix popcorn.”

“That sounds like fun. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be right down,” Cara said, picking up her bags and hurrying to the stairs. Where was Raven? Would he be back soon?



§



Raven and Joe walked out of Shadow and into Raven’s office in New Mexico. Raven paused, looking at the door and thinking about the night he was caught exiting Shadow by Fred Black. Fred never blinked an eye. What a shame that the terrorists saw Fred coming out of Amanda’s apartment. Shaking his head, Raven walked toward the door, knowing Joe was right behind him.

As they walked down the darkened hall and past Katherine’s desk, the desert skyline could be seen through the windows. The lights of Albuquerque glowed from behind the mountain. Higher in the sky, the stars twinkled. Raven drank in the sight, needing the moment of peace such beauty gave him.

Stepping into the elevator, Raven pressed the button for the apartment level. The building was quiet because most employees were there only during the day. But down in the operations room, tribal members would be working on the secret part of Isanti, Inc. Until the problem with the general was taken care of, Isanti was still in the spying business.

“Joe, go advise the team on what’s happening with the general. Then, meet me at Derek’s apartment.”

“Got it. Did you eat? I’m starving.”

“I ate early with Isanti before I got the call,” Raven said. “Pick something up in the kitchen on your way back upstairs.”

“It can wait till after we talk to Derek. You know he’s being set up, right?”

“I know,” Raven said. “I didn’t realize he was so badly injured. You should have told me.”

“I didn’t know myself until he was already stabilized. I was busy with cleanup from the kidnapping. When I did find out, you were finally sleeping with Cara. I didn’t want to wake you. If Derek had had a turn for the worse, we would have told you.”

The elevator doors opened, and Raven stepped out. Joe pressed the button for the lower floors, and the door closed. Running his hand through his hair, Raven walked down the hall. He wasn’t sure what to say to his brother, and his steps slowed. He had known Derek was hurt. He should have checked on him.

Reaching the door, he knocked. When the door opened, Raven was surprised to see Katherine Sloane.

“Is everything all right?” Raven asked. Joe had told him Katherine was keeping an eye on Derek, a very close eye it seemed.

“He’s resting. The pain meds wipe him out, but he needs to take them in order to sleep. I brought dinner and then stayed for a while.”

“I need to talk to him.”

“Of course, come in. I was just getting ready to leave,” Katherine said, stepping back.

“Katie?” Derek’s voice came from the bedroom.

“You don’t need to leave, Katherine,” Raven said, walking in the bedroom door. “I know Derek appreciates your care. I’m glad he has you. I should have been checking on him.”

“You had Cara to look after. He knows that,” Katherine said as she followed Raven into the bedroom.

“Derek, how are you feeling? You look pretty wiped, Bro,” Raven said, entering the bedroom and sitting on the chair already pulled up by the bed. Derek looked pale and weak.

“Yeah? I guess I have looked better,” Derek said, reaching for Katherine’s hand as she came up on the other side of the bed. “I’m not doing too badly. I could get up and move around if these pain meds didn’t mess me up so badly. Katie insists I take them. Who am I to argue?”

“Who indeed? I learned long ago not to argue with Ms. Sloane. Derek, General Holland was shot today in Washington, D.C. This was found at the scene of the crime,” Raven said, handing Derek’s ring to him.

“Well, shit. Is he going to be all right? How the hell did someone get my ring?”

“I think we all would like to know that. When did you see it last?”

“I had it on that night at Cara’s. I know I brought it back with me to the clinic because I was rubbing it while in Shadow. The coldness of the metal helped me focus, hold off the pain of my injuries. I don’t remember much when I got to the clinic. They rushed me into surgery to take out the bullet and stop the bleeding. I asked the nurse what happened to the ring. But I never got a straight answer. I figured I’d ask Dr. Rick when I go back for my follow-up appointment.”

“So someone at the clinic must have taken it,” Raven said. “I’ll need to talk to Rick.”

“Raven, why would someone set me up like this?” Derek asked, looking from Raven to Katherine in bewilderment.

“I think it has to do with the traitor in the general’s office. He wants the general to cut all ties with us. But General Holland knows you didn’t have anything to do with his being shot. We need to find this traitor before he ends up killing the general. Fighting Eagle is guarding the general and will let us know if anything suspicious happens.”

A knock on the door signaled Joe’s arrival. Katherine left the room to answer the door.

“One of these days we need to talk, little brother,” Raven said, watching as Derek couldn’t take his eyes off Katherine.

“Can it wait until I’m back to normal? I don’t think I can take a lecture right now.”

“Red Hawk, you know I love you. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

“Cara is more important to our tribe than I am. I understand.”

“Cara isn’t more important. Family is important. You are important. I love Cara and plan to make a family with her. But you are my brother.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I told them to keep you in the dark. I didn’t want to drag you away from Cara when it was my fault she was taken. She needed you more than I did.”

“Hey, Derek,” Joe said, walking in and interrupting the moment. “You look like hell, Red Hawk. When does Dr. Rick say you’ll be back to normal?”

“In a couple of days, Joe,” Derek said. “Don’t worry. I’ll be able to whip you at the Isanti chess tournament.”

“You play chess?” Katherine asked from the door.

“We all do,” Joe answered, smiling.

Derek yawned, and Katherine frowned, moving forward to fix the covers around him.

“Well, we should let you rest,” Raven said, standing and stepping out of the way. Derek did look worn out.

“See you later, Red Hawk,” Joe said, moving to the door.

“Thanks for bringing my ring back,” Derek said. “I would have been ticked if it came up missing. I hope Dr. Rick can tell you what happened to it during my surgery.”

Katherine stared at Raven and Joe, the look on her face letting them know she wanted them gone. Raven smiled, nodding his head, before turning to leave. Katherine would take care of his little brother. If anyone could whip him into shape, it would be her.

Glancing at a clock, Raven noticed it was already almost nine in the evening. He needed to get back to Cara. Raven and Joe walked out into the hallway and down toward the elevator.

“Joe, can you talk to Rick about Derek’s ring? I need to get back to New Mexico and see Cara.”

“Sure, I’ll let you know if he has any ideas. I’ll get the duty roster and figure out who was working that night and who was off. Do you have any thoughts on who it might be?”

“I don’t want to point any fingers, but check into Nurse Eschbach. Something about her seemed off to me.”

“You mean because she didn’t like you?”

“No, it was more than that. I don’t know. Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree,” Raven said, running his hand through his hair. The elevator doors opened, spilling more light into the hallway.

“You look tired. Go back to Quiet Thunder’s. Tell everyone I said ‘Hello’,” Joe said, stepping into the elevator.

“Thanks, Joe,” Raven answered while the doors closed. Once again, standing in the darkened hallway, he turned to find the thickest shadows. There was a small alcove holding a drinking fountain. When he looked closely, he could see a wavering of darkness.



§



Raven walked out of Shadow and onto the front porch of Quiet Thunder’s ranch house. Lightning cracked across the sky, highlighting the gathering black clouds. Seconds later, thunder rolled across the valley. Within moments raindrops began to fall, hitting the ground with big plops. He quickly opened the front door and slipped into the entryway, glad to be out of the storm.

Lindy waved from the chair in front of the television, before nodding her head toward the sleeping woman on the couch. Cara lay peacefully, her knees curled up, her face resting on her hand, her dark eyelashes brushing her cheeks.

Just looking at her, Raven felt that pull on his heart. She was his. His everything. Somehow he had to convince her to stay with him. Kneeling down beside the couch, he leaned over and kissed her forehead, then her eyes, pressing light butterfly kisses on each lid, her nose, kissing just the tip, as her eyelids fluttered. Finally, when her eyes opened, he kissed her lips, gently caressing them, coaxing her to respond. Cara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, deepening the kiss until their tongues tangled and stroked each other.

The look of love in her eyes brought forth a wave of emotion Raven didn’t know what to do with. He closed his eyes to keep the wetness from showing. Slowly, reverently, he stopped kissing her and drew back to look at his woman, his mate. She smiled at him, her whole face lighting up.

“You’re home,” she whispered.