Bound By Darkness Part 12

Now all she could do was wait. Luckily, she was saved by a knock at the door. She wasn't expecting company, and a quick peek through the peephole wasn't any help. She opened the door only as far as the chain allowed.

"Hi, can I help you?"

The woman looked a bit chagrined. "Okay, I'm betting Laurel didn't get around to calling you. She was supposed to let you know I'd be stopping by. I'm Brenna Nichols. You might have known my father, Judge Nichols."

That was a name Sasha recognized for sure. "Yes, of course. I knew him from my father's poker nights. His death rocked the whole organization."

Brenna's smile drooped a bit. "So I eventually found out."

Sasha could've kicked herself. Judge Nichols had been one of her father's good friends, but he had chosen to keep Brenna ignorant of his secret connection to the Paladins.

Sasha closed the door long enough to unfasten the chain. "Come on in. Can I get you something to drink? Water? Pop? Or I could make coffee."

"Water sounds good. I try to avoid caffeine when Blake's on duty." Brenna sank down in the closest chair with a sigh. "I don't know about you, but I have a hard time relaxing when the guys are on call."

Sasha pulled two bottled waters from the mini fridge and handed one to Brenna. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Back in St. Louis, I didn't actually come into contact with many of the Paladins and never visited their headquarters, so the actual fighting was definitely more abstract."

"Be grateful. Their headquarters down in those caves can be a pretty scary place. Been there, done that, don't want to go back."

Sasha had heard the stories and grinned. "You do have a certain reputation back in Missouri."

"Oh, really?"

Sasha smiled. "Yeah, the general opinion is that no one should ever risk getting between you and Trahern-and he wasn't the one they said people should be afraid of."

Brenna grinned, looking pretty proud of herself. "Blake's worth fighting for."

Sasha thought back to her brief time with David and had to agree with Brenna's a.s.sessment. Could Sasha have saved him if she'd been there at his side? She'd never know, but it hurt to think it might have been possible.

She realized that Brenna was watching her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to s.p.a.ce out on you."

"No problem, but if I had to guess, I'd say maybe you've had some firsthand experience yourself."

But she also seemed to realize that it wasn't a topic Sasha was ready to talk about, because Brenna immediately changed the subject. Sort of. "I thought you might need to talk about what happened with Larem down in the tunnels."

Sasha winced and sat down on the sofa. "I'd really hoped the whole incident would stay a secret, but that was probably naive. I guess everyone thinks it's my fault he ended up getting hurt so badly."

"Oh, no. No one blames you for that." Brenna moved forward on her chair. "And I didn't hear about it through the rumor mill. Laurel told me because she thought you might like to have another woman to talk to, and she couldn't leave the lab."

That was a relief, though Sasha knew it would get out eventually. "That was nice of her. I'm not used to being able to talk about my job."

Brenna nodded. "It wasn't until recently that Laurel had any women friends who she could really be honest with for that very reason. Slowly, though, we're building up a nice support group. Besides her and me, there's Lacey, Lusahn, and now Tate Justice. Thank goodness for e-mail. Since all of our men have a tendency to want to smother us, we occasionally rebel and go out on the town together."

Of course, they were all drawn together by their love for the men in their lives. Sasha's situation was different. Then Larem's handsome face flashed through her mind. She shook it away. He had nothing to do with this. It would be nice if they would include her in some of their girls' nights out, and she said so.

Brenna finished the last of her water. "The more the merrier, especially when it makes the guys nervous about what we're actually up to. I did have another reason for dropping in on you. Laurel asked me to take you by to see her condo."

Sasha didn't hesitate. It was the perfect excuse to get out for a while. "That would be great. Let me get my purse."

An hour later, they let themselves out of Laurel's condo and locked the dead bolt. Sasha wanted to boogie right there on the sidewalk. The place was perfect. Absolutely perfect. It was big enough if she ever decided to get a roommate, but cozy enough that she wouldn't rattle around inside it by herself.

"I'll give Laurel a call later and work out the details. I had my stuff put in one of those storage pods, so I can have it s.h.i.+pped out here with just a phone call."

Brenna led the way back to her car. "That was smart of you. I know Laurel will be glad you want to rent the place."

As the two women headed back to the hotel, they pa.s.sed a man walking along the other side of the street. Something about him caught Sasha's eye. In fact, if she didn't know that Larem was still a patient in Laurel's lab, she would've sworn it was him. She twisted in her seat to look back one last time, but he'd already turned the corner.

Brenna glanced over. "Someone you know?"

"I thought so for a minute, but I guess not."

The last thing she wanted to do was admit that she was imagining the Kalith warrior stalking the streets of Seattle. Time to change the subject.

"So tell me, how is your research into the history of the Paladins coming?"

Larem's leg was killing him as he limped his way down the street and cursed the G.o.ds' sense of humor. Couldn't they have made it so that his erratic gift as a healer would at least work better on himself? Yes, his body was repairing itself far faster than a human's would, but it still hurt like h.e.l.l.

Earlier, he'd waited until Laurel was ripping into Lonzo for lying, to sneak out of the lab. His poor roommate should've known better than to try to put something over on the Handler. Laurel had too much experience with Paladins to let him get by with his ruse.

On the other hand, she had no reason to think Larem would be in any great hurry to vacate the place, especially after his near collapse right after Sasha left. Because of his Kalith metabolism, the pain medication she'd given him hadn't lasted nearly long enough. Once it had worn off, all he could think about was getting the h.e.l.l out of the lab and back to his duties at the shelter.

The animals he worked with always soothed his restless spirit. All they needed to make them happy was a gentle touch and acceptance. His hand twitched as he remembered how good it had felt to have Sasha squeeze his hand when she thought he was asleep. Maybe that's why he and the dogs got along. They had that much in common.

He walked through the back door of the clinic, doing his best to shrug off the pain and frustration of the past few days. His furry friends had enough problems of their own without having to pick up on his tension. As soon as he started across the room, several heads turned his way. Most weren't human, but one was. Dr. Isaac smiled and headed straight for him.

He clapped Larem on the shoulder. "Hey, I was getting pretty concerned about you. Usually if you're going to miss a s.h.i.+ft, you call."

"I'm sorry to have worried you, Doctor." Larem opened his locker and slipped on his lab coat. "I hope my absence didn't cause any problems."

The vet was frowning when Larem turned back toward him. "You're limping. What happened? Are you all right?"

"I injured my leg. It just needed a few st.i.tches." Major surgery, actually, but confessing that would only worry the man. "It happened right before my s.h.i.+ft yesterday. I'm sore, but otherwise fine."

"That's good." Then Dr. Isaac jerked his head toward the cages on the far side of the room. "Better check in with Chance over there first thing. He's been staring at the door nonstop. I'd even go so far as to say that he's been missing you. If you can convince him to forgive your transgressions, I'd like to check him over."

Knowing the dog, Larem planned on making a cautious approach. "He'll no doubt make me pay for keeping him waiting."

Yeah, he'd have to make up for lost ground with the temperamental dog. At least that would give Larem something else to focus on other than Sasha's dark eyes and halo of fiery hair.

"Hey, Chance, I'm back."

A quick snarl made it perfectly clear how the dog felt about that. He'd been lying down but immediately lurched to his feet as Larem approached his cage, a growl rumbling deep in his chest. At least he wasn't repeatedly charging against the door of the cage the way he had in the beginning.

Larem dragged a low bench over to the cage and gingerly lowered himself to sit. The position was far from comfortable for his leg, but it beat sitting on the floor. He closed his eyes and turned his focus inward, seeking the warmth and light. His supplies were low, but he was able to pull additional energy from the sunlight streaming in from a skylight.

When he'd ama.s.sed enough to share, he turned his gaze on the dog, keeping his att.i.tude neutral. Slowly, he let the healing warmth trickle toward the animal, concentrating on the damaged leg to ease any residual pain. The growling slowed and then disappeared. The trickle became a stream until finally Chance lay back down, his big head resting on his front paws, and his body relaxed.

The two wounded souls sat in peaceful companions.h.i.+p for quite some time. When Larem thought the dog would accept his approach, he stood up and reached for one of the leashes hanging on a peg on the wall. Chance's ears quirked forward as he followed Larem's every movement with interest.

He remained calm when Larem attached the leash and led the way over to the examination table. "Chance, behave yourself, and I'll take you for a long walk."

The dog immediately sat down as if understanding the terms of the deal. Dr. Isaac kept his movements slow and deliberate as he came toward Chance.

"Good boy, this won't take long, I promise."

Larem had been prepared to intervene if the dog decided to act up. But Chance remained still while Dr. Isaac ran expert hands over his fur, only whining a little when the vet pressed and poked his bad leg. Then to everyone's surprise, Chance accepted a couple of treats directly from the doctor's hand as soon as the exam was over.

"He's doing great, Larem. I swear you work magic with my patients. Go ahead, you two. Take your walk, but don't overdo it. It's a nice day and someone should get to soak up some of that suns.h.i.+ne out there."

"We'll be back in a while."

"Take your time. And Larem," Dr. Isaac said, his faded blue eyes twinkling, "one of these days, maybe you'll trust me enough to explain how that secret mojo of yours actually works. In case you're wondering, I do know how to keep a secret."

Then he walked into his office and shut the door, leaving Larem staring after him, both stunned and speechless. At least Dr. Isaac hadn't sounded angry. Would he ever figure these humans out? Probably not.

Finally, Chance whined and tugged on the leash. Larem smiled as he patted the dog on the head. "All right, my friend. Let's take that walk."

Chapter 10.

Back in her hotel room, Sasha couldn't get the image of the man she'd seen on the street out of her head. She wasn't sure why, but she was convinced it had been Larem. Laurel hadn't said anything about him when Sasha had called her about the condo, but then again, she was the man's doctor. Maybe that whole patient confidentiality thing applied.

The good news was that the barrier had finally stabilized, so the Paladins could stand down. Devlin had e-mailed Sasha to say he'd set up a rotating schedule to give everyone a little extra time off. She just hoped the barrier cooperated long enough to give them a chance to catch up on their rest.

Still, neither Devlin nor his wife said a word about Larem. If it had been him, where was he going? He'd been heading in the same direction he'd gone after they'd stopped for coffee.

Maybe she should take a short walk herself. Work could wait. While the sun was still up, she'd get out and enjoy the fresh air. She pocketed her keys and enough cash for a latte. Outside, the day had grown a little cooler. She could come to really love living here in Seattle. Although she was aware of her father's doubts the Regents would appoint her to the job permanently, that didn't mean she shouldn't do her best to prove him wrong.

Of course, any more "incidents" would crush any chance she had. On some level she didn't regret what had happened despite how horrific it had been. Instead, it only solidified her determination to make things better for the Paladins and their guards. How many of the existing Regents had firsthand experience in what it was like for such brave men?

Very few, she would guess, and that needed to change. Sometimes she thought the Regents were almost petrified. Anything new, any change in how things were done, and they responded by digging in their heels. They hated that Devlin had married a Handler, but five minutes in the couple's company and Sasha had known for certain it was a love match.

Yes, she understood the Regents' concern about the Seattle Paladins allowing Kalith to live in their midst, but again they didn't know any. Granted, she'd only met one, but if Larem was typical of his kind, then she couldn't see how the world was worse off because of his presence.

Now if she could only keep him out of her thoughts for a while. Hoping coffee would help, she hung a right and headed for the nearest coffee shop. Thanks to a short line, she was heading back out the door sipping her favorite combo in just a few minutes.

What next? Certainly, she wouldn't go hunting for the elusive Kalith male who had already made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. Maybe Larem was right to feel that way, considering what he had gone through because of her. And there was still the question of who had tricked her into going down into the tunnels alone and why.

The sun had gone behind the clouds, darkening her mood. She did her best to shake off the shadows. Far better that she savor her drink and the suns.h.i.+ne as she walked back to her hotel. No doubt that would be the smart thing to do.

Before she reached the end of the block, though, an enormous white dog came barreling around the corner dragging its owner along by its leash. She had no idea what breeds had donated their DNA to produce this particular dog, but the results were definitely intimidating.

Most of the people around her scattered to get out of the dog's way, understandably leery of an animal with teeth that would give the average alligator a run for its money. Not to mention the fact that he probably tipped the scales pretty close to where Sasha herself weighed in.

She'd been so intrigued by the dog, she hadn't yet noticed the owner. The dog came to an abrupt stop right in front of her. When she looked up, she couldn't believe her eyes, and her heart lurched in her chest. Larem. Despite their earlier encounter, she badly wanted to touch him, if only to make sure he was all right.

"Larem? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

His reaction to seeing her was interesting. If she had to guess, she would've said he looked embarra.s.sed or maybe guilty. "I had things to do."

She held her fingers out to the dog to sniff. "I can see that."

"Be careful, Sasha. Chance isn't particularly fond of people."

But in direct contradiction to Larem's warning, Chance gave Sasha's fingers a quick lick and then plopped his backside down on the sidewalk, clearly in no hurry to get away from her. Moving cautiously, Sasha reached out to scratch the dog's chin, laughing when he groaned and leaned into her hand.

His easy acceptance made her smile. "See, you're not so tough, are you, big guy?"

Then speaking to his two-legged companion, she added, "Would you like me to watch him while you get a cup of coffee?"

It was clear that Larem was hesitant, but finally he handed her the leash. "I'll be right out."

"Take your time. We're doing fine."

Larem really hadn't wanted coffee, but it gave him an excuse to get away from Sasha for a couple of minutes. For sure, he shouldn't have left her alone with Chance. The dog was too unpredictable even if he had been on his best behavior since they had left the clinic.

While waiting for his order, Larem kept a wary eye on the pair outside on the sidewalk. The suns.h.i.+ne brought out the gold highlights in Sasha's hair as she talked to the dog. Chance had his head c.o.c.ked to the side, looking as if he understood every word she said. With his tail doing a slow sweep back and forth on the sidewalk, Chance was happily soaking up every bit of attention she was offering.

Larem should be pleased the dog was capable of bonding with a human after all he'd suffered at his former owner's hand. But in fact, what he was really feeling was jealous. He should be ashamed of resenting the badly abused animal's ability to charm Sasha, but he wished like h.e.l.l he was the one she couldn't keep her hands off of.

But he also recognized lonely when he saw it. After all, he lived with it on a daily basis himself. He appreciated the friends.h.i.+p so freely given by Hunter and Lonzo, but that didn't mean he really fit into their world. Sasha had much the same problem. No matter how good her intentions, those she most wanted to help viewed her as an outsider. Trust and friends.h.i.+p might be slow in coming.

"Sir, your coffee."

"Thank you." His respite was over.

After dropping a couple of dollars in the tip jar, he headed for the door. As soon as he walked outside, Chance stood, his wagging tail picking up speed.

"He's a nice dog." Sasha handed the leash back to Larem. "Would you mind if I walked with you?"

Yes, he would, but not for the reasons she might think. But he'd always preferred to face his problems head-on, and she was definitely a problem for him.

"We're not going far. Chance needs exercise, but I don't want him to overdo it." Not to mention Larem's own leg wasn't back to full strength.

"I noticed he favors one leg. What happened?"

"His former owner used him in dog fights for money."