Authors: Ashlyn Chase
Now she couldn’t quite remember why. Had it really been
only
because he’d taken her answer for granted and forgot to ask the question? She wasn’t usually that petty. The men she’d known before were unromantic and even prone to insensitivity. They made Konrad look like a poet.
She removed the covers from her pounding head and inhaled a deep breath. “Time to face the music, dingbat.” Roz sat on the edge of her bed, straightened her nightshirt, and waited for her head to stop spinning. Finally she braved the ten-foot walk to the bathroom medicine cabinet.
“Oh, gross.” Why had she looked in the mirror before grabbing the aspirin? Her cute new bob was plastered to her head. She looked toward the shower and figured the warm steam might make her feel better.
“Okay, shower first, then coffee.”
She turned on the water, and while she waited for it to get nice and hot, she plodded to the kitchen to get the coffeemaker started. While transferring the heaping coffee grounds from the can to the pot, her hand shook. Coffee overflowed the little measuring cup and spilled onto the counter.
“Oh, for the love of—” Roz flopped into the folding chair by her little kitchen table and held her still-aching head in her hands.
Why? Why did I do this to myself?
It wasn’t as if Roz didn’t want to get married. She’d been hoping to find a lover to settle down with, as her best friend had. She could picture Merry and her man cuddling in front of the fireplace in their penthouse. She knew her friend had found a once-in-a-lifetime love, and now it seemed as if it was
her
turn.
“Okay, so it’s not marriage itself. What is it? Konrad?” Whenever she thought of him, a smile stole across her face. She didn’t even notice she was smiling at first. As soon as she recognized the fact, a warm, squishy feeling invaded her stomach, and it wasn’t from drinking too much wine.
The man wasn’t the problem. The beast was. Roz returned to the bathroom and removed her nightshirt. Before she stepped into the shower, she examined the bruise on her shoulder. She was marked, all right. Dark imprints in the shape of a jaw full of teeth showed on both her front and back, with some just above her collarbone and others on her upper back near her neck.
She sighed. She loved Konrad, loved him with all her heart. Loved him enough to let him claim her. But he scared her too. What if they had a serious argument sometime? Would she still be perfectly safe with him?
“
Yes, you would,
” his voice answered in her head.
“Oh, crap!” He must be right outside her door. She jumped into the shower and stuck her head under the spray.
Sorry. I’m in the shower. Can we talk later?
“
I think we should. Meanwhile I have something for you. I’ll leave it outside your door. Come upstairs when you’re ready.
”
She sighed. Part of her had worried that he’d be angry after she went off on him, but even though he was the animal, she seemed to be the one easily irritated. What was that about?
Maybe that’s why the werewolves in the Newton pack seemed less than fond of humans. Maybe she was the unpredictable and dangerous one. She snorted at that, but something about the notion rang true.
Any one of the werewolves could subdue her in a second, but maybe they didn’t want to. It would call attention to them. She saw what happened with Konrad when she was being threatened, even slightly. He had to jump in and defend her. She could imagine that situation would get tiring.
After she turned off the water and towel dried her hair, she put on her fluffy robe and took another look in the mirror. Better. Her eyes seemed a little more awake. Glazed, but awake.
She burped. A dinner of popcorn and wine didn’t cut it, but she was out of Rocky Road. She hoped her rationale that popcorn was low in calories had saved her from committing diet suicide. Somehow she knew that paired with an entire bottle of Chablis, her dinner might not have been as low calorie as she’d hoped.
Too late now. She walked barefoot to her bedroom and looked in her closet for something to wear. Nothing jumped out. Her brain was too fuzzy for decisions, so she just tossed on a pair of sweatpants and a matching hoodie. At least they were pink and she could tell herself she looked feminine.
Oh yeah. Konrad left something at the door.
As soon as she’d donned a pair of socks, she trotted into her living room and opened her door to the hall. A rose with a note lay on her threshold.
She picked up the gorgeous American Beauty rose and smelled it. Its scent was sweet and seductive. Roz opened the note and read, “I’m sorry. Please forgive my insensitivity. I love you and always will.”
Nathan opened his door and wheeled his bicycle into the hall. He glanced at the rose and note in her hand and said, “What did he do?”
“What makes you think—”
“Because he left gifts outside your door and because last night when I let him out, he looked dejected as hell.”
“Oh.”
Nathan scrutinized her from head to toe. “Another truck run you over?”
With one hand on her hip she said, “Yeah. I just washed off the blood, so the paramedics wouldn’t have to.”
He laughed and started to open the front door.
“Oh, let me get that for you.” Roz strode to the heavy front door and held it open.
“Thanks,” he said as he wheeled his bike down the steps.
She let go of the door and muttered, “Don’t let it hit you in the ass.”
He turned and laughed as if he’d heard her. Hmmm. Maybe he had. She kept forgetting that everyone in this building had freakishly acute senses, especially her wolf-man.
***
A knock sounded on Konrad’s door. When he opened it, Roz stood there with her hands behind her back, looking contrite.
“Thank you for the rose. It’s beautiful.”
“Not nearly as beautiful as you.”
She turned her head to the side and snorted.
“I mean it. I’m so sorry, Roz. I had no idea how that came across, until…well, until later.”
She still stood on his threshold, making no move to come in.
“Look, I get it. I’m the one who constantly tells you that you deserve to be loved. And you
are
. I adore you, Roz.”
She looked up into his eyes, expectantly.
“I know I can’t always rely on our mind connection. I need to
learn
to understand my mate. But please understand there’s a learning curve here, and I’m trying.”
She nodded and stepped forward into his waiting arms. He held her reverently.
“I’m sorry I kicked you.”
“Apology accepted. Now let’s get out of the hallway.” He stepped back. She strolled to his couch and made herself comfortable.
Konrad sat next to her and put an arm around her. “The trial’s only a few days away. Is there anything I should be doing?”
She looked up at him with questioning eyes.
“What? Is that a dumb question?”
“No. I just thought we’d talk about what happened yesterday first.”
“Oh. Right now?”
Crap. I’m barely out of the doghouse. I didn’t think she’d want me to propose so soon.
She tipped her head. “Why not now?”
“I want to do this right, and I still haven’t had the chance to—”
She put her finger to his lips and said “Forget that. I told you I don’t need a candlelit dinner or fancy engagement ring. None of that is necessary.”
“But I want to do something special, because
you’re
special.”
She leaned back and smiled. Her whole face softened, and her eyes danced whenever she smiled just for him.
He stroked her hair. “I love you more than anything. You know that, right?”
She glanced at her lap. “Yes, I know.”
“Okay, good. Keep remembering that. One of these days I’ll
show
you how much you mean to me. That’s a promise.”
“Why not now?”
“Because you’d always wonder if I did it because you wanted me to. No, I thought of something that will take a little planning. If you can be patient. It might be better to wait until after the trial anyway.”
You might prefer not to be engaged to a jailbird for who-knows-how-many years.
She nodded. “Okay. So, what did you want to do? Talk about the trial?”
“We probably should. What kinds of questions should I expect?”
She dragged her feet up onto the couch and hugged her knees, looking more like a little girl than his attorney. “You might never have to testify.”
“Seriously? Could they possibly put me in jail without giving me a chance to defend myself?”
“That’s not what I meant. Sometimes the evidence can be disputed and the lawyers can create enough reasonable doubt on their own without the defendant ever having to get on the witness stand.”
“How can you do that?”
“Well, we found the two guards who had been at the museum that night, and they’ll be asked to point out the gunmen who tied them up,
if
either of the thieves are in the courtroom.”
“You’re expecting them to cooperate? To say they don’t see the guys?”
“They’ll be under oath.”
“But didn’t you say before that the public wants someone to hang? Won’t they be tempted to point to me just because I’m the defendant?”
“No. I’m sure they’d prefer to convict the guys who really did it. They won’t want an innocent man going to jail while letting the real thieves off the hook.”
“Okay, but what if they get confused? It’s been a long time, and sometimes people see what they want to see.”
“According to their police-report descriptions, you’re about as far from the men they saw as you can be. Both were under six feet tall and you’re what? Six-six?”
He chuckled. “No. Only six-four.”
“Ha.
Only
six-four
.
Okay, well, I doubt anyone would see you as six feet or less.”
“Probably not. So you think that’s all you have to do to create reasonable doubt? Isn’t that putting a lot of power into the hands of two
human
beings?” He didn’t want to have to point out how fallible humans were. Most werewolves thought themselves superior, but Konrad didn’t think he was one of them. Maybe deep down, he was.
She fluffed her drying hair. “No. I hope to disprove their DNA evidence too.”
“How can you do that?”
“I don’t want to say just now. It’s better if you don’t know every detail.”
“Are you sure? Maybe I could help come up with other angles.”
“No, I’ve got this. To be honest, I’m feeling pretty confident. I don’t want to get cocky, so the team of lawyers will be there if I need them.”
His mood lifted considerably. “That sounds great. I’m relieved I won’t be going to jail, and all this will be behind us soon.”
“I never said that. If the prosecution can make a good case, it may drag on and on. There are no guarantees.”
“Shit. I had hoped…well, never mind.”
She straightened and put her feet back on the floor. “What?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just the timing. I had hoped we’d have a nice, easy summer.”
She squinted as if she didn’t quite believe him, but she let it go, thank God.
He’d had a sailboat reserved, but he could cancel it and reschedule after everything was over. It seemed like a romantic idea, and even if it went the way of all of their dates, wolves were great swimmers.
***
The jury filed in and took seats along one side of the courtroom. Konrad looked them over. A jury of his peers? Wouldn’t that have to be twelve werewolves? The only other werewolf in the courtroom that he knew of was his brother, Nick.
Be that as it may, a dozen human beings of mixed ages and races sat there staring back. His hands began to sweat.
“All rise,” said the bailiff.
A rumble signified about fifty people getting to their feet.
“This court is in session, the honorable Judge Vader, presiding.”
A balding man wearing a long, black robe breezed into the courtroom and up a few steps to his seat on high. As soon as the judge sat comfortably in his leather chair behind his massive desk, he said, “Be seated.”
While everyone was getting resettled, the judge scanned some papers in front of him. Konrad was beginning to think the good judge had fallen asleep, when the man finally looked up and addressed the jury.
“Members of the jury, what you have before you is a great responsibility, to the court, to the Commonwealth, and to yourselves. Our judicial system asks you to listen to all the facts presented during this trial, then take everything into consideration and make a decision regarding the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
“You are not to take this matter lightly. The outcome will affect more than this one man. You are to deliberate until you are absolutely sure of your decision, no matter how long it takes.”
As he droned on, Konrad stared at his lap and obsessed about the jury taking forever to deliberate. He wondered what it took to declare a hung jury.
Roz must have heard him. “
Relax, lover. He has to say those things to every jury. It’s not unique to this one.
”
Konrad tried to slow his breathing.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t a fast decision a good sign?
“
Not necessarily. A long deliberation may just mean they’re taking a second or third look at the evidence and trying to get it right. Don’t worry.
”
Konrad noticed his jaw ached from clenching his teeth.
Easy for you to say.
“
No, it’s really not. This is the most difficult case I’ve ever had. And lift up your head. You look guilty as sin.
”