between us. You’re a norm, I’m a paranorm, and our worlds would never meet.”
Adam looked at the floor and then at me. He smelled so good. Of leather and his masculine scent that I had loved so much. “I never expected to meet someone else,” he said. “Not after you, but I have.
“I know how you and I both feel about each other and always will. But we know why it ended.” He lowered his voice “I just wanted you to hear it from me, Nyx.”
“I’m happy for you,” I said and then was surprised that I meant it as much as I did. “I want you to be happy.”
“I am.” He cleared his throat. “I think you would like Keri.”
Hearing the female’s name made my stomach twist. Maybe I wasn’t as totally over Adam as I’d thought I was. Or maybe it was just hard imagining another female with him at all.
I studied his brown eyes, looking for signs of doubt. There were none. “You love her, so I’m sure I would like her.”
Adam held my gaze then started out the door. He paused and kissed the top of my head. “A part of me will always love you,” he said quietly.
“I feel the same way.” I looked down at him again. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll still be around.” He gave me his adorable smile that showed off his dimple. “See you, Nyx.”
I nodded then closed the door behind him.
For a moment I leaned with my back against the door and closed my eyes.
Adam had found someone else. It was truly over. It was final. This was real. Adam was gone from my life, no matter what he said about seeing me around. Something told me I wouldn’t be seeing him at all.
Mentally setting aside everything that had happened tonight, I went to my closet. I pulled on black leather pants over red silky panties and a black leather top. The outfit was both durable and perfect for fighting when I tracked—and, well, beneath it all I just had to have something frilly even when I was tracking.
Maybe a battle was what I needed to get my head on straight. I strapped my weapons belt on and headed out, determined to find a good fight.
TWO
“Reese?”
Reese frowned into the darkness. The feminine voice that had just spoken his name when he answered the phone was familiar but he couldn’t place it. He mentally blocked out the sound of traffic from the Santa Monica Freeway that edged his downtown LA territory as he concentrated on the phone call.
“You’ve got him right here.” Reese squared his feet on the asphalt of the parking lot. He closed his eyes and sent his energy through the phone, his Shifter senses searching for whoever owned that voice. “Who’s this?”
Before he could identify the female with his senses, she said in a hushed, frantic whisper. “It’s Monique.”
Reese opened his eyes and straightened. His skin tingled like it always did before something bad was going to go down.
He was beyond surprised. Monique, the San Francisco Proctor, had been missing for weeks. She was a friend, someone he liked, trusted, and admired. If he hadn’t been so slammed with the volume of activity in his territory, and if they’d had enough Night Trackers to cover it, he would have gone to San Francisco to join the search for her. In a heartbeat. Unfortunately LA was short of Trackers, as were the neighboring cities.
“Mo? Are you okay?” Reese held the phone tight to his ear. “Where are you?”
“I need your help.” Monique’s voice trembled, something he’d never have thought of from the Elvin Proctor. “Something horrible is happening and I need someone I can trust. I know I can trust you. Are you alone now?”
“No one else is around right now and of course you can trust me.” Reese kept in the shadows as headlights flashed in his direction. “Where are you?” he asked again.
Her voice lowered, and he had to concentrate to hear her. “I’m near the entrance to Griffith Park on Crystal Springs Drive. Come now and signal me twice when you’re there.”
“You’ve got it.” Reese began preparing himself for the shift, thinking of one of his favorite animal forms. “I can tell Curtis to meet—”
“No. Don’t bring the Werewolf.” Monique said the words so sharply that it made him pause. “I need you to come alone—you’ll understand why when we meet. I can’t have anyone know we have spoken. I’m in danger. I need someone I can