Susan laughed as she pulled the keys out of her pocket and held them up. "A block over."
"Is it damaged?"
"No."
Phoenix let out a relieved breath as Dorian laughed.
Dorian took the keys. "I'll drive it home." And then he flashed out of the room.
Phoenix reached for Susan. "Trust me?"
"Not a bit, but I trust that Ravyn will eat your head if you let anything happen to me."
He dipped his gaze down to her marked palm. "You didn't answer my father's question. Do you love him?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Because if you do, bond with him. Take my word for it. The worst hell imaginable is knowing you lost what you held dearest because you were a coward. Don't make my mistake."
And in that moment, she had a newfound respect for Phoenix. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
He inclined his head before she put her hand in his. In an instant, they were back inside the Serengeti.
The next two weeks went by in a blur as they returned to their lives. With Leo's help, along with the help of the Squires who worked for Internal Affairs in Seattle, they were able to put the blame for all the deaths Susan and Ravyn were accused of where it belonged.
On Paul's shoulders.
She was even allowed to write it up and have her story picked up by the Associated Press. And as soon as her piece on surviving forty-eight hours with an insane serial killer chief hit wide syndication, papers all over the country contacted her about working for them.
And to be honest, she was actually considering it. Having a legitimate job again was all she'd dreamed of.
But in order to do that, she'd have to leave Ravyn...
It was a cool, breezy afternoon when they buried Angie and Jimmy together. Because it was daylight, Ravyn wasn't able to be with her in human form. But he'd insisted that she carry him as a cat so that he could be by her side.
It was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for her. She kept the cat carrier covered with a dark cloth, and during the service she stroked him through the bars.
When it was over and they were back at his house, he'd held her for hours while she cried and remembered all the years she'd had with the two of them.
And with every hour she and Ravyn spent together, she realized that she loved him even more.
"Susan?"
She jerked away from her thoughts as she heard Ravyn's voice. Getting up from her chair in front of the computer, she headed toward the hallway, then down toward the balcony so that she could look to the great room below where Ravyn was standing.
"Yes?"
"The Post is on the phone. They have to have an answer."
She saw the fear in his eyes. They still hadn't mated officially. Ravyn wanted her to have all the time she needed, but his deadline was looming, and if they didn't mate soon, he would be neutered. "Okay. I'll tell them."
Ravyn swallowed as he watched Susan turn around and head back to his office. He had a sneaking suspicion she was about to take the D.C. job. After all, it was her dream.
But her dream was killing him. He didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay.
Be strong. As an animal, he knew that you couldn't put someone in a cage and expect them to live. She had to be free to make her own life... with or without him.
His heart heavy, he went back to his bedroom and picked up the receiver. Part of him wanted to listen to her conversation, but he wouldn't do that to her.