Change of Heart 05 - Forging the Future Read Online Free Page A

though I was terrified at the same time. What if they all hated me? What if they felt that a male reah was an abomination? Worst of all, what if they respected my station but didn’t truly even like me? I wanted to be accepted and loved, but what if even in my true home I was not?
    “My reah?” Nazar prodded gently. “You’re shivering. Are you cold?”
    “I’m fine,” I lied, hoping he couldn’t hear it in my voice.
    The streets were wet after the rain, and it was humid when the car pulled up in front of my building. Water puddled in the dips in the sidewalk, and the cracked, broken path that led to a gate in front of the narrow passageway between two buildings had lost a few more pieces of pavement to the rain.
    “Is this where you live?” Luther asked, eyeing the wrought iron skeptically, as tight as it was. The path would not accommodate two people walking side by side, and even upon reaching the door, the area was constrictive. Inside were stairs that went up to a small landing where the second-floor apartment was. Mine was another two flights up from that in a converted attic. Yes, I had the top floor, but it was tiny.
    There was no stove; all I had was a hot plate and a toaster. The refrigerator was a mini, like the kind found in a hotel room, and the kitchen sink sat above one cupboard with ancient pipes underneath. There were no counters to speak of. If I needed to chop something, I had to do it on top of the fridge.
    The pipes made a really scary groaning noise when I ran any kind of water, but the pressure was strong, and that was all that mattered. My bathroom consisted of a claw-foot tub with a shower curtain around it and a freestanding sink with a mirror on the wall above it. There were no counters or cabinets. I was still sleeping on an air mattress Eliza had loaned me until I got enough money together to buy a bed. With my rent being seven-fifty a month, cheap for the Quarter, it was a purchase I was still saving up for.
    “Jim?”
    “Sorry,” I said automatically, my mind having drifted. “Yeah, this is where I live. Thank you for driving me.”
    I put my key in the gate’s lock and was about to go through when he stopped me.
    “I should come up and take a look around your place to make sure it’s safe.”
    “That’s not necessary. If there was another panther here, you could smell them, and since I don’t smell anyone, I know you don’t either. I’m fine.”
    “Yes, but—”
    “Thank your semel again for the phone,” I said, lifting the iPhone I’d been given. “I wish I had someone to call.”
    “You can call me,” he said, stepping in close, his hand touching my chin, lifting it.
    I wasn’t short. At five eleven I was taller than a lot of men, but he was easily six three, so he had to tilt my head back to have me stare into his eyes.
    “If I need you, I will.”
    “Call if you don’t.”
    I smiled at him.
    “Let me take you for a late dinner after work tomorrow.”
    “That’s not a good—”
    “Please, Jim. I’d love to feed you if you’ll let me.”
    He was handsome, gentle, and so obviously kind, but I had no business going on a date with the sylvan of a tribe I didn’t belong to.
    “It’s not a date,” he explained like he was reading my mind. “I’m just taking pity on the pretty reah.”
    I snorted out a laugh.
    “See, come on. There’s no harm in us sitting together, talking, and sharing a meal.”
    No, there wasn’t. “Okay, fine.”
    His grin made his dimples pop. Oh yes, very handsome man. “Good. What time do you get off work tomorrow?”
    “Eleven. You sure you want to eat that late?”
    “Definitely. It’ll be worth it.”
    Yes, it would. Already I could tell he’d be good company.
    Opening the gate, I walked through and then closed it behind me. I was surprised he was still there.
    “Go home, kitty,” I teased.
    His eyes narrowed. “You know, if you don’t end up having a home, you could stay here with us. Our semel would protect