I opened the door to my apartment and let Jeddi pound up to me, his tongue wagging. When he spotted Cale, he barked and nipped at his legs.
"Don't worry. His bark's worse than his bite," I said over my shoulder.

"Good, mine isn't," Cale muttered, glaring at Jeddi like he was a three legged rodent. I gave him a baleful eye and picked up my "baby" and cooed at him as I went into the kitchen. "Sit down. I'll grab us some coffee."

"No beer?" he hollered back.

I rolled my eyes. Hadn't he drunk enough?

I switched on the coffee maker. I felt woozy, as if I'd been hit with a frying pan. I looked back to make sure Cale hadn't walloped me without my knowledge and wasn't conspiring to kill me. But I trusted him. The power I had of reading people's emotions was a god send, maybe not the kind of God humans worshiped here, but he was one and the same in the end.

"Need any help?" Cale's asked from the living room.

He stepped into the kitchen. Jeddi yipped and wouldn't stop struggling to get out of my arms. He didn't like Cale, no matter his intentions. I had to put him outside on the balcony.

"Cute hound," Cale said with zilch conviction.

"It's Jeddi."

On the way home Cale had told me he was going to try and help. He just didn't say how, all because he hadn't an actual solid plan yet. Seriously? They had sent him to help me? My ass of an ex betroth.

No amount of good looks was going to make up for his audacity to show up and expect me to feel any gratitude.

"So, did you marry someone else?" I asked when he leaned back against the kitchen island, his arm folded and bulky, emphasizing his 'tribes' ink job.

"I think we should talk about the creature that visited you some more." His tone was fairly grim.

"Fine." I grabbed two cups from the cupboard. "Shoot."

I didn't bother to ask how he liked his coffee. He could like it or leave it. He should have been glad I was being so close to hospitable.

"What did he say exactly?" he asked.

"That he wants you dead."

"I see."

I spooned sugar into the cups. "You don't sound like you mind?"

"I would if he didn't need me."

I turned around. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, he's wary of my powers of persuasion."

He looked deep into my eyes as he said it. I almost dropped the spoon, but blinked and managed to severe the tie he was attaching to me like an electric wire. "And my powers to numb them physically and keeps them away. It's why the leader of their kind chose you to coax me into submission."

"Coax you how?" I snorted, wishing I hadn't.

"Your powers to manipulate, calm the fire in us all. Maybe ignite it if necessary." He was glaring at me again. This time it was him who looked away. He ran his hands through his hair with a deep intake of breath.

I gulped. This was all getting weird-er. Had he been flirting with me? Well he was two years too late.

"And why would that help?"

"He wanted you to hate me, fuel my satire anger, make you have to kill me in self defense."

I laughed, all the while wondering why he had a thing like satire anger, any anger at all for that matter, and the kind that would have made him lash out at me. He was a jerk, but I knew he couldn't be violent with a woman even if he tried. It also took me until now to realize I could only read parts of him, parts he was willing to reveal.

"Why are you angry?" I asked.

"Do you think I want to be here?"

I dropped the spoon with a clink, well more like threw it on the counter.

"Well you know where the door is." I put my hands on my hips as a lame way to intimidate him.

He shook his head and bit his lips, his face reddening. Maybe I was about to get a taste of what bubbled beneath the charm.

"As if I could leave." He smirked.

"Why not? I don't need you here. I can take care of myself and this."

He snickered.

"I can!"

"You really believe that don't you?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't!"

His eyes danced, his moods swings were going to give me whip lash.

"Then it looks like I made a lucky escape."

I turned away. His eyes had a way of penetrating mine until they seemed to throb. "You're a freak and you know it."

I heard him chuckle, and felt sure he muttered, "Likewise."

That was it. I'd had enough. I brought Jeddi inside and went to bed. Cale could leave, sleep on the couch, whatever. I could deal with him in the morning. Or hopefully, my father would arrive and tell me it had all been just a bad dream.