Zoe tossed all night. Eventually, giving up on sleep, she padded to her window. Lifting a hand to massage her temple in hope of easing a massive headache, she stared at a full moon and listened to the tick of her clock. The light from a passing vehicle two stories below pulled her gaze from heaven back to earth. She pressed her fists into her eyes. What should I do? The thought of spending time with Davide thrilled her, but she knew her heart could not take another hit.
To distract her thoughts she walked to the bathroom, flipped on the light, and studied her reflection in the floor to ceiling mirror. Starting at her feet, she worked her way upward. She'd always been small and growing into womanhood had not changed that. At 4'11" she was skinny with a flat chest, although a tiny waist gave her some curves. She studied her eyes. Their redeeming quality was their color, a rich mahogany. She often received comments about them. Her gaze drifted to her mouth. Although a little fuller than average, it still wasn't striking. She turned her head back and forth viewing her nose: average, straight and thin, without any cute tilt. Smoothing a hand over her cheeks, she decided her best feature was probably her complexion, creamy with a light dusting of freckles over her nose. Lastly, she stared at her dreaded hair and the springy, muddy-blond mass that refused taming. Her curls had been the bane of her existence. She cringed when she remembered some of her nannies before Fawn. Even now, she could feel the pain of a brush being mercilessly pulled through her hair. Fawn loved her hair and had taught her to accept the curls, allowing them to do their own thing. She sighed and turned from the mirror. She would never measure up to the kind of beauty Davide was destined for.
What should I do? The thought repeated itself. Returning to her bed she sat Indian style in the center and put her head in her hands. You know exactly what you're going to do. The moment you saw Davide's aura fade when you refused him, you were a goner.
She fell back against her pillows and actually dozed after admitting that she had to help Davide. She rose early, dressed hastily, and rode the elevator to the ground floor. At the front desk she said, "Good morning. I'd like the room number for Davide Beowolf, please."
"I'm sorry; we are not allowed to release room numbers. I can call his room however and let him know someone is seeking him."
"Yes, please do that."
The clerk glanced at his watch. "I'll have to wait until eight to make the call. Right now it's seven."
Darn. "Oh, okay, I'll come back then." She turned to walk away.
"Excuse me, Miss. You said the last name is Beowolf?"
She turned back around. "Yes."
The clerk was staring at his computer. "It looks like Mr. Beowolf checked out right before I arrived, which was a few minutes ago."
Zoe's heart thumped her rib cage. "Damn!" She raced toward the entrance, impatiently circumventing an early riser. On the sidewalk she glanced up and down the street, her heart pounding furiously while tears threatened.
"Zoe?"
She turned and saw Davide leaning against the building, his backpack sitting on the ground beside him.
Relief almost made her run and throw her arms around him. Breathing deeply, she started toward him and he picked up his backpack, covering the distance.
"You're up early after a late night, kiddo."
Without prelude she said, "Okay, I'll go with you."
After studying her eyes for a long moment, Davide's sensual mouth quirked into a lopsided grin. "Thank you."
"I thought you said your plane leaves tonight."
"It does, I was going to wander the city for a while. Want to wander with me?"
"Sure. But what about an airline ticket for me? You're traveling commercial, right?"
Davide grinned sheepishly. "I already have a ticket for you. My family is very adept at getting whatever they want. I even have your Australian Visitor's Visa approved. Remember, I was going to kidnap you if you said no."
Zoe shook her head, feigning exasperation.
"Let's get you packed," Davide suggested, and waved his hand toward the hotel entrance. Zoe was elated to see his aura was once again bright.
* * *
Rainey watched Roth answer his cell phone and when he motioned that it was the call they had been waiting for from fellow shapelings Magadalena and Raoul Santiago, she rushed to sit beside him on the bed and listen to the one-sided conversation.
He asked a few questions, listened for several minutes, and then thanked the caller and hung up. He kept his face expressionless.
Rainey said, "Did Davide fall for the ruse? Tell me what happened."
He suddenly grinned. "Seems Magdalena pulled out every trick in the book to entice Davide, but he just wouldn't take the bait. He couldn't keep his eyes off Zoe."
Rainey squealed. "Oh, this is exciting!"
"It gets even better."
"What? What?"
"When Magdalena gave it her last best shot…are you ready for this…Davide said Zoe was his wife."
Rainey squealed again. "Now we know something's up with him. Magdalena is irresistible. What a great idea you had to ask the Santiagos to go undercover." She giggled. "Just out of curiosity, what were they going to do if Davide succumbed to Magdalena's charms?"
Roth laughed heartily. "Raoul said he was going to ask another shapeling to show up and act like Magdalena's lover, and then he was going to make sure the lover punched Davide in the mouth."
"Goodness. It just shows what a mess a web of deceit can spawn. Anyway, I'm glad of the outcome. I can't wait to tell Mom, Dad, and Beth."