Nightshifters (4 page)

Anna drifted in and out of sleep. Images of a burning plane,
a jaguar with glittering yellow eyes, and pain-filled shrieks tormented her
dreams. She awoke drenched in sweat, shaking.

Reaching out into the darkness, her hands clasped onto
nothing. Fear slid along her spine.

Alone.

A high-pitched scream sliced through the air. Anna covered
her ears to drown the sound while her heart slammed against her chest. She
rocked back and forth on the bed silently begging the horrible noise to cease.

Within seconds, a door burst open.

“Anna! Anna, are you all right?”

Through the screams, she heard the gentle voice, the same
masculine voice that had comforted her earlier.

Jared!

She struggled to breathe, but the room seemed to lack
oxygen. Her breaths came quick and labored.

“Anna?” Strong arms hauled her toward a warm chest. The
sensuous scent of exotic spices and musk filled the air helping to calm her.

“It’s ok. You’re safe now.” Large muscled arms encircled her
body. Anna could feel a soft heartbeat against her ear as she laid her head against
Jared’s hard chest. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.

The screams subsided. Only whimpers remained.

“Someone was screaming,” Anna whispered into the soft cotton
of his freshly laundered shirt. Then with a shudder she added, “It was awful.”

“Shhh.” Jared’s breath lifted a strand of hair near her
temple while he rocked her tenderly. “It’s ok. You were the one screaming. You
just had a nightmare.”

Anna’s body went limp against him. His arms tightened around
her.

“I’m sorry. I-I thought someone was in trouble.”

“No. Everything is fine now.” Jared brushed his lips across
her left temple. Her heart skipped a beat at the tenderness in his gesture.
Security enveloped her like a warm blanket on a frigid winter night as he
whispered, “You’re safe with me.”

The bruising wasn’t as prevalent, Jared noted a week later.
Anna remained conscious for longer periods, and she seemed to have accepted the
loss of her father, though she occasionally slipped into bouts of depression.
He knew she was trying to find a way to put her life back together. He admired
her spunk and courage.

Jared checked her vitals. With the stethoscope, he listened
to her chest. Everything looked and sounded good.

Everything except her eyes.

She had not regained her sight.

Jared straightened and stepped away.

“So, what’s the verdict, doc?” Anna’s lips turned up at the
corners. Her ready smile sent a flutter through his stomach.

Jared winced. He hadn’t considered himself a doctor in
years.

Even though the evil witch had stolen his chance for
happiness, Jared had naively thought that he could still practice medicine;
that it wouldn’t matter if he resembled the Elephant Man, until the day one of
his patients shrank away from him in horror when she saw his disfigured face. It
was then he realized life, as he knew it, ceased to exist. He hadn’t treated a
patient since.

Until now…

The memory of Dalia’s evil spell sucker-punched him in the
gut and he tightened his hand around the stethoscope, then forced his
concentration back to Anna.

“Everything is fine except your eyes.”

Anna’s shoulders deflated. “I’m never going to regain my
sight, am I?”

Jared took her hand. The warmth of her touch zipped through
his veins like an electrical current and caused his pulse to quicken.
She is
so beautiful
, he thought. Even without her eyesight. Long ash-blonde hair;
her small-boned, creamy oval face; and green eyes that darkened with passion or
lightened with delight. Not to mention the tantalizing scent of plumeria she
always wore. However, the thing he found most fascinating was her kind spirit,
a genuine beauty with which no physical feature could ever compete.

Bitterness burned through him. He longed to have someone
with whom to share his life. Someone who could love him. Someone like Anna. But
it was not to be. Dalia had seen to that. Jared pushed the image of the
beautiful witch to the back of his mind.

“Without further tests, we have no way to know the extent of
your injury. It could be a temporary condition due to damage to one of the
lobes in your brain.” He squeezed her hand. “Or it could be permanent. Only
time will tell.”

Anna’s blank stare focused on the direction of his voice.
“In other words, I just have to wait and see.” She offered him a weak smile.
“No pun intended.”

He gave her hand another reassuring squeeze, relieved to see
her humor still intact.

“Thank you for being so kind to me,” Anna whispered softly.
“Can I — I would like to see you.” She tentatively reached toward him.

Jared drew a sharp breath knowing what she meant. He caught
her hand in mid-air. Shivers of awareness pricked his fingertips. “Maybe some
other time.”

“Oh.” Anna jerked her hand back. Heat singed her cheeks. “I
didn’t mean to imply — I mean I shouldn’t have been so forward.”

Tight bands of guilt squeezed Jared’s chest. It was only
natural for her to want to “see” him the only way she could. After all, she had
been in his care for over a week. Yet, he couldn’t bear the look of terror on
her face once her hands discovered his flawed features. Or worse, her pity.

He cleared his throat. “Would you like to get out of bed for
a while? I’m sure you’re stir-crazy after being incapacitated for so long.”

Her face brightened. “Could I?”

Jared’s heart lightened. It felt good to be able to do even
the smallest thing to make her happy. “Here. Take my hands. I’ll lead you.”

Anna reached toward his voice. Jared caught her hand in his
and patiently waited as she collected her bearings when her feet touched the
floor. She wore one of his over-sized T-shirts that nearly reached her knees.
He would need to see about getting her some clothing since all of her
belongings burned in the crash.

“Lead the way, doc.” Anna grinned up at him. At six foot
two, Jared suddenly realized that he was several inches taller than her.

His heart fluttered as her smile lit up the room. He
swallowed hard. He was falling in love with his patient. The realization
dropkicked him right in the gut. Jared’s stomach twisted into a sailor’s knot.
Falling in love was not an option.

Not for him.

Jared steeled himself against the unexpected emotion. She
could never love him. Not if she knew. Refusing to think about it, Jared took
her arm and guided her through the house. She explored his home with her hands,
and he taught her how to use senses other than sight to move about
independently. Several hours later Jared noticed a weakness in her movements
though she never complained.

“That’s enough for today.” He led her toward the winding
staircase. With his arm around her waist for support, he helped her ascend the
stairs. “You don’t want to overdo it.”

Anna nodded. “Thank you, Jared. I don’t know what I would
have done without your help. You’ve been so kind to me. How can I ever repay
you?”

“There’s no need for that.”

“But there must be something I can do.”

“I just want you to get well. That’s all you need to do.”

“Is that doctor’s orders?” She laughed.

The sound, so carefree and real, expanded his heart. Anna
was exactly the type of woman he could love.

If only…

“Omigod!” Anna gripped his arm and stumbled on the stair. “I
saw something! A flash of light.”

“What?”

“A flash. It was gone in an instant, but I saw it. Does that
mean I might be able to see again? I mean that’s good isn’t it? That I saw
something?”

“Maybe.” Jared agreed as they reached the top stair.

Was her blindness only temporary? Bands of apprehension
gripped his chest. If she regained her sight then she would see him. And she
would leave. Just like his fianceé had ten years ago.

“That has to be good, doesn’t it?” Excitement bubbled in her
voice.

“Yes, Anna. I think it might be a very good sign,” Jared
told her softly. She would need more tests. And he didn’t have the resources to
do them.

As Anna slid into bed, Jared realized that he cared enough
about her to do what was best for her. Even if that meant exposing himself in
the process.

She lay back against the pillows, excitement still evident
on her face.

He took her hand in his. “I’ll arrange for you to have more
tests so we will know what we are dealing with.”

“At the hospital where you work?”

Jared froze. “I don’t practice medicine anymore, Anna. I
haven’t in nearly ten years.”

“Why not? I thought you must work evenings. I hear you leave
every night after dark.”

“No. I don’t work anymore. Something happened with one of my
patients.” He closed his eyes as if to ward off the memory.

“Someone died?”

Yes. Me.

Jared took a deep breath. It was time to tell her the truth.
She deserved that much from him. After all, she had placed her life in his
hands.

“No. One of my patients was a witch, a beautiful woman with
an evil spirit. She thought she was in love with me. When I didn’t return her
love, she — she put a spell on me.” The words were laced with bitterness.

“What kind of spell?” Anna’s eyebrows drew together.

“She turned me into a shape shifter by night and this,” he
pulled her hand to his face, “by day.”

“Shape shifter?” Anna swallowed hard and bit the inside of
her cheek. Her hand shook against his cheek.

“It means I can morph into something else. A jaguar, to be
exact. For a few precious hours each night, I can be something else.”

“A jaguar? Why?”

Jared blew a breath between his lips. “Witches generally
have a familiar — an animal companion — one that is loyal to the witch.”
Jared’s blood turned to ice as his stomach recoiled. “Dahlia thought she could
make me hers. I refused, which only angered her more.” A sharp bubble of fury
rose inside him. He pushed it down. No point in getting worked up over it
again. Nothing could help him now. Jared’s chin tightened. “A jaguar is the
largest, fastest cat in the America’s. It’s also a solitary animal, so I guess
that suits me.”

Understanding dawned in Anna’s eyes. “No wonder you were
able to get to me so fast.” Anna’s hand felt warm on his cheek. She gently
traced the scars and lumps, carefully trailing her fingers along his jaw line.
Surprise flickered across her face. “Oh, Jared. How awful for you.”

Jared drew a sharp breath and turned away from her exploring
hand.

Pity.
He heard it in her tone.

“Can the spell be broken?” she asked quietly.

“No.” He didn’t see any reason to tell her that there was
one way. Not when it was an impossibility.

“I’m so sorry, but surely you can still practice medicine.
You’re a wonderful doctor. Why are you wasting your talents?”

“I frighten the patients. No one wants a hideous doctor, and
I can’t even blame them.” He clenched his jaw.

Anna reached into the space between them until she found his
face once more. She touched one of the scars gently. “I would.”

“Not if you could see me.
Really
see me.” Jared
stood. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

He glanced out the window. Night had settled once again.
Moonlight filtered through the window casting dark shadows on the walls.

Jared hurried from the room. He couldn’t wait to shift. Anything
to forget he had just lost Anna forever. No woman could love a monster like
him. Not even one as gentle and kind as Anna.

 “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” Anna
asked three days later, while she awaited a taxi in the living room.

“No. I’ve contacted one of my former colleagues. He will
take good care of you.”

“I really wish you would come with me. I’d feel more
comfortable with you there.” Her green eyes pleaded with him. The resolve he
clung to began to melt, but he couldn’t give in to her request.