Shay shook her head. “That’s not true. You’ve been needed, by Rory and probably Shannon. They just didn’t bother to tell you. I am.”
The thought flashed across her mind that Kian might be one of the folks Conor had warned her of, but she immediately dismissed it. For one thing, she’d always had good instincts when it came to people, and her heart told her Kian could be trusted. For another, if Kian wanted to be alpha, he would be alpha. Rory might have fought his father for the pack, but she doubted he’d have fought his twin, not if Kian really wanted the position. From what Rory had told her, he’d stepped forward because there wasn’t another suitable candidate.
I prefer being in wolf form.
Shay shrugged. “So be a wolf, but don’t forget you’re also a man.”
There was silence as her words settled around them.
Going with her gut, she asked Kian, “You know these people, probably better than anyone else. People, even shifters, tend to lower their guards around those they don’t consider a threat. Who do you think I should be watching out for?”
You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, he signed, a hint of bitterness in his expression. No one else does.
A hint of excitement stirred inside. He knows! Kian knows who my enemy is. Shay leaned forward in her chair, her focus complete, her manner intent as she stared deeply into his eyes. “Yes I will. I’m not like the others. Rory thinks it’s a man, but I don’t think so. I believe it’s a woman,” she said carefully, watching closely for any change in Kian’s expression.
His eyes flared before he could make his face blank. They stared at each other, taking each other’s measure. Finally Kian’s hands moved in a blur of motion.
“Whoa! Whoa! Slow down. You’re going too fast. I’m rusty, remember?”
Kian’s chest moved as he blew out a breath. He started again. Shay watched closely, her mouth dropping open the tiniest bit.
“Laurie Bell?” she asked faintly, hoping she’d read wrong.
You don’t believe me. Kian’s expression went flat again.
“No, I do. Shit! The tea!” Shay shot to her feet. She could see Kian’s hands moving furiously, but she was in too much of a rush to stop and read. “Where the hell did I put it?”
The bag from the health food store was still on the countertop. She snatched it to her and peered inside. Not there. Turning, she almost bumped into Kian, who’d come to stand behind her. She tried to dart around him, but he grabbed her arm.
What is it? he demanded.
“She gave me this tea to drink. Said it was for the baby,” she shouted as she snatched her arm free. Shay ran for the stairs, barely noting Kian keeping pace behind her. She tore into the bedroom, vaguely remembering stuffing the paper the man had given her into a pocket.
Jeans, jeans, jeans! Where are they? Bathroom! Dirty clothes hamper. She raced inside and flipped up the lid. They sat right on top. Shay dug into the pockets—front right, front left, back right, back left… Jackpot!
Shay turned to dash to the phone. Kian blocked her way. “Move,” she ordered sharply.
He danced nimbly to the side as she charged him. Seconds later Shay’s cell phone was in her hand and she was dialing the shop’s number. “Please be open. Please be open,” she prayed.
“For Your Health,” a male’s voice answered.
Shay breathed out a sigh of relief. “Hi, I was in the store yesterday evening, and Ken gave me his card. Is he available?”
“This is he.”
“Ken, this is Shayla Morgan. I don’t suppose you’ve had opportunity to analyze that tea I gave you?” she asked, crossing her fingers.
“Actually I have. I was going to give you a call when we closed up for the night. Hold on, let me grab my paper. I have it here, somewhere.”
Shay clenched her fist in the bedspread while she waited. She could hear the sound of customers in the shop and, in the distance, the canned music they played in the mall. Ken answered a question or two, and then he was back. “Here it is. I need to ask, are you sure she gave you the right tea blend?”
Warily Shay asked, “She gave it to my fiancé to give to me. Why do you ask?”
“Because of some of the ingredients. She has peppermint and gingerroot—great for nausea, morning sickness, and flavor—in a base of ginseng for energy, chamomile, dandelion, and red clover. She also has red raspberry leaf and nettles, which while good for pregnancy, most herbalists, including me, recommend not be taken until your second and third trimesters,” he stated. “But there’s a few others here that confuse me.”
Shay stood and began to pace. “Like what?”
“She added black cohosh, angelica, motherwort, licorice, and a bit of rosemary to the brew.”
Shay’s wanderings brought her to the window. “And that’s bad?”
“Well…”
“Tell me, please.” It was evident he was reluctant to bad-mouth another professional.
“The herbs by themselves are good for menstrual and menopausal issues but, when taken during pregnancy, can cause miscarriage. Maybe she didn’t tell the vendor she purchased this from that you were pregnant?”
Shay dropped her hand to cover her womb. “How exactly do the herbs work?” she asked, knowing knowledge is power.
“Over time they can cause uterine contractions. Some, like angelica, force your menstrual cycle to come on. Like I said, she may not have known. I do recommend some of these herbs to pregnant women, but only those in their last few weeks. These are some of the herbs I mentioned that help speed and ease labor.” He was talking fast, trying to be reassuring. “You haven’t been drinking the tea long, have you? I think you said she’d just given it to you?”
“About a week,” Shay murmured, her mind working overtime.
“Well, everything should be fine. Just switch to the pills I gave you and save the tea until you get closer to term,” he said in a soothing voice.
“Can you fax or e-mail me a list of the herbs you found in the tea she gave me?”
“Sure. I have your e-mail address right here. I’ll send it to you along with our weekly specials.”
“Thank you for all your help,” Shay said politely. Inside she wanted to scream.
“You’re welcome. Glad to be of service.”
Shay pressed the Off button and rested her forehead on the window. She’d been warned, and she’d still almost trusted the wrong person. She felt the heat of Kian’s body as he came and stood close behind her.
“You heard?” She glanced over her shoulder.
He nodded.
“She tried to kill my baby, Kian. She’s smart, I’ll give her that. If something happened, if she were caught, she could say it was a simple error. But she knew exactly what she was doing. She’s a naturalist. Owns a shop.”
She hates us.
“Why?”
I don’t know. She’s always hated us. My parents too.
Rory’s parents, Shay thought. Somehow it always seemed to come back to them. “She looked right into both of our faces and lied. Not even Rory caught it.”
She’s been living a lie for years. You need to tell Rory.
“Not yet.”
He signed forcefully and with great emphasis. He needs to know!
Shay rubbed her forehead wearily. “I know, and I’ll tell him, but not yet. He trusts her! Feels guilty about killing her mate. I need proof. This is going to crush him. But first I need to know that my child is safe.”
She speed-dialed Kiesha’s house number. They should be back from their honeymoon by now. Hopefully Alex would answer. Luck was with her. After three rings Alex picked up the phone. “Shay, I’ll get Kiesha for you, but first, how are things?”