“Fine. The Cranes have already stopped by.”
“Bleh! Nosey snobs.”
Her feelings exactly. “I’m afraid Rogar took offense with their snobby attitude, and told them he was a prince. I just hope his admission doesn’t come back to haunt us.”
“I doubt it will. No one would ever find you there. If they do, then sic the Cranes on them.”
“That’s an idea.”
“You take care, and if you need anything at all, I’m only a phone call away.”
“DeeDee?”
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“Thanks. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’ll be eternally grateful.”
“Ahh, Callie, someday you’re going to realize that I needed you just as much as you needed me. You’re the one friend I know who treats me like a real person.” There was a distinct sniffle. “You just make that big alien take care of you.”
“I will.” She slowly closed the phone, then looked up. Sensing he was in the room. He had a presence about him that called everyone’s attention.
He’d changed clothes and wore a pair of dark brown slacks, and a casual hunter green top. He looked so delicious she could eat him up. Now that was a thought.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we might be in trouble.”
She cleared her throat. “Do you want something to drink?” She hurried behind the bar, and opened the refrigerator. She got out a soda.
“That sounds good.”
She set a couple of them on the counter. When she covertly glanced his way, she saw he was still watching her. If he kept this up, she’d be the one jumping his bones. She turned her back to him, and began to rummage in the cabinets. A sigh of relief escaped. This was exactly what she was looking for—junk food. The cure-all for not having sex.
She loaded her arms down with tortilla chips, bean dip, salsa, and chocolate cream-filled cookies, then managed to carry it all to the table without dropping anything. He brought the sodas. They each pulled out a chair.
But they couldn’t live on junk food alone. Not and keep up their strength so before she took her seat, she grudgingly cooked them each a grilled cheese sandwich.
“Okay, tell me when you first knew about your animal guide,” she said, after she set their plates on the table. She ripped open the bag of chips, then removed the lids from the dips. He followed her example and opened the cookies, but when he reached for one, she took it away. “Sandwich first. Chips and dip. Then cookies.”
“Why? These look better.”
“I cook a mean grilled cheese, I’ll have you know. Besides, the bean dip has protein, and the salsa has veggies…” She held a chip up and studied it. “And the chips have corn.”
He pointed toward the cookies. “And those?”
“Sugar and chocolate. They’re for after a meal.”
He nodded, followed her lead, and dipped a chip into the bean dip. He took a bite, then slowly chewed. “I like it.”
Great, she was getting him hooked on junk food. “Do you have stuff like this on New Symtaria?”
“We have better, but this will do.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course.” Bet they didn’t have chocolate. They ate in silence for a few minutes.
She moved a chip around on her plate. “Were you scared when you found out you shared your body with an animal?” she finally asked.
“I knew about my guide from the instructions that we are taught. It did take me a while to distinguish between my own thoughts and that of my guide. It was as though we hadn’t formed the separation that was needed.”
“How old were you?”
“Ten years.”
“I was eight when I started hearing the voice. What did you do?”
“I listened. I asked questions. At some point we began to make the distinction between our personalities.”
She slid the chip through the dip, but didn’t take a bite. “What’s your guide like? I mean, you say he has his own personality.”
Rogar leaned back in his chair, his forehead wrinkling in thought. “Balam? He’s aggressive, like most animal guides.”
“Unless you’re a rabbit,” she said with more than a touch of sarcasm.
“True.”
Great, he didn’t tell her that the rabbit might not be her guide, but then again, which would she rather be? A rabbit or a rhino? She thought the rabbit would be better.
“Balam has also been a good friend and protector.”
“Balam,” she repeated. “I like his name. Can you feel him inside you? Does he understand what I’m saying?”
“Everything.”
Heat flooded her face. “What about when we…uh…” This was so embarrassing.
“When we make love?”
She nodded.
“Balam is like a shadow when we are in human form. You would not be embarrassed with thoughts in your head,” he said, guessing her dilemma.
Since he put it that way, she guessed it wouldn’t be the same, but there was still a lingering feeling that she was in the middle of a ménage à trios.
“He wants to meet you.”
Her head jerked up. “Meet me?”
“Yes.”
“Me? In the same room with a jaguar. I mean, you said you both had distinct personalities. What if he decides to eat me?”
“He won’t.”
“You’re sure.”
“I’m almost positive.”
She leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her. “Almost is not the same as positive.”
“I trust him.” He sighed. “I thought you wanted to work with the big cats?”
She jumped up, and walked to the window. “I do, but my training taught me that even if you love something, even if it’s a beautiful animal, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.” She turned from the window and met his gaze. “Leaning on the side of caution is always a wise choice.”
But how many times had she yearned to reach out and pet Sheba. There was something about the cat that made her want to get closer. It could be her Symtarian side that felt such an affinity for all animals.
And then again, maybe she should just stay in the petting zoo. The animals there were harmless, and she could cuddle most of them.
“Another time then,” Rogar said, breaking into her thoughts.
She didn’t want to tell him by the time their relationship got to that point, it would probably be time for him to leave, and it wouldn’t matter anymore. But she didn’t want to think about that. It hurt too much.
So, she squared her shoulders and faced him. “How do I find my guide? You said there were ceremonies?”
He reached in his pocket and brought out his database. “Let me see what I can find out about them.”
She sat down again, watching as he typed in letters. She’d come to the realization his database was just like a minicomputer, and stored just about as much information, except she was positive Rogar would tell her that his system was better.
“Here it is.”
She watched the different expressions on his face. When he finally looked up, she was almost certain she didn’t want to go through any changing ceremony.
Chapter 21
“I’m telling you the truth. That is what the database says to do,” Rogar told Callie, then handed the device to her so she could read for herself.
Callie didn’t believe him for a second. She jerked the database from him, and quickly read what was on the screen. Okay, so maybe he had been telling the truth, but was the information accurate? “Is this on the level?”
“I promise. The database wouldn’t have false information.”
Her eyes narrowed. His expression was bland. Were his eyes twinkling? She couldn’t be sure. But if it really did work, wouldn’t it be worth trying? It might just save her life. “And you’re sure this will work?”
“No.”
“I’m supposed to get naked during a full moon, outside, and chant these words while you smear a concoction of questionable ingredients over my body, and you’re not even sure it will work?”
“The old leaders must have participated in the rituals or it wouldn’t be in the database.”