Traffic was brisk, but there was no one else walking the street as she strode farther from the shop and closer to her apartment. Living only fifteen minutes of a walk from work was a bonus in the city and she saved quite a bit of money by walking. The business district gave way to an older residential area. The buildings were mostly brick, much of it chipped and crumbling, and no more than five or six stories high. A little worse for wear, but still affordable for those on a low income or pension.

It was really a small community within the larger city. In the summer, the sounds and smells of people cooking and living filled the air. Elderly men and women sat on balconies and front steps and chatted while children played on the sidewalks and in the empty lots around the neighborhood.

This time of year, everyone was inside and the street was unusually quiet. The buildings cast a menacing shadow onto the street and their lights were like eyes, watching her every step. Katie had always felt safe, but tonight she felt nervous. It was all that money, practically burning a hole in her pocket. It had to be. She’d walked this route for years, but tonight she wished she taken a cab.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she muttered to herself even as she gripped her keys in her right hand and slowly withdrew them from her pocket. Scanning back and forth with her eyes, she kept walking briskly towards the next corner. Her leather hiking boots measured her steps as she strode down the sidewalk, their soles making a comforting thumping sound. Katie knew of people who’d gotten mugged in this part of town. It didn’t happen often, but it did happen, especially at night. She stood tall and squared her shoulders. She would be no easy target.

A shuffling noise behind her made her stop and spin around. “Who’s there?” she demanded. Her heart pounded as she balanced herself on her toes, ready to fight or run. A soft woof and the padding of feet answered her. Katie felt her tense muscles begin to relax until she saw the apparition rocketing out of the dark.

It was a dog. But not like any other she’d ever seen. It was huge and coming right for her with its mouth open and its tongue hanging out. Katie froze to the spot, not wanting to provoke any aggression. “Nice doggy,” she soothed. “Don’t eat me.”

The large predator continued to charge straight for her, and Katie braced herself for attack. At the last moment, the huge animal skidded to a stop in front of her, planted its behind on the sidewalk, and held up its right front paw. Katie eyed the beast warily, but he continued to sit patiently with his paw raised.

Gingerly, she reached out and gave it one quick tug. “Pleased to meet you.” Realizing what she’d just done, she groaned. “Now I’m talking to a dog.”

Pleased with her response, the animal thrust his head under her hand and whined. Katie smiled in spite of herself, slipping her keys back in her pocket so she could rub his fur with both hands. “You’re just a big baby, aren’t you?” she crooned softly.

The dog whined and tilted his head to one side so she could scratch him there. Katie gave herself up to the pleasure of petting the gentle creature. This was no stray dog by any means. The dog was obviously well-fed, well-groomed, and well-behaved. Peering closely at his collar, she saw a tag. As she started to reach for it, the animal pulled away and started trotting down the sidewalk. When he was a few steps away from her, he turned and waited.

Katie laughed. “Going to walk me home, are you?” The dog woofed in response.

Checking her pocket to make sure the precious white envelope was still tucked safely away, she continued down the sidewalk. Her early nervousness had vanished with the arrival of this new friend. “So you’re going to be mysterious and not let me know your name.” The dog trotted beside her, his tail wagging happily behind him, unconcerned by her pronouncement.

Katie got a better view of him as they reached a well-lit intersection. If she wasn’t mistaken this was some kind of wolfhound. Big and gray and very regal-looking. They crossed the street and Katie was relieved to see her building in the distance.

The old five-story relic might not be up to many people’s standards, but it was sturdily built and fairly well-maintained. The brick had faded over time and was a washed-out pink, rather than red. The fire escape served as a patio and the elevator rarely worked. But the warm light shining from the windows was comforting as she hurried closer. This was the home she’d shared with her grandmother since her mother had left her there when Katie was only four. Now that her grandmother was gone, it was her home. This was where she belonged.

The dog kept pace with her as she quickened her step and sped towards home. She could see her breath as she hurried along and longed for the heat and comfort of her apartment. Safety was only a few steps away. Instinctively, her left hand clutched the envelope in her pocket even tighter. The loud crinkling noise sounded unusually loud to Katie and she forced her hand to relax its death grip on the money.

A car slowed down as it neared her, and Katie automatically moved to the middle of the sidewalk and away from the curb. She pulled her keys from her pocket and wielded them like a weapon. The dog silently slid to her left side, so it was between her and the vehicle. A low growl rumbled from the animal as it bared its teeth at the driver. The car sped up and quickly disappeared down the street. Katie stared at the dog in disbelief as he looked at her with a doggy grin on his face and his tongue hanging out. “Well, aren’t you full of surprises!”

Katie felt nothing but relief as she climbed the slightly crumbling stone steps to her building and unlocked the door to the lobby. “Come on in,” she invited the dog as she held the door open. “You can’t stay out all night in this cold.” The dog sat on the sidewalk in front of the building, in no hurry to go anywhere. Katie tried to coax him inside, but once again he ignored her efforts.

Suddenly, the dog’s ears perked up and Katie heard a soft whistle. The dog immediately turned away and loped across the street and into the shadows. As she watched him disappear into the darkness, the feeling of being watched returned full force to Katie.

Quickly, she slammed the door to the building and looked out from the relative safety of the lobby. A huge shadow detached itself from the side of the building and moved away down the sidewalk and Katie watched in silence as the dog trotted happily beside it.

The moment they were swallowed up by the night, Katie became aware of her own vulnerability. Standing in the lobby, she was spotlighted for one and all to see. Gripping the envelope in one hand and her keys in the other, she raced up three flights of stairs and down the hall to her apartment.

She fumbled with the keys, almost dropping them, as she unlocked the door. It seemed to take forever, but finally she was inside. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm in her chest as her mad dash up the stairs and her fear of a possible assailant caught up to her.

Katie’s knees buckled and she sat down hard on the floor, propping her back against the locked door. Her breath came in harsh gasps and she forced herself to take deep breaths to calm herself. She hadn’t been imagining things. Someone had followed her home.

Chapter Two

He hadn’t meant to scare her. He’d simply wanted to catch a glimpse of her now that he knew she was real and not some figment of the artist’s imagination. After his initial shock, Cain Benjamin had simply watched from the shadows as she talked to his dog. Gabriel had trotted happily at her side and Cain admitted to himself that he was jealous of his damned dog. He wanted to be the one walking beside her, sharing conversation and laughter. But that would probably never happen.

She’d known someone was watching her and that surprised him. Most people were very unaware of their surroundings. Maybe it was some intrinsic part of her personality that had been aware of him or at least sensed that someone was nearby.

He’d smelled her fear as she walked, but still, she hadn’t run from it. She’d drawn herself up and pulled out her keys as a weapon to defend herself. He’d felt pride in her at that moment and knew he’d been right in assuming that she was special.

It had taken all the self-control he possessed not to scoop her up like some Neanderthal caveman and drag her back to his lair. His entire body was pulsing with need, and he clenched his teeth as he adjusted his cock to ease the ache.

Cain turned down an alley, automatically choosing the darkest route. The night was his friend, the shadows his companion. He knew his way unerringly around the city through all the back alleys and unlit lanes.

Unzipping his jacket, he welcomed the cold air on his overheated body. It helped. Barely. He concentrated on his breathing, taking one deep cleansing breath after another, as he desperately tried to put her out of his thoughts.

Twenty minutes later, with his body back under control, he crossed a deserted street and entered the darkness of the park. Cain stayed off the well-lit walking trails, confining his rambles to the dark grassy paths between the tall, mature trees. Their height and their branches sheltered him, even at this time of year when most of them were bare of leaves. Gabriel, who had quietly walked at his side, now started to whine softly.

“All right, boy.” Cain’s voice was a low rumble. Reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket, he withdrew a large piece of braided rope and threw it with all his might. Gabriel disappeared into the dark, barking happily as he ran. Seconds later, he reappeared and dropped the rope at Cain’s feet.