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loading docks and pushed her into a dark corner. He signaled her to be quiet and mouthed without voice, “I’ll be back.”
    She panicked. “Don’t—”
    Arcan kissed her on the lips as if to silence her objection.
    The world stopped at that moment.
    The kiss.
    Her first kiss.
    Her breath might be frozen in her lungs, but the lips that bestowed that kiss set her on fire.
    “Don’t worry. I’ll be back for you. I promise.”
    Arcan dusted down his pants and shimmied to the opening. He slipped outside and vanished from her sight.
    Yazmina tried to pull herself together. She’d come this far. She couldn’t fall apart now. Especially now. She crouched in the corner, making herself as small as possible. She listened to every noise.
    Is he trying to fight them off by himself?
    What if the men have weapons? Will he stand a chance?
    Yazmina took a deep breath, listening. The night crept towards the witching hour, and this part of the mall was deserted. She could hear echoing steps. Then shouts. Then there were inhuman growls and a screech of surprise.
    Arcan must have transformed into his lion form in order to get rid of their pursuers.
    More growls, and silence followed.
    Far away in the background, the chatter of people and a soft wind from the ocean painted the night.
    She waited. Her heart thundered fast.
    It felt like forever, but then, she saw him.
    Arcan emerged from the street.
    Her body moved before her mind could register what had happened. She ran to him and hugged him tightly.
    She didn’t want to be separated from him ever again.
    No, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.
    It was the first time Yazmina realized that she’d fallen in love with him.
     
     
    They came by taxi from the marina. The safe house that Jax’s friend had provided was located in the heart of the city. It was nestled inside an elite complex building with its own private elevator and parking space. Arcan found the place quite easily.
    The apartment looked plain from the hallway, but Yazmina spotted a few security cameras placed strategically. Arcan entered the password twice—once in the elevator and once by the door. The keypad LCD screen flashed green, granting them entry.
    They went in, and Arcan immediately entered another password on the keypad to arm the security system again.
    Yazmina took in the view.
    The apartment was luxurious but sparsely furnished. The living room was empty save for a large-screen TV in the corner. The picture windows were covered with neutral blinds.
    She ventured in and inspected the rooms and amenities. She found towels, soaps and toiletries in the linen closet. The owner of the place had also stocked it with some hotel-type robes, oversized shirts and sweatpants—all were in their plastic packaging.
    In the kitchen, she found canned food and freeze-dried skim milk. The refrigerator was filled with bottled mineral water.
    “What do you think?” asked Arcan. “Not bad, huh?”
    “It’s very nice—certainly nicer than that cage on the ship.”
    Arcan laughed softly. The tension wound down a few notches.
    She didn’t ask him what he’d done with the men that chased them in the marina. She didn’t see any blood on his shirt, so she assumed Arcan hadn’t killed them. That was good. She didn’t want to see Arcan became a killer. Whether she liked it or not, those men were only doing their job, even though they were in the way of her path to freedom.
    “I’m going to take a shower first if you don’t mind,” she said to Arcan. “All that running made me sweat.”
    “Sure. And I’ll make us some coffee. Or tea if there’s any.” He opened and closed the cabinets in search of hot beverages. He found what he was looking for in the kitchen drawer. “English tea okay?”
    Yazmina nodded. She watched him microwave the mug and steep the tea bag into the hot water. Arcan seemed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He had a debonair personality. In a normal situation, he was quick to smile with