

### The Bare Witch Project

Book #1 in the Kitty Coven Series

By Celeste Hall

### The Bare Witch Project

Book #1 in the Kitty Coven Series

Copyright © 2014 by Celeste Hall

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Please purchase only authorized editions.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Acknowledgement

# This series is dedicated to my amazing "Katie-Cat". Ever since she was a little girl, she was always bringing home stray felines. Despite being scratched, bitten, peed on, and a mild case of ringworm, she has never met a cat that she hasn't liked. If anyone deserves to find happily ever after in the arms of a handsome werecat, it's her!

# Also by Celeste Hall

~ Seduction Series ~

A paranormal erotic romance series, best read in the following order...

Ethan

Kye

Rico

Gavin

All The Queen's Men

The Brothers Sin – Coming Soon!

~ Kitty Coven Series ~

A new adult romance series, best read in the following order...

Something Wicca This Way Comes

The Bare Witch Project

Love's a Witch

A Yowling Yuletide

Cheaper By The Coven – Coming Soon!

~ Standalone novels and novellas ~

Fealty

Lady Silence

Prison of Dreams

Simple Musings

His Pale Prisoner

Error: Please Try Again

Secret Admirer

~ Short stories and Anthologies ~

The Inventor's Throne

A Touch of Irish

Their First Time (A collection of just the first love scene from several of her other books)

The Pied Piper

The Seven Ravens (Once Upon an Apocalypse anthology, via Chaosium Inc.)

The Girl Who Cried Wolf (Once upon a Ménage anthology, via Ravenous Romance)

Beware of Wolves

# 

#  Chapter One

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Morgan? There's going to be booze and boys enough for even this little slut to drown in." Rachel made a face at Heidi.

Rachel was usually reserved, but tonight she looked sexy in a flattering little black dress and heels. A three inch tall pointy black hat was clipped into her short brown hair at a jaunty angle, symbolizing that she was actually supposed to be a witch. In reality she would have been better suited in an angel costume.

Intelligent and kind, with an even temperament that often designated her as the peace maker between them, Rachel was the angel on Morgan's shoulder. She was always there for her friends when they needed good advice or a sympathetic ear.

Heidi, on the other hand, was the wild child. If Rachel was an angel, Heidi was the devil on the opposite arm. She was always getting into mischief and dragging her friends along with her. She wasn't really and truly wicked, but she just couldn't seem to help being a bit impish and her outfit tonight perfectly highlighted her personality.

She was wearing a skin tight white tank top that wasn't nearly thick enough to be worn without a bra, yet her nipples were seductively outlined and obviously unrestrained.

Black suspenders held up a plaid skirt that was so short she would almost certainly be showing off all of her assets if she made the mistake of bending over, which Morgan was certain she would, and as often as possible.

Her long chestnut red hair was pulled up into twin ponytails, and she wore tall "hooker" heels over white stockings that rose clear to her thighs to complete the naughty school girl outfit.

Standing between them, Morgan was the proverbial wet blanket in her ratty old sweatpants and oversized t-shirt. Her dishwater blonde hair wasn't brushed and she wasn't wearing a speck of makeup. And it wasn't a costume.

Halloween was exactly one week away and tonight there was a costume party at their favorite nightclub. It really sounded like a lot of fun and under normal circumstances Morgan might have gone, but she just couldn't bring herself to attend this year.

It was three years ago - to the day - that her grandmother had passed away and left her a relative orphan at twenty-one. Ever since that night Halloween had lost its charm for her. Now, after the recent horror show that was her break up with Craig, she wasn't even up for pretending.

"You girls go on without me. Really, I'll be fine."

It was a lie, of course. She was finding it harder and harder to be alone lately, and night times were the worst. Her grandmother's big old Victorian house made all sorts of spooky noises in the dark.

When she was a child, she'd never been afraid of the dark because she'd known that her grandmother was always there, just in the other room, ready to banish anything from bad dreams to imaginary monsters under the bed.

"Are you doing the bare witch project tonight?" Heidi asked with a grin, coining a description that made Morgan wince. "Because I am totally down with getting naked and doing some witchy rituals together. I think it would be fun."

The three of them had been close friends ever since high school. In fact, it was the ever present support from Heidi and Rachel that had gotten her through all those post-Craig nightmares. But she really wasn't sure if she could handle having a naked Heidi bouncing around the room when the whole purpose of the ritual was to find a little peace and happiness again.

"I think I might be more of a solitary practitioner," Morgan admitted and then rushed on when she saw Heidi gearing up for a protest. "Maybe we can get together for a séance on Halloween or something."

"Can't you just put the ritual off until tomorrow night? I mean really. You've never done anything witchy before, so why start tonight? All that old stuff you found in the attic will still be there after the party."

Morgan sighed. It wouldn't matter how she explained it to her, Heidi would have a hard time understanding why anyone would want to stay at home alone when they could be out having fun with their friends.

"I promise to call you if I change my mind. But I won't. I really need a little me time tonight. I have some demons that I need to face and if I go with you I'll have to feel guilty for another whole year."

"Okay, that actually sounds kind of serious," Rachel frowned. "Do you want us to stay with you? We don't have to go out tonight."

Heidi's expression looked torn between her desire to stay faithful to a friend in trouble and her need to get out, get drunk, and get laid, on one of her very few days off from working as the lead consultant for a stuffy financial company. But her loyalty won in the end.

"Rachel's right, maybe we should stay here with you."

"Absolutely not," Morgan growled. "Get out of here, both of you. It's a costume party, go find yourself a half-naked Thor or Tarzan and have some fun."

"Is this because of Craig?" Rachel asked in a deeply concerned tone. Trust her to make the leap from simply needing time alone to believing that her friend might be having some major crisis. "You did the right thing, Morgan. What happened wasn't your fault. You can't let him ruin the rest of your life. You deserve to be happy."

Heidi's expression completely changed the moment Craig's name was mentioned. Morgan's ex-boyfriend had been more than just an abusive jerk. He was also an unstable drug dealer that had suffered a chemically induced psychotic break one night while Heidi was visiting.

In a fit of rage, he'd taken both girls hostage for over seventy-two hours, while Rachel had worked with the police to help save her friends.

Feisty Heidi hadn't taken well to captivity and her fighting spirit won her some severe injuries during those long three days. With multiple broken bones that had gone untreated for too long, she'd required several subsequent surgeries and still felt an ache in those areas whenever the weather changed.

Morgan quickly shook her head.

"No, I swear it has nothing to do with him. I really just want a little me time, okay?"

It took a bit more persuasion, but she finally managed to shepherd the conversation back to the front door.

"Go have some fun and don't worry about me."

She was just opening the door to let her friends out, when a large black cat abruptly raced between their legs, skidded across the stone tile floor and then bolted up the stairs.

"Oh my god!" Heidi yelped, "What was that?"

"Look out!" Rachel shouted, slamming the door shut again just in time to block the entrance of a nasty looking brown dog. It continued to bark and snarl on the other side, lunging in a small circle from the narrow decorative window, down to the bottom of the steps, and then back up to where its prey had escaped.

"Where did that monster come from?" Heidi gasped, shrinking back away from the door and the vicious sounding canine. "Do your neighbor's have a dog?"

"I don't think so," Morgan frowned. "I've never seen it before. Do you think I should call animal control? Did you see anyone out there that he might belong to?"

Rachel shook her head.

"I just saw those fangs coming straight at me and shut the door. I wasn't looking for the idiot who let that beast off his leash. I think we should definitely call the police. He could be rabid or something. I bet he would have killed that poor cat if we hadn't opened the door."

"Ugh," Morgan frowned, glancing towards the stairs. "I hope it's not a stray. I've always been a little nervous around cats. It's the way they look at you, like they're planning something evil."

Her friends knew it was more than just a case of nerves. They'd often seen her give a wide berth to cats they'd encountered throughout the years. But they were kind enough to give her some slack on the subject.

"Cats aren't evil," Rachel gently assured. "We had dozens of cats on the farm where I grew up. They're a lot like people, actually. Some of them can be a little standoffish if they don't know you. Others are so friendly they'll be in your lap every chance they get."

That didn't exactly soothe Morgan's nerves. She was imagining trying to coax a hissing, spitting and clawing feline out from under her bed before she could sleep tonight. The last place she wanted to find it was in her lap.

The truth was, she'd been afraid of cats ever since she was a little girl and a scrawny stray tabby had clawed her when she tried to pet it. She was unfortunate enough to develop cat scratch fever from the encounter and was terribly sick and miserable for over a month. It had left a lasting impression.

Due to the nasty canine on the porch, Heidi and Rachel were forced to sneak out the back door and creep around the side of the house to their car, while Morgan waited near the front window for the dog catcher.

She hated to admit it, but she was almost glad the dog had distracted her friends. It wasn't that she didn't love spending time with them. But she was already feeling a little silly for her desire to practice what Heidi kept referring to as witchy business.

She'd never done anything even remotely religious before. Mostly because her parents were atheists and her grandmother had felt that Morgan should chose her own path without any pressure from any side. The older woman had never practiced her craft when her granddaughter was around and it wasn't until she'd passed away that Morgan had found the altar and ritual tools hidden in the attic.

The discovery had spurred her to learn more about her grandmother's beliefs, some of which she'd talked to Rachel and Heidi about, but most of which she'd kept to herself. It made her feel close to her grandmother, to be learning about the things that the woman had once cared for.

Morgan didn't know if she believed everything that she'd read about witchcraft at the library, but she'd liked what she'd found in the collection of notebooks and diaries that her grandmother had kept.

Tonight she planned to complete one of the rituals that she'd found in her grandmother's Book of Shadows, a personal journal of the older woman's experiences in the craft. But first she'd have to figure out what to do with the unwelcome creature hiding upstairs.

After animal control left with dog, Morgan went looking for the cat and discovered that it was exactly in the worst place possible. Emerald green eyes stared out at her from under her bed as she tried to remember what Rachel had told her about felines.

By the brunette's account, not all cats were nasty tempered strays, but how was she supposed to know the difference?

Morgan glanced at the clock. It was almost eight and she had a lot of preparations to make before her ritual. If she couldn't get the cat out quickly, she would either miss out on one of her few nights alone or she'd have to complete the spell with an unwelcome furry audience. Neither sounded like a good option.

"Um, are you a friendly kitty?"

The cat simply blinked.

"The dog is gone, you can come out now."

When the creature remained firmly entrenched in its hiding place, Morgan straightened and scrubbed a hand over her eyes.

"What am I going to do with you?"

From under the bed she heard a deep gravelly meow, almost as if the feline were answering her. Was she imagining it, or had she heard a touch of suspicion in its voice?

Rachel had told her they were just like people. Well, if she was a cat, and had just been chased into a strange place by a vicious dog, she probably wouldn't be too keen on exposing herself either.

"Alright, you can stay for few minutes while you collect yourself. I need to get some things together for tonight. When you're ready, we'll figure out how to get you out of the house nicely. Okay?"

The cat offered another rumbling meow as Morgan turned to go.

For the past several months she'd been buying all the necessary ingredients for her witchy little project and hiding them where she'd hoped they wouldn't be accidently discovered by any unsuspecting visitors.

Heidi and Rachel were dear friends, but they knew how Morgan felt about religion. As far as she was concerned, there was no perfect faith that had followed mankind from the moment they stepped out of the primordial ooze. No single god that could be traced back to stone carvings on ancient cave walls.

New religions were constantly sprouting up all over the world and old religions could be debunked using modern science and technology. The purest form of worship that Morgan could find was the simple faith that her grandmother had kept. It was the belief that there was a great power and energy in all things, from the simplest speck of a molecule, to the earth itself, and even to the vast stars and the heavens beyond.

She'd believed that a person could tap into this power by quieting their soul and channeling that energy through special tools to focus and direct it. Her journals were full of carefully constructed rituals, charms, spells and incantations designed to help with any number of problems that life might throw at her feet. And Morgan was certain that they had worked, she'd never met anyone as happy and as blessed as her grandmother.

Now Morgan wanted to welcome that same peace into her own life. She'd been reading as much as she could from the old diaries, but she might have chosen a slightly more advanced spell for her first attempt. She'd read that it could take years to build up her control enough to successfully cast some of the more complicated magic, but this was something she really needed, so she was willing to take that risk.

It took several trips to collect all of the carefully stowed boxes and bags hidden around the house and deposit them onto her bedroom floor. She wanted to hold the ritual here, in the bedroom, because she planned to perform it in the natural state that her grandmother referred to as Skyclad. It pretty much entailed cleansing herself of all dead or low energy sources, like clothing.

If Heidi and Rachel decided to stop back by to check in on her later, Morgan preferred they didn't find her sitting naked in a circle of candles chanting words out of her grandmother's Book of Shadows. She was almost certain they would be concerned that her isolation here had finally pushed her over the edge.

As she set down the last of her supplies, she crouched to peek under the bed once more. The big cat was still hiding there, like a panther, staring back at her with those eerily luminescent eyes.

"Hey there big guy, is there any chance of you coming out before I go take a bath? I'd rather not have a confrontation with you while my lady bits are all exposed and vulnerable."

A deep guttural susurration echoed up from under the bed, making her freeze like a deer caught in the headlights. What in the heck was that sound? It was a low gravelly vibration that seeped right into her bones.

Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that the sound was actually coming from the cat. It was purring. If you could call that low echoing rumble a purr. Maybe if there were a lion under the bed instead of a frighteningly large housecat.

While she knew that a purring cat was supposed to symbolize a happy cat, the sound was less than comforting to a borderline felinophobic. Morgan cautiously and slowly backed away from the bed.

"Good kitty...oh jeez, who am I kidding?" Feeling a little resentful about the intrusion, she nearly ran for the master bathroom.

The cat appeared to be friendly enough, but she would feel safer once it was gone. At least it didn't look at all interested in coming out of its hiding place, so she could relax a little in the bath before deciding whether to move her supplies to the guest room and away from the furry interloper.

She'd purchased scented candles just for tonight, and even had some of her grandmother's powered herbs and bath oil that were labeled for ritual cleansing and relaxation.

She turned on the tub faucet and then stripped out of her sweats and t-shirt, looking at herself in the large gilded Victorian mirror that hung above the sink as she did. There were puffy bags under her eyes from lack of sleep and she was thinner than she'd been in a long time. Still, her breasts were generously full and her hips had a pretty curve to them.

If this ritual were successful, maybe she'd find the energy to start walking in the mornings again. She'd always enjoyed exploring the woods out behind the mansion with her grandmother. The older woman had loved to share her knowledge of the herbs and plants of the forest.

She tossed her bra and panties into the pile of clothing on the floor before picking up the little vials of herbs she'd selected just for this purpose. Opening her grandmother's Book of Shadows, she read the chant while sprinkling a pinch from each of the vials into the tub. She then did the same with the homemade bath oil.

It felt a little odd to someone that had never cast a spell before, more like seasoning a giant stew pot than performing a ritual, but she tried to stay focused on the greater purpose. She needed to cleanse her body, her mind, and her spirit of the fear that she'd kept bottled up for the past six months.

Allowing the herbs and oil to brew in the tub, she began lighting the scented candles. Within moments the entire room was filled with the luxuriously rich blend of herbs and candle smoke.

Turning off the harsh electric lights plunged the room into a candlelit sanctuary, and she sighed in pleasure as she finally sank down into the hot, sweetly scented water of her very first ritual cleansing bath.

If it did nothing else, this would certainly help to remove some of the tension she'd been carrying between her shoulder blades and in the base of her neck.

Careful not to smudge the page, Morgan read the ritual words again from her grandmother's book, no longer needing to look at them as she finished the third verse of the rhyme. Then she laid back to soak and let the tension of the day melt away.

She wasn't sure how long she'd lain there, eyes closed and mind drifting back through happy memories of childhood, but the water was starting to get cool as suddenly felt a tickly tugging sensation at the back of her subconscious, as if someone was watching her. She opened her eyes, but there was only the shadowy dance of candlelight flickering over the walls and reflecting back from the mirrors.

Then one of the darker shadows moved out of sync and Morgan nearly screamed. It took her a moment before she realized that she wasn't caught in some horror slasher film. The creature staring at her from the edge of the open doorway wasn't a demon looking to steal her soul. At least, she didn't think it was.

The enormous black cat was crouched comfortably in the door way, swishing its tail in a relaxed, almost sleepy manner. How long had it been sitting there watching her? She shivered to consider the possibilities.

The good news was that it was out from under the bed. The bad news was that it might feel threatened and attack her if she made any sudden moves, like jumping out of the tub and scrambling for an escape out the nearest window.

She might have still considered the window plan, if she wasn't on the second floor. And if there wasn't a full briar patch of rose bushes growing underneath, making for a very uncomfortable landing when in the nude.

She was trapped and her cell phone was sitting on the bedside table, so there was little chance of calling for help.

Hoping to make herself look as nonthreatening as possible, Morgan sank in the tub until just her eyes were visible over the edge. Maybe the cat would just leave?

After several long minutes it was obvious that wasn't going to happen, at least not before the water turned to ice around her and she was suffering from hypothermia.

There was something completely unnerving about the way it watched her, much as she imagined a lion might watch a particularly tasty looking mouse. Those green elliptical slashed eyes almost glowed with evil intelligence.

"Could you please not look as if you'd like to eat me?" Her voice was a nervous squeak.

The cat blinked, rose up and walked silently out of the bathroom.

Morgan quickly stood up and grabbed for a nearby towel. It wasn't an indestructible shield, but it gave her some comfort to have the warm terry cloth between her sensitive skin and the sharp talons of her unwelcome house guest.

She would have to pull together her tattered courage and chase the little beast out of her bedroom before it decided to head back under her bed.

With one towel wrapped securely about her body and a second towel providing a limp weapon with which to drive the creature out, Morgan stepped from the bathroom to face her nemesis. But the cat was nowhere to be found. She searched under the bed, in the closet, in every dark corner and shadow, without success. It must have continued straight out of the bedroom and into the main part of the house.

"Thank god!"

Morgan quickly closed her bedroom door and leaned back against it with a heavy sigh. Now that that the cat was no longer an immediate threat, she could feel a bit more compassion for his situation. Let the poor thing enjoy a night away from stray dogs and the unpredictable fall weather, she'd call Rachel in the morning to come remove him.

The important thing right now, was to focus on what she wanted to achieve with her spell. Everything that she'd been reading warned that her frame of mind was crucial during ritual ceremonies. She needed to visualize the energy entering through her body, flowing through the tool, and issuing forth to achieve her goal.

She'd chosen different candles for this part of the rite. These were gold and pink, colors that represented strength, love and joy. She hoped they would bring back all of the good emotions that had been drained out of her life by Craig and his crew of nasty associates.

Using the techniques and chants that her grandmother had outlined in her book, she cast a magic circle and then seated herself near the altar at its center. The ingredients for her spell were laid out carefully before her, including a small velvet bag, which she'd purchased online.

Each of the dried herbs and symbolic elements had special words that must be spoken as she placed them into the bag. Last she added a small crystal which was supposed to amplify the magic created by this special blend of earth, air, water, fire and spirit.

She pricked her finger and spilt three tiny drops of her own blood onto the crystal so it would resonate with her unique energy signature and then sealed the bag. She would need to keep it under her pillow now, so the positively charged energy could fill her every night and hopefully make a positive change in her life.

With the bag clutched tightly in her hands, she pressed it between her breasts and held it near her heart as she meditated on what she hoped to achieve. Silently praying for relief from the fear, for peace, for happiness, for safety and security.

For true love.

Morgan gave a little gasp and nearly opened her eyes as the final words whispered through her thoughts. She certainly hadn't any intention of dating again, at least not anytime soon.

Giving herself a mental shake, she properly ended the ritual and closed her circle, before placing the little spell bag on the bed near her pillow. She wanted to have faith in the talisman, but she still found herself struggling to believe in anything greater than the humble mortal condition.

Magical support or not, she feared that she was facing another long and sleepless night. With a sigh she went down the stairs to rustle up her favorite sleep aids, a bottle of wine and a steamy romance novel. The wine would help her relax and the book would hopefully give her subconscious something pleasant to carry into dreamland.

Several hours later she was halfway through a very sensual love scene, when a soft creaking sound made her look up. The bedroom door was partially open and she could see a tall, naked man standing in the shadows beyond.

He was sinfully well built, all lean hard muscles sliding sensuously beneath smooth brown skin. He had strong broad shoulders and powerful arms. A chiseled chest and washboard abs narrowed into lean hips and a perfectly sculpted butt and thighs.

His hair was a sleek glossy black that feathered down to highlight sharp cheekbones and emerald green eyes that almost glowed with a fiery intensity. He was absolutely the most gorgeous naked man she'd ever met, and almost exactly how she'd been imagining the hero in her novel.

That magic talisman was working in ways she truly hadn't expected. This was undoubtedly the best dream she'd ever had. It was so realistic she almost thought she could smell the warm earthy scent of him as he pushed the door open a little further and stepped into her room.

He was deadly graceful, like a predatory cat, as he crossed the floor towards her.

"I thought you'd be sleeping." His voice was a low rumbling purr as he took in her bare legs and curvy body. Only a thin cotton tank top and panties prevented him from fully appreciating her figure.

"I must have been waiting for you," she suggested with a bravado that she never would have shown outside of dreams and fantasies.

His green eyes cut towards the almost empty bottle of wine before he slowly began to smile. It was a seductive curl of his lips that made her heart race and her body hum with excitement.

"Alright, my pretty little witch, it's time for sleep," he murmured, stepping to the side of the bed and taking the book out of her hands.

He folded over one of the pages to mark her place and set it on the bed table before helping her pull back the covers and slide inside.

She immediately scooted over to make room for him and he joined her after only a moment's hesitation. Yet when she started to turn towards him, he caught her hips and turned her so that her back was pressed up against his bare chest.

"You've had too much to drink, beautiful. I'll just hold you tonight, while you sleep."

Morgan wanted more than to be simply held, but he was right. Her thoughts were already fuzzy with sleep and it felt so warm and safe in his arms. Within moments the fantasy was fading and she was deep in a dreamless sleep.

#  Chapter Two

Morgan awoke the next morning with a blazing headache, her punishment for having guzzled so much wine. Wincing a little, she started to rise and then froze in distress. A monstrous black cat was curled up comfortably on the pillow beside her.

He was watching her through half closed eyes, but as soon as he saw that she was awake, he rose and gave a husky meow of greeting.

Morgan felt her heart give a frightened little flutter, but she forced herself to remain calm. How the heck had the creature snuck back into her room? She was almost certain that she'd locked him out. Yet here he was, as large as life and not a bit afraid of her.

"Hey cat, um, you're not supposed to be on the bed."

With the regal air of a diminutive panther, he rose and paced to the edge of the mattress before leaping lightly to the floor.

Morgan managed to fight through the pain of her hangover and sit up, looking for where the cat might be headed. It hadn't gone far. He was seated near the bedroom door, lashing his tail in much the same manner she imagined a human might impatiently tap their foot.

She noted that the door was still firmly closed and decided that the cat must have found some hiding place in her room after all. Or maybe it had somehow snuck past her and hidden in the bathroom. She supposed it was possible.

At least he'd remained in his hiding place as she'd performed her ritual. It would have totally destroyed her concentration to have him make an appearance while she'd still been naked and vulnerable.

The feline didn't look quite so frightening in the golden light of early day, and she had just survived an entire night with it lurking around her room. Maybe that was why she felt a little less intimidated by him this morning.

Still, she crawled out of the bed on the opposite side from the cat and dressed quickly. When she turned, the cat stepped a few paces away from the door, then turned and looked at her quite intently. There was no mistaking his meaning.

"Has anyone ever told you how creepy that is?"

The cat only blinked.

Morgan stepped cautiously to the door and opened it. The cat immediately raced through, leaving her to follow along behind. He glided down the stairs and leaped up onto the kitchen counter, arching to rub his back against the coffee maker before jumping up into the kitchen window and hunkering down to wait for her.

"You read my mind," Morgan admitted, blinking against the painful glare of sunlight. A pot of coffee might indeed help put a dent in her hangover. "But don't get too comfortable. Your holiday is over as soon as Rachel arrives. You may not have noticed, but I'm not much of a cat person."

She filled the coffee filter and started the drip, taking a moment to sigh appreciatively as the rich aroma began to fill air.

Her stomach growled. When was the last time she'd actually eaten? Thinking back she recalled cleaning up a big salad for lunch, but the wine had dulled her appetite for dinner.

She piled a small mountain of scrambled eggs over an Asiago cheese bagel for breakfast, filling a mug with coffee for the caffeine Band-Aid it could offer, and a short glass of orange juice to help rehydrate her system.

Whether it was her spell taking affect, or just the influence of some home cooked comfort food, she didn't know. But she was actually feeling a lot happier this morning. She could even spare a smile for the dark shadow lingering in her kitchen window.

"I'm afraid I don't have any cat food," she admitted, "but you could have some eggs if you'd like."

As if he understood exactly what she was saying, the cat rose and offered one of his gravelly meows. The sound still made her hesitate, but she found it easier to shake it off this morning. The cat hadn't made a single aggressive move towards her. In fact, he'd been a perfect house guest, aside from his spooky intensity.

Keeping a watchful eye on the creature, she scooped a couple of spoonfuls of scrambled egg into a cereal bowl and placed it on the countertop near the sink.

He remained considerately perched in the windowsill until she had again retreated to a safe distance, then he jumped lightly down to sniff at the offering. He must have found it to his liking because he began to eat with a surprisingly delicate manner for such a burly little animal.

As the cat ate, Morgan refilled her coffee mug and carried it to the study door. She stood outside the heavy wooden barrier for several long minutes before taking a deep breath and turning the handle.

She hadn't been in this room since the night it had happened, not even to clean up the mess that the police officers had made when they'd stormed in to throw Craig to the ground and handcuff him.

There were still papers and shattered furniture scattered across the floor, some of which still carried droplets of blood that had gone almost black with age.

Her blood and Heidi's, none of it belonged to Craig. He might have suffered a few bruises as he was captured and hauled away to jail, but that was nothing compared to the pain that the girls had suffered, or the nightmares that still haunted her every time she passed by this corner of the house.

It was probably the biggest reason for her recent dabbling into the faith of her grandmother. She desperately needed to face what had happened and cleanse her home as well as her spirit of this lingering horror.

Stealing herself against the memories that threatened to overwhelm her, she set the coffee mug down on the desktop and began to collect parts and pieces of broken furniture, piling them near the door for removal. Shattered glass and other trash had to be swept up and bagged.

She'd only been cleaning for a few minutes, when her diminutive house guest crept into the room. He stepped very carefully through the debris, sniffing here and there, pausing for a long moment in the area where Morgan and Heidi had spent the majority of their time tied up and bleeding.

His tail lashed furiously as he finally looked up to meet her gaze.

"It's a long story," Morgan whispered, as if speaking too loudly might awaken the nightmares. "I'd rather not talk about it."

The cat made a low rattling sound that resembled more of a snarl than a meow, the fur on his back ruffling slightly as he continued his investigation of the crime scene.

Morgan found herself gazing after him in rapt fascination, taking a strange comfort from having another living creature nearby.

The longer she watched, the more his attitude and the way that he moved reminded her of a lion trapped inside the body of a housecat. There was a dangerous feral confidence in the flex and release of thick muscles sliding beneath smooth black fur, but it was his hawk-like awareness and the way that he scrutinized the room which really struck her as odd.

She hadn't spent much time in the company of cats during her lifetime, so she didn't have any real point of reference, but this monstrous black stray certainly struck her as having an above average intelligence for an animal.

It was as if he were sorting through the scents and the ruins, deciphering everything that had happened here like a feline version of Sherlock Holmes. While at the same time, he made an almost painful effort to give her the space that she needed.

"Leo," she murmured, surprising even herself. "I think I'll call you Leo."

The cat blinked at her, his tail offering a thoughtful twitch before he leaped up onto the desk, and from there up onto the mantel. From this higher perch he hunkered down and offered her a rumbling meow that she could have sworn was a murmur of acceptance.

"It's hard seeing this all again," she admitted out loud. "It's all a horrible reminder of Craig's anger, and of the pain and the fear we felt. I thought he was going to kill Heidi. We were both tied up and just so terribly helpless. I've never felt so frightened or so helpless in my entire life."

Morgan shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I knew I was going to die, but I wasn't sure how much I would have to suffer before that death finally came. Then the police arrived and everyone was shouting and gesturing. I must have been in shock because I couldn't even feel relieved to see them. I just started to cry and didn't stop until long after I ran out of tears."

Leo murmured a sad sound and she felt herself wanting to reach out and hug him. Instead, she just offered a small smile.

"That was six months ago. You'd think I would have cleaned this place up before now, right?"

He snorted and gave a little shake of his head, then rose and looked sharply towards the window. A moment later she heard the rattle of keys in the front lock and the familiar voices of her two best friends coming from the entry hall.

"Morgan?"

"I'm in the study."

As Heidi and Rachel stepped into the doorway she could see the surprise evident on their faces.

"You're...cleaning up," Rachel stammered, "Without us."

"I decided it was time," Morgan admitted. "And I had Leo here to keep me company."

"Leo?"

Morgan nodded towards the dark figure crouched on the mantel.

"I thought it was a good name for him. He reminds me of a little black panther or a lion."

The two newcomers looked at each other with a blend of surprise and concern. This was entirely out of character for their friend.

"You're keeping the cat?" Heidi asked hesitantly. "Are you sure? I thought you hated cats."

"I don't hate them. Besides, Leo is different. He doesn't really act like a cat. He's respectful and smart."

Rachel shook her head and shrugged as Heidi looked to her for support.

"Well, at least we can help you finish up in here."

Neither of her friends wanted to admit how worried they'd been after Morgan had simply closed the room off and attempted to pretend that nothing was wrong. Heidi had gone to counseling and tried to talk her into attending as well. But Morgan hadn't even been able to take that small step towards healing.

"He sent me a letter," Morgan admitted after a few hours of working together in silence. It was surprising how much faster the job was done with the three of them working together.

"Who did?"

"Craig. He sent me a letter, last month."

"No!" Heidi looked absolutely horrified.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rachel asked, looking equally alarmed. "Has he done that before? Is he even allowed to write to you? Should we contact the police?"

From his perch on the mantel, Leo gave a low growling sound and leaned forward intently.

"Apparently, he is allowed, but they have to be approved by a jail monitor. The letter was inside a hand written envelope, which was opened and tucked into another envelope that was resealed with the jail address stamped on it." Morgan scowled. "It gives me the creeps to think of how many people might have read what he wrote."

"That's what bothers you?" Heidi shivered as if spiders were crawling up her spine, "My god, Morgan! I don't want him even thinking about you, much less sending you mail. We need to contact someone and put a restraining order on him. I can't believe the jail allowed it."

"I think they misunderstood the contents," Morgan looked around at the room, remembering again. It didn't really matter that the mess was cleaned up. The memories were impossible to scrub out, they left an invisible stain all over everything.

She gathered the last bag of garbage and headed for the kitchen. Leo was instantly at her heels. "Rachel, could you please close the study door behind you and Heidi? I'm going to make us some tea."

"What was in the letter?" Heidi's voice was uncharacteristically pinched by fear as she followed Morgan into the kitchen, making her wish that she'd never mentioned it. There was no reason to drag Heidi back through the nightmare they had shared.

Morgan filled the tea kettle with water and returned it to the stove before turning to confront the concerned faces of her friends.

"I don't remember, exactly," she gave a halfhearted shrug, but she wasn't fooling either of them. "I only got about a third of the way through before I tossed it away."

"Tell us what you do remember," Rachel instructed.

Morgan sighed.

"He told me that he was sorry for what had happened and that he's doing much better now that he's been getting counseling and proper medication. He blames the drugs and the stress of having Mario's crew demanding larger and larger portions of his pay cut."

"That's bullshit," Heidi snarled. "He's a psycho and I hope they keep him locked up forever."

"What else," Rachel demanded, seeing the hesitation in Morgan's eyes.

"He told me that he's going to save our relationship," Morgan admitted, drawing a hiss and a snarl from both Heidi and Rachel. She didn't dare tell them exactly how Craig had phrased that particular suggestion, because it had come out as more of a threat than a plea.

Heidi snorted.

"How exactly does he plan to do that?"

Morgan shook her head.

"This is Craig we're talking about. I really don't want to know."

"I'm going to talk to Matt and see if we can prevent him from sending any more letters," Rachel scowled. Her brother worked for a well-respected law firm. "I only wish you hadn't thrown the letter away so I could show it to him."

The tea kettle began to whistle and Morgan pulled a trio of mugs out of the cupboard.

"None of that green stuff for me," Heidi piped up. "Do you have any wine?"

"It's only two pm," Rachel chided.

"Yeah, well, if we're going to sit here and talk about psychopathic drug addicts then I think I should have a glass of wine."

Morgan gave Rachel a meaningful look that made her friend sigh.

"Fine, I'll drop the subject. But I'm still going to talk to Matt and see if I can get that creep banned from all forms of communication."

"Thanks," Morgan offered a wan smile as she placed tea bags into the remaining two cups before filling them with hot water. There was more to that letter then she was willing to talk about with Heidi present.

As the tea began to steep, Rachel walked over to where Leo was perched in the windowsill. The old Victorian house was flush with crown molding and thick decorative trim. The windows even had a wide shelf-like area that gave the cat a nice comfortable place to bask in the sunshine or to relax at a level where he could view everything going on around him.

As Rachel grew closer, Leo rose and watched her approach. There was something intimidating about the way that he held eye contact, but he didn't hiss or bristle. He wasn't afraid of her. He was simply very alert.

As she reached out a hand to pet him, Leo dropped his head ever so slightly, much as a person might shrug away from the touch of someone they didn't trust. Rachel was savvy enough to recognize the gesture and withdraw.

"Poor little fellow. You must have been on the streets for a while, huh? Did your master move and leave you behind?" She knew that sort of thing happened far too often. People were either unable to find their cat on moving day, or they just didn't care enough to stop and look for him. The cat was then left behind to fend for itself.

For some reason people still thought a domesticated cat could just flip a switch in its head and start hunting again after living as a housecat for most of its life. That was as ridiculous as thinking a businessman could be dropped off in the jungle and that he'd just instinctively be able to draw on the knowledge of his primitive ancestors to survive.

All creatures had to be taught how to hunt and live in the wild, from the smallest dormouse to the largest lion. In the wild, animals could learn from their mothers or their prides. But an abandoned cat didn't have anyone.

Leo gave Rachel a long look, then leaped lightly down onto the countertop and padded over to where Morgan was pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache that was threatening. Dealing with the memories and the mess in the study had taken their toll.

The cat made no move to touch the woman who had, albeit unwillingly, sheltered him through the night. He simply sat down beside her, offering his silent support, and gazed his challenge out towards Heidi and Rachel.

"Just you and her against the world is it?" Rachel smiled. "Don't look now, Morgan, but I think you have a fan."

Morgan glanced down to where the cat was seated beside her. If it were any other feline, she would have cringed away from such proximity. Instead, she felt a strange little flutter of appreciation stirring in her chest. She certainly hadn't done anything to encourage the animal, but he did look as if he were trying to offer his support and comfort.

"I don't want to put him back outside where a dog or car might kill him. I think I'll make up some posters to place around town and see if anyone is missing their pet."

She wasn't aware of the look exchanged between her friends. They were both fully aware of her fears and phobias. Seeing her sharing a space with the monstrous black cat was only slightly less shocking than either of them inviting a giant spider home for dinner.

"I should probably do some shopping today and pick up a litter box for him," Morgan continued. "With my luck he's probably been using my favorite shoes as a bathroom."

Leo's eyes instantly snapped up to glower at her and Heidi laughed.

"Oh my god, he's insulted!"

Rachel smiled too. The cat did look offended by the suggestion.

"Actually, these days, a lot people are toilet training their cats. Some of them are even smart enough to flush after themselves," Rachel suggested. "If you haven't found any little kitty logs hiding around the house, you may have gotten lucky and found yourself a potty trained pet. He certainly looks smart enough."

Morgan eyed Leo skeptically.

"How exactly does one potty train a cat?" Heidi snickered, obviously finding a great deal of humor in the idea. "When my mom was housetraining my little brother, she would put a boat in the toilet and reward him every time he 'sunk the ship'. Is it like that?"

Her own vivid imagination had Heidi doubling over in a burst of giggles.

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"No. It usually involves setting up a platform around the bowl, so that cat can easily balance near the edge. Then it's just a case of transferring his litter box conditioning to the bowl. Once they've been properly trained, you can sometimes remove the platform and they'll keep using the toilet on their own."

"So, are you saying that I don't need a litter box, but that I should set up a platform around my toilet?" Morgan asked, sending Heidi into another fit of laughter.

Rachel put an elbow into Heidi's ribs before answering, but it only mildly dampened her friend's good humor.

"No, if he's using the toilet already, there's no reason to change anything. I'm just saying you might watch him for a bit to be sure. I don't know if he's potty trained or not. It's just a possibility I thought you should be aware of. Geez, Heidi, breathe already. You sound like you're about to pass out."

"Potty trained...cats...toilet...!"

Rachel shook her head.

"Fine, I need to get to work anyway. Do you want a ride home, 'Chuckles?'"

"Yes, please," Heidi gasped, wiping tears out of her eyes. "Why do you have to work today? It's Saturday."

"Thus is the life of a mortgage loan officer," Rachel shrugged. "You have to work around the schedule of your clients. I've been trying to get the Allred's paperwork completed for days now, but they both work full time and haven't been able to spare me a minute."

Morgan placed her empty tea mug into the sink before following her friends to the front door. Too late, she realized that Leo was again following right on her heels, but the cat made no attempt to escape through the open doorway.

She found herself smiling. Was it possible to be fond of something that had always scared you before?

"If you're going to keep him, you should probably set up a preventative vet check," Rachel suggested as she saw the smile on Morgan's lips. "You'll want to have him examined, de-wormed and vaccinated. Who knows what kind of medical care he's had up until now."

Morgan opened her mouth to claim there was no chance of her actually keeping the cat, but she found herself hesitating. He wasn't anything like the nasty stray that had attacked her so long ago. And she did find it comforting to have him following her around the house.

She closed the door behind the girls and gave Leo a thoughtful look.

"What makes you so special?"

The cat offered a gravelly meow in answer.

Making sure that the door was locked again, Morgan headed upstairs to clean up her ritual supplies, but she didn't take them far. Instead of bundling them up into boxes and bags to hide back up in the attic, she stowed most of the items on the floor in her bedroom closet.

She may want to try completing the ritual again. She'd actually felt good about the spell this morning, right up until she'd started talking to her friends about Craig's letter. A second attempt at magic cleansing may help remove the rest of her fear.

After dinner that night, Morgan went shopping for cat supplies. She still wasn't sure if she planned to keep Leo or not, but she knew it could be days or even weeks before she found out if he were a stray or someone's lost pet. She would need to feed and care for him in the interim.

When she returned home there was a plain brown box waiting on the doorstep. Her name was scrawled across the top, but there wasn't an address or a return label.

She didn't recognize the handwriting, but she suspected it was probably from Heidi or Rachel. One of them must have stopped by while she was out and just left the box on the mat for her to find when she got back.

There was no sign of Leo as she opened the door and carried her groceries into the kitchen, leaving them on the counter before heading back out to collect the box from the porch.

The cat didn't appear until she had the box in her arms and was kicking the door shut behind her, then he followed her quite solemnly into the kitchen and jumped up on the counter to sniff through her bags.

"I wasn't really sure what kind of cat food you liked, so I thought we could experiment a little." Morgan placed six cans of varying flavors out before him, but the cat shook his head and looked more interested in the groceries she'd purchased for herself.

When he placed his paw possessively over the Styrofoam package of steaks, Morgan sighed. She wasn't prepared to fight a cat for the meat, particularly when they seemed to be getting along so well.

"It's raw. Wait until tonight and I'll cook some up for both of us, alright?"

Leo considerately retreated to his position in the windowsill so she could put away the steak and other food items.

She'd also purchased a litter box and scoop, but as she looked up to meet the scornful gaze of her diminutive house guest, she decided it was probably wasted money. Somehow he was either sneaking outside when she wasn't looking, or he was one of those rare toilet trained cats that Rachel had told her about.

"We'll set it up in the guest bathroom, just in case," she told him.

Leo simply blinked and looked towards the brown box that had been sitting on the porch when she arrived.

"I think it's from the girls," Morgan told him, as if he'd asked. It was surprisingly nice to have someone to talk to, even if he didn't answer back. "Maybe there's something in here for you. Rachel was pretty happy to see us getting along."

Pulling a thin steak knife out of the butcher block, she slid it along the taped edges and opened the flaps to look inside.

"That's weird."

It was full of crumpled newspaper.

She started to dig through the paper, when Leo abruptly hissed and lunged off the windowsill towards her.

Morgan screamed and jumped away, her fear of cats leaping up to choke her, making her forget that this was the same animal that she'd slept beside and spent hours around. Instead, she only saw a snarling black demon bristling next to the box. With his back arched, and his thick hair and tail bristled up so fiercely, he looked twice as large as he already was.

"Oh my god!" Morgan ran out of the room, heading for the safety of the bedroom. Once there she quickly closed and locked her door and grabbed for the house phone resting on the bed table.

Rachel answered on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Rachel! He's gone crazy!"

"What? Who's crazy?" There was a tang of stark fear in her friend's voice as she remembered the last time she'd received a call like this, the night that Craig had effectively destroyed all their lives.

"It's the cat," Morgan whimpered, unaware of the instant rush of relief that had Rachel sighing into the other end of the line. "I think he might have rabies or something. He just attacked me for no reason! Can you please come over here? Please, Rachel. I can't face him alone."

"Just give me a minute, okay? You caught me in the shower. I'll be there as soon as I can."

It was almost half an hour before Morgan heard the front door open and Rachel's voice calling out for her. She quickly hurried to the bedroom door and cracked it just enough to yell down the stairs.

"Rachel? Do you see Leo? Is he still in the kitchen?"

"Give me a minute. Let me look."

The house was silent for a very long time it seemed to Morgan, but at last she heard her friend coming up the stairs.

"Morgan?"

She opened the door.

"Oh Rachel, thank you for coming! Is it safe? Did you put him outside?"

Short brown hair shook in the negative.

"No, because I think he was trying to protect you."

Morgan gaped.

"You didn't see him. It was horrible. He just leaped at me, hissing and spitting."

"Did you look in the box?" Rachel asked.

"I just saw a bunch of wadded up newspaper. I was about to dump it out when Leo..." Morgan hesitated. Was it possible that the cat had seen or sensed something suspicious about the contents of the package? Could he have really been trying to protect her?

"I'm glad you didn't dig any deeper," Rachel admitted with a dark scowl that suggested she wished she could erase the memory of what she'd found. "I called the police. They'll come take care of it. Where did you find that nasty thing?"

"I went shopping and it was on the porch when I got home. I thought you or Heidi had left it for me." Morgan felt cold spikes of fear crawling up her spine like the many legs of a centipede. "Why? What's was in it?"

Rachel shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as if seeking solace from something terrible.

"It was hard to tell exactly. I think it's been dead for a while."

#  Chapter Three

"Do you have any enemies?" One of the uniformed men asked for at least the second time that evening, but Morgan only shook her head. Everything seemed to be spinning around her. This didn't feel real. It was as if people were talking to her through a dampening fog, their voices echoing strangely in her ears.

"Yes," Heidi interrupted quite pointedly, "Her ex-boyfriend, Craig Durrant. He nearly killed both of us about six months ago. He's now serving time, but still attempting to communicate with her. He recently sent her a threatening letter."

The officer perked up.

"Do you still have that letter?"

Morgan shook her head.

"I threw it away."

"If he contacts you again, I want you to let me know," the officer commanded and Morgan nodded numbly. "Something like this could just be some neighborhood kids pulling a bad prank. It happens. There's not a lot we can do except send a patrol car by once in a while to check up on you. If you see or hear anything strange, just call us back, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you want me to stay here tonight?" Rachel asked. "I don't have anything planned tomorrow. We can stay up and watch movies together like we used to in high school."

"I'll stay too," Heidi assured her. "Tell me what you'd like to eat and I'll go pick up some munchies."

Heidi left at the same time as the police officers, but she promised to be back soon. Meanwhile, Rachel shepherded Morgan towards the stairs.

"You go up and take a long hot bath. I'm going to finish putting away your groceries and see if I can find where Leo might be hiding. The poor baby must be scared half to death by all the strangers coming in and out of here."

Morgan winced at the mention of the cat. She'd totally forgotten about him. Was it possible that Rachel was right about his strange behavior?

Although she had no intention of completing a ritual that night, she lit a couple of the vanilla sandalwood candles and used some of the scented bath oils that her grandmother had labeled for peace and joy.

She soaked until the water was too cold to remain any longer, then got out and dressed in the lightweight cotton tank top and sleeping shorts that she'd once worn for sleepovers with her friends. They still fit perfectly, although the cartoon character on the front of the top was no longer airing.

Rachel and Heidi were already on the couch in the family room. Heidi must have made a quick stop to each of their apartments, because they were similarly dressed in comfortable night wear. They were also surrounded by all variety of junk food and drinks, including a large inexpensive bottle of merlot.

"We saved you the best spot," Heidi grinned, patting the middle of the couch. They were halfway through one of their favorite old movies and Morgan was happy to snuggle down between them.

"Hey, look who else has finally made an appearance." Rachel pointed towards the hallway where something darker than any shadow was hunkered down and watching them.

Morgan tried not to shiver as Leo realized that he'd been spotted and rose to step into the doorway. He hesitated just where the light from the TV could illuminate his glossy black fur and bright green eyes.

"Here kitty, kitty," Rachel crooned, but the feline refused to enter, his gaze focused on Morgan. If it were possible for a cat to look unhappy, that animal was Leo. At last he gave a deep and mournful meow before turning and leaving in the same direction from which he'd come.

"He probably thinks you're mad at him," Rachel suggested, "Because of the way you reacted earlier. Cats are actually very sensitive creatures."

Morgan frowned in the direction Leo had vanished.

"Do you want to take him home with you? I'm not really sure if he should stay here after all. I don't think this relationship is healthy for either of us."

"Actually, I think it's the best thing that has happened to you in a long time." Heidi surprised her by interjecting. The girl wasn't usually much of an animal person, but she seemed willing to make an exception for Leo. "He's helping you overcome your fear, and you're giving him a safe new home."

Morgan was more than a little drunk as her friends helped her into bed late that night and then went to sleep in the guest quarters across the hall. She was just dozing off when she sensed something moving in the darkness around her.

"Rachel? Heidi?"

A gravelly meow echoed up from under her bed, and for a moment it scared her as much as when she was a child and had imagined monsters hiding there. Yet after a moment she thought of Rachel's claims that Leo was attempting to protect her.

It hadn't felt like protection when he'd jumped at her hissing and snarling so fiercely, but she trusted Rachel's opinion when it came to animals. At last she sat up and flicked on the side table lamp.

"Leo?"

For a moment there was no response. Then an inky black figure leaped up onto the foot of the bed. Morgan made an effort not to let the fear take hold in her chest. It had ruled her for too long. It wasn't fair to think that all cats were bad just because one cat had hurt her and made her sick as a child. She needed to give Leo a chance to prove whether or not he was safe.

Taking a firm hold of her courage, she hesitantly extended one of her hands towards him. She really wasn't sure what she expected. He hadn't shown any interest in being touched by her friends.

Leo looked at her with those intense green eyes, then slowly rose and began to move towards her. He walked directly to her trembling hand, ducked his head just a fraction, and pressed his back into her palm.

Morgan held her breath as he began to purr that deep rumbling sound that had shocked her on the first night of his arrival. Again and again he arched into her hand, letting her fingers ruffle through his velvety soft fur.

"You're a good kitty, aren't you?"

The purr became louder and deeper as she gained confidence and began to stroke and pet him as she would a small dog. Morgan smiled as he rolled onto his side and looked up at her with open trust. She thought she might actually laugh out loud she was so filled with pride and appreciation.

"Good boy. There's my sweet boy." The wine was making her sleepy, but she was so pleased by this small success that she didn't want the moment to end.

Still, it was going to be daylight soon, and the girls would be expecting her to get up and show some life.

"Alright, it's time for bed. I know you'll probably just jump up here again as soon as I fall asleep, so why don't we just skip a step?" She left Leo where he was resting on the bed beside her, and reached over to the flip off the lamp.

It was a little harder to fall asleep with the low vibrating purr echoing in the darkness so close to her, but exhaustion finally won out.

"Grandmother used to say that guardian angels came in all shapes and sizes. I guess she was right."

As she was drifting off to sleep she even imagined she felt strong angelic arms reaching out to hold her.

#  Chapter Four

"Thank you ladies, I really needed a date night."

"Dinner out with your girlfriends absolutely does not count as a date," Heidi teased. "It isn't a real date until you're getting naked and naughty in the bedroom, which isn't happening tonight. Unless you're willing to break out the really expensive wine, and maybe put on some skanky underwear, you know the kind I like. The ones with the barely-there thread down your ass."

Heidi spiked her eyebrows a few times in a very sexually suggestive manner, making Rachel and Morgan laugh. They were both quite familiar with the redhead's impish sense of humor.

They pulled up in front of the old Victorian and Morgan started to get out. She was stopped when Heidi abruptly snaked out an arm and blocked her escape. For a moment she thought it was a continuation of the joke, but one look at the redhead's suddenly pale face made her hesitate.

"What is it?" Morgan asked, before seeing what had captured her friend's attention. There was a plain brown box resting on the mat in front of her door and it sent a spur of fear straight through her chest.

"Stay in the car," Rachel commanded, turning off the vehicle so that she could get out herself.

"No," Heidi frowned, "We're all going to up together. There's safety in numbers, as you well know."

"Do you think he's watching?" Morgan asked, searching the tall hedges around the yard. They had no idea if the person delivering the packages was male or female, but they all suspected that Craig was the mastermind behind them. There was a good chance he'd asked for the delivery boy to wait until the boxes were received so that he could report Morgan's reaction.

"He might be," Rachel agreed solemnly, pulling out her cellular and dialing for the police as she joined her companions in a funeral march across the lawn and up the steps to the porch.

Please, oh God, please let there be a return label on this one. Morgan thought as she walked up the stairs on legs that suddenly felt numb and rubbery. Please don't let this be another dead animal.

Her heart sank as she saw that the box was marked only with her name, just like the first one.

"Don't touch it," Rachel instructed, although none of them wanted to be anywhere near the ominous delivery. "Let's leave it here for the police and go inside to wait for them."

Morgan unlocked the door and then quickly locked it again behind them. Leo was crouched on the windowsill nearby, glowering out at the package. As she entered, he immediately came to her side and offered a low meow.

"It might not be from the same person," she suggested, but nobody was convinced.

The police arrived in short order and the girls were put through another miserable round of questions and answers involving a man they couldn't seem to get out of their lives, even after sending him to jail.

At least this time it was someone else that opened up the box and found the bloody remains hidden inside. From the disgusted expressions on the police officers' faces, the girls were grateful for that small kindness.

"You said this was the second package left in this manner?" One of the uniforms asked as he reclosed the box and pushed it away with the toe of his boot. His question did nothing to soothe Morgan's nerves.

"Don't you guys keep records of stuff like this?"

"We do," he assured her, "But we don't receive any of that information when we're called out like this. What we'll do is make another incident report and then add it to your file. In the meantime, if you see anyone strange hanging around the house, try to write down a description. You might also talk to your neighbors, although it looks like there's quite a bit of yard between you and the next house on this street."

"My grandmother liked her privacy," Morgan admitted, for the first time in her life she regretted that the house was on such a large parcel of land. As a child, she'd always loved having so much room to play on. Now it just made her feel isolated and alone.

"You might want to consider installing a home alarm system. There are a lot of wealthy old home owners in this area and the houses are far apart with plenty of foliage blocking the views in between. You're a prime target for theft and other criminal activities."

The police officer was obviously trying to be helpful, but every word added to the fear building back up inside her heart.

"Adding outdoor lighting would help as well. Get some tall spotlights around the perimeter of the yard and motion detection lights set up on each corner of the house."

"A big dog might help," the other man pointed out. "There are lots of dogs at the shelter near here that would be happy to scare off trespassers in exchange for a good home."

"I have a cat." As she made the claim, Morgan glanced towards the window and found Leo watching them all intently from just on the other side of the glass. He was glaring at the officers with an air of restless contempt.

"A dog would be better," the officer replied, watching his companion putting on gloves before he picked up the box and began to carry it towards his vehicle. "You girls make sure you lock up when you go back inside."

Morgan could sense the frustration roiling off from Rachel and Heidi as the two policemen got back into their car and left.

"Rachel, can I borrow your car?" Heidi asked. "I'm staying here tonight, but I'll need a few things."

"No," Morgan frowned, "It's not fair for you to put your own lives on hold because of me. I'll be fine here by myself."

"Yeah, well I'm not sure if I will be fine leaving you here by yourself," Heidi growled. "I thought this nightmare was finally over, but it looks like we're just starting the next chapter. Does anyone know how to contract a jail shivving?"

"That's not funny," Rachel told her.

"I wasn't joking."

"I really appreciate both of you being here for me through all of this," Morgan assured them. "But I think he's just trying to scare me with the boxes. Besides, it will take him some time to plan his next move. I think I'm safe, at least for tonight."

Rachel slowly nodded.

"I think you're right. He's organizing all of this from a jail cell, which means he can't make another move until he's had time to meet with whoever is working for him on the outside."

"Okay, so what are we going to do about it?" Heidi demanded.

"I guess tomorrow I'm going to call an electrician and have him install exterior lighting," Morgan answered calmly. "Do either of you know how to go about setting up an alarm system?"

"Matt will know somebody," Rachel assured her. "I'll make sure that someone is out here first thing in the morning, okay?"

"I still think it would be easier and cheaper to have him shivved," Heidi growled. "It would also make me feel better."

"No it wouldn't," Morgan offered a sympathetic smile. "And not just because you'd be living the rest of your life running from the authorities in Mexico, missing all of our movie nights, and the dinner dates that are not really dates because they don't end in hot and sweaty sex."

"Well, when you put it that way." Heidi scrubbed a hand over her eyes, brushing away the tears of frustration that were attempting to leak out. "You know how much I love watching you eat a light salad and pretend that it's as good as the steak that I'm devouring."

"I hate you," Morgan laughed.

"I hate you too." Heidi hugged her tight. "Now get your ass inside and lock the doors, okay? I want you to call me before you go to bed tonight and let me know that you're okay."

"You just want to talk dirty to me in bed."

"Hell yeah I do! I'll make sure that you're all worked up and in the mood for a wet dream. Then you can call me again in the morning and tell me all about it."

"Any chance I could get on that call list as well?" Rachel asked. "Of course, I'd feel better if you'd just let one of us stay the night tonight. Preferably me, since Heidi has become so blood thirsty. She's likely to shiv your mailman by mistake."

"Not unless he looks like Craig, or attempts to deliver any plain brown packages."

"That is my point exactly."

"I promise to do conference calls tonight and tomorrow, now will you two go home? I need to feed my cat." Morgan glanced to where Leo was still watching them through the window.

"Oh, that reminds me, I have some leftover steak in the car for him," Rachel admitted. "I was hoping to win some brownie points, but I'll just leave it for you to give him later. Or save it for yourself, you've lost too much weight lately."

Morgan accepted the small take out box and waved goodbye to her friends, trying to shake off the feeling that she was making a mistake by not having at least one of them stay the night.

She honestly believed that Craig wouldn't try anything so soon after this second delivery of death, but she always slept better when she knew that she wasn't alone in the house.

Leo meowed and leaped down out of the windowsill to greet her as she entered the house and locked the door again behind her.

"At least I have you," she told him. "Would you like some steak?"

#  Chapter Five

By Wednesday, the electrician had come and gone again, leaving her yard lit up like a Christmas tree lot whenever the motion detectors were triggered. He'd also installed lights on each of the corners of her house, scaring away all of the dark shadows where intruders might have hidden.

Rachel's brother, Matt, had sent over a consultant from an alarm company that he'd worked with in the past and trusted.

The man had gone through the entire house looking at windows, stairways, hallways using a variety of angles. He'd jotted down dozens of notes, while explaining that it was sometimes tricky setting up alarm systems for old homes that still had their original rope and pulley designed window panes.

"Tricky, but certainly not impossible," he assured her. "I'll need to work out some figures for you and double check all of these angles to make sure that we have every entrance covered, but it shouldn't take me very long. We do have to work around the holiday this weekend. It's hard to get anyone out on Halloween. My guys are all family men, so they'll be out with their kids trick-or-treating. But I could schedule your installation for Monday, if that works for you."

"Monday would be great, thank you." Morgan was still reeling from the cost of both the system and the monthly monitoring, but she knew it was a necessary expense. There was no telling what Craig might do when he got tired of merely sending her dead animals.

As the consultant left the house, Morgan closed the door and leaned back against it with a heavy sigh. It was hard enough knowing that there was a crazy man out there somewhere plotting his next move against her. Now she was forced to spend valuable time and money in an effort to defend herself.

What she needed right now was a little peace and happiness, which reminded her of the ritual supplies still boxed up in her closet. She'd certainly felt a little better after her first attempt at magic. Maybe she'd have better luck if she tried it again now that she'd made so many other changes in her life.

Leo seemed to sense that something was brewing and followed her into the bathroom as she went in for her ritual cleansing.

She recalled his first night in the house, when he'd scared her half to death by sneaking into the room while she was bathing. It was strange how greatly her feelings had changed in less than a week of sleeping with him beside her.

Rather than being afraid, she was now glad to have his company. No matter what happened, she knew that the big black cat was there for her.

She could understand now why so many people kept pets. It might not be the same as having a human shoulder to cry on, but she no longer had to face the darkness and the fear alone.

She set up the altar and tools that she was might need before lighting the candles and turning off the electric lighting. Leo crouched on the bed and watched, yet as she began to cast the circle he leaped down and stepped inside the area, seating himself near the altar with a determined flick of his tail.

Morgan had heard of witches keeping familiars in the form of animals. Her grandmother even had a brief note about them in her journals.

Apparently a gifted witch could add the strength of the familiar's energy to her spells, channeling a little extra 'oomph' into her rituals. Well, Morgan could use all the help she could get.

It did sort of fit the mood to have an enormous black cat sitting opposite from her. It made her feel like the Hollywood version of a witch, rather than a witchy wannabe. All she really needed now was a broom stick and she'd fit right in with the pointy hat club.

"I don't suppose you've had any experience in this line of work?" She remarked drolly, sitting in a cross-legged position across from the cat.

Leo only offered one of his penetrative stares and a slight flick of his tail.

"Well, we're going to try casting a protection spell, and for a house this large I'd appreciate any extra energy you might have to spare."

After placing a clean sheet of paper on the altar, Morgan began to fill the small cauldron with ingredients from the book.

She added a mixture of powdered herbs that were listed as having a natural protective energy. Three drops from an oil blend that her grandmother had labeled for protection. And three drops of thick black ink.

Dipping the old quill pen into the potion she stirred it three times while chanting the words her grandmother had written, and then drew a series of protection symbols on the paper using the magically infused ink.

Closing her eyes she began to chant again, but she was finding it difficult to visualize the great amount of energy she needed to completely surround and protect the entire house.

"You should really have your coven help with a spell of this magnitude," a deep male voice instructed her calmly.

Morgan was too shocked to scream.

In fact, it was just like a moment stolen from one of her worst nightmares. Her body froze up as if her limbs were trapped in solid stone, and her shrieks were locked up in a throat that was suddenly so constricted she could hardly breathe.

Her eyes flashed open to see a man sitting beside her and all she could do was offer a thin, high pitched whine of pure horror in response.

She was naked and helpless. If he were planning to rape and kill her, there was really nothing she could do to stop him.

Although maybe it was a nightmare after all, because this was definitely the same man from her dreams, sitting beside her just as naked and as gorgeous as the first time that he'd appeared.

Hooded green eyes watched her from beneath elegantly arched eyebrows, but he made no attempt to grab her. Instead, he tilted his head slightly to one side.

"You're not really a witch, are you?" It wasn't a question. His lips were already curling up into a self-depreciating smile. "That does make this a little awkward."

His smile helped Morgan break free from the paralyzing fear and she scrambled backwards across the floor before crashing into the far bedroom wall. Using it as a crutch for her jelly-like legs, she pushed herself upright and faced the unwelcome intruder from a much safer distance.

"Who are you? How'd you get in here? What do you want?"

To her relief, he remained seated near the altar. It would probably take him a few seconds to get up and come after her if she ran. But where would she go? He was seated directly between her and the bedroom door.

"I've gone by many names during my life," he admitted, matching her gaze with an eerily calm intensity. "Most recently, I was given the name Leo. I'm your familiar, Morgan. Or at least, I had hoped to be. You seemed a little uncomfortable with me at first, but I thought you were finally coming around. It looks like I was mistaken."

Leo? As in... the cat?

Her mouth fell open, then shut again with an audible click.

He was insane. Why must she always attract the crazy ones? Her relationship with Craig had nearly ended in death for both her and Heidi. But the former drug addict wasn't nearly as unhinged as this man appeared to be.

"Get out of my house!"

He shrugged. "Where would you have me go? My family are gone. I'm just as alone in this world as you are, Morgan. We need each other, especially if you intend to continue practicing magic. You obviously still have a lot to learn and I can teach you."

"You said it yourself, I'm not a witch. I don't know the first thing about being a witch either. I was just trying to find some peace and comfort using the rituals my grandmother had in her journal, because I feel closer to her when I do. I'm not really trying to adopt a religion I know nothing about."

His green eyes narrowed.

"So you're going to pretend like you're not absolutely terrified about what your ex-boyfriend is going to do next? You're going to tell me that all this..." he gestured at the ritual items that still surrounded him in the circle, "Is just a practice of nostalgia, and that you don't really want to protect yourself and your home using whatever means necessary?"

Morgan scowled at him bleakly, suddenly feeling tears threatening.

"It's not real. Magic isn't real. It just makes me feel better to have that connection with my grandmother."

"Oh, magic is real," he assured her with a wry smile. "I'm living proof of that."

Morgan began to slide along the wall towards the bathroom door. If she could get inside the bathroom she might be able to keep him out long enough for someone to come looking for her.

"I don't think magic is the word I'd used to describe you," she mumbled under her breath, looking over to check the time. After having two dead animals dropped on her porch, Heidi and Rachel had promised to come by every night after work. She only had to fend off her attacker for an hour or so and someone was sure to show up.

Yet as she glanced back to where the naked man had been sitting, she found the spot uncomfortably vacant.

The bedroom door was still closed and the windows were shut.

A gravelly meow drew her attention to the bed. Leo had leaped up onto the mattress and was stalking towards the bedroom window.

She was preparing a dash for the bathroom, but a new sound drew her attention straight back to the window. It was a loud thump, followed by a slow sliding scratching sound.

All she could imagine, was that the naked man had somehow opened the window and climbed outside. But how could he have done it so quickly?

She'd only looked away for a brief minute, it was impossible, wasn't it? And why wasn't the yard lit up like a Christmas tree lot? The window was as dark as pitch.

A low harsh growling sound echoed up from deep in Leo's chest as he hunkered down to glower through the glass pane. So now he wanted to be a hero? Where was he a minute ago when she'd had a naked intruder sitting right beside her?

Morgan slapped a shocked hand over her mouth as she added up the possibilities and what her naked dream man had said.

She'd been chanting with her eyes closed just before Leo had vanished and the man had appeared. Was it possible that they'd switched back the moment she'd broken eye contact?

It must be the dark night and the energy radiating off the magic tools scattered throughout her room, because she was actually beginning to believe. Yet, if it was true, then who was out on the roof?

Morgan raced over to the bed table for her phone and dialed the police. It didn't matter who was out there, naked ritual crasher or ex-boyfriend psychopath, she wanted them gone.

She thought of the dead animals in the boxes and felt a spike of fear for the cat perched so dangerously near the threat. If someone really wanted to hurt her, they wouldn't think twice about hurting her pet.

"Leo, come away from the window."

He only growled louder, the hair along his spine and tail rising to make him look twice as large and fierce.

"Leo! If you want me to believe that crap about you being a familiar, you could start by listening to me now. Get away from that window!"

Emerald green eyes flashed from her to the darkness outside. Then he leaped onto the bed and turned to keep his bristly body between her and the window.

Was it a coincidence? She decided it wasn't really proof either way, but he was at least safely away from danger, should someone decide to break the glass and attempt to enter.

"We have an officer on his way," a voice was saying into Morgan's ear, reminding her that she still had the police department on the other end of the line. "Can you see the intruder now?"

"No, he was on the roof outside my bedroom window, but it's dark and I don't want to go near the glass. Someone has been putting dead animals on my porch. It might be the same person. I think he might want to hurt me."

"Do you have a child in the house?"

Morgan frowned down at the phone.

"What? No. I don't have children."

"Who's there with you right now? I heard you talking to someone else."

"I was talking to my cat."

"Okay, just try to stay calm ma'am," the voice abruptly took on a patronizing tone, which made the hackles rise on the back of Morgan's neck.

The time seemed to stand still as she waited. Then the woman's irritating voice returned. "The officers are at your front door, can you go let them in?"

Morgan hung up the line and headed for the door, pausing for only a minute as Leo flashed by her feet. He was down the stairs before she had even reached the landing, disappearing around the corner towards the front door.

When she reached ground level, the cat was peering suspiciously out the front window. Beyond, she could see the police cruiser parked on the street.

As she opened the door to let the officer in, Leo abruptly raced outside. She was so shocked by his escape she was slow to react and the cat vanished into the darkness beneath the hedges that lined the front yard.

"Leo!"

There were two officers standing on the porch. One of them had his flashlight out and was searching the shadows created by eves and gables on her roof. When the cat ran by he flicked the beam of light after him, but Leo was gone, so he returned his attention to Morgan.

"Did you call in an intruder?"

"Yes." It hurt to realize that Leo had abandoned her, but she needed to face the trouble at hand. "He was outside my bedroom window, on the roof at the back of the house. Do you want to come through to the back yard?"

"Can I get to the back yard by walking around the side here?"

"Yes, there's a gate with a latch, but it's not locked. If you go the other way there's not even a fence."

The two men split up and walked around the house in opposite directions, flashlights searching both the roof and the surrounding yard and gardens.

Morgan followed the first man, but kept a watchful eye out for Leo.

As they came around the corner, the other officer motioned for his partner to keep Morgan back.

"There's something on the roof alright, but it's not a person. It may be a deer. It's hard to tell from here."

"How did a deer get on my roof? Oh my god!" She finally saw what the officer was pointing at and realized why identification might be difficult. From the ground it looked like a pile of bloody bones with patches of fur still attached.

Her stomach roiled and she was forced to quickly look away or be sick. "Why is he doing this to me? Doesn't he realize that he's already ruined my life? Why can't he just leave me alone?"

The officer cut sharp eyes in her direction.

"Are you saying that you know who did this?"

Morgan nodded.

"He's been putting dead animals in boxes on my porch. I guess that this one was too big for a box."

The officer flicked his light over the floodlight at the corner of the house, revealing just the ragged edges of a broken light bulb.

"You should have that replaced. People who frequently commit crimes of vandalism are like cockroaches. They prefer the dark. If you turn on the lights, they'll scurry away to hide."

Morgan frowned.

"The system was just installed this week. The bulbs were all brand new and worked just fine last night."

The officer searched beneath the bulb and kicked at a few rocks among the glass shards in the grass.

"Did you notice the lights working this evening?"

"They're set to go off if something moves within their range. I don't remember seeing them light up at all."

"Whoever it was may have been scared away by the lights last night and then came back to break them out during the day. That way he could get close to the house without you seeing him tonight." He flashed his light up from the carcass and the roof to her bedroom window just above it. "My guess is that he's been watching you for a while. He knew exactly where to put this mess so you'd find it quickly."

"Do you live alone?" The second officer asked. He was a bit older and looked the most upset by the situation.

"Yes."

"Do you have someone that might stay with you tonight, just in case he comes back?"

"I don't think I want to stay here at all."

"That might be best. Let's get you back inside. I'm going to need you to fill out a few reports and I don't like the idea of him watching you from those woods when you're not wearing much to begin with. There's no need to tempt guys like that."

It was spoken as a father might chastise a daughter and it made Morgan's heart ache a little for the parents that she'd lost.

Several hours later, the police finally left. They'd had to bring in a fish and game employee to remove the carcass and carry it away, but not before they did a quick examination to determine that it had probably been road killed a few days ago. It was apparently more convenient than killing another rabbit or squirrel.

Heidi was ashen faced as she showed up with Rachel. Neither of them were happy to see that the pranks were escalating into full sized animals. Or that the creep was now leaving them directly outside of the bedroom window.

Heidi was determined to have Morgan stay at her house because her work schedule was a little more flexible than Rachel's, and neither of the girls wanted to leave her alone any longer than necessary.

While Morgan talked to the police and filled out reports, Heidi and Rachel searched for Leo. But there was no sign of the cat and Morgan was forced to face the truth, her temporary housemate might be gone for good.

She thought of what had happened in her bedroom and wondered if she were having a psychotic break.

When Craig had suffered his break he'd seen all sorts of things that weren't really there. Was it possible that all the stress she was under had overloaded her mind and culminated in a bizarre hallucination?

That night as she curled up to sleep on the couch in Heidi's apartment, she thought of another possible solution for Leo's escape. Hallucination or not, the human version of Leo had appeared disappointed when he realized that she wasn't really a witch.

Maybe the cat had simply left her to search for someone more worthy of his loyalty.

#  Chapter Six

The next morning Heidi agreed to let Morgan go home while she headed in for work. Neither of the girls thought that an attack was likely in broad daylight.

So far Craig had acted strictly from the shadows or while he was certain she was out of the house. Still, as they pulled into the driveway, Heidi was eyeballing the windows with grim suspicion.

"Maybe I should walk you inside," she suggested, but Morgan was already shaking her head.

"You're going to be late as it is. I've got my phone. If anything looks out of place I'll call you, I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Morgan closed the car door and waved to her through the window.

Regardless of the time, Heidi idled in the driveway until she was certain that her friend was safely indoors. And Morgan appreciated her consideration, it was creepy coming back to the house now.

She locked the door behind her and stood for a moment on the threshold.

So much had happened within these walls. She had so many happy childhood memories of this house. But now her love for it was tarnished by the fear caused by one bad choice. One evil man that she'd innocently welcomed into her life and nearly died trying to escape.

Stepping through the entry hall and into the kitchen, she found her eyes automatically drawn towards the windowsill where Leo had kept his watchful vigil during his all too brief stay.

She was surprised by how much she now missed his pensive stare.

From the moment he'd entered her home, he'd seemed far too smart for a cat, which was probably why her mind had portrayed him as a human during her brief psychotic break the night before.

After the alarm system was installed on Monday, and she was feeling a little safer, she would need to set up time to visit with Heidi's counselor. She realized now that it was necessary.

She couldn't handle so much stress and dread on her own. She needed someone to talk to. It had helped her greatly to even have a cat keeping her company and listening to her fears.

She went upstairs to pack the items that she needed for a lengthier stay at her friend's apartment. Halloween was coming up on Saturday and she wasn't prepared to spend the weekend in a place that no longer felt safe to her.

Maybe after the alarm system was installed then she'd feel differently.

As she entered her bedroom, she was confronted by all the ritual items that had been forgotten after she'd heard the intruder on the roof outside her window. It was a stark reminder of everything she would be leaving if she did move away.

This was her grandmother's house, the sanctuary she'd kept strong for two generations.

As Morgan began to carefully collect all of the items and place them back into the boxes they were stored in, she wondered if she should have at least come back to close the circle once more. It felt wrong to leave the ritual unfinished, even if she'd only really begun the ceremony when it had been interrupted by the hallucination, or whatever someone called it when they saw something beyond explanation.

Wouldn't it have been wonderful if magic did exist?

If it were really possible for black cats to change into drop dead sexy men, the world would be a vastly different sort of place.

She wouldn't be afraid of cats anymore, that's for sure. In fact, she might go out and adopt half a dozen of them.

Unfortunately, her shopping list was much more mundane.

Because the exterior lighting system was so new, she hadn't had time to purchase any replacement light bulbs. And she was definitely going to need a taller ladder if she planned on replacing the broken bulbs at the top of each of the four very tall poles that were designed to light the farthest corners of the yard.

To her great relief, there was no box or package of any kind waiting for her on the porch when she arrived back home with her purchases later that morning.

With her heart boosted by this small miracle, she set about unlashing the ladder from the luggage rack on top of her car and hauled it into the back yard.

She spent the afternoon going through the yard and making sure that all of the lighting was back in working order. She also had spare light bulbs just in case any of them proved to be duds after the sun went down.

Heidi would be getting back from work around seven that evening, so it should give Morgan a chance to test the lights and make sure that none of the wiring to or from the fixtures were damaged.

The lights weren't going to stop an intruder if he really wanted to do any damage to the house, or to leave another of his vile gifts. But it might stall him for another night, forcing him to come back on Friday to break the lights again.

If she replaced them Friday, he would have to come back Saturday. And so forth until the alarm system and security cameras were installed on Monday. After that, if he tried to come near the house she'd have videos of him for the police.

It was going to be a long weekend, made longer by the holiday on Saturday. She rarely received trick-or-treaters out this far, but the possibility would make it difficult to discern friends from foe.

Around six she started dinner, planning to surprise Heidi with the steaks that she had in the fridge. The redhead was overtly carnivorous and Morgan didn't want the meat to go bad while she was holed up at her friend's apartment.

Dropping the Styrofoam package onto the counter, she recalled Leo's interest in the meat and felt another tug at her heart.

Although she never would have admitted it to her friends, Morgan had been watching and listening for any sign of the cat all day. She had actually been hoping to see him waiting for her on a windowsill or staring up at her from beneath the hedges.

It was hard to admit that he was probably gone for good.

Heading to the pantry for the potatoes, she stopped short as someone very tall and broad-shouldered stepped out to block her path.

For just one tiny fraction of a heartbeat she thought it might be the naked specter that claimed to be her cat. And for just that briefest of moments, she actually felt a spike of joy.

Then he stepped fully into the light and her heart froze with terror.

Greasy blonde hair hung in ragged edges to brush the shoulders of his black leather jacket, giving him a desperate, vagrant appearance.

Muddy gray eyes explored down the length of her body with a glacial apathy that made her skin crawl and her throat clench. As if he were seldom allowed so near to a female body and had a lethal fascination for how it might feel in his hands.

He stepped towards her in a cold and calculative manner, watching the fear pouring through her veins and studying her flesh for any obvious weaknesses.

She instinctively knew that he was assessing all of her fears and frailties, so that he could prevent her from dying too quickly. This was the sort of man that would crave the prolonging of her pain and her terror.

She knew it with the same absolute faith that she'd always had for the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, because she could smell death on him.

It roiled around his body like an invisible cloud, and added its poisonous horror to the toxic blend already draining the color from her face and the courage from her heart.

In that instant, the truth struck her. This was the man that had left the dead animals on her porch and outside her window. The stench of decay surrounding him was as real as he was. It clung to his clothing and his skin like a vile perfume.

She was going to be sick, but she was too afraid to turn her back and rush to the sink. She couldn't seem to break eye contact with the horror that stood before her.

"You need to learn your place," he spoke, making her cringe and cower backwards, as if the words themselves might have caused her pain.

"Please..." she whimpered, not even sure what she was asking for.

Did she want him to stop talking, or to stop existing entirely?

If she could only stop staring at him, maybe he would just vanish back into her tortured psyche like the naked man from her bedroom.

But he didn't disappear. Instead, he continued to advance into the kitchen, corralling her within an increasingly smaller and smaller area.

Soon he'd be able to reach out and grab her, and that was when she would really learn the meaning of fear and agony.

"You belong to Craig. There might not be a dog collar around that scrawny bitch neck of yours, but he still owns your ass. If he calls, you answer, understand? If he asks you to send him cash or to talk to someone for him, you do it. Otherwise, I'll come back here and whip you like the sorry little stray that you are."

Craig. Her ex-boyfriend's name pricked a tiny ray of light through the darkening cloud that was her body threatening to pass out. She clung to it as if it were a life line, pulling herself towards the light, towards consciousness.

"No...no...no..." With every repetition she fought to regain her courage, denying what he was saying as well as the choking hands of terror.

The tunnel vision began to recede and the instinctive need to defend herself flooded through her limbs, making her respond as she might never have done otherwise.

As he came towards her, she abruptly grabbed the frying pan that she'd intended to cook the steaks in, and threw it straight at her attacker's head.

He ducked to the side, throwing up an arm to block the projectile, but Morgan was still in motion. She was diving over the countertop with little regard for how she might land on the other side. All that mattered was escaping from the madman's trap.

Sliding on her belly, she rolled off the granite surface shoulder first, but felt very little pain through the shock of fear and adrenaline that was fueling her. In her ears was the intruder's roar of fury, and it was ample enough motivation to keep going.

Morgan ran for the back door, but skidded to a stop that had her falling backward onto her ass, as one of the bar stools shattered against the wood in front of her.

She didn't even look up towards the man she knew would be right behind her. She only made a desperate roll off to her left, hoping to scramble behind the dining room table and possibly escape in the opposite direction.

But he was too fast.

One filthy hand snaked out to grab a fist full of her hair and jerked her back into a seated position at his feet.

Morgan saw light ricochet off sharp metal and she realized he was holding a knife.

She was going to die.

"Get away from her!" A deep voice roared, and the hand abruptly released its grip on her hair.

She didn't wait around for the madman to grab her again. Morgan scrambled for the relative sanctuary under the table, but not before she recognized her rescuer as the specter from her bedroom.

She wasn't sure what frightened her more; that Craig had sent someone after her or that Leo was real. The naked man from her dream, the man that she'd written off as a psychotic break due to stress and fear, was here.

He was also stark naked and up against a man with a knife.

Morgan cried out in horror as Leo barely avoided another swipe of the blade. He was quick on his feet, like the cat he claimed to be. But the odds were stacked against him.

The intruder appeared to have some experience with sharp weapons. And from the vicious set of his jaw, he didn't intend to leave until both Morgan and her defender were dead.

She had to do something. She couldn't just sit back and allow Leo to be hurt, or possibly killed.

As the men grappled in the open area between the kitchen and the dining area, Morgan slipped out from behind the table and grabbed one of the broken legs of the wooden barstool that the killer had thrown at her earlier.

"Morgan, get back!" Leo shouted, obviously guessing her intention.

His cry alerted the intruder, who started to spin in her direction.

Morgan hadn't really considered what she was going to do with the stool leg. She'd never been in a fight before and had no idea how to use a weapon. But as the knife wielding monster turned to confront her, she lashed out with all of her strength and fear, swinging her wooden stick like a baseball bat.

Her makeshift club struck the intruder along the upper left side of his cheek and temple with such force it vibrated down into her very bones, and shattered what remained of the stool leg.

The blow knocked the attacker completely off balance, sending him staggering in a half circle and directly into Leo's oncoming fist.

It was Leo's strike that sent the bastard to the floor unconscious, but Morgan dropped the shattered remains of her weapon as if it were on fire, looking at her hands as if they belonged to someone else.

"Call the police," Leo instructed, yanking the tie back ropes off from the curtains hanging in the dining room window and using them to secure their attacker.

Morgan looked up to stare at him in numb shock.

"Did we kill him?"

Leo left the man lying on the floor and came towards her, but she instantly retreated from his touch.

"You're real. You're not just in my imagination," she whimpered. "How is that possible?"

He held up his hands to show her that he meant no harm.

"There are a lot of strange things in this world that would probably frighten people if they knew about them. But I swear, I would never hurt you."

Morgan needed a drink. The blood was pounding so loudly in her ears she could barely concentrate on his words.

Taking caution to keep a safe distance between them, she slipped past Leo and into the kitchen. There was a bottle of Scotch Whiskey in the cupboard and she poured herself a tumbler full.

"I thought I was having a psychotic episode," she managed after chugging half of the liquid in her cup and swallowing the alcoholic burn it left in her throat. "You said you were my cat."

"I am a cat, occasionally, and I apologize for revealing myself that way. I thought you were a witch and had a firm belief in magic. I would never have exposed myself to you otherwise."

Exposed was a good choice of words. She took another long swallow of whiskey to keep her eyes from exploring south of his chin. Was it too much to ask that he at least cover up the dangling bits with his hands?

Of course, she'd previously noticed that he had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to that particular area. The man was certainly put together nicely.

"Are all familiars like you?"

"I don't know. I've never actually been a familiar before. I was born to a family of feline shifters. Unfortunately, they're all dead. The world is becoming a dangerous place for cats. Cars, dogs, even people are killing them without even realizing that they're committing murder."

"Why don't you just stay in human form?"

"That's like asking the sun not to shine or the grass not to grow. It's a part of what we are. We need to shift, to run through the woods on four legs instead of two."

"Is that where you've been? In the woods?"

"At least in part. I was attempting to track down the bastard who'd left those dead animals for you. I don't have the tracking skills of a dog, but I was still able to follow him back to his house, and then back here again tonight. If it hadn't been for a damned dog chasing me up a tree, I would have stopped the guy before he ever got close to you."

Morgan wrinkled her nose, trying to imagine the man before her crouched in a tree as he waited for the dog to leave. Yet before she could comment there was a rattle of keys in the lock and the sound of Heidi's approach through the front entry.

"Oh my god, um..." Morgan snatched the dish towel from its peg and tossed it in the general direction of Leo's groin. "Cover up!"

Heidi froze as she entered the kitchen and looked from the tied up unconscious man on the floor, to the naked man holding a dish towel over his penis. And then finally up to Morgan.

At last she put her hands on her hip and cocked an eyebrow.

"Your sex life is obviously a lot more interesting than I ever gave you credit for."

Morgan blushed furiously.

"It's not like that! This is... a friend... he just saved me from the asshole that Craig sent over here to scare me."

"So..." Heidi made a gesture that took in Leo's entire body, "...of course he got naked."

She raised a pointed eyebrow.

"You don't understand," Morgan started, but Heidi quickly shook her head.

"Oh no, I understand completely. In fact, I always prefer do my hit work in the nude as well."

"Would you just call the police already?" Morgan growled.

#  Chapter Seven

"It's almost over." Rachel whispered soothingly into Morgan's ear, as two of the police officers led their handcuffed prisoner out to a waiting cruiser. There were half a dozen other uniformed men still searching her yard and house for whatever clues they thought might be hiding there.

It seemed like a fairly straightforward case as far as the girls were concerned, but questions had risen after the attacker claimed that Craig had no knowledge of the dead animals or of the attack on Morgan.

The man's name was Jerry Ceopal, and he would only say that he'd been Craig's cellmate up until his release earlier that month. And that he'd felt sorry for the younger man, who suffered when Morgan refused to accept his calls or visit him.

He claimed to have acted on his own, but neither Heidi nor Rachel believed him.

Rachel had shown up after the police officers and had spent the last half hour trying to catch up on events. Heidi had given her the more risqué account of events, including a very detailed description of Leo's appearance.

Morgan's hero had conveniently vanished before the police arrived, much to Heidi's dismay.

The police were equally unhappy to have lost their primary witness to the attack, but Morgan had assured them that he would be available for questioning later, as well as testifying against her attacker.

"At least you found Leo," Rachel continued, smiling down at the enormous black cat that was cradled protectively in her friend's arms. "I wonder where he's been hiding all this time."

Morgan tightened her grip on the feline, taking a surprising amount of comfort from the harsh gravelly purring of the beast.

He'd crept into the room through the open back door only moments after her naked rescuer had stepped out of it, but Heidi suspected nothing.

"I told you that not all cats were evil," Rachel beamed with pride, as if she'd single-handedly cured Morgan of her phobia. "It looks like you've got yourself a sweet little lap pet."

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Morgan winced, wondering how Leo would feel about being called a lap pet.

It felt a little uncomfortable to be holding a creature that might really be a man in disguise, but after all that had happened, she wasn't about to let the cat escape again. She had too many questions that could only be answered by keeping the feline close until after everyone had left and she could be alone with him.

The police didn't leave for several hours, and only after asking that each of the girls come down to the station the following morning to file formal reports.

Once they'd left it took Morgan another couple of hours before she could convince Heidi and Rachel that she would be alright staying at the house alone, even after all that had happened.

It was after midnight that Morgan carried Leo into the master bedroom and placed him carefully onto the bed.

Taking a large step in reverse, she placed her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed look.

"Okay, let's see it," she prompted. "You know that I'm never going to believe you if I don't see it for myself."

Leo offered a rumbling meow and stood to face her.

He blinked those emerald green eyes and then arched his back in a long deep stretch. Only his body stretched longer and greater than any cat ever could, elongating and swelling in length.

He seemed to double in size, and then double again. Whiskers, tail, fur and ears all smoothed away as if they'd only been an illusion.

Morgan could only watch in rapt fascination as sinewy muscles flexed and released, corded and relaxed, leaving a large powerful man kneeling on her bed where only a cat had stood before.

"Wow!" She breathed. "Do it again!"

Leo shook his head.

"There's plenty of time for that later."

Stepping off the bed, he walked into the bathroom to grab a towel and wrap it around his waist. Reappearing, he leaned up against the bathroom doorframe and gave her a concerned frown.

"I think we need to talk about Craig and his suspected henchman. I know that you want to believe everything is going to be okay now, but if he's capable of sending one man then he's capable of sending one hundred. We need to talk about your safety."

Morgan sighed and scrubbed a hand over her forehead.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. It's bad enough having to explain everything to those cops. Now there's going to be another court session, more lawyers, and I'm going to get dragged through additional months of threats and promises of revenge. I hate it."

"That's what I want to talk to you about. From what I've seen of this house, there are centuries of family memories here, so I'm sure you'd like to stay. But I don't like the idea of you living alone as long as your ex-boyfriend still thinks he has some sort of claim on you."

"I don't want to sell the house," she guessed the direction he was headed, but Leo only shook his head.

"I'm not asking you to sell your home." He offered an uncomfortable shrug. "What I'm going to suggest will probably seem even less desirable, but I think it will be more affective."

Morgan felt a twist of fear forming in her chest. What could be worse than selling her home and leaving everything she loved behind?

"What are you talking about?"

"I want you to go visit with Craig in jail," he started, and quickly raised his hands to silence her when she started to protest. "Let me finish. I want you to go see him, but I want to be with you."

"That would totally piss him off." She frowned, shaking her head as she thought of the pain she'd suffered during his last burst of outrage. "I don't think you understand how dangerous he can be. I might as well tie a steak around my neck and jump into a tank full of hungry piranhas."

"Just hear me out." Leo offered her a gentle smile. "I think we can convince him to leave you alone for good. We just have to prove to him that you're out of his reach forever."

"After all of this, I'm beginning to think that isn't possible."

"It's possible. We just have to convince him that you've moved on and have a new boyfriend, which is why I need to be with you at the jail. We're going to play like a happy couple for him."

Morgan made an effort not to look down at the sculpted chest and abs exposed by his minimal choice in coverings.

Leo definitely cut an imposing figure, which any girl would be lucky to claim. But would Craig believe their deception?

While they'd dated, Craig and teased her for being pathologically honest, claiming that he could read her like an open book. Even if she kept silent and allowed Leo to do all the talking, Craig might still see the truth in her eyes.

"That's a really thoughtful offer," she sighed. "But he'd know it was a lie. I'm a really bad liar. He always knew when I was trying to keep something from him. He'd only get worse if he thought I was trying to trick him."

Leo considered that, then shrugged.

"Alright, so let's make it real. Go on a date with me. Halloween is Saturday. What do you usually do to celebrate? We could go dancing, trick-or-treating..."

"No," Morgan quickly interrupted, shaking her head. "You seem like a really nice guy, but I have a terrible track record when it comes to boyfriends. The last one nearly killed me and he wasn't a feline shifter with ties to the occult."

She'd thought it would sound like a joke. Instead it made him frown, his unbelievably green eyes flashing with obvious concern.

"I would never hurt you, or any woman," he stated with just a hint of offense. "And I would never use magic to cause anyone harm, even if there wasn't a dangerous potential for such spells to backfire on their caster."

Morgan offered an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound so harsh. I think I'm just afraid of being hurt again. I'm not really sure how I feel about you yet. I was starting to like having you around... as a cat I mean. But I don't really know how to deal with... um... this..." She made a weak gesture towards his entire human figure.

Leo gave a sympathetic nod.

"I know you've been hurt. But you'll eventually learn to trust again. Let me help. Just until you're safe, then if you still want to, you can send me on my way. I won't put up a fight." He stepped a little closer, stroking the soft curve of her cheek to bring her fallen gaze back up to meet his.

She was thinking of all the reasons why it wouldn't work, but his gentle touch made her hesitate.

"You were beginning to enjoy having me around as a cat," he reminded her. "Let me prove to you that I'm just as trustworthy and faithful as a man."

Morgan hesitated, glancing towards the dark bedroom window.

Leo had been there for her when she'd needed him. But she'd been fooled before. She knew from experience that pretty words and sweet promises could sometimes hide a blackened soul.

"It's late," she murmured, motioning towards the clock on the bedside table. "Let me think about it, okay? We can talk about my decision in the morning."

He gave her an understanding nod.

"Alright."

"You can sleep in the guest bedroom, if you like." She glanced towards the door, wishing he would hurry up and leave her alone so she could think up a good excuse to tell him in the morning. "The bed sheets and linens were all recently washed."

"I know, I was there," he reminded her. And it was true, Leo the cat had sat in the windowsill and watched as she'd cleaned the room and changed the sheets after Heidi and Rachel's stay.

When he only stood there, watching her, she glanced awkwardly towards the bedroom door, then back up to meet his amused stare.

"I've slept beside you every night since I came here," he pointed out as casually as if he were discussing a carpool in to work. "I haven't once done anything salacious or ungentlemanly towards you. I see no reason to change our sleeping habits now."

"That was different," Morgan protested weakly, because the idea of having him sleep with her was having an uncomfortable effect on her libido. "You were a cat."

One corner of his mouth curled up into an impish smile as he slowly shook his head. It made her think back and recall the vague sensation of strong arms holding her, keeping her safe as she drifted off to sleep.

A warm rush of color pinked her cheeks.

"I thought I was dreaming," she admitted sheepishly.

Leo stepped towards her, gently collecting her against his chest in an embrace that should have felt friendly and inviting. But the firm press of his bare flesh against her cheek only made the unwelcome desire within her burn hotter.

"Don't push me away, Morgan," he murmured into her hair. "I'm one of the good guys. Let me prove it to you."

Despite all of the reasons that she should put a sharp end to the moment and remain firm in her decision, it just felt so good to be held in his arms. She couldn't tell him no.

Forcing herself to step back, Morgan took a shaky breath and turned away.

"Tomorrow, I'm buying you some clothes. Especially pajamas."

He chuckled softly behind her, but she didn't dare look at him. She knew that if she did, he'd see the truth in her eyes. Her entire body was flooded with a confusing storm of emotions.

When she looked at him, she forgot that he was almost a complete stranger to her. Instead, her subconscious was awarding him with the same sense of familiarity and affection that she'd only recently begun feeling towards Leo the cat.

Worse, those emotions were amplified by her attraction to his human form.

Needing to put some distance between them so she could rein in her chaotic feelings, Morgan collected her nightgown and went into the bathroom to change. Yet as she stripped out of her clothes and looked at herself in the mirror, she began trembling uncontrollably.

She could have died today. Now she was struggling to define her relationship with a man that could transform himself into a cat. The bizarre circumstances were all too much for her battered psych to handle, threatening to throw her into a full mental breakdown.

Hot tears leaked out of her eyes as she fought to swallow the broken sobs that welled up to choke her. But as hard as she tried to silence them, the shaking in her limbs only grew worse.

"Morgan?" Leo's worried voice from the other side of the bathroom door sent a fresh wave of panic arcing through her chest.

"I'm fine," she wheezed past the rancorous lump in her throat, "just give me a minute, okay?"

But it was too late, the door was opening.

She quickly threw up a hand to stop him, but Leo had taken one look at her tear streaked face and rushed to her side.

Ignoring her weak attempts to protest, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back into the bedroom. There he settled them both on the bed, still cradling her against his chest.

"I know things look scary as hell right now," he rumbled softly, tucking her head up under his chin in a way that she hadn't been held since she was a child and had a bad dream. "But you're a lot stronger than you think, and you're going to get through this. I promise you, everything is going to be alright."

He was so strong and confident beside her, she could almost believe it. But she couldn't seem to stop the tears.

"I'm sorry," she hiccupped miserably. "I don't know what's wrong with me tonight. It's all just hitting me at once. I was so scared today. And then seeing you..."

The deep reverberation of his laughter made her lift her head to look at him.

Bright green eyes sparked with humor as he surprised her by brushing a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"You're an amazing woman, Morgan." He chuckled. "Of all the houses I could have been chased into by a nasty dog, I'm glad I picked yours."

"That's probably the weirdest thing a guy has ever said to me."

He laughed again and pulled her down to lay beside him, his strong arms holding her snug against his body.

Despite all of her earlier protests, and the fact that they were both nearly naked, she felt safe and protected in his embrace.

Within moments, her tears gave way to a deep and comforting sleep.

#  Chapter Eight

Morgan woke up feeling warm and flushed.

All night she'd had erotic dreams about the man resting with one strong arm draped intimately over her hip, the heat of his chest and abs molded perfectly down the length of her back.

They were touching everywhere, her body fully embraced by his, as if they'd fallen asleep as lovers rather than... hell, she didn't even know how to describe their relationship.

Although he'd originally come to her in the form of a cat, she no longer felt comfortable calling him her pet. Yet calling him a friend felt too impersonal now, with the sensual caress of his breath sending a wash of delicious shivers against the back of her neck.

Then her heart crashed against her ribs and she was jolting straight up in bed.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked, instantly awake and alert to the dread filling her eyes.

"I heard something," she whispered fearfully. "I think someone is inside the house."

They both fell silent, listening to the early morning birds outside the window and the pregnant silence within the building.

Then it came again, the creak of a floorboard downstairs.

Leo was out of the bed in a flash, reaching the bedroom door before either of them realized that his towel had remained partially trapped beneath her on the mattress.

"No!" She commanded, seeing him hesitate on the threshold of racing downstairs to confront the intruder while both naked and defenseless.

Although he'd managed to escape unscathed the day before, he might not be so lucky this time.

"Lock the door and stay here with me." She pleaded. "I'll call the police."

Leo didn't look happy, but he gave a curt nod and flipped the lock on the handle.

As she reached for the phone, someone began to climb the stairs.

Apparently, the intruder had heard Leo's heavy weight strike the floor and move towards the door. Whoever it was, they were on their way up to find her.

"Hey sweetie?" A familiar voice called from the other side of wooden barrier, causing Morgan's eyes to widen in surprise, "Are you awake?"

"Heidi?"

Even as she spoke, Morgan was gesturing wildly at Leo.

"Cat... cat.... cat!" She whispered frantically, not ready to explain why there was a naked man in her bedroom this early in the morning.

For his part, Leo folded thick arms over his chest and gave her a disapproving frown.

When he'd told her that he wanted her to spend time with him in his human form, he'd been serious. But she hadn't expected her friends to show up before she'd had a chance to find him some clothing.

"Please?" She mouthed almost silently as Heidi rattled the locked handle.

"Are you alright?" Her visitor was asking in growing concern. "Since when did you start locking the bedroom door?"

"Give me just a second. I need to get dressed. I fell asleep in my underwear."

"Yeah, so what? I've see you in your undies before."

Morgan was getting desperate.

Scrambling out of bed she hurried across the floor to where Leo was standing. It was hard to ignore the impish grin sneaking over his lips as she was forced to stand on her toes, and lean in close, to whisper directly into his ear. But this was no time for a lecture on chivalry.

"I promise, I'll introduce you as soon as you have clothes. I'll even let you take me on a date."

"Deal," his warm breath feathered over her ear, sending a fresh wash of shivers tickling along her neck. Then he closed his eyes, and changed. His body slipping away from hers, growing lithe and feline in shape, until he was only a large black cat at her feet.

"Thank you," she whispered, reaching out to unlock and open the door.

Heidi was scowling as Morgan peeked around the edge of the barrier and offered an apologetic smile.

"Hey, what are you doing here? Don't you have work today?"

"Yeah, I do." The redhead ignored her attempts at modesty and shouldered her way into the room.

There was a suspicious gleam in her eyes as she systematically began searching the closets, the bathroom and every other place large enough for a person to hide inside or under.

Leo jumped up onto the bed while Heidi was looking under it. His tail twitching and bright green eyes glowing with silent feline laughter.

Morgan made a face at him, but the cat only offered her a gravelly meow in return.

"Are you satisfied?" She asked as Heidi finally straightened, her hands on her hips and a disappointed look on her face.

"No." The redhead growled in disgust. "I would have been happier if I'd found your incredibly sexy, naked 'friend' hiding in here somewhere. You know, the guy that saved your life yesterday."

Leo meowed and offered something that sounded like a sneeze. Or a chuckle.

"So, who is he?" Heidi demanded. "Why haven't we seen him before, and why isn't he here now, protecting you like a good hero should?"

Morgan gave the cat a dark scowl as he also turned demanding eyes in her direction.

"He needed a fresh change of clothes," she growled pointedly in his direction.

"Ah ha!' Heidi crowed, "So you did sleep with him! Go on, give me all the dirty details."

Morgan sighed.

"It wasn't like that," she argued. And even if it had been, she wasn't about to discuss anything with Leo sitting right there listening to every word. But her attempts to avoid the truth made her friend consider some frightening possibilities.

"He doesn't have anything to do with Craig, does he?" Heidi's voice dropped to something just above a whisper, and cracked as she spoke the man's name.

"No," Morgan hurried to soothe the redhead, then glanced towards Leo on the bed. "He was actually here for his cat."

She mentally patted herself on the back for coming up with such a creative version of the truth.

"Are you serious?" Heidi asked. "Why was he naked?"

Morgan quickly racked her brain for an answer.

"He's a witch. I mean... a warlock? I'm not really sure what the male versions call themselves. Anyhow, he was right in the middle of a ritual when a big dog went after his cat. Leo ran straight here, just like last time. That's when he saw the guy coming after me and jumped in to help."

She paused, repeating the whole story over in her head, looking for any possible flaws, but it actually sounded credible. Maybe she wasn't such a bad liar after all? Was that something to be proud of?

Heidi glanced at the clock, aware of the commute still ahead of her, but loath to leave before she had the answer to all her questions.

"Did you get his name?"

Morgan shook her head.

"I didn't have time to ask. He was in a hurry to change before the cops saw him."

Heidi sighed.

"Damn. Do you think he'll ever come back? Maybe we can ask around and find out where he lives. You could tell him you just wanted to say thanks for saving your life."

Morgan gestured towards Leo.

"I still have his cat," she pointed out. "Sooner or later I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet him."

"Hey, yeah! You're right! He has to come back for his cat." The redhead started to reach out, as if she might pet the dark feline watching her from the bed. But his green eyes narrowed just a fraction and the girl wisely withdrew the offer.

"I better get to work," she sighed, looking towards the bed table clock once more. "I'm already running a bit behind, but I wanted to check on you and drop off some breakfast."

"You don't cook." Morgan pointed out with a skeptical glance towards the doorway.

"Nope, but I'm an expert at drive-thru windows," Heidi laughed, but it faded quickly and she looked worried again. "Be safe okay? Keep the doors locked and don't go anywhere alone. Rachel is going to stop by tonight with dinner."

"I'll be fine," Morgan assured her. "The police took the guy to jail. I doubt Craig will be able to summon up another emissary of evil in such a short period of time."

A thin groan of distress escaped the redhead.

"Rachel didn't tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"The guy that attacked you yesterday is already out. The police released him this morning. He was told to stay away from you or he could go back to jail, but we both know that won't stop him."

Leo let out a low hiss that was only partially muffled by Morgan's cry of outrage.

"Are you serious? Wasn't the guy just recently paroled? How could they release him after breaking and entering, and attacking a defenseless woman inside her own home? Don't those things somehow revoke his freedom? What the hell was the judge thinking?"

"He was on post-release supervision, not parole. Rachel claims there's a difference. Anyhow, they said they can't get him back in front of the judge until next week and that house arrest was the best they could push for in the interim, but even that didn't stick."

Heidi paused uncomfortably.

"There's more," Morgan guessed and her friend offered a miserable nod.

"Since the guy never actually hurt you, and there's no sign of forced entry at any of your doors, Matt says the judge will probably just give him a warning. They can't prove that he did anything wrong. But you can file for a restraining order."

"That worked so well against Craig."

Heidi looked like she was about to cry.

"Come stay with me. It would make all of us feel better."

Leo meowed unhappily, jumping off the bed and padding over to bump his head against Morgan's leg. She reflexively reached down to scoop him up, holding him close to her chest and taking some comfort when he began a deep rumbling purr.

She thought of how warm and safe she'd felt in his arms only moments before, and regretted that he couldn't offer her that sense of security now. But she knew that he would remain in his feline form until Heidi was gone.

"I'll be okay," she assured Heidi with a confidence she really didn't feel. "I just have to get through this weekend. The alarm system will be installed on Monday."

"I was afraid you'd say something like that." Heidi cast a dark glower at the clock before throwing up her hands in frustration.

"This conversation is not over," the redhead warned. "It's only being postponed until I get back from work. I'm already late. Be safe!"

Heidi took the stairs down two at a time. Racing out the front door, she slammed it behind her with a resounding boom that shook the windows. She was obviously not happy to be leaving her best friend unaccompanied under such circumstances.

But Morgan wasn't really as alone as the girl thought. Before the car was even out of the driveway, Leo was leaping out of her arms and performing his body altering magic.

"Towel!" Morgan immediately ordered, turning away as she waited for him to cover up.

She didn't allow his soft chuckling to dissuade her for one minute. It was hard enough sharing such close proximity with a man. The last thing she needed was a constant refresher on how incredibly sexy he looked naked.

"I suppose you heard everything?"

"Yeah," he growled, startling her when his hands abruptly caught her waist and turned her around to face him. "I think we need to work on your escape plan."

"What....?"

She didn't get to finish the question. His lips closed over hers, wrecking her train of thought and causing the entire world to whirl off its axis.

For a moment, she was certain that her heart stopped beating. Then it kick started into overdrive, crashing wildly into her ribs and shooting little sparks of white hot desire ricocheting through her body.

For just one incredible moment she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drown within the pleasure he aroused.

He nibbled and teased at her mouth until she opened for him, allowing him to thrust his tongue inside. Instantly her body shivered, as if his kiss alone had awakened the first illicit waves of ecstasy.

She couldn't remember the last time a man had kissed her this way. As if he needed her more than he needed to take his next breath.

Nothing else in the world mattered but the sensual crush of his lips against hers and the erotic exploration of her mouth with his tongue.

Of one thing she was certain, she had never been so tempted to throw caution to the wind and follow the passion, no matter how it might destroy her.

As Craig had nearly destroyed her.

Just like that, the moment was shattered.

#  Chapter Nine

Morgan braced trembling hands against Leo's bare chest and pushed, hard.

He released her with some reluctance, emerald eyes searching her face for answers and finding them. With a husky sigh he shook his head and took a slow step backwards, giving her the space she was desperately needing.

"I thought you were one of the good guys," she accused, throwing out the very words he'd used to comfort her the night before. "You're supposed to be protecting me, not trying to get into my pants."

"I am a good guy," he frowned, tightening his hands into fists to keep himself from reaching for her again. "I could still protect you if we were intimate, Morgan. One thing doesn't negate the possibility of the other."

"Yes, it does," she argued, turning her back so she wouldn't be forced to see the hurt on his face. "At least it does for me. I don't think clearly when I'm in love. I do stupid things and then I get burned."

"That's only because you've been falling for the wrong guys..." He started, but she wasn't about to let him finish that argument. There was a ring of truth to it that she wasn't ready to accept. It was hard enough denying the way that she felt for him, without fighting good reason as well.

"Like a man who spends half of his life as a cat and doesn't own a single pair underpants," she cut in before considering how offensive the accusation might sound to someone cursed to a life where he was always on the run and never knew where his next meal or bed might be.

When he didn't answer, she winced and turned back to face him, expecting to see a black cat vanishing out the bedroom window. Instead, Leo stood tall and firm behind her, arms folded over his chest and a hard look in his eyes.

"Sorry sweetheart," he rumbled darkly. "Whatever you might think of me, I'm not the kind of guy that runs away when someone he cares about is in trouble. If you want me to leave, you'll have to tell me so. Otherwise, I promised to protect you, and I will."

Shame and regret filled her chest making it difficult to breathe. She cared about him too, but she was too afraid to let him get close.

"I'm sorry." Due to the sudden lump in her throat, the apology was hardly more than a ghostly whisper, but Leo's expression softened considerably.

"I know and it's okay to be afraid, Morgan."

She made a face at him, managing a small smile despite the darker emotions which still lurked in the shadowy places of her heart.

"Just promise you won't kiss me again, okay?" It was too hard to convince herself that she didn't want him when he was kissing her like that.

Leo shook his head.

"I'm not going to make that promise."

She blinked, finding herself honestly surprised by his answer.

"But... you just... we just... what do you mean?"

He gave her a smile that could have melted the panties off even the most devout of nuns.

Morgan was helpless against it. A fresh wash of desire and longing flooded through her body, forcing her to look away or she would have thrown herself into his arms and begged for things she knew she couldn't have.

"I won't promise not to kiss you again, for two very good reason," he explained. "First, I don't think we'll ever convince Craig that we're a couple if you are afraid or unable to show affection for me while in his presence."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to silence her.

"Secondly," he continued. "I have some pretty strong feelings for you. You kind of grew on me over the last few days."

Stealing a disbelieving glance up at him through her lashes, she found him grinning like the devil and quickly looked away again.

"Ever since that first night, when you were too afraid to chase me out of your room," he admitted, his voice dropping slightly with amusement and something that sounded a little like nostalgia.

She blushed as she recalled that he had watched her undress and bathe while hiding in his feline form.

"Pervert."

"Male." He corrected. Then he sobered, walking slowly back to her side so that he could tenderly stroke the edge of her jaw with his fingertips. The gesture devastated her senses and challenged all of her reservations.

"It wasn't seeing you naked that won me over," he admitted in a low tone that spoke directly to her soul. "It was seeing you with your friends and watching you confront the invisible demons that Craig left in your library. It was your strength, your courage and your heart that made me love you."

Love.

That word scared her even more than his kiss.

"Please don't..." she gasped, feeling herself weakening once more. "I don't want to be hurt again. And I don't want you to be hurt either."

"I will never hurt you, Morgan."

His voice was so filled with confidence and determination that a faint spark of hope and desire crept into her breast, filling her with a gentle flood of warmth. She really wanted to believe him, but it was so hard to let herself trust again.

Summoning up all of her courage, she lifted her chin to meet his gaze, and felt those faint embers burst into flame.

She'd never seen such tenderness and consideration in a man. It touched every aspect of his face and glowed in his eyes.

"We'd have to take it slow," she murmured, feeling her heart begin to race as she fully realized what she was agreeing to.

He gave a slight nod as his hands touched hers, then began a slow slide up her arms, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

She shivered as he reached her shoulders and gently pulled her back into his arms, one hand moving up to cradle the back of her head and guide her cheek down to rest upon his chest.

There was nothing sexual in the way that he held her now, yet she found herself once more craving his lips. In all of her life she'd never been held so gently by a man and it awakened a depth of longing unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

Maybe Leo was right. Maybe this time it could be different.

"I'm going to kiss you again," he warned.

"Not now," he soothed when she jolted up to look at him, a powerful tremble rippling through her body. "Tomorrow when we go to the jail to confront Craig, I plan to kiss you again, in front of him. Consider it part of our escape plan. I don't think he'll really believe that we're together if I don't."

"That's what you meant before... before you kissed me."

"Yeah, but I never meant to scare you." He shrugged broad shoulders in embarrassment. "After last night, I thought there was something more between us. I guess I misunderstood how you felt about me."

She thought about how warm and safe she'd felt when she'd awaken that morning in his arm, but she wasn't yet ready to admit how much she did actually care for him.

"Would you like some breakfast?" She asked, stepping hesitantly towards the door, eager to move their conversation to a less dangerous path. "Knowing how much Heidi eats, there's probably enough downstairs to feed a small army."

"As I already have a towel, I believe I'll shower first. I'll join you in a few minutes, but save me some of that bacon, it smells amazing."

Relieved, Morgan beamed and headed down the stairs. In her eagerness, she never noticed the shadow of pain and anger that flashed across Leo's eyes the moment her back was turned.

#  Chapter Ten

Morgan had been right about the food, there were two takeout bags sitting on the counter, both of them full.

After the glimpse she'd had of Leo standing naked in the kitchen the day before, Heidi had obviously been hoping that her friend would not be eating alone. The room was now filled with the appetizing aroma of bacon, sausage and eggs.

Setting the table for two, Morgan reheated the food and waited for Leo to appear. But twenty minutes later, she was still waiting.

"Leo?" She called from the foot of the stairs, but there was no answer.

Concerned, she hurried up to the bedroom. It was empty and so was the bathroom, although the air was still heavy with moisture from his shower.

"Leo, where are you? Are you alright?"

A sickening knot of shame and fear was tying itself around her heart as she crouched to look under the bed, desperately hoping to see a pair of bright emerald eyes glowing back from the shadows.

But there was no sign of man or beast.

At last she checked the bedroom window. It was indeed unlocked, although he'd closed it again behind him. Her feline guardian was gone, almost certainly driven away by her callous rejection of his kiss and refusal for any future relationship.

Devastated, she relocked the window and walked back down the stairs.

She told herself that she had survived just fine before he'd shown up. But the truth was, she'd really enjoyed having him around. Having him hold her all night, she'd realized how much she'd missed by closing herself off from any potential romance.

Leo had made her feel wanted and safe, without forcing her to admit that she might actually need a man in her life.

At least he had gone quickly and quietly, avoiding the pain it would have caused if he'd waited to explain his reasons or point out how her flaws were driving him away.

Walking slowly back into the dining room, she put the extra utensils onto the plate she'd set out for him and carried them into the kitchen. It would be breakfast for one after all, although she wasn't really feeling hungry any more.

The doorbell interrupted her before she could put the items back into the cupboard and drawers where they belonged. It also made her heart leap up into her throat and her muscles seize as if she were a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck.

I'm okay. Everything is okay. She silently chanted in an attempt to regain her scattered courage. The door is locked. It's probably just the police checking up on me.

As silent as possible, she crept to the living room window and peeked out.

There was indeed a second vehicle in the driveway, but it wasn't a patrol car, and it didn't belong to Heidi or Rachel.

Realizing that she'd left her cell up in the bedroom, she was about to beat a hasty retreat. Then a familiar voice called to her through the door and she hastily flipped open the locks.

"Leo!"

Yanking the door wide, she might have thrown herself into his arms, but this was not the towel clad figure that she'd rebuked only minutes before.

The man standing before her wore clean pressed slacks and a dark gray button up shirt that amplified the brilliant color of his eyes. He wore expensive looking leather shoes and had even taken a moment to shave the bristles from his cheeks and jaw.

Leo had pulled a complete transformation almost as amazing as his ability to shift into a cat.

"You're... dressed." She stated lamely, finding herself at a complete loss for understanding how he had pulled off this major miracle. "I thought you were homeless, and didn't have clothes."

"You never asked," he pointed out. "It seems like you've been making a lot of assumptions about me, which is why I thought I should formally introduce myself. Hi, my name is Alastair Grady. But you can call me Leo."

Morgan's mouth was hanging open and she had to force herself to close it.

"I'm sorry," she managed, feeling as if that were the most incredible understatement of her entire life.

"Does that mean I can come in?" He prodded with a gentle smile, reminding her that they were still standing on the porch.

"Oh, yeah, of course. I'm sorry." Wincing at the way those words kept wanting to sneak out, she took a large step backwards so that Leo could pass – trying not to notice how amazing he smelled now that he was freshly showered and suited.

"I warmed up the food that Heidi brought," she recalled, closing the door behind him. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Did you save me any bacon?"

"I haven't eaten yet," she admitted. "I was waiting for you."

"Then I would love some breakfast," he assured her. "And afterwards, I'm taking you to my place. I'd like to spend the rest of the day letting you get to know who I am when I'm not running around on four legs with a tail."

An hour later they were pulling up to a clean twin home on the other side of the large acreage of forest that backed her old Victorian.

"I chose this area because of the woods," he explained as he opened the car door and helped her out. "When I feel restless, I spend a lot of time wandering in those trees."

"As a cat?"

He nodded.

"Yes, as a cat."

"Why do you turn into a cat? Why not a wolf or something larger?"

He shrugged.

"I guess we're all what we are born to be. I didn't choose to be a feline shifter, any more than you chose to be a beautiful woman."

Morgan blushed and quickly looked away.

"Could everyone in your family turn into a cat?"

"I'm really not sure. But I believe so. Both of my younger sisters were feline. That was how we escaped from foster care."

Her brows knit as she remembered him telling her that his family were dead. It was probably a sensitive subject, but he had told her that he wanted her to know who he really was.

"Can you talk about it?" She asked, not wanting to push him too hard, but wishing to better understand.

Grief darkened his eyes, but he nodded.

"My parents were killed in a car accident," he explained. "My sisters and I had been begging them to take us to the county fair. As feline shifters, we were always fascinated by other animals.

"My father had taken off work early. He and my mother were on their way to pick us up from school when a couple of drunks in a pickup truck ran a red light. The policemen who pulled us out of class, explained that our mother was killed instantly and our father died on the way to the hospital. Just like that, we were orphans."

Morgan could imagine the horror that he and his little sisters must have felt.

"How old were you?"

"I was eleven. My sisters were nine and six." He told her with a sigh. "It seems like forever ago, but I still remember the look on their faces when child welfare showed up and took them away."

"You didn't have any other family? An uncle? A grandparent?"

He shook his head.

"No. And they couldn't find a foster home willing to take in three older siblings, so we were split up. But I was determined to protect them," a veil of pure agony crossed his face. "I thought I could be a better parent than anyone that the state placed them with."

"You were just a little boy," she soothed.

"Yeah, that's the problem," he agreed. "That night we found each other. We may not have a dog's keen sense of smell, but we can still follow a scent when we need to.

"For the next few months we traveled as cats and lived in abandoned buildings. Then one day there was an accident." His voice broke a little and she quickly touched her fingertips to his arm.

"You don't have to tell me," she whispered. But he shook his head.

"I want you to know. I want you to understand why I won't let anything bad happen to you," he growled with a sudden return of strength.

"We were holed up in an old barn for the night, but it was starting to get cold and we couldn't carry clothes with us as cats. I found some matches and made a little fire using handfuls of dry straw. It burned really fast so I told Amanda, the nine year old, that she needed to keep feeding it or the fire would go out. Then I went to find them some food."

Morgan was overcome by horror as she realized what must have happened and Leo could see it in her eyes.

"The barn was a tinderbox," he admitted darkly, "full of musty old hay. By the time I saw the smoke, it was too late."

"You were too young to understand the danger."

He gave a slight nod, but she could see that he still blamed himself. It had all happened so many years ago, but the pain from those memories was still fresh. He'd never really healed.

It tore at her heart and made her long for a way to comfort him. But she knew that nothing she said or did could ever make those memories go away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and pressed herself into his arms, needing for him to feel how deeply she actually cared. If it were possible, she would have taken all of his pain in herself.

"So am I," he managed a broken admission against her temple. "But I won't let it happen again. I won't let someone I care about be hurt or killed."

She believed him.

#  Chapter Eleven

Morgan woke slowly, cuddling closer to the warmth at her back. Despite spending every moment together the previous day, it had actually been harder for her to accept Leo's company that night.

She no longer saw him as a cat which occasionally took human form. Now he was a man, with a dark past and a secret half-life that he spent in an alternate shape.

Having a cat in bed with her was no big deal. But having a man, especially one like Leo, was an entirely different matter.

Every minute she spent with him, she fell a little bit deeper in love. But he was no longer her pet. She couldn't just lock him in her home and keep him forever. He had his own home. His own life.

How would their lives change once the threat of Craig hurting her was gone?

Lost in dark consideration, she didn't realize that he was also awake, until Leo's fingertips began to feather over the curve of her hip, sending a rush of heat through all of her nerve endings.

"Will Heidi be making another early morning appearance today?"

"Probably," she moaned.

When Rachel had shown up the night before, Morgan was out to dinner with Leo. The girl had sounded shocked and disbelieving when Morgan had told her that she wouldn't be needing a babysitter that night, because she'd be bringing her date home with her.

Both Rachel and Heidi knew that she wasn't the kind of girl to bring a stranger home, so of course Heidi called less than five minutes after Rachel hung up. And Morgan had to explain all over again that, yes it was the naked man from the kitchen. And yes, she liked him. And yes, he knew about Craig. Among a hundred other questions.

Once she hung up with Heidi, Rachel called again asking if the girls could come by and meet him that evening.

"They worry because they care," Leo grinned when Morgan finally convinced both of her friends that she was safe, sane, and would disown them if they crashed her evening.

Unfortunately, she knew that wouldn't stop them from showing up early this morning.

Right on cue, she heard the front door bang open and Rachel's panicked voice.

"Heidi, wait! They're probably still asleep!"

But nothing was going to slow the redhead down.

Leo grunted in surprise when Morgan abruptly reached behind her to verify that he had indeed worn his boxer briefs to bed... and he was sporting some pretty impressive morning wood.

Then Heidi was bursting into the room with Rachel hot on her tail.

"You're both getting flaming paper bags full of dog shit for Christmas." Morgan stated calmly. "You know that, right?"

"I'm sorry," Rachel rushed breathlessly, her wide eyes glued to Leo's bare chest. "Heidi said she wouldn't believe it until she saw it with her own eyes. We were worried."

"I told you I was fine." Crawling out of the bed, she didn't miss the suspicion on Heidi's face when the red head saw that she was not actually naked, but wearing a short night slip.

"Show's over," Morgan growled, collecting both of her friends by the arms and leading them to the stairs. "Now that you're here, go make breakfast, we'll be down in a minute."

Closing the door behind them, Morgan waited until she was sure they were headed downstairs before turning.

Leo was sitting up in the bed, grinning at her.

"What?" She demanded, "Did you expect me to just sit there and let them ogle you?"

"Actually, I was waiting to see if you'd come back to bed and finish what you started."

"Huh?"

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she blushed.

"That was an accident. You have a bad habit of being naked every time I turn around."

He chuckled. "I suppose it's a good thing I wasn't naked when you grabbed me, your face might have spontaneously combusted."

Her cheeks were so hot just talking about it, he was probably right.

"What are we going to do?"

"About what?"

"Them!" She gestured towards the bedroom door and the nosey duo currently banging around in her kitchen.

"Relax", he soothed. Catching her by one arm, he pulled her into a hug, despite her weak protests. "This could actually be a good thing."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"Okay, Mister The-glass-is-half-full, explain."

"We're going to see Craig today and we want to look like a legitimate and happy couple. If we can fool your friends, I'm sure we can fool your ex."

Morgan's blood turned to ice. She'd forgotten that he intended to take her to the jail today.

"Leo, I don't think..."

"Stop," he commanded in a gentle tone, reading the fear in her eyes. "You know that this is the only way. It may not even work, but we have to try.

"I spent half the night thinking of a way to pull this off without forcing you to have any direct contact with that asshole, and I think I've come up with a pretty good plan. Just trust me, okay?"

She gave him a martyr's nod, then gasped as he brushed a quick kiss over her lips.

"See, that reaction right there. That's what will give us away. You have to at least act like you enjoy having me around."

Morgan blushed, but forced herself to meet his gaze.

"I do," she admitted hesitantly. "I think I like it too much."

In an instant, his playful manner vanished. His fingertips rose to stroke the soft curve of her cheek and his eyes took on a hungry heat that threatened to consume her.

With incredible tenderness he pulled her closer to his body, molding her smaller form to his, allowing her to feel the tremble that whispered through him.

This time, when he lowered his mouth, it was achingly slow.

At first, she felt only the warmth of his breath. Then his lips touched hers.

Softly, sensually, he nibbled and tasted, tempting her to open and invite him in. When she did, he slipped inside like a thief in the night. He plundered the shadows of her mouth, stealing past her defenses and awakening a symphony of passion and desire.

When at last he broke the connection between them, Morgan trembled and curled herself into his arms. The world was still reeling and her legs were too weak to support her, she needed the strength of his embrace to steady herself.

Leo murmured something soft and tender against her ear, but she was still lost in that fuzzy daze of pleasure.

Then Heidi was shouting up at them from the bottom of the stairs and Leo was stepping back to let her go.

"They'll be up here again if we don't hurry," he growled, fetching the slacks and shirt he'd worn the night before, he quickly pulled them on. "If you'd like to take a shower, I'll go on down and hold them at bay."

He cast her a broad smile as he stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him, but it was several long moments before she felt safe to walk on the jelly legs he'd left her.

Yeah, she wanted a shower all right. A nice and cold libido killing ice bath. But as she headed for the bathroom, she remembered what Leo had planned for today, and the ice bath was no longer necessary.

How was she ever going to face Craig after all the pain and fear that he'd caused her? She wasn't sure if Leo's courage and determination would be enough to dissuade someone so mentally unbalanced.

By the time she was she'd dressed and headed downstairs to scold her friends, she's almost talked herself out of following Leo's plan.

Heidi and Rachel met her near the stairs.

"I'm sorry sweetie, it's time for work," Rachel gave her a quick hug which allowed her to add in a whisper... "I love him. He's perfect for you."

Heidi was less sleuth in the matter.

"Thank God it's Friday. Your boyfriend has already promised to spend Halloween with us, so I hope the sex was good."

Morgan gave her a sour face.

"Flaming dog shit, in a paper bag. I'm not even going to put a bow on it."

"I love you too," Heidi called, flouncing out the door.

Leo was in the kitchen filling up two plates with fluffy scrambled eggs and crisp bacon. He grinned at her as she entered.

"Sometimes they act more like annoying sisters than friends," she growled.

"You're lucky to have them," he replied.

"I know. It's hard to imagine where I'd be today if not for those two." She hesitated. "Heidi was actually with me, in the library, with Craig. I don't know if I could have survived it without her."

Leo put down the spatula and turned to collect her in his arms. It was getting easier and easier for her to just snuggle up against his chest and let him chase some of the shadows away for her.

"I'm scared of what he might do," she admitted, and Leo knew exactly who she was taking about.

"I won't let him hurt you," he promised again.

"You won't always be here to protect me," she reminded him.

"The first step is showing him that you've moved on. That someone else has taken his place in your life. If that doesn't stop him, we'll start talking about step two."

He still wasn't willing to tell her what step two actually was. But from the hard look that entered his eyes every time that he mentioned it, she guessed it must be something even more frightening than going to see Craig at the jail.

"We'll do it just like we discussed," he assured her. "You'll never need to talk to or even get close to him. Let him think that I'm an extremely possessive and obsessive asshole that needs to publicly stake his claim. That kind of a display of dominance will resonate with him. All you need to do is show up and walk to the visiting room door with me. I'll kiss you there, in front of him. Then I'll go have my talk one on one while you go back to the lobby and wait for me."

"I don't like the idea of leaving you alone with him."

"I won't be alone. There are always guards monitoring the visitation area."

"But..."

He silenced her with a kiss.

It wasn't the tender caress of that morning, or the devouring kiss from the day before. This was a playful nipping and pecking at her mouth that made her want to giggle, despite her lingering fears.

"Stop worrying and eat your breakfast," he grinned when at last he freed her. "The only thing I want you focused on, is what sort of costume you plan to wear tomorrow. Heidi and Rachel apparently have a big night planned, and I've been ordered to make sure you are properly attired.

"Heidi and Rachel can go jump in a cold lake," Morgan growled, but less than an hour later she would have given anything to have the girls beside her.

#  Chapter Twelve

Leo was holding her hand as they entered the visitation room, offering her silent support. The sign-in process had unnerved her. So many angry eyes and suspicious guards.

"Do you see him?" Leo asked, forcing her to focus on the sea of faces before her.

A confusing rush of fear and relief warred within her.

"He's not here."

What if Craig had been told that she was not alone so he refused to see them?

She wasn't sure if she should be happy about that or disappointed. Leo was so sure that this plan would work, which would save her so much trouble in the long run, in exchange for a little terror now.

Before she could come to grips with her feelings, searching black eyes met hers from across the room.

"There," she murmured. "He just walked in."

She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it certainly wasn't the broad smile and wave that Craig flashed her.

Leo gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but she was suddenly calm and no longer afraid.

Craig was pale and sickly looking from lack of sun and proper exercise. She knew the jail must offer these options, but he'd always been weak and lazy.

He'd also lost quite a bit of weight, making the baggy jumpsuit hang in unflattering folds around his body.

This was hardly the man she remembered.

It was as if all those past months she'd been turning Craig into a monster in her head. Her fear and pain had mutated her memories, making him seem larger, stronger, and scarier.

Now that she was face to face with him again, she could mentally reduce him back to a man. Only a man, with no more power than she chose to give him.

Leo turned to kiss her, as they'd planned, but Morgan placed a firm hand to his chest.

Looking up, she gave a slow shake of her head.

"It's okay," she murmured, really searching her feelings and finding that she did have the courage after all. "I want to talk to him."

Leo looked surprised, but he didn't try to stop her as she headed across the room towards the man that had left her with so many nightmares and a life in tatters.

He looked so much smaller here, in this large sterile room. Why had she let him continue to terrify her even after he was taken away?

Yes, he'd hurt her and Heidi, but he couldn't hurt her anymore.

She only needed to ask him one question.

"Hey beautiful, I'm so glad you came to see me. I missed you."

"I'm not here for you, Craig. I have a new man in my life and I'm happy to have you out of it. But there's something that I need to know."

His smile faltered as he looked from her to Leo.

The green-eyed cat shifter had an intimidating glower on his face.

"Is this him?"

Rather than answer his question, she asked her own.

"Did you send Jerry Ceopal to scare me?"

"Jerry? My old cell mate? What are you taking about? How do you know Jerry?"

After living together for almost a year, Craig had started teasing her for being so easy to read. But Morgan realized now that was a two way street.

Looking into his confused black eyes, she could see that he really knew nothing about the morbid packages the hulking creep had left for her, or his attack on her at the house.

"Thank you, Craig. That's all I needed to know."

She turned and started walking away, but her ex made the foolish mistake of reaching out to stop her.

"Morgan, wait! Talk to me baby. You at least owe me that..." Which was as far as he got before Leo knocked his hand off from her arm and stepped threateningly between them.

"Leo, stop." She murmured, gently pushing him aside. She could actually fight this battle herself.

"I'm sorry, Craig. But after what you did to me and Heidi, I don't owe you anything." Taking Leo by the hand, she led him out of the room and walked back out of the building and into a bright sense of newfound freedom.

That was really how she felt, as if she'd been the one in jail all this time. But now she'd faced her demon and she'd won.

She was smiling as Leo opened the car door for her.

"He could have been lying," the shifter pointed out.

"He wasn't," she replied confidently. "Which means I will still have to protect myself from any further attacks from Ceopal."

She looked over her shoulder at the gloomy brick building with its tall chain link fences and angry faced guards, and she smiled.

"But that's okay. I'm not afraid anymore. I think my fear was making me weak, turning me into a victim, making me vulnerable. Thank you, Leo, for bringing me here. You'll never understand how much you've helped."

Instead of getting into the car, she took advantage of his open arms and wrapped herself up inside them. Pulling his head down, she kissed him hard and thoroughly, feeling a delicious thrill of excitement when he quickly responded.

Yet she could sense a part of him holding back.

At last breaking the connection she gave him a studious look, tilting her head to search those emerald eyes for clues.

"I'll be okay," she assured him. "I'm having the alarm system installed Monday. Rachel and Matt are going to help me fill out a restraining order against Ceopal. And I'll have you there to protect me if the other two fail."

Pleasure sparked in those green depths.

"So you won't be sending me on my way now that the danger appears to be at bay?"

She drew a heart over his lips with one fingertip.

"Not if you promise to spend more time with me as a man. I'm beginning to prefer your human form. Besides," she grinned wickedly, "we never got to finish what I started this morning."

Leo made a sound partway between a growl and a purr.

"Well, hell, get in the car quick!"

She raised an eyebrow, but he was already scooping her up to plop her down in the passenger seat.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to hurry and get you back home before you change your mind."

Morgan snickered, but she didn't mind the rush one bit.

#  Chapter Thirteen

"Don't you think they'll get curious after a few years of never seeing me and your cat in the same room at the same time?"

Morgan's heart thrummed with excitement as he brushed a wayward hair back over her ear. There was a gentle strength in his touch that made her feel safe at the same time it awakened her desire. They'd spent all night in each other's arms, yet she still couldn't get enough of his tender caresses.

"Morgan? We're here!" Heidi called loudly from the front door. "Tell Leo he'd better find his dish towel because Rachel is with me. She's such a prude. Make sure you tell him that he's welcome to walk around naked in front of me anytime."

Morgan hurried out of the kitchen more to silence Heidi than to welcome her friends.

"I thought you girls would be in costume. You know that it's Halloween, right?"

"Duh," Heidi grinned. "We won't be needing clothes tonight, remember? You promised to include us in your bare witch project. Or did you really think that I would forget?"

"I don't think a séance requires nudity," Morgan sighed, "And I only promised you a séance."

"I think you're just trying to keep Leo's naked body to yourself."

"There is that as well."

"So where is that sexy beast?"

"If you're talking about me, I'm here." Leo entered the room wearing comfortable blue jeans and a black t-shirt, much to Heidi's disappointment.

He offered both of the newcomers a broad grin as he stepped to Morgan's side and casually wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Okay ladies, stop making my boyfriend uncomfortable and come into the living room. We've already got everything set up." Morgan commanded.

The room was lit by dozens of white candles set up in a wide circle that had been made by pushing all of the furniture up against the walls. Within this was another circle drawn in white chalk, and at its heart was her grandmother's beautiful little altar with all of her ritual tools carefully laid out.

"All of this for a séance?" Heidi asked in surprise.

"Not exactly," Morgan admitted. "I thought we could start by doing a protection ritual together. If you'd still like to do a séance afterwards, that's fine too."

"Ha! I knew I could talk you into getting naked for me eventually," Heidi laughed in delight. "You've been ogling my body for years now. This whole bare witch project was just an excuse."

Morgan rolled her eyes but it felt good to be laughing and teasing with her friends again. She hadn't realized how much pain and fear she'd been carrying around until now.

Until Leo had helped her overcome it.

As if sensing her gaze, he looked up and smiled at her, sending a rush of warm pleasure through her body. Whatever the future might bring, she intended to keep that sexy smile in her life for as long as possible.

A lifetime, if he'd agree to it. And from the way that he was now looking at her, she thought the answer was probably yes.
Additional titles in the Kitty Coven Series

It all started on a cold October's eve in 1954.

That's when a group of young witches cast a powerful spell that would forever change their lives and the lives of everyone in the small town of Aspire, New York.

Something Wicca This Way Comes

A short prequel story

Using a token offering from a handsome new stranger in town, a coven of young witches cast a spell to make their home a beacon to others of his kind. But magic can be very specific. By the time they discover that he's a feline shifter, the spell has been set and Aspire, New York will never be the same.

The Bare Witch Project

Book #1

Morgan is the granddaughter of an original Kitty Coven member, but she's never practiced witchcraft before. She's also terrified of cats! But when she finds herself facing some of the biggest challenges of her life, she'll turn to the magic that her grandmother relied upon.

Love Is a Witch

Book #2

Rachel grew up on a small farm on the edge of Aspire. She has always loved animals, but doesn't feel like there is a place for pets in her new apartment. Besides, she's too busy trying to keep her brother Matt from making one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

A Yowling Yuletide

A short Christmas story

After being rejected and betrayed by the only woman he's ever loved, Matt swears off dating completely. He'd rather die alone than have his heart crushed like that again. But the obnoxiously perky redhead that the temp agency sent over will not take no for an answer.

Cheaper By The Coven

Book #3

Heidi loves being free to date anyone she likes and do anything she wants. The last thing she wants is to settle down and be a boring housewife and mother. But she's finding it hard not to think about the sexy and oh-so-sweet Jerome, even though he has two small children from a previous marriage.

About the Author

Celeste Hall lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, three daughters and a lazy pack of English bulldogs. When not writing, she enjoys photography, puttering about the garden, and backpacking all over the world. Learn more about her books at www.CelesteHall.com

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Fourteen for 2014

I took a necessary medical leave during the last half of 2012 and all of 2013. For that reason, the titles I'd planned to publish ended up getting pushed back and pushed back until here I am in 2014 with fans sending me daily messages asking when they'll see the next Seduction series book or the inside to covers I've leaked onto Facebook.

As a special kind of thank you to everyone that has stayed with me during my long hiatus, I made a challenging New Year's resolution. My goal is to publish fourteen titles in 2014. That is more than a title each month!

The entire kitty coven series was inspired by one of my daughters, who has always been an avid cat lover. I originally planned to only write one book – The Bare Witch Project – and dedicate it to her. But as the characters began to develop, I realized that there was a lot more story that needed to be told.

I hope you enjoyed it and will check back for the rest of the series, which should be published within the next couple of months.

Find me online...

Blog: http://www.CelesteHall.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACelesteHall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celesteh1

