“I don’t know how to even begin to thank you guys.”
“You can start by accepting it,” he countered, “and then you can thank me by driving to Wolfsblood. Ma is making pasta tonight and I am starving.”
I laughed and saluted him before starting up the car and heading down the road in the direction of the ranch.
“You know,” I said thoughtfully, “I just picked up on the reason behind the ranch’s name. That’s a little too on the nose, isn’t it?” He laughed.
“Before we opened it to the public it was called Gealach, which is Irish for “moon”, but we found the tourists had some difficulty properly pronouncing it.”
“Your Irish heritage is really important to you guys,” I guessed.
“It’s a major part of the pack’s history,” he explained, “Not everyone in the pack is Irish these days, however. Since relocating to America the clan became an amalgamation of cultures. Milo is Mexican, for example.”
“Really?” I asked, trying to remember his parents from the big dinner we shared.
“He was adopted as a baby from a pack in Mexico,” he clarified, “but he still keeps in touch with the family he has there, and visits them often.”
“That’s really nice.” I imagined adoption became a little more complicated in the shifter world. I doubted a baby shifter could be given away to human parents.
“Can you stay for dinner tonight?” he asked eagerly, interrupting my thoughts.
“Actually,” I said, flexing my fingers, “I think my dad and I are going to order some take-out.” He turned to face me with a surprised smile.
“Really? He’s going to come home at dinner time and not almost-midnight?”
“His workaholic tendencies have lessened recently,” I said with a laugh.
“I’m happy to hear it.” We were silent for a moment before he let out a snort.
“What?” I asked, glancing in his direction.
“I know I joked about driving safe, but you’re driving as if an animal is going to run across the road at any second.” I stared at him in disbelief.
“You ran across the road,” I reminded him, “Twice.”
He settled back in his seat in thought. “Oh yeah,” he remembered thoughtfully. I rolled my eyes at him as I pulled into the ranch’s entrance. It looked like it was going to be such a beautiful evening that I almost wished I was staying for dinner. I wouldn’t mind spending some time with the pack, as well. I hadn’t seen them since Noah told me their secret, and I hoped they didn’t hold my less than favorable reaction against me. I also wanted to thank Frankie for all the work she had done on my car.
Thankfully, as the car approached the barn, I saw I would have my opportunity to do so. Frankie and Connall were standing by the entrance. My eyes drifted from her palm on his chest down to the hand he had clutched onto her elbow and I realized we were interrupting a very intimate moment.
“You said they weren’t dating, right?” I asked, as I put the car in park. As if hearing me, Frankie and Connall whipped their heads in our direction and broke apart, acting busy. I couldn’t believe the soft expression that had been on Connall’s typically grim face. If I hadn’t just seen him looking at Frankie in such a way, I wouldn’t have thought it possible for the tough guy to look so sweet.
“They’re not dating,” Noah said definitively. There was an emotion in his voice that almost sounded like anger, but I figured I was just misreading it. I thought Connall and Frankie seemed like an almost perfect match for each other. Why wouldn’t Noah be on board?
I cut the ignition and we got out of the car as Frankie came out to greet us, wiping her greasy hands with a towel.
“Everything look good?” she asked me with a nod towards the vehicle. I smiled and nodded vehemently.
“I can’t thank you enough, Frankie. The car looks better than new.” My body moved forward with the instinct to express my affection, but it faltered last second at the reminder that Frankie wasn’t a very touchy-feely person.
“You want to hug me right now,” she guessed, looking at me with a frown. I smiled sheepishly and she opened her arms with a roll of her eyes. “Make it quick.”
I hugged her tightly for all of three seconds and then pulled away, happy to see I had actually gotten her to smile. Noah sarcastically started a slow clap and Connall laughed.
“That was amazing,” Noah said, still clapping, “I don’t think ever even seen her hug Benji before.”
“That’s because he smells bad,” she retorted with a glare. I laughed and she winked at me. “Glad to see you back. I missed having another girl around to deal with these idiots.”
“Glad to be back,” I smiled. I really was.
➹➹➹
Noah
I convinced Sophie to stay for an hour or two and we found ourselves hanging out in my favorite room in the house. It was our sun porch (or as I liked to call it, “sleep porch” as it was my favorite spot for naps) that displayed the most picturesque view of the ranch through three all-windowed walls. Though the image of surrounding mountains was breathtaking, my new favorite sight was Sophie underneath me, as we lay on the hanging bed swing, her hair all mussed up and her lips slightly puffy.
I stroked a reddish blonde strand out of her face and tried to take in every detail of the moment as I possibly could. I would have said looking at her was like looking at the sun, because she just was bright and stunning, but that would wrongfully suggest her magnificence was too harsh for the eyes to take in without squinting. With Sophie, her beauty demanded to be admired with eyes open wide. It was more like looking at the entire galaxy; there was so much to take in. I felt as if I could run my gaze over her for the rest of my life, and there still would be beautiful pieces left to discover. I could memorize the pattern of freckles across her cheeks and the discovery of one behind her ear lobe would still take my breath away. She bit her lip in embarrassment as I more or less looked down at her in wonder.
“Quit staring at me like that,” she squirmed beneath me, causing an unfortunate sensation in the pants area.
“No,” I refused simply, shifting my weight to avoid temptation. She pulled me down to her, deciding to distract me another way. At our lips contact my body sparked and fizzed, my crest hot but my core cool. I couldn’t believe that after so many kisses the Arrow still felt such a rush at the sensation. I would never take it for granted.
My hands made their way down her shoulder to the side of her waist as I kissed a trail along her neck. I bared my teeth to graze across her collarbone and she let out the sweetest hum that it rocked through my body and I took her mouth again on a gasp.
“God,” I groaned against her lips, “I love those noises you make.” Her hands flew to my face in response as we grinded into each other with newfound enthusiasm. My hands slipped under her shirt and splayed across her hip, reveling at the feeling of her soft skin. Soon her shirt was up by the wire of her bra. The Arrow was telling me we might be headed down a dangerous path and my heart was telling me it couldn’t keep up. I began to question if we should stop, if we even could, when an obnoxious ringing sound tore us from our frenzy.
“My phone!” She pushed me off and sat up, fluffing her hair before picking up the call, as if they would somehow be able to know her hair was unkempt. She was so funny. I smiled at her as I fell on to my back, trying to control the volume of my panting breaths.
“Mollie,” she said, coughing in an attempt to make her voice sound less breathy, “What’s up?” Her friend’s responding voice was so loud I could make out every word, crystal clear.
“SOAP!” she yelled, “How’s that little Montana town treating you? Knocked up yet?” I choked back a laugh and Sophie slapped my chest, not even turning around.
“What?” Sophie said with a defensive gasp, “No!” Not yet, but at the rate we had been going it might not have taken too long before that was a possibility. I mentally chastised myself for letting myself get carried away so quickly. Sex was defi
nitely something we needed to discuss before just jumping into it.
“Jeez, Soap, don’t sound so guilty.”
“Ha ha,” she responded sarcastically. She stood up from the bed swing and paced in front of the window, “Is that the only reason why you called, ‘Ollie? To torment me?” I covered a smile with my fingers. These girls had the cutest nicknames for each other, and it was even more adorable knowing they were produced from their inability to properly say each other’s names when they were children.
“Actually, I called because I have an idea. Well- it’s a proposal. A proposition, if you will.” Sophie had told me her friend was a little nuts, and this conversation so far was entertaining proof.
“Why don’t you just say it, and I can decide what it is?” Sophie suggested politely. Mollie laughed in response.
“’What it is’ is you, mwah, and the rest of the gang at my house in Cape May.” My heart plummeted. Sophie might be leaving?
“What?” I was secretly grateful that she sounded cynical. “When?”
“We haven’t settled on the dates just yet because we weren’t sure when you could come,” Mollie said, “But soon hopefully! I need some fun in the sun, A-S-A-P.”
“You remember I am in Montana, correct?” Sophie asked, “As in, not a quick drive away from the New Jersey Shore?”
“Yes I remember,” Mollie quipped, “That fact plagues every lonely day I live sans-redhead, which is exactly why you should come with us to the beach!”
“I don’t know, Ollie, I just started a job-“
“Don’t say no! Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay?”
“Okay, I promise,” Sophie gave in. A squeal of delight pierced through the speakers.
“Okay, great! Let me know the dates when you’re most free and I’ll pass it on to the guys. This is going to be so much fun!” She hung up before Sophie could get in another word.
“She does realize you didn’t exactly say yes, right?” I asked. Sophie looked at me over her shoulder with a sheepish look and I felt a pang of guilt. Obviously, I would love it if Sophie stayed with me all summer, but I didn’t want to keep her from her friends. I also didn’t want her to think she had to stay for me, or in any way choose between us. “I’ve never been to Cape May, but I’ve always heard it’s nice. Do you want to go?” I tried to keep my expression passive.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. She sat back down on the swing as she chewed her lip. “Mollie has a really nice house on the beach there. We used to go all the time, and it was a lot of fun. I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea.”
“Why?” I tried my best to sound supportive.
“Well first of all, plane tickets are expensive. Second of all, I just started my job at Wilson’s so it’s probably too soon to ask for time off. Third of all-“ she laid down and placed her head on my chest- “I don’t want to leave you. We only just got on good terms again.”
“And we’ll still be good when you return,” I insisted as I rubbed her back. “Don’t put me on that list of reasons. If you want to go, I want you to go.”
“I’m just starting to feel settled here. If I leave I’m scared I’ll lose all that progress I’ve made.”
“It’s just a vacation, Sophie, it’s not forever.”
She sat up suddenly in thought. “I don’t need a vacation,” she said insistently, “I’m getting plenty R&R right where I am!” I sat up slowly, trying not to smile to eagerly.
“So then you’re staying?” I asked guardedly. Her responding smile was blinding as she nodded simply with a raised shoulder. Exultant, I took her in my arms and we fell back onto the bed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sophia
By the time I made it home, I saw my dad’s car was already parked in the driveway. I had secretly assumed he would be running late, so I was pleasantly surprised to see he had put in the effort to be home on time. If only I had done the same.
“Dad?” I called out, as I entered the house.
“In here, Sophia,” he responded from the kitchen. I turned to see him at the table, the take-out menus spread out before him.
“Who gave you a ride home?” he asked, looking up as he loosened his tie.
“I did,” I said with a wide smile, “My car’s all fixed!”
“Really?” he stood up from his chair and looked out at it from the kitchen window, “How much were the repairs? Was it expensive? I can reimburse you.”
“Actually-” I paused as I rubbed the back of my neck- “It was kind of free.” He looked back at me.
“’Kind of’?”
“Completely, actually,” I amended, “Noah did it all with his cousin Frankie.”
“And they don’t expect you to pay them for it?” He moved back to his chair with a doubtful look on his face. I shrugged and he twisted his mouth in suspicion. “Those are some good friends you have.”
“Well, Noah is more than a friend,” I said slowly. That got his attention. “We’re sort of dating.”
“’Sort of’?” Okay, that was going to get old fast.
“He’s my boyfriend,” I asserted. His brow furrowed.
“I thought you told me he was just a friend.”
“He was…then.” He looked at me as an awkward silence filled the room and I coughed just to make some noise. “So, what kind of take out are you in the mood for?”
“It’s up to you.” He gestured to the menus. I walked to his side of the table as I perused the options thoughtfully. “What does Noah do?” he asked suddenly.
“I told you, he owns Wolfblood Ranch with his family.”
“He’s in charge?”
“Well his mother is currently the head of the company, but he’s next in line. He just graduated from Bair with a double major in Business and History, so while he runs the various visitor activities he’s also started to help out balancing the books.”
“And he’s a mechanic,” he added dubiously.
“That’s just a side project with his cousin.”
“Seems like a busy man.” It came out more like an insult than a compliment. I would have thought a father would be impressed that his daughter was dating someone so driven, but apparently I was wrong.
“He still makes plenty of time for me,” I assured him with a smile.
“He’s treating you respectfully? You’re happy?” I blushed and nodded, more than ready for this interrogation to be over. I picked up the closest menu.
“Chinese sounds pretty good,” I murmured, reading the cover. He waved his hand agreeably and sat back in his chair, loosening his tie some more.
“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “Sometimes it feels like I just got you and already I’m going to lose you.”
“I’m 21 years old, Dad,” I reminded him. I’ve been around for years and you acted like I never mattered. It was a little too late to get sentimental over a history we didn’t have. As if reading my mind, he clasped his hands on the table and looked down.
“I don’t think I’ve ever apologized for being absent from your life for so many years. I am truly sorry. You deserve a better father. After the divorce, I couldn’t come up with a reason why you would want me to stick around. I thought you were clearly happier with your mother, and if I tried for joint custody it would disrupt your life too much. I figured things would be easier for everyone if I just left.” He coughed. “I also have a bad tendency in my personal life to elude any difficult situations at all costs. It’s a huge part of why your mother and I broke up.”
I couldn’t very well hold that against him when it had become apparent that I had the same tendency to run away. It took me four whole days before I faced Noah, and he had to swing through my window just to have that conversation.
“And then when you lost your mother,” he continued, “I felt so sorry for you to then be stuck with me. Coming to live here was probably the last thing you wanted to do. Even now, I haven’t been able to bring myself to be there for you. ”
“You’re there for me now,” I disagreed. This was the conversation I had imagined us having ever since the divorce. Growing up, I imagined saying hateful things, throwing plates, and crying. Now that it was happening, I was just ready to accept things as they were and move on. The fact we were talking about this at all was proof that things were going to get better.
“When I first saw you in that hospital bed-” he shook his head and wiped his eyes- “You looked so much like your mother. It struck me to my core. I had already lost her, having taken her for granted, and I wasn’t ready to lose you too. I made a promise to myself that day that I was going to be a better father to you. For you, and for your mother.”
“Dad,” I whispered, my eyes welling up.
“And now you tell me you have a boyfriend,” he said as he shook his head sadly, “and it’s becoming increasingly apparent that our time in which a girl needs her father is running out.”
“I’m not getting married!” I laughed. He looked at me with a smile, but his expression was still mournful.
“Not yet,” he corrected.
“A girl always needs her father,” I asserted, taking his hand. He squeezed it as he continued to look at me with a smile. “Now can we please order some food? I’m starving.” He laughed and nodded, picking up his cell and dialing the number on the menu.
➹➹➹
Noah
I spent the entire evening cooped up with Ma in her office. What had started out as innocent pleasure reading for me had turned into a full-on investigation into the oddities that had been occurring in the shifter world. I poured over clan records, shifter histories, and ancient legends, but found no answers to the questions that pressed my mind.
“Ma, when did the Arrows stop?” I asked, from my chair in the corner. She peered up at me over the rim of her glasses, chewing her lip in thought.
“It’s hard to say exactly,” she said after a moment, “How are we to determine where a simple lull ended and a magical block began?”
“Well, who was the last couple in the clan to Arrow?” I asked. She sat back in her chair, closing the folder of documents she had been looking over.
Arrowed (Arrowed Series Book 1) Page 17