by Raine Miller
That’s right. She didn’t drink coffee. She preferred tea. I should’ve remembered. Unfortunately, neither Nolan nor I kept any around. “No, sorry. We have apple juice, though.”
“Sure.” She climbed off the couch, yawning. “You guys could’ve woken me up and told me to go home.”
“Nah, we wouldn’t have done that. Truth be told, it’s better if you stay here. Safer. You can sleep in my room, if you want.” Her eyes widened. “I’ll sleep on the couch, of course.” Even if I would rather sleep in the same bed as her.
“No way. I wouldn’t want to impose. I can sleep on the couch.” Smiling, she ran her hand through her hair as if trying to brush it with her fingers. “I’ll need to stop by my place and get some toiletries and clothes, if I do that. We should probably ask Nolan about it, too?”
“It’s my house. Besides, he agrees with me.” I waved her toward the kitchen. “If you want some breakfast, we have eggs and bacon. There’s cereal, pancakes, you name it.”
“Are you sure? I don’t—”
“Stop. Just tell me what you’d like.”
She bit her lower lip. “At least let me help. I could wash dishes even.”
“Fine. Dishes it is.” I didn’t really like doing them anyway. That chore fell to Nolan, but he usually tried to put it back on me.
“Bacon and eggs sounds good.” She went to the fridge, grabbing the juice, while I measured the water for coffee. Nolan drank whatever he’d made this morning, but that worked since I preferred having fresh.
I set a glass out for her on the counter, then scooped some grounds into the coffee pot’s filter. When I went to the fridge, I collided with Mia. She squeaked and the juice container slipped from her fingers. I grabbed it before it hit the floor.
My newfound reflexes surprised me. While I’d always had quick reaction times, I couldn’t help but stare at my hand as if it was someone else’s. I leaned against the counter, not knowing what else to do.
Mia placed her cool hand on my arm, tentatively at first, then she embraced me. Her hands circled my waist, and she pressed her cheek against my back. “It’ll be okay. I’m here for you.”
“I appreciate you trying to comfort me, but you said it yourself: ‘Werewolves have violent tendencies.’ Who says I’ll be any different? What about my career?” I placed my hand over hers. Being this close to her felt right. The need to claim her overrode all reason.
“You’re different than him. Maybe not all werewolves are bad.” She tensed her grip on me a little.
Maybe I would be different, but I noticed how she said nothing about my career. “What did you want to tell me last night? You were at a fast food restaurant, and you saw someone or something.” Rage burned my insides.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew whom she’d seen. Why she’d come to me to talk. If only I had taken her aside and listened then, but I’d been concerned with Nolan becoming suspicious. The last thing I needed was him sticking his nose in our business. It was too dangerous for him to get involved. The less he knew the better.
“I saw the werewolf. In human form, though!” Mia buried her face into my chest. “He threatened me and my family. He said if I don’t make a potion to poison the guy he’d had me try to heal, then he would kill us.” She looked up at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. “He...he changed you on purpose.”
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close to me. “Sshhh. Don’t worry. I won’t let him hurt you or your family. Perhaps changing me will be his mistake. I’m more powerful than I was. I’ll be able to protect you.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, but that wasn’t enough. It’d never be enough. She wasn’t my sister. Polite kisses in respectful places weren’t the only way to show affection for her.
Need slammed into me, and I bent to claim her lips.
CHAPTER 12
Mia
Ethan propped me on the countertop, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, instinct kicking in. Our lips brushed a sensual meeting of mouths. He slid his tongue over my lower lip, caressing and teasing. If I hadn’t been sitting on the counter, my knees would’ve given out.
I opened my mouth to him, brushing my tongue against his, inviting him in. Without hesitation, he slipped his tongue inside, and the kiss grew more desperate and heated. I cradled the back of his neck, running my hands over his soft, close-cut hair.
He ran his hands from my waist down to my knees, then he trailed them back up my legs. Arousal moistened my thighs, and I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted another man. His nostrils flared, and he pulled me from the counter so I pressed snuggly against his body.
I moaned, unable to stop myself.
Ethan bumped me against the wall on the way out of the kitchen. We stayed there a moment, his mouth still devouring mine. He kneaded my backside with his large hands.
I wanted to strip his clothes off him, right then and there. His muscular body beneath my hands was divine. With him this close, I felt cozy and protected, especially after what happened last night.
Maybe he was right. If Ethan was a werewolf now, he posed a greater threat to the guy who attacked us.
I trailed my hands down his front, eager to see what lay beneath his pajama bottoms. The bulge pressed tight against me told me how happy he was to be here. I’d never felt like this with anyone else.
He readjusted our position, pulling me away from the wall again, then he headed toward the living room. For a moment, I thought he’d stop at the couch, but he continued toward the stairs. My breath lodged in my throat.
This was going to happen.
The buzzing of my cell phone broke me from my bliss. Could that be Jessa? I couldn’t miss the call.
Ethan started up the steps, not worrying about the call, but I pushed against his chest. “I need to take that.”
“Can’t it wait?”
“It might be my friend, Jessa. I haven’t heard from her, and she said she was going to call. I’ve been kind of worried, with all that’s going on.” I didn’t want to go into her role in the situation, even though he had a right to know.
He set me to my feet gently. “Don’t take too long. I need you, Mia.” I could tell that from the bulge in his pants.
“I won’t. I promise.” When I got to my phone, I nearly dropped it: Greg.
“Mia? Is everything okay?” Ethan was at my side in the span of a heartbeat. He picked up my phone and saw the caller ID. A sigh rushed from his lungs, and he handed it to me. “I’ll be in the shower.”
I wanted to cry. My body burned for Ethan. We had a connection and, while the love potion might’ve heightened it, our feelings for each other had been there for years under the surface. I could tell he cared for me. “I’m so sorry, Ethan.”
“Answer the call.” He brushed his hand over my hair, then he took off upstairs.
“Greg, hi,” I said, trying to sound like my heart wasn’t breaking. I’d vowed not to break his heart before the holidays. If only my own wasn’t doing the exact thing I’d hoped to prevent.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” He sounded his usual condescending and wisecracking self. When he was like this, I forgot what had drawn us together in the first place. Fear of being forever alone, I guess. But he had been more kind and considerate at the very beginning.
“I had to run for the phone.” It was the truth. “That’s all. What’s up?” I forced myself to sound more chipper than I was.
“We’re still on for your parents’ Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow, right? Maybe afterward we can hang out at my place. I have something for you.” The way he said it made it obvious what he wanted.
Greg and I had never been intimate. Why he thought that would change because it was Christmas Eve flew over my head.
I scoured my brain for an excuse. After the dinner, which should’ve been called lunch because of how early it always was, I’d need to escape home, craft the potion, then take it to Jessa’s shop. But no, I couldn’t do that. I needed the ingredients.
>
“Great, I’ll pick you up, and we’ll head there together. No use taking two cars when we’ll just go back to my place.”
“Greg, wait—” But he’d already hung up the phone. “I can’t.” I stared at the ceiling, hearing the faint sounds of the shower running. “I won’t.”
Regardless of Ethan and me, I couldn’t hold on to a dead relationship with Greg. He deserved more than that, and so did I.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize the water had stopped. Ethan stood at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight blue t-shirt that hugged his muscles. My body reacted to the sight of him, even if I knew I was still with Greg.
Damn me for not ending things with Greg sooner. Everyone had tried to warn me, but I’d been too stubborn, convinced that getting with Ethan was like an unreachable fantasy. We’d come so close to being more, and I only hoped that our chances of a relationship weren’t completely blown now.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” he said, watching me closely. “You okay?”
The fact he’d asked made me feel a little better. I didn’t know if I’d be able to survive him being mad at me, especially after what we’d nearly done. “Yeah, thank you for asking.”
He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. That simple action flexed his strong arms, and I averted my gaze. I’d gotten myself into enough trouble for one day. “I’m heading out for a bit,” he said. “You’re welcome to stay. Nolan should be here in a few hours.”
My heart ached, but I didn’t feel safe going home.
CHAPTER 13
Ethan
The light turned green, and I punched the gas. After nearly going to bed with Mia, I couldn’t be there anymore. She was still in a relationship, for fuck’s sake, and yet if her asshole boyfriend hadn’t called, I’d have carried her to my bedroom and made love to her.
Regardless of her relationship status, I’d been tempted to, and that didn’t fit my morals. Yet the beast inside me—who was growing stronger by the day since I’d been bitten—didn’t care. It knew she was meant for us, not him.
The cold shower had only helped so much. If I’d stayed there, I might’ve pursued it. The emotions I had for her were at a fever pitch. My hands clenched the steering wheel until the metal groaned.
Fuck!
I looked down at the wheel to see awkward dents in it. How was I going to explain this?
I drove straight to the Connery State Park. There were hiking trails, and maybe if the beast connected with nature, it’d calm down.
A rumbling growl bubbled in my throat. The idea was absurd, but what worried me the most was sitting at the table with Mia and her boyfriend tomorrow on Christmas Eve, of all times. After our intimate moment, I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t keep my eyes off her.
While she didn’t want to hurt Greg’s feelings, my own were raw with the need to be with her.
Sucking in a breath of fresh air, I opened myself a little more to the beast, letting him guide me deeper into the forest.
CHAPTER 14
Mia
Greg yapped all the way from my porch to the front door of my parents’ house like some small dog. He didn’t let me get a word in edgewise. If he had, I might’ve struck up the courage to tell him to go away, but for now, the undeniable need to avoid conflict won again.
Fear: three points, Mia: zero.
My mom had taken me aside when we got there, asking if everything was okay. I put on my brave face, apologized for last time, and helped with the final touches of dinner.
Now I sat across the table from Ethan once again. He hadn’t come in until late last night. I’d been eating popcorn and watching some true crime show with Nolan. The blast of power from him was stronger than what I’d felt from Mr. Way-Too-Sexy Werewolf at Jessa’s shop. Ethan’s werewolf side was developing fast.
I shifted in my seat at the thought, and my foot nudged Ethan’s. He glanced in my direction before returning his gaze to my mom. He smiled at her. “All this food smells delicious, Mrs. Brooks.”
My mom waved him off. “Oh, listen to you. You say that every time I fix dinner. You’re such a good young man. How does it feel to be home for Christmas this year? We missed you so much last year.”
Ethan took a deep breath. “Where do I begin?” He flicked his gaze to me, before refocusing his attention on Mom. “I’m happy. It is great catching up on even the little things, like sports.”
“Yeah, we stayed up pretty late his first night back talking,” Nolan said. He looked on edge. Sitting in front of Greg, I knew why. The two of them hated each other.
My thoughts drifted back to the thing haunting me. When I’d tried calling Jessa, she hadn’t answered. I needed the ingredients for the crazy werewolf’s potion, like yesterday. Those things weren’t what I commonly kept stocked. They weren’t herbs or spices I could get from the grocery store.
Besides, it was better not to keep too much on hand for a long time if you wanted a fresher, more potent product. If she didn’t answer her phone today, then I had no idea what I’d do. The werewolf promised to kill her.
Why couldn’t he just take me instead?
I glanced at Ethan, sipping on the mulled spice wine my father made every year.
Greg slid his hand along my leg, drawing my skirt up a little. I moved my knee, but he held it in place. “Getting a little quiet there, Mia.”
I fixed a smile on my face and shrugged. “Everyone else is talking, and I refuse to barge into conversations.” Unlike some people. The idea of going back to his place later soured my stomach. The more time I spent with Ethan, regardless of the love potion, the more I really wanted him.
Fear wouldn’t hold me down anymore. It was time I broke free. Stopped doing what everyone else wanted me to do. Christmas Eve was the perfect time to start.
“You wouldn’t be barging into a conversation, Mia. Speak up, kiddo.” My dad watched me from the end of the table. His expression had fallen from the merry guy on his third cup of spiced wine to concerned father.
My bravado fled once again, and if I’d been a puppy, I’d have put my tail between my legs. This celebration wasn’t about me. It was the holidays. Once we left, I’d tell Greg my feelings, whether he wanted to hear them or not. This break-up would be the stuff of horror stories, or maybe cheesy romantic comedies. At least, I hoped it was more like the latter.
I looked at Ethan. Worry etched itself in the corners of his eyes.
“You keep staring at Mr. Marine over there, huh?” Greg grabbed my leg under the table, squeezing hard.
I tried not to wince, but I must’ve shown discomfort.
“I’m not a Marine.” Ethan leaned forward, giving Greg a harsh stare. He knew something was up.
Shit. There goes dinner.
Greg scoffed. “Whatever. You know what I mean. Besides, I was talking to my girlfriend, not you. Got a problem with that? What, you want to take her for a ride?” He smirked, and I wanted to slap it right off his face. “Too bad. She’s mine.”
“Greg!” I couldn’t believe the way he was talking.
My parents stared in horror, and redness formed in my father’s cheeks. If things didn’t settle down, he’d get involved, and none of us would want that.
Greg squeezed my leg harder as if to silence me, but I wouldn’t sit by and let him abuse me like that. “Let go of me.”
That might’ve been the worst thing to say because Nolan jerked to his feet. “If you don’t let my sister go, I’ll break your fingers.”
“Nolan!” my mom cried out.
Ethan stood up with him. “Mia, come over here with your brother. Greg and I need to talk outside.” He turned to my parents. “I’m sorry about this, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. It’ll just take a moment.” When he stared at Greg again, blatant hostility and power oozed from his every pore, nearly choking me.
Greg let me go, but I wasn’t going to sit this out. Besides, my jerk boyfriend remained planted on his seat. Maybe he knew if the two of th
em went outside, he might get his ass kicked. Good for Ethan.
I stood. “Nolan...Ethan, please go back to eating. I’ll talk to Greg.” I took him by the wrist. “Let’s go.”
Greg huffed, but he followed me out to the gazebo in the backyard. It was far enough away for us to have some privacy in case our discussion became heated.
“What the hell is your problem?” I couldn’t contain my outrage at how he had acted. He’d never been this rude in front of my parents. Ethan and he didn’t have a good first meeting, but this went beyond the Greg I knew.
Oh no. What if this was my karma going to hell? The love potion’s magic might be burning my relationship while it built up what I had with Ethan. I wanted to punch my pillow. Multiple times.
“My problem?” Disgust curled back Greg’s lip. “You are the one to talk. You sit there ogling the soldier in front of my face. Who exactly is the problem here?”
My jaw dropped. “I’m seated in front of him! What am I supposed to do? Look at the ceiling or my plate the whole time? I can’t help but look at him.” That sounded wrong. I only hoped Greg wouldn’t take the slip out on me.
He shook his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about, so don’t pull that smart-alecky shit on me, Mia. I have the balls in this relationship, and I’m not fucking blind! You watched him with lust in your eyes.” He reached for me, but I smacked his hands away.
I flared my nostrils, not in the mood to take his shit. While I hadn’t wanted to do this in front of my parents, this was fair game. “You know what?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Nolan jogging across the lawn toward us.
“What? Are you trying to start more shit?” Greg jerked me closer, but I slapped him.
“We’re over. That’s what.”
Greg stared at me, his eyebrow cocked high. He chuckled as if I’d told a funny joke. “You’re kidding, right? You’re putting this shit on me now of all times? You’re such a dirty bitch.”
“Name calling won’t get us back together.” I grimaced, unable to believe I’d ever considered settling for him. If Ethan didn’t want me, then I was better off alone. “Far from it.” I walked away, not wanting to be near him any longer.