“Forget the ceremony, forget all of this. We can leave now or stay in here all night. I don’t care if I ever phase. I’ll never be the man I was meant to be unless I have you.”
She looks up with watery eyes, but the slight smile on her face tells me I’ve said something right.
I kneel on the floor in front of her. “I don’t need the ceremony to confirm what I feel for you. You are my forever.”
The expression on her sweet face is worth everything I’ve been through in the last hour. She’s reaching for me when the door flies open.
“I thought I was your forever?”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Lauren struts around the room, touching everything: books on the shelf, an unfinished puzzle on the table, even the game controllers for the Xbox. She leaves her scent, her germs, on everything.
“I never said you were my forever,” Jay corrects in a feeble attempt to convince me she’s a liar.
“Maybe not in those exact words.” Lauren opens the mini-fridge and pulls out a Red Bull. “You did tell me we would travel around the world so you could show me all your favorite surf spots.” She sits in a chair and sips from the can. “I’m sure he told you the same bullshit.” Her piercing gray eyes look through me without an ounce of trepidation.
“I told Oz the same thing.” Jay stands between me and Lauren.
“Even the part where we’d make love on the beach?” She chuckles, then abruptly stands.
Jay tenses and steps back.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” She trails her fingers down his arm. “I’ll let her do that.” She winks at me.
“Do you know who I am?” This is the only thing I can think to say.
“I know all of you. Your parents and grandparents.” Lauren snickers. “We were very thorough in our research. Weren’t we, Jay?”
“I know nothing about you.” It’s meant to be a jab, but Lauren doesn’t even flinch.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about me. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Jay pleads with her to leave. “Lauren, you never wanted this. What happens tonight won’t change anything.”
“After the ceremony, we’ll know where we belong.” She strokes his arm again. “And with whom.” Jay shrugs her off. “I’ll be around if you want me.” She sets the Red Bull on the table and leaves.
“Is she really planning to be part of the ceremony?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know?”
“No, Abbi. You have to believe me.”
“If Lauren participates in the ceremony, she becomes part of the pack and loyal to my family. It doesn’t make sense.” Her presence taints everything about the ceremony, about Jay.
He turns to me. “I meant what I said. I don’t need the ceremony. I just want you.”
“You’re scared you’ll match with her.” I lean on the window.
“No,” he lies. “We don’t know what will happen tonight. We could both end up with other people. I give Raine a lot of shit, but her fears are valid.”
“There’s a reason dating wasn’t encouraged before Lunam. It’s so bonds like ours wouldn’t be threatened or broken.”
He presses me against the window. “We really fucked this up, didn’t we?”
“No, our parents did. Had they been honest, we’d be here today on different terms.” I think of the story Dillan told me about the first time my mother saw him. If our parents had told us the truth, this would have been the day I met Jay.
He slips his arms around my waist. “I meant what I said. I don’t need the ceremony. I just want you.”
“And phasing?”
“I’ll phase at some point.”
“And the pack?”
“The ceremony was Ozzy’s idea, not mine. I only came here….” He pauses and touches his forehead to mine. “The truth is, I came here to expose the truth, no matter who it hurt. I owe your family an apology. I owe you—”
“I’m glad you told us, that you set this in motion. You did the right thing, Jay.” He doesn’t know about Monte’s plan or the preservative. Unbeknownst to Jay or Lauren, they have helped my grandfather.
“My intentions weren’t always good.”
“What are they now?”
“I want to make you my girlfriend.”
Jay isn’t the same guy he was at camp. He isn’t trying to convince me I love him. He isn’t trying to recruit me for his cause. He’s just a boy trying to win a girl.
“And the ceremony?”
“The ceremony is for them.” He looks at the people below. “I have everything I need in this room.”
“If we do this, we do it right. Like normal people. Pizza and ice cream. Movie nights and make-out sessions.”
“If I promise pizza later, can we skip to the makeout session now?” He nuzzles my neck.
“Raincheck on the pizza.” I kiss his chin. “Not the ice cream though.”
We kiss against the window. With every thrust of his tongue, I feel his excitement grow. He pushes me against the glass until we hear it crackles.
“We’re going to break the house.”
I inspect the glass for cracks and notice a crowd cheering below. “Should we take a bow?”
We wave like a royal couple addressing their court. Suddenly Lauren appears, a crowd of girls surround her, like she is their leader.
“We need to deal with that.”
Jay tenses. “She’s my problem. I’ll handle it.”
Some of Raine’s paranoia must have rubbed off on me, because I break into a sweat at the thought of him speaking to Lauren. I step back out of her view.
“Everything is going to be fine.” He kisses the top of my head.
I wish his words made a difference. The only reason I know we’ll be together tomorrow is because we’re opting out of the ceremony. We’re choosing each other. By doing so, does it mean we’re not confident enough to let fate decide? That’s one bet I’m not willing to make.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Patsy is in the kitchen molding hamburger patties with three other mothers when I burst through the door, asking to speak to her in private.
“Is everything okay?” She moves to the sink to wash her hands. “Are you hungry? We set out snacks in the dining room to hold you over until dinner is ready.”
“I don’t think I can eat.” I place a hand over my empty belly.
“It’s nerves.” She dries her hands on her dirty apron. “By this time tomorrow, you’ll be famished. We won’t be able to cook fast enough.”
“If you’re busy I can come back.”
“Don’t be silly.” We go into the pantry for privacy and she closes the door. “Have you heard from your mother?”
“No, but that isn’t—”
“This must be so hard for you. I can’t believe Kalysia isn’t coming. This won’t be the same without her.” She looks more devastated by Mom’s absence than I am.
“I have a question.”
“Oh.” She’s nervous. “Uh, I’ll try to answer anything you may be curious about.”
Oh Jesus, she thinks I’m going to ask about sex. “It isn’t that kind of question.”
She exhales in relief.
“I was wondering if you know Lauren.”
Her faces glows red. “Yes.”
“And…?”
“She’s trouble.” Patsy speaks quietly. “Belle called ahead to tell us she was coming, but her agenda was a mystery until a few days ago. There is nothing we can do to stop her. In the past, the elders would dispatch one of their men.” She makes a sinister face. “We weren’t proud of the way things were handled back then, but the job got done. Our secret remained intact. Now, who knows?” Her face drops, and worry replaces anger. “All I ever wanted was a better world for Raine and you. For all the mess we made, we accomplished nothing. Here we are.” She looks around the pantry, but I know what she means.
“I thought you were pro Lunam?”
“Passing th
rough the smoke was a rite of passage. It signified our transformation not only to wolf but into adulthood. We became our best selves. It’s something we grew up with, it was part of us. We stole that from you. I know why Raine jumped into this with both feet. She loves Ozzy. In her mind this is the only way they can be together.” She fidgets with cans on a shelf. “We were never allowed to date, not officially. There was no need before Lunam. The ceremony decided our fate. As parents, we had no idea how to deal with hormonal teens. We did what we knew. Serum or no serum, you deserved to dream and fall in love. I’m just as guilty as your mother, Abbi. I wanted more for Raine. This is what Raine wants, so I’m here to support her no matter what happens tomorrow.”
Patsy must know about the serum, she is part of the inner circle. If she’s allowing Raine to be here, it’s because she thinks Raine will phase. My mother is worried. Layla too. There is something they still aren’t telling me, but maybe Patsy will.
“How do you know Raine will phase?”
She turns away so I can’t see her eyes. “Tests results show the likelihood for Raine is high.”
“And me? You stopped Dr. Wyatt from telling me something earlier. Why?”
“You need to speak to your mother.” She wipes her hands on her apron. “She had good intentions, Abbi. Remember that.”
I find Dr. Wyatt in the medical room off the kitchen. A file is open on the table in front of him. When I walk in, he closes it.
“Is everything alright?” He motions for me to sit on the hospital bed. “Do you have a headache?”
I remain by the door. “I’m fine. I was hoping you could finish telling me about my dosage.”
He looks uneasy. “It’s probably best for you speak to Kalysia.”
“I’m eighteen, Dr. Wyatt. I have a right know what has been done to my body.” I close the door and sit. “I’m not leaving until you tell me.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jay
“We have a problem.” Ozzy closes the door to the game room and crosses to the window. “Lauren is making a play for pack leader.” He taps the glass, pointing out Lauren in the crowd. There’s no need. She is surrounded by a group of girls sporting flower crowns.
“She’s giving everyone unity bracelets.” He hands me a red string with a silver paw charm connecting both ends.
The Lauren I knew wasn’t an evil person. She wanted to find her place, like me. The bracelets don’t necessarily mean she’s making a play for leader Lauren just wants to belong. I don’t express that opinion to Ozzy. He wouldn’t understand.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Is that a good idea?” He warns. “If Abbi is anything like Raine—”
“This is bigger than us, we have a duty to protect them.” I gaze at the people below. The Meyers kids were shielded from the harsh reality of the world, and that included the sins of their parents. If Monte Tallac considers Lauren a threat, her life could be in danger.
It isn’t difficult to track down Lauren. Everyone knows who she is and where she is. Ignoring the sign on the door that says males are not allowed, I burst into the locker room.
“Sorry, ladies.” I shield my eyes. “I’m looking for someone.” I hear Lauren laugh in a corner. “We need to talk.”
“I told you he couldn’t stay away.” Her confidence impresses her admirers. Lauren’s scent grows stronger as she crosses the room. I know she’s close, but her touch startles me. She smirks at my reaction. “You know I don’t bite, Jay.” Her minions snicker. “Unless you ask nicely.” She spins me around. The girls murmur about what a great couple we make, while others comment on my ass.
Lauren leads me out a side door. I shrug her off and make sure we’re not being followed. Music drifts through the trees. I stop just inside the woods. She leans against the trunk of a tree and adjusts the crown of flowers on her head.
“I have to say, I thought you’d come around a lot sooner. The little virgin must have really done a number on you.”
“Cut the act, Lauren. The last time we spoke you wanted nothing to do with the ceremony.”
“The last time we spoke, you said you weren’t going to participate. When did you become one of them?”
Rather than deny the accusation, I own it. “I am one of them. My father was pack leader.”
“And mine was a mutant.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s what they believe. I wasn’t born wolf, so I’m some kind of freak.”
“They don’t know about the clinic. I never told them.”
It isn’t my place to tell Lauren’s story. Even though the information would be valuable to Abbi’s family, I wouldn’t betray her trust out of respect for the relationship we had.
She steps closer. “Why didn’t you out me?” Her fingers scrape down my chest. “You still have feelings for me, somewhere in there.” I catch her hand and pull it away. She smiles. “I like this new you. So alpha.”
“I’m in love with Abbi.” I use my feelings as a weapon.
“You have no control over who you love. The ceremony will decide that for you.”
“I’m confident about who I’ll be with tomorrow morning.”
“So am I. You are mine, Jay.” Her lips sweep my neck on their way to my ear. “Fate brought us together. It lead me to the sanctuary, to you.” She covers my heart with one hand. “It beats like this only for me. You know I’m right, and it scares you.”
Her confidence scares me. It’s like the room full of balls my father warned me about. Only I’m not the one choosing. Any doubt I had about missing the ceremony disappears when I imagine Abbi and Lauren fighting over my ball.
“She’s a child, a little girl who doesn’t even know how to love. She doesn’t make you feel the way I do.” Her hand moves lower.
“I don’t need the ceremony to know I want to be with Abbi.”
“Yet here you are.” She smirks. “Leave, Jay. Run away.”
She’s using reverse psychology on me. It doesn’t work. “Why are you here, Lauren? It isn’t just for me. What is this about?” I grab her arm and point to the bracelets. “Who gave you these?”
She yanks away and steps back. “You and your merry band of idiots insisted on having the ceremony. Did you think there’d be no consequence? The ceremony has history, meaning. Once you walk through the smoke, you belong to the past. You become responsible for the future. Since you don’t plan to lead them, someone else will.”
The half-ass idea Lauren and I concocted was meant to expose Abbi’s family and the other leaders as liars. We wanted to rip their families apart with the truth. We didn’t think further ahead than camp. I was supposed to show up, tell the kids who they really were, and leave. That didn’t happen. I fell in love with Abbi, with all of them. Ozzy tried to explain his connection with the others, and I didn’t get it. It’s always just been me and Dad. After everything Dillan has been through, this is still his home. The people I’ve set out to destroy are part of his family. His pack.
“Who says I don’t plan to lead them?”
She laughs. “Seriously, Jay. You couldn’t lead a mouse to cheese. Those people dancing and drinking and having the time of their lives are here because they trust Ozzy. You’re an outsider, and you always will be.”
“If that’s true, they won’t follow you either.”
“Your friends don’t realize there are more people like me in that house, in the world. After they phase there is no stopping them.” She smiles that truly evil smile only women can pull off. “Look how easy it was for me to gain their trust, their loyalty.” She yanks the bracelet off her arm. “I’m not a leader. This was a job. I have $100,000 waiting for me after the ceremony is over. We can go anywhere in the world.”
“We?”
“Yes, you big idiot. You are the only one I want to lead.” She kisses me quickly, confidently, on the cheek. “We’ll laugh about this after the ceremony.” She disappears into the woods. I hear her signature howl when she phases.
>
I call for backup.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sometimes the truth doesn’t set you free. Whether or not I will phase is no longer a question. I look for Trevor and Rory. They deserve to know their fate.
“It’s Abbi, right?” Lauren is positioned near the front door. Daisy and two girls I don’t know stand with her.
“Hey, Abbi,” Daisy runs up to greet me with a hug. “Have you met Lauren?”
“You can say that,” I snark. This is the last thing I need right now. Time is running out. I need to find Trevor and Rory before the ceremony begins.
Daisy lifts my wrist. “Lauren, she doesn’t have a bracelet!” She drags me over to the dark-haired vixen. Lauren is the ex-girlfriend from hell. She’s beautiful, sexy, and still has a thing for Jay.
“I don’t know if she deserves one.” Lauren dangles a red string in front of me. “She isn’t cool enough.”
“Of course she is.” Daisy grabs the bracelet and slides it onto my wrist. “You’re one of us now.”
“What game are you playing?” I take it off to inspect the silver paw holding the string together.
“It’s a unity bracelet to bind us together after we phase.” Daisy admires hers. “We’re going to be a unified pack again.”
The sneer on Lauren’s face tells me everything I need to know. She isn’t here to win back Jay. She’s here to win the pack.
“We’ll see about that.” I drop the bracelet on the ground and run upstairs to find my allies.
Everyone is in the game room, they’re two steps ahead of me. Raine is glued to Ozzy’s side. “Where have you been? I was looking everywhere for you. Rory caught wind of the bracelets an hour ago.”
“A follow-up with Dr. Wyatt.” I glance at Rory. He won’t make eye contact with me. I can’t determine if it’s out of fear of Jay or sheer embarrassment.
“We can’t let her get away with this.” Raine volunteers to tear her throat out after the ceremony. Jay crushes her fantasy.
The Lunam Legacy (The Lunam Series Book 3) Page 18