It wasn’t cool that he’d been there. He didn’t get that stalking was not the way to make friends. Out of all of Ezra’s pack, though, he seemed the least creepy. Maybe he was trying to reach out. And that was something.
***
My boots sprinkled the ground with flecks of glitter, leaving a fairy’s trail behind me as I left the coffee shop a few hours later. The few blocks to see Morgan seemed longer in the dark. I lifted my sleeve to my nose, catching the strong scent of coffee with a hint of lemon from Maggie’s baking. Not exactly an ideal fragrance, but I didn’t think Morgan would mind it so much. When you’re a barista, coffee perfumes your hair, clothes, everything. There’s no way around it.
Morgan waited in Maggie’s driveway, his amber eyes sparkling in the low light. “You should have texted me to walk you over from the shop,” he said, slipping his arms around me.
“That’s okay.”
He kissed me lightly, not at all like his normal style, where I felt swept away, tingling to my toes. It was like he was holding back. I leaned into his touch, wanting to be closer to him, connected. I didn’t know how else to react to his reserved affection.
He broke the kiss and tucked a stray strand of bangs behind one of my ears. “We should get you home,” he said.
“Oh, I figured we could hang out. I’ve probably got an hour or so. What’s wrong?”
Morgan’s posture shifted a little and he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Your father—he asked if I wouldn’t mind taking things a bit…slower.”
Mystery solved. My cheeks reddened. “When was this?”
“He came by here after he finished at the station with the sheriff.”
I crossed my arms and took a step back. “Are you serious?”
“He’s your father, and your alpha. I want to respect his wishes,” Morgan said.
“I can’t believe he did that. That you’d do that,” I said, my voice wavering.
Morgan placed a hand under my chin, lifting it so our gazes were level. “I need to earn his trust. It’s a means to an end. That’s how I’m choosing to—”
“So you’d agree not to see me?” I felt my throat tighten. I didn’t want to lose a second of time with Morgan while I had him here in town. Who knew how long that would be for.
“I want him to be on our side,” he said, his eyes flashing with frustration. “Do you understand that?”
“Look, I don’t know about all this pack rules stuff. I’m just going by having an overprotective father.”
Morgan smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “It’ll be all right,” he said, closing the distance between our lips. I sensed more in the kiss now, probably since he’d gotten this stupid request off his chest.
But the idea that Dad would try to make Morgan keep his distance in what little time we had left together hit me hard. I pulled away, tears welling. The future loss of Morgan rushed over me like a wave.
Morgan put a hand to my cheek, thumbing away my tears. “Don’t cry, love. I’ve a long list of tasks to accomplish for Maggie this weekend. We’ll spend a couple of days apart to give your father peace of mind. That’d appease him, I reckon.”
I wanted to tell him I was worried about the day he’d leave, about how little time we had left, but I knew he was already under so much pressure from his own pack. I didn’t want to be one more force pushing or pulling him. I swallowed my fears and tried on a smile. “Okay, yeah. If it’s just the weekend.”
“Now, I’ll act the proper gentleman and walk you home,” he said with a playful bow. “I’ll kiss you primly on the forehead as we stand on your front porch. I’ll even wave good night to your father,” he added, with a little laugh.
We started walking toward my house, me holding tight to Morgan’s arm, drinking in his scent and warmth.
“Morgan…you think there’s a future for us, don’t you?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking, my voice sounding small and afraid.
“Oh, little lass.” Morgan stopped and kissed my cheeks and lips—all the places my tears had run to. “Don’t worry. I’m yours.”
Chapter Seven
“You skipped the football game?”
“Yep.” Rose looked up from her homework as I walked into the kitchen a few minutes later. Her careful numbers covered the graph paper in front of her. She was still in her school clothes, jeans and a sweater, a lupine stone pendant hanging just over the collar. Her blond hair was pulled up into a topknot similar to mine.
“That’s no fun.”
“Wanted to get a head start on this assignment.”
Rose had always been a great student, but a few weeks earlier she’d told me she wanted to be a doctor someday. It’d take hard work to get there, but I had faith that Rose could do it. Whether or not residencies and hospital hours were going to work for a werewolf, we weren’t sure. But at least wearing my lupine pendant, she had protection against inconveniently transforming on full moons.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked, setting my bag on the back of the chair.
Without looking up, Rose used her mechanical pencil to point down the hall toward the den.
The radio on the bookshelf in the den pumped out a classic rock tune. Dad hummed along, head down with his reading glasses on. He was sorting a stack of bills on his desk. His checkbook and a calculator lay nearby, which probably meant he wasn’t going to be in a great mood.
I came in and took a seat on the ottoman in front of the armchair.
Dad looked up, his eyes weary. “I assume by your expression that you know Morgan and I had a conversation.”
I leaned forward on the seat. “I’m so embarrassed. You shouldn’t be warning guys to stay away from me.” It was difficult to tone down my anger.
“That’s what Morgan told you? Not at all what I said.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m paraphrasing.”
Dad removed his reading glasses and pinched at the bridge of his nose. “Let’s be practical here. You hardly know this guy.”
“I know that I can trust him,” I said, lifting my chin and crossing my arms.
Dad set aside the stack of bills, giving me his full attention. “There’s more to the story here. More you don’t know about him and the family he’s from.”
“What’s so bad about his family?”
“You hadn’t told me he was a McAllister,” Dad said, seeming to choose his words carefully. “The emergency number was only if something truly awful had happened to me. I wasn’t prepared to be alive to deal with a tracker sent from that particular pack.”
“I’m sorry I kept his reason for being here secret,” I said, looking down at my hands. “But I don’t get it. Why do you hate Morgan?”
“I don’t hate him.” Dad leaned back, fidgeting with the arms of the chair. He was nervous. I could smell a hint of perspiration.
“What is it? What’s wrong with his pack?”
“It’s not them, it’s me,” Dad said slowly. “They have reason to hate me, not the other way around.”
My eyes widened. “What did you do?”
He hesitated, pressing his lips together. I could see he was thinking—maybe that meant he was about to lie. “We have history,” he said, in a low voice. “I used to be part of their pack.”
I stared at Dad in shock. “Wait—what are you telling me, we’re related to Morgan’s family?”
He held up his hands, halting my spiraling thoughts. “No, nothing like that. But that London pack is rough. They could cause some serious trouble.”
“But they sent him to help us. They know we’re here, Dad. It’s too late. There’s no reason to put distance between me and Morgan.”
“I know it’s hard to hear this, but his only interest is in the return of his stone.” Dad got up from his chair and took a seat on the edge of the desk. “He’s not leaving here without it. That’s the real reason he’s still here.”
“If he wanted it, he would ask for it back,” I said, tears stinging my cheeks. “He hasn’t done that.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. But I want you to keep your head on straight. You don’t know what his pack is capable of. That’s one reason I broke away.”
“You talk like you’re the only good wolf in the entire world,” I replied. “According to you, every wolf we know is a bad one.”
Dad folded his arms. “I’m not saying Morgan is a bad wolf. I’m only asking that you keep a little distance. Our future in this town is uncertain enough without him in the mix.”
I exhaled, trying to release all my anger before I replied. “He’s not adding to the trouble. He’s making me happy. He gets me. And I never realized before how much I needed that. For someone to understand me.”
Dad’s eyebrows lifted. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“You never asked me. You made assumptions about what was going on with Morgan and me,” I said, wiping away fresh tears.
He got up and put a hand on my shoulder. “I know you care about Morgan. I don’t doubt that. But trust is tricky. Things aren’t always as they appear.” He meant to be kind, but Dad had no idea how deeply I was falling for Morgan, how strong the connection was. Trust was only one of the bonds tying us now.
I sniffled back tears as I got up from the ottoman. “I’m going to bed.”
“Hey, Lily—don’t tell the girls. Or Morgan. I’m not sure if he knows my past with his pack. I couldn’t tell from our interactions. I certainly didn’t bring it up.”
“Only if you promise to tell me more about it someday,” I said, giving Dad a stare that said I was serious. I couldn’t take much more of him hiding things from me.
“I will, but not until I’m ready,” Dad said, returning to his place behind his desk. He sank into his chair and sighed as he picked up a bill from the top of the stack.
I went upstairs, a new round of questions swirling in my mind. Dad had been in the McAllister pack. So why no accent? Had he been born in America, even? Dad had kept too many secrets from us, and maybe he thought there were good reasons why. But I was sure he was wrong about my trusting Morgan.
***
“You girls want a ride?” Dad offered, filling his travel mug with coffee on Monday morning. I didn’t answer, but I stuck out my half-filled cup and he topped it off, smiling as he poured.
It was good to see him in uniform again. A wrap bandage over his stitches provided some protection for his forearm, but he wasn’t using the sling anymore. I wasn’t forgiving him for ruining my weekend with Morgan, but on the plus side, I’d made some progress on my Harvest Festival article, having the extra time to do more research. I’d completed a few other school assignments, too. I was almost caught up from the weeks when Dad had been missing and homework hadn’t exactly been my priority.
There’d been plenty of activities to fill my time. Yesterday afternoon the coffee shop was quiet, so Maggie sent me home early and I’d helped Fawn organize her closet, recovering a few of my favorite things in the process. You’d think that would help with my sister’s borrowing habit, but here she was again, sporting my gray cardigan over a T-shirt that morning. Luckily, it was one I knew had a hole in the armpit. She’d find that out later if she raised her hand in class.
Rose shuffled into the kitchen, fussing with her boots as she walked. Her long skirt kept catching in the zipper.
“Hold it.” I set my mug on the table and knelt to set the piece of fabric free.
“Thanks, Lily,” she said, and then grabbed a clean bowl and spoon from the dishwasher before taking a seat.
“A ride?” Dad repeated, screwing the lid onto his cup. “Anyone?”
“We’re good. Lewis is coming to pick us up this morning,” Fawn said from her seat at the table. “Oh, hey, Dad. We need groceries.”
“Yeah, someone ate all the cereal again.” Rose waved the empty cereal box at Fawn.
“A girl’s gotta eat,” Fawn said, spooning another oat square to her mouth.
Dad set the carafe back into the coffeemaker. “It’s my first day back. I won’t have time to run to the store today. Could you pick up a few things?” he asked me. “Come by and get the truck. I’ll bring home a department vehicle tonight.”
I shrugged and sat back at the table. “I can do it before my shift this afternoon.”
“Speaking of groceries…” Fawn plucked a list from the refrigerator door. “I took the liberty of jotting down a few things,” she said as she handed it to me.
“What is this?” I resisted the urge to tear it in half. “Prime rib? Shiitake mushrooms? Saffron threads?”
Dad peered over my shoulder at the list. “I don’t think the market’s going to have some of this stuff in the first place. Besides that, we’re on a canned tuna and noodles bought on sale budget.” He gave Fawn an apologetic smile as he pulled a couple of bills from his wallet.
“How am I going to develop my culinary skills without a budget?” Fawn protested.
I slipped the list into my shirt pocket. “I don’t know. Maybe now that you’re sixteen, the two of you can, you know…get jobs? Start pitching in and saving for college like I’m doing?”
Dad shot me a cautionary look. “I’m not saying it’s that bad, but we’ve got to tighten our belt a little. I had a lot of unpaid leave last month.”
“I can ask Maggie for more hours at the coffee shop.”
Dad wrapped me in a hug. “You’re already working too many. We’ll catch up financially in a couple of weeks. Don’t worry. I want you to focus on school. We can talk about part-time jobs another time. Maybe once we get you both through driver’s-ed courses.”
“I’ll look for stuff that’s on sale like you always do.”
“Thanks,” Dad said, showing me a grateful smile before heading out the door.
I took a big sip of coffee. Rose slid me the plate of toast and the jar of peanut butter. The slices were kind of cold, but I ate them anyway.
“I didn’t know it was so bad.” Rose’s hand moved to the lupine pendant around her neck, her fingers moving over it nervously.
“Try not to stress, guys. You heard Dad.” Fawn deposited her cereal bowl in the sink. “Lewis’ll be here in a couple minutes—better get ready. I’ll be right back.” Fawn’s makeup was already done, her green eyes outlined in charcoal pencil and her dark brown hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck.
“Please not my new earrings,” I called half-heartedly to Fawn as she left the room.
Rose got up from the table. I could see the worry on her face. “Do you think Maggie could use more help at the coffee shop?” she said.
“No, you need the time for studying. You heard Dad, we’ll be okay.”
“But if we have no money, we don’t have your stones, and we’ve got those creeps hanging around,” she said, setting the plates in the sink. “Things are bad.”
“Creeps?”
“Nathaniel and the others.”
“How do you know his name?”
“Oh, um…” Rose sat back down at the table, her shoulders slumping. “I talked to him. He was at the library yesterday when I was studying with my friends,” she admitted.
My breath caught in my chest. “What? So you’re just choosing to forget them staking out our house before your birthday party and spying on us?”
“Nathaniel doesn’t seem dangerous. He seems cool. He was checking out a Neil Gaiman book. I didn’t even realize who he was at first.”
I swallowed my last bite of peanut buttered toast. “Not good. Don’t tell Dad.”
Rose’s gaze dropped to the tabletop. “Well, tell me then—which guys am I supposed to talk to? I’m too much of a freak for a normal guy and the only boy I like is the son of a hunter. What other options are there but another wolf?”
Based on Rose’s expression, she really was feeling like an outcast. I’d known that feeling myself. “Remember this guy is part of the pack that was probably going to abduct us.”
“I know, but he’s not like that. He and his brother were following orders from
his dad to follow us. He’d never have hurt anyone. I believe him, Lily.”
“So, he just sat down and started talking to you? You really didn’t know who he was?”
Rose nodded. “He looked different than I expected. Kinda cute, actually.”
“Yeah,” I said, as I sipped my coffee. “He looks more human. More normal.”
“Is that because of the lupine stone?”
“No, it’s because he got a haircut.” I smirked at her over the rim of my mug.
Rose managed a small smile. “Well, he apologized for spying on me and Fawn.”
“Spying and stalking aren’t exactly the same thing…”
Rose shrugged and got up, gathering her school stuff. “You should meet with him. You’d see how different he is from the other ones.”
“Stay away from them.” I didn’t like that Nathaniel had been sending me a message through Rose—something to the tune of “Pay attention to me, or I can get to your sisters.” I pushed away my plate, leaving the rest of my toast uneaten.
Outside a car honked.
“It’s Lewis,” Rose announced, checking from the window.
Fawn bounced into the kitchen, wearing one of my scarves. “Ready?”
“Seriously?” I got up from the table and took my plate to the sink.
“What? It’s my color,” Fawn said.
Rose put the peanut butter back in the cabinet. “It does kinda go with her outfit.”
“I can’t win with you guys,” I said, shepherding them out the door and to Lewis’s Jeep.
***
I’d almost forgotten about Ivan’s phone. I found it at the bottom of my bag when I was digging around for lunch money. The cafeteria cashier waited patiently while I finally pulled a bill from the grocery envelope to cover my salad and garlic bread. Fawn had been right about the food situation. We’d finished off the bread at breakfast, and we were out of easy stuff to grab, like apples and granola bars. I accepted my change and slipped the phone into my pocket.
A Forest So Deadly (Pioneer Falls Book 2) Page 8