by Laura Wylde
“Well, I can see how that may be confusing, but I assure you that there is a reason for everything. As you found out, Sandra's dad is a doctor so it just made sense to bring you here. Everything that you need is here and it was closer.”
“Okay fine, I'll let that one go, but what about Sandra?”
I couldn't tell her the real reason, so I had to make something up. Sandra knew better than to tell people her secret, our secrets and I wasn't about to start.
“You know, you got hit in the head pretty hard and who's to say that what you seen was actually real? Sandra did get knocked up a little bit, but she is a tough one.”
“I'm sorry but I don't buy that. I know what I saw, and she was passed out. I didn't imagine it. I didn't imagine the blood. And I certainly didn't imagine the two bears that came up all of a sudden right before I got knocked out again. None of this makes any sense, so it tells me that something isn’t right here.”
I'm not going to lie, her questions made me a little nervous. I was worried that she had seen too much, and I’d hoped that she wouldn't remember the last part. I wasn't going to be able to convince her that it was her mind playing tricks on her. I was going to have to think of something else.
“As soon as you're feeling better I will help you figure out all the answers. I don't have them myself but I will help you find them.”
I sat down next to her on the bed and hoped that she would see that I was just trying to help her. Ever since I'd met her and seen Greg put his hands on her, all I wanted to do was keep her safe. I don't know why but I had this sense of protectiveness of her that I couldn't bypass. She was like a delicate glass flower and I wanted to make sure that she was never broken. Bree deserved so much better than Greg.
“Do you really not know what happened?”
She had this look in her eyes and it was hard for me to lie to her. I knew that I had to of course, but it didn't mean that I liked to.
“No, I don't know what happened. but when this is all over I promise that I will help you find out.”
It seemed to settle her down a little bit and she leaned back on the pillow, but I could still see her doubt.
“I have always known that Sandra was a bad ass, but if she can walk around feeling like this, she is far more about it than I ever knew.
I laughed a little bit.
“Yeah, she is a bit of a beast.”
Chapter 12
Bree
While Daxton was trying to play it off like he didn’t know what was going on, but I knew better. I knew that he knew something and he just didn't want to tell me. It was in his eyes and in the way that he avoided my gaze when I ask him the questions. He lied to me. I knew he did, but he couldn't look me in the eyes when he did it. It did make me feel much better. It was something, I suppose.
“As thankful as I am for all of your help, I really need to get out of here. I have a life to get back to you and I can just lay around in bed all day. It was the last day of school and I’m missing it.”
“It's going to be awhile until you feel better. You might as well stay in bed and you will get better sooner.”
“I need to file charges on Greg. He could have killed us. I think he was trying to. I can't just let that go and not do something about it. If not for me, but for the next person that he does this to.”
He had a look on his face that was unfathomable and he promised me that it was going to be taken care of. It wasn’t going to be let go.
“You are not the first person he has hurt Bree, but I can assure you that it is going to be his last time doing it.”
He was so sure of his words and I had to wonder what he meant by that. What would a man like Daxton, do to a guy like to Greg? I knew they were in the same lifestyle, that both of the men rode bikes and that meant something in this part of California. There was a reason that they didn't get along and I wanted to know why.
“It is a very long story Bree.”
“Give me the short version.”
It was clear that Daxton didn’t want to talk about it. I could see it in his face and I almost relented. But then he told me about a guy that is saved him a long time ago named Buck. We talked about his car wreck when he was younger and how he had almost died. It was like he was talking about another life that wasn't even his. Daxton was so disconnected from it.
“What does that have to do with Greg? Did Greg do something too?”
“I was gone in the Marines when he was killed.”
Silence came over us and I certainly didn't know what to say
“I'm sorry to hear that.”
I had always known that Greg was dangerous, but for the longest time, I’d convinced myself that he wasn't dangerous to me. He was dangerous to people like Daxton, the ones that chose the life they lived. I never thought that I would see the other side of it. It was certainly different than I had expected. I didn't expect to care about one of them, not like this and I felt guilty that Greg had been brought back into his life so quickly because of me. Now that I knew they had history together, I knew that it wasn’t all my fault, but a part of it was because he had tried to save me. Because he had saved me. Now that I knew what Greg was capable of, there was no telling what he would have done to me.
“It's over now, so there's not really much that can be done now about it. I wish that I wouldn't have left. Maybe things would have been different and Buck would still be alive. Maybe you wouldn't have ran into the arms of a man like Greg.”
The last part threw me off a little bit and I didn't quite know what he meant. When I asked him, he just kind of smiled and said that if we would have met before, he wouldn't have let me go to someone like Greg.
“You would have been mine Bree. Surely you know that.”
He said it was such conviction that I almost believed him. I knew that he was different and he was the exact sort of man that I was staying away from, but Sandra was right in some ways. I liked men like him. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t supposed to be attracted to them, I wasn't really sure, but I was. I could feel it right now as I was standing next to him and wanting far more than I should have.
“You can't blame yourself for Greg, he has always been his worst enemy.”
“I just don't want to see you hurt. Greg is never going to be the good guy.”
I told him that I knew that. I had known it for a while, but when we were dating, I had tried to pretend that I wasn’t seeing what there. I knew that he was no good, but it was hard for me to come to grips with that. I wanted to believe that everything was going to be okay, even what I knew that it wasn’t going to be.
“I know. That's why I broke up with him.”
“You don't seem the type to be with a guy like him.”
“Well, everyone makes mistakes.”
I just had to agree and I wasn't sure if I liked it. He was acting like he had any room to talk. I am sure, a guy like Daxton had done many things that he regretted now. At least I hadn’t went too far with Greg. I had pulled back before it could go there. He had become adamant and I had almost run out of excuses.
“So when can I leave?”
“You are not forced to be here, but if you do go, someone's going to have to go with you.”
I didn't like the sound of that at all and I asked him where Sandra was. I needed to talk to her and explain to her that this was craziness. I had to get out of here. I had a job to get to after all.
“And let me guess, it will be you there that needs to protect me?”
“You make it sound like a bad thing.”
I told him that it wasn’t in a bad thing, but there was something going on that I didn't understand. None of this made sense and I just wanted to get back to a place that I understood.
“I have a life to get back to. I am a teacher. I can't just take off and not come in.”
“I thought that teachers had the summer off?”
I knew that he was right, but I also knew that I had missed the last day of school. I had told many
of my students that I would see them the next day, and now I wasn't going to see them until next year. I can't believe that I lied to them. I didn't mean to.
“We do. I guess I just missed the last day of school. but that doesn't mean that I don't have things to do. I have many things that I'm doing this summer.”
I don't know if I was trying to convince him or myself, but he didn't seem all that convinced.
“I was hoping that you would stick around. You know, so we can get to know each other.”
“While I am thankful for what you have done for me, I don't think that would be a good idea.”
“What?
“Us. I am not looking to get involved with anyone and no offense to you, but you're really not my type.”
“You dated Greg.”
“Yeah and see how that turned out?”
He looked frustrated and I was sure it was because of what I just said. I had dated Greg, but it had turned into a huge mess that never seemed to end. He was still bothering me, even after all this time.
“I'm not Greg. I'm not like those other guys.”
“You ride a bike and wear leather, it's pretty much all the same from there isn't it?”
He chuckled at me and told me that you could see why I would think that. “But I’m not like him. I’m not what you think I am.”
“It's not that I think you're like him, but do you live a lifestyle that I am not comfortable with. We are like two people from two different sides of the track.
“And I'm from the bad side right?”
He wasn't making this easy on me and I felt a little guilty
“It’s not that way. You’re putting words in my mouth.”
“I don’t think I am, though I can think of something that I would like to do with your mouth.”
I was shocked at his words. “I will not give you head.”
His grin got a whole lot bigger. “Honey I was talking about a kiss, but I like where your mind went.”
I couldn’t believe that I had said that and I couldn’t believe that he had called me out in that way. I wanted to curl up and die right then and there. He was having far too much fun with me.
Starting to get up so that I could slap him, he calmed me and told me that I shouldn’t be out of bed.
“The doctor said that you need rest. Charles isn’t the best people person, but he is a good doctor and you should listen to him.”
“I’m not good at listening.”
“I’ve noticed.”
His words made me smile and I didn’t say anything else. I didn’t have to. I hadn’t known him long enough for him to presume that he knew me, but he did and he was rather right. I certainly hadn’t known him long enough to be thinking about the things that I was thinking about. I was wondering about what he had said about my lips. What would it be like to kiss Daxton?
“You haven’t noticed much Daxton. Because if you had, you would know that I wasn’t interested in you.”
“Can’t we just be friends?”
I frowned at his question. Why did I not want to hear that? The last thing that I wanted to be was friends. I wanted to be more and I wished for once that I was Sandra. Then I would be able to say what was on my mind.
“Yes Daxton. Friends.”
He put his hand out to shake mine and I laughed at the absurdity of it all. Neither one of us wanted to be friends, but I would play his game if I must.
“Friend or not though, I want to leave soon. I am not going to stay in this room forever.”
He agreed, but I could tell that Daxton wanted to say more. I wish I could read his mind and find out what he was leaving out. I had a feeling that it was something rather important.
“As soon as you are better and safe, you can do what you please. I don’t want you getting hurt, dragged into my conflict. I will try to make your stay here as pleasant as possible.”
I liked the way it sounded, but I was sure that my mind was just going to the wrong thing, in the wrong direction. I wasn’t going to say anything out loud, especially after embarrassing the hell out of myself before. This time around, I wasn’t going to assume. I would just have to wait and see, though I didn’t know how much more waiting I was going to be able to endure. I was getting stir-crazy and I still wanted answers, something that Daxton wasn’t helping me with.
Chapter 13
Daxton
“I don't like her being here. I have said it before.”
“Yes, you have Charles. I don't think it is safe for her to leave. This is club business because of Buck, and she shouldn't be in the middle of it.”
“Didn't he date her?”
I tried to hold my temper, but it was getting harder to. Meatloaf’s dad had always been someone that I didn't really care for. He was a very good doctor, but not a very good man. He thought of humans a lot differently than I did, than most of the other shifters did. He was of the old state of mind, but everyone knew that if we were ever going to live in peace, we had to all be equals.
“Yes, he dated her. They have been broke up for a very long time though, so I have to think that it has more to do with the Scorpions, then the girl. I don't think a guy like Greg has too many sentimental thoughts about women.”
I dared Charles to defy me, and he must have seen it in my eyes because he didn't say another word. Meatloaf spoke up about something else that was rather clear to all of us. Whether she had to be here for safety or not, Bree was asking a lot of questions that was making everyone uncomfortable.
“I'm worried about what she's going to do if she finds out about us. What is she going to do she finds out about shifters? I don't think she's the type of person that's going to keep it to herself. She has already said something about calling the police a couple of times.”
“She isn’t like that bro. I have known her for many years and she has always had my back.”
“Are you willing to bet your life on it?”
Sandra didn't hesitate to say that she was and I had to admit that I had the same feeling about her. I don't know why, and I certainly didn't have a reason for my feelings, but at the end of the day I knew that she wouldn't make trouble for us.
The two siblings squabbled for a few minutes and I looked out the window. There are so many things that needed to be done, things that I didn't even know I would have to take care of, but I knew that I must now. Greg was the main thing on my list at the moment, but since he had so many ties now, I was going to have to bring back the old gang. It wasn't going to be easy, especially if they all took to different directions like Meatloaf said.
Charles went in the other direction and went to get something to drink. He did not offer it to anyone else and we all knew that he was sore about us taking over his house. It had been the first place that I would have wanted to go, but he really was a good doctor.
“You guys are worried about something that you don't need to worry about. She isn't going to find out and if she did, she isn't going to say anything. I trust Bree and so should you.”
Sandra made me believe her. I had known her for a very long time and if she was willing to vouch for Bree in such a way, it made me feel like there was a reason for it.
“Fine, but what are we going to do about her? she has a lot of questions and she's getting restless. I don't think she's going to stay here much longer without a fight.”
Sandra agreed that she would talk to her, and I hoped that it was going to be enough.
“So we need to talk about new recruits. Anybody have any ideas of what we should do?”
I listen to Sandra's ideas and her brother’s. They both had a few that I had thought about and we all knew that we were going to bring Doc back into it. He was always hopeful and well the man was full of jokes, he was also full of wisdom that I needed at the moment, we all needed it.
So the people talking in front of me stopped suddenly because of the smell that I picked up all of a sudden. It was a very familiar smell, and I knew exactly who it was. Each person, human or othe
rwise, had a very distinct smell and this one in particular was very strong and my awareness to it was even stronger. Problem was that she wasn't supposed to be down here. She was supposed to be upstairs where she would be getting some rest and she wouldn't be in the way. I should have known better than to think that she wouldn’t try to listen in.
I held my hand up to let them know that they all needed to stop talking. I don't know how long she had been down here and how much she had heard, but I knew that I didn't want to push it if she hadn't her it all. I was nervous when I stood up and moved out of that room, not even having to look very far. I just followed her scent.
“I see that you are well and out of bed. I thought we had agreed that you were going to stay in bed and rest a little while longer?”
“How did you know that I was here?”
“I guess I could smell your perfume. It is very unique.”
She blushed and looked away. She looked guilty, scared, confused and it told me all that I needed to know. Bree had heard too much and now it was all going to come out. The inevitability that we had talked about in the abstract sense was now going to happen in the real sense and I wasn’t sure how it was going to go down.
“Oh.”
“How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough. I want to know what is going on here Daxton. You guys are talking about some weird stuff and what the heck is a shifter? I just don’t understand any of this.”
I knew that I was going to have to give her something. I had gotten her off my trail for a while, or so I had thought. Turned out that she was just waiting to find out the information herself. It made me think that we had some work to do on trust.
“You shouldn’t be here, Bree. You were supposed to stay upstairs in bed.”
“I can't just wait around. No one it is telling me what is going on. I am not stupid. If you guys would just tell me what's going on, it would be a lot easier. I want to know why I am here, really.”
I knew that she wasn't going to let it go. Bree was a mix of so many things, but she had a persistence inside of her that I could see. I could see clearly that she wasn't going to let me keep lying to her. Truth was, I didn’t want to.