“Speaking of, this is the year right?” Rebecca’s grin turned mischievous. She knew this was hard on him but she also knew he needed to take the plunge. He would never feel free until he came out to his father.
It was his turn to be silent. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, the muscle in his strong jaw began to tick. If she tried real hard she could imagine the gears turning in his mind. He promised this year he would tell his father the truth. Everyone else in Jackson’s life knew his secret, everyone supported him. He promised Rebecca the night of his seventeenth birthday that he would finally reveal the truth to his father. She could tell he still regretted that promise, but if she knew Jacks, he was secretly thankful he made the commitment. And equally thankful Rebecca promised she would help him.
“Yes, of course. It’s just that the timing has to be right.” They both knew the timing could be perfect and the news would still come as a shock, they’d done a really good job playing pretend boyfriend and girlfriend. In the process she had fallen in love with him. He was, and would always be, a part of her family.
Jacks increased his speed to keep up with traffic as they got closer to her home. Her family lived in a moderate upscale subdivision of Chandler; a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. Before her parents’ death, they lived in Scottsdale, another suburb of the large Metroplex. Moving from one home to another, only 20 miles away, made the transition after the death of her parents easier. She was still able to keep in touch with her childhood friends despite the difficult memories they brought with them.
Rebecca leaned over and squeezed his arm affectionately. “I’m here to help if you need me.”
“When the time comes I may take you up on that.” He nodded his head. “Right now, I’m concerned about helping you explain to your family why you didn’t sleep in your bed last night.” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned, “We could tell them we slept together.” And like that the happy go-lucky Jackson was back, seriousness was out the window and a mile back on the road behind them.
“Well, that was the plan.” She pulled her red and white duffel bag out of the backseat. “Remember, we were up late last night studying for a history paper when we fell asleep.” She pulled out her American History text book and grinned. “I even have the props to help us with our lie.” She tried to relax and stop feeling bad about the upcoming lie. She knew it was necessary but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
He sighed, “Unfortunately, your grandmother is the human lie detector. Our best bet is we get back before she finds out.”
Rebecca glanced out the window and noted the height of the sun in the sky. Deep down she knew her grandmother was up already but at least her sister would be safe and sound, fast asleep in bed.
Her sister and brother were a large part of why she made this decision. When she found the killer or killers; Hunter would no longer have nightmares and Savvy wouldn’t cry herself to sleep when she thought no one was listening.
Dread filled her heart as they pulled onto her street and saw her grandmother sitting on the porch swing waiting for her arrival. It was the prettiest yard on the block. Instead of the desert landscaping most houses were famous for in Phoenix, it had healthy green grass and a large amount of rose bushes, different colors and sizes, all in bloom at the moment.
Rebecca took a quick glance in the passenger mirror and cringed at her appearance. Her skin was paler than normal, her eyes bloodshot. Her blond hair was limp and dull. She quickly pulled out a hair clip and curled her long hair into a French twist. She appreciated that the sunglasses covered up the half moon circles under her eyes when she realized she was running out of time. Out of habit she slipped on some pink lip gloss and blew her bangs out of her eyes in frustration. “I guess it’ll have to do.” She mumbled as Jacks pulled the vehicle into the driveway, fitting snuggly into the spot right behind her blue VW bug.
One look at her grandmother and she knew it was time to face the music. Jacks unbuckled his seat belt as he turned off the ignition. She placed a hand on his arm and smiled weakly. “This is one battle I should face alone.” With that she kissed his cheek, got out of the vehicle and waved him off before heading to the porch swing where the lie detector was lying in wait to catch Rebecca’s fibs.
Chapter Two
~”You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. You need her, as she needs you."
~George R.R. Martin, ‘A Game of Thrones’
Rebecca
Rebecca’s legs got heavier with each step she took towards Grandmother Catherine; it was like she was walking through quick sand; quick sand that got thicker and higher as she waded through. Her heart raced. She nervously wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. The last thing she needed was to let her body language give her away. The lie was thorough and made perfect sense she reminded herself as she walked the rest of the way to the porch swing.
“Grandma, I’m so sorry. Jacks and I were studying for a history paper last night and we fell asleep.” The words tumbled out so fast she thought about slapping her hand over her mouth for a moment. Instead she hurried on with her story. “I would’ve called but we were sleeping and the moment we woke up we were heading over here…”
“Becca, please sit down. The neighbors are getting curious.” Catherine’s voice was smooth, and held no hint of disappointment or worry. Her appearance on the other hand suggested she had done a lot of worrying this morning. Her sapphire blue eyes, eyes they shared, were bloodshot and looked tired. Her strong hands gripped the mug of tea she was holding tightly. Her white knuckles were more obvious as she moved the unsteady cup towards her mouth.
Rebecca glanced around and noticed nosy Miss Sullivan paying more attention to the action playing out on their porch than watering her lawn. Mr. Logan, who had stepped outside in his robe to get the paper and mail stood watching them as well. Rebecca sighed heavily, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Grandmother was so much like their mother in that regard. Always concerned with what other people thought of them; hiding anything that was strange or could cause trouble for them in the future. Rebecca chalked it up to paranoia and hated that it was something her parents passed onto her and her siblings.
Rebecca took a deep breath and released another sigh as she exhaled. She sat down next to her grandmother who smelled of roses and early morning dew with a little sweet grass mixed in. The scent relaxed Rebecca instantly until she noticed her grandmother’s fingernails covered in dirt, revealing she had been up for quite some time working on the roses and probably worrying the whole time where Becca was and why she hadn’t slept in her bed last night. Grandma was overprotective at times and Rebecca’s behavior last night would bring on the protection police.
“Sorry.” Rebecca said as her grandmother waved at her neighbors who quickly went back to whatever they were doing before their drama had caught their attention. While Rebecca hated that the “paranoid” trait was passed onto them, she respected and loved her grandmother who took them in when they had no one. She provided a safe home while asking for so little in return. Keeping the neighbors from gossiping about their family was the least she could do for her. As far as she was concerned, Grandmother Catherine was a saint. It was amazing how she swooped in and rescued them when their world was falling apart; rescued them even after being banned from seeing her grandchildren before both parents died. It only made her feel more guilt about the lie she was spinning now. Rebecca found it interesting she had no problem lying to other people she didn’t care about, but when it came to her loved ones, her guilt cut deep.
“When your mother was a young girl she liked to find mischief and push the boundaries. That meant many late nights and sometimes nights she didn’t make it home. She told me similar stories. In fact, if I close my eyes right now I can almost see her standing in your place.” She chuckled lightly. “Anyway, she and I both knew the stories weren’t true just tiny little lies to make us both feel better. One night, however, she did not come hom
e and the next day I received a ransom call.”
Rebecca stopped her mind from wandering and listened carefully, guilt increasing as her grandmother continued.
“It was a week before we got her back and she was never the same free spirit after that. She refused to tell me what happened but it was like her innocence was taken from her. I felt like a failure. After that I became a strict parent. I had no desire to see her go through that again. I suppose that is one of the reasons she went along with your father’s decision to lock me out of your lives.” She blew on her tea. It was an unnecessary habit; they both knew her tea was no longer hot.
“I’m sure that’s not…” Grandmother smiled and held her hand up to stop Rebecca from continuing.
“Oh, there was more to it than that. I said it was probably one of the reasons, not the only reason. What I’m trying to say is our family is more powerful than you can imagine and there are people out there who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt us if the chance came available. You children face double the risk because your father also came from a strong family.” Her eyes got watery and Rebecca was afraid the tears would spill over onto her cheeks. Her grandmother managed to keep them under control as she stood up and started towards the front door. “You’re about a month away from turning eighteen. You and I both know what you were trying to pass off as an excuse is nothing more than a lie. Maybe someday, I hope someday, you learn you can trust me with the truth.” Without another word she walked into the house leaving Rebecca alone with her guilt and more than enough thoughts to ponder.
She had no idea what her grandmother was talking about being from powerful families. Her life was normal, ordinary, nothing that would ever suggest they came from families that had money. They were always comfortable, but never wealthy. Maybe that was a piece of the puzzle in her parents’ death that was missing. Maybe this hidden secret was what brought about their deaths.
Rebecca closed her eyes. The possibilities of what this information offered were endless and would take some time to sort through; time she did not have at the moment. She could hear her grandmother and Hunter talking in the kitchen. He was informing her he and Savvy had practice this afternoon. The smell of bacon and eggs drifted out of the house signaling that grandma was making breakfast. Savvy would be up soon so Rebecca decided to go inside in hopes she could avoid anymore questions. She did not like lying to her. If she thought Grandma Catherine was a lie detector, Savvy was even harder to fool.
When she entered the house, Hunter waved happily from the table where he was chowing down on a bowl of cereal; the first course of a full breakfast if she knew her brother. Teenage boys eat a lot of food, far more than one would think. It seemed to her that most of the time she saw him he was eating something. Other than that, he was locked away in his room doing God knows what. She loved him but that didn’t mean she understood him.
Rebecca gave him a dazzling smile and strong bear hug from behind. He fussed, "let me go, sis. You’re going to break me in half." She quickly released him for fear that she was hugging too hard; it was no secret that super strength was part of the deal. Instead she ruffled his short blonde curls that framed his strong face and kissed him on the cheek as he rubbed his side. "Geez, sis! Anyone ever tell you that you’re tougher than you look?"
"No, I can't say that they have." She grinned and poured herself a cup of coffee. "You should be thankful you have sisters who love you so much. Most people don't."
"Well I’m not ashamed to tell you that you should lay off the steroids for a while. That hug was brutal." He grinned past the mouthful of cereal as he scooped it into his mouth, rolled his eyes, swallowed quickly and said, "Thanks for loving me so much you want to break me in half."
"Point taken. I guess I’ll go wake up Savvy.”
"She’s already been up and driving me crazy. I think she went for a drive or run or something a little bit ago.” Another shovel of cereal went into his mouth. Grandmother placed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon on the table and he was already loading up his plate with both.
Rebecca took a sip of coffee and realized it would taste better after she brushed her teeth. That decided, she and her Grand Canyon mug headed upstairs to the room she shared with Savannah. As she walked up the stairs she heard Hunter answer his phone, "Hey there." His tone was full of excitement. It was rare enough that she decided to focus her ears on the conversation and heard the female voice on the other end. She did not recognize who the voice belonged to but definitely heard the disappointment in his voice when the girl said she would not be going to football practice with him this afternoon. "That's okay. I’ll catch a ride with Savvy. She has practice this afternoon too. I hope your visit with your aunt goes well."
Rebecca closed her eyes and decided to see what other senses were getting stronger. The house smelled the same as it always had on the surface. The roses her grandmother picked daily left a distinctive sweet scent in every room of the house. She focused deeper below the surface and was able to smell different scents on the air. They were of herbs, the kind she didn’t recognize. She was not really an herb person. That was her sister's specialty. She continued to reach out, only this time with all her senses. She could smell her brother's disappointment and grandmother's anger mixed with sadness.
As her senses circled the house, fine tuning their strength, she picked up on someone outside. This scent carried a level of danger on the breeze, apparently a window was open somewhere otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to break the barrier on the house. She followed the scent, danger mixed with fear and sprinkled with anticipation of a hunt. Her ears were alert. She focused her eyes as she walked into her bedroom locating the open window. The fear and anticipation swirled around, and inside her, driving her closer to the window. She was intrigued by the danger that awaited her. She recognized the flight or fight response, only this time it hit her with more intensity. Her head got light. Her breathing became shallow. Her eyes zeroed into tunnel vision, and her ears tuned into the source of it all.
She made her way to the window, coffee mug clutched to her heart. She knew it would do little to protect her, but it made her feel better for the moment. Her eyes surveyed the side yard. And then, suddenly, she felt an astral-physical punch on her chest. Her instincts forced her to look up as that inner voice spoke in her mind, ‘Danger! Get away from the window.' She stumbled back a step, looking around to see if someone else was in the room with her. She couldn’t figure out where the warning came from, but she heard it loud and clear in her mind. She had talked to herself before, but this was different. The voice sounded like her yet… wasn’t. She wanted to investigate, but her body was being flooded with hormones that put her senses on high alert and put her into action mode. She felt like she was losing control of her mind and body. It was like two people were fighting for control in her head and she wasn’t sure who was winning.
The warning was too late. She looked down the street and her enhanced eyes zeroed in on the figure dressed in black from head to toe. He, it looked like a he, stood a few houses down the block staring at her through the window.
"Who’s that?" She found herself whispering. She couldn't make out his face, despite her best efforts to use the new gifts she had. One thing was certain, he was familiar to her; someone she knew, someone she recognized. How she knew him left a nagging ache in her mind. It struck a chord deep inside her and left her feeling vulnerable and exposed, danger be damned.
Whoever it was made the voice in Rebecca’s mind scream another warning. 'Get away from the window, you fool.’
What in the world was happening? She wanted to scream, was she going crazy? She decided the best thing she could do was ignore it. Instead she focused on the danger outside her window, unwilling to believe she was losing her mind. "Hey!" She ignored the voice and yelled at the shadowy figure.
His eyes locked on hers, for just a moment she thought they were glowing red, but quickly dismissed this thought. His stare froze her to the core and left her immo
bile. Something about the man gave her good reason to be frightened. After what seemed like minutes, he turned on his heel and vanished down the street, releasing whatever spell he cast on her.
She shivered when he was gone. Nothing about him felt good. She slammed the window shut, taking gratification in the small attempt to block him or any other intruder out of her home. She decided to call Dianna and see if her sponsor was ready to come out of hiding. Maybe she knew something about the man. Perhaps Dianna had sent the stranger to keep an eye on her? Rebecca would feel better if he was involved with the wolves in someway. She dialed her friend’s number and the call went straight to voicemail. For the briefest moment she wondered if she had done something wrong, but nothing she could’ve done would’ve made Dianna turn her back on her, or so she hoped.
With a heavy sigh she redialed the number and waited for the familiar voicemail to finish, "This is Dianna, you know what to do." The beep came only moments afterwards and Rebecca left a message. "Hey Dianna, I’m getting worried, I didn’t see you at the meet up last night. Please call me back and let me know you’re okay." And with that she hung up the phone. A small level of pleasure ran through her as she mentally checked off one thing from her to do list. She set the coffee down and went to gargle and brush her teeth several times.
She tilted her head at her reflection in the mirror. Something was off. She was tired and seeing things. It was expected after the trauma she went through in the last twenty-four hours. But as she squinted her eyes, examining the reflection a little closer, she noticed her eyes were darker, almost purple. She reached a hand towards the reflection, focusing deeper until her vision blurred at the ends. Before her finger skimmed the surface of the large wall size mirror her reflection jumped towards her and said, ‘Boo.’
Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series) Page 2