“Promise?” she whispered.
Holden nodded once.
A shiver shot down her spine. Rachael mumbled her thanks and unbuckled herself. She dreaded leaving the car, especially into the pouring rain, but she forced her anxiety down and braved the torrential onslaught. Her hands were frigid in the short time it took her to reach the front door and fumble for her keys. Once the deadbolt unlocked she let herself in. Her dad was nowhere to be seen, and a quick peek in the master bedroom told her he was still at work.
She didn’t bother changing this time, allowing water to leave squishy prints on old hardwood floor and carpeting. Rachael only turned on the light to her bathroom. Once her toothbrush was in hand, a strange tremor overtook her.
She was spending the night with a boy. From the way others at school bragged it was not a new experience, but Rachael had never particularly gravitated toward breaking the rules before. Not to say that she’d never had crushes or fantasies. But to actively break one of her dad’s rules still made her stiffen with fear and a uniquely adrenalized excitement.
She paused at the sink to lean against it, heedless of her sopping wet hair hanging around her in a straggled mess. Rachael inhaled and exhaled deeply, closing her eyes and forcing herself to chase away her more “inappropriate” thoughts.
This was doable, she told herself. It was going to be perfectly innocent. Though she couldn’t help but admit she would have liked for Holden to kiss her one more time.
She counted the seconds until her nerves calmed. Rain splattered loudly against her hazy bathroom window, churning out a soothing melody that finally relaxed her muscles and furious heartrate. Her face still flushed, Rachael turned off the light and hurried down the stairs and threw the front door open.
The driveway was empty.
Chapter Thirteen
He would have called his dreams dark, but the word didn’t even come close to describing the void that swallowed Aaron’s psyche. It was akin to floating along in nothingness, where he could not see, hear, or touch anything. But he did desperately try to feel something other than the fear that gripped him and squeezed until he tried—and failed—to scream.
Fortunately, Aaron jolted awake to the sound of shouting.
“Why would you even try that? What the hell is wrong with you?”
The bleariness in his eyes vanished after a couple blinks. Aaron rapidly sat up, not bothering to change or make his bed before he crept into the hallway. No voice answered the shouter, so he could only assume they were either mute or on the phone.
Jackson’s voice swelled again. “Because he’s a loser, RayRay! I told you so. Why else would some—” A slew of curses spurted forth that even made Aaron’s eyebrows raise. “—just ditch you like that?”
This time Aaron could hear a faintly tinny response, like someone answering over a cell phone. “First you were mad I wanted to spend the night with him, now you’re mad he left me?”
Aaron folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. Eavesdropping was not the best of habits, but then, lycans were not the best of humans. He continued to listen.
“No, I’m mad that you’re even entertaining this douchebag!”
Rachael’s voice turned to disgust. “Why, because he’s not friends with you?”
“That’s not—”
“I don’t care.”
“RayRay—”
“You’re not Dad, Jackie, so stop it!”
Aaron frowned down at his bare feet. Apparently something had gone down during the night to rile up an emotional Rachael to an even more frantically energized state. And that something, from Jackson’s visceral reaction, deeply involved Holden.
He calmly inched closer to the pup’s open bedroom door. Jackson didn’t even seem to notice him during his furious ranting at his sister. From the sounds of it, Rachael was giving him as good as he was getting. Though her demeanor was mild, the girl lit a startling blaze if she was pushed far enough. And between her brother’s impending death sentence and whatever drama was in her way, she had clearly been shoved.
Jackson sputtered a few broken protests, but very quickly the fighting devolved into muffled crying from Rachael’s end. She quickly ended the call. Jackson swore once again and tossed his phone onto his bed. He whirled as though to storm out, but stopped short once he noticed Aaron. His dark eyes widened. “Oh… I, uh….”
“Quite the argument,” said Aaron.
The pup’s eyes closed and his shoulders sagged. “You heard it all?”
Aaron didn’t move from his spot, deliberately taking up the threshold with his presence. “You cannot assume privacy in this house.”
Jackson turned his head to scowl at the wall. “I know,” he muttered. “Sorry for waking you.”
With a dismissive shrug, Aaron pressed. “Given your predicament I would advise against fighting with your sister.”
He was given a startled glare. “It’s not like I hate Holden,” insisted Jackson. A little too defensively, in Aaron’s opinion. “He’s an okay dude. But he doesn’t treat her right.”
It was strangely endearing how he worried over his sister’s romantic prospects even knowing he could die within the week. Aaron cocked a humorless smile. “Rest assured knowing that even if he had taken her in, Holden possesses some… antiquated… concepts of how a young woman ought to be treated.”
The look Jackson gave him said the thought hardly assuaged his concerns.
That was about as much advice as Aaron had to offer. Instead he changed the subject. “I would also highly suggest you call your sister back and apologize.”
Jackson groaned and ran a hand through his short hair. He turned around and began to pace agitatedly. “She won’t answer. I know her like this. I used to get her so mad she would pretend I didn’t exist for days.” He fell ominously silent; he didn’t need to explain why. Aaron had heard, and seen some of, it before. Whenever he said Rachael “used to” do something, Jackson was silently tacking on, Before our mom got sick.
If he were to be honest with himself, Aaron truly did not want to deal with any of this at the moment. What he truly wanted was to go back to bed and try to get some restful sleep.
But if he just did what he wanted, he would not be alpha.
Instead, Aaron said calmly, “Something tells me your sister has more concerns on her mind than this petty squabble.”
Jackson nodded but continued to stand in frustrated silence. With a slight shake of his head, Aaron turned and began to head down toward the living room.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind him, but stopped at the top of the stairwell. “Where are you going?”
Without looking back, Aaron answered briefly. “Hunting.” A sharp intake of breath spoke of Jackson’s desire to say something, but the pup remained silent. Aaron didn’t pause, though he did glance at the couch to find Nathan sprawled on the opposite end of where he’d left the boy. Soon he was out the back door and shifting into his wolf form.
With it came blissful freedom. Aaron relished the change. Long gone were the days where his joints popped and bones snapped. Shapeshifting was more of a rush than any experience skydiving; more addictive than any drug he had known throughout the years. Over time the pain became pleasure, and it took decades of self-control to keep from doing it on a whim. In the past it had not been so bad, but these days humans had stronger weapons. They were closer to being on par with the lycans at the top of the food chain.
Excitement flowed through him as his body crackled and shifted, transforming him into a sleek black beast. Aaron took a few experimental steps before he bolted into the woods.
The wolf was famished. And Douglas Park was ripe with prey.
As a creature who could be either human or canine Aaron found there were significant advantages and disadvantages to both. As a wolf his hearing was better, his sense of smell was sharper, and he could move with predatory quickness. He could stomach raw meat; in fact it was delicious. There was also the thrill of the hunt
, a sensation that could not be matched as a human. And, of course, the pure and unadulterated freedom that came from running through the woods unhindered by clumsy, oversized legs.
Perhaps best of all was how he could become so overwhelmed with taking in all the joys of his animal nature without having to worry about his very human problems. That didn’t mean they were gone altogether. As Aaron came closer to a familiar neck of woods, he recognized the smell. He was gaining ground on the sequoia where Beatrice had died.
As a man he might have paused. As a wolf he turned and loped off in the other direction.
The morning was blissful. He stalked and hunted down a fawn that had been separated from its mother, and it provided more than enough nourishment. Once he was done he left the carcass for scavengers. There was a lovely symmetry to nature’s carnivores, he thought. It was they who killed the weak and left the strong to grow, and they who provided carrion-eaters their meals so that they, too, could survive. There was no downside to what he was.
As Aaron cautiously ambled through the brush, a sound caught his attention. He lifted his head, ears pointing toward the sound. And then he held quietly, perfectly still.
Somebody was taking a stroll.
Curious, he adjusted so he was lying low to the ground. Springy pine needles, wet from the previous night’s downpour, aided in his stealth. There he waited, too intent on the gradually approaching footsteps to enjoy his surroundings. Safety of him and his pack always came first.
He caught the intruder’s scent before he saw them. Tension coiled within his muscles, and he continued to lie in wait. No need to jump right out—motivation was just as important to determine as identity.
When Rachael stepped into view, the sunlight caught her tumble of hair and made it shine like a halo. It was just a moment, but it took his breath away. Right then he was reminded of a superior benefit of his human form: seeing it all in black and white was not nearly as effective.
She hesitated in mid-step and glanced around guardedly. Instinct appeared to scream at her because she stopped there and waited. Her eyes were sharp and alert. Even from where he lay, Aaron could see a faint wetness to them.
In a soft, slightly wavering voice, she called out, “Holden?”
No, not quite, thought Aaron dryly. But it seemed as good a time as ever. He rose and broke through a small bundle of bushes. The sound made her start, and she whirled to face him. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw set.
“Aaron, I’m guessing,” she said flatly.
He sat down to show her he intended her no harm. Rachael’s expression remained hard, but her body relaxed a touch.
“So you’re not going to kill me?” she asked.
Another disadvantage to his lycan form: she could not understand the sidelong look he gave her filled with scorn at the very idea. Time and time again he had shown her leniency like he had allowed no other human, and still she persisted with the morbid fantasy of his desire for spilling her blood. All he could do was look away pointedly.
Rachael sighed heavily. “Well, great. Thanks for sparing my life but not my brother’s.”
Aaron twisted his well-muscled neck to look at her, growling a warning almost imperceptible to human ears. Yet she heard it, and immediately pressed her lips together as though embarrassed for her attitude.
Good.
They watched each other in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Rachael began to fidget first, looking left and right and tugging on locks of her hair. She chewed her lip and looked at her feet, all while Aaron patiently waited.
At last, she blurted, “I’m trying to find more evidence.”
Aaron dipped his head in acknowledgement. He had figured as much. The young woman was certainly tenacious when she needed to be. There was a small yet remarkable difference in her compared to the girl he had met two years before. If anything, it was mostly an improvement.
“I’m sorry—I mean, I’m not, you were pretty rude last night. But I don’t completely buy that the tooth is Nathan’s. Or maybe it is, but… I mean, did you even think about it? Did you even see it happen? Why did he lose it out there? And you guys are smart—why would he leave it there? I thought that would just be proof of your existence that you wouldn’t want.”
She continued to rant, but Aaron found himself silently agreeing. He had thought many of the same things the night before. But presented with the evidence, especially with Holden attempting to back her up, had been too much. All Aaron could do at the time was handle the situation civilly while refraining from gutting the hapless pup a second time.
Truth be told, Rachael was utterly oblivious to how close she had come to witnessing another death. Aaron intended to keep it that way for a little longer.
Rachael quickly ran out of steam. She blew out a long breath, hanging her head in contemplation. Aaron remained still while she gathered herself.
Raising her head, Rachael asked, “What are you doing out here, anyway?”
Aaron shifted without standing. He lapped at his muzzle with a long tongue.
Her eyes widened a fraction, but she remained relaxed. “Ah. Yeah, I forget you guys do that sometimes.” Aaron snorted, and she graced him with a faint smile in response.
Just as quickly her smile vanished and she placed her hands on her hips. “Can you change into a human? Or are you still not talking to me?”
He didn’t particularly want to go over the Jackson problem again. More importantly, Aaron had no way to change back and remain clothed—and he had no good way to communicate this to her. So he grunted and shook himself, to which she furrowed her brow in confusion.
“Aa-aaron!”
The high-pitched squeal relieved him from any further discomfort. Aaron stood on all fours, his ears twitching and tail wagging slightly as his brother stumbled upon them. And, smart kid, he’d brought clothes.
Dark yet eerily bright eyes turned to Rachael, and Nathan said, “He doesn’t have pants.” She stared at the boy, momentarily uncomprehending. Then a sudden rush of blood touched her face and Rachael mumbled an acknowledgement before she turned around. Aaron trotted back behind the bushes. Before his brother followed, he said sternly, “No peeking!”
Even as a wolf, Aaron could express his humor through a toothy smile.
Nathan stood determinedly at watch, shooting his brother a knowing look and a nod. Aaron returned the nod. He then lay on the damp ground, closed his eyes, and reversed the change.
Going back to human took a little longer, perhaps because if Aaron had to pick he held a slight preference for being a wolf. But it didn’t hurt, so the familiar centuries-old crunching was quick and sweet. Once he was back to normal his brother handed him a damp cloth to wipe the dirt and pine needles free. With that Aaron was able to rapidly dress into his comfortable pressed slacks, button-up shirt, and polished shoes.
For as frustrating as he could be, moments like these reminded Aaron of the unending thoughtfulness in Nathan. He crouched before the boy, offering him a slight grin. “How did you know?”
Nathan jumped a little. His expression went through a rapid array of emotions before he seemed to realize he wasn’t in trouble. By the time he settled on a look of sweet serenity, Aaron’s suspicions were heightened.
“You went huntin’ without me,” said Nathan. “And I wasn’t sure you’d be done or not when I found ya.”
There was much more to it than that. But to let Nathan know he was on to him would only make things worse in the long run. Aaron patted him on the shoulder and stood. He found Rachael back where they had left her, with her back still to him.
Coolly, he said, “What do you want, Ms. Adair?”
She turned to look him up and down, apparently relieved he did, indeed, have clothes. Rachael straightened her spine and opened her mouth, but stopped when Nathan came to stand beside Aaron. “Ah... hi, Nathan.”
Nathan beamed. “Hi, Miss Rachael!”
Rachael hesitated, but then her grey eyes steeled over. She turned back to
Aaron and kept her voice firm. “Can we talk alone, please?”
His brother’s face fell, but while Aaron could somewhat sympathize he also didn’t need to have Nathan’s feelings hurt. “Go back to the house.”
In a show that seemed quietly defiant, Nathan shifted from foot to foot. “Can I play outside?”
Aaron narrowed his eyes at the boy, but Nathan refused to back down. Finally Aaron said, “Go out of earshot.”
He thought Nathan might protest. Instead the boy gave an enthusiastic nod, waved goodbye to Rachael, and bolted deeper into the woods. Aaron followed his vanishing form with heightened skepticism. He was overly familiar with Nathan’s attempts at deceit, and his actions had lies written all over them just as they had with Beatrice years before. Unlike then, Aaron intended to follow through with swiftness.
But for the time being he gave Rachael his attention. “I urge you to make this quick.”
Her muscles went stiff. “Don’t ever, ever tell me to make something this important ‘quick,’” she hissed. A slight breeze toyed with her hair, which she angrily brushed from her eyes. “You give all this—this lip service about the pack, but you’re just trying to throw him under the bus!”
Aaron rolled his eyes heavenward. Heavily, he said, “You want to talk about evidence that is not evidence. You have found nothing conclusive. Feel free to continue your search, but regardless of what you think, I shall be pursuing other avenues.”
“You—” She broke off and clenched her fists. “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?” he sneered. In the same instant he said it, Aaron knew it was a mistake, but he held his ground. Never show weakness, not even to your closest confidante, Sanjana had once told him. Letting Rachael know she was getting under his skin was far from wise.
“This!” she shouted, spreading her arms wide. Tears sprang into her eyes, though they did not fall. “Shoving me off. Trying to keep me out of it. Jackie is my brother. I already lost my mom, and yes, I get that you’re trying to make up for it, but it can’t possibly count if I lose him, too!”
Secrets in the Fade (Secrets of the Sequoia Book 2) Page 12