by C. C. Hunter
Each time she came close to the fence, the temptation to jump over it and go see Brandon hit. She didn’t. Because that would just make her look guilty.
After about three more laps, her lungs struggling to breathe, she collapsed on a large rock by a stream. Only a little more than twenty-four hours until the full moon offered her escape from the hurt, but it couldn’t come soon enough.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. Then she closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely.
Once she’d cried it out, she pulled her phone from her pocket and texted Brandon.
Sorry. Can’t make it today. See you Friday.
She hoped she could see him Friday. Hoped by then she’d figure a way out of the jam Cary had put her in.
She got a text right back.
Damn. I was looking forward to seeing you.
Me, too.
Everything OK?
No,
she typed. Then deleted it. The last thing she wanted was to get Brandon involved in her problems. He had enough on his own plate.
Fine. Except missing you.
Miss you, too. How did you get under my skin so fast?
Sorry.
Don’t be. You make me … happy.
Closing her eyes, she held the phone to her heart. His message offered a slight reprieve from the pain collecting there. What she wouldn’t give to have him hold her right now. To feel the sense of happiness sneak into her chest and chase away all the pain, the injustice that seemed to be a legacy left to her by her father.
A few minutes later, she jumped off the rock and started back to her cabin, but that’s when she heard it again.
The rush of water.
What did the falls want with her this time?
* * *
It was dark, almost seven, and her clothes were still wet from the falls when Fredericka stepped up onto the cabin’s front porch. Somehow the trip to the falls had led her to this idea. Had it come from the death angels? Maybe. She just hoped it worked.
The door swung open before she knocked.
Della, her vampire eyes already a bright lime green, stood there staring at Fredericka. “Just take your wolf ass away from here. I swear to God, if you lay one finger on Kylie, I’ll have you whimpering like a pup.”
Fredericka held her chin up. “I didn’t do it.”
“Really?” Della said, but with her head still tilted to the right to hear Fredericka’s heartbeat, she looked puzzled.
Fredericka inhaled to find out if Kylie was here. When the chameleon’s scent was absent, Fredericka asked, “Where is she?”
“Like I would tell you,” Della said.
Fredericka frowned. To make this plan work she needed Kylie. The same girl she was being accused of threatening. She just prayed that Kylie didn’t believe it. Because if she did, she’d have no reason to help Fredericka.
“Let her in,” a voice called from inside.
Fredericka recognized Miranda’s witch scent, and her voice. For some odd reason, she felt she had an ally in the girl. And right now, Fredericka could use all the help she could get. Though, she didn’t have a clue why the witch would agree to help.
“Can I please come in?” Fredericka asked.
Della didn’t move, except to look back over her shoulder, at Miranda. “Why should I let her in?”
“Because I believe her,” Miranda said.
She does? Fredericka lifted up on her tiptoes, to see Miranda standing by the kitchen table.
Della huffed. “Yeah, but you still believe in Santa Claus, too!”
“Just let her in,” the witch said.
Della stepped back, but she gave Fredericka a hard, cold look. “I’m watching you.”
Fredericka rolled her eyes and moved in. Rumor was that Della was one kickass vampire. Oddly, Fredericka wasn’t afraid of her. If Kylie liked her, the girl couldn’t be all bad.
Fredericka walked all the way inside to stand beside her newfound ally, Miranda.
“Where is Kylie?” Fredericka asked the witch.
“Don’t answer her.” Della shut the door and came into the kitchen.
Miranda smiled and ignored the vampire. “She and Lucas ran to the store for Holiday. But she should be back in a few minutes. Sit down.” She walked over to the fridge and pulled out two Diet Cokes. She held one out to Fredericka and one to Della. “You want one?”
“Thanks.” Fredericka reached out and accepted the drink and sat down. Then curiosity got the best of her and she looked up at the witch. “Why do you believe me?”
“Now there’s a good question.” Della plopped down in the chair at the end of the table.
Chapter Thirteen
Fredericka waited for the witch to answer.
“I don’t know,” Miranda said and popped the top of her soda. “Sixth sense, maybe.”
“Like that’s dependable,” Della said and opened her soda.
“Just ignore her,” Miranda said. “We have to do that all the time. She’s difficult. It’s not her fault. A bitch bug crawled up her butt accidently. We love her anyway.”
Fredericka looked at the vampire who shot the witch the finger. The two of them were famous for arguing, but something told Fredericka they were the kind of friends Fredericka could only dream of having.
“I really didn’t do it,” she told Della. “Kylie and I have made amends. I don’t wish her any harm.”
Della tilted her head again to listen for lies. “Okay, if you didn’t do it, who did? Who wants to hurt Kylie?”
Fredericka hesitated to answer, but decided if she was going to tell Kylie—and she was—she might as well tell these two. She had a feeling they shared everything. “I don’t think anyone is trying to hurt Kylie. It’s me they want to hurt.”
Kylie walked in right then. “Who’s trying to hurt you?” She went straight to the refrigerator and got herself a drink.
“I didn’t leave that picture,” Fredericka said, not sure how much the girl had heard.
“Oh, I know that.” The confidence with which Kylie said it brought some emotion to Fredericka’s chest. Was this what it was like to have friends? That they just believed in you when no one else did?
“Thanks. Not everyone thinks that,” Fredericka said.
“If you mean me, I didn’t say I believed you did it,” Della said. “I’m just being cautious. It’s part of a vampire’s nature.”
Fredericka looked at Della. “I didn’t mean you. I mean … Holiday and Mr. James.”
“They don’t think you did it either,” Kylie said and dropped down in a chair.
“Yeah, they do, but that’s not important. I came to see if you would help me … help me prove it to them.” Fredericka noticed all three girls looking at her. “No one will get hurt. It’s completely safe.”
“Well, you just took all the fun out of it,” Della said.
“Would you shut your trap and let her finish?” Miranda snapped.
“What’s your plan?” Kylie asked.
* * *
At seven the next morning, Fredericka slowly walked into the cabin where she had history class. She inhaled to make sure Cary was there. He was.
She didn’t pick up any other scents, which was good. Please let this work.
With her nerves firing, she walked toward the back where he usually hid away in his office. But then she stopped. Better if it took place out here.
Just to get his attention, she dropped her books on his desk. She heard him scuffling out of his chair. No doubt, he’d already picked up her scent and knew it was her. Considering tonight was a full moon, and a were was at his strongest right now, it wasn’t the ideal time to do this. But she had to clear her name.
“Look who showed up early.” He leaned against the door frame. “Have you had a change of heart?”
She felt her pulse racing, praying this worked. She’d spent most of the night trying to think of exactly how to play this. Exactly what to say.
“Why are you doi
ng this?” she asked.
“Doing what?” He offered her his cocky grin.
“What is it going to take to stop you?” she countered.
He let his gaze move down her body, in a totally indecent way. Then he inhaled again, as if checking to make sure no one else was around and deciding whether this was a trick.
It was a trick. But she prayed he didn’t figure that out.
“You know what I want?” he said after testing the air.
“No, I don’t know. Because honestly, I don’t think you even like me that much. You’re going to Europe as soon as school’s out instead of staying here with me.”
“I told you I wasn’t going to be gone all summer. Not that … we have to wait until summer to get to know each other.” That look appeared in his eyes again.
“I thought you were worried about your job?” she said.
“That was before.”
“Before what?” she asked.
“Before I knew exactly the type of relationship we would have.”
“And what kind of relationship is that?” She felt the sting all the way to her toes.
He shook his head. “You are a daughter of a rogue, Fredericka. You know we can’t have a real relationship. But I can give you what you need so you don’t have to throw yourself at some human.”
It took everything she had not to go for his throat and tie his freaking vocal cords around his neck. “He’s my boss.”
“He was your boss. You’re going to tell him that you changed your mind.”
“I signed a contract,” she said, not sure how much she needed him to say.
“You will walk away from him!” He moved in and grabbed her elbow. His fingers dug into her forearm. “Or I’ll get your ass thrown out of this school. Do. You. Hear. Me?”
“I. Hear. You! Release her!” Burnett’s voice boomed into the room before he became visible. As long as he held Kylie’s hand, no one would see or hear him. Obviously, he’d released her. He became visible … and his presence held more intimidation than his voice. Within seconds, he had Cary against the wall, his hand around his throat.
“You will pack your things and be out of here before class begins. And don’t you think I won’t report this. Your teaching career, Mr. Cannon, is history!” Burnett seethed and dropped his hand.
As Cary gasped for air, Burnett looked at Fredericka. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she said and didn’t realize until then that she was rubbing her arm where Cary had held her.
“Kylie, can you walk with Fredericka to the office?” Burnett asked. “I still have a few things to discuss with this piece of shit.”
* * *
“I’m sorry,” Fredericka said to Holiday a few minutes later. Kylie had left. Burnett was still escorting Cary off the Shadow Falls property.
“What are you sorry for?” Holiday asked.
“I brought on all this trouble.”
“He brought on all this trouble, young lady. You didn’t do a thing. Except not tell us what was going on.”
“I thought I could solve it myself.”
Holiday sat up in her chair. “No, you were afraid to trust anyone else. There’s a difference.”
Fredericka looked down at her lap. Holiday was right, but … “I went to Kylie.”
“Yeah. I suppose that was a step.”
Mr. James walked in. He looked down at Fredericka. “Don’t ever let a man treat you like that,” he growled.
She nodded and bit back the need to apologize.
He looked at his wife. “Did she take it?”
Fredericka got a feeling she knew what they were talking about.
Holiday shook her head. Burnett sat on the edge of the desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out an envelope. “You know, most weres are more afraid of being afraid than they are actually afraid. You’re an exception.”
She looked at him, her mind racing to understand his meaning. “Is that a roundabout way of calling me a coward?”
“Are you?” he asked. “A coward?”
She wasn’t really angry, just annoyed. “You two,” she said, pointing to him and Holiday, “act as if by reading this, it will fix something. There’s not—”
“Oh, hell no, it won’t fix shit. You can’t fix the past, Fredericka. But you can learn from it.” He paused. “You can get answers. Some of us would love answers.”
“Look…” Holiday started to speak up, but her husband shook his head at her. “Let me finish,” he told his wife and faced Fredericka again.
She stared up at him, not really following him.
“I’ve never told anyone this other than my wife, but I was found at a garbage dump when I was six weeks old. And I’m not too proud to tell you that it hurts like hell knowing I meant so little to my parents. Especially now that I have Hannah and know how precious children are. But if I had an envelope that could tell me something, I’d read it so fast your head would spin. You know why? Because … I know that what I imagine has to be worse than the truth.”
Tears filled Fredericka’s eyes; partly for the strong man baring his soul, and partly for herself. Right then she understood why so many of the students respected this man.
“But it is worse,” Fredericka said. “I already know that. I told myself he was dead all these years. It was easier believing that than … than thinking he just abandoned me.”
Burnett inhaled. “Look, Holiday spoke with the friend of your dad who brought this envelope. She knows some of what is in here and she tells me that you need to read it. And my wife,” he put his hand on Holiday’s shoulder, “knows her shit. Trust her. I know it’s hard. When people have let you down in life, it’s hard to trust. It took me forever to learn that. But I finally did. I realized that you can’t let the past control you or define your future. This is your life, Fredericka. You define what you are by how you live, but to do that, you need to let go of it. Read this.”
He held out the envelope. Fredericka’s hands shook, but she took it.
* * *
At eleven fifty that night, her blood fizzing, preparing for the upcoming shift, her heart reeling from reading her father’s letter, Fredericka started out to meet the other Shadow Falls weres. As she moved through the woods, she lifted her face hoping to catch Lucas’s scent. He wasn’t nearby yet.
She’d heard he’d been looking for her earlier, but she’d spent the afternoon and evening working in the shop, trying to get her necklace sets finished. Now, however, she needed to explain why she wouldn’t be running with the pack tonight.
Standing in the midst of the woods, night noises filling the dark silence, her phone dinged. Earlier, she and Brandon had been texting back and forth. She’d been tempted to go see him this afternoon, but with her emotions heightened and the slight physical changes due to her upcoming shift, she worried he might notice something. But as the night grew darker, she started worrying about something completely different.
Brandon’s safety.
Now that Cary couldn’t hurt her, would he go after Brandon? Before she’d assumed Cary cared too much about his job to do something stupid. Now he didn’t have that job.
She’d warned Brandon about Cary—the best she could. Telling him only that the teacher had quit and was upset, and that she’d explain later, but for him to be careful.
She was unclear about what all she could tell him. She knew she couldn’t tell him she was worried her teacher would show up at his house as a were.
Cary wasn’t stupid, he knew that crimes done by weres when they were shifted were often overlooked. At least by the Were Council, but not so much by the FRU.
And yes, Burnett had informed her that he’d warned Cary that he would be keeping an eye on his every step. But was Cary arrogant enough to think he could get away with anything?
She pulled her phone from her pocket, and saw Brandon’s name. She read his message.
You’re probably asleep, but I just walked outside and realized what tonight is. No wonder I feel
so … antsy. Do you ever feel that way during a full moon? If you’re still awake, go peek at it. It’s beautiful and somehow alluring.
She stopped and looked up at the moon through the trees. Would it be so wrong to tell him the truth? She recalled Holiday saying it could be bad. Could. Could be bad. Which meant there was a chance it could not be bad?
So caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t pick up the scents or hear the footsteps until they were right behind her.
Startled, Fredericka swung around, a growl on her lips.
Chapter Fourteen
Lucas and Will, another were, moved in.
“There you are,” Lucas said, his voice deep and his frown apparent. Then he glanced at Will. “I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”
As Will treaded off, his footsteps almost silent on the damp earth, Lucas’s unhappy gaze fell back on her. “What’s going on with you?”
She waited until Will was far enough away not to overhear her response. “What’s wrong?”
“You know what’s wrong!” he growled, and even in the dark night with only a few moon rays to add light, she saw his blue eyes bright with familiar frustration. For sure, she’d heard that tone from him so many times—always when he’d been giving her hell about the tension between her and Kylie.
To his credit, most of those times Fredericka probably deserved his anger, but it hadn’t stopped it from hurting, and more importantly, she didn’t deserve his attitude this time.
And with her emotions on her sleeves due to the lunar energy, Fredericka’s hackles rose. “If this is about that picture of Kylie, then you need to pull your head out of your ass, because I’ve been cleared of that charge! I wouldn’t hurt—”
“I know that,” he interrupted. “I’m talking about Cary Cannon, and your not coming to me when he started acting like an ass! You’re like family to me. And I’m the leader of your pack. You should have come to me.”
“I … I went to Kylie. You two are attached at the hip, so it’s practically like going to you.” Oddly, she hadn’t even considered going to Lucas. And maybe she should have. The pack leader was there to help, but her problems with Cary were … relationship based, not werewolf based.