Wild tigers were beautiful too, but they’d still eat you the moment your back was turned.
Keeping a large amount of distance between them, he circled past her as he went for his truck. Grasping the door handle with his oddly colored hand, he pulled it open and reached inside, emerging a moment later with a spare set of clothes.
He looked over at her, imploring her with his strange red eyes to not leave, and then he walked around the truck. A moment later, she heard the loud pop of bones breaking and reforming, and she knew he was shifting back to his human form.
This was her moment to run. She doubted that he’d chase after her naked, and she was fast. She could be away from him before he even knew she was gone.
Biting her lip, she stared at the truck for a moment. She’d wanted to get her purse, but maybe her sanity was worth more than its contents.
She didn’t know just how dangerous he might really be, and she could replace her things.
She couldn’t replace her life.
Yet, she still couldn’t make herself move. It felt like a huge moment. Trust him or not? Believe that he could be the same man he’d been before he shifted, like she was the same before she shifted?
This was something she just wasn’t sure she could have faith in.
Chapter 11
Cody
Rubbing eyes gritty from lack of sleep, Cody switched off the shower before grabbing a towel. His body felt heavy and sluggish as he dried off and dressed, but his thoughts hadn’t stopped racing since the night before.
Olivia found out about him in the worst possible way, and she’d been scared of him. He’d seen it in her green eyes, in the way she hugged her door as he drove her home.
He was honestly surprised she’d let him. He didn’t think she’d had any intention of allowing him to, but when he pointed out that she might not know the way home—and that her friends probably wouldn’t know where to pick her up at—she reluctantly relented.
Staring at himself in the mirror for a moment, he exhaled heavily as he went back into his bedroom. He immediately checked his phone, but she hadn’t replied to any of the texts he’d sent. Not that he’d expected her to, but he’d hoped.
It was probably stupid, but as he stared at the phone in his hand, he still hoped.
The night started out amazing, and it only continued to get better as the evening went on. That conversation during intermission had been the icing on the cake. Even as the words poured out of him, he thought it was way too soon to be telling her how into her he was—but he hadn’t been able to stop the tidal wave of words.
But it’d actually turned out okay. More than okay, really, because she told him she felt the same pull that he did, that she liked him too, and agreed to give them a shot.
And then the night went to hell in a handbasket faster than he could blink.
Fuck. He wished she hadn’t found out what he was like that. Maybe she could have accepted it easier, or at least tried to, if he’d been able to tell her, if they could have had a discussion about it.
Or maybe her reaction would have been the same. He guessed he’d never know.
What he did know, though, was that someone had learned about his people and had come to take them out. He’d stopped them, but he wasn’t completely sure those had been all of them—and even if they were, he still owed it to his troop to tell them what happened.
With one more glance at his silent phone, he shoved it in his pocket and went downstairs. His grandfather had been gone when he returned home the night before, and he still hadn’t returned, but Lindsey was sitting at the counter when he walked into the kitchen.
Glancing up at his footsteps, she gave him a bright smile. “Hey! How’d it go last night?”
“Really good at first, but it went downhill fast.” Knowing she’d need to be informed about what happened, he told her everything, going into detail in a way he wouldn’t with the others.
Smile fading as his story poured out of him, she listened intently as a frown grew between her brows. Wincing as he finished, she looked at him with sympathy in her brown eyes. “That’s how she found out what you are?”
Running his hand through his damp hair, he nodded wearily. “Yeah. She didn’t say a single word to me the whole ride back to her house.”
“Do you blame her? A human would have a hard time accepting it under much better circumstances. To find out like that must have been a shock, and a scary one, at that. Give her time. She’ll come around.”
He wasn’t too sure of that, but he nodded anyway. He didn’t want his sister worrying over his love life—or lack thereof—when they had much bigger problems. “I’m going to call a meeting of the troop. They need to know what happened and to be extra cautious.”
“How did anyone find out about us? I don’t understand. We’re the only of our kind in existence, and we keep to ourselves. Are we going to constantly be fending off attacks now?”
“I’m not sure what the answers to either of those questions are. There was one shifter and three humans. It’s possible they were the only ones who knew we exist, but I don’t want to assume that and then be caught off guard later.”
“You don’t think Axel—”
“No,” he cut in quickly. “Our brother wouldn’t do something like that. He might hate how the troop is run, how they do things, but he doesn’t hate us. Besides, you and I hate it too, and we’d never tell outsiders—let alone with the intention of getting us slaughtered.”
“You’re right, of course. I don’t believe he’d do that either. He’s just the only one I know of who’s left the troop.” Pausing, she played with her spoon for a long moment, her eyes sad. “I wish he’d come back. He’s been gone long enough.”
Leaning his hip on the counter, he folded his arms as he nodded. “I know. But he’d had enough of the way Pops forced us to fight each other all the time.”
Lindsey’s eyes flashed as she shook her head. “That’s not an excuse. You hated it too, but you didn’t ditch us because of it.”
“He had his reasons, Linds.” Honestly, he felt some of the same anger and resentment his sister did, but he couldn’t blame Axel for leaving. There had been many times over the years that he wished he could have done the same. “Speaking of Pops, where is he?”
Lindsey’s eyes sparkled as she glanced over at him. “He moved out last night.”
Shocked, Cody stared at her with his mouth open. “He did what?”
“I had to come back here last night because I forgot something. He was packing all his things when I got here, and he said if we—especially you—were going to be so ungrateful and not listen to a word he said, then he wasn’t needed here. He moved in with Arnold, on the other side of our lands.”
Still having trouble digesting the news, he shook his head slowly. “I never thought I’d see the day. I figured he’d die in this house before he ever left. I sure as hell didn’t expect him to back off and leave me to make my own choices.”
“I think he finally realized you were going to live your life, and run this troop, the way you want, no matter what he says about it.”
“If only he’d figured that out sooner,” he replied wryly. “Would have saved me and you a lot of trouble. I bet he wants to come back once he learns about what happened last night, though.”
“Don’t let him.”
“I can’t deny him the right to live in his own home, Linds.”
Standing, she stood in front of him and grasped his biceps. “Cody, listen to me. This is the home of the Silverback. The alpha. This was never his home in truth—it’s been in our family’s line for generations, and with each new succession of the Silverback, the old alpha moved out. Everything got screwed up when Dad died, but Pops leaving should have happened when you took over seven years ago.
“Pops took advantage of your kind nature by staying. He knew you’d never ask him to leave, so he stayed. And doing so gave him the perfect opportunity to try to run your life for you. Don’t back
down now. If he wants to yammer on about how the ancestors ran things, bring that up. Because this is how our ancestors did it.”
Clearing his throat, he nodded, then leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek. “You’re right. How is it possible for so much wisdom to fit into someone so tiny and young?”
She gave him a cheeky grin. “I’m just special, I guess. And while you’re really listening, don’t give up on Olivia just yet. She could still come around. Have some faith and don’t count her out just yet.”
“I won’t. But right now, I need to focus on getting this meeting over with. Can you activate the phone tree? Meeting in half an hour.”
Nodding, she gave him one last smile before pulling out her phone. As she made the call, he left the room, walking outside toward their meeting hall. He wanted to be there when the troop started showing up.
But the whole time, between worries over the strangers in town and the resolve to keep Pops out of the house—and therefore away from trying to dictate his choices—Olivia stayed in the forefront of his mind.
Where he was pretty sure she’d always be.
With that in mind, he pulled his phone out and pulled up her text thread, ignoring that every single message displayed was from him.
Cody: Please talk to me. I know what I am can be scary, but I’d never hurt you. Just give me a chance to explain.
Shoving the phone back in his pocket, he ignored the growl in his chest and continued toward the hall. His beast didn’t have to worry.
He wasn’t giving up on her. Ever.
Chapter 12
Olivia
Glancing down at her phone as it buzzed with another incoming text, Olivia looked at it like it was a snake, hesitant to pick it up.
That had to make about the twentieth text he’d sent her since dropping her off the night before, and with each one, it got harder and harder to not respond.
The problem was, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. Her possible replies varied from never contact me again, motherfucker, to I forgive you for keeping this from me and I want nothing more than to see you again.
And each had a kernel of truth in them.
When he dropped her off the night before, she’d been dead set on never seeing or speaking to him again. But the more time that passed, the more she thought she’d maybe overreacted.
As her dragon pointed out, hadn’t she just been worrying about whether he could accept what she truly was? And yet, when she found out he was different, she damned near lost her mind.
And what about this being the return of the dragons? They’d agreed to no more being afraid—of hunters, male dragons, or of any shifters period. Yet, the moment she saw a shifter, she flipped her shit and totally shut down on him.
But then, he wasn’t only just a shifter, was he? He couldn’t be. There was something else going on there, and that scared her, too.
You could ask what he really is and get your answers, you know. But you have to talk to him in order to do that, her dragon pointed out.
Stop being all logical and shit, she growled.
You’d rather I be illogical and clueless? I already told you once that I wasn’t Jessica Simpson. I don’t intend to start acting like her now. Not when you need someone to tell you how stupid you’re being. Ya know, since you haven’t told anyone else about any of this.
Feeling properly chastised, she glanced at the house. Once again, she was out on the porch swing, but this time it wasn’t to get peace to read in, even though she had a book in her hand.
It was because she hadn’t told them a single thing about what went down the night before. And she felt so guilty about it that she couldn’t look them in the eyes.
She needed to tell them soon, but she also wanted as many facts as she could get first. They couldn’t make a decision without being completely informed, and to do that, she had to talk to Cody.
Because now that she knew what he was—well, sort of—the message on the movie screen might not have been directed at the dragons at all.
Hell, the odds were high that it wasn’t. It made sense, since no one knew they were in New Leaf. And if someone did know, they wouldn’t display that message at a drive-in none of them had been to before.
And despite the conflicting feelings she had about what Cody was or wasn’t, despite the bit of fear that still remained toward him, the thought that someone was after him sent a chill of dread down her spine.
She still needed to tell them, though, which meant getting over herself and talking to Cody. With that thought in mind, she reached for her phone—all the while knowing that, no matter what she told herself, that wasn’t the only reason she was going to text him.
Despite everything, she still felt that magnetic pull toward him. The one that was so strong, she wasn’t sure she could resist it, even knowing there was something unnatural about him. Something that went beyond being a shifter.
Exasperated with herself, she woke her phone up and pulled up her texts from him.
Cody: Please talk to me. I know what I am can be scary, but I’d never hurt you. Just give me a chance to explain.
That was a bit of an understatement, but without letting herself think too hard on it, she quickly typed out a reply.
Olivia: Okay. Do you have a place we can talk? I think this is a conversation we need to have in person, and I don’t want the others to overhear.
The reply was almost instant. Cody: I do. I can be there in thirty minutes.
Olivia: See you then.
Blowing out a breath, she set the phone down, a mixture of anticipation and nerves flowing through her veins. But before she could get too worked up, the door opened and Fiona walked out, her smile hesitant as she looked at her.
“Hey, sis.”
Relieved that she was finally setting eyes on her sister beyond just a quick glimpse, and happy she was talking to her, she smiled in return. “Hey!”
Fiona took a seat in a rocking chair by the porch swing. “I didn’t want to interrupt you reading, because I know how much you hate that, but I wanted to say I’m sorry things didn’t go well with Cody.”
Brow furrowing, she shook her head with bewilderment. “What makes you think I didn’t have a good time?”
Smile fading, Fiona searched her eyes. “You came back really quiet. Almost scared. I just assumed he wasn’t the man you thought he was or something.”
“No, he was really great. I guess I just got scared of trusting, ya know?”
Lord, why was she defending him? She had been scared of him—of what he’d turned into. Of all the women in the house, her sister was the one she should be able to tell everything to, right?
Although, her words weren’t necessarily lies, either. Cody had been great. Amazing, really. It was only the whole, turning into a gorilla that wasn’t really a gorilla, part that scared her.
“Oh. Yeah, I guess I can understand that.”
Suspicion rose up inside her as she studied Fiona—suspicion that she hated with a passion. Things had been so different between them since the kidnapping. That was the one good thing that had come of that.
But she couldn’t help wondering if their issues were as resolved as she’d assumed they were. The way her sister had acted since she met Cody seemed to suggest they weren’t.
“Fi… me seeing him doesn’t bother you, does it?”
“Are you kidding?” her sister replied, giving her a strained smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I think it’s great. I really do. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Are you sure? Because I don’t want to do anything that might hurt our relationship.”
“You’re not, Liv. Everything’s fine between us.”
She wasn’t sure that was the truth, but before she could press the subject, the sound of gravel crunching under tires met her ears. Turning her head, she saw Cody’s truck coming up the drive, and a mixture of fear and anticipation rose up inside her.
He was early. But as much as she was eager
to get this conversation behind them and know the truth once and for all, she hated not being able to question her sister further. Because if a miracle happened, and she was okay with what he was…
Well, she’d want to pick up where they left off. And how could she do that when it could hurt Fiona?
Fiona stood quickly, drawing her attention back to her. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were seeing him tonight. I can’t… I’m not ready… I have to go inside. I hope you have a good time.”
Before she could protest, her sister was gone. Exhaling heavily, she stood, knowing there was nothing she could do about it right now. Belly churning with a nauseating mix of fear, worry, and anticipation, she put her phone in her pocket and lightly ran down the porch steps, walking down the sidewalk to meet Cody at his truck.
Moving quickly, she went to the passenger side and slipped in before he could get out to help her.
She didn’t think she could touch him right now. She just wasn’t sure if it was because of fear or because she was worried that if she did, she’d forget she had any fear to begin with.
His touch had a habit of doing that to her.
“Thanks for seeing me and giving me the chance to explain,” he said, his smooth voice a bit rougher than usual, and more subdued.
“We needed to talk. Let’s go.”
Ignoring the women peeking through the window, she sat still, her hands in her lap, as he turned the truck around without comment. It didn’t take them long to reach their destination, but she felt every single moment down to her core. It seemed to take forever and no time at all, all at once, before they were pulling up to the other side of the lake.
Unclipping his seatbelt, he turned to face her, and she did the same. He didn’t say anything at first, just studied her closely, the half smile she loved so much nowhere in sight.
Her nerves were stretched thin, and she didn’t think she could handle a moment more of not knowing what he was. “Okay. Talk to me. What the hell are you?”
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