by Wendi Wilson
“That’s not what I meant! You are his alpha. His dad is your best friend and beta. Do something!” At her father’s slight scowl, she added, “Please,” at a much lower volume.
Melanie slumped down in the chair across the desk from him. She had barged into his office unannounced, uninvited, and practically screaming like a banshee. Her emotions were all over the place and she didn’t seem to have any control over them.
“I’m sorry,” she said after a few moments of silence passed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
“Breathe, Melanie. Everything is going to be fine. I promise, we’ll figure out who is targeting Jeremy, whether it be Declan or not. As to your erratic emotions, well, that’s an easy one. Tomorrow is a full moon.”
“Is it always like this for cynanthropes at their first shift?”
“There are always heightened senses and emotions, yes. What you’re experiencing, however, is extremely exaggerated due to the amount of stress you’re under. Normally, this is a time of discovery and wonder. That’s why I wanted you here this week. I wanted to make this as easy as possible for you and to make sure you wouldn’t be alone. I’m so sorry it’s not working out that way.”
Melanie waved her hand in dismissal of his words. “It is not your fault. I don’t blame you at all.”
“Thank you for saying that. Let me deal with the threat against Jeremy and your suspicions about Declan. You need to concentrate on yourself right now. Try taking deep breaths to relax when you feel anxious or angry. You have to let go of the tension. I’m afraid your mother didn’t think things through when she agreed to let your friends stay until Sunday. You could shift at any time within the next thirty six hours or so, so be on the lookout for any signs or symptoms. Do you know what they are?”
“Yeah, Jeremy told me. Itchy, creepy-crawly feeling. Pulling muscles, like a Charlie horse. I’ve got it.”
“This is serious, Melanie. If you start to feel twitchy or odd, make sure you leave your friends immediately. Don’t think you can wait until the muscle cramps. It’s different for everyone and first shifts tend to be erratic. You could have starts and stops and there is no way to know when exactly you will complete the change. Come find me and I will help you.”
“Okay, Dad. I promise.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. Now go find your friends and have some fun. I saw Jeremy in the entertainment room earlier. He woke up and was looking for you.”
“He got out of bed?”
Darren just laughed and shooed her from the room. “Like anything would stop him,” he said under his breath after she left the room.
Melanie ran down the hall to the entertainment room and found Jeremy, Tara and Chris all sitting on the couch watching a reality T.V. show. Jeremy turned his head in her direction and smiled brightly as she ran over to sit down next to him on the couch, pausing only to give a brief wave to her friends.
“What are you doing out of bed? You’re supposed to be resting.”
“Aww, don’t be mad, Mel. I was so bored up there. I wanted to see you.”
Jeremy put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close. She tried to remain stiff and unyielding, so he just leaned over and softly kissed the side of her neck. He slowly nibbled his way up to her ear and whispered, “I love you,” before pulling away and looking back at the television.
Melanie shivered, then relaxed into his embrace. Laying her head on his shoulder, she let her eyes wander over to Tara and Chris. Tara was curled up against him and they were both in a relaxed position, totally engrossed in the show they were watching.
“Declan was in the woods,” Melanie whispered quietly, so the others wouldn’t hear. When Jeremy stiffened, she added quickly, “He didn’t do anything. I barely saw a flash of white fur before he was gone.”
Jeremy nodded and pulled her tighter against him. They sat in a comfortable silence for about an hour. When the show ended, Tara used the remote to click off the television. Chris stood up and stretched, giving Jeremy a questioning look.
“Dude, what did your mom and dad say about the accident? Are they coming to get you?”
Jeremy blushed slightly. “I didn’t exactly tell them. I don’t want to leave Mel.”
Chris’s gaze shot to Melanie. “Won’t your parents tell them what happened?”
“Well,” Melanie hedged, looking down at her leg and picking off some imaginary lint, “I kinda told them that he did tell them, and that they are cool as long as Jeremy’s okay.”
Melanie glanced up and caught Tara’s narrowed gaze. Uh oh, Melanie thought, her eyes widening. She totally knows I’m lying. Shit!
“That’s cool, man,” Chris continued, oblivious to the exchange. “I’m hungry. Hey babe, you want to go scrounge around the kitchen for a snack?”
Taking his extended hand, Tara said, “Sure. Melanie, I’ll talk to you later.”
The pointed look she gave Melanie told her they would be talking later and she wasn’t going to enjoy it. She nodded her head at Tara as Chris pulled her from the room.
“Crap. Crap. Crap!”
“What? What’s the matter?” Jeremy asked.
“Tara could tell I was lying to Chris. What am I going to say when she asks about it? Because trust me, she will ask about it.”
“Crap.”
“Exactly. I don’t think I can come up with a plausible excuse for lying. I mean, why else wouldn’t my parents call yours? And why would I lie about telling them in the first place?”
“Just stick as close to the truth as possible. If necessary, you can always use the old ‘family secret’ again.”
“God, I hate this!” Melanie almost shouted, sitting up straight and bouncing her knee. “I hate lying to my best friend. I hate keeping secrets and I hate the fact that someone is always trying to hurt us! When will it end?!”
“Melanie, you need to calm down, baby. Take a few deep breaths.”
Jeremy sat up gingerly and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her slightly toward him so he could look into her eyes. He took a slow, deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth. He repeated it again and again until she was breathing in time with him and the tension left her body.
“Sorry,” she said, slumping back against the couch. “That’s been happening a lot lately. Dad said I could shift any time within the next day and a half.”
Jeremy leaned back and put his arm back around her shoulder. “I get it. The same thing happened to me. I punched a guy in the face the day before my first shift.”
“What? Why have I never heard this story before?” Melanie said, smiling.
“Because,” he said tapping a finger to the tip of her nose, “I am always trying to impress you, and that wasn’t my finest moment.”
“What happened?”
“Well, it was stupid, really. His girlfriend had the locker next to mine. Every time I went to my locker, he would be leaning against it, waiting for her to get her stuff and primp in the mirror. It didn’t matter how many times I asked him to move, he ignored me like I wasn’t there. I was late to class three times that month because his dumb girlfriend had to put on makeup.
“The day before my first shift, I was wound tight and I saw him there and just lost it. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him away from my locker. He called me an asshole. Me. After a solid two and a half months of him blocking my locker and ignoring me, I was the asshole. I decked him right in the mouth.”
Melanie laughed. “Sounds like he deserved it. Did you get into trouble?”
“No,” Jeremy smirked. “He never told anyone and neither did his girlfriend. I guess he had to uphold his image or something. But he never blocked my locker again.”
“I bet.” Melanie sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “Thanks for calming me down.”
“Anytime. I’ll always be there for you, Mel.”
Chapter 31
“So, have you remembered anything else about t
he accident?”
Melanie wiggled and edged backwards so her back was completely flush against Jeremy’s chest. They were lying in his bed, having made their escape from dinner with the excuse that he was tired and sore. Really, Melanie was just trying to escape Tara and her questions before Tara got her alone.
“No. Not really. All I remember is picking up the pizza, driving down the highway, and then waking up here. From what I remember, I wasn’t speeding, Mel. I swear.”
“That’s so weird,” she said, wiggling closer again.
“Mel,” he said with a tight voice, “try to be still.”
Melanie sat up quickly and whipped her head around to face him. “Oh my God, Jeremy. Did I hurt you? Where does it hurt?”
She gently placed her hand on his chest over the smooth fabric of his t-shirt. She ran it gently down his torso to his ribs. “Is this where it hurts?”
Jeremy inhaled sharply at her touch and shook his head. “Lower.”
Melanie ran her hand lower to his abdominal area and probed it lightly with her fingertips. “Here?” she asked.
Jeremy groaned and shook his head again. “Lower.”
Melanie’s eyes crinkled with confusion as they traced a path down from his abdomen. When she saw what was causing him discomfort, she blushed hotly and smacked him on the arm.
“Jesus, Jeremy, you scared the hell out of me. I thought I’d hurt you. Again.”
Jeremy laughed and pulled her back down in front of him, snuggling her close. “And just like I told you that night, I love everything you do to me.”
Melanie relaxed into his arms and thought about that night. It was a party at Chris’s, and Melanie was alone with him in his room for the first time. Things had gotten pretty heated, and she ended up on top of him. He pushed her away and she immediately thought she had hurt him with her weight. But that hadn’t been the reason. Not at all.
“Was that really only a few weeks ago? So much has happened since then, it seems like forever.”
“Yeah, but think of it this way. Everything that has happened has brought us to this moment right here, in this bed and there is nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Melanie smiled, her eyes burning. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. You’re everything to me, Mel. We’ll figure this out and get through it, stronger than ever.”
“I hope you’re right. I really do.”
*~*~*
“Finally!”
Melanie almost jumped out of her skin at the shouted word and flipped on the light. It was after midnight and she was trying to sneak into her bedroom without waking Tara. She didn’t have any plausible explanation for her lie, so she waited to go to her room until she was sure Tara would be asleep.
“Jeez, Tara, you scared the crap out of me.”
“Well,” Tara said, the anger evident in her voice, “I have been waiting here all night for you to come back so I could talk to you. Are you trying to avoid me?”
“No. Why would I do that?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Tara said as she stood up and slowly stalked toward Melanie. “Maybe because you flat out lied to Chris earlier and I want to know why!”
“Tara, I…” Melanie trailed off.
Tara stopped in her tracks and had a look worse than anger on her face: hurt and disappointment. She turned back around and walked to her side of the bed, plopped down and rolled over so that her back was facing Melanie.
“Never mind,” she said. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Melanie walked to the bed and laid down next to her. “I want to tell you, Tara. It’s just…I can’t.”
Tara rolled over to face her. “Don’t you trust me anymore?”
“Of course I do! It’s just that this has to do with Jeremy and his family secret.”
“Oh, that again,” Tara said with an impatient huff.
“Please don’t be mad at me, Tara. I can’t take it.”
Tara took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. She reached over and took Melanie’s hand, squeezing it. Tears spilled over Melanie’s eyelashes and streaked down her face.
“I’m not mad, Mel. I’m just disappointed. We used to tell each other everything, and I feel like you’re drifting away.”
“I’m not,” Melanie said weakly. Then stronger, “I’m not. I still trust you and I promise you that soon, I will tell you everything. I just need a little time.”
“Okay, well, I’ll take what I can get. I love you, goof.”
“I love you too, Tara. Please don’t ever forget that.”
*~*~*
“There’s gonna be a full moon tonight.”
“Wh-what?” Melanie stuttered.
She and Chris were the first at the breakfast table Saturday morning. They’d been eating their bagels and cream cheese in silence before he broke it with those words. She almost choked and gulped down a half a glass of orange juice.
“The moon. It’s going to be full tonight,” he said when her spasmodic coughing quieted. “It’s supposed to be one of those super moons too. You know, where the moon is closer to the earth than usual, so it looks huge. It should be pretty cool.”
“Yeah,” Melanie said, clearing her throat one last time. “Cool.”
“Maybe we should all go out for a late-night stroll to see it.”
Melanie cringed inwardly. There was no way she was going to be anywhere near Chris or Tara tonight. It was too risky.
“I don’t know if Jeremy is ready for a nighttime hike yet, Chris.”
“You’re probably right. I’d really like to hang out with him tonight, if that’s okay with you? Tara and I are leaving tomorrow, so this will be our last chance for a guy’s night for a while.”
“Of course,” Melanie said. “I’d like to just hang with Tara, too, so it works out great.” I’ll just figure out a way to get away from her if I start feeling wonky, she added silently.
“Great,” Chris said, shoving the rest of his bagel into his mouth. He chewed it quickly and swallowed it in one big gulp, then stood from the table. “I’ll see you later, Mel.”
“Okay, bye,” she said, staring at his already retreating back.
“Hey.”
Melanie jumped about a foot off her chair when Jeremy plopped down into the seat next to her. She placed her hand on her chest and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She could feel her heart slamming against her ribs.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Jeremy said with a snicker.
Melanie arched an eyebrow at him, but didn’t respond. She knew he very well did mean to scare her. She would pay him back for that later.
“How are you feeling this morning?” she asked instead.
“Actually, I feel great. My ribs are still a little sore, but I finally feel like I have a full range of motion.”
“That’s wonderful,” she said, placing her hand on his thigh and squeezing it. “I’m so relieved to hear it.”
Jeremy was staring at her hand on his thigh. When Melanie realized how it was affecting him, she smiled and squeezed it again. The air whooshed through Jeremy’s lips as he grabbed her upper arms and yanked her over onto his lap.
His fingers dove into her hair and he yanked her head forward for his kiss. Melanie was momentarily shocked, then her mind went blank as his tongue delved into her mouth. He tasted like coffee and pastries, and Melanie loved it.
Without breaking their kiss, she stood and twisted her body so that she could straddle his legs and sat back down. Jeremy groaned and kissed her harder. Melanie’s hands wound their way up into his hair, grasping it tight and holding his head still so she could take control of the kiss. Jeremy’s hands drifted down to her butt and squeezed it.
“Ahem.”
Melanie jumped and scrambled off Jeremy’s lap so fast her back hit the table with a thud and a rattle of dishes. Blushing and rubbing the sore spot on her back, she turned and saw Darren standing in the doorway with a thoughtful smile on his face. She
quickly sat in her chair as Jeremy hid his smile behind his cup of coffee.
“Oh. Hi, Dad.”
“Good morning,” he said, walking to the table and setting his plate down. Taking a seat, he looked over at Jeremy. “I see you are feeling better this morning.”
“Yes, sir.”
Darren’s eyes slid back to Melanie. “You’re lucky that was me and not your mom. She’s not as…understanding of the raging hormones of a new shifter.”
“Dad!” Melanie exclaimed, embarrassed.
“Okay. Okay. I’ll drop it. Just be more careful. You know she would lose it if she caught you like that.”
“Good morning!” Elaine called out cheerfully as she entered the room with a flourish.
“Morning, Mom,” Melanie said, trying to hide her still-burning cheeks behind her hands.
“What are you guys talking about?”
“Nothing!”
Elaine looked at Melanie curiously, then turned to look at Darren. He chuckled and patted the chair next to his. Elaine sat down with her coffee cup and scooted her chair closer to him.
“I was just telling Melanie to be careful today. She could shift at any time, and as it grows closer, her emotions and…impulses will grow stronger and more erratic.”
“Oh, God,” Melanie mumbled under her breath.
“What was that, honey?”
“Nothing, mom. Jeremy and I were just leaving,” she said. She stood abruptly and banged her hip into the table. Flinching, she held out a hand to Jeremy. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” he said, taking her hand. “See you later.”
Nodding at Elaine and Darren, he pulled Melanie from the room with a grin. A quick glance around the hall showed him no one was around, so he spun her around and pushed her gently back against the wall. Pressing his body against hers, he placed his palms on her cheeks and kissed her gently.
“To be continued,” he whispered against her lips, then pulled her down the hall away from the dining room and her nosy parents.
Chapter 32
Melanie, Jeremy, Tara and Chris spent most of the day together just hanging out around the house. They went swimming for a while in the afternoon, laying out in the warm sun to dry themselves. Jeremy caught Melanie’s attention repeatedly, asking how she was doing, motioning with raised eyebrows and an upraised thumb, making sure she wasn’t feeling any of the effects of an upcoming shift.