by Wendi Wilson
She felt perfectly normal all day. No flares of anger. No tingles or muscle cramps. Just a normal teenage girl hanging out with her best friends. It was a great day. She just enjoyed it and tried not to think about dogs, full moons, or Chris and Tara’s scheduled departure the next morning.
Dinner was a little awkward. Darren had invited the Browns to join them and Declan’s presence put a strain on Melanie and Jeremy. They tried to hide it from Tara and Chris, but Tara was too sharp and kept shooting questioning glances at Melanie. After Melanie pretended not to notice for the tenth time, her phone beeped in her pocket.
Pulling it out and looking at the screen under the table, she read, “What’s going on w/ U? U R acting weird.”
She quickly typed out “Later,” and shoved her phone back into her pocket before anyone noticed.
She looked up and glancing around the table, caught Declan’s eyes on her. She saw some emotion etched on his face she couldn’t quite place before he quickly replaced it with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Melanie looked back down at her plate to break the eye contact, but the tension remained.
After everyone finished eating, Melanie kissed Jeremy on the cheek and told him she would see him in the morning. He and Chris headed toward the entertainment room and Tara grabbed Melanie’s arm and practically dragged her from the room and up the stairs. She pulled her into Melanie’s bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
“Ow,” Melanie said, rubbing her arm. She walked over and clicked on the radio.
“Alright,” Tara said, ignoring Melanie’s pained expression, “we’re alone. Spill it. I want to know what the hell is going on.”
“Okay,” Melanie said, defeated. She grabbed Tara’s hand and pulled her away from the door, just to be safe. They sat down on the bed and Melanie said, “But you can’t tell anyone, not even Chris.”
Tara gave her a look that said, “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Remember when I told you that Jeremy and I think Declan is the one that poisoned him?”
“Yes. But you never told me why.”
Melanie paused and tried to choose her words carefully. “Well, like I said, Declan has…shown an interest in me. Romantically.”
“Okay,” Tara said, drawing out the word. “But like I said, that doesn’t seem like a good reason to try to kill someone. Declan seems like a really nice guy.”
“Don’t let his angel appearance fool you, Tara. He’s good at pretending to be nice. He was left alone with Jeremy’s drink the night he was poisoned. That drink disappeared the next morning and I caught Declan sneaking out of Jeremy’s room before he woke up.”
“I don’t know, Mel. That all seems pretty circumstantial and I just can’t see Declan being the murderous type. I don’t buy it.”
“Well, I can see it and so can Jeremy, so that is why we were tense at dinner. Being around Declan is hard, when all I want to do is point and scream at him that I know what he did. But until we have proof, I have to keep my mouth shut.”
“How are you supposed to get proof?” Tara asked, giving Melanie a skeptical look.
“I’ll figure something out. I got the truth out of Mr. Hughes, right?”
“Uh, yeah, but that guy was a psychopath. Declan trying to kill Jeremy just so he can date you? You know I think you’re gorgeous Mel, but that might be taking it a little too far.”
Melanie bit her lip. Laying back against the pillows, she stared at the ceiling. There was more to it than Declan just wanting to date her. He wanted the alpha position. Killing off Jeremy, someone not even in their pack, made a lot more sense than trying to kill Darren to take the position from him.
“I don’t know, Tara,” she said, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it is a little far-fetched to think that someone would kill to be with me. But right now, it’s all I got. Until new information comes to light, I’m going to trust my instincts.”
*~*~*
“Dude, where are we going?”
“Come on, man, be a little adventurous. I hear there’s a great view of the sky from out here.”
Jeremy walked slowly behind Chris, who insisted they take this nighttime hike into the woods to see the super moon. His ribs were still a bit sore, but he wanted to spend some time with his cousin, so he trekked out into the woods with him.
“There’s a great view of the sky from the yard, too,” Jeremy mumbled under his breath.
“Too much artificial light,” Chris called back over his shoulder.
Jeremy’s head reared back in surprise. “How did you hear that?”
“What?” Chris asked. He stopped walking and turned back to Jeremy.
“How did you hear what I said? I was talking to myself, barely whispering.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Chris said. He shrugged and turned back around to resume his hike. “Maybe sound carries better in the woods.”
“Huh,” Jeremy said, shaking his head. He followed Chris deeper into the forest.
*~*~*
“I think I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“Sex. With Chris.”
Melanie sat up quickly and grabbed her best friend’s shoulders. “Explain.”
“Uh, I don’t think I need to explain what sex is to you, Ms. Motorboat.”
“Eww, please don’t ever call me that again.”
Tara laughed. “Yeah, that didn’t sound as cool as I thought it would.”
“Seriously, are you sure you’re ready? Do you love him?”
“I really care about him. We have fun together. Making out with him is the absolute best. I know he wants to go further.”
“Has he been pressuring you?”
“No. Nothing like that. I can just tell. I mean, he’s a guy right? They always want it.” Her brow puckered with uncertainty as she stared at her hands.
“Jeremy’s not like that. I mean…He does want it. I think…But he would never make me feel pressured.”
“Well, he loves you.”
“Do you think Chris loves you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Melanie took Tara’s hand and stared into her eyes. “Don’t you think you should wait until you know for sure?”
Tara sighed and threw herself backwards onto the bed, covering her eyes with her forearm. Melanie laid down next to her and waited for Tara to speak. She only had to wait a few moments.
“How did you know?”
“How did I know what?”
“How did you know that Jeremy really loved you?”
Melanie squeezed her eyes shut and thought about it for a minute. She couldn’t exactly explain everything to Tara. Not about Jeremy being Ace, saving her life, and watching over her constantly. She just tried to explain the best she could.
“Well, other than him actually saying the words to me, he shows me in little ways all the time. He does little things every day that make me happy. He protects me when I need it, even from myself. You have no idea how many times I tried to have sex with him before he stopped turning me down.”
“Yeah,” Tara said, barking out a laugh. “I almost died when you texted me asking about that. Such a shocker, coming from you, of all people.”
Melanie pinched Tara’s side and said, “Shut. Up.” After a brief pause, she continued, “Do you remember what you told me?”
“Yes,” Tara sighed. “I said he was only putting things off because he really loves you and he wanted to make sure you were ready.”
“Exactly. Don’t you think your first time should be with someone you love? Who loves you as much?”
“Oh God,” Tara moaned, pulling a pillow over her face. “I hate it when you’re right.”
“Then you must hate it all the time,” Melanie said with a grin.
Tara grabbed the pillow from her face and swung it toward Melanie’s head. With a screech, Melanie rolled away from her, trying to dodge the hit. Not realizing how close to the edge she was, she rolled right over, landi
ng with a loud thump on the floor.
Tara scurried over to the edge and looked down at her. “Oh my God, Mel, are you okay?”
Melanie snorted out a laugh and said, “I think so. I bumped my head on the nightstand, though. Ouch.” She probed her forehead with two fingers and felt a knot forming there.
Tara scrambled off the bed and grabbed Melanie’s hands, pulling her up. “Come on,” she said, trying not to laugh, “let’s go get you some ice for that bump.”
*~*~*
“Do you know anything about our grandfather?”
They had made it to a small clearing and had been silently staring at the huge moon for a few moments before Chris broke the silence with that question. Jeremy looked sharply at him, sucking in a breath.
“What?”
“Our grandfather. Has your mom ever talked about him? My mom doesn’t know much. I thought maybe Aunt Alicia had more information.”
“Not really,” Jeremy hedged. “I guess Mom and Dad had a huge falling out with him before I was born. I never met him. And now…”
“And now, what?”
“I’m sorry, but he died over a year ago.”
“Huh,” Chris said. “Oh well. You can’t miss someone you’ve never met, right?” He shot Jeremy an unnerving smile.
“I guess not,” Jeremy said, shaking off the weird vibes he was getting from Chris.
“That car accident was crazy, huh?” Chris asked, moving from one subject to next without pause.
“I still don’t remember much,” Jeremy said, shaking his head. “Are you sure I was speeding? I just can’t imagine myself driving Mel’s car like that.”
“Yeah, it was ridiculous, man. I tried to get you to slow down, then that white dog came out of nowhere. We’re lucky we’re alive.”
“Yeah, lucky.” After a brief pause, Jeremy continued, “You know, I swear I remember putting on my seatbelt when we left the pizza joint. It’s so weird.”
Jeremy closed his eyes and thought back about the drive home. He remembered getting pizza with Chris, walking out to the jeep, buckling up and leaving the parking lot. He also remembered fiddling with the radio, trying to find some good tunes to listen to on the drive home.
“Was I looking down at the radio? Is that why I didn’t see the dog running into the street until the last second?”
“No,” Chris said.
Something in his voice sent a chill down Jeremy’s spine. He glanced over at Chris, who was still staring up at the moon, and saw his jaw clenching tightly. Jeremy put his hand on Chris’s shoulder and turned him around so they were facing each other.
“Hey, you okay, man? I’m sorry I made us wreck. I know it’s my fault we got hurt. I’m really sorry, Chris.”
“Remember,” Chris said in a deep, commanding voice.
Every detail from the accident came rushing back to Jeremy at once, making him gasp for air. He looked at Chris in confusion. Chris smiled callously and nodded his head.
Chapter 33
“Hey, what happened to your head?”
“Tara kicked me off the bed and I hit my head on the nightstand.”
“Hey!” Tara yelled. “I did not!”
Melanie shoved her shoulder with the hand that wasn’t holding the ice pack to her head, then looked back at Darren with a smile. “You might not know this about me, but I’m clumsy as heck. I rolled too far and fell off the bed.”
Darren grinned at the sight of them standing in the kitchen in their pajamas. “You want me to take a look at it?”
“Naw, I’m okay, but thanks.”
“Where are the boys tonight? I thought the four of you were attached at the hip.”
“Hardy har har. They are out on a night hike. Something about a super moo-”
Melanie’s words were cut off by the sound of Darren’s phone ringing. Melanie shrugged and turned toward the freezer, hoping to find some good ice cream to share with Tara. She threw the ice pack back into the freezer and rummaged through the cardboard containers on the top shelf. As she was pulling out a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough, she paused and tuned into Darren’s conversation when he yelled, “Who?”
Melanie, with her sensitive hearing, could clearly make out what was being said on the other end of the line. The ice cream slipped from her fingers and landed with a splat on the tile floor as Melanie’s hands came up to cover her mouth. Her breathing accelerated.
“Mel, what’s wrong?” Tara asked worriedly. “You look like you saw a ghost. Melanie?”
Melanie didn’t respond. She stared at Darren, listening to the words on the other end of the line. Darren caught her eye and shook his head, mouthing the word “Wait.”
There was a snowball’s chance in hell Melanie was going to wait, though. She backed up to the kitchen door, keeping her eyes on Darren and ignoring Tara. Darren said her name in warning, but she was beyond listening. She turned and ran out, heading straight for the back door.
“Damn it,” Darren cursed, hanging up his phone and starting after her.
Tara grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “What’s going on? Why is she so upset?”
“Stay here,” Darren said firmly. “We’ll explain later, but do not leave this house.”
“Oh, hell no,” Tara said under her breath and she followed him through the house and out the back door.
*~*~*
“What the…What’s going on, Chris?”
“What do you remember?”
“I wasn’t speeding. You unbuckled my seatbelt. Told me to freeze and forget everything. Then, you grabbed the wheel and swerved the car off the road. There was no dog. What the hell, man?”
As Jeremy turned and squared his shoulders, he found himself suddenly unable to move. He tried to break free and take a step forward, but his body was frozen. The only thing he could move was his head.
“It’s the alpha power,” Chris said, looking at Jeremy with a menacing smile. “Amazing, isn’t it? You have to do whatever I say, whatever I think, whatever I want, whenever I want it.”
“But…how?” Jeremy choked out, still fighting for control of his body.
“Don’t be dense, Jeremy. I’m your pack’s alpha. That’s how.”
Jeremy’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared. “But you’re not…”
Chris just smiled again as Jeremy’s words trailed off. “I’m not what? A shifter? A part-time dog just like nearly everyone on this compound?”
“But Mom said-”
Chris threw his hand in the air, cutting him off. “Your parents know nothing. Hell, my parents don’t even know. Apparently when you’re mixed blood, the gene can skip a generation. Imagine my surprise when, shortly after my seventeenth birthday, I shifted into an animal. I was too scared to tell anyone, even my parents. I knew they would think I was crazy. I thought I was crazy.”
“What happened? How did you go from not knowing anything to becoming the pack alpha?”
Chris’s face lit up. “Ryland, Grandfather’s beta found me. Said he’d been keeping an eye on me for years. He knew my parents were clueless to Grandfather’s genetics and our dear old Grandad just assumed I was human because no one had ever heard of the gene skipping a generation. Not until me.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because, dear cousin, I needed you to think I was some idiot human.”
“But…why?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I had to integrate myself into your life. I needed to be not only your cousin, but your best friend. I needed a girlfriend, a life, roots in the community. I needed to make sure that when something happened to you, I wouldn’t be a suspect.”
Jeremy heard the word “when” instead of “if” in his last statement and started to struggle in earnest against the hold Chris had on him. “Why would something happen to me, Chris? I would never go against you or hurt you in any way. You’re my cousin. You are my best friend.”
Chris shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t play games with me. Ryland told me ev
ery shifter male wants the alpha position. I have to protect it. Seeing that you are the only legitimate, full blooded male in our line, you are the only real threat against me. A threat I have to eliminate.”
“But Chr-”
“Don’t make a sound,” Chris said, cutting him off. “Perfect timing,” he added under his breath.
Try as he might, Jeremy was unable to make even a peep after Chris’s command. After several seconds, he heard footsteps quietly making their way toward the clearing. A shadow separated from the trees with a bright blonde halo of hair shining in the moonlight.
“Hey guys, what are you doing out here?”
“Declan,” Chris said with a smirk. “Perfect timing.”
When Jeremy didn’t speak or move, Declan walked in front of him and waved his hand in front of his face. “Hello? Jeremy, what’s the matter with you?”
He turned to look at Chris and saw a large tree limb arcing toward his head. He didn’t have time to bob or weave before the branch hit him with a sickening thud and he crumpled to the ground.
*~*~*
“Hello?” Elaine said, answering her phone on the first ring.
“Elaine. I need you to call Don and Alicia Stevens and get them out here as soon as possible. Book them a flight on my card if you have to.”
Elaine inhaled sharply. “Darren, what’s happening? Why are you breathing so hard?”
“Please Elaine, just do it. It’s Chris.”
“What about Chris?” she asked in a high pitched voice.
“He’s the alpha. He’s the one who’s been trying to kill Jeremy.”
“Oh my God.” Her face paled as the line went dead.
She quickly regained her composure and pulled up the contacts list on her phone. She paced the floor, waiting for someone to pick up on the other end of the line.
*~*~*
Jeremy watched as Chris bound Declan’s wrists and ankles with a couple of zip ties he pulled from his pocket. Declan was out cold, but Jeremy could see his chest moving with each shallow breath he took.