True Nature

by Jae

  Rue hesitated, and Kelsey could see that she was about to shake her head and send her away.

  Kelsey’s thoughts raced, and she decided to appeal to Rue’s compassion. If Rue didn’t want her help, maybe she’d react better if she thought she was helping Kelsey by letting her come with her. “Danny reminds me of my brother, who was deaf too. I was too young to help Garrick when he was in trouble, but I can’t stand to sit around and not help Danny now.”

  A sigh wrenched from Rue’s chest. “All right.” Rue closed the trunk and settled behind the wheel.

  Drawing a deep breath, Kelsey got in on the passenger side.

  Gravel flew as Rue sped out of the driveway, causing Kelsey to dig her fingers into the armrest again.

  “But if you insist on coming with me...” Rue sent her a sidelong glance, accompanied by a tired half-smile. “It’s five hundred and fifty miles to New York, and I want the Mercedes’s armrest to survive this trip, so I suggest you relax. I’m a perfectly safe driver.”

  Reluctantly, Kelsey released her white-knuckled grip on the armrest. Her fingers instantly sought the reassuring contact with the leather seat instead.

  Rue pressed the voice command button on the steering wheel. “Call Larry Holmes.” While the phone dialed, she clipped the Bluetooth headset to her ear and sped up to make it across an intersection before the traffic light turned red. “Larry? I need you to take care of my car. The Jeep. It’s parked down at the bus station, with a smashed side mirror. Yeah. Thanks.”

  Silence filled the car as Rue made a right turn onto the ramp of the interstate and smoothly merged into the steady stream of traffic. She sighed and pressed the earpiece more firmly into her ear. “I need to call Paula.”

  “If you want some privacy, we could stop at the next rest area,” Kelsey said. She could take the opportunity to call Jorie and have her arrange for someone to intercept Danny in Newark.

  Rue shook her head. “No, I don’t want to lose any more time. It’s—” She paused when a mechanical sounding voice came through the headset.

  “Hi, this is Paula Lehane. I’m not available right now, but if you leave me a message, I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Thanks.”

  Thanks to her Wrasa hearing, Kelsey could listen to every word.

  “Paula, it’s me,” Rue said and belatedly added, “Rue. I don’t know if you heard from him, but Danny is on his way to visit you.”

  Visit? Kelsey raised a brow. Why doesn’t she tell Paula that Danny ran away?

  “Give me a call when you get this message. It’s important.” Without pausing, Rue dialed another number, probably Paula’s home phone, and left the same message, then called Paula’s place of work, where a bored-sounding man assured Rue he’d have Paula call her back as soon as she returned.

  Rue dropped the earpiece into the armrest and then gripped the steering wheel with both hands. Lines of tension burrowed into her forehead. Her glance returned to the phone every now and then, but she kept silent for a long time, not trying to bridge the awkward silence with small talk.

  “Paula and Danny...they’re close?” Kelsey asked after a few quiet miles.

  “They were,” Rue said but didn’t explain.

  “Then why were you the one who adopted him and got custody after you split up? Didn’t Paula want custody?”

  Rue smoothly switched lanes and sped past a slower car, causing Kelsey to dig her fingers more deeply into the leather. “Paula’s an investigative reporter, so she travels a lot for her job. Danny needs someone who’s there every day.”

  An investigative reporter. Kelsey hadn’t thought it possible, but now her muscles tightened even more. If Wrasa abhorred one profession, it was investigative reporters. Just one of them catching wind of their existence could be enough to ruin everything.

  And now she was about to meet with one of them.

  Chapter 15

  Mile markers and exit signs flew past, and Kelsey blinked as the names of towns blurred before her eyes. Darkness fell and turned the cars in front of them into a row of red taillights. The hum of the engine and the monotonous sound of the road beneath the tires might have lulled a human into a sleepy state, but despite the warm air blowing through the vents, Kelsey couldn’t relax at ninety miles per hour.

  When the Mercedes sped over a bridge, she clamped her hand around the seat belt and kept her gaze on the six-lane structure ahead of them, not peering down into the dark waters below.

  “You should get some sleep while you can,” Rue said after trying for the tenth time to reach Paula without any success.

  Rue’s voice made Kelsey jerk. In this speeding death trap? No, thanks. “I’m not tired,” she said. “I could take over driving for a while if you want.”

  Rue looked over. She loosened her grip on the steering wheel and grinned. “You don’t like the way I drive?”

  A blush made Kelsey’s cheeks burn. “Um. No, I do. I’m just not that fond of cars.”

  “Then I better keep driving because I’m very fond of mine.” Rue patted the steering wheel as if it were a favorite pet.

  “Can I look through your CDs?” Kelsey asked, hoping that some music might calm Rue and make her slow down. When Rue nodded, Kelsey flipped through the CDs in the center console. From one of the CDs, her mother looked back at her. “Are you a Della Yates fan?”

  “Why does that surprise you? She’s good.”

  “Yes,” Kelsey said, “she is.” Her chest swelled with pride. “I just didn’t think you’d be a jazz fan.”

  “My grandfather introduced me to jazz and to Della Yates’s music.”

  Kelsey put in the CD. Her mother’s mournful voice drifted through the car’s speakers, singing about losing her son. Kelsey reached out to forward to the next song. Her hand collided with Rue’s, who had also reached for the CD player. Kelsey’s skin tingled where their fingers touched, and she quickly pulled back.

  Without commenting, Rue shut off the music. She reached for her phone again and started talking into her Bluetooth headset, giving business instructions to someone named Richard.

  After fifteen minutes, Kelsey had enough of the shoptalk. “How can you think of business at a time like this?”

  When Rue looked up sharply, Kelsey realized she had spoken aloud. She swallowed and pressed her hand to her mouth, but it was too late to take back the words. Part of her wasn’t even sure she wanted to take them back. How could Rue care more about her company than about her missing son? For a Syak, family always took priority.

  Oh, yeah? How long has it been since you last saw your family?

  Rue finished her call and glared at her, then looked back at the road. “Who do you think you are to judge me? You know nothing about my situation. I’m not just a parent. I have other responsibilities too. Four hundred employees depend on me, and I’ve worked on this deal with European retailers for months. If I don’t have someone take over, it’ll all be in vain.” She threw another glance at Kelsey. “Not that I owe you an explanation.”

  Kelsey took a deep breath. She’s right. I’m not being fair to her. Even Dad can’t make his family his sole priority. He’s got other responsibilities too. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

  “Forget it. You’re not the first person to think I’m a workaholic and a bad parent.”

  “That’s not what I—”

  “I’m doing it for Danny too.” Rue sent her another quick glance. The fire of conviction burned in her blue eyes. “He’ll inherit the company one day.”

  Was that really what Danny wanted, or was Rue pushing her expectations on him, as Kelsey’s parents did? Growing up, she had never been expected to be dominant. That was her brother’s role, and Garrick was a born leader. His death left a hole in the pack structure that she couldn’t fill. She tried, but it was just not in her nature. “But maybe what Danny really needs from you is your time and your attention,” Kelsey said before she could stop herself.

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” Rue hit the steering wh
eel as if proving her presence.

  “Yes,” Kelsey said and licked her lips. “You are.”

  Uneasy silence fell again, leaving Kelsey with her increasingly worried thoughts. When she was sure Rue’s attention was focused solely on the denser traffic around Richmond, she reached for her phone to text Jorie.

  The sudden ringing of the cell phone made Kelsey drop it. Her heart slammed against her ribs, and she pressed one hand to her chest while the other scrambled for the phone. “Yes?”

  “Hi, Kelsey,” Jorie’s voice came over the phone. “Griffin is on the way to the airport. She’ll fly down to help you, just in case.”

  Kelsey pressed the cell phone to her ear, hoping Rue with her human hearing couldn’t make out what Jorie said. “Um, listen, Mom…”

  Silence filled the line. “You’re not alone, right?” Jorie asked.

  “No, I’m not. I’m on my way to New York City.”

  Jorie sucked in a breath. “You’re going to New York? What happened? Is the boy in trouble?”

  “Yes, Mom. I know I’m always losing my warm socks, but you don’t need to send me a new pair. I’m sure I can find some in New York.”

  “You mean you lost Daniel? You can’t talk because you’re with Rue Harding, on your way to New York because you lost Daniel and you’re hoping to find him in New York?”

  “That’s right.”

  For a few moments, even Jorie, the writer, was at a loss for words. Her silence reminded Kelsey of just how bad the situation was.

  “We don’t have anyone we can trust in New York,” Jorie said.

  Damn. Kelsey dug her fingers more deeply into the leather seat. So much for my plan to intercept Danny before the police get to him. She was used to working within the widespread network of the Saru, but this time, she couldn’t fall back on that—not without exposing Rue to the same scrutiny and witch hunt that Jorie had been through. No. Kelsey had sworn to never do that to another human. While she needed to take Danny from Rue, she drew the line at hurting or killing Rue.

  “I’ll call Griffin,” Jorie said. “We’ll be on the next plane to New York.”

  Kelsey suppressed a sigh. She had hoped to prove herself by handling this mission alone, but now she needed some backup.

  “If the boy is traipsing all over the Northeast on his own...” Jorie swallowed audibly. “Kelsey, this is getting out of hand. What if something happens to Danny? What if he shape-shifts in the middle of Central Park or something like that? Getting the council and the Saru involved would be bad, but not as bad as having a young wolf-shifter run amok in New York City.”

  Kelsey hesitated, aware of Rue’s presence next to her and of the burden on her shoulders. It would be so easy to hand over the responsibility for Danny to the council, but she had promised herself a long time ago never to step back and let someone else deal with the problem just because it was easier.

  “No, Mom, don’t worry,” she said. After all, the police would intercept Danny at the bus terminal. They wouldn’t let him run all over New York on his own, and soon, she and Rue would be there to pick him up. For now, there was no imminent danger. The First Change didn’t just happen without any previous symptoms—fever, disorientation, dizziness, sometimes even passing out—and Danny hadn’t displayed any of them so far. I just hope the police dragging him off the bus won’t scare him. If nothing spiked Danny’s adrenaline too badly, his First Change could still be weeks or even months away. “You don’t need to do that yet. I’ll call you as soon as I know how long I’ll be staying in New York.”

  “We’ll check in with you as soon as we land in New York. Be careful.”

  “You too, Mom.” Kelsey ended the call and stared out the window, disoriented by more than just the landscape flying by. When Rue cleared her throat, she turned her head and explained, “My mother. She never stops worrying about me.”

  “Must be nice to have a family like that,” Rue said, sounding wistful.

  They hadn’t been a happy family since Garrick had died, but Kelsey nodded anyway. “How about you? Do you have any family? Siblings?”

  “No.” Rue paused. “Well, I almost had a brother.”

  “Almost?” How could you almost have a brother?

  Rue took her time adjusting the rearview mirror even though, as far as Kelsey could see, it was already perfectly adjusted. “When my parents died in a plane crash, my mother was six months pregnant.”

  Despite her calm words, the scent of Rue’s pain filled the car, making Kelsey dizzy. She clutched the armrest more tightly. Seconds later, she became aware that she was touching Rue’s leg with her other hand. Stunned, she pulled back. Why did comforting Rue seem so natural? She was a human, not a member of her pack. You don’t even have a pack.

  She had left her father’s pack as soon as she’d been of age, unable to live with the pressure of being expected to fill Garrick’s shoes. Over the years, she had joined several other packs but had never found a place that seemed like a perfect fit. She doubted that she ever would. After her last alpha had tricked her, she hesitated to fully trust. Better to think for herself instead of blindly following her submissive instincts.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, referring to both Rue’s loss and the touch to Rue’s leg.

  Rue waved her away. “It was a long time ago.” She turned on the CD player, putting an end to their conversation.

  Chapter 16

  Danny crumpled the wet paper towel into a ball and lifted his arm. With one perfect flick of his wrist, the paper ball landed in the wastebasket. Grinning, he pumped his fist. Score!

  A blast of cool air hit Danny as the door opened and a uniformed man entered the restroom.

  Shit! Had Rue called the cops? Danny whirled around and hurried back into one of the stalls. Heart pounding, he leaned against the closed door and cursed the fact that he’d left his hearing aids at home. If he’d been wearing them, he might have been able to make out some of the sounds from outside.

  The smell of urine intensified.

  Ah. Danny grinned. He’s just taking a leak. He waited for a few more minutes, until he was sure the cop was gone, then slowly opened the door and peeked out.

  The restroom was empty.

  A sudden wave of dizziness wiped the grin off Danny’s face. His vision blurred. The floor beneath his sneakers seemed to tilt, and he grasped the door with both hands to stay upright. Oh, shit! He moaned. What the hell is this?

  A burning itch crept up his arms. He took deep, careful breaths, first through his mouth, then, experimentally, through his nose.

  But that only made things worse. The overwhelming stink of urine and the fake lemon smell of cleaning agents made his stomach roil. His shaking legs buckled, and he fell, his head barley missing the toilet bowl.

  Fear clutched at him. He couldn’t sit up, couldn’t think, couldn’t figure out what was going on. He lay still and pressed a hand against the reassuring presence of his cell phone in his pocket. Should he call for help?

  Nothing really hurt, though, and the cool tiles felt good against his overheated skin. Maybe if he just lay there for a minute, his head would stop spinning. He closed his eyes, hoping it would calm the triple-time hammering of his heart.

  Chapter 17

  Rue glanced at the dashboard clock for the fifth time in as many minutes. It’s after nine. The NYPD should have picked Danny up by now. Why aren’t they calling? She sped over yet another bridge.

  A sign welcomed them in Maryland, and another one told Rue that it was still two hundred forty-two miles to New York. It might as well be two hundred thousand. She wanted to get to Danny now. Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she stared at the cars ahead of them as if she could make them move faster.

  Only Kelsey’s soothing presence next to her stopped her from cursing all the way to New York. Strange. No one but her grandfather had ever had that calming effect on her.

  Rue’s cell phone rang, catapulting her into action. Finally! Her heartbeat shot through the ro
of. She glanced at the caller ID while she shoved the phone’s earpiece into her ear. “Clearfield PD,” she said to Kelsey and pressed the button to accept the call. “Do you have Danny?”

  “Ms. Harding, this is Detective Schaeffer.”

  “Do you have Danny?” Rue repeated. Her voice vibrated like a rattlesnake about to strike.

  Only silence came through the tiny earpiece, and then Detective Schaeffer cleared his throat. “The NYPD met the bus at Port Authority. Daniel wasn’t on it.”

  Blood rushed through Rue’s ears. “What? That’s impossible. He—”

  “He had been on the bus,” Schaeffer said. “The NYPD questioned the bus driver. He recognized Daniel from the photo we sent them. Apparently, Daniel got off the bus in Newark.”

  “Newark? That doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t know anyone in Newark, and his ticket was for New York.” Rue switched lanes to pass a slower-moving car.

  “We alerted Newark PD,” Schaeffer said. “They’ll search the station, watch surveillance tapes, and ask around, trying to determine if your son has been seen with anyone.”

  Rue’s knuckles blanched as she throttled the steering wheel. For a moment, she felt as if she would throw up any second, and she could hardly get out the words. “You think he might have been kidnapped?”

  “No, Ms. Harding, there’s no reason to think that,” Schaeffer said.

  A “yet” hung in the air.

  Rue bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted the bitter tang of blood. Images of what might have happened to Danny flashed through her mind, each one worse than the one before. No, no, no, no, no. I can’t lose him. Not him too.

  “Maybe he just changed his plans at the last minute,” Schaeffer said. “Teenagers sometimes do that. I’ll call you as soon as I hear anything.”

  When the call ended, Rue plucked the headset from her ear and clenched her hand around the fragile piece of technology until her fingers hurt. Even that pain couldn’t pierce the fog of her panic.