by Jae
“She said she only started dating Brooke after we split up,” Rue said.
“But you don’t believe her.” It was a statement, not a question. By now, Kelsey could read Rue’s body language and the smell of her emotions a lot better.
Rue shrugged. “Paula moved out of our house and in with her executive producer immediately. That makes it a bit hard to believe that nothing was going on between them, wouldn’t you say?”
The rough edges of Rue’s pain cut into Kelsey’s heart. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “Could just be the good old U-Haul syndrome.”
That coaxed a smile out of Rue. “Why, Ms. Forrester, I didn’t know you were familiar with the terms of lesbian courtship.”
Kelsey blushed and cursed herself. “Why didn’t you tell Danny about the reason you and Paula broke up?” she asked to direct the topic away from her own private life.
Rue sighed. “I didn’t want to drag him into our ugly breakup. He already had a hard enough time.”
“So you let him believe that you and your workaholic tendencies are to blame?”
Before Rue could answer, Kelsey detected movement out of the corner of her eye. Ahead of them, a lanky boy of Danny’s height strode down the street, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his low-slung cargo pants and a hoodie pulled up over his head. She nudged Rue’s leg. “There! Do you see him? Is that...?” Kelsey’s heart beat a joyful staccato against her ribs. Had they found Danny?
Slowly, Rue drove past the boy.
The lights of a store window illuminated the boy’s face.
Kelsey sank back against the leather seat.
It wasn’t Danny.
Chapter 24
Danny wandered aimlessly, no longer caring about where he was going.
He walked past the statue of a tailor at a sewing machine that looked as out of place as Danny felt. To his left, a giant button and needle towered on top of an information kiosk, giving Danny’s walk through the city an almost surreal feel. How the hell did I end up in this mess?
The bright lights of jewelry stores, cosmetic shops, and lingerie stores made his eyes tear, and the smells of pizza, donuts, and steaks reminded him of how hungry he was. Stronger than the scent of food was the stench of the trash bags piled on the edge of the sidewalk. One of the bags was moving. Danny stared.
A small animal darted out of a ripped plastic bag and disappeared beneath the pile.
Rats! Danny let out a startled snarl. His head jerked up when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something bigger move in the deep doorway of a cosmetics store.
A figure lay huddled in an old military sleeping bag. When the person pushed up on one elbow, Danny saw that it was a boy just a few years older than he. The boy’s lips moved, but it was too dark to lip-read, so Danny ignored him and continued down the street.
He kept walking until he was out of the boy’s sight, but exhaustion slowed his steps. He stopped and peered into the semi-darkness in front of yet another building. Nothing moved. The doorway of a shoe store was dark, set back, and protected from the light of streetlamps and the stares of passersby. The stench of rotting garbage was not as strong here. Instead, the air smelled of leather, reminding him of the upholstery in Rue’s company.
It’s not so different from that camping trip in Cascadia State Park two years ago. Back then, sticks and stones had poked him all night long, so how much worse could sleeping in a doorway be?
He sat down, leaned his back against the wall, and pulled his backpack against his chest as if it were a blanket. For the first few minutes, it wasn’t too bad. His feet stopped hurting now that he was sitting down.
But after a while, his ass became numb from sitting on the hard concrete, and the cold crept up his body, making him shiver. The odors of the streets—garbage, exhaust, and the festering clothes of the homeless people in other doorways—burned his nose, overpowering the shoe store’s pleasant leather scent. Despite his exhaustion, he didn’t dare close his eyes, afraid that someone would sneak up on him.
It was not like camping at all, he admitted to himself. Back then, Rue had been with him, so the glowing eyes and wild smells from the forest had seemed like one big adventure, not like something to fear. Oh, come on. The camping trip wasn’t that great. Remember how Rue had to cut it short because something came up at work? Something more important than you.
When he stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, searching for warmth and his pocketknife, he encountered his cell phone instead. With a growl, he pulled his right hand out of the pocket to resist temptation.
Calling Rue would mean admitting defeat.
He could make it through one night on the street, right? Tomorrow, he would find a shelter or maybe even a cheap motel that would let him stay in return for doing the dishes or something.
With that soothing thought, he finally dozed off.
Chapter 25
Kelsey rubbed her burning eyes. Eighth Avenue seemed to go on and on without an end in sight. The large billboards looking down on her from high-rise buildings made her feel small and lost. They were searching wider and wider circles around the TV station, and Kelsey’s feet felt as if they were smoldering. Every passerby started to look like Danny, and when they had left the Mercedes in a nearby parking garage, the gas gauge was inching toward empty.
“It’s four a.m. already,” Kelsey said. “Maybe we should get some sleep and continue the search with fresh eyes in the morning.”
Instead of stopping, Rue lengthened her stride and turned right onto Forty-Third Street. Her gaze slid over the people passing by. “There’s a hotel over there.” She pointed at a flickering neon sign between a coffee shop and an old theater. “Why don’t you get a room?”
“What about you? You need some sleep too.”
But Rue shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Great Hunter, she’s just like Dad and Garrick. Kelsey’s duty as the pack’s omega had always been to keep an eye on the alpha’s needs and limits, and she easily slipped back into the old role. “You’re not invincible, you know? I know you want to find Danny. I want that too, but it won’t help him if you drop from exhaustion.”
Sighing, Rue pulled one fisted hand from her coat pocket and ran her fingers through her tangled blond hair. “All right. Let’s get our bags from the car and then get a bit of sleep. But I want to start up the search again before sunrise.”
* * *
The night clerk behind the front desk barely looked up from the blaring TV when they entered the otherwise empty lobby. “One room or two?” he asked.
“Two,” Rue said.
“One,” Kelsey said at the same time.
When Rue and the desk clerk stared at her, Kelsey lowered her gaze, her ears burning. She rubbed her cheeks. “I didn’t mean... I just thought...”
“You thought I would try to sneak out to continue the search and just leave you here,” Rue said.
Kelsey ducked her head, but she couldn’t deny it.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Rue kept eye contact, but Kelsey couldn’t tell if her blue eyes hid anything or not. “I made my decision to let you help search for Danny back in Clearfield, and I always keep my promises. But if it would make you feel better, we can share a room.”
Swallowing, Kelsey nodded. While it might make Rue feel as if Kelsey didn’t trust her, she couldn’t take the risk of being left behind. If she got separated from Rue, her chances of finding Danny dropped to almost zero. Not only did Rue know Danny and the city better than Kelsey did, but Danny might still call Rue or Paula.
“One room, two beds,” Rue said to the desk clerk.
He grinned and handed over the room key.
Rue started up the creaky stairs. “Come on,” she said over her shoulder. “We can be like Thelma and Louise, sharing a room on our road trip.”
“Um...” Kelsey paused and then hurried after her. She wasn’t a big fan of human movies, but she’d heard of this one. “Isn’t that the movie where they die in the e
nd?”
For the first time since leaving Clearfield, Rue laughed. “All right. Maybe not the best comparison.” She unlocked the door and stepped into their room.
Kelsey entered after her and looked around.
Not that there was much to see.
The shade covering the room’s only window was half-open, allowing the neon signs outside to bathe the room alternately in blue and green. Despite the no-smoking sign on the wall, the room smelled of stale cigarette smoke, and one of their neighbors had the TV turned up a little too loudly.
“Which bed do you want?” Rue sent Kelsey a teasing grin. “Or do you want to share?”
Images of them in bed together flashed through Kelsey’s mind. Stop it! Since when are you attracted to humans? Getting involved with the target of her mission was the last thing she needed right now. “Um, no. You pick whatever bed you want.”
Rue put down her duffel bag, sat on the bed closer to the door, and bounced to test the mattress. Then her brow furrowed, and she reached beneath herself. “Look at that. A little welcoming present from the management.” She held up a condom and a handful of breath mints. “How romantic.”
“Oh.” Kelsey rubbed her neck as if it would force down her blush. “You think he thought...?” She gestured in the direction of the lobby.
“That you insisted on renting just one room because you’re trying to have your wicked way with me.” Rue waggled her eyebrows. When Kelsey didn’t answer, she looked up and studied her. Her grin gave way to a more serious expression. “We could try another hotel if you want. I just picked the closest one to save some time, but they’re not all like this.”
“I don’t care.” Kelsey wasn’t a spoiled cat after all, and while the hotel was in need of renovations, the room seemed clean and the sheets on the beds smelled fresh. “It’s just for a few hours anyway.”
“Ah, a low-maintenance gal. A woman after my own heart.”
Something in Rue’s tone made Kelsey do a double take. She squinted at Rue. Is she flirting?
But Rue just sent her a tired smile, and Kelsey decided that her exhaustion was making her imagine things. Why would a woman like Rue flirt with someone like her, especially when she had more important things on her mind? Or was Rue trying to distract herself from her worries?
“Come on,” Rue said. “Let’s take a shower and get ready for bed. I want to be out of here before dawn.”
* * *
“Your turn,” Rue said when she stepped out of the bathroom.
Kelsey looked up from the map of New York City that she had spread out on the bed. She nearly choked on her own spit.
Despite the cool temperatures outside, Rue was wearing boxer shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top.
Kelsey’s glance slid up Rue’s bare legs, took in the nicely defined muscles of her shoulders, and zeroed in on the nipples straining against the tank top’s gray fabric. In the blue-and-green neon lights flickering in from the alley behind the hotel, Rue’s skin looked impossibly soft, and for a moment, Kelsey wondered how it would feel to nuzzle against it.
Rue rubbed her hands over her arms, waking Kelsey from her stupor.
She wrenched her gaze away, berating herself, and picked up her pajamas and her toiletry bag.
“Cute,” Rue said, pointing at Kelsey’s pair of pajamas.
Kelsey glanced down and blushed. Maybe she should have packed another pair of pajamas, not the one with the tiny paw prints all over them, but she hadn’t thought Rue would see her in her sleepwear. It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I’m trying to impress her.
Rue was still lingering in the doorway, so Kelsey squeezed past her, in a hurry to close the door between them and take a shower. A cold one. In the tight space in front of the bathroom, their bodies brushed against each other.
Heat shot through every inch of Kelsey’s body. She closed the door without looking at Rue, undressed, and stepped into the shower stall, where she leaned against the cool tiles. This mission is really messing with my head. Both of her girlfriends had been Syak, and she had never felt even the slightest twinge of attraction toward a human. And that’s not going to change now, especially not with Rue.
She turned on the taps, shivering as the cold water hit her overheated skin. Determined to wash away her strange thoughts, she reached for the soap.
* * *
Kelsey lay awake despite her exhaustion, watching the numbers on the alarm clock creeping toward five a.m. Every neuron in her brain was firing, bombarding her with images of Danny after the security guard had dragged him home, Rue standing in the doorway of the hotel bathroom, and her wolf pack hunting Jorie.
In the bed next to hers, Rue was tossing and turning too. After a while, the rhythm of Rue’s breathing slowed.
Listening to the calming sounds, Kelsey finally fell asleep.
* * *
Kelsey screamed as the car accelerated. “Please, please, slow down!”
But it was too late. The car skidded across the slippery bridge, crashed through the guardrail, and plunged into the river.
The impact threw her forward. Pain exploded in her head, and she struggled to breathe against the constraints of the seat belt.
The front of the car dipped. Kelsey screamed as they sank and then hit the bottom of the river.
Water poured in through a hole in the windshield. From that small hole, tiny cracks spread out like the threads of a spiderweb, and Kelsey stared in horror as the cracks ran across the entire windshield. It would burst any second.
Next to her, Garrick struggled to open the door of the submerged car.
Kelsey threw her weight against the door on her side, but the pressure of the water outside held it closed.
Garrick hit the button for the electric windows.
Nothing.
The roof creaked and caved in a few inches.
Water drummed down on Kelsey and rose up her legs.
Her joints ached with the need to shape-shift, but she fought against it. Her wolf form would have no chance of getting out of the car.
Hip-deep in water, Garrick leaned back between the seats and tried to get the crying baby out of his car seat. “Sabrina!” he yelled, voice uncontrolled, but his wife in the backseat didn’t answer.
The crying baby in his arms, Garrick turned in the driver’s seat. He freed one hand and signed, “Lean back!”
Even with the mutaline surging through her blood, threatening to overwhelm her, Kelsey followed the order of her brother and future natak.
Garrick cradled the baby closer and kicked out with both feet—once, twice, three times.
On the third kick, the side window next to Kelsey shattered. More water gushed in, drenching Kelsey. The water reached her chest and quickly filled the car.
“Go!” Garrick shouted, using his voice now.
“But Sabrina! The baby!”
Garrick, again turning toward the backseat, didn’t see her signing. “Get out,” he shouted. “I’m right behind you.”
The water level crept up Kelsey’s neck.
With tears streaming down her face, mingling with the water, Kelsey took one last breath and squeezed through the passenger side window. Shards of glass cut into her arms, then her sides. The physical pain threatened to overwhelm her body. She fought for control.
Air!
She struggled against the dark water tearing at her, but her limbs felt heavy and useless. Her lungs burned; her skin burned.
Panic propelled her upward. Finally, she burst through the water’s surface and howled through an elongating muzzle.
Then something touched her arm, soothing, not hurting.
Kelsey shot upright.
Instead of her agonized howls or Garrick’s awkward voice, only the buzzing from the neon signs outside filled her ears.
“Hey, Kelsey. You okay?” In the blue-and-green pulsing from the neon signs, Kelsey finally made out Rue kneeling next to her bed. Rue drew soothing circles on Kelsey’s forearm.
Kelsey l
ifted her trembling hands and rubbed them over her face, finding tear-stained cheeks instead of a hairy muzzle. “Yeah. I’m fine.” She tried to stop panting. “Just a bad dream.”
The first few years after the accident, she had often woken and wished it had all been just a dream. Then the dream had slowly faded until she had it only a few times a year. Now it seemed the nightmares were back.
Rue got up from her kneeling position, perched on the edge of Kelsey’s bed, and looked down at Kelsey. In the light of the neon signs, her blue eyes had an eerie glow.
Part of Kelsey wanted to snuggle up to the comforting warmth, but a bigger part was horrified by the impulse. Rue was a human, not a fellow Syak who could provide the comfort of a pack. She struggled to free herself of the tangled covers and scrambled out of bed. “It’s close to dawn already,” she said with a glance to the window. “I don’t think I can go back to sleep anyway. Do you want to continue the search?”
Rue tilted her head and regarded her from the other side of the bed. “Why do you insist on helping me search for Danny?”
“I told you—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Peace of mind. You said that before, but I still don’t understand it. You barely know Danny or me.”
She doesn’t trust me. The thought brought an unexpected wave of sadness, then a stab of guilt. And she’s right not to. Kelsey scrambled for an answer. “Haven’t you ever wanted to help someone you barely knew?”
Rue studied her for a few moments longer. “Yes,” she finally said. “When I adopted Danny.” She turned abruptly and strode to the bathroom. “Come on. Let’s get ready and go look for him.”
* * *
“Can we open the windows a bit?” Kelsey asked as they drove back to the TV station to search the area again.
Rue glanced away from the crawling traffic to stare at Kelsey. “It’s barely forty degrees outside.”