“I should really go,” I say softly.
“I can’t drag you into this mess.”
“I’m dragging them into it,” Ethan tells me.
“You’re not going with him.” His tone is stern and shocking.
I slink onto what I assume is the couch
“He must have found her bike,” one of them says.
“I can smell her again.”
“We’ll wait here,” I hear Ethan order.
“When his trail fades, we’ll take her to Eli’s.”
“Maggie is home,” Eli tells him.
“She won’t mind a female in the house.
The testosterone levels are killing her.”
Maggie, I think.
Wife? Girlfriend? I shake my head briefly as a hand comes down on my shoulder tenderly.
I can’t see him, but I have a strong feeling it’s Ethan
“Are you alright, Red?” he asks
I shrug and make a face.
“I don’t know.”
“He won’t hurt you,” he says flatly.
I look up into the dark, trying to find his face.
I can’t tell if it’s sweet, controlling, or just odd for someone that he just met.
I shake away the uneasiness as I feel him give my shoulder a light comforting squeeze.
I look downward, though the dark won’t let me see anything but pitch black.
I blink back the tears that are on the edge of my eyes as I hear Trent give the all clear
“We’ll leave your bike here.
We can get it in the morning,” Ethan tells me.
I fight the urge to find him overbearing and stand up slowly.
I feel his hand find mine with ease.
“You’ll like Maggie.
She’s our only sister-in-law.
We don’t really…” He stops.
“I never really…”
“Ethan’s never had a woman before.” I hear a voice laugh
I purse my lips and pretend not to hear the statement as a few of his brothers carry on with their laughter while we stomp through the woods.
The boys seem true to their word that they’re always in these woods when we enter a clearing that has several vehicles parked neatly in a row.
Two Ram 3500s, a Boss Hoss motorcycle, a nice Jeep Wrangler, an H2 Hummer, and a pair of Ford F150s.
I have no doubt we’ve found their vehicles.
Ethan begins trailing over to the Wrangler.
He turns to look at me long enough to smile.
“Coming?”
I nod and hasten my steps to his Jeep.
He meets me at the passenger door, something I’m not used to, and opens it for me, offering the seat to me.
I find myself smiling, feeling some part of my heart swell up with delight as I climb inside.
He closes the door, mumbles to James that we’ll see them there, and joins me inside
I lick my lips and plant my eyes forward as he starts the Jeep.
“You must be exhausted.” I can see his head turn to face me briefly from the corner of my eye
“And, frozen,” he says, leaning forward and flicking a few switches to turn on the heat.
“We left your jacket.”
I look down at my now bare arms and my exposed scar, and then over at Ethan
“We can go back for it,” he tells me with a quick smile
I shake my head and see that he is now wiggling out of his own jacket while trying to drive.
He succeeds and passes it to me.
“Put this on.”
I look at him, half confused.
I feel a tickle in my stomach and smile as I take the jacket from him.
It’s hard to believe someone acting like this can go completely nuts during the full moon
I slide my arms into his jacket.
It swallows me like a large blanket, but the leather and silk fabric has been heated by his skin so much that it now emits heat for me as I sink into the seat
“Better?” he asks
I give him a nod as I feel myself growing sleepy.
I glance at the time on the dash clock.
It’s reading just after 4 in the morning.
The full moon would soon disappear.
They must prepare themselves to stay up all night just for the full moon
“Are you hungry?”
I hadn’t given much thought to food.
Not since… I shrug.
“Just really tired.”
“Maggie will get you anything you need,” he says.
“We can stay there.
Get your bike in the morning.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“For everything.”
He smiles.
I smile back, because that’s really all that I know to do
* * * * * *
I feel the Jeep pull to a slow stop as I open my eyes and look around.
Ethan smiles down at me.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.”
My mouth opens and I find myself smiling sleepily.
Somehow, some way, waking up and seeing his face feels right.
I sit up slowly to see the beautiful white house that’s in front of me.
Lines of pine trees, potted plants, and beautiful, blue lights line the walkway to the front door
“This is Eli and his wife’s house.”
I turn to look at Ethan, who is already hopping down from his Jeep.
I reluctantly unbuckle myself from my seat to have Ethan open the door and offer his hand to me.
As I take it, my body offers up a slight tremble, and I fight a sudden but strong urge to touch him.
I slide myself down and see that his brothers have already arrived and are piling in the house one by one
Ethan grins wide.
“Come on.
We won’t bite.”
The phrase seems almost funny as I swallow and begin following him up the cobblestone walkway
A young woman, who is about my height with a wider frame and button nose, greets us with a smile.
“Eli was right,” she says, ushering us both inside.
“This is a nice change of pace from you boys.” She looks around at each of them.
“No offense.” They laugh and shake their heads
“Maggie, this is Sam,” Ethan says, “She’s...”
Ian laughs.
“She’s Ethan brand new toy.”
Maggie snaps her head around.
“I won’t have any of you talking nasty in my house.
You stop it.
Just because Ethan isn’t a man-whore like yourself is no reason to talk like that, Ian!”
Ian immediately shuts his mouth.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take our lady guest to get some food in her stomach and a nice hot shower.” She smiles brightly at me, pushing a bob of brown hair from her face
I glance at Ethan, who nods approvingly.
I trail behind her, up a flight of stairs
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” she tells me.
“Eli told me.”
My mouth drops.
It seems as if everyone in the town would know what Ethan and I did against that damn tree by sunrise
She gives me a comforting smile.
“I was there about five years ago.
I thought Eli was insane.” She brings me into a large bedroom that is plastered in beautiful shades of green.
She clicks on a few lights and leads me to yet another door.
This one is a large bathroom.
Beautiful, bright white doused with shades of red and black here and there.
I sigh when I see a whirlpool and a large shower.
“Probably could use a
hot bath,” she says.
“And, this,” she tells me, bending into a small white cabinet.
“Since Eli called and told me everything, I snuck it up here beforehand,” she explains as she pours me a rather large shot of whiskey
“I don’t really drink,” I tell her as she offers up the shot glass to me
“It’ll take the edge off.
Relax; I know you’ve been through a lot.”
I sigh.
What have I got to lose? I give her a nod and take the glass which I down in one swallow.
I make a sour face as the whiskey burns all the way down
She smiles.
“I’ll let you get showered.
Help yourself to anything.
The kitchen is downstairs and to the left.
May I suggest one more drink before bed?”
I laugh, feeling the effects of the warm, soothing liquid already.
I feel a dizzying comfort deep in my brain as my tense body releases, starting with my shoulders.
“Thank you for this.”
She gives me a sweet smile and a nod.
“I know how you feel right now.”
As Maggie retreats, shutting the bathroom door behind her, I wiggle from Ethan’s jacket and tee shirt before slithering out of my jeans.
I make the water as warm as I can as I stand and soak my body underneath it.
I feel a loud moan escape past my lips.
I find the nearest soaps and shampoos: a sweet, flowery smelling collection picked out by, my guess, Maggie.
I lather the suds in my hair and rinse it, making sure to enjoy the hot water while I can.
The light knock on the door jolts me back as I rinse the soap out of my hair and away from my eyes
“Red?” I hear Ethan’s voice from just behind the door
“Yeah,” I answer, cracking the shower door to peer through it.
He’s already seen me; what harm can it do?
“I just wanted to check on you,” he tells me, looking down
It seems strange, seeing him hide his now blushing face.
“I’m fine.
The water just feels good.”
“I can wait up for you,” he says in such a soft, husky voice that I have to fight myself not to jump out of the shower and follow him
“It’s okay,” I tell him.
“You have to be exhausted.
I can’t keep you up any longer.”
“I’ll tell you what,” he starts, “I’ll be downstairs in the living room.
Down the steps and hang a right.”
I nod.
“Okay, but please don’t stay awake on my part if you’re tired.
I’ll get out and if you’re asleep, I’ll go to sleep myself.”
He gives me a slight nod and smile.
“Maggie said you’re more than welcome to the bedroom.”
“I really can’t thank you enough.”
He cuts me off.
“Don’t…It’s…” he stammers.
“It’s nothing.” His bright gray eyes sparkle as his lips curl up in that fashion that seems to have developed a warm spot in my heart.
“I’ll leave you be.”
He slips out, closing the door behind him.
I take a few more minutes to scrub the rest of my body and rinse the suds away before stepping out and taking a towel to myself
I glance over at the shot glass and whiskey that Maggie has kindly left on the white cabinet just for me.
I stare hard and think.
What harm could one more do?
I slip my bra on and Ethan’s tee shirt over that before pouring myself another drink just as she had.
I open my mouth and dump the amber colored liquid in.
I swallow, and once again the warmness travels down my throat and chest to settle in my belly.
The warm, fuzzy feeling quickly hits my brain, and I feel myself relax again.
It has been one hell of a night.
I place the glass and bottle where she had it tucked away and stumble a moment as I slide into my underwear and jeans
My legs feel unsteady and wobbly as I make my way quietly down the stairs.
The lights have been turned off.
Only a few candles and dim nightlights brighten the hallways.
I hear some loud snores coming from a few rooms in the hallway that I creep down.
I find my way to the living room, and it looks as though Ian is asleep on the couch with one foot firmly planted on the floor
I fight off a laugh as I see that Ethan is slumped over comfortably in a large recliner.
His body is relaxed, his head tilted toward me.
His expression is soft and peaceful.
So hard to believe how someone who looks so…gentle could possibly half lose his mind during the full moon.
I take a few steps toward him and bring my hand up to his face where I push his smashed and messy hair from his eyes.
He settles deeper into the chair, and I sigh.
He’s beautiful
I step back so I don’t wake him and cross my arms in front of me.
Goosebumps rise up on my arms, and I give them a slight rub where I’m greeted with my large scar.
It draws me back to reality.
My biggest fear rushes to the front of my mind.
He loses his mind on the full moon.
I’ve seen what Aaron can do.
I suck in a sudden gasp of air that I’m sure will wake them.
They barely move.
I can now feel a few tears poking hard at my eyes.
I can’t risk it after all I’ve been through.
I push my fingertips to my lips and press my fingers to Ethan’s forehead.
Just because he’s perfect now, doesn’t mean he will be during the next full moon.
I refuse to feel any more pain.
I touch him tenderly one last time as I feel a tear slide down my cheek.
I wipe at it blindly and back away from the room.
I find the front door and take off into the woods on unsteady legs.
“Elise…” My voice trails off as she runs into our cabin.
“Elise!” I call after her again.
By the time I reach the door, she’s already inside.
She’s lying back in the middle of the floor, staring at the ceiling.
“Elise.”
She stares up at me with bright blue eyes and smiles.
“Ethan.”
I let out a sigh.
“I’ve done something.”
She sits up and gives me a quizzical look
“I’ve done something I never do.” I say, staring into the gray eyes and facial features that nearly match mine
She laughs.
“I think it was meant to happen.
I think the moon has plans for you, Ethan.
I think you’ve met your mate.
You connected with her in ways that even Eli and Maggie haven’t experienced.”
“But, it’s not me,” I say.
“I’m not like that.
Why? After all this time, why her? Why now?” I find myself slumping down onto the couch
“Ethan,” she starts.
“Are you happy?”
I laugh slightly and look down.
“Yeah, I think I am.”
“Well, then what makes you think it was something bad?” She asks, flipping her long, dark hair behind her.
“Was it out of character? Sure.
But, if it made you happy, why stop?”
I look up at her with my mouth hanging open; such wise words from such a young woman
“It’s time for you to live Ethan,” she smiles
Suddenly, I’m jolted awake by Ian’s voice in m
y face.
The bright sunlight is harsh against my eyes, and I squeeze them tightly shut.
“Ian, you asshole.”
“You were talking in your sleep,” he tells me
I suddenly become a little more alert and sit up in the chair.
Red.
I feel a knot tangle in the pit of my stomach as I become excited to see her.
I glance at Ian.
“What time is it?”
“It’s just after noon,” he says, sitting a cup of coffee on the table and having a seat on the couch across from me
“Is Red awake?” I ask, sitting up, rubbing my hands down my tired eyes
He shrugs
I roll my eyes and head to the kitchen where I find Aaron waiting on a pot of coffee to finish
“Where is everyone?” I ask, pulling a coffee cup from the cabinet
“Maggie and Eli went to the grocery store.
Trent and Colt both went home.
James is around here somewhere,” he says, taking the pot and pouring us both a cup
“Where’s Red?”
He looks up with quite the smile on his face.
“She’s gone.”
I feel my eyes widen.
“What do you mean ‘she’s gone’?” I ask, nearly dropping the cup of boiling black liquid
“She’s gone.
I thought you knew,” he says.
“When she got out of the shower, she talked to you and left.”
“She did not talk to me,” I say, realizing I’m raising my voice
“She came downstairs, found you, and then I watched her leave,” he tells me
“Aaron, you fucking asshole, you let her just leave?”
I hear the footsteps bounding down the hallway.
Both James and Ian have come to the sound of my raised voice.
I don’t even give them time to question.
“Aaron fucking let her leave!”
James’ eyes turn on Aaron and then to me.
“Are you sure she’s not upstairs?”
Aaron shakes his head.
“I saw her leave when she finished her shower.”
“And you just let her walk out the fucking door, Aaron?” James shoots.
“Knowing that someone is after her! Knowing that Ethan has claimed her! That we have to protect her!”
“Yeah, she’s his alright,” Aaron snickers
I feel myself begin to lunge over the kitchen island, only to be stopped by James whose arms wrap around my chest and yank me backward
“I thought you knew,” Aaron says flatly
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