“Good.” Aaron started to shut the bedroom door, but took a quick look at the homework on the bed. She was getting quite far in such a short time. “Ana Sofia, buen trabajo.”
The little girl’s head shot up startled. But once his praise sank in she gave him the most beautiful smile she’d ever bestowed upon them.
Even Nathan was excited. His voice carried through the walls. “Did you hear that, Fia? Padrísimo!”
“Sí. Estoy muy contento.”
Aaron smiled. The quiet pleasure in Ana Sofia’s tone gratified him. It had been quite some time since he’d felt he was doing a proper job as pack alpha. This little girl’s growth gave him a dose of confidence he hated to admit he lacked these days.
His contentedness must have still been apparent when he found Rachael on the front porch. She eyed him warily. “What are you so happy about?”
Aaron tilted his head to the side. He unlocked the car and stepped off the front porch. “Ana Sofia is adjusting slowly but surely. It is good.”
She joined him on the short walk to the garage. “I’m glad,” she said, tucking her bandaged hands beneath her coat. “I was worried there for a while.”
Aaron stopped just outside on the concrete and folded his arms over his chest. She came up short beside him and then took a couple steps back. Her eyes went steely and guarded—yet another habit he thought she had lost years ago.
In a clipped voice Aaron said, “Your well-being is of concern as well. Not just to me, but the rest of the pack. Jackson, obviously. Nathan clearly adores you, and I have seen Ana Sofia warm up as well. If something were to happen to you all of us would take it hard.”
Blanching at his words, Rachael stared down at her feet and hugged herself. Definitely an odd reaction. Something was terribly off, but she radiated obstinate silence.
Then, in a small voice, she said, “I don’t want anything to happen to any of you, either.”
That she failed to explicitly exclude him as she once would have didn’t escape him. Aaron blinked in surprise but tried not to dwell on it. “Nathan has suggested we train you in self-defense against other lycans.”
Her breath hitched painfully. “I don’t... why would he say that?”
“I do not know, Rachael,” he murmured. “Can you tell me?”
Rather than withdraw further, her eyes became steel and rose to meet his. “I’ve said what I needed to you both.”
Aaron’s jaw tensed. “Either way, it is up to him to come up with a way to do that before we leave.”
“Which would be when?”
“I have not yet decided,” he lied. If she knew it would only take the shift of two more seasons, she might resist. “I still feel his suggestion is wise. But, of course, only if you are up for it.”
“I am,” she blurted before he completely finished his sentence. “If you won’t—if I can’t go with the pack, then I have to feel safe. And you saw me against Roxi. I can’t fight by myself. I’m too weak.”
Her words fell from her tongue tipped with acrid bitterness. Aaron studied her face, her stance, and her eyes. Rachael returned his stare with a mixture of fear and determination.
So much potential wasted, thought Aaron angrily. Had Roxi not been so self-centered, had Nathan not betrayed his trust, had Holden not tangled himself in a web of selfish lies....
But no use in fretting over what-ifs. All he could do was focus on the present. “Well, then,” said Aaron with a thin smile. “I suggest you find a better punching bag before the end of the week.”
Holden detested being a lycan, but there were very rare occasions it came in handy. One of those was now, when he was slinking around the perimeters of the Moreno house. He didn’t have to be too close; the conversation in the yard reached him from his vantage point just outside the property line.
It was difficult not to react to the things he saw. While he understood it would take Rachael some time to adjust to the loss of Vera, it frustrated him that she reacted by placing herself directly in harm’s way.
At least today she’d spent a lot of time alone—that was what Holden assumed from catching only her scent earlier in the day—but it seemed as though Aaron was her chauffer now. If she left the house it usually seemed as though he was at her side.
It made Holden sick to think about.
No wonder she’d been so stiff and hostile the night before. Holden closed his eyes and rested with his belly to the ground. Aaron possessed the purest of silver tongues. He could sway a vegan into becoming a carnivore.
Holden supposed he’d been too hopeful in thinking Rachael was smart enough to see through it.
No, that was wrong, he chided himself. She was smart enough. But she was easily persuaded. An unfortunate side effect of being a compassionate teenage girl, apparently. It would take time for the damage to unwind, but as long as she stayed human there was a good chance of her waking up to reality.
Holden’s ears twitched toward the sound of Rachael and his former alpha talking. He had to grudgingly admit that Aaron wasn’t suggesting anything inappropriate. No doubt there was a manipulative reason behind it, but ultimately Rachael would benefit of some self-defense.
Though he did find it odd that Aaron placed Nathan as the spearhead of that movement. Jackson was a perfectly capable, if green, fighter. Why not keep it between siblings? Holden also found that suspicious.
To his disappointment, but not surprise, Rachael eventually got in the car and drove off with Aaron. Neither of them noticed him.
Holden was about to stand up and leave when the front door slammed shut again. He kept low to the ground and hid beneath the fringes of a tall bush. The faint scent of wet dog—Nathan—drifted closer. Tiny footsteps suddenly stopped just a couple yards from where he lay. Holden forced his breath to become soft and shallow.
In a shrill voice, Nathan shouted, “I know you’re out there, Holden! I can smell you.”
Damn. He hadn’t gone far enough out. Still he kept motionless.
“You better go before Aaron gets back,” snarled the young boy. “Cuz if I ever find you here again, I’ll cut you open myself. You are not gonna hurt Rachael anymore. So get lost!”
His threats were almost laughable. What nonsense had these monsters constructed in their heads this time? Holden was the only one of them who hadn’t harmed Rachael, and they dared preach to him about treating her well?
Having said his piece, Nathan stormed back into the house. The door slammed shut once more. At last free to move, Holden slunk away until he could take off in a loping run. He only had a few days left in this town, and there will still things he needed to do before disappearing.
At least from the human world. As a detestable lycan there was much more in Keeton he needed to do.
Chapter Seven
Sixth period was Calculus II, a class that was unbearable on a good afternoon. But today it seemed to drag on into forever. Rachael could hardly pay attention and kept trying to steal subtle glances at the clock. Even with her fidgeting she was careful to keep her long-sleeved shirt pulled over the bandages on her knuckles.
Only fifteen minutes into class, Mr. Truell called her out on her inattention. “Am I boring you, Ms. Adair?”
From the front of the class, Coleen twisted in her seat along with others to stare at her. Amazingly, Rachael couldn’t even feel embarrassed. She surprised herself by murmuring, “Yeah, a little.”
The thickness of Mr. Truell’s glasses didn’t come close to hiding the searing glare he shot her. “Then might I suggest staying after class tomorrow? We’ll go over the material together.”
She sighed around the smatter of giggles. “Yes, sir.”
Well, great. That was certainly going to cut into her time at the Moreno house. Rachael redoubled her efforts to focus.
Not that it did her much good. School hardly mattered anymore compared to everything else. Since Vera died, who cared about what went down within these bland brick walls?
In the end Mr. Truell assi
gned an entire page of problems more than usual. Rachael had the distinct feeling he’d done that in retaliation to her smart mouth. Still she found it hard to care. This wasn’t one of her best subjects.
Besides, she had more important things to do.
Rachael bolted out the door, drawing stares from her classmates. It had been months since she’d moved so quickly. Her cheeks flushed with excitement knowing what was in store for her today.
It still felt surreal that she had confided in Nathan, of all people. So far it didn’t appear to be a mistake and that was saying something given the kid’s history. Hopefully she hadn’t misjudged like she had with—
Rachael slammed her locker shut. Now was not the time to think about Holden. But once she’d started the guilt continued to pour in and the soft mantra began all over again. It’s not like you didn’t deserve it. You led him on. You could have fought so why didn’t you? This is your own fault.
She was in such a hurry to get to the parking lot that she didn’t even see Coleen. The girl forced herself into Rachael’s path, and she had to stop short. Rachael blinked and then started to move again, but Coleen stepped in front of her once more. Her blue eyes were cold and furious.
Rachael sighed. This was going to delay her. If Aaron was the one picking her up, he wasn’t going to be thrilled. “What?”
“Oh, real freakin’ nice, Rachael,” spat Coleen. Her appearance had, once again, taken a drastic turn. Her dark roots were starkly visible beneath a fiery red dye job. Where once she had given her eyes a smoky appearance she had resorted to a simpler shade of pink. Even her clothes didn’t look like top-notch knock-offs anymore.
She, too, was grieving Vera. Perhaps harder than anyone else.
“I’m sorry,” said Rachael. “But I gotta go.”
To her surprise Coleen shoved her back. “No.”
Rachael caught herself before she stumbled. She eyed the other young woman warily. “Seriously?”
Frigid eyes narrowed. “We can talk about Vera or we can talk about lycans. But the harder you make this, the louder I’ll yell. And the subject will be dealer’s choice.”
Gaping in astonishment, Rachael wracked her brain for an excuse that could get her out of this discomfort. But people were already beginning to stare. She groaned softly in defeat. “Fine. Just... please keep it to Vera.”
Coleen nodded jerkily to the side of the building just around the corner from where the busses parked. With utmost reluctance Rachael led the way. She really didn’t want to be where a gaggle of their eighteen year-old classmates went to smoke one thing or another.
At least it was better isolated than the school entrance. This time of day it was practically empty so nobody would receive another tired lecture from their teachers. A couple students lurked under a small overhang, trading quiet jokes.
Coleen stopped her near the corner of the building, barely in view from the front sidewalk. She placed her hands squarely on her narrow hips, eyes slanted dangerously. “Why have you been avoiding me?”
There were a ton of reasons. In the past Coleen had terribly bullied her, though at times that seemed like a distant nightmare. At the time nothing had been off limits. Rachael had been gossiped as a violent, volatile slut. Coleen had also slept with Vera’s former boyfriend while they were still dating. And then there was how she had pursued every man Vera showed even a glimmer of interest in after that.
But after their mutual friend’s death, Coleen had expressed deep remorse and depression. Seeing this sort of fire in her again was just as strangely comforting as it was alarming.
“I don’t know,” said Rachael.
“Don’t give me that,” snapped Coleen. She bared her teeth. “We’re both going through hell and we both know about—that thing.”
Tiredly, Rachael said, “I don’t want to talk about that thing.”
“I don’t know what to do anymore,” ranted Coleen as though she hadn’t spoken. “Everybody still hates me, but me and Vera used to be super close. I lost her, too. But it’s like my feelings don’t count. Even Kevin won’t talk to me.”
A part of Rachael could sympathize, but she couldn’t help pointing out the obvious. “Well, you seriously screwed her over.” No pun intended. “Just because she’s gone doesn’t mean people forget.”
Coleen stared at her in disbelief. “She would have forgiven me eventually.”
A cold chill shot down Rachael’s spine. Why did that remind her of what Holden had become?
When she didn’t respond, Coleen said, “Besides, I was there. I had to watch her die, too. And I can’t even tell anyone. Your brother made it very clear what would happen to me if I did. And since it happened to her, I just...” She shook her head. “How did you do it? When did you start shrugging it off?”
The words slapped Rachael with their casual callousness. “I haven’t,” she said through her teeth, careful to keep her voice low. “I remember her every day.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t act like it.”
“What, like a drama queen?” Some small part of her conscience was horrified at how she lashed out, but she couldn’t deny that it felt immensely gratifying. Unlike when she’d snapped at Aaron in the car, Coleen wholly deserved it. “Sorry that I don’t need attention just to make it through, Coleen. Vera isn’t someone you can just use to throw yourself a pity party.”
Coleen opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly looked away instead. Before she did, Rachael noticed the tears that welled up.
She immediately regretted her words. Maybe Coleen was being dramatic, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t trying to grieve in her own way.
“I’m sorry,” said Rachael contritely. “That wasn’t fair.”
A small sniffle was her only answer.
Cradling her head in the heel of her hand, Rachael tried to think of something comforting to say. Everything sounded so hollow. She recalled the words of sympathy expressed to Vera’s parents at her funeral; precisely the same as what others had said of her own mother years before. We’re so sorry. She was too young to go. She’ll be in a better place now, without suffering.
While Rachael hoped to the heavens all of that was true, none of it addressed the voids left in the wake of their deaths. What about their families and friends? Both her mother and Vera had been two of the kindest, most genuinely good people she’d ever had the privilege to know. Their passing wasn’t fair. Vera’s especially, as she’d died at the hands of a young man she had never thought could be awful or violent.
Holden’s hands slid down Vera’s blood-soaked hair, his expression closed off as he murmured confusing words of apology. Then he twisted her jaw until her neck snapped with a sickening crack.
Rachael shuddered.
Coleen eyed her. “What, you cold?” Then she blinked rapidly until her tears vanished. “And what happened to your head?”
Typical, thought Rachael wryly. She subconsciously touched the fresh Band-Aid over her forehead. Coleen noticed plenty, but only after focusing on herself. “I tripped on a tree root and hit a rock,” fibbed Rachael.
“Figures.” Rachael rolled her eyes and Coleen forged forth. “Look, you’re the only other person who really knows what happened back there. Please just... don’t ignore me. I need someone to talk to, also.”
Rachael winced as an unnaturally cool breeze tossed her hair in her face. She brushed it aside with her bandaged hand. Coleen’s eyebrows shot upward when her shirt slipped back to reveal the wrappings. “Yeah. Okay. Why don’t you come over Saturday? I’m not doing anything then.” It would cut into her time at the Moreno house, but she supposed a couple hours couldn’t hurt.
“You swear?” demanded Coleen. When Rachael nodded, she narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you back out on me.”
Had it not been for the subject matter, Rachael might have been tempted to bail. Instead she said lamely, “I’ll be there. Promise.”
Coleen thrust out her hand. Without thinking Rachael took it and they shook. Then Coleen fla
shed a sweet smile. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”
Rachael nodded. Finally satisfied, Coleen strode past her and toward a long line of parked cars. A sleek, shiny Volkswagen opened its passenger door and she climbed inside. The car took off and Coleen didn’t so much as glance backward.
But perhaps that was a good thing, thought Rachael tiredly. Maybe it was better to look forward more than back.
Emotionally drained, Rachael trudged toward the student parking lot. There the familiar red Maserati waited along with Aaron Moreno. He didn’t see her at first, musing quietly over a partly-smoked black cigarette. Rachael slowed even more when he failed to greet her. His eyes were distant.
Then, for apparently no reason, he looked directly at her without a hint of surprise. Rachael froze. She wondered if he’d actually noticed her the entire time.
Aaron snuffed out the cigarette. “You are late,” he said, disapproval clear in his voice.
“Sorry,” she said, frowning toward the school. “Coleen made me talk to her.”
He tilted his head slightly. “How is she?”
“Still rude,” said Rachael. “But don’t you already know all that?”
With a shrug, Aaron said, “Your perspective may differ.”
Sometimes she wasn’t sure if he was being complicated on purpose. Rachael shifted her backpack off her shoulders. “Still rude, still pushy. She’s definitely upset, but she hasn’t told anyone about you guys.” Then, just as Aaron opened his mouth, she added quickly, “Sorry, you all.”
Aaron smirked.
What a jerk. Yet as he opened the rear door for her to toss in her backpack, Rachael was mildly amused by the moment as well.
Then she did a double take. When had she started finding him funny—at all?
After that a disquieting sensation settled in her chest. Rachael climbed into the car without another word. She barely spoke during the ride back to the house. Aaron had to know something was up, but this time he didn’t ask questions.
Once there Aaron pointed her to the back yard and settled himself in the living room. Rachael found Nathan with Ana Sofia sitting in lawn chairs on the porch.
Call of the Lycan (Secrets of the Sequoia Book 3) Page 5