“More or less?” She shivered.
I took my time with my reply. “Sometimes the animal I shift into can affect my personality.” I needed to be completely honest with her because she’d find out eventually. I was sure of that now. “But never enough that I would hurt you.”
“You keep reminding me of that.”
“Because I saw your face when I was a bear. I don’t ever want to see you look at me that way again.”
“You have a lot of cool abilities.” She walked back over to the window.
“We all have our talents.”
“Talents? I guess that’s one way to describe it.”
“What about you?” I joined her at the window.
“What about me?” She leaned slightly into my side.
“What are your secret talents?” I put an arm around her, grateful when she leaned into me more.
“I don’t have any.”
“Come on. I’m sure you do.”
“Your mother didn’t uncover them. Isn’t that enough proof?” There was bitterness in her voice.
“That really bothers you, doesn’t it?”
“I wanted to leave that part of my past behind me.”
“Even though it isn’t remotely your fault?” I longed to erase the hurt in her eyes. I missed the twinkle that had been there right after our kiss.
“Still involves me.”
“My mom was doing due-diligence before hiring you.”
“I should have expected it…”
“What your boss did or my mom finding out?” I turned her in my arms so I could look directly into her eyes.
“Both. I guess. Can we change the subject?” She looked down.
“Back to your hidden talents, or something else?”
“Have you dated many humans?”
“Ok. Abrupt subject change.”
“Our whole conversation has been abrupt.”
“True. And the answer is no. I’ve never dated a human.”
“Never?” She raised an eyebrow.
I shook my head, very grateful I could answer her honestly. “There aren’t too many humans here. A human only stays in Willow Harbor if they are meant to be here. There has to be something that draws you to our town.”
“To be someone’s mate?” she met my eyes.
“Sometimes. Sometimes other reasons. No one just happens to move here. It’s always for a reason.”
“But in my case, everyone assumes…”
“Yeah.” She already knew it was the case.
“You don’t make it easy to find this place.” She peered out the window again.
“That’s very much intentional.”
“But humans don’t just find it? Stumble upon it I mean?” She wrinkled her nose. “Those people at the diner. They knew about it.”
“Yes, but they don’t live here. Plus sometimes we need humans to come.”
“Uh, that’s cryptic.”
“Like if we need large scale construction work.” I took her hand. “Let’s keep going. The light room is the coolest part.”
“Ok. You don’t use humans as blood bags for vampires or something?”
“Uh, no. We don’t condone the murder of innocent humans here. What kind of place do you think this is?”
“I don’t honestly know. I haven’t exactly met too many supernatural creatures before.” She shuddered as a loud clap of thunder echoed through the stairwell.
“You have.” And now I was really going to freak her out.
The room lit up with a flash of lightning,
“What do you mean, I have? As in I’ve met them without knowing it?”
“Did you know what I was before I told you? Even when I told you, you didn’t want to believe it. Same with Delpha, right?”
“True. But you guys don’t always live in separate towns with mostly supernaturals?”
“This is the only town of supernaturals I’m aware of.” And that is what makes it so special.
“Oh.”
“It’s a long story. Our founding that is, and not worth telling you until we know.” I took her hand, trying to get her moving. There was a much better view a few steps up.
“Until we know what?”
“Whether you are going to stay here.” The thought of her leaving hurt me in more ways than I could have imagined.
“I thought the kiss answered that.” She crossed her feet at the ankles.
“That only answered half the question.”
“So now we have to check out the codex?”
“No. You have to decide whether you want to stay. In the end that’s what it’s going to come down to.”
“But it’s your decision too.” She started up the stairs, and we came out inside the light room. She gazed around at the glass surrounding us on all sides.
The view of the ocean was nothing compared to the way she made me feel. “I already made my decision.” My heart rate accelerated, and my body warmed. I was tired of holding back. I pulled her into my arms and connected my lips with hers again. Maybe she didn’t know if she wanted to commit to mating with me, but she wanted this. And in that moment, that was all that mattered.
Light flooded the room and she stumbled back. “Oh my gosh.”
“Oh. That.” I pulled her back against me. “That light does that.”
“Is there a timer or something? Or is it based on the light outside?” She eyed it warily.
“There’s no timer. No one knows why it works that way.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “Maybe it’s a ghost.”
“How bad is that rain?” She walked over to one of the huge windows.
“It would be easier to see out here.” I opened the door out onto the balcony.
The rain still poured down in sheets, but I loved listening to the sound of the rain.
“Now this is amazing!” She walked out on to the balcony, staying close to the side to protect herself from the pouring rain. The overhang above provided shelter, but water still cascaded down off the edge enough to get the front part of the balcony wet.
She closed her eyes and looked up at the sky while the water poured down beside her. She looked magnificent, but we were in the middle of a lighting storm, and I knew I couldn’t leave her out there.
“Pierce, come on!” She called over the pouring rain.
I stepped outside, letting the scent and sound of the rain engulf me. Normally I’d have shifted to feel it differently, but the only form I wanted to be in was human—so I could be with her.
Her smile was huge, and her eyes closed. I couldn’t resist. Her lips were mine once again.
Thirteen
Mattie
Magic. The afternoon was magic. The rain. Pierce’s lips on mine. I could barely handle the onslaught of sensations and emotions.
After our second intense kiss Pierce dragged me back inside the lighthouse, reminding me of the danger of lightning. Normally I would have been the one warning someone, but I was in a euphoric state where I could barely think straight.
“As soon as there is a break in the storm, we should head back to the truck.” Pierce ran a hand through my hair while we sat and watched the rain.
“I probably should get a few hours of work in.”
He smiled. “I’m not worried about your work, although I should be worried about mine.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“The storm. Those clouds aren’t going anywhere. We’ll hopefully get a break and make it back, but it’s just going to start again.”
“Not interested in spending the night up here?” I teased.
“You wouldn’t want to.” He brushed his lips against my forehead.
“If you’re telling me that, I’m going to listen.”
“Not that I wouldn’t enjoy spending the entire evening with you…” his words trailed off.
“But not in a haunted light house.”
“I never used the word haunted.”
“I figured it out myself. You
r ‘maybe’ about the ghost thing didn’t sound particularly convincing.” The light that turned off on and off and the chill in the air said a lot. The weird thing was I was still sitting there. I was willing sitting there in a haunted tower. Crazy. Absolutely crazy.
“The rain is lightening up a little. Since I know you are okay with getting a little wet, I say we run for it.”
“By run you mean walk quickly, right? Because as I am sure you realize, I’m not running down these stairs or those slick rocks.”
“You’re wearing the right shoes.”
I looked down at my sneakers. “I am, but me and wet rocks don’t go together. You saw that first hand.”
“My offer to carry you still stands.”
I shot up to my feet.
He laughed a deep laugh that was incredibly sexy. “I should have known that’s what it would take to get you moving.”
“I guess I’m predictable.” I turned on my phone this time even though the light from on top was bright enough to light some of the stairs. I’d already learned it shut off randomly, and I didn’t need to fall down a couple flights of stairs.
“No. Predictable is not a word I’d use to describe you at all.”
“You’re wrong. Anyway, I’m glad we’re heading back. Don’t forget what you promised.”
“What did I promise exactly?” His voice came from right behind me.
I didn’t dare turn around, not sure I wanted to handle being face-to-face that close to him while walking down spiral steps. “My door. You promised to fix my door.”
“Oh. That.”
“Oh that? I need a door.” Going down the stairs should have been easier, but it was harder. I was afraid of missing a step, so I took each one slowly. At least Pierce didn’t complain about my pace at all.
“I guarantee Delpha has fixed it by now. She’s also replaced the sheets.”
“Really?”
“She threw the party. She’ll take responsibility. She can be flighty sometimes, but she owns up to things when she screws up.”
We reached the bottom, and I pushed against the outer door. The rain had let up, and it was now only a light drizzle. The ocean had also calmed. “I made her sleep in there. Or on the couch. I really don’t know where she slept.”
“That’s only fair.” He wordlessly took my hand and headed back around the tower.
“Is it?” I slipped, cursing when he had to right me again.
“I’m trying to understand you.” He kept a hand around my waist as we continued along the rocks.
“Why I can’t walk for the life of me?” We reached the sand and headed back to the wooden bridge.
“No. It’s slick out here. I get that.”
“Then what are you trying to understand?” I paused a few steps onto the bridge.
“Why you care so much.”
“I don’t care much about anything.” I started walking again. This conversation wasn’t worth getting stuck out there in the middle of the storm if the lightning returned.
“Sure you do. You care about Delpha even though she barged in on you and threw a party. You actually feel guilty about making her sleep in the less ideal spot when it was her fault.”
“Because she’s been nice to me.” Or welcoming. She’d made me feel welcome, which made a difference even if a lot of the other things she did were incredibly annoying.
“Am I right that not many people are…” He was beside me now. His shoulder brushed against mine.
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“That’s not random you know.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I glared at him. “It’s my fault?”
“No.” He opened his mouth and then closed it. “I just mean it’s my fault, or not really.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“If you are truly destined to be my mate, that makes you something different. People sense it, and they don’t like different.”
“You’re making that up.” I turned straight ahead.
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know exactly.” We reached the sand again, right as a crack of thunder filled the air.
“Because I have no reason to. I think I’m right.”
“You think, as in you don’t really know?”
“Do we ever really know anything?” He reached for my hand.
After considering pushing him away, I let him wrap his hand around mine. Annoyed at his words or not, I enjoyed his touch far more than I wanted to admit.
He stopped short and looked into my eyes. “I wasn’t trying to upset you, I just want you to understand how much of your life may have been influenced by me. And if any of it was bad, I’m sorry.” He rested his forehead against mine.
“I’m not sure I actually believe you have anything to do with my past, but thank you, I guess.”
He put his hands on either side of my head.
I smiled. “Are you going to kiss me again?”
“Should I?”
“That’s a loaded question.”
“Then let’s try this one. Do you want me to kiss you?”
“Yes.” I wanted him to do a whole lot more than kiss me, but a kiss sounded very nice.
He brushed his lips against mine. “That kind of kiss?”
“No. I was thinking more like this.” I crushed my lips against his and pulled his head close to mine. His arms wrapped around me, and I deepened the kiss, loving the feeling of being in charge.
A loud crack of thunder had me jumping back. “This storm is too much of a distraction.”
“Then let’s go ahead and get back.” He took my hand and started jogging down the beach. Miraculously I kept up, and I knew that had a lot to do with him forcing himself to go slow.
We stopped talking after that, hurrying alongside each other until we reached his truck. He opened the door for me before hurrying around to his side. He’d just pulled out of the spot when the sky opened again, sending torrents of rain down.
“Good timing.”
“Amazing timing.” He put a hand on my leg.
“Perfect timing.” I already knew we weren't talking about the rain. So much had changed between us since I got into his truck that morning, and I had no idea what was going to happen when we got back to the library. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to have happen, but I knew one thing. Being only friends with Pierce was no longer a possibility.
* * *
The apartment was spotless when I walked back inside. Spotless. If I hadn’t witnessed the party myself, I might not have believed there had been one the night before. Not a single can or bottle littered the counters. The table had been wiped down. The rug was vacuumed, the windows washed, and my door was back on.
“Delpha?” I called out, still flying high from my time with Pierce and now thrilled that the place looked amazing. “You home?”
“Hey!” She jumped out of the bathroom clutching a scrubbing brush. “How are you?”
“Were you cleaning the bathroom?” I asked a question with an obvious answer because I was too shocked to stop myself from speaking out loud.
“Yes. I’m sorry about last night.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. I shouldn’t have thrown the party. I said it was for you, but it was really for me. Cad’s as anti-social as they come, and we never have parties. I was dying to have one. Sorry.” She dropped the brush and ran over, pulling me into a hug. “Forgive me, please.”
“You’re forgiven. And thank you. This went above and beyond.” I didn’t pull away from the hug immediately. There was something so genuine about it.
“How was your morning?” Her eyes lit up. “You look happy.”
“It was nice.” I smiled thinking about exactly how nice it was. I was never going to forget any of those kisses.
“Nice?” She tilted her head to the side. “Only nice?”
“Very enjoyable.”
She grinned. “That’s more like it.”
“I was goi
ng to ask if you’ve been down to work yet today, but by the look of this place you haven’t.”
“Oh, I have,” she said in an offhanded way. “Just long enough to get done what needed to get done.”
“Great.”
“Hey, could you do me a huge favor?” She tilted her head to the side.
“Sure.” I would have agreed to almost anything considering how great the place looked and how little I enjoyed cleaning.
“Ok, it’s not huge.”
“All right.”
“I needed flyers for the story time I’m starting again.”
“Oh, you need help with those?”
“No.” she shook her head. “There’s a guy in town who makes great ones.”
“Ok. I can call him then. I owe you one for this.” I gestured to the spotless apartment.
“I already called him, but I said I was you.”
“Why?” I was starting to accept I would never ever understand Delpha.
“Because he’s a vamp.”
“A vamp?” My heart skipped a beat. “Meaning a vampire?”
“Yes.”
“And you don’t like vampires?” There had to be a reason she was pinning her work on me.
“Oh no. I don’t mind them.”
“Then why did you give my name?”
“Vampires don’t like me.” She swung her arms.
I tried to follow. “Because of what you are?”
“I just have a bad reputation for something. Not worth discussing right now. He’s supposed to come down and drop the flyer off, but I specifically told him he needed to give everything to me—meaning you. You know Mr. G can’t be trusted.”
“Am I supposed to pay him? How do I do that?”
“It’s on the libraries account. We’re good.”
“Ok… so I should just wait down there?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“And where will you be?”
“I need to clean the windows on the outside.”
“No way. You could kill yourself doing that.”
“I won’t.” She smiled. “Now please go down and wait.”
“You promise not to fall and die?”
“Pinky promise.” She held out her pinky and actually linked it with mine.
Shifter’s Fate: Willow Harbor - Book One Page 12