by Kristie Cook
She didn’t miss having to brush out her unruly hair. After pulling on the red sweat pants that she had to roll up at the legs and tighten all the way with the drawstring and a black t-shirt so large, the pants were practically unnecessary, she snooped around the bathroom for a hairbrush. She only found a plastic comb that would never make it through her thick hair in one piece. Not knowing what else to do at the moment, she wrapped the towel around her head and stepped out of the bathroom, steam following her out.
Gray glanced over at her, and his mouth fell open. His hands shook so badly, she thought he was going to drop the bowl he held, filled with something steaming and delicious smelling. After a long moment, he finally blinked and his adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. A sexy glint sparked in his eyes.
“You, uh, feel better?” he asked as he set the bowl on the counter.
“Much. Thank you,” Rissa said, offering a small smile for the first time. Gray’s eyes went wide again, but he quickly recovered.
“My sister probably has a brush in the upstairs bathroom,” he said, nodding at the stairs by the front door in the living room.
Rissa blinked, and a new wave of anxiety rolled over her. “Your sister? Is this her house?”
He turned back toward the stove and picked up a second bowl. “It’s ours. Just a cabin our parents left us both. Neither of us lives here, and she hardly ever makes it up anymore, but she keeps pretty much everything she needs here. Just in case ...”
His voice trailed off.
“Just in case what?”
He paused, then cleared his throat and gave a nonchalant shrug. “In case she forgets something when she packs. You know how you girls are—can’t live without your hair stuff and makeup and everything.” He turned around, the second bowl filled with some kind of stew. “Of course, you might be a little different?”
Rissa heard this as a question, one she wasn’t about to answer. “I’ll, uh, see if I can find a brush. It might take me a while, though. My hair’s a pain in the ass like that.”
Gray eyed the towel-turban around her hair with curiosity. “This stew needs to cool for a bit anyway, and the bread’s still in the oven warming.”
Rissa gave him a small nod then headed for the stairs. The stew would be ice-cold and the bread burnt to a char if he waited on her, so she tried to hurry. Although the upstairs bathroom was a little bigger and even had a tub and a linen closet, she found the brush easily enough, but pulling it through her wet hair wasn’t so simple. She took the systematic approach that she’d learned years ago, and ten minutes later, she’d tamed the biggest knots. As she reached back to start the next round, a hand caught her wrist, and a jolt of something exciting and promising nearly brought her to her knees.
Her eyes caught Gray’s in the mirror, and his smoldered as he took the brush from her.
“You were, uh, taking so long,” he said, his voice husky. “Thought you could use some help.”
Rissa’s brain had turned to something soft and senseless, and she couldn’t bring herself to protest as he gently pulled the brush through her hair from crown to nape, easing his way through the smaller tangles. They both remained silent as Gray continued brushing, and by the time he finished, her whole scalp tingled, and her nipples were hard. He reached around her, his arm pressing against hers as he placed the brush on the side of the sink. His head bent near hers, his mouth close to the skin of her throat, their eyes locked in the mirror once again. Rissa’s were wide, and her pulse thundered with anticipation.
Then her stomach growled with the ferocity of a lion.
Gray straightened up, and a small smile danced on his lips. “Dinner’s ready.”
Chapter 3
Rissa had always spelled her name a-w-k-w-a-r-d, but it’d been a long time since she’d felt as awkward as she did while eating dinner with Gray. A table could never fit in the tiny kitchen, so they sat in the living room, Gray on a weathered leather recliner and Rissa on the couch. The beef stew was delicious with a gravy that hinted of red wine, the bread warm and buttery, and the silence as heavy as the blanket she’d been wearing earlier. Rissa shamelessly devoured two bowls of stew and half of the baguette, and between the two of them, they finished the bottle of wine Gray had opened for the gravy.
“You seriously cooked that yourself?” Rissa asked with disbelief as her tongue ran over her spoon. Realizing her lack of class, she quickly dropped the utensil in the bowl and placed the dish on the glass coffee table.
Gray smiled, and the sweatpants she wore nearly dropped as fast as the spoon had. “One of my many specialties. I’m guessing that you liked it?”
“I have to say I’m impressed,” Rissa admitted as she leaned back on the couch. Her belly hadn’t felt so full in weeks, nor her psyche so content. She stared at the flames dancing in the hearth until her eyes drifted closed, the smell of burning wood filling her nose and the pops and crackles of the fire singing her a lullaby.
When she opened them again, daylight flooded the room, she was in a strange bed, and the sounds of cooking came from a distance. Downstairs, she realized when her senses came back to her. She was in the bedroom upstairs, next to the bathroom where she’d found the brush. She felt as though she’d just eaten, but the smell of bacon had her mouth watering again.
“You sleep like the dead,” Gray said when he sensed her presence in the kitchen. Her mouth fell open, and she couldn’t move her eyes away as he worked at the stove. He wore pajama bottoms and nothing else, and she’d never seen anything sexier than a half-naked man cooking. “You didn’t even wake up when I carried you upstairs.”
He glanced at her and grinned when he saw her eyes widen. “Don’t worry. I slept on the couch.” His gaze swept over her, and his tongue darted over his lips. “Not that it wasn’t tempting, trust me, but like I said, you sleep like the dead. And I’m not into necrophilia.”
Heat rose into Rissa’s cheeks, and she finally tore her eyes away, looking down as she twisted her hands together. “I’m, uh, so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
Gray stepped toward her, and her eyes moved on their own accord, skimming over his six-pack abs and hard chest before coming to his face. He gave her a cocky smile loaded with dimples. Shit, she was so transparent.
“No worries, sweetheart,” he said, his voice low. “You were obviously exhausted and needed the rest.” She could only nod in response. He lifted a plate in front of her. “I hope you’re hungry again.”
Rissa gladly took the plate of bacon and pancakes and turned for the living room before she could make a bigger idiot of herself. Unlike last night’s awkward silence, Gray filled the space with conversation. First he tried probing information out of Rissa, but when she refused to answer a single question, he decided to share more about himself. She didn’t know why he felt the need to spill so much, but she listened as he told her about his senior year in college, his part-time gig at a shop that built custom motorcycles, and how he came to the cabin on the occasional weekends he had off from work.
“I try to get here at least once a month,” he said, “but it’s not always possible. My sister used to come every full moo—month, too, but she stopped when ... well, after our parents died.”
Rissa’s breath caught. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered, unsure what else to say.
“Thanks.” Gray gave her a small smile. “It was several years ago, and then my sis had to take over the family business. It keeps her plenty busy, although she could bring her work here if she really wanted to. I think it just reminds her too much of Mom and Dad.” He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. “I have no idea why I’m telling you all of this.”
Rissa didn’t know either, and an uncomfortable silence passed between them. She bounded to her feet.
“I’ll help you clean up,” she said a little too enthusiastically.
After they finished cleaning the dishes and the kitchen, Gray disappeared for a few moments before returning with a small duffle bag with a Georgia Tech logo on it.
&nb
sp; “I need to head back to Atlanta and get ready for classes this week,” he said and added something about a meeting that made Rissa’s ears perk.
“A what meeting?” she asked, though it sounded more like a demand.
Gray’s brows pinched together for a brief moment. “A chapter meeting. For my fraternity. We have one every Sunday.”
Rissa eyed him. She could have sworn she’d heard ‘pack meeting’, but maybe that’s what she’d expected, used to hearing ‘pack’ and ‘meeting’ together. Although, it’d been over a year since she’d been to one.
“But first,” Gray said, “I promised to take you wherever you want to go.”
As they climbed into his extended cab pickup truck, Rissa berated herself for feeling so sullen at the prospect of leaving. She’d enjoyed the comforts of home a little too much and enjoyed the company of Gray way too much. She should have left last night. She had the animalistic power to escape, no matter how strongly he’d held her, but she’d given in. She’d let herself be soft, but now it was time to be tough again. Cut ties and move on. Except she didn’t know where to go.
They drove the two miles to the closest town, and while Gray filled his tank with gas, Rissa used her inhumanly sharp eyes to gaze down the street where she saw the town square. She turned back to Gray who was hanging the gas pump up.
“I can walk from here,” she said, throwing her thumb over her shoulder. “There’s a bus station by the town square, which is just up the road.”
“You’re wearing flip-flops, and it’s freezing,” he said pointedly. Rissa looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes over the sandals that belonged to Gray’s sister, who had left them by the back door months ago.
“I’ll be fine,” Rissa said.
“Please let me—” Gray’s phone rang, interrupting him. He blew out a frustrated breath and answered it, and he immediately reacted to whatever he heard on the other end. His back straightened, and his eyes narrowed. He said a lot of ‘uh-huh’s’ and ‘okays’ before hanging up and looking at Rissa with apology in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, but I really have to go now.”
Rissa gave him a nod. “It’s fine. Really. Don’t worry about me.”
He considered her for a moment until his phone beeped again. He glanced at the text message and groaned. Then he pulled something out of his back pocket.
“I know you have no money. You have no way of getting anywhere and here I have to abandon you. I wish I could do more but—” He grabbed her hand and pushed something into it before jumping into his truck and driving away. Before he drove five yards, though, he slowed as he rolled down his window. “I still don’t even know your name.”
What the hell, Rissa thought, it’s not like I’ll ever see him again.
“It’s Rissa,” she said, but he was already pulling away. She wasn’t even sure that he heard her.
Once he was gone, she looked down at the paper in her hand. Gray’s name and a phone number were printed on what looked like a business card, though it included no business name. She chuckled. As if she had any way of ever calling him. Behind the card were two folded twenty-dollar bills. She frowned at these, and anger immediately blossomed. She didn’t need his charity! That’s how he’d seen her this whole time—as a cause! She huffed and growled and stomped off down the road, as though to get away from him although he’d already left her. Then she considered what she’d do with the money.
She really did need it. She had the clothes Gray had basically given her, flip-flops on her feet, and nothing else. Forty bucks wouldn’t get her far, but it could put a few meals in her belly. Or maybe a night at a motel. Nah. That wasn’t a good trade. She only had enough for a seedy place rife with various body excrements. She’d rather sleep on the forest floor. But a few good, human meals ... those were definitely worth it.
She already had a full belly from breakfast, so she tucked the money into her shirt pocket, then she headed out of town. Once she was far from anyone’s prying eyes and hidden deep in the trees, she stripped out of her clothes and tied them into a bundle. Then she changed, picked up the bundle with her mouth, and ran. She didn’t realize it at first and told herself she hadn’t meant to head in that direction, but before long, she found herself at the edge of the woods by Gray’s little cabin. Just like she had the evening before, she sank back on her haunches and stared.
No smoke rose from the chimney now. No light shone through the windows. The house was lifeless now, its occasional occupant gone for a while. Such a shame it sat empty, Rissa thought as she began searching for a place to sleep that night, carefully watching for more traps. She stopped in place and looked back at the house. She paced a few times, her gaze never leaving it. Did she dare?
She did.
Nobody will ever know. I’ll just stay for a couple of days, then leave it the same way we did this morning. No harm, no foul. She continued talking herself into it even as she carried her bundle of clothes across the field and to the back door. After sniffing the air and looking around to ensure nobody could see her, she morphed into her human form and put on Gray’s clothes, then picked her way through the flimsy door lock, her heart pounding the entire time.
As night settled in, she was still unsure of her decision, and several times, she almost bolted for the woods. But eventually she fell asleep. She headed for town the next morning and bought herself some groceries, then headed back, her conscience bothering her less. After all, she told herself once again, it’s not like it’s hurting anyone. They won’t even know.
Days passed, and she felt more and more comfortable, although she still remained on alert. During the daylight, she’d walk through the woods, looking for traps and releasing them in case she had to run through there again. At night, she snuggled up on the couch under the blanket that smelled like Gray, the strange, faint scent making her nose tingle only at first. Then she grew used to it. In the wee hours of her third morning there, sounds in the woods woke her. She crawled over to the window and peeked out. Her heart picked up speed as she watched three figures move about the woods—male humans. Later that day, she found new traps set out.
When she came around the corner of the house after traipsing through the woods, she cursed herself for not paying closer attention. A familiar gray truck sat in the driveway, and its owner bounded the steps from the kitchen door.
Rissa turned on her heel and sprinted for the woods.
Chapter 4
“Rissa,” Gray called after her, but she ignored him and ran for the woods. Within seconds, he stood in front of her, forcing her to stop.
Her breath caught as a mixture of emotions swirled inside her. Bewilderment because she’d been running as fast as she could in human form, which was faster than almost any Norman, and he’d not only caught up with her but had passed her. Anger at herself for being so stupid to get caught. Embarrassment because she’d had to sneak around and invade his house in the first place.
“You’re the one who’s been in the cabin?” Gray demanded, his voice filled with confusion and ... was that relief she heard?
Rissa didn’t answer. She looked over his shoulder, measuring the distance to the woods, where she could change and run away from here forever.
“Rissa,” Gray said, trying to capture her attention. When she still didn’t reply, he lunged forward and grasped her wrists in his large, warm hands. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Before she could respond, he pulled her forward, into his arms.
“Thank God I found you again,” he breathed as he hugged her against his hard chest. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I came searching but no one had seen you anywhere ... and I had no clue where you live. I came out here and found you—”
Rissa wiggled and squirmed her way out of his embrace. Once free, she stepped back two paces, and her head dropped.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I ... I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Now Gray remained silent. Rissa looked up at him through
her lashes, her hands wringing together in front of her. He cocked his head.
“Rissa, are you ... are you homeless?”
She immediately dropped her gaze and stared at the brown grass which had gone dormant for the winter. How was she going to explain her life without giving everything away? There was no way. She needed to run. Now. Get as far away as possible and never return. Never see Gray again.
“My stepfather kicked me out of the house when I was 16,” she blurted instead, and before she could think about what she was doing, she told him everything. Well, sort of. In Norman terms, anyway. “A couple found me in a city park, about to starve to death—if I didn’t freeze overnight first. They took me in, like a foster kid, and they tried to make me like one of their own. But I never felt right there. They were ... wrong. We had different values, I guess you could say. I tried to run away several times, but even after I was of legal age, they kept finding me and dragging me back. I’d become more like their slave, and they never let me forget that I was indebted to them. A few months ago, I finally got away for good. I’ve been running and hiding ever since. And then you helped me, and you were so nice, but then ... then you were gone and that house, it was just sitting there empty and ...”
“Rissa,” Gray interrupted, his voice low and husky. Once more, his hands encased her wrists, and he pulled her into him in another hug. “Rissa, Rissa, Rissa. You’re always welcome in my home.”
Tears stung her eyes by now, and she pressed her face against his chest, refusing to let them fall. Her body trembled, though, betraying her emotions. He tightened his hold around her and pressed his cheek against the top of her head. She breathed his scent in, stronger than what had been left on the blanket, and once again, it tingled in her nose, but now almost pleasantly.
She couldn’t believe she’d told him all that she had, but she felt a sense of relief at letting it all out. Of course, she couldn’t tell him that the so-called family was really a werewolf pack, and that the values they differed on had to do with the sanctity of human lives and souls. He didn’t need to know the true horrors of her past life, but there was still a release in being able to tell him what she did.