My cell chimed inside my pocket. It jolted me from the moment building between us. I stood, my heart hammering inside my chest and ran my fingers through my hair. Eli leaned against the couch and let out a sigh as though he was irritated our moment had been ruined. I started for the front door.
“I should get going.” My voice shook when I spoke. “Dinner is probably ready by now. Gran won’t be happy if I’m late.”
“Yeah. I’m sure.” Eli stood and faced me. I paused at the front door. “Well, I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yeah, later.”
I disappeared through his front door. Damn, I had a lot of thinking to do. Something big was about to happen back there. I could feel it. There was an energy in the air unlike anything I’d ever felt before. Whatever pull there was between Eli and me, it was getting stronger.
My hand gripped my cell, and I glanced at the screen to see who’d sent me a text. It was Alec.
Of course it was.
Hey. Sorry. Was working on something for my mom. We should hang out tonight.
My stomach dipped. All I could think about was how he was right—we should hang out tonight, but not for the reasons he thought.
We should hang out tonight because it was time I let him go.
6
I was nervous for my date with Alec. Normally, I was never nervous around him, but this was different. I didn’t know how he would react once he learned I thought we’d be better off as friends. I hadn’t dated much, and I’d never broken things off with someone before. I didn’t know how this was supposed to go. What was I supposed to say?
“I don’t know why you’re going out with Alec again. Why even waste your time?” Gracie huffed from where she sat on the couch with Winston sleeping in her lap.
“I’m not wasting my time with him,” I snapped. Since when had she become so involved in my love life?
“You are. You’ve been spending so much time with Eli lately. I know you like him. I can see it on your face when he’s around.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “It’s complicated.”
“No. It’s not. You either like Eli or you don’t. He’s the one you’re supposed to be with. He’s a member of the pack. Alec isn’t. He never will be. It’s time to let him go.”
I stared at her, mouth hanging open, unbelieving how wise she sounded. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. She knew before I did what I needed to do. Whether it was her noticing or her picking up on previous conversations I’d shared with Gran, it didn’t matter.
The time had come for me to make a choice. I’d known it would happen. I just hadn’t realized there would be so many people waiting for it.
Headlights flashed across the living room window as the sound of gravel crunching beneath large tires made its way to my ears.
“That’s Alec,” I said as I forced myself into a standing position. My knees were weak with nerves. Could Gracie tell? I shifted my gaze to her. She wasn’t even looking at me. “Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”
Gran wasn’t home. She was at the Marshalls’ place explaining how to use the new concoctions she’d made for Violet. I wasn’t sure what each was supposed to do but knew they all had something to do with calling Violet’s wolf back and curbing her anxiety. She was anxiety-ridden to the max. I figured it was from a combination of not knowing if her wolf would come back and post-traumatic stress disorder from all she’d been through with Drew.
“Uh, duh. Why wouldn’t I be okay here by myself? I’m thirteen, not three.”
“Right. Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you later,” I said as I started toward our front door. I paused and glanced back at her. “Dad’s here if you need him, and Gran should be back soon.”
“Yeah, like him being home even matters.” She rolled her eyes. “He drank himself to sleep hours ago. Just like always.”
My teeth sank into my bottom lip. I hated how she talked about him. It was the truth, but still. He was our dad. I knew Gracie deserved better, though. She deserved a dad who was sober more hours of the day than drunk. She deserved a mom who gave a shit and hadn’t run away when things got hard. I wished I could give her those things, but it wasn’t possible. They were all out of my control.
“I know. Love you. See you later.” I slipped out the door at the same instant Alec cut off the engine of his truck.
My heart skipped a beat as I jogged down the porch steps. I couldn’t believe I was contemplating breaking things off with him for good. I didn’t want to hurt him.
My lips twisted into a small smile that was all for show as I climbed into the passenger side of his truck. I risked a glance at him and caught sight of the adorable grin stretched across his face.
It was then my smile became real.
My mouth grew dry. This was going to be the hardest thing I’d ever done.
“Hey,” I said as I closed the passenger door.
“Hi. You look great. Thanks for letting me pick you up tonight.” His lips hooked into a half grin as his eyes appraised me. Heat bloomed through my chest. I felt awful.
“You didn’t give me much of a choice considering you wouldn’t tell me where you’re taking me.” I’d tried to get his plans for tonight out of him a couple of times, but he never wavered in his decision to keep it a surprise.
I still planned to go through with letting him know I thought we were better as friends, because it needed to be done. Regardless if we’d taken separate vehicles. I could always walk home if the tension became too thick.
Alec cranked the engine of his truck. “I wanted tonight to be a proper date. Not some twenty-first century crap. Me picking you up is how it’s supposed to be.” His hand landed on my thigh, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. His fingertips were warm and rough from working outdoors.
Warmth worked its way through the center of my chest. I’d missed him. His touch. The sound of his voice. His soapy scent. How long had it been since we’d been in each other’s presence? My mind thought back. Days. Not a week. Not a month. But it didn’t stop it from feeling like an eternity.
Something about Alec called to me on a different level than what I felt with Eli. Was it possible to care for more than one guy? Alec removed his hand from my thigh and shifted into reverse. His eyes caught mine for a brief moment, and he winked. I knew then it was possible to care for two guys at once.
It didn’t mean it was fair. Not to me and certainly not to either of them. This was what I’d meant when I’d told Gracie things were complicated.
I leaned against the comfortable seat of Alec’s truck and listened to the lyrics of the country song softly stemming from his speakers. An important realization hit me—it was my wolf side who enjoyed being around Eli. That was the part of me that wanted him. My human side wanted Alec.
How was I supposed to choose between the two when doing so would mean choosing between the two sides of myself?
Alec turned the radio up as a new song he seemed to like came on. His hand found its way to my thigh again, and I struggled with whether I should slip out of his reach so as not to lead him on. In the end I remained still, enjoying the feel of his skin against mine one last time.
My gaze drifted out the passenger window. Where was he taking me? Rosemary’s Diner? No. This wasn’t the way. It wasn’t the way to his uncle’s property either.
When he turned down an unfamiliar dirt road, I felt my wolf’s unease trickle through me. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I struggled to figure out where we were. The headlights of Alec’s truck lit up a large pond as he came to a rolling stop in front of it. The place was surrounded by woods, but they were different from the ones by the trailer park. The pond’s water was still and dark. Frogs croaked and the ever-growing moon hung high in the sky.
“Where are we?” I asked as Alec cut the engine on his truck and killed the headlights.
“My second favorite place in the world.”
Great. I was about to break things off with him in one of his fa
vorite places.
I was such a bitch.
“You have two places?” I popped the passenger door open and slipped out.
“Don’t you?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I only have one.”
I used to have two, but I hadn’t been to the second one since my mom left.
“You’re allowed more than one. You know that, right?” Alec asked as he started around the front of his truck.
I laughed but didn’t respond. Instead I slammed his door shut and moved to where he was.
“I wanted to take you someplace different tonight.” His tone sounded off, but I couldn’t pinpoint why. “I hope that’s okay. I know how much you like the woods by the lake.”
“It’s fine.”
“Good. Stay here. Let me grab a couple of things from the back of my truck,” Alec said before he walked away.
I stared out at the massive pond. My gaze drifted around. There was a small patch of woods and a never-ending field. No houses. Nothing.
Where were we? Whose property was this?
“I brought snacks,” Alec said from behind me. I glanced at him from over my shoulder. He was carrying a blanket and a grocery bag. “I wasn’t sure if you were hungry, but I figured it would be better to have something to eat and drink than nothing at all.”
“Thanks.” This was sweet. He was sweet.
He deserved better than me.
“Let me lay this blanket out and then we can sit,” he insisted. “I can’t stay out late tonight, but I wanted to spend time with you. A lot has been going on and a private moment tucked away with you is exactly what I needed.”
Guilt slapped me. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of how Drew’s death might affect him. He probably had known him well considering how close he and Shane were.
“I’m sure. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“It’s okay,” Alec said as he shifted to face me. Raw understanding shifted through his brown eyes. So, did something else. What was it? Knowing? “I get it. I wasn’t implying you haven’t been there for me. I’ve been busy, too. Making sure Shane is okay.”
“Is he doing any better?”
Alec’s face scrunched up as he laid out the last of the food he’d brought onto the blanket. “As good as he can be, I guess.” He motioned for me to sit on the blanket, so I did. “I know you and him don’t get along, but he’s still my friend. Hell, we’ve been friends since we were little.”
I picked up a strawberry from the Tupperware he’d set out and removed the green leaves from it. “I know he’s your friend. And, yeah, it is true we don’t get along well, but I’m still sorry for what he’s going through.”
“Me too.” He shifted to look out at the pond. “It sucks.”
“I saw him in the grocery store with Becca,” I said before biting into my strawberry. “He looked awful.”
“His mom and older brother don’t look any better,” Alec whispered. “My mom had me take over a casserole today.”
“Becca said she was making something for them too when I saw her.” I took another bite of my strawberry. “Why is it when someone passes everyone decides to bring them something to eat? Do people automatically think that’s how everyone deals with loss? By eating their emotions away?”
Alec chuckled. “You always see things differently, don’t you? Most would think people do that so the family wouldn’t have to deal with cooking while going through something so traumatic.”
I could feel his eyes on me, studying me.
“Sometimes. I’m sure you see things differently from others at times too.” I didn’t like feeling as though I was put on the spot. It had me uncomfortable in my own skin.
“Not always. Not like you.” He licked his lips and swallowed hard. I caught sight of his Adam’s apple bobbing with the force.
My eyes zeroed in on him, soaking in everything that was Alec Thomas in that moment. The warmth I felt rippling from him. The sound of his breath coming faster than it had been before. The way his words seemed to tremble because of it.
Was he nervous? Excited? Anxious? Scared?
Why was he looking at me like that?
“You’re different, Mina Ryan, and that’s exactly what I like about you most.”
All the breath left my lungs. Was he about to confess his love for me? I jerked my gaze away from his and focused on choosing another strawberry. Any other time, I might have thanked him for his words, taking it as a compliment, but not right now. Not with the way he’d said it. Not with the way he’d looked at me, or what I’d planned to do tonight.
Water splashed a few feet away, capturing my attention. I didn’t see what caused the splash but saw the consequences of it disrupting the pond’s water.
“A frog,” Alec said.
“There seem to be a lot of those here.”
“There are. Fish too. This is one of my favorite fishing ponds.”
“I’ve never been fishing. It seems boring. I don’t understand the thrill of it.”
Alec grinned. “Lucky for you I brought my pole with me.”
“Oh, really? Was that the plan? Get me out here so I can fish with you tonight?”
“No. I was fishing the other day and forgot to take my gear out of my truck.” He stood and walked to his truck. I heard him banging around as he retrieved the pole he claimed to have. When he found it, he sat down beside me again and held it out. “Meet my oldest friend.”
I laughed. “Nice to meet you.”
“Stand up. Give it a try.”
“I don’t know how to fish. I told you,” I said as I brushed my hands across my shorts.
“Well, then it’s about time you learned.” He motioned for me to follow him toward the edge of the pond.
Cold, damp grass tickled my feet through my sandals as I walked to where he stood. I paused at the edge of the pond a few steps behind him, and I wondered if I should be doing this. Would it lead to the right time for me to casually mention we should just be friends?
Alec held his fishing pole out to me. I took it, unsure how to hold the thing.
“Okay. Now what do I do? Shouldn’t there be a worm on the end?” I asked, looking at the pole as though it was a foreign object.
“Nope. There’s a lure on the end of it. Just press down on the line with your index finger, hold that little button in with your thumb, arch your arm back, and then swing it forward. Be sure you let go of the string when you try to cast it out, though.”
I tried to do everything as he said it, but didn’t manage to get the string to do anything besides drop right in front of us in the water.
“Yeah, it’s safe to say I suck at this,” I said.
“No, you don’t.” Alec chuckled. “It just takes practice.”
I gave it one more go. The outcome was the same. If the object was to drop the line directly in front of you in the water, I was fantastic at fishing. “Whatever. Even with practice, I don’t think I’ll get any better at this.”
Alec laughed louder. It was a rich laugh that rumbled from deep within his chest. I loved the sound of it.
“Is this what you brought me out here for? To see how much I suck at fishing so you can get a good laugh in?” I cocked my head to the side and arched a brow at him.
“No. I swear.” He tried to rein in his laugh, but he was having a hard time. “I brought you out here because the woods near your place aren’t safe.”
A chill crept along my spine. “What do you mean they aren’t safe?”
Did Alec know more than I thought he did? About the woods. About those who lived in the trailer park.
About me.
“Nothing. I didn’t mean anything by it.” His expression grew pinched, but not before I spotted something shifting through his eyes.
He was lying.
“But you do,” I said unable to let him brush what he’d said away. I needed to know if he knew what was going on in the woods. I passed his fishing pole to
him. “I can tell you’re lying.”
He scratched the back of his head as the ghost of a smile twitched at the corners of his lips. “I’ve never been good at lying.”
“What’s in the woods? Why aren’t they safe?” He needed to stay on topic.
“Shane. He’s in the woods. Patrolling.”
My wolf reacted violently to the news. Shane was a loose cannon. He was too emotional. It made her nervous. Hell, it made me nervous too. He was hurting, who knew what he was capable of because of it.
“Why?” I tried to soften the expression on my face, but found it hard. “Is he blowing off steam? Is that his way of dealing with what happened to his brother?”
It was the only thing I could think of that might seem legitimate. From the look that crossed Alec’s face, I knew he wasn’t buying it.
“No.” His eyes grew dark as his gaze locked with mine.
I licked my lips. “Then what?”
“Just…the woods aren’t safe for you anymore, Mina. That’s all you need to know. Okay? It’s one of the reasons I brought you here tonight. This place has water. Woods. A field. It has a view of the night sky so you can see the moon clearly. It has everything your spot has, but it’s safer.”
Fear clenched my gut.
Alec knew. Didn’t he?
“Why would I need a place that’s safer?”
“You just do. Trust me, okay?” His words were caught somewhere between a plea and a demand. They sent goose bumps across my skin.
“I’m not afraid of Shane. Not unless you tell me a reason I should be.” Maybe I was pushing too hard, but it was the only way I could think to get him to open up about what Shane was doing in the woods and what all he knew.
Alec tipped his head toward the sky and let out a long sigh. “Fine. Shane thinks his brother’s death wasn’t an accident. He thinks the werewolves, the ones in your trailer park, your pack, killed him.”
My heart kick-started in my chest. The ground beneath my feet spun. How long had Alec known about me? About my pack? Did he believe we had something to do with Drew’s death as well?
“That’s crazy,” I said. My words shaky and weak. I was attempting to deny everything, which was what I was supposed to do, but I didn’t know if I had it in me. “His brother fell down the stairs, didn’t he?”
Moon Severed (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 3) Page 5