“So this is the best pizza place in town, huh?” I asked, swirling my straw around in my cup.
“Yes, it is,” Jace said matter-of-factly. “Just wait ‘til you taste their crust.”
A well-known giggle floated to my ears and I cringed inside. Shelby and two girls, who I figured were her little minions, strolled to sit at the table beside our booth. It had been a little over a month since my last run in with Shelby and to say that I could have gone forever without seeing her again was an understatement.
“Oh, hi, Jace. Glad to see you two made it to town all right,” Shelby said, looking directly at me with a sneer. “Tessa, this is Avery and Jolene. Girls… this is Tessa.”
Both girls turned to glare at me, sizing me up. Obviously determining I was not a threat to Shelby. They both flashed me a tight-lipped smirk. I’d thought Shelby was intimidating, but combined with her friends, Shelby was utterly superior. Not only did she act like a queen bee, she was the queen bee. It was clear from the way her friends played off her every move.
I matched each of their stares and flashed them a mirrored smile. I couldn’t decide which girl seemed more menacing—Avery with her long slender legs, flowing fire-red hair, creamy skin, and sky-blue eyes, or Jolene with her perfect cocoa complexion, kinky black curls, and exotic honey-colored eyes.
Tension sharpened Jace’s features. “All right, Shelby, what are you doing here? You hate pizza, especially Max’s.”
“Oh, I don’t know… I just got off the phone with your mother and suddenly had the worst craving for some pizza,” Shelby said, and her little friends giggled like idiotic hyenas.
I hated the smug gleam in Shelby’s eyes. I hated how close her table was to our booth. I hated Jace’s mother for telling Shelby where we were.
“You’re pathetic,” I whispered under my breath, then took a long swig of my Coke.
Shelby’s face fell. “What did you just call me?”
I bit the end of my straw and smiled, loving seeing her taken aback in front of her friends. “Please, we all know you heard me. Don’t pretend.”
I didn’t know where that came from. I didn’t even know why I had said it. All I knew was that the look on Shelby’s face was priceless.
Our waitress walked over to our booth with a smile, carrying a pitcher of Coke. “Refill, honey?” she asked just before reaching us.
The next instant happened in slow motion. Shelby’s lips twisted into a wicked grin as she stuck her foot out, tripping the happy-go-lucky thirty-something waitress and causing her to spill ice-cold Coke all down the front of me.
Avery and Jolene cackled along with Shelby as the waitress attempted to mop me up with a wad full of napkins from her apron.
“I’m so sorry, really I am. I don’t know what happened,” she added, glaring in Shelby’s direction.
“It’s okay,” I said, scooping ice from in my lap and back into the now empty pitcher.
“Can we get our pizza to go, please?” Jace asked through gritted teeth.
The waitress stared at him, obviously thinking he was angry at her. “Sure, not a problem. I’ll be right back with some more napkins, too.”
“Thank you,” I called after her.
“Oops,” Shelby said with a shrug of her shoulders.
My blood boiled. I could tell Jace felt the same as I did. I wanted to grab a handful of ice and chuck it at Shelby, but that would make me no better than her.
As our waitress came back with another stack of napkins and our pizza already in its to-go box Jace stood and took it from her. He pulled out his wallet and paid her before taking my hand and leading me out of Max’s On Main.
I glanced over my shoulder at Shelby and her sickeningly beautiful friends and flashed her a wicked grin. I burned this moment into my memory and filed it away with all of the others in which I’d loathed Shelby. They would become my fuel for tomorrow night. Shelby would get what was hers all right. She’d finally catch up with karma.
CHAPTER TWENTY- TWO
Jace took me to a little park beside a creek that was in the middle of nowhere to eat our pizza. He took off his long-sleeved shirt and gave it to me, keeping only his white T-shirt on beneath. I peeled off my soaking wet sweater and gladly changed into his shirt, inhaling the scent of his cologne that clung to the fabric and relishing in the warmth he’d left behind. We didn’t talk about Shelby and what had happened at the little pizzeria and I was glad. Instead, we talked about tomorrow night, leaving every part involving Shelby out.
“So, do you think you’re ready to become a nudist in public?” Jace asked before taking another large bite of his pizza slice.
“What?” I asked, nearly choking on a gewy piece of cheese.
Jace chuckled and flashed me a devilish look. “Well what did you think we do, go into little cubicles in the woods to undress and then change?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, of course not.” I just hadn’t thought far enough ahead to realize I’d be undressing in front of a group of strangers. “How many members did you say there were?”
“Forty-seven, including the kids.”
My heart slammed against my ribcage. Kids, I’d forgotten about them. “Will the kids there, too?” Surely not. I mean wouldn’t that be considered child porn in some way or at the very least child abuse?
Jace laughed out loud in that rich laugh of his I loved, the one that seemed to take all of the breath from my lungs. “No way. All of the kids will be at home.”
“By themselves? What, do you guys hire human nannies or something?” I wondered, shocked at the thought of leaving someone the age of Corey home alone for an entire night.
“The older kids stay with them. We don’t change for the first time until the moon of our eighteenth birthday,” Jace answered with a grin, obviously enjoying my theory.
“Oh.” I blushed, embarrassed by how little I knew of what I was and my own kind.
I took another bite of my pizza as silence surrounded us. A cold breeze wisped my hair around my face and I shivered slightly. It was strange how little the cold weather seemed to bother me. The temperature was thirty-nine degrees but to me it felt about fifty-nine. I attributed some of it to sitting in the direct sunlight, but I knew most of it was because of my feverish wolf self due to the full moon tomorrow night.
“What is this ceremony between us going to be like?” I asked, unable to stand the silence anymore and preferring to talk about something that would take place after the Ordeal with Shelby, getting myself in the mindset of winning. If the key to a successful life was to imagine yourself overcoming whatever it was you were currently up against in life, then imagining myself standing beside Jace at the ceremony was a must. And in order to do that properly, I needed some more details.
“Different than what you’re expecting, I’m sure,” Jace said.
“And how do you even know what I’m expecting?” I countered.
“You’re easy to read.” Jace winked. “You’re expecting to see some barbaric, animalistic, traditionalist, boring ceremony right?”
I smiled and looked at him from beneath my lashes while I grabbed another slice of pizza from the box. “Right.”
“Well, it’s nothing like that.” Jace’s lips twisted into a crooked smile and his eyes softened. “It’s something beautiful actually and more along the lines of a wedding between the two of us with a few simple words.”
“Wedding… simple words… between the two of us…” I fumbled over the words. I’d known what this would mean—agreeing to stand at Jace’s side, agreeing to fight for my place against Shelby, I even knew what the ring on my left hand meant—I don’t know why the word wedding seemed to kick me in the gut. It really wasn’t that big of a surprise.
Jace nodded. “Well, not just words with you, I’ll have to say some with my father, too. All so I can take my place as the Pack Leader.”
“Right,” I said, taking another bite of pizza.
“Everyone will be dressed up—the guys all in tuxes, t
he ladies all in dresses,” Jace said, wiggling his eyebrows. “And there will be a reception after.”
“So, I’ll get to see you in a tux, huh?” I asked with a wide smile.
He nodded. “Oh, yes, and I look sharp in a suit.”
I shook my head at his arrogant attitude, but smiled, secretly agreeing with his statement. Jace would no doubt look sexy in a tux.
* * *
Later that night I lay in the bed that was mine but wasn’t, wondering what tomorrow night would entail. Could I really go up against Shelby and survive? I replayed the vindictive moment from the pizzeria earlier today and wondered what type of stunts she would pull during the Ordeal. The possibilities were endless. It was going to be a long, sleep-deprived night of me torturing myself with my thoughts and fears. One minute I was sure I could prevail against her and the next doubt crept in, crippling my willpower completely.
I padded across the room to stare out the bay window, my thoughts still getting the best of me. A shadow moved below the window from outside—Jace. He glanced up at me with a huge shit-eating grin, and my insides flip-flopped at the sight of him. He flicked a tiny pebble from the patio area up, and it bounced off the window pane in front of me. I carefully opened the window, unsure of how loud it would be, with a smile.
“What are you doing out there, Romeo?” I asked in a hushed whisper.
“Come on out and see.”
“Are you crazy? That’s like thirty feet or something. I’d really like to have both of my legs tomorrow night; Shelby doesn’t need any more of an advantage against me,” I said.
“It’s more like eighteen and you’ll live without any broken bones. Promise. I used to do it all the time,” he insisted.
I crouched in the window and maneuvered the screen out. Setting it aside, I leaned out the window. “I’m trusting you.”
“You should.”
Holding my breath I closed my eyes and jumped. It was freeing really, once I got past the free-falling feeling tugging at my stomach. I landed on my butt, very ungraceful like, and heard Jace rolling with laughter above me.
“Shouldn’t you have at least attempted to catch me?” I asked in a playful tone while I stood and dusted off my pajama bottoms.
“And miss having a good laugh, I don’t think so.”
I smacked him on the arm. “Ass.”
“Yeah, I bet yours hurts.” He smirked.
“Surprisingly not,” I said, glancing back up to the opened window, amazed by how far I’d just jumped. “So, what did you want me to come down here for anyway?”
“Come on.” He held out his hand. “I’ll show you.”
We walked through the darkened woods with the moon bright and shinning down on us for what seemed like forever until we came to a clearing. A large pond dominated the area. Fog skimmed across its top and a mirror image of the moon rested in the middle.
“Have you ever gone skinny dipping before?” Jace asked with a devilish grin.
“Skinny dipping, are you serious? It’s like twenty-six degrees out here!” I said, appalled.
“Actually it’s thirty-two tonight.”
I glanced out at the pond, noticing how slushy looking the edges appeared and shook my head. “No way, we’d freeze to death.”
“Nah, we’ll be fine.” Jace waved me off. “Trust me, it won’t feel as cold as you think,” he said, lifting his sweatshirt above his head.
I shifted my bare feet around in the frost-covered grass while I watched him undress. The sight of his bare skin glistening in the moonlight sent a spasm of warmth through me.
“Don’t just stare… join me,” Jace demanded. “Let’s have some fun.”
His words made me smile. I sucked in a deep breath, and then began to slip out of my pajama bottoms. “All right, but if I get sick I’m going to be pissed. And don’t be surprised if I cough all in your face until you’re sick, too.”
His warm, rich laughter filled my ears. “Sounds like a deal.”
I slid my camisole above my head and tossed it to the ground and looked up to find Jace gazing at me intently.
“What?” I asked, my lips twisting into a self-conscious smile.
“I just want to remember this moment,” he whispered and my heart began to pound.
I knew what he meant without him having to clarify—he wanted to remember this moment just in case it was the last one we got. There was a chance that not only could I die tomorrow night, but I could also lose. Either way, this moment could potentially be our final one together.
“Me, too.” I sighed.
I tossed my bra and panties to the ground and reached out for Jace’s hand. “Drop your drawers and let’s jump in.”
As his warm hand encircled mine we made our way toward the pond’s edge. Jace walked right in while I gradually inched myself in, fearful of how cold it would be against my skin and how deep its black waters were. The water was cool, but nothing like I’d imagined it to be. Jace let go of my hand and dunked himself under the water. When he came back up steam wisped off his skin, making him appear magical.
“See, I told you it wasn’t that bad. You forget how hot our skin can get when we’re this close to a full moon,” he said, running his hands over his head to swipe away the excess water. “It’s like a wolf fever or something.”
“This is nuts. I can’t believe I’m swimming in freaking freezing water and I’m not blue and about to die from hypothermia.” I laughed.
Jace eased himself over to where I stood shoulder deep in the cool black water and pulled me into him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. If this was my last night with him, then I wanted to make the most of it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
I woke the next afternoon and lay in bed with a content smile on my face, replaying the night before. Jace and I had swum in the cool black waters of the pond for a while before retiring to the frost-covered ground. We’d snuggled together, keeping each other more than warm as we watched the sunrise. Then, we’d made our way back to our separate bedrooms before everyone else woke.
A light knock on the door startled me, snapping me from my happy thoughts.
“Tessa, are you awake yet?” Jenna asked as she cracked the door open.
“Yeah, come in.” I yawned and pulled the covers up around me.
“I hate to bother you because I’m sure you didn’t get much sleep last night, but it’s already 4:47 and Vivian insisted that I begin prepping you,” Jenna said, her face pinched in sadness.
“Prepping me?” I asked, confused.
Jenna moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Yes, it’s the Wolf Moon. The night werewolves were first created. Jace told you the story of how we were created, right?”
I nodded and sat up in bed. “Yeah, I know all about that. Do you guys celebrate it during the day or something, too?”
“We do, but this year is big. This year we celebrate the end of a beloved leader’s time and the beginning of a new leader’s reign. The Ordeal is also something to be celebrated,” she added with a sympathetic glance my way. “This is something our pack has not performed in eighty-four years.”
Eighty-four years? Gavin had said something about that the first night I met him. He’d said how he was looking forward to doing things the nontraditional way.
“Jace is really stirring things up to be with you. That alone should prove to you how much he loves you.” Jenna smiled.
“He didn’t need to prove anything. I already knew,” I said, feeling my stomach fill with butterflies.
Jenna stood and walked over to the wardrobe. “Did you notice the dress Nicholas bought you?”
“No, what dress?” I hadn’t even looked in the wardrobe, thinking it had been empty.
Jenna opened the solid wood doors and pulled out a spaghetti-strapped, knee-length, royal blue dress made of a shimmering satin.
“Oh, my God, it’s beautiful,” I gasped. “What’s it for? I thought we changed into wolf form for the Ordeal.”
“You will. This is for the dinner before,” Jenna replied, laying the dress on the bed in front of me. “Change into it so I can do your hair.”
After I changed into the dress, Jenna spent the next thirty-five minutes doing my makeup and twisting my hair into a long, intricate braid. When she finally told me I was allowed to move, I stood and walked over to the full-length mirror behind the door to look at myself. I looked stunning. My throat felt tight as tears began to pool in my eyes from the sight.
“Don’t you do it,” Jenna said, coming up behind me. “Don’t cry. You’ll ruin all the hard work I just did.”
“I won’t.” I sniffled, forcing the tears away. “I’m just imagining this is what I’d have looked like going to prom.”
“Prom. Didn’t you go last year?” Jenna asked, disbelieving.
“No, Sam had to leave town for his grandmother’s funeral that weekend. Rachel had invited me to go, but it just didn’t seem right so I never went,” I said, running my fingers over the silky-smooth fabric. “I told myself I always had my senior year to go… looks like I was wrong.”
Jenna’s hands gripped my bare shoulders. “Things will be okay; you’ll see. You just have to think positive.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “Nicolas did a good job picking out the dress,” I said, changing the subject. If I thought on it anymore, I would cry like a baby because I was suddenly petrified.
“I should probably get going; I’ve still got to get myself and Corey ready.”
After Jenna closed the door behind her I went to find my cell phone and stood in front of the long mirror to take a full-length picture of myself. I sent it to Rachel, along with a text.
Looks like this is as close to prom as I’m going to get. ~ Tessa
She responded a lot faster than I’d thought she would.
Yeah, looks like.
I swallowed hard. She was obviously still upset with me for dropping out and getting my GED. I couldn’t blame her; I’d be upset with her, too, if she’d done the same. I knew that she’d feel differently once I explained everything to her, though.
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