Nate took my hand and led me up onto the porch and held the door open for me. The door creaked open, hitting the fridge behind it with a thud. The tiny, multi-sized magnets shook, but stayed attached. “Is anyone here?” I asked, feeling odd being in someone’s home without them.
“Martin is tending to the gardens, but don’t worry, he said it was all right.” He took my hand, pulling me farther into the house. We were standing in a small cozy kitchen. All the appliances were tiny and a wooden table, only big enough for two, sat in front of the window. There was no dishwasher, but it didn’t look like one would fit inside a kitchen so small. “Different family members wanted to expand, to make more of a servants’ quarters for people who wanted to live close to where they worked. But since the house is in my name, I told them no.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to preserve Lucy’s home and I like it like this. This is the way it was meant to be.”
“I don’t get it. I thought you said the Stewarts lived in my house.”
“A few years after I was bitten, my father bought it from her parents, along with the surrounding houses, to give me more room to run when I visited home. We helped them build your house the year after Jonathan sold this to my father. There were other houses, but they were torn down. My father left this one, knowing I couldn’t see her home destroyed.”
I was silent as I walked slowly around the house. The living room was decorated with worn, masculine-looking furniture and for some reason the room was full of stuffed fish. Two were on a wooden stand on the fireplace mantel. A few more were on the walls and even more on the coffee table and end tables. “Martin likes to fish,” Nate said, coming up behind me.
“I see that,” I laughed. It was certainly not how I would decorate, but it was strangely comfortable. There was a brown leather recliner pointed to a small TV in the corner and sitting beside the chair was a pipe. If my grandfather was alive he would be comfortable here.
We wandered up the stairs where I found three small bedrooms. I avoided the one that was occupied, choosing to give Martin some privacy and drifted into a room with a single bed and flowered wallpaper. An old antique dresser sat under a window. There was a lace doily in the center and a silver brush and mirror lying on top. It looked as if Lucy finished brushing her hair and just went outside for a quick errand. “This was her room, wasn’t it?” I asked, gently picking up the mirror. The silver was tarnished, but the design on the back of the mirror was beautiful. The silver was raised in places to create vines around the edge and two small hearts interwoven with the same vine design sat in the center.
“Yes. She shared it with her sister, Annabelle.”
“Was this hers?”
“Yes. I gave her the set for Christmas the year before she was killed. Her parents left it for me to remember her by.”
“Why do you keep these here? Aren’t you worried someone will take them?”
He laughed softly. “No. I trust everyone who works for me. They are like family.” He bent down to open the top drawer on the dresser. It looked empty until he lifted a thin board. It was a false bottom. A large, rectangular, velvet blue box lay inside. He picked it up and handed it to me. “But some things were meant to be kept private.”
I took the box, rubbing the soft surface and opened it. Inside was a necklace.
“It’s a gemstone called chrysocolla. It was a gift from me to Lucy before she died. Her mother returned it to me after she was killed.” It was a round greenish-blue stone, surrounded by mini diamonds. It was truly beautiful. I rubbed my finger over the stone; it was smooth and cold.
“Is this silver?” I asked, touching the delicate chain.
“Yes, I bought it before I was turned.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful necklace in my hand. I could see him smiling at me. “What are you smiling at?”
He sighed as a hint of sadness crept into his eyes. “When I bought this I was told it was lucky and would bring the owner happiness. But Lucy was wearing this the night she was killed. When I asked the woman who made it what had happened, she told me that since I paid for it, I was the owner and it would bring me happiness. Not Lucy.”
My brows furrowed in confusion. “But it still didn’t work. She died. I’m sure that didn’t make you happy.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s what I said. But she told me that Lucy wasn’t meant for me and the necklace would someday be in the hands of the girl who was.” He gazed at me intently, then looked at the necklace still in my hand. I gaped at him, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Instead of running away from him, like a part of me wanted to, I smiled with him, knowing I was right where I wanted to be, where I was supposed to be. “I want you to have this, but I can’t put it on you.”
“That’s fine. I want to keep it in the box for now.”
He nodded at the mirror and brush on the dresser. “I want you to have these as well. They belonged to your ancestor.”
Looking down at the items laying on the wood, they appeared to be waiting for their owner. I felt that if I took them it was some sort of stealing. “Oh no, I couldn’t. They mean a lot to you. They belong in her house.” I didn’t feel the same way about the velvet box in my hand. Somewhere deep inside me recognized it as mine and I wasn’t giving it up.
“You’re right, they do and it would mean so much more if you would keep them. She was your family.” He took my hands, wrapping his hand around mine, making me pick up the mirror. He was being careful not to touch the silver. He turned it until the mirror was facing up, showing my reflection. It was dusty, but still intact. My face was flushed and my expression held a look of wonder.
I started to object again, but when he whispered softly in my ear, “Please.”
I gave up. Besides, they were so beautiful and the idea of having something of one of my ancestors made me want to treasure it forever. It was something I would like to pass on to my children, if I had any.
I turned around. “Thank you,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
We toured the rest of the house. The brush set wasn’t the only thing that Lucy’s parents left. There were some old dishes that were displayed in a cabinet in the living room and the rocking chair on the porch was also from my ancestors. Once we were finished, we headed home.
Nate opened the door to the cottage for me. The cool air was an instant relief after having been out in the heat and the stuffy Stewart house. Lauren and Joe barely noticed our entrance. They were sitting at the kitchen table, engrossed in a card game that looked like poker.
“Bollix,” Joe said, pounding his cards on the table. There was a wad of bills in the center. Lauren’s cards were fanned out in front of her. She smiled as she picked up the bills and counted them before stuffing them into her pocket. “You didn’t tell me your niece was wicked, Nate. She pretends not to know how to play and then wins all my money from me.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “She’s a devil woman, is what she is.”
While he ranted, I looked at Lauren, who sat across from him giggling. Her eyes were dreamy and her cheeks were red. Someone was smitten with the Irish werewolf. I wasn’t sure if Nate noticed, but I wasn’t going to tell him. He didn’t seem happy about the idea of the two of them together.
I excused myself, needing some time alone and headed to Nate’s bedroom. I placed the brush and mirror out on the dresser I had been using and then sat on the bed, holding the velvet box in my hand. I opened it again and could no longer resist. I had to put it on. Once I took the half-moon necklace off, I put the silver one on and slipped into the washroom to look in the mirror. It was beautiful. The bluish-green gem and diamonds was a perfect match for my skin tone. I knew I couldn’t wear it all the time, not if I wanted Nate to touch my neck, but for now I couldn’t help myself. I went out to join the others, showing off my gift.
Nate’s eyes darkened when he spotted me. “It’s perfect,” he whispered to himself, gazing at the gemstone. He seemed to be in a
daze, staring at my neck and then into my eyes. Finally he smiled. “You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I leaned in to give him a kiss.
“You do remember we’re here, right?” Joe asked from behind us, where he still sat with Lauren playing cards. Nate and I laughed and joined them for a hand of poker. Since my new necklace was lucky, maybe I would turn the tables on Lauren.
Sometime later when the guys became hungry, Nate fired up the grill and tossed on a bunch of steaks and potatoes. I helped Lauren make a salad. Even though she grew up like me, she knew how to cook and seemed to enjoy it. “So,” I said, chopping the last of the cucumbers and sliding them into the bowl Lauren held in her hand. “How bad is it?”
She looked at me with confusion. “How bad is what?”
I walked over to turn up the tiny radio Nate had sitting on top of his fridge, hoping to drown out our conversation. Having guys around with heightened senses could sometimes be inconvenient. “The crush you have on the shirtless Irishman.” I nodded out the window to where Joe stood holding a large metal spatula. He was only wearing old jean cutoffs. Even his feet were bare. It wasn’t hard to see why Lauren would fall for him. He was ridiculously hot, funny and obviously attracted to her. His eyes were constantly on her. I couldn’t count how many times he said she was pretty, just since I had returned from my walk with Nate.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She smiled, but refused to look at me.
“Uh huh,” I muttered as Nate poked his head in through the door. “The steaks are ready, you want to bring out the plates or should we bring these in?”
“We’ll come out,” Lauren replied, suddenly blushing. “Do you think he heard?” she asked once he was out of earshot. I assured her he didn’t as we carried out the salad and dishes.
After dinner we watched a movie. It was a compromise between the two sexes, but I never saw the ending. I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until the next morning. I was still wearing the necklace. I removed it and put it away. I didn’t want to hurt Nate with it.
The next few days seemed to run into another. Waiting for Rowan to make his move was wearing on my nerves. Both werewolves took shifts to go out and try to pick up his scent and if they ever found one it was usually a dead end. I desperately wanted to get out of the cottage, but I didn’t really know where I wanted to go. Lauren stayed and she was just as much a prisoner as I was, even though she didn’t know it. Joe didn’t want her out of his sight and when she was out of earshot, he insisted she stay.
They continued to flirt with one another, but nothing else had happened. Lauren finally confided in me about a week after I had asked her about it.
“All right, I do,” she said as she reached over to grab the sunscreen off of the little table between our two lounge chairs. We went for a morning swim, since again, it was horribly hot. Now we were lying around waiting for Nate to get back with the burgers he had promised when he was out on his hunt for Rowan.
Joe was still floating on a little blow-up boat, drifting slowly around the lake, wearing black swim trunks and sunglasses. Lauren watched him lazily graze the dock and kick the water gently. The water splashed up onto his legs, glistening in the sun.
I turned, staring at her through my sunglasses, wondering what she was talking about. “You do what?”
“Have a crush,” she whispered, flicking her eyes from me to Joe, obviously worrying he might hear. If he did I couldn’t tell. He made no movement except a slow wave of his hand through the water.
“I knew it.”
“And I get the feeling he feels the same, but he hasn’t made a move.”
I considered it and even though I knew the truth I said, “Well, it’s not like you’ve had much time alone.”
“Yes, we have. I’ve stayed up a few times after you went to bed hoping he’d do something, but after you guys leave he gets quiet and distant. If I try to talk to him he barely even notices I’m there.” Her face fell and her eyes were slightly red. I could tell that she felt rejected. I suddenly wanted to tell her the truth.
“Listen, Lauren, it’s not that—”
“Megan,” Joe yelled sharply, cutting me off. I looked up him; he was now facing us. He shook his head no, obviously hearing our conversation.
Lauren looked from Joe to me, her cheeks crimson, her face full of confusion.
Nate’s car pulled in the driveway, interrupting any further conversation. Joe came out of the water without looking at us and we ate our burgers. None of us mentioned the earlier discussion.
After another movie, I went to bed before the rest of them, pulling out a book I had purchased a few weeks ago and had yet to read. I opened it to the first page and lay back onto the pillow for some private time. It had been over a week since I had any.
I was still reading when Nate came in. He climbed under the covers and into our favorite position. He lay behind me and I could feel his hand on my bare stomach. “Joe told me about your conversation with Lauren today,” he said softly. I marked my spot with my bookmark and set it onto the nightstand, turning around to look at him. The low lamp light created shadows on his face making him look mysterious. “Were you going to tell her?”
I sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “Yes. I know it’s not my business, but she looked so sad.”
“I know you care about her, but he has to be the one to do it.” He sighed, leaning in to kiss my forehead. “And I still think he should tell Will first. They’re friends and I’m pretty sure Will is not going to take it well.”
I thought about it from her father’s perspective. A guy, a werewolf, he’d known for twenty years, was in love with his eighteen-year-old daughter. Normally it would be gross, but since Joe didn’t age it added a whole new amount of weirdness. “I won’t tell her, but I don’t want her to feel rejected by him. If it gets worse he should say something to her. Admit he has feelings, but it’s not the right time or something. I don’t want him to hurt her.”
He caressed my cheek, sadness creeping into his eyes. “Is that how you felt?”
I knew what he meant and I wasn’t sure of the answer. In the beginning, no. He treated me the same as anyone else. But once I got to know him and he started his rollercoaster of moods, yes. But, I didn’t want to dwell on it again. We’d already been through this. I smiled, looking him in the eye. “It’s over. I know you love me now. That’s all that matters.” It was true what I said, but it still hurt sometimes to think about.
He smiled slightly, but the sadness stayed in his eyes. “I might have been slow to admit my love for you, but you don’t have to worry, I’m here now for as long as you’ll have me.”
I wrapped my arms around him. We embraced for a while, breathing each other in, feeling the warmth of our bodies.
Chapter Thirty
Black and White
I must have eventually fallen asleep because sometime during the night I woke to the sound of the floor creaking in the hallway.
I climbed out of bed, tiptoeing to the door. I opened it a crack and saw Joseph standing in Lauren’s doorway.
“What are you doing?” I hissed at him, trying not to yell.
“I just wanted to make sure she was safe.”
I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed him into the living room. “Do you know how creepy that is? What if she woke up and saw you watching her? Can you please try to be a human for a few minutes?”
He stood staring down at his feet, like he was a child being scolded. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a pig playing cards on the front and black boxer shorts.
Nate came out yawning, wearing only black cotton pants. His hair was sticking up everywhere. “What’s going on?” he asked with another yawn.
“I found Joseph watching Lauren sleep. Will you tell him how weird that is?”
Nate’s eyes darted from me to Joe, then to the floor. “Joe, that’s weird.” His voice was void of feeling.
“That’s the best you can do?” I stared at him and th
en turned to the other werewolf. “Could you try to control yourself? If Nate did it, you can. Do you think he watched me sleep? I don’t think so.” I was still whispering, but my voice was getting louder.
“Actually,” Nate interrupted me as I was about to continue my rant. “I did control myself at school, but it was hard to be away from you. The first night you saw me…as a wolf…was not the first time I was at your house. I used to watch you from your window. But only as a wolf… if that helps.” He trailed off, looking extremely guilty.
“You what?” I was shocked. The Nate I knew would never do that.
“I can see that this is personal, Love, so I’ll just get out of your way.” Joe started back toward the bedrooms.
I grabbed the back of his T-shirt, stopping him mid-step. “No, you get back here and get on that couch. Do not get up again. If you want her to like you, she can’t wake up and see you staring at her. It’s weird.” He did what I said, pulling the blanket up above his head. “And you, follow me.” I pointed to Nate before stalking into his bedroom.
Once we were back under the covers. I heard him whisper, “I’m sorry.”
I really didn’t want to get into it with him yet. I was still in shock. How many times since he’d told me what he was, did he say he’d be honest with me? And the idea of eyes on me while I was in my bedroom, doing my homework, watching a movie or worse, undressing…was a little unsettling. Yes, it was Nate, but still. “We’ll talk in the morning after I calm down.”
I heard him turn away from me onto his other side. “Goodnight,” he whispered.
I opened my eyes the next morning and smiled. Lying on Nate’s pillow was a single rose with a note beside it that said ‘I’m sorry’ “I picked it up and sniffed in the sweet scent of the flower. I had to admit, it was a nice way to wake up.
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