Waken (The Woods of Everod Book 1)

by Angela Fristoe

  “I know he will,” I said. Rachel and I stared at each other a moment, daring the other to say something. There was a touch of fear in her eyes, but also anger and resentment.

  “Let’s go,” she said to Bryce and pulled him out of the booth before he could question my confidence.

  My eyes stayed locked on the door long after they left, until it jerked open followed by a tingle announcing Justin’s arrival. He sat down across from me and ordered a drink. He must have raced to the diner from the gym. His blond hair was still damp and his face flushed.

  Tristan, along with Kyle, finally made an appearance just as the waitress brought our drinks. He smiled up at the girl. “I’ll have the special.”

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said sliding in next to me and leaned in for a quick kiss. “How was your morning?”

  I grunted in response, not wanting to dredge up the incident with Rachel and Bryce.

  “What happened?” His eyebrow arched in suspicion.

  “Rachel and Bryce were here earlier.”

  “Ah.”

  “Exactly.” I threw my paper straw wrapper onto the table.

  “Don’t worry about them,” Kyle said across the table. “They won’t try anything. As long as you’re with us they’ll leave you alone.”

  A grateful smile shaped my lips and I sipped my diet coke. Ignore them, I told myself, repeating Kyle’s advice, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded when I could still feel the icy daggers of their eyes piercing me.

  “So have you picked yet?” Justin asked me.

  “Picked what?” Had I missed an entire conversation?

  “Your favorite brother. Now that you have two of us, you have to pick which of us is your favorite.”

  “Why would I have to pick?”

  “Well, I need to know where I stand so when Christmas comes I know how much to spend. If I’m not your favorite I may just hit up the nearest dollar store,” he said with a laugh. I rolled my eyes.

  “Don’t worry, Janie, I only give the best quality gifts.” Kyle gave a sweet smile and ignored the elbow Justin threw into his ribs.

  The two of them and Tristan managed to distract my thoughts for the rest of our lunch. Watching Justin and Kyle interact was interesting. I loved that they got along and how they both had a sense of humor. Justin was definitely more outspoken and in your face, while Kyle just snuck in from the sidelines. Tristan egged them on and I spent most of the lunch laughing at their exchanges.

  “I’ll meet you outside,” Tristan said after paying the bill. I made a quick stop in the restroom and then went outside to find him.

  Tristan stood beside Rachel as she leaned on his car. I didn’t like seeing them together, and felt a flash of jealousy when I realized what could have been if Tristan hadn’t seen my birthmark. He smiled at me and the jealousy faded. If he had wanted to be with Rachel, he’d be with her.

  “I’ll let you girls talk,” he said and headed across the street to sit on the bench in the park. I loved that he realized my need to get this confrontation over with. What Rachel and I had to say couldn’t be said in front of others.

  We both watched him leave. I nervously twisted a strand of hair while she picked at her nail polish. When he’d settled on the bench, I glanced at her, unsure what I wanted to say. I knew Lukas was my biological father, I knew he was Rachel’s father. Logically that simple twist of facts made us half-sisters. I suppose it explained the weird connection I’d felt the first day we’d met.

  Rachel started. “I...I guess you need to know-”

  “We went over this already, Rachel. I know everything.”

  “But you don’t know why I couldn’t...be friends with you anymore.” She stepped away from the car, folding her arms across her chest. “Please, let me finish,” she asked, stopping me as I opened my mouth to speak.

  “I wanted to move to LA after graduation. I wanted to act, be a Hollywood star. When I told my mom, she said it couldn’t happen. I’d never questioned why mom always said we couldn’t leave Everod.”

  “So, shouldn’t you want the cure? If I’m the cure then you’re set, right? Maybe you could be some reality star.” Okay, so it was catty of me, but I didn’t want to hear some sob story.

  “It’s not that simple, Janie. The Lycan aren’t just going to go away. Kas has shown me the power we have. A cure would take that away from us.”

  I didn’t know how to argue with her on that. If she chose this life, then that was on her.

  “What do you want from me, Rachel?”

  “Just hear me out. When we first met, I had no idea who you were. You were a new blood that had managed to go completely unnoticed,” she said.

  “You knew. I told you about my father.” Heavy silence hung between us, loaded with my unasked question: did she know she was my sister?

  “I knew.”

  “When? When did you figure it out?”

  “As soon as you mentioned the tattoo and I wanted you to unsay it, to take everything back. I wanted to have never met you. I tried to get you to leave. I’d hoped that once you knew everything you’d want to leave.”

  “How could you not tell me? How could you just walk away from me? If you’re my sister, you should have stood beside me.” The lump in my throat blocked my words.

  “I wish I could have, but your very existence means the end of everything I want. But it’s not too late, Janie. You could still join us before Kas...”

  “Before Kas figures out a way to get rid of me and stop them from creating a cure?”

  Her face paled. I must have been pretty close to the truth. “I don’t want you dead or hurt, Janie. And that’s what being their cure means. Up until now, the town has viewed you as temporary. Once they know who you are… Tristan and his parents think Kas is dangerous, that he’s out to kill you. But did they tell you about the others? The ones who are so desperate to get out of Everod, to be normal that they will kill you for the cure?”

  “Well, that’ll solve all your problems, wouldn’t it?”

  “You just don’t get it. If you stay here, you’re gonna die, whether it’s Kas or someone trying to be cured.” She left abruptly, leaving me hanging again. I wanted to scream and rage at her, but the words refused to come out. Instead, I turned away from her departing form.

  Tristan came from around the corner. He didn’t ask what we said, just took my hand and walked with me to the library. His touch soothed my nerves and after a minute, Rachel was the furthest thing from my mind.

  His arm brushed mine and heat flooded me. I loved his warmth even more now, knowing that he was getting hot just for me. I smiled secretively as we entered through the double doors.

  “What’s so funny?” Tristan asked, seeing that smile.

  “I was just thinking about you,” I said. “And how when you touch me, you’re always so hot.” I giggled at the pinkish flush that filled his cheeks.

  “Ms. Moore,” a young girl called from behind the counter as we passed by. “You’re needed in Ms. Markov’s office.”

  I gave Tristan a confused look, and turned towards the librarian’s office. Tristan followed, intent on going with me.

  “Not you, Tristan.”

  He hissed with frustration, but stopped following. I tapped lightly on the open door.

  “Come on in, Janie,” Mrs. Markov said from behind her desk. “Close the door behind you.”

  I sank into the chair. This was Ericka. Elin’s mother. My grandmother. I took in the pale thin skin, the dark hair that had new streaks of white at the roots. She looked older than she had a few days ago. Had she reached the end of her extended youth?

  “I knew Tristan would find you, bring you into the community,” she said.

  “How?”

  “Your step-father inquired about the property months ago. All sales of land must be approved by me. A few carefully selected questions and I suspected who you were.”

  “And when did you know for sure?”

  “When I heard you play the pi
ano. It was Helena’s, you know. I bought it for her tenth birthday. She played all the time. She was never as talented as your father, or you apparently.”

  She smiled as she lapsed into the memory of my mother and resentment burned. This woman had known I was her granddaughter, yet said nothing to me. What was it about me that no one in my family wanted to claim me? Kyle being the exception.

  No. It wasn’t me. It was them. There was something messed up with these people. They had abandoned me, left me with a woman they knew wanted me dead, and then refused to acknowledge me once they learned I was here.

  If this was my grandmother, then I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at how my mother had turned out, because obviously Ericka had little love in her heart.

  “Janie,” she started, “you’ve only lived here a short time so you don’t understand-”

  “I do,” I said, interrupting her warning. It was too late for her to show grandmotherly concern for me. Her eyes widened and with her hair sticking out in all directions, she resembled a white lion, caught mid-hunt.

  “Yes, I suppose you do. I knew Tristan would tell you everything. Tristan is an honest boy, not like your sister. She’s always played the people around her. It was the same with Lukas and Helena. She’s my daughter, but as much as I love her I wanted better for Lukas.”

  “Why does she hate me so much?”

  “I don’t know, Janie. Helena loves the power she has as a Lycan. Kas used that to turn her against me. Since Tristan found you, I’ve been trying to think of what happened. I can only guess that she used Lukas, trying to have a child, the child. That way she could have controlled you or...”

  “Or killed me,” I said finishing her sentence.

  “Yes, or killed you.”

  “So why didn’t she?”

  “I suspect that she has other plans for you. That she’s been waiting until you were revealed. Once Kas knows of you, she’ll come for you.”

  Chapter 23

  The late morning sun peeked through the blinds in my room, creating slashes of yellow across the gray comforter covering my bed. I pulled the cord letting the sun in, and then began brushing my damp hair. Running late as usual, I’d had to take a quick shower. I knew Lisa and Samara would be early for our girl’s day. I didn’t know exactly what a girl’s day entailed but I was willing to give it a try.

  “Janie?” Justin called down the hall. “Lisa and Samara are here.”

  I put the brush down and opened the door.

  “Thanks.” I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and started applying a bit of makeup to cover the flushed hue of my cheeks.

  “I still can’t believe you agreed to do this.” His voice was thick with humor.

  “Why? Do you know something I don’t?” In this case, it wouldn’t be hard.

  “No, no… it’s just, when was the last time you did something girly?”

  “I go shopping.” He raised one brow, and I flushed. “Okay, I went shopping with you.” Justin laughed at my admission and left me standing there staring after him.

  It wasn’t that I was against doing girly things; I’d just never had a desire or need to. Samara and Lisa called me up the night before and invited me along and I’d decided that I needed to take my change to the next level.

  I pulled the bedroom door closed behind me and headed downstairs. Tim had left for a meeting with the park biologist and Justin was already engrossed in the afternoon baseball game. “Bye,” I called out, pulling my coat from the closet as I left the house.

  “Hey girl, you’re looking cute today,” Lisa said giving me a look in the rearview mirror as I slid into the backseat.

  “Thanks.” I fastened my seatbelt and sat back to enjoy the ride. We spent the ride talking about old movies and our favorite actors. We all agreed that Brad Pitt was at the top of our lists.

  The car slowed to a stop and I looked out the window to see we had arrived at a fancy looking spa. My fingers curled inward involuntarily as I realized I was about to be buffed and fluffed. No wonder Justin had laughed.

  “Don’t worry, Janie, we promised Tristan we wouldn’t change you too much.” Samara giggled as she dragged me out of the car.

  For the two hours that followed, I was scrubbed, rubbed, polished and painted. It wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. My feet and hands were soft and pink-tipped and I felt surprisingly relaxed. I watched the manicurist put the finishing touches on Samara’s manicure.

  “How often do you guys come here?” I asked looking at Samara’s soft cloud of hair. Not a single strand seemed out of place.

  “Oh, I only come about once a month, but Lisa is here every week. She’d come every day if she could get away with it. She likes getting her hair redone.”

  Changing the subject, I latched on to the first thought that came to mind. “How long have you known Tristan?”

  “Oh…um…years.” She stumbled over her words. She frantically started blowing on her wet nails.

  I sat in silence, frustrated that, even now that I knew about them, such a simple question couldn’t be answered straightforwardly. She paused in her blowing to look at me.

  “Janie, I don’t mean to be so secretive. It’s a habit. We’ve always stuck together and it’s been a long time since we’ve had any new blood.” She sighed and, eyeing the manicurist, seemed to form her words carefully. “Tristan is a great friend. He has a way about him, something that draws people in. He’s a wonderful guy. He’s loyal and strong and determined. He’ll never let you down.” She gave a soft laugh. “I sound like his personal ad.”

  Finished with our nails, we were guided over to a set of leather armchairs with automated nail dryers set up. I slipped off my plastic thongs and placed my feet on the dryer for my toenails.

  “I spoke to Ericka yesterday.” I waited for her to speak, but only a raised eyebrow even hinted that she’d heard me. I wasn’t sure why I said it, but it had been gnawing at me all night. Tristan had asked when I’d left her office but I’d just wanted to get out of there. Telling him would only increase his concern that something was going to happen to me. Samara, though, had that serenity about her that just made me want to be at the same level of peacefulness.

  “She thinks once Kas knows about me he’ll contact Elin.” I glanced around to make sure no one was within hearing distance.

  “Have you spoken to Tristan about this?”

  “I couldn’t. I was just so angry. I mean, she’s my grandmother and she barely even acknowledged the fact. How could she do that?”

  “I don’t know, Janie. Ericka’s been alone for a long time. Her mate died before Helena was even born.” She took a long look at her nails. She pushed her chair out and stood. “I’m dry.”

  When we got to the front of the spa, Lisa was sporting a fresh streak of purple and a deep scowl. Her eyes drilled into Samara.

  “Samara can you help me find that conditioner you recommended?” Lisa asked, and before I could blink, the two of them had left to go to the shelf with their heads together whispering, too soft for me to hear. I gave up trying when I saw Lisa glance at me from the corner of her eye. I wandered to a different product shelf and picked out a color control conditioner, then joined them at the counter.

  I tried to tamp down my frustration, but when we had piled into the car I asked, “So, are either of you going to tell me what was so secretive that I couldn’t hear?”

  Lisa looked at me through the rearview mirror and flashed me a grin. “No secret, I was just trying to convince Sammy here to dye her hair.”

  Her attempt at humor fell flat and Samara slapped her arm. I couldn’t believe that she didn’t know how maddening it was for me to hear cryptic comments and then be told not to worry. The rest of the drive home was tense and silent. It seemed like everyone was still determined to keep me in the dark. We pulled up to the house and I jumped out, mumbling thanks as I slammed the door.

  “Janie, wait!” Samara called. Both of them were right behind me. “You’re upset.”

>   “No shit, Sammy.” Lisa rolled her eyes then stepped closer to me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad or anything. It’s just there are things we…”

  “Whatever,” I said. My shoulders slumped as I realized I wasn’t going to get any answers from them.

  “Come on, this was supposed to be a fun day.” Samara tried to break the tension looking close to tears. “I don’t want you to be angry with us.”

  I sighed and gave her a quick hug. “I’m not, just frustrated. Nobody ever wants to answer my questions.”

  “All right, but you didn’t hear it from me,” Lisa said. “Rachel called Tristan and told him that she’s going to Kas. Tristan just wanted us to keep a close eye on you.”

  So, Rachel had chosen her side. She knew what Kas would do once he learned about me, yet she was willing to let him kill me just to have control of the town. Samara slung her arm around my shoulder and gave a light squeeze.

  “Not everyone can make the right choices,” she whispered.

  “Let’s order pizza!” Lisa said as if it would solve all of our problems.

  “Pizza?” Justin’s voice bellowed from inside.

  “Amazing what selective hearing guys have,” Lisa said as we broke out in giggles.

  Three hours, two pizzas, and Sixteen Candles later, the girls left. I closed the door behind them, smiling as I realized how much fun I’d had. I spotted Lisa’s purse hanging over the back of the couch. Grabbing it up I rushed out the door just as the car pulled away. I went inside and put her jacket in the closet, I’d give it to her when I went to the gym in the morning.

  I made my way up to my room and lay down on my bed considering the direction life was taking me. Going with the flow had never been my thing. I had always wanted, needed control. Now I was being flooded with questions and confusion.

  I rolled over on my side, a painful cramp suddenly tightening my abdomen. “Crap,” I said through gritted teeth. I tried laying still, curled into a fetal position. I’d been so busy and focused on having fun I’d ignored the lighter warning cramps. Now I was paying for it. I needed ibuprofen.