Wolf-Run

by Linda Palmer

  "What? Where are you?"

  "I'm on I-40, headed east to the border with my boyfriend and four werewolves. A white witch is meeting us there. I'm hoping she'll save Brody, who's been hurt. I'd have taken him to the ER, but he's in his wolf form. I think they'd be too scared to treat him, and I don't know any vets."

  "Cassidy Michelle Norris! How in the hell did you get involved with Weres?"

  Huh?

  With a gasp, I snapped the phone shut. Almost instantly, it

  began ringing in my trembling hand. Barely noticing that another boy now scrambled for clothes, I tossed it in the passenger seat.

  "Jake Jackson?"

  His gaze locked with mine in the mirror.

  " Do not answer that."

  About ten miles from the border, a classic Mustang met and passed us. Jackson immediately stomped the brake, which sent the Infiniti fishtailing to the shoulder of the road with gravel and sand spraying everywhere. The Mustang spun around behind us and came flying back, skidding to a halt inches from my back bumper. A tall guy and a petite Hispanic girl piled out of it.

  When Jackson raised the back hatch, two wolves and two teenage boys jumped to the pavement, one after the other. Jackson rushed back to help me out, introducing everyone even as the guy, whose name was Jonah Killebrew, helped him lift Brody-wolf from the car. They laid him gently in the grass, still out cold. The witch, Andee Rivera, knelt next to me.

  "Can you save him?"

  She never hesitated. "Yes."

  "Please do it."

  "First I have to know how far to go. Shall I just save him?

  Or should I cure him, too?"

  Oh, how I wanted door number two. But the decision wasn't mine to make.

  "Save him."

  Our gazes locked for a nanosecond. With a nod, she ran her hands over Brody-wolf's battered body, beginning with his face. I saw his fur stand on end and, since I held him, felt an electric charge travel from my hands to my shoulders and across my back every time her fingers touched a wound. I burst into sobs when every bloody injury miraculously healed before my eyes. I guess I hadn't really believed she could do it until that moment.

  Fully healed, but still bloody, Brody shifted gracefully into the naked boy I loved. His confused eyes found me at once, and then focused on the girl who had healed him. I saw realization slowly dawn.

  "Finish it, Andee." His voice was so soft I barely heard. I tenderly brushed his hair back from his forehead. "Don't do this for me, Brody. If you need to be a wolf to live with your past, then that's what you should do. I'll love you forever either way."

  A ghost of a grin brought life to his ashen face. He never took his eyes off my face when he said, "Finish it." All smiles, Andee nodded her understanding and stood. With her eyes closed, she slowly raised her arms as if drawing in the forces of nature. I felt a breeze kick up from nowhere, unseasonably cool as it tossed tumbleweed across the parched earth. Andee's long dark hair lifted and swirled about her face. Her spread fingers shot colored sparks into the bright summer sky. I heard thunder as she dropped to her knees and touched Brody.

  He jolted in my arms.

  Whoa.

  "Is that it?" I asked. "Is he cured?" Andee nodded. Jonah stepped up close behind her as if she needed his support. That's when I realized how much her generosity must've cost her in energy and power. But instead of giving into the exhaustion, she surely felt, Andee turned to the other pack members.

  "How about it boys? Are you ready for the cure now?" They exchanged doubtful looks.

  "Come on, guys. You've got to get on with your lives," I told them as I helped Brody stand. I reached into the Infiniti for his jeans and handed them to him with a telling look I hoped he took for the "just wait until later" that it definitely was. He laughed at me and stepped into the jeans.

  "I'm in," said Jackson with a look in my direction.

  "Forget it, dude," said Brody, now pulling a blue T-shirt over his taut midriff. "She's taken."

  My jaw dropped. Jackson flushed and looked away.

  "I'm in, too."

  I smiled at Lee and focused on Stewart and Welch. "What's it going to be, guys?"

  Stewart sighed. "Okay, but you'd better mean what you said about tutoring me."

  "I meant it. We'll start next week. Welch?" He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

  Though I wasn't really sure that Andee had it in her, she quickly proved that she did. We exchanged cell numbers before she and Jonah hit the road again. I hoped she got some rest on the way home because the loving look in her man's eyes told me she was going to need it.

  I turned to my guys. "I'm going to put all of you up in my parents' house. They're out of town at the moment, and they have lots of room. Everyone good with that?"

  They all nodded.

  "Is that my Pink Floyd shirt?" Brody glared at Stewart. He looked down and nodded.

  I touched Brody's arm. "Actually, everything they're wearing is yours."

  "Shit, Cass. I'll never get my stuff back."

  "No problem. I'll buy out Old Navy when we get home." Brody did not like that answer.

  Epilogue

  Since it was only a two-hour drive to Wolf-Run, I was not prepared for the surprise waiting on my front steps.

  Mom and Dad.

  Panicked, I grabbed Brody's arm. "Uh-oh. I have visitors." He looked where I pointed. "Who are they?"

  "My parents."

  Gulp. "How in the hell did they get here so fast?"

  "Our jet, I guess."

  "Fuck!"

  My sentiment, exactly.

  By then we'd dropped the guys off at their motorcycles, which they'd parked a few blocks away from the theater. I'd made them all promise to come to my place as soon as they got their gear, which meant I'd better tell my dad what I'd done. I felt certain that would come after I answered the million and one questions he was bound to have. And those would come after the million and one I had for him.

  We got out of the car. I waited for Brody to join me, took his hand, and started up the walk.

  "Are you okay?" Mom asked when I got to them. Neither offered a hug.

  "Yes."

  "Who's he?" Dad indicated my boyfriend.

  "Brody Anderson. I believe I mentioned him on the phone. We're in love."

  Brody winced. Guess I'd surprised him yet again.

  Dad frowned at him. "You're a Were?"

  "Not anymore."

  "So you've taken the cure?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Hm." He turned to me, obviously ready to let loose with all those questions. I headed him off at the pass.

  "Brody, this is Cassandra and this is Lucas, my parents. Why don't we all go inside? I'm sooo tired, and I really need to pee." Without waiting for an answer, I swept Brody past my folks and into my house. There I left him and headed to the bathroom. When I came out again, I found them all seated in my living room—Brody in a chair Mom and Dad on the couch. The whole scenario looked really, really awkward. I felt so bad for Brody...until I remembered he'd met people a lot scarier than my folks. On that thought, I snagged everyone a soft drink from the fridge, and then perched on the arm of his chair and popped the top of mine.

  Dad immediately took a deep breath and opened his mouth to begin the inquisition.

  I halted him with my hand. "Before you start, I need to know about Max. Is he dead?"

  "Yes."

  Oh. I realized I'd been in denial until then, holding onto a shred of hope. Brody whispered, "Sorry," and slipped his arm around my waist.

  I smiled down at him, and then looked at Dad. "How are we going to handle it?"

  "Since several witnesses saw him fall from the balcony and his blood alcohol level is twice the legal limit, I feel certain the coroner will rule the death accidental."

  Tears sprang to my eyes. Poor Max. But he'd died the way he lived: recklessly. And the Karma he scorned had caught up with him.

  "So everything's going to be okay?"

  Mom nodded. "Everything
to do with Max, yes."

  "Good."

  Once again, Dad opened his mouth to speak.

  And once again, I stopped him. "I'm not finished yet." Without thinking too deeply about it, I told my parents everything, beginning when Brody and I met and ending with the events of the day. When I finished, I motioned for my father to speak. "Your turn."

  But he just shook his head. "You've answered all my questions."

  "Then I've got another one for you. How do you know about the Weres?"

  "I've been representing a group of them in a class action suit."

  Brody and I looked at each other in astonishment. "In court?"

  "Preternatural court, actually. It's called the—"

  "Corteggio. Yeah, I know." I tried, but couldn't get my brain around what he'd just said. If he'd known about all this stuff, why hadn't he told his only daughter? "You mean they contacted you?"

  "Yes. I guess my reputation for defending the underdog—

  or in this case wolf—has really gotten around."

  "I'll say."

  "The Corteggio is very distrustful of Weres, thanks to a guy named—"

  "Titus Leopold." Brody spoke for the first time.

  "That's him." Dad absently scratched his head, something he always did when caught off guard. "I guess you would know all about that."

  "Yeah, I would."

  "Anyway, we're having to fight for Were rights, and it's an uphill battle, let me tell you."

  My respect for my parents suddenly soared.

  "Any more questions?" asked Mom.

  I shook my head. "Not now, but I'm sure I'll think of something later."

  "You can call us if you do. We'll be at home.” The way she said it made me think the words had a deeper meaning than I knew. My parents stood and walked to the door.

  I jumped up and grabbed Mom's arm. "I guess should warn you that I promised some of Brody's friends they could stay at the house for a while, starting tonight."

  "Our house?" Dad looked very surprised.

  "Um, yeah. I didn't think you'd be there."

  "How many friends?" asked Mom.

  "Four. But don't worry. They're underwolves, too. And a couple of them are going to need help getting into high school now that they've taken the cure."

  Dad thought about that for a second, then nodded an okay. I could tell I'd piqued his interest. His gaze swept Brody, who'd joined us at the door and now stood right next to me, our arms touching. "You live in town?"

  I felt my boyfriend tense.

  "Er...yes?” He tried to act casual as he drank his soda, but I saw his hand shaking, so wasn't fooled.

  "Actually, Dad, he lives here."

  My mother blinked. "Here as in here here?"

  "Yes, Mom, with me." Turning, I slipped my arms around Brody's waist and rested my check on his racing heart. Was he freaking out or what? "And please spare us the safe-sex lecture, okay? I'm making a raincoat run just as soon as you guys leave." I tipped my head back so I could look up at my boyfriend, whose startled brown eyes met mine over the can he'd raised to his mouth. "Can I get them by the case?"

  Brody spewed Coke everywhere and began coughing up a

  lung.

  Wow.

  I had no idea a guy's face could turn that color.

  Wolf-Way

  Wolf of my Heart #3

  COMING APRIL 2011