“I love you, too, Mom,” Ava sighed into the night. She’d always been extremely close to her mother, and when Dad had died three years ago, Ava felt part of her mother die with him. The loss had been tough on both of them, but they’d held each other, and Ava hoped she would grow into the strong woman her mother had become.
She looked out into the night, past the trees and to the fields of grass, wondering which of the old stories she’d heard about the town were true, and if any of them related to her mother in any way. While she wanted to brush off her mother’s nonchalance as a sign there was nothing to worry about, her curiosity and her intuition got the best of her. It was much more likely that her mother knew far more than she was letting on, and Ava decided to be cautious until she could convince her mother to divulge more of the secrets she held somewhere in the back of her mind.
What a night, Ava thought as she, too, decided it was time to turn in. Through the screen door, she took one last gaze around, imagining the wild things that might be out there, and then she shut the solid wood door and hurried to her room, thinking maybe that wasn’t the best thing to consider right before going to sleep.
Chapter 3
“My god, it’s hot! How long have we been out here?” Kelly asked, fanning herself as she sat up from the blanket beneath her. Ava lay next to her on the front lawn of Ava’s house, both of them in their bathing suits and dark sunglasses as they soaked up the sun’s rays.
Ava took off the glasses to check the time on her phone, holding her hand up to block the white light from her eyes. “About an hour.”
“I think it’s time to get in some shade.” Kelly stood, staring expectantly down at Ava. Instead of getting up, Ava stared up at her, the thoughts that had been swirling in her head for the last several hours making her want to bring up their conversation from the night before. “So, Mom agreed with you.”
Kelly scowled down at her. “What are you talking about?”
Ava cleared her throat, still feeling ridiculous even saying the words. “She told me that the Minors are werewolves.”
“I told you,” Kelly retorted with a satisfied smile. “My visions are always right.”
A vision. If Kelly had mentioned that last night, Ava would have been much quicker to believe her. The first time Kelly had a vision had been pretty scary, since neither of them understood what was happening. Kelly had just tuned out entirely, her eyes rolling up in her head, and a few seconds later, she’d collapsed and woken up as if nothing had happened. They’d gone to Katherine, Kelly’s mother, who had calmly explained about Kelly’s gift. Over the years, Kelly had learned to use it rather than fear it, but this had to be one of the strangest outcomes of any vision Ava had ever heard from her best friend.
“Girls, there’s fresh lemonade, if you want some,” Sarah called from the porch as she set the jug and glasses on the table beside the swing.
Kelly looked as if she hadn’t had a drink of anything for a month. “Thanks, Mrs. Bertrand!”
“Thanks, Mom,” Ava called as she stood and gathered the blanket and suntan lotion to carry with her. They went into the shade of the porch, and Kelly poured them each a glass of the cold liquid. After a long gulp, Kelly asked, “You’re coming tonight, aren’t you?”
A bit blindsided by the sudden change of subject, and more than a little confused, Ava asked, “Where?”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “The bonfire down by Murphy Lake, of course.”
Ava took a swallow of the thirst-quenching drink. “What do you mean, ‘of course’? You never told me about any party. But sure, it sounds like fun.”
Kelly gave her a mischievous grin. “Good.”
Suspicion flooded Ava’s veins, and she narrowed her eyes at her friend. “What’s the big deal, Kelly?”
“Oh, nothing. But you’ll be able to meet Caleb. He’ll be there.”
Ava teased, “Great, so I’ll finally get to see how much you’ve exaggerated his incredible model quality beauty.”
Kelly suddenly became very serious. “No way. No exaggeration. You’ll see, the guy is a god.” She sat on the swing, closing her eyes and leaning back. “You realize you haven’t told me why you changed your mind.”
Ava pretended not to know what Kelly meant. “When did I change my mind?”
“You know very well you planned to stay in Baton Rouge. Why did you come back, Ava? I’d just blow it off as wanting to have a huge birthday bash here, with me, but I don’t see that bringing you back to live, just to visit.”
Uncomfortable and wondering why her friend asked, she hesitated to answer. She could have lied, said she was homesick and that her twenty-first birthday made her want to be back with friends and family, but she didn’t think Kelly would buy it.
Finally, she hedged. “I’m not sure. I just had a gut feeling, like the town was calling me back or something.” She squinted against a ray of sun that stabbed into her eyes. “I don’t like Mom being alone in this house anyway. I can always move on later. There’s no big rush.”
“True. I’m just glad my sista’s back.” Kelly let out a yawn and stood. “I think I’ve had enough sun today. I’m going to get out of here and head home for a bit.” She placed her hands on Ava’s shoulders and went completely stiff.
Ava stared at her friend, unnerved. Kelly was practically in a trance. She winced as Kelly squeezed too hard, with bruising force, but she didn’t move, knowing the vision would be over in a moment. But the grip felt like knives about to pierce her skin.
With a gasp, Kelly blinked, her eyes pooling with tears as she let go and sat back down on the swing. “Jesus,” she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked at Ava and cupped her cheeks with both hands. Ava had seen Kelly in the throes of a vision many times before, and she’d been privy to the aftermath. She never remembered this kind of reaction, though, and it worried her. As if to confirm Ava’s fear, Kelly told her, “Something bad is going to happen, Ava. I know it.”
Ava grabbed Kelly’s hands, removing them from her face and holding them in her lap. She was beyond freaked out. “What do you mean? What the hell just happened, Kelly?”
Kelly shook her head maniacally. “You, Ava, something bad is going to happen to you!” Kelly looked panicked as she leaned into Ava’s chest, sobbing.
Ava did the best she could to console her friend, but all her nerves were on high alert. “Kelly, I don’t know what’s going on, but nothing’s going to happen to me, honey. Okay? I don’t know what you saw just now, but everything is just fine.” She spoke in a soothing, almost motherly voice. Inside, she was screaming, desperate to know what Kelly had experienced and yet terrified to ask. Whatever it was had hit Ava’s best friend harder than anything she’d seen in the past.
Kelly took several deep breaths and sat up, apparently trying to get herself together. “It’s been happening a lot lately. The visions come fast and hard, and they aren’t good, Ava. It’s how I knew about Caleb. I had a vision that showed a man with a tribal tattoo on his neck, and then a huge wolf bearing the same tribal design in its fur.”
Ava wiped at the tears on Kelly’s cheeks and lifted the girl’s chin, wanting to take a better look at her friend. Up this close without Kelly’s carefully applied makeup, the girl had bags under her eyes as if she hadn’t been sleeping well. Ava scowled. “Have you told your mother about all this?”
“No, not yet.”
Ava gave her a reprimanding look. “Why not? She’s the most likely one to be able to explain what’s happening, what it all means. You need to tell her. Promise me you’ll talk to her about it.”
With a chastised nod, Kelly said, “Okay.” She sniffled and rubbed her eyes with a short giggle. “I must look and sound like a certifiable nut job, huh? I go stiff and zombie-like, and then I start spouting frightening prophecies.”
Ava winked. “No, you’re still gorgeous, even if you are a certifiable nut job.” She sent Kelly on her way, hoping she’d helped calm the girl’s nerves. As for her own sanity,
Ava felt a sense of impending doom that threatened to disrupt what little sanity she had. No matter what she told Kelly, Ava didn’t think everything would be alright. As far as she knew, everything Kelly had seen had come true in one way or another, and that meant it was time for Ava to be careful and watch out for anything that was out of the norm.
******
Sarah Bertrand sat just inside the house, listening to the conversation between her daughter and Kelly. Her longtime friendship with Kelly’s mother, Katherine, meant she was fully aware of the family’s clairvoyant gifts, and she’d been privy to the entire episode Kelly had just experienced. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen it happen, either.
Unfortunately, Kelly had no idea that this was only the beginning. Sarah could sense the darkness growing nearer, could almost reach out and touch it. Every fiber of her body buzzed with the awareness of what was about to befall them. Soon, her prophecy would come to light, and the war would begin. It would be a war like the world had never seen, and while a great majority of it would never know, the battles between the supernatural would hastily wreak havoc on Willow Falls.
The outcome was uncertain still, and much would be lost, but Sarah vowed one truth that could not be broken. As long as she lived, nothing would happen to her only daughter.
Chapter 4
Kelly sat on Ava’s queen-sized four-poster bed, zipping up one of her black leather boots, the smooth material fitting close to her shapely calves and stopping just above her knees. She pushed at the pink gossamer curtain of fabric that flowed from a point in the middle and surrounded the pinks and creams of the plush bedding.
Ava smiled to herself, thinking of her friend’s mantra. A good outfit always makes me feel sexy and powerful. Ava figured Kelly needed that sort of reassurance more often now, especially since she’d been talking about the disconcerting images that continuously flashed through her mind.
Giving Kelly the once-over, Ava saw that the boots completed her ensemble of slick black leggings and flowing white knit top that came just below her waist and covered a hot pink bandeau that served as a bra. Kelly pulled on a jean jacket, reminding Ava that the lake could be cold in the evenings, and checked herself in the mirror. Her reflection brought a seductive smile to her face, as if she was ready for anything.
Ava turned to face her friend, and Kelly whistled. “You look smoking hot, girl.”
With a nod and a shy grin, Ava checked her own appearance in a fitted purple top and tight jeans. Kelly shook her head. “That top hugs your D-cups like family that hasn’t seen each other in years, and those pants kiss every curve like they’re painted on.”
Rolling her eyes at her friend’s description, Ava pulled on a pair of dark brown cowboy boots, and she had opted for her usual light makeup, applying it flawlessly, and she’d brushed her chestnut hair to a brilliant shine as it swept down her back.
Jumping off the bed to stop Ava from over analyzing and messing something up, Kelly grabbed her by the upper arms and swung her friend around.
“Let’s get our groove on.”
Ava eyed Kelly’s outfit as she modeled it. “I think you’ll definitely get laid tonight.”
Kelly put her hands on her hips and winked. “I can sense that you are right about that.” She smiled wickedly.
“You’re too much,” Ava told her as they headed out the door.
Always invigorated by a party, Kelly threw an arm over Ava’s shoulders. “You know you’ll never get enough of me.” As they headed out, she held up her phone and snapped the critical best friend selfie to add to their collection. At the bottom of the stairwell, which held images of Ava’s life and even a couple of shots of the two of them together as very young girls, Kelly let Ava go ahead to call out to her mother, “We’re leaving, Mom. Don’t wait up, okay?”
“Play safe, you hear me?” Sarah called back, leaning around the kitchen wall to see them and pointedly staring at their outfits.
Kelly beamed at her. “We will, Mrs. Bertrand, I promise.” Ava let herself be ushered out the door, ready to get to the party.
******
As she watched the two girls leave, Sarah shook her head. It was undeniable; her little girl had blossomed into a full blown woman. The thought formed a lump in her throat as she turned to go back to the living room. She inhaled sharply to still her nerves and assured herself that everything was fine, at least, for the moment.
Sarah was by no means old, but she felt it these days. Since her husband had passed, she’d taken the brunt of the burden on herself to assure that she and Ava would be alright. Ava had insisted on working, but otherwise, Sarah didn’t bother her with the emotional drain it had been on her to lose her true mate. Her strength had been drained, and she’d begun to age far earlier than she should have.
But Ava was in the prime of her youth, matured but still naïve and full of untainted power. On top of that, she was a tough girl who had proven time and again that she could take care of herself. She’d handled the loss of her father like a champ, been here for a mother who wanted to fall apart, and managed to hold a steady job while still earning a scholarship at a prestigious college. And yet, she’d come back to Willow Falls, the same way Sarah had never been able to get away.
The same way the Minors would never truly be able to leave.
Telling herself that Ava could take care of herself and knowing it was true, Sarah reluctantly turned on the television to distract herself. It would never satisfy her to know that Ava was fine on her own. As a mother, Sarah would always want to be the one to protect her daughter.
Chapter 5
Growing anxious as Kelly pulled up to Murphy Lake and parked, Ava jumped out of the car and adjusted her clothes before hurrying around the trunk to grab one of the six packs they had brought with them.
As they walked swiftly down the small trail from the parking area toward the party beside the glistening water, Ava could see the yellow amber light dancing through the woods. Murphy Lake had been the premier hang out location for what Ava assumed was time immemorial. The beautiful body of water was surrounded by enough forested area to serve as secluded hiding for intimate couples, and it wasn’t unusual to accidentally run into some hot and heavy action in the dark.
Tonight, the music echoed up from the shoreline as they drew closer, and Ava saw no need for a flashlight as the last quarter moon glowed brightly to lead them down the path until they were close enough for the fire to guide the way. They entered the clearing, the firelight blazing and nearly blinding Ava in the midst of probably fifty or more partygoers, enjoying the revelries.
Kelly handed her a beer from the six pack she carried. “Ready, set, go,” she giggled.
“Ava! Oh my god, you’re back!” The squealing, half-drunk blonde ran up to her, throwing her arms around Ava’s neck and hugging her while trying not to fall over.
“Jen, how are you?” Ava held Jen’s arms so she wouldn’t topple backward into the flames. The girl never had been able to hold her liquor and drank too much too fast. It was no surprise that the night was just starting and she was already past her limit. Ava didn’t mind so much; they were old friends. But Kelly rolled her eyes and shook her head, as if to say, it never fails.
Teetering a bit, Jen gestured in the direction of a young man a few feet away, who wore an amused and slightly concerned expression. “Ava, Kelly, you have to meet my boyfriend, Jared.” She hiccupped a little, and Jared came to grab her with gentle hands. Ava liked him already.
He greeted them briefly with a smile and turned Jen away. “Okay, how about we get you back to the car. I have some bottled water and I think that would come in handy right about now.”
Kelly shook her head again and pulled a flask from inside her jean jacket, wiggling it in front of Ava. “Want some?"
Ava made a face. “What is it?”
“Fireball, baby!” she yelled.
“Absolutely!” Ava chirped, grabbing the flask. Taking a much bigger swig than she’d intended, Ava sta
rted to cough, the liquid burning all the way down. The warmth spread through her chest cavity and down into her belly, then stretched out to her limbs and made her whole body tingle. Unconsciously, she moaned deeply at the sensation. She licked her lips for the remnants of the cinnamon taste and handed the flask back to her friend.
Letting loose, Ava danced to the music beneath the moonlight, close enough to the blazing fire for the light of the flames to dance on her skin in strange patterns. It created an entrancing glow around Ava as she kept her buzz alive with a couple of beers, which aided in Ava’s easy reconnection to people she hadn’t seen since Christmas, hugging them and giving them genuine smiles. And if she began to feel anxious by the number of people around her, she tapped Kelly’s shoulder and took another small swig from the flask to take the edge off.
Her body was loose and incredibly hot from the alcohol buzzing through her veins, and she danced more, harder, her mind free as she swayed in the night air. She barely took notice of the man that closed in on her. She simply continued moving her hips to the rhythm of the music, her arms in the air and her eyes closed. Even the hand sliding down her thigh didn’t quite bring her out of the trance, the whole purpose behind the music.
It was the rank smell of bourbon that assaulted her nostrils and the harsh whisper too close to her ear that caught her attention. “You’re fucking hot.”
Now, that unfamiliar hand touched her bare skin, and she came completely out of her euphoric daze. Her smile faltered, and she opened her eyes, slowing her movements as she looked upon the man who had intruded in her space. The man stared back at her with a lopsided grin full of drunken self-assurance. He obviously expected her to be flattered by his blatant violation of her space and interruption of her buzz.
She backed up and to the side, raising her arm and slapping the man’s hand from her body like a grotesque fly. She hissed, “Get your fucking hands off me.”
Imprinted By The Alpha (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (The Marked One - Book 1) Page 2