His lips curved in a way that softened my insides. Uncomfortable under his gaze, I fished for my keys in my pant pocket.
“Then let’s go. I want to get some sleep tonight.”
In a desperate attempt to dissipate the simmering warmth his presence created, I opened the door and breathed in the crisp night air.
CHAPTER 21—A Wet Picnic
Thursday, April 5
Streams of sunlight filtered through the sheer fabric of the peach curtains in Grandma’s room as I sunk deep into the covers. I didn’t set the alarm on my phone. There was no reason. Today could very well be the last day I would see these walls, and I wanted to soak in every detail: the flowery smell, characteristic of my grandma, and her love for color thrown throughout the room in random paintings by her favorite artists. I always thought it odd that she didn’t have any of her wolf paintings in her bedroom. Maybe it creeped her out to have wolves watching her sleep.
I was forced to face the inevitable when I heard scratching at the door followed by a pitiful whine. I’d ignored the annoying itchy sensation this morning as he’d turned from human to wolf, and went back to sleep. He was obviously done being neglected.
“I’m up!” I didn’t mean to snap, but my emotions were already on edge.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to say goodbye to my family without actually saying it, just in case things went wrong. A sharp pang of longing assaulted my chest. I wanted Grandma. Somehow I knew she would make this better, but she was camping, painting her wolves, and believed cell phones caused cancer.
Then it hit me, a perfect excuse to use for my absence, hopefully only temporarily. I’d already written a letter to Grandma explaining why I’d left and hid it under her pillow so Beast wouldn’t see it. I didn’t need them to go through the whole missing person’s report thing, like they did with my mom. I still wanted a chance to escape this predicament, without having to come back to a legal mess. Maybe I was being pessimistic, but I had an uneasy feeling that Beast wouldn’t let me out of his house again without a fight.
I climbed out of bed, tucking the dismal thought away for later. It wasn’t hard to locate my duffle bag slumped against the wall. I dug out a violet v-neck shirt and a pair of gray jeans. I wasn’t in any rush this morning and was crabby enough to enjoy aggravating my lupine companion with my slowness. After applying mascara, I braided my hair over and over again until I couldn’t hide from my real reason for procrastinating. I was terrified to face Aunt Lily.
I would have cowered in Grandma’s room all day reading one of the many paperback novels stacked on her nightstand, but the pain from Beast’s hunger finally compelled me to move faster. I caught the wolf pacing the hallway when I exited Grandma’s room at 9:30.
“Come on,” I said, gesturing toward the kitchen, thankful I’d thought to stop at the grocery store last night.
Sixty dollars didn’t go very far when feeding a werewolf. Last night, I had to run to the store for more meat. This time, cloaked in his hooded trench coat, Beast came into the store with me. I’d almost been forced to pay for the steaks with my own allowance money when Beast pulled out his wallet. He startled me by slipped a hundred dollar bill into my hand before retreating from the checkout lane. He had money? I stared stupidly at his shadowed form.
I was still curious, even now as I stepped out of the memory and into Grandma’s kitchen. But why shouldn’t he have money? He had a truck and a house, so why was it so hard to accept that a werewolf would have money like a normal person?
Oh, I don’t know, maybe because he’s a wolf during the day has something to do with it, my internal voice chided. Not to mention his grotesque appearance.
He could work from home or have come from a wealthy family. If he had the Internet, anything was possible. I focused on unwrapping four steaks and feeding Beast.
Chasing the cornflakes around my bowl, I tried to distract myself from the stressful subject of lying to Aunt Lily. I was determined that my absence would last only until the full moon was over. I’d make Beast bring me back. But how? What if he insisted I stay with him forever? I gulped, uneasily. I’d deal with that when the time came; right now I had to focus on Aunt Lily.
I had a plan, but if she wouldn’t buy into my story I was back to square one.
The sun shone brightly in the azure sky, and the slick asphalt and mud puddles were the only evidence of the rainstorm that pounded the roof last night. I pulled in front of my aunt’s ranch-style house that used to be my home. The sadness thickened inside me, threatening to engulf me if I let that train of thought continue. I pushed through the ache of leaving my family and headed to my room to pack.
A whole new wave of emotion assaulted me when I entered my room, filled with memories. Tears streamed down my face and a hollow ache inflicted my chest. Wiping furiously at my eyes, I was suddenly very thankful that Aunt Lily wouldn’t be home for another hour. I couldn’t break down like this in front of her. I had to make her believe nothing was wrong, but the pain of the deception almost crippled me to my knees. I sat on my bed and wrapped up in my comforter, hoping to steel my nerves. How could I lie to her like this? How could I leave the only mother I’ve ever known? Abandon her just like my mother abandoned me? I couldn’t even stomach the thought. And what about Sarah? Cammie? They had already lost so much.
I blinked back the tears, accepting the growing possibility that it might take a while to escape Beast’s hold. I cleared my throat and started picking through my belongings, searching for pictures and other knickknacks I couldn’t live without. With my arms loaded, I surveyed my room one last time, eyes falling on the dresser. My chest tightened, and I knew I couldn’t leave the picture. Opening my underwear drawer, I dug through the mess of clothing until my fingers brushed the metal frame holding my mother’s portrait.
Without looking at it, I marched out to the van and threw my armload in the box I kept between the two bucket seats. Now I had everything set just in case Aunt Lily saw through my lies, and I needed a quick getaway. What if she started crying? I knew I wasn’t strong enough to withstand her tears. Lying to Aunt Lily never sat well with me. My stomach soured over everything I kept from her now. Like I had a choice! If I was going to keep them safe, this was the only way.
I was sitting at the kitchen table with an assortment of sandwich makings when Aunt Lily’s Honda Civic pulled into the driveway. I kept moving. If I stopped, my hands would shake, blowing my calm façade. Tennis shoes squeaked on the hardwood as Aunt Lily walked toward the kitchen. I knew she could probably hear the sound of my butter knife hitting the glass jar of grape jelly. It’s not that I particularly liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but I had finished making the meat sandwiches five minutes ago and needed something else to busy my hands.
My aunt rounded the corner entering the kitchen, her eyes instantly falling on the mound of sandwiches I had stacked on the table.
“Planning to feed an army?”
I smiled. “No, just couldn’t decide what I wanted.”
“Have you decided, yet? Because I think there’s still a can of tuna in the cupboard,” she teased.
“Ha. Ha. Very funny,” I said dryly, and Aunt Lily grinned. “So are you going to come and eat or what?”
“How about a picnic? We already have the sandwiches,” she suggested.
My eyebrows rose as I thought about the soggy grass and wondered how she’d failed to notice.
“Come on, I know it’s a little wet out there, but I’ve been cooped up in that stuffy old hospital too long. I need the fresh air, and besides, I haven’t seen you in days,” she said, as if she could read my thoughts. “How are things at Grandma’s?”
“Same o’ same o’. How’s work, besides stuffy?” I asked, diverting the conversation back to her, where it was safe.
“Tiring. How I thought I could handle fifty hour weeks is beyond me.”
Her voice lagged, and her face sagged with exhaustion. A fresh flash of guilt shot through me as I remembered
what I had to do. Suddenly, a picnic sounded like a great idea.
“So, where are we having this soggy picnic?”
Her tired face brightened. “Oh, we don’t have to go far. How about the backyard?”
I laughed. “Sounds great. You get the blankets, and I’ll bag up the food.”
Eating sandwiches outside with the sun warming our chilled faces was surprisingly relaxing. But I couldn’t let myself relax much longer. I wasn’t even sure how to start the conversation. My head spun with possibilities, producing a headache that traveled to the base of my skull.
Aunt Lily noticed my fidgeting. “Do you need to get back to school, Tay?”
“It’s Thursday. I have a free study period after lunch.”
“That’s right. I’m glad you keep track of your schedule and not me.” She smiled ruefully.
“It’s okay, Mom. You have two other girls to keep track of,” I said, trying to make her feel better. I got a small smile for my efforts. “About school though, I was hoping you would excuse me for a couple of days. I—”
I tried a nonchalant attitude, but didn’t pull it off well enough. She cut me off mid-sentence.
“Why?”
I picked grass particles off the blanket, unwilling to make eye contact. “Grandma called from some stranger’s phone asking if I’d hike her in some supplies she forgot. I guess she under packed,” I lied casually while my stomach somersaulted.
Aunt Lily snorted. “Sounds like her. No sense of responsibility. Just like an artist. What about your classes?”
“I’ve got all A’s. I can afford to miss a few days. Please, Mom! I haven’t been on one of Grandma’s trips since Grandpa died.” That was the truth, I realized. Grandpa had been dead nine years, and I could still remember his silly tiger-striped brim hat that he wouldn’t hike without, claiming it scared off the squirrels. My heart lightened at the memory. He scared off more than squirrels.
“Tay, I’m sorry, but I just can’t let you throw your grades and potential scholarships away because your grandma is irresponsible. You can wait until the weekend. Better yet, summer’s not too far away and you can go with her then.”
“But, I—”
“No buts. You’re going to school.” She rose, loading her arms with uneaten food, and headed back to the house.
I moaned in frustration, clenching the wet blanket. “Mom, you don’t understand.” I stood. “Grandma needs me. It’s urgent!”
She turned around. “No, Tayla.” Her voice was stern, eyes locked on mine. I opened my mouth to protest, but she continued. “If she needs help she can call me, and I’ll drop them off after work. Now, let’s get this all put away.”
Despondently, I hung my head and marched after her to the house. My mind raced for an alternate solution without telling her the truth. Maybe I should have just written a note, but that was too Rose-like for my comfort.
“Mom,” I called, but she didn’t stop. “Mom!” I ran to catch up, grabbing her shoulder with my free hand.
She turned weary eyes on me, and I let my hand fall.
“We aren’t talking about this anymore,” she said. “So drop it, please.”
I took a deep breath. “What do you think about Grandma’s werewolf legends?” I’d at least leave her with as many clues as possible. Hopefully she would piece it together when I didn’t come home.
Her eyebrows rose. “What about them?”
I absentmindedly picked at my dirty fingernails. “Do you think one of them might be true?”
She laughed. “Tayla, you know that’s all nonsense. If this is a ploy to see your Grandma—”
I cut her off with a wave of my hand. “No, I’m serious. What if they really exist?”
“They don’t. You know there’s no scientific way that an animal like that could exist. We would have seen proof by now.”
“Why won’t you even consider it?” I pleaded. “Grandma believes.”
Her blue eyes hardened like ice. “Grandma lives in the clouds. She also believes in fairies.”
“She does not.” I folded my arms irked at her stubbornness.
Aunt Lily’s expression softened, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. “Let it go. We were having such a nice lunch together. Let’s not ruin it.”
Sorrow swelled in my chest. This would be our last time together if I couldn’t figure out how to break the bond holding me to Beast, and I couldn’t even make her understand. A single tear slid down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away, angry I’d let myself cry in front of her. Why wasn’t I stronger?
“Oh, TayTay. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” She emptied her arms on the grass and pulled me into a hug. “I shouldn’t have brought up my issues with Grandma.”
More tears fell as everyone I loved flashed through my mind, faces I might never see again. I hugged her tighter. “I love you, Mom. Remember that.”
“I love you, too.” Her voice edged with confused worry. She pulled back to look at me. “Is everything all right?”
I nodded half-heartily. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected from this meeting, but the hollow ache in my chest hurt even more than before. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. She would still think I’d left her, abandoned her like Rose had. It just wasn’t fair to either of us.
CHAPTER 22—Lily’s Torment
Aunt Lily gazed at me unconvinced but after a moment of silence from me, she bent to pick up the food. I just watched her. This picnic had seriously taken a turn for the worst. My world was falling into pieces at my feet and no matter how I tried to save them they crumbled into dust. I felt tightness in my stomach and a slight pull to step back, like I was a horse and Beast controlled the bridle. I ground my teeth.
My time was up. But I couldn’t leave like this. I couldn’t! My heart withered at the image of her going catatonic again. I didn’t think she would survive it without knowing what became of me. I threw caution to the wind. She had to know. She had to believe me.
“Mom,” I choked out. She looked up. “Werewolves are re—”
A guttural growl shook the air, drowning out my words. The bushes lining the back fence rustled, and Aunt Lily’s eyes widened. She slowly rose from the ground, her hand vice-gripped to mine. Food forgotten.
I flinched as his disapproval rolled through the bond.
“Tay,” she whispered, her gaze never leaving the foliage hiding Beast. “Slowly backup toward the house, but be ready to run at my command.”
He just doesn’t understand. And now she’s all worked up! I was so caught up in my thoughts that I let her pull me closer to the house. My stomach warmed with a fiery heat. Beast would not allow me to enter that house.
“I’m sure it’s just some stray.” I pulled against her hold, desperate to step closer to Beast. The pain in my gut made my eyes water, but Aunt Lily noticed his massive head poking out of the foliage.
“Wolf,” Aunt Lily’s voice hissed with fear. “Run!”
Before I could even flinch, she jerked me forward. Stabbing pain rocketed through me, like my guts were being ripped out with a coat hanger. I screamed. My legs gave out, and I hit the ground face first.
“Tay!” Aunt Lily’s arms gripped my torso, dragging me inch by inch toward the door. “Hold on, baby.”
My mind began to blackout from the claws of pain shredding my insides. I whimpered, unable to muster another scream.
“Stop—please,” I gasped. Thankfully, I was too heavy to pull any faster or I swear she’d have killed me.
A thunderous growl vibrated the air. The pain eased instantly, except for my split lip. My eyes flew open to see Beast thudding toward us, a ridge of fur standing up along his spine.
Aunt Lily gasped, her breathing shallow. Her eyes were wild, like a scared rabbit locked in the sights of a hungry fox.
“Stop.” I held up my hand and Beast skidded to a halt only yards away from me. He shook violently as if to dispel the memory of horrific pain. I swiveled out of Aunt Lily’s arms to kneel before her, severing their
eye contact.
“Mom, he won’t hurt you,” I said, grabbing her face to make her look at me, but she stared through me. “I know you hate wolves. But he’s friendly, kind of like my adopted pet. I’m sorry I didn’t ask first.” I rambled, searching for anything to wipe the horror off her face.
Her gaze flashed to mine. “What did you say?”
Her words slapped so hard I stumbled over my words. “That I...I’m sorry. I should have asked.”
“No. You said pet.” She pushed me to the side, her gaze flicking between Beast and me, like pieces of a puzzle clicking together. My forehead crinkled in confusion. She looked at Beast like an old nemesis, loathing dripping from her gaze. But how did she know him?
Her pendulum eyes finally settled on Beast. The seconds ticked by and my lungs stung from lack of air. Beast flicked his ear in annoyance but made no further move.
She squinted at him like he held the answer to an ancient puzzle. Then her arms flew to her mouth. “It can’t be.”
“What?”
She smiled so wide it lit her eyes with hope. “Rose. She’s come home!”
She leapt up, calling out for Rose.
The name zinged through my system like lightning, anchoring me to the spot. I could count on one hand the number of times Aunt Lily had said my mother’s name. And none of those times had she said it with such longing. A sting of impossible hope rode on the coattail of hers, and my eyes scanned the yard, but there was no one except Beast. My mother—was never coming back.
“Rose,” Aunt Lily yelled again, struggling against the overgrown raspberry bush that blocked the way to the front yard. Thorns snagged her scrub, tearing into her skin and drawing blood. “Sister!”
The desperation in her voice was like a wasp sting to my heart. My trembling fingers smothered a sob as I realized with a sickening jolt that her fragile hold on reality had finally cracked.
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