by Jody Morse
“Yeah I do,” Declan replied. Then, meeting her eyes, his voice filled her mind. I remember because I used to check on you. I used to drive by a few times a day to make sure you were okay and that Jason wasn’t there.
You did? The breath caught in the back of Samara’s throat at what she was hearing. It was surprising—and relieving—to know that Declan had looked out for her more than she originally knew when he was part of the Vyka.
Yes, I did. And I remember one night when your parents didn’t get home on time like they usually do and the lights in the house stayed dark when I drove by later on. The thing is, Jason wasn’t in Pennsylvania that night.
Where was he? Samara questioned.
He went to visit the pack he knows in the Catskills. He was in upstate New York at the time.
Samara’s heart froze in the back of her chest. So, what are you saying exactly?
That Jason wasn’t the one who broke into your house, Declan replied. To be honest, Sam, I’m not sure if any of the members of the Vyka did it.
No, that’s not possible. It wouldn’t make any sense. I’m positive one of them was there. I smelled them in the house that day when I came back home and found everything was a mess.
Declan shrugged. Well, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe one of them did break in and look for the talisman. I just know, for certain, that it wasn’t Jason.
Samara turned to the rest of her pack. They had all gone silent, and she hoped that they didn’t think it was unusual that she and Declan had both stopped talking. “Anyway, we need to think of somewhere to hide the talisman. Does anyone have any good ideas?”
Kyana raised her hand. “We could hide it in Alaska. The Koto pack would keep it safe for us.”
Colby frowned. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea to involve other packs. I know the Koto is your family and I would trust Orkos and Akar, but we don’t know that something couldn’t happen out of their control. The Savia pack could find out about the talisman and might try to take it away from them.”
“Oh.” Kyana’s face fell.
“And besides that, we’d also need to find a way to get it to Alaska,” Samara added. “I don’t want to ship the talisman somewhere. I would be afraid it would get lost in the mail or something. And now that school is back in progress, it’s probably not a good idea for any of us to take a trip to Alaska to drop it off.”
Emma raised her hand. “I have an idea. No one knows where we’re staying, right? We could keep the talisman at our house.”
Samara shook her head. “That idea won’t work. Rocco and the Shomecossee know where we are. If they somehow figure out that we lied to them about the violet making them stronger, I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to get revenge on us. They could also let Darren know where we are if they really wanted . . . or if he forced it out of them. We need somewhere no one will think to look—not Rocco, not Darren, not anybody.”
“Well, we can’t trust our parents,” Steve said. “We all know they’re on Darren’s side.”
“Except for my mom,” Kyle said quietly. When everyone glanced over at them, he explained, “As you all know, my mom isn’t a werewolf. And she doesn’t like or trust Darren . . . not after what he did to Colby. If we wanted to find a place where the talisman would be safe, I’m sure my mom would be willing to keep it at our house for us.”
“Rae is really cool like that,” Silas agreed. “She even likes me.”
Samara smiled. “It’s impossible not to like you, Silas. Aunt Rae is cool, and I know she would agree to do it if we asked her, but . . . I don’t feel comfortable with the idea. I don’t want to put her in the middle of this. We’re not talking about lying to my parents like she did when we all went to Alaska. We’re talking about holding a piece of jewelry that people are willing to fight over because it could make them stronger. It not the safest thing for anyone involved.”
“I think I have an idea,” Luke spoke up. “If anyone was going to look for the talisman, they would look in someone’s house, right? Or maybe even in the woods, like we did. But they wouldn’t think about somewhere that’s designed especially to keep something safe.”
Samara glanced over at him. “What exactly are you hinting at?”
“That we should do the same thing your grandfather did with the key to the house,” Luke replied. “Let’s get a box at a storage facility to keep the talisman in.”
“That’s a really good idea,” Colby murmured.
Samara nodded. “Yeah, I think it can work.” She glanced over at Josh, who seemed to be the most critical of all of them. “What do you think?”
Josh met her eyes, considering the idea for a long while, before nodding. “I think it’s a good idea. We’ll be the only ones who know the security combination or code. No one else will be able to get in.”
“Okay, then that’s what we’ll do. Tomorrow after school, I’ll go to set it up.”
*
The next afternoon, Luke dropped her off at the public library. They had already gone to the storage facility and gotten a storage unit for the talisman. Now, Samara had to go for her tutoring session with Brad.
As she sucked in her breath and prepared herself to brave the icy rain drops that were pitter-pattering on the roof of the car, Luke grabbed her wrist. “Wait, I have to tell you something.”
Samara glanced over at him, noticing that he had a nervous look on his face. “What is it?”
“I promised my mom and stepdad we’d go over to their house for dinner tonight,” Luke replied. “I know it’s really short notice, but . . . it would mean a lot to me if you can go with me.”
“Okay, that’s fine,” Samara replied. “I should be done with tutoring around five, but I’ll let you know if we finish earlier. Sometimes, he—” She stopped midsentence, realizing that she had said the wrong thing. Luke was going to realize that she was lying about her tutor being a woman.
Luke stared at her curiously. “Sometimes, he what . . . ?”
“Sometimes, my teacher, he adds new things to the study guides that he gives to my tutor. So it might take longer than I’m expecting, but I guess we’ll see,” she said, choosing the quickest lie that came to her mind.
A look that Samara couldn’t identify crossed through Luke’s eyes. “I see,” he said.
“Yeah . . . so, I’ll let you know,” Samara said before swinging the car door open and climbing out of the car. She darted across the parking lot with her hood pulled over her head so that the rain wouldn’t make her hair wet.
As she burst through the door, she nearly bumped into Brad. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s just really rainy out,” Samara replied breathlessly. Following him to the tutoring center, she plopped down in a chair and pulled out her books. “Let’s get this over with as soon as we can, okay? I have somewhere I need to be.”
“Okay, we can try to make this a quick session. Have you understood everything lately?” Brad questioned.
Samara nodded. “Yeah, and I think my grades are starting to show it. I got a ninety-two on the last exam.”
“Awesome. I told you I’m a good tutor.” Brad beamed. He handed her a new study guide and took the study guide that she had already completed and began to go over it with a red marker. “So, you never mentioned . . . how are things going with that club you’re in with Luke and that other guy?”
“Umm, I don’t know,” Samara admitted. “It still feels like it’s too early to say for sure, but . . . I think it’s going to be okay.” As long as Luke never found out that she and Declan were mated, and as long as Declan could keep his feelings in check when they were around Luke, that was.
“I’m glad to hear. You know, sometimes, when you’re forced to be around an old flame, any lingering feelings that you might still have for that person can come out,” Brad said, glancing up at her. “If that happens, you might have to decide who you want to be with more.”
Samara looked down at the study guide in front of her, pretending to rea
d one of the questions. He was right; being around Declan—and knowing that she was mated to him, too—made her realize that she did feel something. But . . . Samara had already decided who she wanted to be with. She glanced down at the emerald engagement ring that she wore on her finger.
As if on cue, Brad motioned to her ring. “So, is that the infamous ring?”
Samara met his eyes. “What do you mean the infamous ring?” Was there a chance that Brad—who was a human—had somehow heard about the talisman and was mistaking her emerald for it?
“Your engagement ring,” Brad replied with an eye roll. “All of the people at school have been talking about it. Everyone seems to think one of two things: either you’re not actually getting married and it’s just a promise ring, or the only reason Luke proposed to you is because you’re pregnant. So, which is it?”
“I’m not pregnant.” Samara laughed. They had been trying to keep the engagement on the down-low for the most part, but her mom couldn’t seem to keep her mouth closed. Samara supposed that was probably a good thing; it would look unusual if her mom didn’t seem excited about the wedding. Then again, to outsiders, it probably seemed unusual for a mother to be excited about her fifteen year-old daughter being engaged.
“So, why are you rushing into this, then?” Brad asked. “You’re only sixteen.”
“Actually,” Samara admitted, “I’m only fifteen. I got to skip a grade of elementary school because I was advanced for my age.”
“You don’t even have a driver’s license then, yet,” Brad said, staring at her evenly.
Samara shook her head. “No, all of my friends—and Luke—usually drive me around. It sucks, but I’m used to it. And March isn’t that far away.”
“My point is, you’re getting married before you’re even old enough to drive,” Brad said. “I just don’t get it, I guess.”
Samara shrugged. “Most people probably wouldn’t. It’s a complicated situation, but . . . it’s what I want.” At least, it was part of what she wanted. Really, she wished that she could tear her body down the middle, into two pieces; that way, one part of her could be with Luke, and the other part of her could be with Declan. It would make her life—and theirs—a bit easier.
“Well, whatever floats your boat, I guess,” Brad said with a shrug. “I just don’t get it.”
“Well, thank you for being so concerned. Now, let’s stop talking about my confusing love life and get back to studying.” At that moment, Samara felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck and goose bumps trailed their way down her back. It felt like someone was staring at her, watching her from behind.
Samara glanced over her shoulder. She could have sworn that she saw a quick movement behind her, but when she stood up to see who had been staring at her, there was no one there.
*
When Samara went back outside around four o’clock, the rain was still pouring down. She was about to tell Luke to come get her when she noticed his car idling in the parking lot. Her heart skipped a beat. Was he the one who had been in the library watching her and Brad? If he had been, he would also know that she had been lying to him this whole time . . .
As Samara climbed into the car and buckled her seatbelt, she turned to him. “I’m surprised you’re here early. I said I’d be done at five.”
Luke shrugged. “I didn’t have anything else to do, so I just figured I would hang out here and wait for you.” He started the car and, keeping his eyes on the road, added, “I hope that’s not a problem.”
“Of course it’s not,” Samara said quickly, hoping that she hadn’t sounded overly defensive. She glanced at Luke out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t seem like he knew the truth about Brad. And she also didn’t feel the jealousy that she would have felt if he had really known the truth. Though she wasn’t certain, Samara was pretty sure she was in the clear.
“Good.” Luke reached over and grabbed her hand.
Samara closed her eyes as their skin touched. Lately, the way she felt when they touched seemed to intensify more and more. No matter what she was feeling about Declan at the time, it reminded her how much she really was truly, deeply in love with Luke.
“So, I’m pretty sure the werewolf thing won’t come up this time,” Luke said. “But if it does, you know the drill. I’ll tell you what to say if you can’t figure it out on your own.”
Samara nodded. “Okay.” Now that she was lying to Luke about not just one, but two, things, lying to his mom seemed much less significant. Although she didn’t want his mom to hate her, it wouldn’t be as devastating if his mom found out the truth. If Luke found out that Brad was tutoring her or that she was mated to Declan, he would be hurt beyond belief.
“I hate that I never know what you’re thinking anymore,” Luke said, keeping his eyes on the road. “It used to help me get through the day. I always knew you were okay because I would be able to hear your thoughts.”
“You can still hear my thoughts,” Samara pointed out. “We can still communicate with each other mentally.”
Luke shook his head. “It’s just not the same now. It used to make me happy to hear things that you didn’t always want me to hear. Like if you thought I looked really cute that day or something but you were too nervous to say it, I would know what you thought. Now, I can only hear what you want me to know.”
Samara debated with herself for a few moments before saying what she wanted to say next. “There’s an added benefit, though. Sometimes, you used to hear things . . . that you didn’t always want to hear.”
“Like your thoughts about Declan,” Luke murmured.
Samara nodded. “Yeah, like those.” She glanced out the window at the raindrops that slid down her window. They reminded her of tears, and for some reason, they made her feel a little depressed.
“Do you ever think about him anymore?” Luke pressed.
Samara took a deep breath. There was no way she could admit to Luke how often she thought about Declan. He would feel hurt and betrayed, and she didn’t want to make him feel that way. But there was no way she could deny it, either. He would probably know she was lying. So, choosing her words carefully, she said, “I think about him sometimes when I think about the past and stuff. Now, he’s a part of our pack, so it’s not like I can forget about him completely.”
She felt Luke’s eyes dart over at her, but he didn’t say anything in response as he pulled along the dirt road next to his parents’ house. “Well, let’s get this over with,” Luke said.
Samara nodded. “Yeah, let’s.” Hoping that she hadn’t upset Luke by what she’d said about Declan, Samara turned to him and pressed her lips against his.
Once she opened her eyes, she glanced up and noticed that Marnie was standing outside the front door, staring at them.
Well, it seems like we have an audience, Samara said through mind-speak. She forced herself to give Marnie a small smile.
The smile went unreturned, though. Luke’s mom quickly glanced away from her, acting as though she hadn’t seen them at all.
“This is going to be fun,” Luke muttered under his breath.
Samara glanced over at him and smiled. “Exactly what I was thinking.”
*
Joel was outside grilling hamburgers when Samara carried a plate of cheese out to him. “Marnie asked me to bring this to you,” Samara explained, as she handed it to him.
“Thanks, Samara.” Joel smiled at her. “You know, I have to say, you deal with Marnie very well.”
Samara raised her eyebrows at him. “What do you mean?”
“Marnie’s really tough on Luke. She has a lot of strong opinions about why she feels the way she does,” Joel explained, as he flipped one of the burgers over. “I always pitied whoever he ended up mated to because she would have to deal with his mom. Luke’s just lucky that he found someone who’s as easygoing as you are.”
Samara felt her own eyes widen. Was Joel admitting to her what she thought he was admitting to her?
Joel
laughed. “You look like a deer in headlights. It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it. I know the truth.”
“You do?” Samara’s voice came out squeaky. She wasn’t sure why she was questioning him. It was obvious that he wasn’t lying to her; he really did know the truth. “How?”
Joel smiled. “You’re not like me. Not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing. I mean, I married a werewolf myself, you know. I have nothing against them. But you’re different. The way you carry yourself, the way you act . . . It’s obvious to me that there’s more going on inside your head than just human thoughts.” He paused. “And, Luke might not remember this, but he did admit to me once that he wanted to marry his mate. He didn’t want to settle for a human like his mother wanted him to. If you weren’t his mate, I don’t believe you would be getting ready to build a life together.”
Samara nodded. “I . . . I can’t believe you knew this whole time, and you didn’t say anything. I try so hard to hide it. I always make a point of wearing my wolfsbane necklace around her so she won’t pick up on my scent from her.” She glanced over her shoulder into the window. Marnie and Luke were both watching the TV, which was turned up loud enough to block out their voices. Lowering her voice, Samara asked, “Does Luke know you know?”
Joel shook his head. “No, I figure I’ll keep it a secret from him for as long as I can. The last thing I want is for Luke to go back to Marnie one day and tell her I knew all along. I don’t want her to be angry with me over this. Obviously, I’m not going to tell her. But you’re not going to be able to keep things a secret forever, I hope you know.”
“I know,” Samara admitted. “I keep trying to tell Luke that, but he’s been pretty stubborn about it. He wants to tell her after we get married, so she has no choice but to accept it.”