Pack of Lies

by Sara Dailey

  I looked over at Cade and surprisingly, he didn’t seem fazed. I half-expected him to scold me, but he didn’t. He just kept messing with the radio like nothing had happened.

  After a minute or so of silence, he looked up and said, “How about we stop and grab some coffee? We have some time to spare.”

  I gladly pulled into the Starbucks down the street from our school and since the drive thru was backed up, Cade offered to run in and grab us two mochas. I was sitting back listening to John Mayer when I got that strange sensation of being watched. I’m no stranger to being stared at, but I didn’t like it when I didn’t know who was doing the staring, so I sat up and glanced around expecting to find some creepy perv gawking at me.

  It didn’t take long to spot him. He must have come out of the donut shop down the road and was now standing about thirty feet from my car looking right at me. As soon as our eyes met, he winked at me, then immediately got in his car and drove off. Watching his car exit the parking lot, I realized who he was. Somehow I knew, without a doubt, he was the wolf from the woods. I’d remember those piercing blue eyes anywhere.

  ***

  When Cade and I walked into the school together hand-in-hand, everything felt back to normal. Just the way things should be. Cade was mine again, and I wasn’t letting him go without a fight ever again. I gave Cade a kiss before heading off to first period and said, “Bye baby! Save me a seat at lunch.”

  There was one thing that I needed to do before going to class. I needed to track down the little bimbo, Alli. We needed to come to an understanding. Luckily I didn’t have to hunt long. Halfway down the main hallway, I saw Alli push her way into the girls’ bathroom near the west wing.

  When I pushed the door open, I caught Alli staring at herself. Our eyes met through the mirror for a quick moment before she leaned over and splashed some water on her face. To say that she looked like shit would be an understatement, but that didn’t stop me from laying out some ground rules.

  “God, Alli, at least put some bronzer on. You look dead,” I said mostly just to be mean, but it was the truth.

  “Go away, Kendall.”

  “Not yet. We need to talk. No, let me rephrase. I need to talk, and you need to listen and obey. Cade is off limits,” I said.

  That got the little slut-puppy’s attention. She picked her head up out of the sink and just stood there staring at my reflection in the mirror.

  “He has made his decision. If I see you looking at Cade, talking to Cade, or hell, if I even suspect that you are thinking about Cade, I will rip your ass apart. Do we understand each other?”

  Alli reached over and grabbed some paper towels, wiped her face dry, and walked toward the door. She threw away her trash, opened the door, and turned to finally face me.

  “I got it,” was all she said before she walked out.

  Chapter 36

  Cade

  Ever thought of jumping out of a moving vehicle? Yeah, me neither until this very moment. My fake smile and oh-yes-I’m-so-interested nods weren’t going to last much longer if Kendall didn’t shut the hell up about the stupid winter ball. We had been in the car for twenty-two minutes and thirty-nine seconds, and I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

  “So for real, should I wear red or winter white? And don’t say whichever! I mean it, Cade. This is super important,” Kendall stressed.

  Jesus Christ! Seriously?

  I made sure my loving smile was intact and said, “I’ve always thought you looked sexy in red,” knowing she would eat that up.

  Kendall playfully slapped me on the arm, responding, “Oh babe, you’re so sweet. That settles it then. Red it is.”

  Could she be any more self-absorbed? How did I ever put up with her? I could have killed her this morning when she waved at Alli. What a crazy bitch! Did she think that wouldn’t bother me? That I would be all, Hey Alli, look at me and Kendall riding to school together.

  All her blabbing wasn’t helping my headache either. And why the hell did I have a headache anyway? I never had one before. Werewolves are not supposed to get sick, but I felt like crap since I woke up this morning. Hopefully, this was a one-day thing because I don’t know how humans deal with this. Trying to block out Kendall’s incessant blabbing, I found myself wondering if Excedrin would work on me.

  “Cade! Are you listening to me?”

  Ooops!

  “Of course I’m listening.”

  “Then what did I just say?” Kendall demanded.

  I had no idea what the hell she was going on and on about for the last five minutes. I tuned her out after she was pleased with my wear-the-red-dress answer.

  I had to pull out the big guns on this one, so I smiled, winked, and said, “Did I mention how pretty you look today?”

  “Oh Cade. I love you.”

  I swallowed the vomit coming up in my throat and rubbed her thigh.

  “Say it Cade. I want to hear you say it too.”

  This was not happening! It felt wrong to say it even though I knew I didn’t mean it. It was like I was cheating on Alli. It was crazy, but true.

  “Cade, I’m waiting.”

  “Babe, you know I love you too,” I lied.

  “I know,” she chirped.

  And I tried to remind myself that they were only words.

  Chapter 37

  Allison

  Day five of feeling like uber-shit. I went so far as to sneak off to the drugstore to buy some Dayquil, but apparently over-the-counter meds didn’t work on half-weres. So I guess I was just supposed to suffer. If I didn’t know better, I would think that I was suffering from morning sickness, but since you actually have to have sex to have morning sickness, I could rule that out.

  I dragged myself out of bed, ran a brush through my hair, a toothbrush over my teeth, and fumbled down the stairs looking like death-warmed-over.

  “Dude, Alli. You look like you’re about to die. Are you sure you’re okay?” Aiden asked when I reached the front door.

  He rushed into the kitchen and handed me a Gatorade and a granola bar for the ride to school. Just the thought of food made my stomach turn.

  I sipped the Gatorade on the way to school, and thankfully Aiden remained quiet most of the way there.

  Somehow I made it to first period, but I was feeling worse by the minute. Maybe I should have just stayed home, but was trying to avoid Mom, knowing that she would freak out over me being sick. I’ve never really been sick before, but surely, it could happen, right? Especially since I was half-human. One thing was for sure, if I kept getting worse, I wouldn’t be able to keep it from Mom for much longer. I already felt like I might keel-over at any moment.

  I saw Teagan walk in, and I gave her a weak smile.

  “Still feeling bad?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but I’ll survive.”

  “You sure? You might want to go see the nurse, just in case. You don’t look so hot.”

  To get her to shut up as I really didn’t feel like talking, I assured her, “If I don’t feel better by lunch, I’ll go see her. Besides, it’s Friday and Thanksgiving break starts tomorrow, so I’m just gonna try to make it through the day.”

  “Just promise if you start feeling worse, you’ll go.”

  I know she was just trying to be a good friend, but I was kind of tired of being told that I looked like shit. I was well aware of that. I felt like it too.

  I dragged myself from class to class in a daze, laying my head down in each, but still trying to look attentive enough so that I didn’t get in trouble.

  At lunch, I sat with Teagan and tried to force down the granola bar that Aiden gave me to eat for breakfast. It wasn’t making me feel any better. In fact, I quickly decided that it was definitely having the opposite effect. I tapped Teagan on the arm and said, “I’ll be back, okay.”

  I never made it though.

  ***

  I woke up to the nurse waving something under my nose. When I came to my senses, I noticed Teagan staring at me wide-eyed
.

  “Alli, are you okay? You passed clean out in the middle of the cafeteria,” Teagan told me.

  I tried to sit up, but the nurse convinced me to take it slow.

  “Allison, I notified your brother. He is checking you out of school and will be here soon to take you home. Teagan, thank you for getting Alli here so quickly. You can head back to class now,” the nurse said.

  Teagan gave me a quick smile and told me to send her a text when I felt better, and then she left. The nurse brought me a small cup of Sprite and a few saltine crackers, but I wasn’t ready for either of them quite yet. I assured her I would try to eat something as soon as I got home.

  Just as I closed my eyes, Aiden came busting through the door. He walked right up to me and tried to pick me up.

  “Aiden! Put me down. I can walk, you idiot. The last thing I need is for the whole school to see my brother carrying me out the door.”

  Aiden put me down and then looked around. “What’s that smell? Do you smell that?” Aiden asked as his eyes searched the nurse’s office for the source.

  “Smell what?”

  “I don’t know. You sure you don’t smell that? Never mind, let’s get you home.”

  Chapter 38

  Allison

  “Do you think you have a fever?” Aiden asked as he reached across the seat to feel my forehead. I shooed his hand away and then really thought about his question. Yes, I thought I might have a fever. I never had a fever before. Mom said that my body temperature would run a little hotter than normal, but I doubt that this was what she meant.

  “I’m fine. Just a little off. Leave me alone and drive,” I said.

  “But, you look really bad, and you’re sweating like a pig. This can’t be good. Mom told us that weres weren’t supposed to get sick, Alli.”

  I didn’t respond. I knew that he was right. I shouldn’t be sick. I never even had a common cold. But what was I supposed to say? He was freaking out enough for the both of us. We sat in silence for a few minutes, and it was easy to see that the wheels were turning in Aiden’s head. Surely, he would call Mom as soon as we got home, and then she’d freak out too. In no time we would probably be at Marcus’s doorstep asking what we should do, and that was the last place I wanted to be. I was pretty sure that going to Cade’s house wouldn’t help my situation.

  Without warning, the silence was broken. “You know, I heard Cade wasn’t feeling so great either. Shari mentioned something about Kendall being all concerned about him.”

  I leaned my head back on the headrest and didn’t bother to reply. I didn’t want to talk about Cade. Cade sucked. And just the mention of his name made me feel worse.

  “Omigod Alli! Do you think this could be some werewolf virus? It could happen, you know. Why couldn’t it? There are those antibiotic resistant infections in humans. Why else would the two of you be sick at the same time all of a sudden?”

  He had a point. Cade and I had shared plenty of germs, so I guess it would make sense, but surely we wouldn’t be the only two werewolves to get sick.

  “Of course, I wouldn’t get sick. I probably can’t even get sick, right? I’m like a learning-disabled werewolf,” Aiden said with a pouty face.

  I wanted to comfort him and tell him that he wasn’t a “learning-disabled wolf”, but I didn’t have the energy to do that, or to tell him to shut up. Not while I was desperately trying to do three things at once: trying not to pass out, trying to look normal, and trying to think of what to say so that Aiden doesn’t run inside and tell Mom that I have a freaky “werewolf virus.”

  “Hey Aiden, can we not tell the parents about what happened at school today? It’s just embarrassing,” I pleaded.

  “What? Are you crazy? We have to tell Mom. Have you looked in a mirror lately? Look!” he said as he pulled the passenger side visor down, so I could see my pitiful reflection. I had to admit, it was pretty bad. My face was as white as a ghost, and the dark circles under my eyes made me look like I have just lost a boxing match. There was no way I could let Mom and Dad find out. I would never hear the end of it.

  “Seriously, Aiden, I’m fine. Give me a day or two, and if I don’t feel better, then I will tell Mom. I promise.”

  At first I thought that Aiden understood and that he would keep his mouth shut, for a while at least, but then he slammed his fist on the steering wheel and began to rant and rave.

  “God damn-it, Alli! This could be freakin’ serious. Cade is probably the strongest guy in the pack, and according to Shari, he looks like shit. And you… Alli, I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen you look this bad.”

  I just sat there. Nothing that I could have said would have calmed Aiden down. He was on one of his rolls, and it was best just to let him tire himself out.

  “I know that you don’t want Mom and Dad to know, but that seems a little selfish to me. I mean what if it spreads? What if Mom and Dad get it? What if you die? I would never be able to live with myself knowing that I should have said something. This could really be some serious shit, Alli!”

  Finally he shut up, and the rest of the ride home was peacefully silent.

  As soon as we pulled into our driveway, I eased myself out of the car and slowly made my way up to my room. I expected Aiden to dart inside and tell Mom that I was infected with the mysterious were-virus, but he didn’t. Maybe he had thought about what I told him in the car and decided to wait. Since I didn’t need to deal with a freaked-out mother, I gladly opened my bedroom door, lay down on my bed, and passed out before I even hit the pillow.

  ***

  “Alli, baby, wake up. Come on Alli, we need to talk,” I thought I heard Mom say, but I was just so tired that I couldn’t be sure.

  “Alli, I am really worried about you honey. Wake up and talk to me.”

  I opened my eyes and saw my mom sitting on the side of my bed. It was at that moment that I realized that I was soaked with sweat. Obviously, I was getting worse by the hour, and now there was no avoiding telling Mom what was going on. Especially now, that I was dripping with sweat and shivering like I was caught in a blizzard. Even I had to admit that this didn’t look good.

  “Alli, look at me.”

  I gazed up at her, trying my best to look as if I wasn’t on my deathbed.

  “Oh baby, come here.”

  She gathered me in her arms like I was six again, consoling me after I took a tumble off my bike and scraped my knee. She hugged me tight and then pulled back, placing her hands on my cheeks to get a good look at me.

  “I know this must be horrible. You’ve never felt sick a day in your life, and I hate to see you like this. I wish I could make you feel better.”

  “What’s wrong with me, Mom?” I moaned.

  She took a few seconds and then inhaled deeply.

  “Honestly, I can only think of one logical reason why you would be feeling like this. But it doesn’t really make much sense. Maybe I should call your grandmother.”

  “No, Mom. Please don’t get Gram involved. Just tell me what you think is going on.”

  “Well, I’ve only heard about it. There should be only one reason why a werewolf would fall ill like this, and it rarely happens these days.”

  She stopped talking again and looked off toward the window like she was trying figure out exactly what to say.

  “Honey, have you been seeing anyone?” she questioned.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know this is not what you want to be discussing with your mom, but this is important. Have you been romantically involved with someone on the estate because if you have, it’s important that you tell me?”

  I pulled the covers over my head. This can’t be happening! What could seeing Cade possibly have to do with me being sick? Cade was going to hate me even more if I told my mom. Shit shit shit!

  My mom pulled the blanket off my head, and I couldn’t hide the tears rolling down my cheeks. I didn’t even have the energy to try to wipe them away.

  “Ahh, baby. It’s okay.”<
br />
  “No it’s not, Mom. It’s not,” I continued to cry in spite of myself.

  “Why are you crying? Baby, you need to talk to me. We can figure this out.”

  By this time I sounded like a hysterical child as I sobbed, “But, he doesn’t want to be with me anymore, Mom. He doesn’t want me.”

  “Who baby? Who doesn’t want you?”

  “Cade.”

  “Oh shit, Alli,” my mom said dropping my hand.

  “I told you.”

  Mom just sat there, staring at the window again, seeming a bit lost for words.

  After an extremely long, extremely uncomfortable moment of silence, I asked my mom for a few minutes alone to calm myself down. Without argument, she saw herself out telling me to let her know when I was ready to talk. Something told me she needed some time to herself as well.

  I managed to make it to the bathroom to blow my nose and get a cold rag to wipe my face. Shaky and a little unstable, I walked back to my bed to lie down. I don’t know how long I was lying there alone in my room before my mom came back in, but it must have been a while because Mom was wearing her pajamas and she had a cup of hot tea with her.

  “Are you ready to talk again, Alli?” Mom asked as she settled herself on my bed.

  She looked nervous, almost as nervous as the day when she revealed her secret past to Aiden and me. I knew that I wouldn’t like to hear what she was going to say. You can’t be with Cade. Cade can’t love you. You and Cade will never work. I had heard it all in my own head, but I just couldn’t make my heart accept it.

  “I feel broken Mom. I know it’s stupid. I have only known Cade a little while, but Mom, I don’t feel right without him.” I barely finished my sentence when my mom reached over and took my hand.

  “I won’t say that I understand. I don’t, but from what I have heard from you and the little your brother was able to tell me, it sounds like Cade may be your mate.”

  I didn’t know what to make of that. I didn’t even know what that meant. We definitely haven’t “mated,” at least in the only sense of the word that I knew.