“I wish he’d at least make it to his bed when he passes out,” Gracie complained. “At least then I’d be able to watch TV without having to listen to him snore.”
“Just turn the volume up,” I said on my way to the kitchen. “I doubt he’s going to wake up from it.”
“I don’t like sitting in Gran’s recliner either. It doesn’t face the TV.”
“It does. What are you talking about?” I insisted as I pulled a glass from the cabinet near the sink. I filled it with tap water and took a sip.
“Not the way I like it.”
“Stop complaining.” I rolled my eyes and took another swig of my water before setting the glass in the sink. “I’ll be back later. I’m heading to Eli’s for a while.”
“Since you imprinted with him, all you do is hang out with him. You might as well move in with him.” The edge of bitterness reflected in her words caught me off guard. Was she upset I was leaving?
“Today is different. He has something special planned. I’ll be back for dinner, though.”
“Whatever. I guess I’ll see you later,” Gracie muttered as she positioned Winston in her lap.
Was it me or did Gracie not want me to leave? Did she actually want me to spend time with her? Why? I glanced at her, taking in her pouty expression. She looked pitiful. Maybe she didn’t want to be left alone with Dad while he was passed out. Or maybe she was lonely.
“Lie down,” she whispered to Winston. “I know you’re probably sore. Nobody likes getting shots. Let’s chill out and watch some TV.”
I leaned against the kitchen counter, listening to her whisper soothing words to Winston. She loved the little guy, and I loved her.
Eli could wait an hour. I wanted to spend time with my little sister.
“What are you watching?” I asked as I made my way to the living room, ready to sprawl out on the floor.
“I thought you were going to Eli’s,” she said in a nasally voice.
“I will. Later.” I situated myself on the floor. “First, I want to watch something with you.”
Gracie switched the TV on. “You won’t like what I’m watching.”
Aggravation rang through her words, but I ignored it knowing it was all for show. She wanted me here. Even if it was just to sit and watch a show with her.
“Try me.” I flashed her a grin as I folded my legs beneath me.
“I’m watching The Originals.”
I should’ve guessed she’d pick something paranormal.
“Okay, but you might have to explain a few things to me. It’s been a while since I sat through an episode with you.”
“Don’t ask too many questions. Just watch closely. You’ll be able to figure some of the stuff out on your own.”
I had no doubt. Characters died, were brought back to life, and then they died again. There was always a big evil running wild in New Orleans that was about to take them out. Out of all the shows Gracie watched, this was one of the better ones. There was something about the oldest vampire brother I liked. It ran deeper than his good looks. He was someone I could relate to. Always taking care of his family.
We made it through an entire episode before Gran came home. I said goodbye to Gracie, gave Winston a quick pat on the head, promised I’d be back with Eli at six o’clock for dinner, and then headed out the front door.
My insides buzzed. It had felt good to spend some time with Gracie. I needed to make a point to include her in my life more often. Our relationship needed to be stronger than it was.
It would be one day. I would see to it.
I walked to Eli’s without looking up from the gravel road. No one said a word to me. Not even the Bell sisters.
I gave a brief knock on the door before I stepped inside. Eli and I had long passed me waiting for him to let me in.
Dorian stood in the kitchen with Eli. How was he part of our special day?
“Hey,” I said, dragging the word out as I closed the front door behind me. The cool air inside felt good against my clammy skin. Usually I was okay with heat. Summer happened to be my favorite season, but this summer had been unusually hot. I was ready for fall. “What’s up?”
Eli’s eyes locked with mine. I spotted an apology already brewing in their bright green color.
“Not much. Dorian stopped by to go over the plan for tonight,” Eli said. I could tell from the way his neck muscles tensed Dorian’s presence was a surprise to him too.
I crammed my hands into the back pockets of my shorts and moved to where Eli stood. “Okay, that’s probably a good idea.”
It was. For as much as I didn’t want to talk about tonight, going into it blind wasn’t going to do anyone any good. Least of all me. We all needed to be on the same page so things went off without a hitch.
“Tate is with Peter now. He and I have already talked. He knows his part tonight,” Dorian insisted, switching into business mode. “Eli and I were hashing out some of the finer details.”
“Fill me in,” I said.
“Tate will be with Peter when the three of us get there later tonight. He knows to head to the side road where we parked Eli’s truck last time and keep it running,” Dorian said.
“He’s our getaway guy?” I asked. My lips curved into a smile at the thought.
“Precisely,” Dorian said. “Peter has been filled in on how the exchange is supposed to go. I’ll be watching from the woods, making sure everything happens as planned.”
I shifted around on my feet. “And, what about me? Am I supposed to be outside tied up or am I getting shoved in a cage?”
A shiver slipped down my spine at the thought of being trapped in a cage. So did being tied up, unable to defend myself. But if that was what I had to do to make everything seem authentic, I would.
“I hate to say it, but I think it would be best if you were in the cage,” Dorian answered. His words were soft, softer than I’d ever heard them before. He didn’t want me in a cage any more than I wanted it.
“I’ll be in the basement with you, though,” Eli insisted as he smoothed a hand along the small of my back. His touch was comforting, but it wasn’t enough to squash the nerves festering inside me. “Hidden. Dorian and I talked. We decided it would be best if I was somewhere close to you and Peter, that way I can make sure nothing goes wrong. Also, so you’re not alone.”
I wanted to thank him but didn’t want to seem weak. If I showed even the smallest amount of weakness, Eli wouldn’t let me go through with this.
“Sounds good,” I said with a nod. I thought about flashing a smile, but it wouldn’t form.
“As soon as Regina’s goons take you, Eli and I will bolt to where Tate is waiting with the truck running and follow. Once you’re inside wherever these assholes are keeping our pack members follow along with whatever they want. We’ll find a way to break in and get you out, as well as everyone else,” Dorian insisted. He said each word carefully, as though I were a small child.
I didn’t need his condescension. And I damn sure wasn’t planning on playing a damsel in distress. If I were going in there, I’d do my best to take the place down from the inside while they tried to figure out a way in.
None of those words leaked past my lips, though. Eli would have fought me on it. Dorian too. I wasn’t supposed to play hero, but what they seemed to forget was it was against my character not to.
6
“Now that Dorian is gone,” Eli said seconds after he left. “Tell me what happened between you and Alec.”
I sighed as dread pooled through my stomach. I’d foolishly thought he’d forget. “I told you, I sent him a text that was supposed to go to you. I forgot he messaged me earlier this morning, and I hadn’t closed out of the thread. For whatever reason, I thought it was your thread open on my phone.”
“What did he message you earlier?” A slight level of jealousy reflected in his words. It was cute.
I licked my lips, trying to keep a smirk from forming. “He wanted to know if we could still be friends
. He said that he still wanted me in his life.”
“Really?” He folded his arms over his chest. “What did you say?”
“Nothing. I didn’t know what to say. It’s weird he knows what I am and doesn’t seem to care.”
“I know. It seems suspicious.”
“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “You’ve been suspicious of him since day one, don’t pretend.”
“True.” Eli grinned. “This all makes me even more suspicious of him, though.”
“Whatever.”
“What was the text you sent him that was supposed to go to me?”
“I already told you. I said Shane might be on his way to visit Peter and that you should probably warn Dorian or Tate, whoever is guarding him.”
The space between Eli’s brows bunched up. “What was his response?”
“He wanted to know why it would matter if Shane went to visit his brother. He also wanted to know why Peter was being guarded. He asked if we were holding him captive, or helping protect him from something.”
“What did you say?”
I hated this back and forth. It almost made me want to hand my cell to him so he could read the damn conversation himself.
I leaned against the kitchen counter. “I didn’t say much because I know there’s not a lot I can say. Basically, he said he’d take Shane fishing for the day. He wanted to know if Peter was okay. I told him he was, for the time being. That was pretty much the end our conversation. It was a lot of me not saying anything and him repeatedly asking the same questions or sending me question marks.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you didn’t say much.” Eli moved to the fridge. I watched him as he grabbed two bottles of water and shoved them into a backpack I hadn’t noticed on the counter. “The less he knows, the better for everyone. It is decent of him to distract Shane for us for the day, though. That’s all we need—one full day.”
“I know.” I nodded toward the backpack. “What’s that for?”
Was it for tonight? Something for in case he had to stay away from home for a while?
It was probably a good idea. I didn’t think we’d be able to take down Regina in one night. With as much anger as there was coursing through my veins, you never knew, though. Stranger things had happened.
Eli shifted to face me. A cheeky grin spread onto his face. “You’ll see. You should probably head home and change out of those flip-flops. Put some sneakers or boots on instead.”
“I don’t own any boots.” I did, but I didn’t think they would work for whenever he had planned.
“Then put on some sneakers. You’re going to need them where we’re going.”
Excitement buzzed through me because I knew we had to be doing something outdoors. God, I loved being outdoors.
“Be back in a minute.” I started toward his front door.
It didn’t take me long to change shoes at my place and then I was back, eager to see what Eli had planned. It seemed like it might be a hike. I hoped it was. I hadn’t been on a good hike in forever. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time. Walking through the woods to get to the lake didn’t count. It was more like strolling through my backyard.
“That was fast.” Eli chuckled when I let myself into his trailer.
“It’s barely a two-minute walk from your trailer to mine. How long were you thinking it would take me?”
“I don’t know.” Eli shrugged. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah. Where are we going?”
“Like I said…you’ll see.” He winked as he hoisted the backpack over his shoulder.
Almost forty minutes later, we pulled up to my absolute favorite hike of all-time. Whiteside Mountain. It wasn’t the longest hike, about two miles round-trip, but the views were stunning. It was the first hike my mom had ever taken me on. I’d been ten. Gracie was five, and I remembered her complaining the entire time. I didn’t complain. I’d found the hike soothing. Refreshing. Soul-charging. Something about the trail felt magical. It wasn’t just the scenery; it was the mountain itself. A healing vibration pulsed from it that touched my soul.
Dad had complained during that hike too. Hiking wasn’t his thing either. Mom and I, we loved it. In fact, for my eleventh birthday all I wanted was to hike it again. Mom took me herself. We had so much fun that day. We repeated it on my twelfth birthday. Somehow, it had become a thing Mom and I did for our birthdays.
Whiteside Mountain was ours.
Until my mom disappeared.
People say the number thirteen is unlucky. I’d never believed them until my thirteenth birthday. It was the worst. I didn’t go hiking. I didn’t ask for anything. I didn’t even want to celebrate my birthday because she was gone. It didn’t seem right. It didn’t seem fair. And now that I knew it wasn’t her doing—that she hadn’t ran away—everything about that birthday seemed gloomier.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I remember you coming here at least two birthdays in a row when you were a kid,” Eli said surprising me.
“How did you know that?” I didn’t think anybody knew. I’d always thought it was something only my family knew. A secret we shared.
“There isn’t much about you I don’t know, Mina. I mean, we have lived next to each other our entire lives.”
“Right. I did hike this trail two birthdays in a row. With my mom…” My throat closed up, unwilling to allow another word to slip free.
Eli placed a hand on my thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I remember that too. If you don’t want to be here, say the word and we’ll leave, but I thought it might be nice to come back. I know how much you loved this place.”
I pulled in a deep breath and glanced out the window, watching as people with backpacks and water bottles walked past the trail sign. Whether they were just starting the trail or finishing it, they seemed happy. Relaxed. Sure of where they were and what they were doing.
I wanted to feel that. My soul needed it. In fact, it craved it.
“No. I want to stay. Let’s go,” I said as I popped open the passenger door and slipped out.
We were here. There was no way I could leave without stepping foot on that magical mountain, especially not with the way my night was about to go.
“Okay, then,” Eli said. He climbed out of his truck, grabbing the backpack as he went. “I’ve never hiked this one before so it’s an entirely new experience for me.”
“Are you serious? You’ve never hiked Whiteside Mountain before?” I balked. How could a person live so close to a place as beautiful as this and never experience it up close?
Eli shook his head. “Nope. You have to take it easy on me. I’m not a very experienced hiker either.”
“Experience has nothing to do with it. All you do is put one foot in front of the other.”
“You make it sound so easy.” Eli pointed to a guy coming down the stone steps at the trailhead. He was breathing hard and sweating profusely. “That guy makes it look tough as shit.”
I laughed. “It’s only because he’s older than dirt and out of shape. You are neither.” I walked to where he was and trailed my fingertips along his rock-hard abs, proving my point.
“We shall see,” Eli said as he snaked his arm around my middle and pulled me close. “I have to say, it’s good to see you smiling so big. I know you’ve been happy lately, but I haven’t seen you smile like this in a while.”
“What do you mean? I smile like this all the time.”
“No. Not like you are right now,” Eli said, his eyes narrowing on me. “There’s something about you being in nature; it makes you glow.”
I glanced away from him, tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and started for the stone steps at the trailhead. “I do love being in nature. Always have.”
“Wait a minute,” Eli insisted as he brought us to a standstill. “Pause at the sign. I want to get your picture in front of it.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. Eli didn’t strike me as the type of guy who took pictures of much of anythi
ng.
“Yeah, why?”
“No reason,” I said as I moved to stand in front of the sign.
“Move over a bit. I want to get the name of the trail in the picture behind you,” Eli said. “Now, say cheese.”
“Cheese,” I said without moving my lips, hoping my smile came off as authentic and natural. I wasn’t one for pictures. Today I could be though. Hiking Whiteside Mountain for the first time in years with Eli at my side seemed pretty damn picture-worthy. “Okay, now why don’t you get a picture with me?”
Eli’s face scrunched up. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, come on. I let you take one of me. Now let’s take one together,” I insisted. “Here, use my phone.” I pulled my cell from my back pocket, opened the camera app, and handed it to him.
“Just one.”
“Just one. It better be a good one, though. No cheesy faces.”
“Aw, but those make for the best pictures.” He chuckled.
“Want to take two, then? One cheesy and one serious?”
“Nope, I’ll be serious,” he said as he draped his free arm over my shoulder and extended the arm with my cell in front of us. “Say cheese.”
“Cheese,” I said again, this time with a real smile stretched across my face. I knew without looking at the picture it was one I wanted printed and framed.
“All right, enough with the pictures,” Eli said as he handed me my phone. “Let’s get this hiking thing started.”
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to pause for a picture in the first place. Don’t act like it was me.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything.
We started up the stone steps side-by-side again. They weren’t as far apart as I remembered. Of course that could be because I’d grown a foot and a half since the last time I’d been here. The trees still seemed super tall, though. I tipped my head back and glanced up at their long branches and leaves. Sunlight filtered through them making them a beautiful shade of green. My favorite color.
Once we made it to the top of the stairs, we came to a fork in the road. To my right was a steep incline cut up with sharp rocks and unearthed roots. To the left was another incline, but it was free of rocks or roots and instead smooth.
Moon Burned (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 4) Page 4