"Corteggio. And no. At least not now. The less you know about the preternatural world, the better."
I could only agree with him.
Our moods lightened as the night got later thanks to Zeke, who deliberately kept me laughing. My parents turned in around ten-thirty. Zeke and I stayed up until midnight, watching TV. I finally gave into fatigue and told him goodnight. We climbed the stairs together, with him heading one direction down the hall and me the other.
Dang it.
****
As a rule, my family seldom ate together except in the evening and sometimes not even then. So when Zeke came downstairs Monday morning around eight, he found me and Dad finishing up our bagels. I offered him one. With a shake of his head, he went straight for the coffee.
Dad pushed back his chair and stood, waiting until Zeke got to the table before he handed him a Walker Academy catalog. "I talked to Sam. He seemed surprised but pleased you'll be attending Walker, and he plans to drop by this weekend to see you."
His news brought a smile to Zeke's face, but I had reservations about our probably next governor. I couldn't imagine what Melita might've said to convince him that Zeke would be better off living with friends, but seriously doubted that she'd revealed her own role in the decision. If she had, Sam would surely have fought for his son.
Once Dad left, I playfully turned to Zeke. "Are you excited about shopping with me today?"
"Breathless with anticipation."
Mom, who'd just walked into the kitchen, burst out laughing. "I have a two o'clock opening in my schedule tomorrow. Will that work for your first session?"
Zeke gave her a nod.
Looking very pleased with herself, she headed to the coffee pot. I tried to read Zeke's expression. He honestly seemed okay with the idea of my mom picking his brain. Having had mine picked by a total stranger, I was very relieved she'd agreed to do it. I still worried, though, and wondered just how much he'd tell her. No one was more down to earth than my mother, who was the practical parent. She'd never believe he'd once turned into a werewolf. Even I, the girl who adored him, wondered how that could possibly be true. What I didn't do is doubt that it was.
Cultures the world over revered real wolves. Some groups even credited them with mystical characteristics. Hollywood had done its part, too, further fanning the flames of imagination with films that romanticized the myth. Maybe that's why part of me embraced Zeke's wolf tale. Daughter of a man who'd gotten his doctorate in mythical studies, I sincerely wanted it to be true.
We got to the mall around ten. I chose Old Navy as our first stop since I'd studied their ad, and looked at jeans and tops there. Unlike some of my friends, I purchased based on how well things fit instead of brand. That kept me out of the boutiques with the hundred-dollar jeans. Zeke bought some jeans, too, as well as some new T-shirts, underwear, socks, and a pair of sleep pants. I helped him pick them out since he clearly didn't give a flip what he wore anymore. I guess clothing seemed a trivial concern after all he'd been through.
We next bought him a new pair of boots that I made him wear out of the store, much to his amusement. As we left there, bags in hand, a girl two years behind me at Walker ran up, dragging her boyfriend along. Lizalynn Morris had to be the bubbliest human on the planet, and today she practically vibrated with excitement.
"Mom let me buy a Louis Vuitton!" She held up the purse for my inspection. Her longtime boyfriend, Johnny Temple, rolled his eyes.
Since I liked Lizalynn, I ignored him and responded appropriately. "That is so cool!"
"I know." Her violet gaze hopped from me to Zeke. "As I recall you don't date, so this has to be your…cousin?"
Ouch.
"Friend," said Zeke before I could respond. He gave them his first name.
I quickly nodded. "He's staying at our house and attending Walker this year."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lizalynn and this is Johnny. Oh! There's Maggie." Lizalynn frantically waved to another classmate, this one a pretty good friend of mine.
Maggie France grinned when she saw me and ran over to offer a hug, her naturally curly red hair in a total fluff around her face. I saw that the summer sun had doubled the number of freckles on her face and arms, making her that much cuter. "I've missed you so much. Thank goodness school's about to start." She smiled at Zeke and offered him her name and her right hand. "I'm a friend of Skylar."
"We actually know each other."
Maggie did a belated double take and gasped. "Zeke! Oh my God. I thought you were dead." She hugged him and then shifted her gaze to me. "Why haven't you called?"
"Too distracted. He's staying at the house." We looked each other in the eye. She giggled nervously.
Another guy walked up and joined us. I knew him: Wilt Kroeger. He instantly spotted Zeke. "Sterling? Is that really you? Dude, where've you been?"
When Zeke didn't immediately answer, I did it for him. "New Orleans, but he's back for good now and going to Walker this year."
"I've always wanted to see Mardi Gras." Lizalynn sighed wistfully. "I think it would be so cool to get some of those beaded necklaces that the people on the floats throw into the crowd."
Johnny hooted. "She has no idea what she'd have to do to earn one."
"What do you mean?" asked Lizalynn.
"Never mind." Maggie tactfully steered us in another direction. "I'm starved. Want to head to the food court?" Her question included us all.
Zeke caught my eye. I nodded.
"We'll go." Lizalynn spoke for Johnny, as usual.
Wilt nodded. "Me, too."
We all headed to the escalator. The moment we hit the food court, Zeke wrinkled his nose.
"What?" I asked.
He just shook his head.
"I want chicken enchiladas." Wilt broke from the group.
"Don't!" said Zeke.
Wilt instantly braked. We all exchanged baffled looks.
"Why not?" asked Wilt.
"I, er, saw a roach on the counter."
Maggie wrinkled her nose. "Ew."
"Maybe I'll rethink the enchiladas," murmured Wilt, pivoting and heading to the McDonald's counter. If you couldn't trust Mickey-Ds, then who could you trust? The rest of us followed. I knew I wasn't the only one looking for bugs while we waited to order, and when Zeke's turn arrive, he just got a drink. I followed his lead.
The six of us sat at adjacent tables, and in seconds, the three guys began discussing sports. Lizalynn, whose big brother played for the Cowboys, chimed right in. I still caught her stealing curious looks at Zeke's hair, which was way too short to be stylish. I also saw her notice his ear piercing and the tattoo on his neck. Curiosity clearly raged. Thank goodness the sleeves of his hoodie were all the way down. She'd have flipped at the sight of his forearm tats.
Maggie took advantage of their distraction, keeping her voice low. "When did Zeke get back?"
"Friday night."
"And the two of you are together now?"
"Of course not." A tiny shake of my head told her to talk about something else.
She got the hint. "What did Dax say when he showed up? Or has he already left?"
"Left yesterday, and let's just say he wasn't nearly as excited to see Zeke as I was." I'd vented to Maggie when Dax and Zeke parted ways. Dax should've tried to help instead of bailing.
"I'll just bet. Why did Zeke go to New Orleans?"
At that moment, Zeke, who sat next to me, casually bumped my shoulder. Though his attention seemed to be riveted to the man-talk, I took the gesture as a subtle warning. "That's his story to tell."
"Oh. Of course." Maggie didn't seem angry that I'd refused to talk and even changed the subject. "Any good buys at Old Navy?"
"Yes." I gave her the scoop.
"Will you be going out for track again?" Wilt asked Zeke.
"Oh, um, probably." Since Zeke sounded distracted, I looked where he looked--at a guy sitting at a table near the pizza counter. Suddenly nervous and not knowing why, I stared at the focu
s of Zeke's rapt attention, trying to see what had spooked him. I saw a male with shaggy brown hair who could've been any age from sixteen to twenty-five. He had food in front of him, but wasn't eating it. He and Zeke seemed to be staring each other down.
"Still fast?"
Zeke finally looked at Wilt. "Fast enough."
"Good," said Johnny. "We need some new blood."
Zeke acknowledged his words with a nod and abruptly stood. I did, too. "We need to go."
"Later," I said to soften our sudden departure.
"Later," they echoed. I waved as we left.
Determined to not give Zeke the third degree, I waited for his explanation. He didn't say a word until we were in my car with the doors shut and locked. "That guy sitting all alone?"
"Yes?"
"He's the Were I smelled in your backyard."
Chapter Eight
I nearly fainted. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!"
"It's okay, Skylar. We're not in danger."
"How do you know?"
"I'm still alive. I'm guessing he caught my scent at your house and is now checking me out. I might've caught his earlier if I hadn't been lugging my backpack every time I went in and out of the door. Whatever you sprayed it with reeks."
"I was only trying to help."
"I'm not complaining."
"Did you really see a roach in the food court?"
"No, but I did smell spoiled food. Couldn't tell where it came from, though."
"I'm astonished."
"Well, there's a full moon tonight. Weres experience a quickening of the senses around that time of the month."
That confirmed what I'd guessed--Weres and werewolves could smell things better than real wolves. "But you're not a Were anymore."
"Apparently that part isn't going to change."
"Wow. It is so cool having an ex-Were for a friend."
Zeke actually smiled. Pleased to have lightened the mood, I started the car and drove us home. All the way there, I worried about the mall Were's motives. Was he really only curious? Or did he have a dark reason for popping up in Ridge Rock?
Since my parents were both gone, Zeke and I had possession of the remote control. So we settled in front of the TV for a bit. I reached for the Walker catalog Zeke must've laid on the side table earlier. Thumbing through it, I silently wondered if he was still interested in medicine.
"What are you going to major in?" he asked, a question right out of my head.
"Zoology. Yeah, big surprise. Still want to be a doctor?"
"Not so much. I'm thinking chemical engineering."
"That makes sense. You always loved chemistry. There go my hopes of talking you into being a vet instead of a people doctor. I was thinking we could save the wolves together."
To my surprise, Zeke got very serious. "Listen, Skylar. I know we're sharing a roof and all, but you should probably distance yourself from me everywhere else. I'm bad news."
That hit me all wrong. "I was kidding." I stalked out of the room and ran up the stairs, barely registering Zeke's "Crap!'
Of course he jogged up the steps after me, but I'd taken refuge in my bedroom and locked the door. I paced back and forth, maybe a yard each way before I pivoted sharply to change direction. How could Zeke push me away when all I wanted to do was help him?
Zeke tried the doorknob and then pounded hard on the wood. I didn't acknowledge him. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
"Why would I? I mean, what is it about 'I don't love you anymore' that's so hard to understand?"
He got very still. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean, Zeke?"
Suddenly the door opened. He stepped into the room, closing his pocketknife and stuffing it into his pocket.
"How'd you do that?" I asked, wide eyed and backing away from him.
"Burglary 101." He reached me in two strides and grabbed my upper arms. "I'm sorry, okay? I can't seem to stop being a jerk these days."
As we looked into each other's eyes, I lost it just long enough to run my fingers across the top of his head. "If your hair grows as fast as this--" I next touched his whiskery cheeks and chin. "--it'll be a quarter inch longer by the time school starts week after next. And by Christmas, you'll actually need the sides trimmed. If you're growing it out, that is. I like it either way."
Zeke suddenly ducked out of my reach. "Er, Skylar? What I said downstairs? I meant that I don't want anyone's perception of you to change because of me."
"I get it, okay? I really do."
"Good. Excellent." With that, he backed out of my room and escaped to his.
****
I had a horrible time getting to sleep that night, and then I kept waking up. I blamed it on the huge rainstorm that hit us around midnight. The house shook every time it thundered. Between the noise of the drops pelting my windows and the loud booms, it's a miracle I heard anything else, but I did just around two a.m. The hall floor creaked as if someone were right outside my room. Curious but not afraid, I got up and crept to the door so I could peek out. I found Zeke, sitting on the floor just outside my door with his back to the wall and his long legs stretched out in front of him. Though the pitch black hall made it hard to tell for sure what he wore, I was pretty sure he had on the sleep pants. "Hey, you."
He didn't look at or answer me.
I noticed that he had his arms crossed over his bare chest as if he were cold. Instinctively, I bent to touch his skin to see. That's when I realized his whole body trembled. "You okay?"
Zeke shook his head. I knelt beside him.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sort of…freaking out."
"Has this happened before?"
He shook his head again.
I stood and tugged on his arm. "Get up."
"I'm not waking your mom."
"You bet you aren't."
He blinked and then stood. Unsure what to do, I went with my gut, pushing him into my bedroom and shutting the door.
Zeke resisted. "W-what are you d-doing?" Now his teeth were chattering. Was the heat of his body a fever? If so, he could have the chills. Having had them once, I remembered the misery vividly. There was no cold like that cold.
Truly frightened, I tried to get Zeke to lie down on my bed so I could cover him up. He wouldn't go for it. Instead, he stood in the middle of the room holding his head like it might be splitting open. I immediately stepped close and wrapped my arms around his middle. I hugged him as hard as I could, my hands touching what felt like scars on his back. But the trembling didn't stop, and that scared me. Was he sick? Had he had a nightmare? Or was this a PTSD episode? Though I'd never seen one first hand, I'd read about them, and Mom seemed to think he might be ripe for one.
I grabbed the wolf comforter off my bed and folded it lengthwise before spreading it on the carpet. I next tossed one of my pillows down and motioned for Zeke to stretch out on his back. Once he did, I covered him with two blankets, taken from my closet. I'd have loved to join him there, but did the smart thing and lay down on the edge of my bed just above him. I hung my head and one arm over the side. "Remember that scene in Poltergeist when that tree comes through the window after the little boy?"
"Yeah."
"That hasn't happened to you, has it?"
"N-no."
"So it's probably not the storm that got you out of bed?"
"Probably not."
"Hm." I pretended to think, all the while anxiously watching him. Had the trembling stopped? I touched his chest to check. His heart pounded against my fingertips. "Are you scared of thunder? Because that's just angels playing hard rock with the bass turned way up."
"I like thunder."
"Then it has to be all the fireworks. While theories on that particular phenomenon range from scientific to ridiculous, I personally blame the gods. You know…Zeus playing darts with his lightning bolt."
"My gran used to say it was God taking pictures."
"Yeah, well, mine told me it was a giant bug
zapper. I'm sticking with the Mt. Olympus theory, though." Without really meaning to, I tenderly touched Zeke's face. He sat up. "Where are you going?"
"Nowhere." He punched the pillow a couple of times before lying on his side, facing me.
"Are you warm yet?"
"Getting there."
"Any clue about what's going on? I mean, you're not feeling sick or anything, are you?"
"No." For several seconds, Zeke didn't speak. Finally, he answered. "What if Dax had it right, after all? What if I'm wolf-crazy?"
"I know you did not just say that."
"It could be true, Skylar. The moon is still full, even if we can't see it."
"True. Are you going to test and see if you can shift?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to know, and it doesn't matter, anyway. I'm never going to do it again."
"So all your shifts have been on purpose?"
"All but the first. I've heard of guys who were surprised into shifting, but I never did that."
"Surprised?"
"Shocked, startled, threatened. They did it out of instinctive self-defense or to protect someone. But I trust the witch, Skylar. I know I'm okay. This is still probably related to the full moon, though, and if it is, I'll be fine by tomorrow."
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