by Melissa Haag
My panic had nothing to do with leaving Liam and Aden this time. “A date?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“If you’re not too busy.” He wore a teasing smile.
I shrugged, pretending indifference. “I’ll see what I can do.” First, I’d need to try on the dress.
He moved aside so I could carry my things up. “You coming back outside or going to research again?”
Without knowing it, he’d reminded me what I needed to do before playing dress up. “Both. I’ll bring the tablet out here.”
After tossing my things neatly in the closet, I grabbed my paper, pencil, and tablet before jogging back downstairs. Nana already sat on the steps, sipping a glass of tea, her toes sparkling in the sun. She’d selected a cool, silver polish. I settled next to her and started my research.
With the heat and the hard step, I struggled to stay focused. After only an hour, I set the tablet aside and ran in to get an iced tea, taking up Nana on her offer to help myself. When I came back, Emmitt sat in my spot and looked up at me hopefully. Nana held the tablet, staring at it intently.
“Can I have a drink?” he asked, looking at my glass. Since I’d already had a few sips and had gotten it more out of boredom than actual thirst, I handed it over with a smile. His gaze flicked to mine as he drank half the glass in a few long pulls. His request to take me to dinner echoed in my ears, and I flushed. Uncomfortable, I looked away and caught sight of the video Nana watched on the tablet.
Any blood rushing to my face immediately fled as I watched a huge, shaggy dog attack a man just outside of an office building. The grainy quality of the image and the distance between the camera and the attack made it hard to see clearly, but I couldn’t mistake Richard’s identity.
The person holding the camera swore, and the image on the screen dipped to show blacktop as the attack became savage. People screamed in the background. Some yelled for help. The person taking the video refocused on Richard’s prone form as the attack ended. He had been savaged, covered in red gore.
People ran toward him. The dog turned to look around, its eyes catching light and glinting for the camera before it leapt over a fence, clearing more than ten feet before sprinting away.
A strange popping sound filled my ears, then all noise ceased. The sun began to set suddenly and the sky grew dark. Nothing made sense. In the dim light, Emmitt’s eyes appeared before me, filled with worry.
Thankfully, the lights went out. I was glad I didn’t have to see any more.
* * * *
Several someone’s called my name. I opened my eyes, disoriented. I heard Jim speaking.
“She’s okay. She just fainted. Emmitt caught her. She’s not hurt.”
Fainted? The image of Richard came back to me in a rush, and I closed my eyes. Oh, Richard. Blake said he’d died, but he hadn’t said how. I’d assumed something like poison or a setup mugging. Why would they do something so obvious?
“I don’t know,” Nana said. I hadn’t realized I’d spoke my question aloud.
A hand smoothed back my hair. I opened my eyes again and saw Emmitt. His deep blue eyes caressed my face. His arms cradled me as I half-sat in his lap.
“Nice catch,” I whispered. Some of the worry melted from his face, and his lips tilted up at the corners slightly.
“For you, always.”
I sat up, and he kept an arm around me. Blood rushed to my head, making me dizzy. I smiled at the boys. Their expressions were just as worried as Emmitt’s.
“I’m okay. Just got too warm. I think I need to go through the sprinkler,” I suggested.
Liam watched me a moment longer than Aden. He knew I lied. Smart boy. Jim encouraged them to go back to playing with him.
“I’m assuming that was Richard based on your reaction and question,” Nana said. I nodded. “This has gone too far. We need to find those responsible. They are killing, and that endangers us all. What we saw...that is not who we are,” she said sadly.
She rose and walked into the house. A moment later, I heard her speaking. Emmitt stayed close, comforting me. My eyes traveled the trees, scanning. Nothing had really changed, nothing to think that Blake and his men were any closer to finding me, but it didn’t matter. Fear ruled me, again.
Chapter 13
At first, I couldn’t bring myself to let the boys out of my sight. Nana, Jim, and Emmitt all took turns talking to me, saying what I already understood. Nothing had changed except that we now knew how Richard had died. Though I knew they were right, it didn’t ease my fears. Liam and Aden, clueless about what I’d witnessed, didn’t understand my sudden smothering presence and started to rebel.
Reluctantly, I gave Liam and Aden a bit of much needed distance, but my concession didn’t change my nights. The slightest noise would bring me out of a doze, and panic would set in much like our first night there. So the week passed slowly, and within a few days, my head ached from poor sleep and constant worry.
Each day the concern in Emmitt’s watchful gaze grew. Thursday night after dinner, he pulled me aside.
“I’ll sleep on the couch after the boys go to bed.”
He didn’t ask, and I didn’t try to tell him no. I hoped having him there would help me sleep through the night.
When an ominous rumbling of thunder woke me Friday morning, I had mixed feelings. Liam and Aden would need to stay inside, but I’d forced too much inside time already this week. Today, they would mutiny for sure.
I heard a creak in the hall outside my door then the rapid patter of feet. Worried, I flew from bed, making it to my door just in time to look down the hall and see the boys disappear out of the apartment. Calling their names, I raced after them.
As I reached the end of the hall, Emmitt stepped into my path. He caught me in his arms and spun us, absorbing my momentum. It didn’t prevent my nose from connecting with his sternum with enough force that my eyes watered.
“Ow!” I squinted up at him.
“I’m sorry.” A tender look crept into his gaze as he studied me.
My breath caught as he slowly lowered his head. Was he really going to kiss me? I hadn’t even brushed my teeth! I closed my eyes. My heart started to beat erratically, and I couldn’t control my breathing. Then, his lips touched the tip of my nose. My eyes flew open.
“I wouldn’t have stepped in front of you if I’d known you’d get hurt.” He reached up and gently pushed back a strand of my hair that had fallen forward during our collision.
“Uh. It’s okay.” My thoughts jumbled together. “Just a minute.” Instead of continuing my chase, I pivoted on my heel and fled to the bathroom.
I rejoined him a minute later, minty fresh and with untangled hair. He stood at the stove, watching the pan on the burner until he heard me approach.
“How are you feeling?”
I tried not to stare at his chest as he spoke. Smacking myself against it, though painful to my nose, had been wonderful for the rest of me.
“Fine,” I said. “No permanent damage.”
He gave me an odd look but said nothing. Instead, he handed me a plate with a single egg and toast. After a few home-cooked breakfasts, he’d caught onto my portion size.
With the second bite in my mouth, I realized he hadn’t been asking about my nose but about how I felt in general. My fears revolving around Blake had abated with some decent sleep, but thanks to the platonic kiss on the nose, I was confused again. I took a drink of the juice he’d set before me, calmed myself with a slow breath, then asked the big question.
“What are we?”
He paused mid-chew to look at me, just like he had in the diner. It made me smile. He swallowed and tilted his head.
“I’m not sure I understand the question.”
Of course not. I needed a morning blush to start the day off right.
Frustrated, I stood.
“I get this.” I leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his nose, surprising him.
“And I get this.” I moved close to h
is neck, inhaled his scent, and trailed my nose against his skin as he’d done several times to me.
“And I’m told...” His skin suddenly rippled beneath my touch, and I pulled back.
His eyes glittered as he struggled for control.
“I’m sorry,” I said, stepping away.
He followed me, moving fluidly from his stool. His calm, midnight eyes tracked every move I made.
“Don’t be. I’m fine. Finish your question.” His voice was rough and intense, and it made my heart drop into my stomach.
Holding my ground, I let him crowd me. Better to leave room to turn and run than to be backed against a wall. Not that I thought I’d need to run from Emmitt, but it never hurt to leave options open.
He didn’t stop moving until he was a hand’s width away from me. I struggled to maintain eye contact. I knew what I’d done to him, and I really wanted to touch him again. But I couldn’t. Not until I understood how he saw us.
“I, uh, was just going to say that...um.” I cleared my throat. “You said I’m yours and that biting equals an engagement. But I don’t understand where that leaves us now. What are we?”
“As you asked, we are friends,” he said.
I felt a brief stab of disappointment. Then, he leaned in again. He didn’t inhale or use his nose this time. He dropped his mouth to my neck. It wasn’t a kiss exactly, just a brush of his lips that blazed a path on my sensitive skin. I couldn’t help myself; I lightly rested my hands against his chest and leaned into the feeling as I struggled to focus.
“But, I hope we are friends who are working their way to dating.”
It took a moment for his words to register. Ah. That’s right. His dinner invitation.
“I’m not good at being friends,” he said softly, breaking contact but not pulling back. My hammering heart appreciated the move, but my tingling skin felt bereft. “I struggle with the boundaries of friendship.”
It was good to know I wasn’t the only one struggling. I swallowed and dropped my hands.
“What boundaries?” As soon as I said it, I knew the answer because something in his gaze told me he wanted my hands back where they were.
“Friends don’t get this close. They don’t touch each other like I just touched you. And I really want to be that close.”
I wanted that, too. Especially when he whispered it near my ear.
“What else?” I couldn’t believe I asked.
“You’ll have to let me know,” he said, reluctantly retreating. “You set the boundaries.”
He turned away from me and walked to the island. I wanted him back, crowding me. Stupid friendship talk. If I had more courage, I would tell him I wanted to be more than friends. But what did more than friends mean in the wolf-world? If I was the one setting the boundaries that defined our relationship, I needed to know the answer. Because I didn’t, I said nothing.
Emmitt stood there a moment until the shaking stopped then he sat down. I joined him and slowly started to eat my food.
He’d answered my question about our relationship. But sometimes, knowing an answer was worse than dwelling on the question.
* * * *
The kids stayed downstairs with Nana all morning. After we cleaned up breakfast, Emmitt stepped out. I used the time to research stocks.
The Sunday before, after witnessing the video, I hadn’t cared enough to explain the tip I handed to Nana. She hadn’t asked, either. This week I planned to be prepared, again. The boring work drove me to distraction. I knew some people loved it. Richard had. But, it wasn’t my thing.
Rain continuously pattered against the roof, keeping me company. When Nana knocked on my open door near lunch, I willingly pushed aside my work.
“Do you have a moment?” she asked politely.
“Lots of them. What’s up?”
She stepped in and took a seat next to me at the kitchen island.
“Emmitt’s watching the boys while they color. I wanted to come up and let you know that I put out a call stating the person responsible for Richard’s death should step forward immediately. No one has, yet.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a stab of fear. “How long will it take?”
“That’s the problem. A response should have been immediate.”
I shrugged slightly, not understanding.
“Our society has rules and laws like any other. They differ from human laws, not just in the message but in our people’s inability to break them. When an Elder like me speaks a law, it’s implanted in our kind as a restriction. Because of that, our laws are few and well thought out. At least, we believe them to be. The rules are easy to break, but the repercussions are impossible to ignore.
“For example, one of our laws forbids the forced Claiming of a human. A rule states not to kill humans. We made the first one a law—unbreakable—because we could see no circumstance in which we could ever conceive applicable exception to warrant the act. However, self-preservation must be considered before passing a law forbidding the death of another. We made it a law that anyone responsible for breaking the rule, or a witness to the breaking of the rule, must admit the deed to an Elder.
“The same applies to shifting in public. Our rules state it shouldn’t be done, while our law states that any who break the rule, or know of the rule being broken, must step forward.”
“Someone should have come to you a month ago,” I said, understanding.
She nodded.
We sat in silence for a bit, lost in our own thoughts. Had Blake done the killing himself or one of his men? Did it really matter? Either way, Blake had to have known. He should have stepped forward.
“Can you tell me where Blake kept you? We need to find him to figure out how he’s avoided us.”
I shook my head before she finished. Richard’s address wasn’t yet posted in any article I’d read online. Blake would piece it together if werewolves suddenly showed up at our old home. I wouldn’t compromise the safety of Liam and Aden so Nana could find some errant werewolves.
She patted my hand. “I understand your reason for saying no. Just think about it.” She stood and left.
The day had started out so well. With a sigh, I went back to my research.
A little while later, I heard a tap on the door leading to the porch. Emmitt motioned to me through the glass.
I stood with a wince because of sitting too long, unlocked the door, and stepped out onto the porch with him. The overhanging roof protected us from the rain while lulling us with the soothing patter. Behind Emmitt, a small patio table with two chairs sat near his kitchen door. Two plates and two glasses waited.
“Hungry?” he asked as I took in what he’d done for me. I nodded, and he went to hold out a chair for me. “I heard what Nana said.”
“I have premonitions.” The randomness of my confession made me cringe. I’d decided that I needed to trust someone, that I couldn’t keep going on so alone, but I hadn’t decided how to tell him.
“Did you see what happens if you give us your old address?” he asked without pausing.
I blinked at his easy acceptance of my secret.
“No, I don’t have those kinds of premonitions. The stock market.” His brows rose. “I know, not very interesting. But think of what you could gain by controlling someone with my ability. The money. Power.”
“I don’t want money or power. Just you.”
His words made my heart flutter, and brought back the memory of his lips on my neck. I blushed and pushed the memory aside.
“Blake’s tasted that power. If your laws can’t control him, what makes you think finding him will help? All it does is expose us. He will go straight for Liam and Aden. Through them, he can control me again.”
He remained quiet for a moment. “Nana won’t ask again,” he said seriously. Then, in a Jim-like way, he grinned and said, “Want to spike your tea?”
I heard Nana yell his name two stories below and shook my head, breathing a sigh of relief. I’d shared my secret,
and he didn’t appear to care about it one way or the other. I was halfway through my turkey sandwich when he asked his next question.
“Why did you tell Sam which stock to invest in? Why not just keep it to yourself?”
My appetite fled. By sharing my last secret, I’d officially crossed the all-or-nothing line. I needed to spill the rest. I placed my half-eaten sandwich on his plate before I answered.
“I don’t have a choice. The information comes to me every seven days. It plays in my head like a market ticker but with just one stock on repeat. If I don’t share the information, it makes me twitchy. The longer I hold it, the more painful it becomes until I’m a mess. Blake figured that out. It became another way for him to control me. I have to share the information with someone. As soon as I do, the countdown to the next premonition resets.”
“And that’s why you didn’t want to tell me.” He schooled his features and nudged my glass. “Drink.”
I did without questioning it. The cool tea soothed my worry-tightened throat.
“There’s more,” I said.
He continued eating but kept his focus on me.
“I told you a little about what Blake said the night before I ran. That he wanted me to bite one of his men. Before that, he talked about evolving my abilities. When you asked if I saw what would happen, I meant it. I don’t have those kinds of visions. But since coming here, something has changed. I’ve gotten glimpses of people. Girls like me, mostly. I don’t know why. Those visions don’t work like the stock ones. They don’t repeat.”
“We’ll figure this out.” He reached across the table and wrapped his warm fingers around my cold hand. “Please, let some of the worry go. Trust us to keep you and your brothers safe.”
I gave a small nod.
* * * *
Saturday, the rain continued. Once again, the boys snuck out early. Emmitt surprised me in the kitchen, not with a cooked meal, but a simple bowl of cereal. Lucky Charms. It made me laugh.
He left me alone for a few hours, and I used the opportunity to page through the items Richard had stuffed into the envelope. Since Nana asked about our old address, I’d been wondering what had become of the house. So I dug for the lawyer’s number, and I looked it up online. There was actually a legitimate sounding business associated with it. The site listed a physical address, fax, and an email address.