Man, she hated Dusty right now, detested the fact that Jay was attracted to her. That he’d left Cassie’s bed for this woman.
“I’m not coming into the shop today. Maybe next week, maybe. Now go away, both of you.”
“Wow, way to live up to a stereotype, Bethany. I guess I was right after all.”
“What?” Cassie turned over to look at the smug werewolf, puzzled.
“Well, this may come as a shock, but I don’t really like humans and I didn’t like you when I first met you.”
Cassie snorted. “Believe me, that comes as no shock.”
“I think you’re all lazy, stupid bastards with no morals, ethics or loyalty.”
“Jeez, you gotta learn to speak your mind, Dusty,” Cassie replied. The werewolf blithely ignored her as she searched around Cassie’s room. Irritation stirred as she watched Dusty peer through her wardrobe.
“I mean, look at the way you treat your elderly, you practically ignore them once you think they’ve become worthless because they can no longer work. You give your children into the care of strangers while you chase money so you can buy bigger TVs and cars. How can I respect any of you?” By the end of her tirade she’d abandoned the wardrobe and moved to the drawers beside Cassie’s bed.
“But then I started to get to know you. You work hard and you seem loyal, as if you’ve got ethics. But now it turns out I was right, wasn’t I? You’re moping around, feeling sorry for yourself. Sulking.”
“What right have you got to come in here and talk to me like that?” Cassie sputtered. “Do you know how humiliating it is, knowing that everyone could sense my arousal? That you all knew I was lusting after someone who wanted someone else? Do you really think this is easy on me?”
Dusty peered down at her critically. “Actually, considering you look as if you’ve developed more wrinkles around your eyes and you have a big zit on your nose,” Cassie immediately slammed her hand over her nose, glaring up at the gorgeous, zit-free, wrinkle-free bitch, “I’d have to say this ain’t easy at all. So stop behaving like a twit and get over it.”
“I am not behaving like a twit.”
“Yeah? Coulda fooled me. No one was talking about you. Why is this so hard for you to understand? Everyone gets aroused. Everyone gets the hots for someone. The difference is that we can sense it. You think we haven’t learned to tune that out? Only time I pay attention is when I want to get laid. I certainly don’t have the time to go around yapping about everyone who gets a hard-on for me. Shrug it off and get on with life.”
“Look, you don’t understand.” She doubted Dusty ever let anything upset her.
“So tell me.”
“It’s embarrassing, all right? I don’t know how I can face everyone knowing that they knew I…knowing that I slept with…” She trailed off, unable to finish her thoughts.
“Knowing that you longed to fuck Jay and then you did? What’s so embarrassing about that?”
“I told you that you wouldn’t understand.”
“I know you’re a private person, Cassie,” Laney interjected gently. “I would never disrespect that. I would never talk about you behind your back, nor let anyone else do so.” She sat on the side of the bed and took Cassie’s free hand. “Please, Cassie. We’re friends, right? You’ve gotta trust me.”
Cassie knew there was truth in what they were both saying. But still, facing the others… She wished she were braver.
“How can I face Jay again after…after…?”
“After you shagged him senseless?” Dusty’s voice was as snide as ever and Cassie glowered up at her. Dusty shrugged.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “You know, I really don’t know what Jay sees in you.” She slammed her hand over her mouth, surprised that had slipped out.
Dusty chuckled. “That’s it, Bev, say what you think.”
“You’re not angry about me sleeping with him?”
Dusty looked confused. “Why would I be?”
“You’re not attracted to him?” Cassie asked.
“Nah, not my type.”
Her response merely reinforced what Laney and Jay had said. Dusty really wasn’t interested in him. Although that didn’t mean he wasn’t interested in her. He’d told Cassie he wasn’t, but then he’d gone running the minute the Dusty had called him.
“What will everyone think of me?”
Dusty sighed. “Who cares? Let them think what they like. You know, you worry far too much about what other people think. All that matters is what you want. What would you rather do, Beryl? Hide here under the covers for the rest of your life or come out, head held high and live life. Come on. Are you a wimp or a warrior? It’s that simple.”
Cassie thought for a moment. Was it that simple? Could she simply ignore what had happened between her and Jay? After all, what else was she going to do? Hide herself away and let this get in the way of her dreams? She’d yearned to own her own bookstore for years, to be more than boring, quiet little Cassie. She wanted a life, friends, a job that challenged her. She was tired of drifting along, never taking a chance.
“Make up your mind, will you? You’re not getting any younger.”
“Give me twenty minutes to get ready.”
“I’ll give you ten, Brenna, we ain’t got all day.”
Cassie turned as she was walking toward the bathroom. “Dusty?”
“Yeah?” the other woman practically snarled.
“Thanks.”
Dusty sniffed. “You’re welcome, Bobbie.”
Ridiculously, Cassie actually felt like smiling.
* * * * *
Nearly thirty minutes later, Liam turned the car into the side street beside the shop. He had to double park so the women jumped out and Liam drove off to find a parking space. They began walking down the alley, Dusty going first.
“So, if Jay’s not your type, who is?” Cassie asked Dusty, following Laney into the alley.
“I don’t have a type.”
“Oh really?” Laney teased. “I thought your type was tall, silent and sexy.”
Dusty snorted, turning as she opened the door. But whatever she’d been about to say was lost as she froze and sniffed deeply, her face going pale. Cassie caught a brief glimpse of her shocked face before she moved so fast she became a blur, throwing herself at the two women as the building behind them exploded into a giant fireball.
Cassie felt herself flying through the air, something hot washed over her, and then she slammed to the ground and knew no more.
Chapter Four
“Turn off the lights,” Cassie mumbled grumpily. She threw an arm over her head, attempting to protect her eyes. “Wow, how much did I drink?”
“Cassie?” Laney’s voice was hushed. Cassie lay still for a moment, trying to work out what Laney was doing in her bedroom. She dropped her arm onto the bed, slowly opening her eyes. Her head felt ten times its normal size and every enlarged inch throbbed mercilessly. Her vision was blurred, everything distorted, and it took her a while to focus on Laney’s concerned face.
“Wh-what happened?” Her throat was scratchy and she eagerly sipped the water Laney held up to her mouth. “Where am I?”
This wasn’t her bedroom. The bed was hard and small, the room stuffy and a horrible beige color.
“You’re in the hospital.”
“The hospital? Why?” She peered around in alarm, careful to move only her eyes. If she turned her head she was going to throw up for sure.
“You don’t remember?” Laney asked hesitantly, her gaze growing more concerned.
Remember?
“Oh God, the shop.” She seized Laney’s hand, hissing in pain as she moved too quickly. “Are you all right? Dusty?”
Laney flinched slightly. “I’m fine. Dusty pushed me out of the way. I’ve got a few scratches, some bruising, nothing major.”
Cassie’s gaze roamed what she could see of her friend and saw she was speaking the truth.
“Dusty?”
Laney’s lips pressed
together and Cassie noticed how pale her friend had grown.
“Laney? Are you okay?”
Laney nodded. “Dusty took the brunt of the explosion. It’s touch-and-go. Even if she does survive they may not be able to save her leg.”
“Oh no,” Cassie gasped, horrified.
“I know.” Laney was silent for a long moment, obviously deep in thought. Then her gaze focused on Cassie once again. “How do you feel? The doctor said you took a bang to the head and you’ve got some nasty bruises.”
“Me? I-I’m fine. You should be worrying about Dusty, not me. Where is she? Is she here? What caused that explosion? How long have I been unconscious?”
“Not long, only a few hours. And, ahh, we’re not sure what caused the explosion yet. Dusty’s been taken to the were hospital in New York,” she told Cassie.
Cassie took a deep breath. “Were hospital?”
“Yeah, all the staff are werewolves. She’ll get better help from them than she would in a human hospital.”
“Shouldn’t you have gone with her?”
Laney bit her lip then straightened her shoulders, shaking her head. “No, there was nothing I could do. Cooper, Jay and Cain have gone. She wouldn’t appreciate my pity or my worry.”
“Jay went?”
Laney nodded. “Yes.” Cassie expected her to say more but she merely turned to the flowers on the bedside table. “He sent these flowers to you, aren’t they nice?”
Betrayal, pain, anger mingled inside her, an insidious mix. Feeling this way was senseless and stupid. He’d made his choice clear last night. He’d chosen Dusty then, so of course he’d gone with Dusty to the hospital. She had no right to expect anything from him.
Cassie swallowed heavily, fighting back the pain. She almost wished she could cry. Shedding tears might give her some form of release, some way to rid herself of the pain beating against her insides.
“You tired, Cass?”
“Yeah,” she replied truthfully.
“Okay, I’ll leave you alone to get some sleep. I’ve spoken to the hospital director and he’s agreed that Josiah can stay with you. He’ll be right outside the door. Call out if you need anything. I’ll come and see you tomorrow.”
Cassie closed her eyes, stupidly mourning what she’d never really had.
* * * * *
The next morning she felt much stronger and, while not happier, at least she wasn’t a ball of self-pitying misery. She’d come to a decision. She had a plan, and the only thing that could upset it now was if Laney refused to help her.
As if thinking about the petite werewolf had conjured her up, the door opened and she heard Laney thank Josiah before she walked inside. Cassie didn’t know why Josiah had spent the night outside her door, but she’d felt safer having him there.
“Hey, how you feeling?” Laney walked over and hugged her lightly.
“Good, really good, no dizziness or headaches. The doctor says I’ll be able to leave tomorrow.”
“That’s great.” Laney smiled briefly.
“Any news on Dusty?”
Laney nodded. “She survived the night so they think she’s going to live. Although she may not want to if they take her leg.” Laney frowned before making an obvious effort to smile again.
“But enough of that. I’ll be here to pick you up tomorrow. You’re coming to stay with me. You shouldn’t be alone and I could use the company.”
Cassie narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “The doctor said I’m fine. I told him I live by myself and he didn’t see any problems with my going home alone as long as I take it easy. Laney, what aren’t you telling me? Why was Josiah standing outside my door all night? Do you know what happened to the shop?”
Laney sighed and sat, looking terribly tired. “The explosion was caused by a bomb that was set to go off when the door opened. Cooper ordered his enforcers to watch us carefully while they try to figure out who attempted to hurt one of us.”
“Someone actually tried to kill you?” Cassie was horrified.
“I don’t know. But with those threats I’ve been getting it seems likely. The fire destroyed any evidence. Until we find out who set the bomb, I’ll be under heavy protection.”
“Jeez. I’m surprised Cooper left you.”
Laney shook her head. “Believe me, he didn’t want to. But he’s Dusty’s Alpha, he had to be with her while they stabilized her. A severely hurt werewolf is dangerous, they don’t think rationally. While others could subdue Dusty, they’d have to use force, whereas Cooper can use his power over her as her Alpha. He had to make her change when they thought she might die.”
Laney looked as sick as Cassie suddenly felt.
“Usually changing helps us heal, nobody really knows why, but Dusty’s injuries were so extensive her leg wouldn’t mend properly. Shifting probably saved her life.”
“How come Cooper had to force her to change?” To Cassie that sounded horribly painful.
“She was unconscious, she nearly died.” Laney took a deep breath, her hands shaking as she ran them through her silvery-blonde hair. “Anyway, he’ll probably head back soon. I’ll arrange to get some of your stuff sent over to my place.”
“I’m not coming to stay with you, Laney.”
Laney’s eyes narrowed. “Cassie…” she warned.
Cassie smiled. “Come on, Laney, we both know they weren’t after me.”
“We don’t know that for sure. Even so, if they find out you’re my friend, it’s possible they could hurt you to get to me.”
“Which is why I’m going to head out of town for a while.”
Laney frowned, shaking her head, but Cassie carried on before she could speak. “Don’t argue with me, Laney. My mind’s made up and I need your help with this. There’s nothing holding me here anymore. I really have to get away. If I’m not here, I’ll be a lot safer. Please, Laney. I really need you to support me on this.”
Cassie had done a lot of thinking last night. She had to get out of this town, away from everyone who knew her, away from Jay before he returned. She needed some time by herself. The thought of seeing him again filled her with both a sick dread and a horrible longing. It was senseless, pining for someone she could never have. He’d gone with Dusty—he’d made his feelings abundantly clear. Any foolish dreams she’d harbored about him choosing her, desiring her, had disappeared. She wasn’t running, she consoled herself, when there was nothing to run from, certainly nothing to stand and fight for.
Laney bit at her full lip. “I don’t know. I feel like you’re being driven out of your home because of me.”
“No, no I’m not. I’m leaving because of me, for me. I’ve never even left the state, Laney. There’s nothing here for me. The store was my dream and now that’s gone.”
“We’ll get a new store,” Laney protested.
“Not for a while, not until this threat is found. I have to leave.”
Laney let out a big breath before snorting. “I can see you do. All right, what can I do to help?”
* * * * *
Jay paced up and down the waiting room of the were hospital.
“Stop pacing. You’re making me feel sick,” Cooper grumbled, but Jay ignored him and continued to march up and down.
“Damn it, Jay.”
“I need to go home. It’s been three days. I have to make sure Cassie’s all right.”
Cooper glared up at him from his laptop. “Laney said she’s doing fine.”
Jay growled. “I have to see for myself.” He was unsurprised by the curious stare Cooper gave him. He was stunned by how badly he had to see her, hold her. It had become imperative that he get back to her, and each day the urge got stronger.
Even though he knew Laney was watching over her, she’d been injured and he couldn’t help but worry about her. He’d tried ringing her but she wouldn’t answer his calls. As soon as he got home he’d force her to talk to him, even if he had to camp outside in her yard.
“You’re needed here,” Cooper growled back.
Jay shook his head. “Dusty’s out of immediate danger. Cain’s here, he won’t let anything happen to her.”
Both Jay and Cooper had been astonished by the normally reclusive enforcer’s dedication to the temperamental redhead.
“What the hell is your thing with Cassie anyway, Jay? Last week you were lusting after Dusty, now you’re all concerned over some human? I brought you here because you seemed to be close to Dusty, or at least you wanted to be. Instead, all you can talk about is Cassie.”
Jay turned, his eyes flashing as he snarled, “She is not just some human!”
Cooper snarled back, his power as Alpha forcing Jay to back down. “You need to calm down. I thought you were determined to find a mate.”
“There’s no rule against taking a human mate,” Jay argued. He knew they could never be true mates. That sort of bond happened only between werewolves, and even then it was rare. Most mated pairs weren’t true mates and yet they never seemed to wish for anything more. So why shouldn’t he take Cassie as his mate? In fact, the more he thought about it, the more right it felt.
Cassie was his mate. He felt a surge of approval from the wolf, realized it had known all along what Jay was only coming to understand.
Cooper’s face grew thoughtful. “No, there isn’t, but they take more care. Most human-werewolf relationships don’t last. Humans are different from us, softer, more fragile.”
Jay snorted. As if he didn’t know that. “So I’ll treat her with kid gloves. She’s mine.”
“You know you can’t change her.” It was a statement not a question.
“I know.”
Cooper was silent for a long moment. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do.”
* * * * *
As the bus drove past the sign welcoming them to Addison, Nebraska, thoughts of Jay raced through Cassie’s mind. Jay smiling at her, his eyes darkening with desire, his tanned hands against her pale skin loving her… She had to put these thoughts to rest. This was a fresh start, a place where no one knew her, where she could be whoever she wished to be.
A new life she intended to embrace wholeheartedly.
Stepping out of the bus, she thanked the driver as he pulled out her suitcase, waving as he drove away. Glancing around, she noticed she was alone and checked her watch. The bus had arrived early. She’d wait a bit longer before she began worrying about Laney’s friend forgetting to pick her up.
ChasingCassie Page 4