by Ruby Raine
“Just got it today.” He motioned for her to follow, taking her to the dead werewolf.
“Holy fucking shitballs,” she spewed upon seeing the dead werewolf on her lawn. “Wow! It’s so...”
“Dead,” said Charlie, kicking its leg.
“I was thinking gigantic. Huge. And really, really terrifying.”
Of course it would be. Charlie’s adrenaline was still surging. He should have been more cautious in showing her. Prepared her for what she was about to see.
“Do you think I’m terrifying?” Charlie asked her, curiously.
Eva shrugged. “I honestly don’t think you enjoy hurting people, Charlie. But if you were lying here dead on my lawn, looking like that...” she looked at him as if to say, sorry.
“It’s okay, Eva. I don’t blame you, at all.”
He continued to explain what had happened that night with the alpha, and how he had chased it through the woods tracking it to her yard. He did not go into great detail about Nina, only that he had been given a gift to help him control the wolf.
She glanced at the ring.
He just waved his hand; it was apparent it was the ring he spoke of.
Eva daringly, but gently, ran her fingers across the ring with great admiration. She let go, biting her lower lip, as if unsure what to say next.
“Look,” said Charlie. “What happened in the woods earlier today, I can’t even begin to apologize for that. But I can guarantee you it will never happen again.” His voice was steady and sure. “That said, I completely understand if you don’t trust me, Eva. I’ve given you little reason to. Just say the word and if we ever cross paths, I’ll go the other way.”
She shifted her body, considering what he had said.
“Considering that you saved me from a possible, horrific death via the dead monster lying in my backyard, and you did save me from drowning, I wouldn’t say you’re a lost cause... not completely.”
He chuckled, impressed with her ability to move on from terrible events. Michael was right, she does recover freakishly fast.
“Now, to figure out what to do with this thing.” He nodded toward the dead werewolf.
“Do you think it would be weird if I kept it?” she asked.
“You want to keep it?”
“Well, not for me. For my dad. I think he’ll get a kick out of it. And who knows, maybe he’ll learn something new about werewolves.”
Charlie stared coolly at Eva. He supposed it would save Mack the trouble of taking care of it. And Michael respected her father’s research.
“Just show me where you want me to put it. I mean, where you want the werewolf,” he clarified, clearing his throat.
Eva just motioned with her finger to follow him.
Charlie dragged the dead alpha’s body onto a cement floor at the back of her father’s laboratory, which was actually just the garage, renovated into a temporary lab.
“Let me know if you guys find out anything of interest,” Charlie told her, with an exhausted breath. “Can’t help but be a little curious, seeing as the same blood runs in my own veins.”
They walked outside again, standing under the starry night sky.
“I guess I should probably get going,” he said. “I’m sure my family wants to know that I’m okay, and I’ll be sure to return the clothes.” He started for the road.
“Eh, don’t worry about the clothes. They were left by a previous tenant and I was about to get rid of them anyway. Are you okay walking home? I can give you a ride.”
“Thanks,” he said gratefully. “But I think I could use the walk.”
“Long night, huh?” Her eyes filled with some unsaid understanding.
He returned with a half shrug, half nod.
“I’ll see you around then,” she said.
“Yeah, see you around, Eva.”
“Night, Charlie.”
He waved, jogging into the darkness.
When Charlie was out of sight, the smile dropped from Eva’s face, turning into a scowl. She leaned over the dead werewolf’s body.
“Thank you, Caleb. It was definitely fun catching up.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tooth, throwing it onto his dead body. “You can have that back now.”
Her father’s tall silhouette came up behind her. “I see your plans backfired a little.”
“I nearly had him,” she spoke defiantly. “At least dumbass Caleb came in handy. That stuff from the Bloodsucker Bay cave worked perfectly on him. Just a little bit and he went completely mad. Luckily, I had enough time to get back here, turn, and let him out before Charlie got here.”
“And he thinks he killed the alpha?”
“Of course.”
“And since I didn’t see you after,” said her father, “how did the smell test work today? Better than the cave?”
“Yes and no,” she answered, thinking back to her trip to White Pines. “It completely messed him up, drew him to me, no question. But it had a bad side effect or two.”
“Explain,” he demanded tersely.
“He wanted to kill me. More like, rip me to shreds.” She spoke as if it was no big thing. She left out the part where she’d been beyond turned on by Charlie’s actions. It wasn’t important. Like the cave incident, her father did not need to know.
Her father sighed. “We need Charlie Howard under our control if our plan is to succeed, but I won’t do it at the cost of my daughter’s life.”
“I don’t think it matters now anyway, Dad,” she spoke in frustration. “I let it wear off. I didn’t need him actually trying to kill me if he did transform. I injected myself with a small dose, like yesterday, just before he got here tonight, but it’s stopped working.”
“Stopped working?”
“Charlie Howard seems to have inherited the ring of a Guardian,” she spoke shrewdly.
Her father’s eyes perked up.
“I know,” she said, agreeing with his unspoken response. “If we could get our hands on that ring, and Charlie Howard...”
“There’s no chance we would fail.” A malicious grin settled on his face. “The only problem is how will we get the ring? And how will you become his alpha if he’s got that ring on his finger?”
Eva smirked, her eyes, a cruel glare. “Charlie thinks he killed the alpha tonight. His guard will be down. Don’t worry, Dad. Before I’m finished, Charlie Howard will be completely under my control.”
MICHAEL PULLED THE jeep into the driveway. His mind reeled with constantly shifting emotions: awe over watching his brother transform into a werewolf. Amazement over the fact that Charlie was sleeping with a Guardian who willingly sacrificed her life for him. Relief that Charlie would be okay and equally relieved that Emily was safe. Confusion over how exactly Melinda knew what was going to happen and concern over where she had disappeared to all day, and finally, William. Michael groaned as he thought the name.
He couldn’t keep his eyes off Emily sitting in the backseat next to Melinda. They had been whispering and giggling the entire drive home; as if everything that occurred had made perfect sense, or was it something else? Melinda’s feelings were changing as quickly and as often as his own were. Maybe he was misreading her.
William had not spoken and neither had Michael. He let his sister and Emily pass by him into the house, but reached out to stop William.
“I’m sorry,” Michael stated. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I...” he didn’t know what else to say. Words didn’t seem to cover it.
“I understand. There’s no need for an apology, Michael.”
“Yes. There is, William. You’ve always been there for us, no matter what. You are ridiculously patient. I totally lost it.”
“You’re human, Michael. If I were still human, I would have felt the same. I am a vampire. I still feel emotions, but they don’t control me so easily. I would have expected no different a reaction from you.”
“I threatened to stake you,” Michael droned.
William raised a brow, unconcerned.
<
br /> “I just need you to know that I’m sorry.”
“If you need to hear it, apology accepted. You love her. It is obvious that you cannot live without her.”
“I don’t think I realized how much I loved her until tonight. The thought of losing her...”
“Nearly drove you to madness. It is not such a bad thing, Michael, to love so wholeheartedly.”
“Thank you, William. I don’t think we say it enough. I don’t say it enough. Thank you,” he repeated.
“I will always be here, for as long as you’ll keep me.” William turned to head inside.
Michael felt lighter now that he’d apologized. His thoughts turned to his next biggest concern. “Do you think Charlie is okay? It feels weird to just leave him out there.”
“I believe Charlie is fine,” answered William. “I’d wager more than fine.”
“You sure we shouldn’t go after him?”
“It’s his first night trying out his new form. I think he deserves a little time. And if it is the alpha you’re worried about, the ring won’t let anything life threatening happen. Remember, Charlie is protected now.”
Michael nodded as they stepped into the kitchen, where Melinda and Emily were making plans.
“Okay, so tomorrow morning, right when they open. We’ll find you the perfect outfit.”
“Thanks, Emily. Really appreciate your help.”
“Are you kidding? About time we went on a shopping spree together.”
“Shopping?” questioned Michael. “What’s the occasion?”
Melinda shrugged. “Just feel like my clothes are a little outdated. Time for something new.” She bit her lip in hopes of keeping her feelings to herself, so Michael wouldn’t sense what she was actually feeling. She wanted to keep Riley to herself, for now.
Emily gave Melinda a look that only the two of them understood.
“I will be in my study,” William told them. His face was blank and his emotions impossible to read.
“Oh, but first,” Melinda started with a wild look in her eye. “We haven’t talked about Charlie yet! Wasn’t that just the coolest? He was Charlie one second and then like, boom, a full on massively scary werewolf.”
Michael just laughed at his sister.
Even William seemed to lighten up and could not help but turn the corner of his mouth into a smile.
“That must have felt so freeing,” she expressed, for the first time understanding the meaning of the word. Her favorite word of the day. And a feeling she wanted to get better acquainted with herself. She wished tomorrow would arrive faster. A giddy relief poured out of her as she thought about seeing Riley again. “Charlie doesn’t have to struggle anymore. This day has been so,” she could not find the right word to describe it all. It had gone from good to terrible, to really freaking awesome to terrible and then beyond incredible. She couldn’t find a word that did it justice.
Michael could not keep track of all the emotions floating around the room but the happiness his sister felt was infectious.
“And what about the Guardian?” Emily brought up.
“Oh my God! Nina was so regal and compassionate, and good,” Melinda spoke reverently. “And well, let’s face it. Pretty attractive!”
“I also found her to be a most resilient and beautiful woman,” William admitted in a pleasant tone.
“She came to me, in a dream,” said Melinda, her tone more serious. “Told me everything.” She explained this mostly for Michael’s benefit since she’d already told this to William and Emily. “Nina knew years ago she would die today. She was so brave. I don’t think I would want to know when I’m going to die. I could certainly never live out my final moments with Nina’s grace or bravery.”
The room went quiet; as if each were paying silent respect for the lost Guardian, whose bravery saved Charlie from a terrible fate.
“Well, I don’t know about you,” said Emily after a minute, “but I’m beat, and I should probably get home and check in on Dad.”
“I’ll take you,” offered Michael. He did not relish the idea of Emily leaving his sight.
“See you in the morning,” Emily winked at Melinda.
She replied by grinning and rubbing her hands together in nervous anticipation. After seeing them off, she turned around to find the kitchen empty.
She sauntered into William’s study.
“Are you okay, William?”
“I am fine. Why do you ask?”
“You just seem off. For you.”
“Are you sure you’re not getting your brother’s empathic abilities?”
“I’m sure,” she retorted. “Besides, they don’t work on vampires.”
There was something different about her tonight. A new confidence in her smile. It was most appealing to him.
When he did not reply, she stepped closer. “C’mon, William. I can tell something is bothering you. I may not be empathic, and you may not express your emotions in a human way, but I know you. Is this about what Michael said to you? You know how sorry he is about that, right?” She missed talking openly with William. This felt more like them. As they used to be before she’d gone all awkward on him.
“I’m not worried about Michael. He was impassioned by the moment. My fear is what Nina, the Guardian, spoke of, the battles to come. If the Guardians chose to give Charlie that ring, it means they fear the balance of good and evil may shift towards evil.”
He stopped for a moment in need of the right words.
“The truth is, as Michael feared losing Emily, I fear losing each of you. And even as a vampire, my emotions do sometimes overwhelm me.”
Melinda walked up to William and put her hand on his face, daringly, lovingly, without questioning the choice to do so. His arm darted up to stop her, but dropped. Her warm fingers against his cool skin felt too pleasant to force them away.
“You won’t lose any of us. I know how deeply you love, William. I saw it every day when my parents were alive, and I see it every day now, with us. You mean everything to us. You mean everything to me.”
Her words melted over him. They shouldn’t have, but they did.
He reached up fervently grasping her hand, bringing it to his lips.
Melinda shuddered, losing all ability to breathe, speak, or think clearly. She’d never felt such an intense feeling over a simple act. The sensation raining down her arm was just like in her dream of him.
She’d forgotten all about her fiery dream until just then. Riley had pushed it far out of her mind. It forged back into her thoughts as if her day with Riley hadn’t even happened.
Riley? Riley who?
She didn’t understand how she could feel like this. Just minutes before she’d been begging the hours to speed up so she could see Riley again, and now the only thing she could think about was William’s touch. And how much more of it she wanted.
His eyes closed, his lips parted, still holding her fingers hostage. He could not force himself to let go.
She couldn’t stop the dreams from replaying in her mind. Each tempting scene unraveling. Begging her to lean in closer. To taste his mouth with her lips. Every impulse, every nerve pleaded for her to do it.
Her heart fluttered, the same way it had just a day before. The same way it always fluttered when she got worked up over William.
The vampire’s reaction was instant. His eyes flew open wide, a look of shock washing over his features. He dropped her hand and before Melinda blinked, she was alone in the study.
She stood speechless, breathless, and unsure how to respond. William had never touched her like that before. Hell, he hadn’t touched her in any manner, for months. She didn’t understand why his actions towards her had changed all those months ago. All she could think was that she’d done something to upset him. Or that he just didn’t enjoy spending time with her anymore. That he’d grown tired of her flirtatious playing, but that had all been before the dreams had started.
“Oh who am I kidding?” Melinda blathered. “I�
�m in love with two men. One a total stranger and the other a vampire I can’t have. I’m a complete idiot!”
She wandered into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of merlot. She turned to go to her bedroom and spun back around, grabbing the bottle. “Time for a hot bath and all of this bottle.”
Today had been too weird. No, weird didn’t even begin to cover it.
It had been a rollercoaster. And whatever this thing was with William, it didn’t change the fact that he was off limits, romance wise.
Wasn’t he? She wasn’t so sure just now.
And why now? Why not before this morning?
Before she’d met Riley. Perfect, say everything I need to hear, Riley.
She ran her bath, adding bubbles. She absolutely had to have lots of bubbles tonight. She got in, one foot at a time as the water was steaming hot. The water and the wine didn’t do much to clear her head. Nothing made any sense. How could she possibly want two very different guys at the same time? She downed a deep chug of her wine.
William was, William! Adoring, handsome as hell, and her best friend. Someone she trusted with her life, and her heart. Someone she could be open with, until these last months since her dreams had started at least. Her crush changing to something more had ruined that. She could see it now. She had changed the dynamic of their relationship, not William. He was pushing her away. Because it could not be. Ever. No matter her dreams. No matter what had happened tonight.
And then there was Riley. He was not off limits, and quite willing and eager. There was already a deep connection between them considering they’d only known each other for a day. He brought out a side of her she’d hidden away for far too long. And she liked it. She liked how she felt with him. That he made her feel like a queen.
Her mother’s last words rattled Melinda’s brain. It was like she had seen this coming. Somehow known her daughter would fall in love with two men.
She could only have one, and William was off limits, no matter what had happened between them earlier. And she was certain if he knew Riley, he’d agree with her choice.
But if she had the option to choose between them, would Riley be the man she’d give her heart to? If not, was that fair to Riley, to be her consolation prize? Would it be fair to any man? Or to her?