by Emma Wolfe
“Grandma,” I said as I pressed my hand to my heart, “you scared me.”
Grandma met my gaze. “What was going on here?” she asked again, waving her hand toward the bathroom.
I tried not to groan. That wasn’t going to get me anywhere with her. And if I wanted to see Grayson again, I needed her to be okay with us. “I told you, I was just helping him out. He got hurt, and I was trying to clean him up.”
Grandma pursed her lips as she studied me. Then she narrowed her eyes. I could tell she didn’t believe me, but I didn’t want to tell her exactly what had happened here. So I just held her gaze and stood my ground.
She sighed and nodded toward the stairs. “Thomas sent me up here to remind you that your dinner is ready. You ordered two hamburgers, but I’m guessing, since your guest left, you are only interested in the one.”
My stomach rumbled at the thought of food. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and I was starving. Plus, it meant I could escape Grandma’s scrutiny—which was making me squirm.
“Thanks,” I said as I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. I made my way out of the bathroom and down the stairs into the diner’s kitchen.
Two hamburgers were plated alongside a mountain of fries. The smell of meat and grease made my mouth water. I thanked Thomas and grabbed both trays—I might have been hungry enough to eat both—and headed out back to the hammock.
After leaning back and allowing the fabric to envelop me, I tipped my face toward the sky and took in a deep breath. The memory of Grayson’s lips pressed to mine was seared onto my soul.
I was never going to be the same. Everything had changed so fast it felt as if I’d just experienced emotional whiplash. But I didn’t care.
All I knew was my feelings for Grayson had changed. Wholly and completely.
The sound of a twig snapping caused my heart to race. I lifted my head over the edge of the taut hammock fabric and glanced around.
My heart calmed down when my gaze landed on Grayson. His hands were shoved into his front pockets, and he had a sheepish expression on his face.
“Sorry,” he said as he offered me a weak smile. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
I wiggled and shifted until I turned to sit in the hammock with my feet dangling over the side. I waved to the tray of food on the ground and smiled up at Grayson. “You can join me if you want.”
I didn’t have to ask twice. Grayson had the tray of food in his hand and was moving to sit next to me before I could even blink. I giggled as his weight in the hammock caused me to tip toward him.
He smelled and felt just as I remembered. Which made me happy. That way, when he wasn’t around, I could still imagine him next to me. That thought caused my heart to swell.
“You okay?” he asked. His voice was low and full of concern.
I tipped my gaze up toward him and smiled as I took in his furrowed brow, his total and complete attention focused on me. I felt so unbelievably safe next to him. Like nothing in the world could harm me.
And I loved it.
“Yeah,” I said as I snuggled up against him. “Why?”
He shifted so his arm was wrapped protectively around my shoulders. He planted a kiss on the top of my head after I felt him breathe in deep. Tingles raced across my skin at the sensation.
“Your heart is beating pretty hard,” he said as he slipped his hand down one of my arms and rested his fingertips on my wrist.
“It’s a good thing,” I said, the intensity of having him next to me left me breathless.
“So I can take that as a good sign?”
I nodded as I rested my head on his shoulder. “A really good sign.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “Good.”
We ate in silence, and after our food was finished, we just lay there, snuggled up next to each other. I felt so calm, so at peace, that it didn’t take long for my eyelids to drift closed.
I must have been dreaming because suddenly I felt as if I were flying through the air. Then the sensation of my bed under me caused me to stir.
But, when Grayson’s arms surrounded me once more, I drifted back to sleep. The last thing I remembered was Grayson whispering something in my ear.
Something about fate, and that he wished he could hold onto me for one more night.
I twisted to ask him what he meant, but I was only met with the darkness of my room.
Confused, I turned and grabbed hold of a nearby pillow, hugging it.
Whatever he’d said, I could ask him about it tomorrow. Right now, I was going to sleep. I was exhausted.
12
Grayson
It took all my strength to leave Rose sleeping on her bed.
After I’d cradled her in my arms and lifted her through her window, I was pretty sure I was a complete goner.
She was everything I’d ever wanted. She was beautiful, sweet, and incredibly sexy. I’d never felt the kind of heat that I felt from her kisses. The way her body felt against mine, and the way our lips moved in unison…I was a goner the moment I let down my guard.
And then snuggling with her on the hammock, where I felt her open up and let me in, was everything I’d been trying to convince myself that I didn’t need.
She was my everything. I wasn’t ever going to find another person who completed me quite like she did. She was my fate. My destiny. And I would live my life in pursuit of her protection.
After jumping from her window, I took off into the woods, shifting as soon as I was under the protection of the trees. Being a wolf made the whole world seem different.
Even though I was a hundred yards away from Rose, I could still hear her heartbeat. Hear the soft sighs as she slept. It caused my heart to race and made my stomach burn. My heart begged me to run back to her. To take her in my arms and hold her until her eyes opened and morning light shone through her windows.
It was pure torture, but it was a torture I welcomed.
After working off some tension, I veered back to town and over to Liam’s house. The thought of the strange wolf on our land wouldn’t leave me alone. I wanted to know what had happened and who the wolf was. It was vital for Rose’s protection, so it was at the forefront of my mind.
I shifted into human form as I exited the forest. I crossed Liam’s backyard and jogged up the back steps.
I rapped a few times on the door and paused, listening for movement. It didn’t take long. Pretty soon the door opened, and Liam peered out at me.
He looked tired. And stressed. I could feel his pain—the pain of losing Cora.
“Hey, man,” he said as he grasped my hand and brought me in for a one-armed hug.
I pounded his back. “How’re you doing?”
He shrugged as he dropped my hand and made his way into the kitchen, where he pulled open the fridge. He chucked a soda in my direction and then grabbed one for himself.
The fridge door slid shut as he cracked the tab of his root beer and downed it.
I did the same, not realizing until then how thirsty I was. Once the can was empty, I crushed it with my hand and sent it sailing into the nearby garbage.
Liam growled as he grabbed my can and dumped it—along with his—into the blue recycling bin. “Dad will freak,” he mumbled under his breath.
Once the cans were disposed of, he turned to study me. “Why are you so happy?” he asked as he furrowed his brow.
I just shrugged. I knew what he was going to say when he found out what had happened between me and Rose. It was the same stuff I’d said to him when I found out about Cora. It could never last. I was just going to end up hurt and broken.
Even though I knew those were the facts, I wasn’t ready to hear them. Being with Rose had made me feel so alive. So complete.
So I let out my breath as I focused on controlling my emotions. “Just a good day. I mean, we won the game, didn’t we?”
Liam met my gaze. I could tell he was skeptical that I would be this happy about a football game, but before he could ask more q
uestions, the back door opened and Mr. Bronson and Coach Pennington walked in. They looked worn-out, and their clothes were bloodied.
Their gaze swept over us as Mr. Bronson walked over to the sink.
“What are you boys doing?” he asked as he wetted a few towels and then handed one over to Coach, who started dabbing at the wounds on his arms.
Liam stared at his dad. “What happened to you?” he asked, stepping forward. I could feel his agitation, and I wanted him to calm down. But he was angry, and there was no stopping him.
“Dirk and I were just doing a little patrolling.” Mr. Bronson dabbed at the jagged cut running down his forearm.
That didn’t seem to appease Liam. “Why didn’t you call me? I could have helped.” Liam began pacing, and I could feel his anger building.
Mr. Bronson studied his son. “I didn’t realize that I needed your permission to do my job.”
Liam stopped moving. “Your job? What about your job to take over the mother pack? With you as the leader things might…change.” Liam’s voice drifted off as he suddenly realized what he’d almost let slip.
But that didn’t stop Mr. Bronson. He set the rag down on the counter and approached Liam. “So you can be with a human.” I knew it was supposed to be a question, but from the way Mr. Bronson said it, it came out as a statement.
“Theo,” Coach said, stepping forward. “He’s hurting because he called it off. No need to berate him more.”
Liam snapped his gaze over to Coach and narrowed his eyes. “You told him?” he asked. I could feel the challenge in his demeanor.
Coach raised his hands as if it to ward off Liam’s anger. “I had to. He’s the alpha. When he asks, I have to be honest.”
Liam scoffed as he dropped his gaze and began pacing. There was a submission to his stance that told me he understood, even if it still hurt. For Liam, being betrayed was akin to a physical blow.
Mr. Bronson flicked his gaze over to Coach and then back to Liam. I could tell Liam’s dad was frustrated, but Coach’s words had seemed to calm him down.
“You know my feelings about the mother pack,” Mr. Bronson said. “There has to be another way.” He turned back to the sink and rested his hands on either side. He tipped his head forward and took in a few deep breaths. “That’s not my home anymore. I can’t go back to that place.”
“So you’d rather just let us die?” Liam asked, his anger building. He stepped toward his dad.
I felt for him, I did. I wanted to fix the problem but didn’t know how. I knew how broken up he was about Cora, and that this was his way of dealing with that pain.
Fighting was all he had left.
“I think you need to take a walk,” Mr. Bronson said as he stepped forward, challenging his son.
Coach’s gaze was on me, and I knew what he was thinking. It was my job to get Liam out of there before he lost control, and they destroyed the inside of the house.
I grabbed Liam’s shoulders. He shifted, trying to break loose. But I wasn’t going to let go without a fight. He needed to leave before something bad happened, and I was going to be the one to make him.
“Come on,” I said, keeping my voice low. I hoped he would draw on my relaxed state and let go of his chaotic one.
Liam met my gaze, fire and anger blazing inside of him. I could feel his shoulders rising and falling with his haggard breathing.
“Let’s just take some time to cool down,” I said as I began to push him toward the back door.
Liam growled, but he didn’t resist. He allowed me to guide him to the door and push him through it.
Once we were outside, I didn’t have to coax him. He made his way to the edge of the woods and shifted. I followed him, shifting as soon as I was hidden in the trees.
We took off through the woods. I remained a few paces behind him, not really sure where we were going. We ran for what felt like an hour in a haphazard circle around Smoky Hills. It wasn’t until Liam stopped at the edge of the forest near Cora’s house that I knew what he was doing.
He was fighting his desire for Cora.
Wanting to give him a minute, I pulled back, hiding myself in the woods. I kept Liam in my sight but just barely. I wanted him to have the time he needed to mourn the relationship he couldn’t have.
He shifted into human form and took a step out into Cora’s backyard. I thought about calling him back, but I could feel the ache that coursed through him and decided against it.
I would be here if he needed me. But right now, having me around was probably the last thing he wanted.
I settled back into the woods, lying down on the soft leaves. I focused my attention on the forest, listening for something, anything that would indicate something was wrong.
But nothing came. It wasn’t until I awoke to the bright sun beating down on me that I realized I’d fallen asleep.
I stretched out, feeling the tension leave my legs. I yawned and flicked my ears, listening for the sound of movement.
All I could hear was the soft snoring of Liam, who lay in wolf form a few feet off. I chuckled as I stretched out and nudged him with my nose.
Liam growled and sprang to his feet. His gaze was panicked as he stared at me.
Geez, I thought, shaking my head.
Liam growled again and, in the blink of an eye, shifted back into human form. I followed his lead and did the same.
“You let me sleep out in the woods?” I asked as I pressed my hands into the small of my back and stretched.
Liam shrugged. “You were out by the time I got back. I tried to wake you, but you almost bit my head off, so I figured it was best to leave you alone.”
I chuckled as I glanced around. “This reminds me of when we’d just started shifting. Remember? We’d beg your dad to let us sleep outside.”
I felt Liam’s anger soften as he laughed. “Yeah. We couldn’t wait to shift. The woods were our playground.”
I nodded as I glanced around. Back then, things had been simpler. We didn’t have to worry about the mother pack or our fates. All we’d done all day long was run through the woods, discovering the power we now possessed.
It was hard not to miss that innocence.
I glanced over at Liam and caught him staring at Cora’s house. The wind shifted every so often, revealing the white siding through the trees. My heart hurt for my best friend. I wanted him to be happy, and I knew just what he needed. But she was the one thing he couldn’t have.
Just like I couldn’t have Rose. But I wasn’t going to think about that right now.
I cleared my throat and nodded toward Cora’s house. “What are you going to do?”
Liam flicked his gaze over at me and then back to the house. He shrugged as he reached down and picked up a fallen branch. “I don’t know.” He chucked the branch into the woods. “There’s nothing I can do.”
I gave him a soft smile that I hoped came across as supportive. Even though I knew it was hollow comfort, my support was all I could offer.
Liam turned and shot me a pained expression. Then he nodded toward the woods. “I’m going to go for a run. Work off some of this energy that’s pent up inside of me.” He furrowed his brow. “You going to be okay?”
I nodded, trying to still my heartbeat. Without Liam around, I knew exactly where I was headed. To Rose. To pull her into my arms and hold her tight.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, hoping Liam wouldn’t sense the shift in my emotions.
If he did, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just nodded and took off into the trees. The last thing I saw was a glimpse of his tail.
Once he was gone, I let out the breath that I had been holding and glanced back at the town. I started making my way through the trees that lined the backyards of Smoky Hills until I got to my house.
After a quick shower and change of clothes, I jogged down the street in search of one place. Jordan’s diner.
Once I got to the diner, I pulled open the front door and slipped inside. Mrs. Jordan ran her g
aze over me and then nodded in the direction of an empty booth on the far side of the restaurant.
It was Saturday morning in Smoky Hills which meant the place was crowded.
I nodded my thanks and headed toward the table, slipping into the faded and ripped booth. I drummed my fingers on the table as I tipped my head back and forth, waiting for the familiar beat of Rose’s heart.
It didn’t take long before that lovely sound met my ears. I smiled as I zeroed in on the swinging kitchen door, knowing that in a matter of seconds, Rose was going to appear.
I settled back in my booth, not breaking my concentration. After all, this was what I was born for. To love Rose. And for now—until I forced myself to realize that nothing could ever happen between us—I was going to bask in this feeling of completeness.
I was hers, and she was mine. And right then, that was all that mattered.
13
Cora
I let out my breath as I pulled the blankets up under my chin. It was nine in the morning on a Saturday, but I didn’t care. I was comfortable lying on the couch, watching all the sappy rom-coms I could get my hands on.
I had no other plans for the entire day.
I shoved my hand into a bowl of peanut M&M’s as Mom walked in. She shot me a concerned look, and I just shrugged.
Mom sighed as she walked over, patted down the blanket next to me—as if she were trying to figure out where her daughter was under the mess of fabric—and sat down.
“I’m headed downstairs to open.” Her voice was soft, like she was about to break some bad news.
I just nodded. “Okay,” I said through a mouthful of candy.
Mom sighed again. It was what she always did before laying down the law.
I groaned as I shifted to a sitting position. Then I turned to face her. She wasn’t going to leave until I acknowledged her, so I might as well get it over with.
“Yes?” I asked, emphasizing the word with the rise of my eyebrows.
Mom shot me a look that told me she did not appreciate my tone. But then she smoothed the pant legs of her scrubs in a slow, methodical manner.