“I need to find her,” I said. “I have to make sure she knows what she is now and how the magic works. I need to make sure she understands the risks of having an insane group of shifters get their hands on her.”
“Not all shifters are like that,” Liam insisted, his eyes dark.
“I know. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Liam nodded and then said, “I’ll ask around. See if any other shifters nearby have felt her, or if they’ve heard rumors of another Mystic having been chosen.” He stepped close, erasing the small amount of space between us, and placed a hand on my shoulder. Electricity hummed beneath the surface of my skin. “I’ll help you find her, but only if you take it easy for a while. You’ve been through a lot.” His hand slipped along the length of my arm and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his touch.
“Thank you,” I breathed.
“I haven’t done anything yet.”
I opened my eyes. He was closer than before. Inches away. “You have. You’ve done so much since I first stepped into this campground, and I haven’t thanked you enough. I mean, you even rented this place to me for well below the going rate. Don’t think I didn’t notice,” I said to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.
Something was happening between us. There was a magnetic force that pulled us toward one another.
Liam shrugged. “I thought you were cute, and you needed a place to stay. Of course I wanted you to stay here.”
His words surprised me.
Butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach. Granted, cute wasn’t beautiful, sexy, or hot—but it still counted for something.
Liam licked his lips and then leaned in. My eyes closed seconds before his mouth touched mine, and when it did, my entire world shattered to be fused together again, stronger in the weak places. The electrical sensation I felt each time we touched surged through me, charging me with the energy of being alive. I brought my hands up to lock behind his neck and melted against him in the way I’d wanted to since first seeing him beneath the lamppost near the office. His tongue skimmed along my bottom lip, and my stomach quivered.
Liam’s kiss was everything.
This moment—touching him, kissing him, being with him—it felt impossibly right. Perfect. His hand slid beneath my tank top to touch the bare skin of my back, and I trembled before melting against him further. I grazed my teeth over his lower lip and enjoyed the sound of him moaning.
Chapter Nine
“I want this,” Liam breathed. He pulled away, breaking our kiss, and pressed his forehead to mine. “I want you, but not like this. Not after everything that happened tonight. I don’t want you to have regrets and I don’t want to worry that I took advantage of your emotional state.”
“You’re not. I’m fine.”
He searched my eyes as though trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. Whatever he saw must have confirmed he’d made the right call in putting the brakes on because he smoothed his hands down the length of my arms and took a step back. Irritation simmered through my veins, causing my lips to twist into a frown.
I wanted him. I wanted this. I liked the way he made electricity spark beneath my skin—I liked how alive he made me feel.
“I don’t think it’s the right time,” he whispered. He didn’t apologize, but I could see the words burning through the color of his eyes.
“Okay.” I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant about it. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”
Liam rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes never wavering from mine. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll, uh, see you later. Get some rest.”
I fought the desire to roll my eyes and instead settled for folding my arms over my chest. “Yup. Rest. That’s what I plan on doing.” My tone was bitchy and harsh, but I didn’t care. The sting of rejection hurt too much.
He flashed me a half-hearted smile and then disappeared out the door. I locked it behind him. Not that it would do any good against keeping him out. All he had to do was beat on the thing in the right spot and it popped open. I smoothed my hands over my face as I exhaled a deep breath.
Crap.
Liam had kissed me. He’d been a perfect gentleman. And I’d been a freaking bitch to him. Sleep was definitely something I needed—that and food. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten.
I stepped to the mini fridge and pulled the door open to peer inside. Nothing looked appealing. I’d gone too long without eating. Still, I grabbed a small container of fruit salad. Fruit had always been something I could eat anytime. I glanced around Ruby as I picked the blueberries out of the container, eating them first. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows. I sat my fruit salad on the counter and moved to close the blinds. A girl with dark hair wearing a sundress caught my eye. She looked just like Jessica. I jerked away from the window and crouched down.
“It wasn’t her,” I whispered to myself, squeezing my eyes shut. “It can’t be. Jessica is dead.”
My pulse hammered in my ears as I forced myself to stand and look out the window. I held my breath while I peered out. While the girl looked similar to Jessica, it was easy to see she wasn’t her. She was too young and not nearly as tall. I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and closed the blinds. Then, I mentally scolded myself for freaking out the way I had.
I made my way around Ruby, closing blinds as I went. Then, I grabbed my container of fruit and headed to the bed. After I ate the entire contents, I tried to fall asleep, but sleep wouldn’t come. Each time I closed my eyes, I was back at the pond with my head shoved beneath the water or hovering over my limp body watching while Liam revived me. Even Ezra popped into my head a time or two, his hands wrapped around my neck. I flopped around in bed, trying to force the thoughts from my mind, but it did little good. The RV was too hot and stuffy. It was still too bright inside, even with all the blinds closed. And I could hear people outside, laughing, talking, and cars driving by. Each noise sent pinpricks of alarm stabbing through me. I was a bundle of nerves and I didn’t know how to relax.
Liam popped in my head, and I focused on the way it had felt to kiss him.
My thoughts shattered when a new text came through on my phone, startling me. I sat up and grabbed my phone off the counter near where I lay. It was a text from Penny. The tension in my muscles relaxed as my mind focused on something familiar—texting with her.
Hey. Did you guys make it back safely?
I tapped out a reply.
We did. Was everything okay with your mom?
It didn’t take her long to respond. Penny had quick thumbs.
She’d already left for work when I got home, which was a blessing. I called her to check in and let her know I’m home. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.
I frowned. Why was everyone so worried about me?
I’m fine. How are you? I’m sorry you were pulled into all this. I should’ve said something about Ezra and the others sooner. I should have warned you.
Guilt crashed through me. It wasn’t the first time and I doubted it would be the last.
Don’t be sorry. Shit happens. This is just a big pile of it.
I laughed.
True.
She sent me a winking emoji.
I’ll talk to you later.
Sounds good.
I lay back down and closed my eyes, but even after talking with Penny, my mind still returned to the horrific events of the night. They played through my head like a movie reel. One that wouldn’t stop until a clip of my mom lying on the couch surfaced.
I checked the time on my cell. It was almost lunch. She should be awake by now. I scrolled through my phone until I came to her number and then tapped on it. As I pressed my cell to my ear, listening to it ring, my heart sped up. I wanted to talk to her—to hear her voice and make sure she was okay—but I also worried she’d have questions. Ones I didn’t know how to answer, like when I was coming back or what my next move would be.
“Hey, honey,” she said as she answered. Her voice was low, a
nd she sounded groggy.
“Were you sleeping?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
The sound of her moving around, presumably to sit up on the couch, made its way through the phone. “Um, yeah. I must’ve been more exhausted than I thought.” She yawned and then said, “It’s nice to hear your voice though. I’m glad you called. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to give you a call and to check in. I know I should have sooner, but I’ve been busy.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I’m glad things have been going good for you.” There was a slight edge to her tone. My chest tightened because I knew things hadn’t been peachy for her. The sight of the living room when we took her back to the trailer was proof.
“They have been. I’ve been staying at this little campground. It’s cute. I think you’d like it,” I said.
“Oh.” She sounded surprised to learn I wasn’t on the road still or sleeping in my Jeep. “Planning on staying there long?”
I chewed my bottom lip, wondering how to break the news to her that I wasn’t coming back. That this was my home now.
“Um, I think so. I like the RV that I rented, and the people here are nice too.” I wiggled around on the bed, tossing the sheets off me. Suddenly, I was too hot. “I’m thinking about filling out an application at a little diner near here.”
The words fell from my mouth as though they were the truth, and I realized they could be. I could put in an application at Earl’s Diner and work with Dottie. I had experience waiting tables, and staying meant I’d need a source of income. I couldn’t expect Liam to keep charging me such cheap rent for Ruby indefinitely. The campground and RV rentals were how he and his brothers earned their income.
“You’ve always been good at waiting tables.” Sadness wove through her words. “You’ve got the smile for it.”
“Thanks.”
She exhaled a long breath. “I just wasn’t expecting you to move out so soon. It was gonna happen, though. I know that. You’re grown now.” Her voice quivered, and I knew it was because she was on the verge of tears. “I love you, Tris. Don’t be a stranger, okay? You can always come visit me or pick up the phone and call anytime. I want to hear from you.”
Tears filled my eyes. “I love you too. I’ll try to call frequently. Promise.”
“Good. I’d like that.”
Silence built. It had me shifting on the bed.
“So, any word from Corbin?” Mom asked. She sounded hesitant to mention him, but also as though she couldn’t handle the silence building between us anymore.
Maybe she was where I got my hatred of awkward silences from.
“Not a word,” I said, my voice stiff.
“You’re probably better off.”
Her words surprised me.
“Yeah. I think I am,” I said.
She yawned again, and I heard the squeak of the couch as she shifted around. “I think I’m going to get off here. I’m just so dang tired. I hope I’m not coming down with something. It would be just my luck to get sick with something awful in the middle of summer.”
I laughed, even though I knew the real reason she was tired. “Rest up. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye, honey. Love you.”
“Love you too,” I said before hanging up.
I set my cell on the counter, and then lay back down in the bed. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind, knowing I needed rest too. A few minutes later, sleep finally found me.
It wasn’t restful, though. Jessica and Ezra visited me again.
* * *
When I woke up, it was dark outside. I felt around blindly for my cell to check the time. It was nearly ten thirty at night. I also had a text from Penny. She said she didn’t think she’d be able to visit for a few weeks. Work was giving her crap for being a no call/no show, and her mom hadn’t been as cool with her disappearing for two days as she’d thought.
I didn’t think she would be.
Also, Penny said her mom was freaked out about the satanic cult Ezra and his friends were part of. The news of their crazy rituals taking place at the old sawmill was front page news, exactly like we thought it would be, and everyone was on edge because of it. Even my mom had sent me a text about it. She said we’d been right in thinking I was better off without Corbin.
I shot Penny a reply back, letting her know I was okay with her coming to visit in a few weeks, that there were things I needed to get situated here first anyway—like finding a job of my own. I also told her not to be too hard on her mom for putting her on house arrest and reminded her she was only doing it because she loved her. Then, I sent a text to my mom saying that was crazy.
My stomach growled, forcing me to notice how hungry I was. I slipped from bed and padded to the mini fridge, flipping on the light above the sink as I went. As I stared at the contents, I made a mental note to thank Rayna for all she’d done. My eyes landed on the salmon and rice dish Liam had pointed out as a clan favorite. I grabbed it and popped it in the microwave. The scent of lemon and herbs flowed through Ruby, making my stomach growl painfully loud.
After I ate, I downed an entire glass of water and then grabbed some clean clothes. A trip to the bathhouse was necessary.
When I stepped outside, the sounds of night were in full swing. Crickets chirped, and in the distance I could hear an owl. The sky was clear, allowing each star to be visible. Summer nights were always my favorite, but right now, I was too on edge to enjoy much of anything. As I headed in the direction of the bathhouse, I noticed the smell of smoke lingering in the air.
Someone had a fire going.
I imagined this wasn’t an unusual scent at the campground. People came here to relax by fires and roast marshmallows. I gripped the strap to my backpack tighter and picked up my pace. There was no one else walking around this time of night, but I could still feel eyes on me.
Goose bumps prickled across my skin from the sensation.
When I was steps from the bathhouse, the sound of someone else’s shoes crunching against the gravel road made its way to my ears. My body stiffened. I tried to steady my breathing, but it was too far out of whack. I was spiraling downward fast, my mind dipping to crazy thoughts of who might be coming at me.
Marshall? Demi? Someone new who wanted my Mystic magic?
I was almost about to make a run for it when someone said my name. The voice was familiar, and when I spun toward them, I spotted Nash a few feet away. He had a wicked grin stretched across his face, like he knew he’d freaked me out and had enjoyed it.
Jerk.
“Everyone’s at Rhett and Rafe’s tonight. We’re having a bonfire. You should come,” he said, his smirk dimming. It didn’t take long for the broody look I’d come to associate with him to force its way back onto his face.
“I might. After I get cleaned up. I feel gross.” Surprisingly, my voice was steady when I spoke.
Nash nodded and then started walking toward Rafe and Rhett’s cabin in the opposite direction I was headed. I continued toward the bathhouse, my heart no longer hammering inside my chest.
The bathhouse was too quiet, but playing music on my phone to fill the silence was out of the question. I wanted to be able to hear if someone else came in. Every noise made me freeze, but I still managed to take the fastest shower ever. Being alone in a creepy bathhouse at night wasn’t the best idea. However, being alone in an RV wasn’t the best idea either.
Rafe and Rhett’s bonfire it was, then.
The sound of laughter and people chatting hung in the air the closer to their cabin I came. Everyone sounded as though they were having a good time. I wasn’t sure if they were celebrating things with Ezra’s pack being behind them, or celebrating that they’d survived. Either way, I almost felt as though I was intruding when I rounded the cabin, until Liam spotted me. He waved and then motioned to a vacant fold out chair beside him. The setup at Rafe and Rhett’s wasn’t as nice as Liam’s, but I thought it felt cozier. It reminded me of bei
ng at Penny’s house and hanging out in her backyard. They had a firepit, and when we were little, we’d roast marshmallows on the summer nights I spent there, sitting in the folding bag chairs her mom had.
“Hey,” Liam said when I was steps away from him.
My cheeks warmed. Suddenly, all I could think about was our kiss and the way I’d behaved when he’d left. “Hey.”
“Nash said he ran into you on the way here. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to come by. Actually, I was about to make sure you were all right.” He flashed me a lopsided grin before taking a sip of his beer.
“Here I am. I saved you a trip.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” His eyes roamed over me before coming back to lock with my own. It was such an un-Liam thing to do. I imagined it was because of the alcohol in his system.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about earlier.” He smoothed a hand over the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to rush off, but it was the only way I knew I’d for sure be able to keep my hands to myself.”
“It’s okay.” I started to say something else, but Rafe walked up with a bag of marshmallows in one hand and a beer in the other.
“Care for one or both?” he asked with a shit-eating grin.
“Both,” I said.
“My kind of woman.” Rafe winked. A low growl rumbled from Liam. Rafe’s eyes snapped to him. He held his hands up in surrender. “What? I didn’t mean anything like that. It’s just a saying. Damn.”
Liam’s eyes were bright, his bear having come to the surface. His possessiveness over me didn’t bother me as much as it would have a few weeks ago. Instead, I found that I liked it.
It was funny how people could change so quickly.
“So.” I licked my lips as I took the beer from Rafe and then reached into the bag of marshmallows for one. “What are we celebrating?”
“Surviving a pack of crazy-ass coyotes,” Rafe said.
“The Mystic blessing us with her gift,” Rayna chimed in from where she sat in a chair on the opposite side of the fire. When I locked eyes with her, she smiled and gave me a knowing nod as she squeezed Tobin’s sleeping form closer.
Claimed: Gem Creek Bears, Book Three Page 7
