"I told Emily's aunt I would have her back by midnight, so no partying going on here." Not that Zach would probably go to any party anyway. He wasn't big into watching everyone else get drunk and make total fools of themselves. Now, Jacob and Danny both had been known to hit a few parties. But a lot of that changed once Alex and Danny sort of became a couple.
"That's cool. You have to be home by midnight, too, right, Alex?" Danny pulled her closer to him to satiate both his wolf and himself. Alex fell right in line beside him. It was a mutual feeling of contentment when they were near each other. She nodded she did and leaned closer to him as his arm wrapped tighter around her.
Zach drove Alex home first, then waited with Emily while Danny walked her to the front door and did the whole goodnight kiss. He wasn't sure how that was going to go with Emily when he dropped her off. His wolf was all for the more touching and kissing event. Well, Zach was too, but he didn't know if she would be all into it since it was sort of their first date.
After about a ten-minute goodbye, Danny got back into the car. Zach drove him over to his house and stopped at the beginning of the long drive that went back into the wooded area.
"Text me in the morning," Danny told Zach as he got out of the car. Zach nodded he would. "See ya, Em." Danny shut the car door and took off at a fast jog down into the pitch-black darkness of his driveway.
"Um, isn't he afraid of walking the whole way back home in the dark?" Emily knew she'd be peeing her pants if she had to walk that whole distance by herself this time of the night.
"Nah, he does it all the time."
Zach knew there were things in the night they needed to be aware of. But, with their wolf's keen sense of smell, ability to run fast, and the pack being on alert and patrol, there wasn't any reason to worry about things that went 'boo' in the night.
"So, how'd you like your first West Lakes football game and dance?" Zach glanced at her from the corner of his eye and saw a big smile form across her face, which was a good sign for him.
***
"It was great. Thanks for taking me." Emily got that butterfly feeling in the pit of her stomach the closer they got to her house.
Would he just drive up and drop her off, or would he walk her to her front door?
Would he try to kiss her?
Was she ready to start a new relationship?
She felt something with him. Nothing like she felt before with her other past boyfriends. Even though they'd only known each other for a short time, she could still tell this was something that was going somewhere.
Hopefully, he felt the same way.
Em was so wrapped in her thoughts she didn't even recognize ten minutes of silence had gone by, and Zach had parked in the space by the front of her house. The porch light was on, and she could see a faint glow coming from the living room, which indicated Aunt Maureen was up and waiting for her to return home.
Zach automatically jumped out and came around to the passenger side of the car. He opened her door and held out his hand for her to take, which she did graciously.
"So." Zach ran his fingers through his hair and looked like he was searching for words. "Um, maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"
Emily gazed up at him and was once again awestruck by his handsome face and chiseled body. He was looking down at her like he was waiting for an answer. "That would be great." She smiled softly up at him, trying to will him with her mind to kiss her.
***
Zach's face dipped lower to Em's. She wasn't backing away, so that was a good thing. The softness of her lips overwhelmed him as he tasted her for the first time. His inner wolf pushed him to go further, but Zach knew if he did, it would scare her off permanently. He slowly opened his mouth to see what kind of response he would get and was surprised when she did the same. His tongue danced around with hers in a dance of seduction. He groaned as she slowly let her arms fall from around his neck down the length of his chest and abdomen. It was kind of exciting to see she had a little experience in this department, but it angered his wolf to know someone else had put their mouth and hands on what he claimed to be his.
Zach slowly pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. He felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, and he could hear her breathing was as labored as his from the wild moment they just had.
"I better get going." Zach finally had caught his breath and was able to speak.
Emily nodded and backed herself away.
Zach's wolf howled in protest, but there wasn't anything either one of them could do at that moment to stop the night from ending.
"I know Auntie is waiting up for me and probably wondering what's taking so long to get in." Emily sheepishly glanced up at him before casting her eyes to the ground.
Zach came close to her and kissed her gently on the lips. "I'll call you tomorrow." He walked back down the sidewalk toward his car before his wolf could put up any more of a protest. He watched as she went inside of her house and turned off the outside light before heading home.
***
Emily watched as Zach's car pulled away from the house, and the taillights went dim in the distance. She tried to silently go up the stairs so Auntie wouldn't be disturbed, and she also wanted to keep her and Zach's unique moment to herself, just for a little while.
"Did you have fun?" Auntie's voice rang out from the living room before Emily made it up three steps.
Emily let out a deep sigh and slowly turned around to go and speak with her aunt. "Hey." She plopped down on the loveseat across from where her aunt was lying on the sofa. "I thought you might've been sleeping." She tried to cover up the fact she was trying to sneak upstairs.
"Nope. I waited up to make sure you made it home safely. So, how were the game and dance?" Aunt Maureen scooted and sat upright on the sofa.
"It was good. West Lakes won the game, and the band that played sounded good at the dance. I think maybe you should try and go see them sometime when they are playing nearby." They played all eighties music, so she knew her aunt would appreciate that. "They played Poison." Emily knew that would grab her attention, and maybe she'd forget to ask about Zach.
Aunt Maureen's eyes went wide, and she leaned forward on the sofa like she was interested. "That would be nice and all, but work is keeping me pretty busy right now. And I don't think anyone can do Poison like the one and only Bret." She had a dreamlike expression on her face. "So." Auntie clapped her hands together. "How about Zach? Did you all get along okay?"
Emily knew what her aunt was hinting around to. "Yes, we did, and no, I'm not telling you anymore." She pretended to zip her lips shut.
"Ah, so are we looking at a potential new boyfriend?" Aunt Maureen scooted up on the sofa so she was almost eye level with Emily. "Maybe we can have him come over more often so I can get to know him a little better. I know you're almost eighteen, but I still worry about you."
Emily reached over the space separating them and gave her aunt a quick hug. "I know you do, and I really want you to get to know Zach because right now I think he's really awesome, but just let me get to know him a little better before we start the whole Auntie interrogation of him."
"Alrighty, but I will get my turn to see what kind of boy has made my niece go all love-sick." Aunt Maureen stood and stretched her arms up over her head. "This old lady needs to get some sleep. I have to go into work for a little, so that means no gallivanting around with your new-found friends until I get home."
Emily nodded that she understood.
Aunt Maureen hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "Night, baby." She walked up the stairs to her room.
Emily lay down on the vacant sofa and turned on the TV to some crime show. She would probably end up sleeping in the living room tonight, that's if she got to sleep at all. Thoughts of Zach kept running through her mind, and wanting to see him again was a priority. She closed her eyes and let the night's events play once again like a dream come true fairy tale.
***
Zach saw Jacob s
till hadn't returned when he got back from dropping Emily off. He wanted to talk to him and find out what did happen between him and Madison, but doing so might ruin the perfect night he and Emily seemed to have with each other.
He grabbed water out of the fridge and checked one more time to see if he could see any headlights from Jacob's car coming up the road. After watching the darkness of the night, he climbed the stairs to go to his room and was sure to have pleasant dreams based on the events of the night.
Chapter Seventeen
Madison woke up to her cell phone ringing in Alex's tone. She was going to let it go to voicemail but decided just because she was pissed off at Jacob she couldn't take it out on her friends.
"Hey, what's up?"
"I was checking up on you to make sure you were doing a little better than last night." Alex was always the comforter of the group and strived to make sure everyone was happy. "So, are you ever going to tell me what went on with you and Jacob after you went outside? Don't say nothing because I know that would be total bull."
Madison was trying hard to forget about last night. It was time to forget about Jacob. Not that she like-liked him in the first place, but the way he was last night when he kissed her was like something she'd never experienced before. It was like a flame inside her had sprung to life and was at a critical burning level.
Time to forget and move on.
"I'm good," was the only thing she could mutter out to Alex about how she was feeling.
"Okay, whatever. When you're ready to talk, I'll be here." Alex could tell Madison was still hurting from whatever Jacob had done or said, and she'd get to the bottom of it even if she had to confront the pain-in-the-ass herself. "So, what are you doing today?"
"I was sleeping, but now I don't know. I didn't have anything planned, did you?"
"Danny and I were going to maybe hang out with Zach and Emily. Wanna come along?" Alex already knew the answer before she asked the question. She mouthed the exact same words as Madison spoke them.
"No. I don't want to be the third wheel."
"You wouldn't be. It would just be friends hanging out. Maybe we could go hiking at the park." Alex knew that suggestion would be a no-go, too.
"I'll pass. Maybe I'll finish up the homework I have to do for Monday." Madison seriously didn't want to run into Jacob or be questioned for the hundredth time of what happened.
"Well, I'll give you a call before we leave. Maybe you can join us."
"We'll see. Later." Madison clicked the off button and threw the pillow back over her head. She seriously needed something to take her mind off the one boy who seemed always to irritate but excite her all at the same time.
***
Jacob was dead-ass tired. It had been a rough night of running until he finally neared exhaustion. He needed to get rid of the extra burst of energy he always felt when Madison was around. Usually, that’s when Brindle came in use, but nothing happened last night since he dissed her in front of everyone at the dance. Plus, there was no way he, or his wolf, could ever find comfort with Brindle when they finally got a taste of Madison.
Zach was waiting for him when he got downstairs.
"What?" He shoved past Zach to get into the kitchen.
"Where'd you go last night?"
"Out." Jacob opened up his soda can and drank it all in one gulp.
"Running?" Zach wanted to press the issue concerning Madison, but he knew Jacob would fight it all the way.
"Yep." Jacob walked back out of the kitchen and grabbed his shoes.
"What's going on with you and Madison?" Zach knew he wouldn't get any sensible answer, but hey, it was worth the shot.
"Nothing." Jacob opened up the front door. He had no clue as to where he was going, but he knew he couldn't hang around his brother all day. He wasn't ready to talk to anyone about what his wolf kept telling him about Madison being their mate.
"Whatever. Just don't fuck around with her." Zach and Madison had been friends ever since they came to West Lakes. He wasn't going to see his younger self-absorbed brother use her and then toss her to the side as he'd done with every other girl.
"That's what I'm trying to avoid." Jacob let the door slam shut and took off on another fast-paced sprint while shifting mid-air as he jumped over a log.
Zach watched his brother shift into the incredible looking beast he always became when he changed from man to wolf, the one with the glistening black fur and piercing gray eyes. He was still a little stunned by Jacob's last comment. He sounded genuine in not wanting to hurt Madison. That proved the point something was developing between them, like with Alex and Emily for him and Danny. But why now and how did these girls fit into the whole scheme of everything that had happened or was going to occur?
***
Jacob ran once again until he nearly exhausted himself. He climbed the steep embankment after he'd gotten a drink from the freshwater creek that ran through West Lakes' three thousand acre park. He knew where he was going and who would probably be there before he set sights upon the clearing. Not only was he able to pick up on Madison's smell wherever she was, but now that he had more of a taste of her from their kiss, he'd be more drawn to wherever she went.
As he reached the peak, he saw her seated once again in the same spot as she was before. He couldn't change back into human form and approach her. He shredded all his clothes when he shifted back at his house. His wolf wanted to go closer, but Jacob reigned in control and held steadfast to his spot. He just wanted to watch and find out all she could do.
***
Madison knew coming here would help her calm herself and help to get rid of any thoughts still lingering around about Jacob. She tried to find a spell in her book her grandmother had given to her to block someone from her mind mentally, but that type of sorcery was only for those who had been practicing forever. She had the 'How to Perform Witchcraft for Dummies' edition that was for beginners only. She was stuck working with the elements for now, which was a cool thing to do sometimes.
The hairs and skin on the back of her neck prickled. She felt like she was being watched. Madison scanned the trees to her right but didn't pick up on any feeling of something or someone being there. She turned front and center and did the same concentration.
She summoned the wind to assist her and part the trees so she could see what stood watching. The wind did as she commanded and parted to the trees in her line of vision. There stood two deer that looked too startled to run because their covering had disappeared.
Jacob was awed once again at what he'd witnessed Madison do. Without time to respond, the covering that kept him hidden swept open, and he stood like the surprised deer did moments before. His wolf stared straight into the eyes of Madison, and again the feeling of serenity surrounded him.
Madison sucked in a breath of air. It was her wolf watching her once again. Well, not her wolf, since she couldn't take claim to something so wild, but her wolf in the sense she felt another tug toward him. Although he was a good thirty yards away, she could clearly see it was the same look she had seen in Jacob's eyes the night before.
But, how could that be?
Before she could make any movement in his direction, the wolf darted back down the hill and was out of her line of sight within three seconds.
The calling of the elements and seeing the wolf once again exhausted Madison. She packed up her belongings she always brought and walked back to her car on the other side of the hill from which the wolf had gone.
Chapter Eighteen
The weekend went by quickly with Zach spending as much time with Emily as possible. As per request by her aunt, Danny and Alex were with them with whatever they did. They all spent most of their time outdoors, so they weren't stuck in each other's homes. The park had become their second home over the weekend. Madison was a no-show on both days, and Jacob was rarely around the house when Zach did go home. The pack was still on patrol even though no sightings had occurred. Their father was supposedly calling for another
meeting, which signified more members at the house and hopefully another way to bring down the vampire and clan that had ruined his whole family.
Weeks passed without any incident. The pack meeting went by with no new information or leads available to or from the younger members who were always on watch. Zach could tell his father was becoming more irate with the whole Orfeo and dhampir drama, for which they never got any headway. A trail by their best tracker would always be noted but lost because of the weak scent. Zach had questioned his father and the other elders as to why this always happened. Why was it he or most of the other members couldn't get anything from the scent? How was the smell of Orfeo's clan so concealed?
The elders explained the vampire scent could be covered, but not to the extent the pack wouldn't be able to track. They knew a dhampir wouldn't have a strong aroma or one they could easily track until after the eighteenth birthday. It was like that for the wolves also with their individual smell. But it was harder for a vamp to follow a wolf based on smell because they were more enhanced with vision, and at times, speed. But each had an equal amount of strength and the determination to kill the other.
Zach and Emily had been getting along great the past two months. Danny and Alex were to the point where he wanted to tell her all about the shifters and how he was one of them but didn't know how to do so precisely. He talked to Zach about it, but he was just as clueless. He had no idea how to explain this mess to Emily without sounding like he needed to be placed into a mental institute.
***
"What's up?" Zach saw Danny was agitated when he picked him up for school.
Danny blew out a long-held breath. "Shit. A lot now. I was over Alex's last night, and her mom and dad wanted to talk to her with me there." Danny pushed his hair back and rubbed his face. "So, I'm thinking we're going to get the whole sex and be careful talk. But no, they come out and tell Alex she was adopted when she was a baby, and since she's turning eighteen next month, they wanted to give her some of the information they had if she wanted to find her birth parents."
Revelations (Separate Worlds Book 1) Page 9
