“Yeah, may as well. I want to get this over so I know where I stand. Besides, my mom’s gone, so it’ll be easier to head out without a thousand questions.”
Without another word, we make our way downstairs. Once outside, I lock the front door and follow the sidewalk to the driveway. When we reach my Ford Escape, I turn to face him, leaning against the blue door.
“So, is your mom working today?” Wade asks.
I shake my head. “No, she went shopping. Something about a big conference coming up in a couple of weeks that she has to attend.”
He nods. “Does she know about you going to Windhaven?”
I grimace.
“Oh, intrigue. Why didn’t you tell her?” Wade asks.
“You know why. She doesn’t understand the whole Windhaven draw. The last thing I want to do is get her riled up right now. She’ll assume I want to take over the world with superpowers or something.” I kick off the door so I can open it and toss my purse onto the passenger seat.
Twisting around, I turn to face him and he wraps his arms around me. He pulls me in tight, turning a simple hug into something borderline sexy. Chills race across the surface of my skin and a part of me wants nothing more than to forget going to Windhaven and, instead, bring him back inside and do unspeakable things to him.
“Get the answers you need, beautiful,” Wade whispers in my ear.
As he pulls back from our embrace, his hands make their way to my face and he guides me in close. Electricity sparks between us and, like a magnet, I’m drawn to him. My hands rise to his hair, weaving themselves into his dark locks.
When he pulls back, my world is spinning.
“Mmmm…” he says dreamily. “Have I mentioned I’m glad I went to the cemetery that night?”
Involuntarily, I lean back against my car door, and smile.
He beams, taking a tentative step backward. “You’ll let me know when you’re back, right?”
Still unable to form words, I nod.
He seems to understand as he reaches around to open my car door for me. Nodding at the gesture, I sit and roll down the window. Reaching for the ignition, I start my beat-up SUV.
“Are you sure this thing will get you there?” Wade chuckles.
I’ve had Big Blue forever, but her time is coming to an end, of that I have no doubt.
“I’ll be fine,” I say, still grinning to myself.
“Okay, well, text me when you get there. And if you need me, just say the word. I’ll come find you,” he says, placing his hands on the windowsill.
“I will,” I whisper.
Wade bends in, planting one last gentle kiss on my lips through the open window.
“All right, then, see ya around, Dru,” he says, backing up and flashing his trademark wink.
Despite my desire to stay, I ground myself to my better judgment, and put Blue into gear. “See ya in a bit, Angel.”
As I drive off, he taps the back of my vehicle. I turn on my hazards; a final good-bye before I drive out of sight. My eyes flit to the side mirror to get a final glance of him. He waits, standing in the middle of the road, until I can no longer see him at all.
Leaning back into my seat, I let out a low groan.
“Oh my god, I am in so much trouble with him,” I say aloud, unable to ignore the desire beginning to build inside me.
Despite myself, I don’t spend the two-hour drive to Windhaven thinking about what I need to ask my dad, or what I’d like to learn from him about our family history. Instead, I spend it fighting myself about how soon is too soon to hop into bed with Wade. Oddly enough, it’s a welcome distraction.
As I make the final turn down my dad’s extended driveway, nervous energy erupts in my stomach, and I realize I’m walking into this totally unprepared. The last time I was here wasn’t the most pleasant of times, to say the least. I spent more than a few weeks in bed—and even more of that confined to my room, despite it being a large house.
The trees on either side have a mysterious air about them as the sunlight filters through the branches arching over the road. There isn’t another house anywhere in eyeshot and a hint of anxiety trips into my consciousness.
It’s like going back in time.
Or at least what I imagine going back in time would be like.
I sit up straighter, clutching the steering wheel a bit tighter as I search for any signs of sentient life. Suddenly, the trees give way to a large clearing and the overgrown dirt driveway gives way to an older, cobblestone one.
As the enormous ancestral home comes into view, memories flood in. There weren’t just crappy times here. I do remember some happy ones. Ones when we were all a family, but they’re hazy. However, there’s still a piece of me that loves the house and wishes I could go back to those simpler times.
Now that I’m older, I definitely admire the architecture and style of this old Georgian manor. Its entire presence commands the landscape to embrace it and hold it safe, and it’s utterly breathtaking. The barely turning leaves are still in contrast with the gray stonework, making the front façade pop. The oversized windows adorn much of house, and I remember fondly that when the curtains are pulled back, it lets an incredible amount of light into the home.
I continue down the cobblestones at a slow pace until they start to loop around in front of the main entrance. An old statue of a weeping angel rests in the middle of the loop, surrounded by vines and flowers starting to die back from the colder weather. Tilting my head to the side, I put the vehicle in park and kick open my door. Before heading to the house, I walk up to the statue to have a better look. Interestingly, the angel is male, not the stereotypical female. But like many of the others, his face rests into his bent arm as he leans against a stone pillar.
I don’t know why I didn’t take much notice of it as a kid, but it creeps me out a bit now.
Blowing out a puff of air, I turn around and my chin tips upward as I take in the sheer size of the home.
“This is definitely bigger than I remember it,” I whisper to myself, surprised. Usually, it’s the other way around. Swallowing hard, I straighten my shoulders and walk up to the entrance.
Its massive front door is crafted from heavy oak beams and full of stained-glass figures and geometric shapes that are hard to distinguish from this side. Taking hold of the large cast iron knocker, I tap it against the doorframe three times.
I take a step back, clasping my hands behind my back and wait. After a minute or two, Dad still hasn’t come to answer the door, but I swear I can hear movement just inside.
I reach out and knock again, this time louder.
“Come on in,” a voice answers from the other side.
My eyes widen, but I pull my shoulders back and push open the door.
“Hello?” I call out, a strange seed of excitement blossoming inside me as I enter the entrance hall.
In a weird, alternate universe kinda way, it’s like stepping into a movie version of my life. Even at seven years old, all I wanted to do was explore this house and the mysterious grounds. It seemed like a big, glorious adventure, only to be squashed by my dad’s overprotectiveness. Now that I’m older and it’s even more massive, the pull is definitely real. The house and this entire location has a strange, magical energy all its own and it resonates with the reason I’m here in the first place.
The main entry is an enormous, open space—the kind you see in movies. An expansive chandelier hangs above the entryway, illuminating a small, round table in the middle of the space. Beyond that is an impressive staircase with a bottom that flares outward, inviting you to continue your journey up to the second story, and the landing that wraps around the upper level.
“Whoa,” I whisper, taking it all in.
“Do you like it?” Dad asks, joining me in the entryway from the sitting room on the left.
I let out a yip and nearly jump out of my skin.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, sweetie,” he says, chuckling. His blue eyes look tir
ed, with far more wrinkles than I remember.
“No, it’s okay. I just—this entry is…wow. I mean, it’s just you in here, right? Why do I not remember it being so big?” I ask, unable to help myself.
His shoulders inch toward his ears and he says, “I’ve been restoring much of the house, adding my own touches to it. It is bigger. Something to do in my spare time, I guess. I’m a homebody, when time allows. Plus, I’ve always loved this era of old, historic homes. They have more character than the matchstick boxes of late. I suppose you could call it my legacy.”
“I can definitely agree with you about the house design,” I say, stepping beyond the entrance table and letting my hand rest on the wooden banister leading upstairs. “It certainly is beautiful.”
“Thank you. You know, this home has been in our family for generations,” he says, taking a seat on the steps.
I glance down at him and hold my breath as an awkward silence fills the space between us. I’m not sure how to start this bizarre conversation. I don’t know how he’ll respond to any of it. In fact, for all I know, he’s as hellbent against Windhaven as Mom is.
Dad narrows his gaze. “Not that I wouldn’t love to talk your ear off about the house, but why are you here, Autumn? Did something happen? Is your mom—?” he asks, shifting his eyebrows up.
“Oh no—she’s fine. Everything’s, fine,” I say, shaking my head.
Letting go of the railing, I walk away from him a few feet and begin to pace. I can feel his eyes on me, and it makes it hard to find the right words.
“Dad, here’s the thing… I was sorta, well, I’m thinking I…” I begin, unable to get the words to come out in actual sentences.
His eyes narrow and he runs his hand through his strawberry-blond hair as he waits.
I clear my throat.
“What I’m trying to say is, I’ve been accepted to the Windhaven Academy and I want to go. I know it’s strange and makes no sense because I’m a complete mundane human, but…”
“But you need a place to stay,” Dad says, a hint of a smile lighting up his eyes.
I exhale with a bit of relief. At least he’s not as supernatural-opposed as Mom.
“Yeah.”
“You are always welcome here,” he says, standing back up. “In fact, I insist.”
“I can?” I say, picking at the edges of my fingernails. “Are you sure?”
“This is your home, too,” he nods. “There’s so much I’ve been waiting to show you…”
Chapter 6
I Don't Wanna Go...
The next couple of weeks fly by like they’ve been sucked into the Hellmouth. Between stolen moments with Wade and packing up my life’s existence, I oscillate back and forth between utter bliss and total panic. There is no way to explain the sick perversion I feel knowing regardless of how much pain I’m going to be in when I leave him behind—it’s all worth it right now.
“You’re going to forget me as soon as I’m gone,” I mutter, entangling my fingers in Wade’s dark strands as he rests his head in my lap.
He glances up at me, twisting around on my bed. His penetrating eyes lock with mine and instantly my worries are suspended.
“That will never happen,” he whispers. “If anything, you’ll get to Windhaven, become the talk of the town, and lose touch with the strange guy you used to know back home. I mean, how can I compete with the supernatural guys you’re about to meet?”
I shake my head, snickering to myself. “First of all, you give me far too much credit for being the talk of anything. Second, you’re a supernatural guy I’ve already met.”
“Yeah, but my powers are latent and the ones I do have barely work. It’s not like I can fly or phase through walls or anything,” he says, frowning. “I’m just straight up strange.”
“Wade, you’re about as far away from strange, at least the bizarre-o kinda strange, as you can manage. You’re strange in all the right ways. Seriously,” I say, trying to stress the point by holding our gaze. “Besides, you’re going to be visiting me so often, it’ll seem like you’re already there. Right?”
I search his light gray, damn near silver, eyes. His pupils widen as he leans up on his left arm.
“I will be there every possible moment. I’ve already made arrangements to have a substitute personal care assistant come in to look after my grandfather on Saturdays and Sunday mornings. So, as long as you don’t get sick of me—I’ll be there every weekend. Think your dad will let me spend the nights on Saturdays? He’s not one of those uber-overprotective types now that you’re an adult, is he?”
“Not as far as I know…and that sounds like heaven,” I say, reaching out to run my index finger over his eyebrow. “I’m sure Dad’ll be fine. There are like a billion rooms in the manor. Even if you pick one and we tell him that’s where you’re going to sleep, he should be fine.”
I give him a slow, sexy smile.
“Well then, wild horses couldn’t keep me away, Dru,” he says, shifting all the way to a seated position.
My heart flutters at his nickname for me—the one he still uses when he wants me to remember where we began.
Wade leans forward, his scent of sandalwood and hand soap wafting between us. I suck in a quick breath as his face inches toward mine and his lips lightly press against my skin. His tongue skates across my bottom lip in a silent request and my pulse quickens. He knows me so well, it’s like he can read my mind.
I sigh into him and pull him closer. Without question, he scoots up as I lay back. Maneuvering so he presses down on me, I feel the weight of his body and the excitement building between us. His tongue dives in deeper, enticing me to give in to him, and I’m so ready to offer up everything.
Wrapping my arms around him, my hands trace from his hips up to his shoulder blades. His strong back muscles are taut, and I can’t help but tip my hips up to meet his.
A deep growl erupts from his throat and he breaks our kiss to plant little nibbles down the side of my neck. Instinctively, I arch back and offer more of myself. Raising his right hand, he pulls back my cardigan and continues to plant soft kisses along my exposed collarbone. A deep desire sweeps over me and I’m nearly caught off guard by the intensity of it.
I can’t help but wish I could freeze time right here and now—to take in the whole moment forever. The way he feels, the way he moves, the way he smells—everything.
Before I know it, tears stream down my face.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Wade says, pulling back, his face clouded with worry.
I wipe frantically at my cheeks, feeling utterly stupid. This was a beautiful moment, and who knows where it could have gone had I not let my fears get in the way.
“Nothing. It’s…it’s nothing,” I stutter.
For a moment, he doesn’t move a muscle. Instead, he watches my every movement as if it might give him some magical insight into my mixed-up mind. He slides off to the side of me, propping himself again on his left elbow. Then he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear as he rests his right hand just over my heart.
“This isn’t the end, you know,” he finally says, his gruff voice barely a whisper.
Another traitorous tear threatens to fall from my right eye and I bite my lip to keep it from quivering.
“Then why does it feel like it? I mean, logically I know it’s not, but I wish you… What if you find someone else while we’re apart?”
Wade’s eyebrows tip upward in the middle and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me in close.
“I’ve been trying to be strong, but it feels like we’ll be in two locations forever,” I whisper, trying unsuccessfully to keep my cool without going full on crybaby. “What if—”
“Hey, hey—come on. We’ll see each other again this weekend. Your head will spin by how fast it will be,” he murmurs in my ear. “Like you said, you won’t even have time to feel like we’re apart. I promise.”
“Maybe I should wait. I mean, I could talk to them and start next fall when
you—”
“You cannot put your life on hold for me. No,” he says, shaking his head. “No way. You need to figure out what you are—what they see in you. I may not have a ton of powers, but at least I know what I am. Sorta. Trust me, we’ll be fine. Get things set up so I can be impressed when I come visit you next weekend.”
“Orientation isn’t for another week. Maybe I should just wait until—”
“Woman, you chose this weekend for a reason. Remember? You wanted time to get settled before diving into all the craziness about to come at you. Don’t start second-guessing yourself now.”
“But—”
Without letting me finish, Wade kisses me again, effectively cutting off the rest of my excuses. I breathe into his longing and can’t help but relax into his energy. In the short period of time we’ve known each other, I cannot even imagine a time when he wasn’t in my life. I’m edging precariously close to never wanting to be without him.
My heart takes a leap into my throat at the thought and I break from our kiss to pull Wade in closer. I bury my face in the crook of his neck and breathe in his scent. He doesn’t move a muscle. Instead, he holds as still as I do. I close my eyes and try to memorize the sound of his heartbeat.
“Come on, Autumn,” Wade whispers in my ear. “We got this. It’s a week and I’ll be there. I’ll have all of orientation with you, too, which will be amazing. Then, we can text every day and I’ll FaceTime you every night before bed. Hell, we can shut off the lights and pretend we’re in the cemetery together.”
Despite myself, I smile.
“I’d…” I begin, wiping at my face again. “I’d love that.”
“Then it shall be done,” he says softly, winking in the crazy-sexy way only he knows how to pull off. Releasing his hand from my chest, he slides off the bed. With a quick motion, he extends his right hand out, flipping the ends of his fingertips as he suggests I take his hand.
I grab it and scoot off the bed after him. My eyes widen and I shake my head. “I really don’t need to go just yet.”
The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 Page 5
