by Danica Rayne
Wearing my mom’s shirt would give me the confidence and courage to keep Edgewood a monster-free zone.
I rummaged through the rest of Aunt Bea’s clothes and found a black beanie and gloves. I placed all the stuff in a bag and stashed it in the back of my closet. Then I got in my car and headed to the Caldwell Mansion. Kayden must have sensed me or maybe Ryker caught my scent, because the door burst open and Ryker ran out. I barely got out of the car before he gathered me in his arms and gave me a strong hug, lifting me a few inches off the ground. He pressed his lips on my temple, his long, dark medium brown hair tickling my cheek.
“Ryker,” I laughed.
He didn’t put me down, just continued holding me in his arms. “Do you have any idea how much torture it is not to touch you in school?” He looked into my eyes. I almost got lost in his coffee-colored ones. I could stare at them forever, could stay in his arms like this forever. His chest was so hard and muscular, and I could feel the thick hair on his arms brushing against my skin. I could also feel the way his heart pounded, matching my own.
I played with a few strands of his milk chocolate hair. “Is it okay to touch out here in public?” The Caldwell mansion was a little isolated, since it took up an entire block, but there were always people passing by. Dr. Caldwell knew that the five of us were friends, but he didn’t know that I was dating all four of his foster sons.
“Ah, screw what the neighbors might say.” He leaned forward to kiss me.
I pressed my hands on his chest. “Wait. Someone might see us and tell your foster dad. He’s very well-known in Edgewood.”
“So?” He moved his face closer again, but I turned my head and his lips skimmed my cheek. “Aw, Alivia.”
“I’m just worried Dr. Caldwell will find out and ban you guys from seeing me.”
“No one can keep me away from you, beautiful.”
I smiled and stretched my neck, pressing my lips to his. His arms tightened around me as he returned the kiss, my hands tangled in his long locks. His body was so warm against mine, and I felt loved and protected in his strong arms.
We were in our own happy bubble, with no worries on our heads.
But eventually, we had to break apart. Ryker stared down at me with such strong emotions shining in his eyes. I brought my hand to his cheek and softly caressed it, and he rubbed his cheek against my palm.
Then he slung his arm over my shoulder and led me into the house, just as Liam yelled from upstairs, “What the heck are you guys doing down there? I hope you’re not attacking my cookies. I spent hours trying to get the recipe right. But not you, Livia! You can have as many as you want.”
“We don’t want your death cookies!” Ryker yelled back.
“Stop lying to yourselves.”
Ryker and I made our way upstairs. “What were you guys doing until I came?”
“Looking over the blueprints and a map of the museum. We should all memorize them to know exactly where we are, where the exits are, and so on.”
“Did Kayden manage to super-speed in and out of the museum to learn the exact location of the book?”
He nodded. “He was in and out in minutes. He marked it on the blueprint and map.”
We got to Kayden’s room, where he, Finn and Liam were at the desk, pouring over the papers.
“Hey, Kayden, Liam and Finn,” I greeted.
Liam turned to me and his whole face lit up. “Hey!” He raced over to wrap his arms around me, though he made sure his skin didn’t come into direct contact with mine. The heat from his body still seeped in through our clothes, and it felt really good. Coming in from the frigid cold outside, I was all warm and toasty in his arms. I snuggled against his chest, sighing in pleasure.
His chest rumbled as he laughed. “Comfortable?” His hand hesitantly stroked my hair, careful not to apply too much pressure or he’d burn my scalp.
“I’m in a Liam cocoon,” I breathed happily, my eyes fluttering shut.
I didn’t know how long this would last before the heat grew too stifling, but I basked in it for as long as I could. Liam slowly and carefully ran his hands up my arms, my back, gently squeezed my waist. No doubt taking advantage of his chance to touch me.
But my Liam cocoon was soon over, the heat growing a little too much to bear. With a groan, I pulled away, trying to ignore the disappointed frown on his face.
The other guys were focused on the museum papers. If they were jealous of my attention to Liam, they didn’t show it. I moved over to the desk and peered down at the blueprints. There were a few rooms circled in red marker and arrows pointing to various directions. “This looks very complicated.”
“It is,” Kayden said. “But if we stick to the plan, we should be successful.”
“You guys sure we can’t take the book with us?” I asked.
Kayden shook his head. “We’ll cause more problems if the museum learns the book is missing. The plan is to snap photos of the pages and get out as fast as possible.”
I lowered myself on Kayden’s bed with a sigh. I knew we discussed the best option was to keep the book there, but it could come in handy in the future. It probably held a plethora of information, things I knew I would need one day.
I caught Finn watching me with a frown. He stood up and held his hand out to me. I was so surprised and so elated that I grabbed it. Finn winced, not because I hurt him but because as a wendigo, he could taste the humans he touched. That was why I always tried to be gentle with him.
“Sorry,” I said, starting to pull my hand away.
With a shake of his head, he tightened his hold on me. His fingers slowly moved over my knuckles, his touch so sweet and loving. It was like his hand was giving mine a passionate kiss. His eyes held nothing but wonder and pure joy as his hand continued to explore mine, as he experienced an intimate moment with someone for the first time in his life.
But I guessed the close contact was getting a bit much, because he suddenly yanked his hand free. Then he started signing.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Finn?” Liam asked. “The museum will definitely find out. If not now, eventually.”
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked.
“Finn suggested we swap the book with a fake,” Ryker explained.
My whole body perked up. “Can we do that?”
Kayden rubbed his chin. “There’s a good chance they don’t check on the book often, maybe once or twice a year. We might be able to swap it out.”
“I don’t know, guys,” Liam said. “Breaking and entering is enough of a felony, but theft?”
The five of us exchanged glances.
“I thought we planned to actually take the book,” Ryker said. “You know, to have for keeps.”
“I did, too,” I said. “I need the book, guys. There is a wealth of information in there.”
Kayden started to pace. “But we agreed stealing would be a bad idea, didn’t we? They are sure to investigate and the trail will lead back to us.”
Finn signed.
“I know you plan to disable the cameras, but I’d rather not spend the rest of my high school in prison.”
“Same,” Liam agreed.
Now I joined Kayden in the pacing. “If we cover our tracks, the trail won’t lead back to us. And by the time they find out the book’s a fake, we’d be long gone. The portal will remain shut. Edgewood would be safe.”
“And the museum can always get another copy of the book,” Ryker said. “There are more of them floating around.”
Finn signed.
“I vote we swap out the book,” Kayden interpreted. “We can look through Levi’s books and find one that looks similar to it.”
Finn brought up a picture of the book and pointed to it.
“Levi definitely has something that looks like it,” Kayden continued to interpret.
The guys looked at each other unsurely.
“I vote we keep it there,” Liam said. “I don’t want Alivia to get arrested.”
“Me?” I asked. “What about you guys?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really care what happens to me. I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Well I don’t want you guys to get in trouble, either.”
“I’m surprised the carefree dragon wants to play it safe,” Ryker said. “I vote to swap it out. If Alivia thinks the book will be useful in the future, I want her to have it.”
Liam nodded at Kayden. “You haven’t voted yet, but majority already ruled. I guess we swap out the book. But we seriously need to be careful, guys.” His eyes swept over me. “I’d kill myself if something were to happen to you, Alivia. I know you’re kickass, but…”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “If we plan this well, we shouldn’t have problems. Thanks for being concerned, Liam. That makes me feel good.”
His face brightened a little.
We spent the next few hours carefully planning the Great Heist. Kayden had disappeared half an hour ago to raid Levi’s office for a book that matched the World of the Unnatural. By the time he returned, we had a solid plan. The only question was whether we’d be able to execute it.
“Everyone have the right outfit?” Kayden asked.
We nodded. My mind wandered off to the sensation I had felt when I touched my mom’s shirt. Another chill ran down my spine.
“Livia?” Liam asked. “You okay?”
All of their gazes sprang to me.
“Sorry,” I said with a weak smile. “I found an old black shirt in my aunt’s closet. It belonged to my mom. I…” I swallowed as my chest tightened. “For some reason, that shirt made me feel a connection to her. It’s like I feel her.” I looked around the room as goosebumps popped up over my arms. “I even feel her right now.” I hugged myself as I shivered.
Both Liam and Ryker stepped closer to me, Liam laying a hesitant hand on my shoulder. “You okay?” he asked again.
“Yeah.” I gave him a stronger smile. “Sometimes the pain hits me out of nowhere. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Alivia.” Ryker pressed a soft kiss on my forehead. “You don’t have to apologize to us for anything.”
Their kindness only made tears shoot to my eyes.
After accepting a tissue from Kayden, I said, “Thanks for being so considerate and understanding, guys. I want to hug you all.”
“Your wish is my command!” Liam scooped me in his arms and gave me a quick hug. It was so fast that I barely felt the heat, and the hug. Which sucked.
Ryker was next, pressing me against his massive chest and kissing the side of my neck. “You’re amazing just the way you are,” he murmured. “Never apologize for being you.”
I kissed his cheek.
Kayden’s arms were so welcoming and confident, not uncertain like they used to be. He gazed into my eyes as he wiped away my tears with his thumbs, then pressed a kiss on the top of my head.
Finn stepped up and flung his arms around me. He had hugged me before, but this one was very different from the others, because he held me so close to his chest that I felt every part of him. He seemed a little bonier than the others, not having as much fat or muscle. I didn’t know what he looked like underneath his clothes because he was self-conscious about his body. From the wendigo picture in The Book, I suspected his bones were quite visible on his body.
Before he pulled away, I rested my lips on his cheek. He flinched and pulled away, clearly caught off-guard. “Was that okay?” I whispered. “I don’t want to move too fast if you’re not ready.”
He touched his cheek, where my lips had been ten seconds ago. A ray of emotions passed over his face, shock, confusion, joy, wonder, exuberance, disbelief. But then his eyes grew darker and a hunger took over. It was so sudden and intense that I stumbled back. The hunger grew in magnitude and his mouth started to open, his large teeth breaking free.
Kayden hurried over and grabbed him by the shoulders, looking into his eyes. “You’re okay, Finn. Just focus on my voice and breathe. You’re okay.”
Finn squeezed his eyes closed and breathed heavily through his mouth, his chest expanding and contracting so violently it looked painful. His teeth didn’t retract, and the hunger in his eyes didn’t subside.
Ryker slipped his hand into mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I leaned my head on his shoulder, biting on my bottom lip to keep the guilt from crashing over me.
Kayden continued to chant to Finn, whose breathing was still heavy. It was the only sound in the quiet room.
Finally, his teeth retracted into his mouth and his eyes opened slowly. They immediately searched for mine, and I was beyond relieved to see they weren’t ravenous anymore.
“I’m sorry, Finn,” I said, moving closer to him. But he stepped away, hiding behind Kayden like he was a shield.
I think it’s best if you keep your distance for a bit. I don’t want…I’m scared I might lose it.
I froze in place and nodded, swallowing hard.
The room was dead silent again. From the expressions on the guys’ faces, I knew they wished they could do something to help Finn, but there wasn’t anything any of us could do. This was something he had to battle on his own.
“Maybe I should go,” I said.
No. Finn stepped out from behind Kayden and shot out his hand like he wanted to grab hold of mine, but then he curled his into a fist and lowered it to his side. I don’t want you to leave. I’m okay. Just…please don’t come closer to me.
I’m sorry I kissed you, I communicated with him in my head so we could have some privacy. I didn’t think…I mean, I hoped…
He lowered his eyes to his sneakers. I know. I also thought we’ve made some progress and it wouldn’t be so hard. I’m okay with touching for now. I still get a taste of you, but I can handle it. But kissing…
I nodded, swallowing again. I understand. You need some time.
He slowly raised his head to mine. I don’t know if we can ever…
What?
Defeat and loss of hope invaded his features. I…I don’t think we’ll ever be able to get as close as you want. As close as I want.
I moved a little closer to him, and he stiffened, most of his body still shielded behind Kayden. I don’t believe that, I said. You have the strength to overcome every obstacle thrown in your path. Don’t give up on yourself, Finn.
He turned his head away. Then he quickly signed to the others and vanished out of the room, leaving us once again to dead silence. I was about to ask them what he had signed, and why he had done it so fast that I couldn’t pick it up, when a violin started playing down the hallway.
“He’s playing to deal,” Ryker told me. “He’ll probably be holed up in his room for hours.”
I lowered myself on Kayden’s bed and rubbed my upper arms. “I hate that he has to deal with this.”
“It’s not your fault,” Liam said.
“I know. I’m not blaming myself. It just sucks.”
He sat down near me, keeping a few inches between us, though I still felt the heat jumping off his body.
After a few minutes, Ryker said, “He’ll be okay. We’ll all be okay.”
“He’s got the strongest willpower I’ve ever seen,” I said.
“Can’t be easy liking someone when you’re a wendigo,” Ryker mused.
“Or a dragon,” Liam muttered. “At least one who’s in love with a human.”
My gaze shot to his. Did he just say he was in love with me?
His face grew red and the heat leaping off his body grew so strong that I had to get off the bed. Liam rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, Livia. But um…” He cleared his throat. “That’s kind of how I feel.”
“Me, too.” Ryker flashed me a smile.
My stomach somersaulted like a gymnast doing a floor routine. The L-word. I was so not ready for this. I cared for each one of them, so deeply. But my heart still mourned over the loss of my parents. I wasn’t sure how long it would take before I could open my heart to love.
Kayden
sat straight on his desk chair. “We still have a lot to prepare for the Great Heist tomorrow night.”
I was eager to join him, trying not to notice the hurt look on Ryker and Liam’s faces. One day I would be ready to say those three special words to Liam, Ryker, Kayden, and Finn. Not today, not when the safety of Edgewood still hung in the air and when I was still not over my parents’ deaths.
Chapter Three
“I don’t think I’m such a big fan of surprises,” I said as Ryker parked the car outside the forest. “Not since I became a slayer. I have enough surprises lurking in every corner of Edgewood.”
Ryker slid out of his seat and ran over to my side and opened the door. He grinned. “Don’t worry. This is a good surprise.”
I got out of the car, the woods coming in my view. “Um, Ryker? Are you sure you want to be here?” This is where he had stayed when he was under the curse of the full moon.
He shrugged as he linked his hand with mine. “Some people find it traumatizing to return to a painful place, but I think it helps me. Reminds me of the monster I don’t want to be. Makes me more determined to be human, you know?”
I squeeze his hand. “I get it. But why are we here?”
“Because the woods have the best trees to climb, and the higher you are, the greater your view of Edgewood. I know you already got the exclusive tour with Liam, but there’s still so much to show you. And that’s only the first part of the surprise.”
Tightening his hold on my hand, he led me toward the forest. It was starting to get a little dark out, since the sun was just about to set.
“Ryker, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, darling.”
“How often do you shift into a wolf? I mean, outside of the full moon.”
“Not often,” he admitted. “Hardly ever, really. I shifted a lot when I first turned.”
