by Karen Lynch
“No. Sara told me what happened there.”
A shiver went through me. Sara had almost died at the cliffs. If she hadn’t killed Eli, he would have come after me, and his punishment would have been merciless. Sometimes, the nightmares felt so real, I awoke thinking he was still alive and looking for me.
“I don’t like to go there either,” he said gruffly.
“I don’t blame you. Can we talk about something less depressing?”
“Yeah.” He smiled at me. “How are you liking the Vespa?”
“I love it.”
We spent the rest of the drive talking about scooters and cars I should look at when I was ready to buy one. He told me to bring the Vespa to his cousin’s garage and he’d give it free tune-ups.
Our first stop in Portland was at the home of the Chevelle owner who had the part Roland needed in his garage. I stayed in the car while Roland went in to get the part. Five minutes later, he was back with a cardboard box he stored in the trunk.
“Alright, let’s hit some stores,” he said as we drove away. “You have any in particular you want to go to, or should I take you to the ones Sara liked?”
I pulled a small notepad from my bag and gave him the names of two art supply stores. Fortunately, he knew where they were. He took me to both, where I loaded up the back seat with canvases, paints, and a new set of brushes I didn’t need but couldn’t resist. Roland patiently followed me around the stores, pushing a cart and carrying my purchases to the car.
“Where to now?” he asked when we left the second store.
“Are you hungry? I wouldn’t mind some lunch.”
He laughed. “I’m always hungry. What are you in the mood for?”
I shrugged. “I’m not picky. Where do you like to eat here?”
“I usually go for burgers,” he said.
“Burgers sound good.”
“I knew I liked you.” He tapped the steering wheel as he thought. “There are some nice places downtown with outdoor seating.”
“Okay.”
Roland found a parking spot near a busy shopping area full of restaurants, stores, and art galleries. We walked a few minutes before we found a small restaurant with open tables outside, and within minutes, we were sipping sodas and waiting for our food.
“Portland is great,” I said, watching people walk past us.
“It is. It’s small compared to other cities, but there’s plenty to see and do here.”
I returned my attention to him. “How do you like it compared to all the other places you’ve been to?”
He gave me a questioning look, and I smiled.
“Sara told me all about your adventures in December.”
He stopped toying with his straw to stare at me. “She told you all of it? You two must be close.”
“She’s my best friend.”
“Mine, too.” His boyish smile sent warmth through me. “See, we already have so much in common. We’ll be besties before you know it.”
“Besties?” I grinned. “Isn’t Peter already your bestie?”
He scrunched his nose. “Okay, when you say it like that it doesn’t sound manly.”
I laughed at his goofy expression. “If it helps, I think you are very manly, except when…”
“Except what?” he challenged.
My lips twitched. “When you ride on the back of a scooter.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by the waitress bringing our food. My eyes bulged at the two double burgers and fries she set before Roland. My single cheeseburger was tiny in comparison.
“Can you really eat all of that in one sitting?”
“Easily.” His blue eyes sparkled. “And have room for an ice cream float for dessert.”
I shook my head. “How did your mother ever keep you fed?”
“She and my aunt took turns feeding Pete and me.” He ate a fry. “We all have big appetites, so they’re used to cooking a lot.”
“I hope you know how to cook when you get your own place, or you’ll go hungry,” I teased. “Or marry someone who can cook like your mother.”
I paused in lifting my cheeseburger to my mouth when I saw the pained expression that crossed his face.
I lowered my voice. “I guess I said that wrong. You mate, right?”
“Yes,” he said in a strained voice.
His reaction told me this wasn’t a subject he liked, so I let it go. I took a bite of my burger, chewing slowly as I wondered why talking about mating made him uncomfortable. It was natural for werewolves to take a mate.
I felt a little dejected at the thought of him with a mate, but I quickly brushed it off. Roland had a way of slipping past my guard and making me forget we could only be friends.
“Will you move to Portland when you finish college?” I asked in an attempt to get back to our light conversation.
He shook his head. “I used to think I’d move away after school, but all that stuff with Sara gave me a whole new appreciation for home. I’ll get my own place, and I’m hoping to eventually work full-time with Paul and save enough to buy half the garage. He and I work well together.”
“Sounds like you have it all planned out.”
“In my head, anyway.” He smiled. “Not the most exciting life, but I’m going to give it a go.”
“I think it sounds great, living near your family and doing something you love. I’d take simple small town life over the city any day.”
He gave me an appraising look. “I guess you can paint anywhere, if that’s what you plan to do for a living.”
“I hope to.” I didn’t mention that I had enough funds in my bank account to live off for many years as long as I didn’t live too extravagantly.
“Do you plan to stay in New Hastings then?” he asked as he picked up his second burger.
“At least until I finish high school. Sara said I can use her apartment as long as I want, so I don’t have to decide right away. She tells me I might feel differently about this place after I’ve survived my first winter.”
He let out a laugh. “I admit, New Hastings doesn’t have a lot to do in winter, unless you like the outdoors and don’t mind snow.”
“I love snow. I’ll need to buy some really thick coats, though.”
“And a good car that handles well in winter.”
I sipped my drink. “You just want to go car shopping with me.”
“Guilty.” He didn’t try to hide his grin.
By the time I finished my burger and half my fries, he’d cleaned his plate. I think I got full just watching how much he put away. When he eyed my plate, I chuckled and pushed it toward him.
“Now, how about one of those ice cream floats?” he asked when he was done eating the rest of my fries.
I gaped at him. “You can seriously eat something else after all that?”
“Yes, and technically, it’s a drink.”
“Smartass,” I retorted, surprised by how much I was enjoying our day together. “I’ll try one, but you’ll probably have to finish it for me.”
“Deal.” He looked around for our waitress, who was nowhere in sight.
His phone vibrated, and he looked down at the screen. Chuckling, he held up the phone so I could see the text from his cousin Paul.
I’m up to my elbows in grease while you’re spending the day with a pretty girl. We need to rethink this business arrangement.
I toyed with my napkin. “I hope I’m not keeping you away from your work.”
“No. Paul always jokes around like that.” He typed a reply and laid the phone down. It immediately rang, and this time his brow furrowed when he saw the caller.
“One sec,” he said apologetically. “It’s Maxwell. I need to take this.”
“Go ahead. I’ll order our floats. What flavor do you want?”
“Chocolate.”
He answered the phone as he stood and walked a short distance away. It must be pack business if the Alpha was calling him.
I flagged down our waitress and ordered two chocolate floats to go. As soon as she walked away, my own phone let me know I had a text message. It was from Scott.
Hey. Feel like hanging out tonight?
Scott and I hadn’t seen each other outside of the diner since our outing, but we’d become good friends at work. I helped him in the kitchen whenever the restaurant got slow, and I enjoyed talking to him.
Doing what? I texted back.
Party at the lighthouse. Nothing crazy. Bonfire and music.
I bit my lip because I wasn’t exactly a party animal. But I had fun with Scott, and it might be nice to do something on a Saturday night other than painting. Besides, I didn’t have to stay if I didn’t like it.
Sure. What time?
Great! Pick you up around 8?
I almost said yes, but I decided it might be better if I took the scooter. That way it would be less like a date and I could leave whenever I wanted.
I’ll meet you there, I said.
LOL. You love that Vespa, don’t you?
Yep.
Ok. See you there.
I laid my phone on the table, amazed at how far I’d come in the weeks since I’d moved here. My first day in New Hastings, I’d been afraid to leave the apartment and terrified of werewolves. Now I was spending the day with a werewolf and planning to go to a party tonight.
I looked for Roland, who had strolled away from the table, and I spotted him standing a dozen yards away, still talking on his phone. His muscled form looked good in the shirt and jeans he wore, and the sun added warm highlights to his short, black hair. He made a striking figure, and yet he seemed oblivious to the women and teenage girls checking him out as they passed by.
My gaze wandered over the surrounding stores and landed on a small coffee shop across the street with a few tables out front. At one of the tables, the lone occupant drew my eye. There was nothing special about the thirtysomething bald man sipping his coffee, except for the object of his attention. Me.
Chapter 9
Emma
The hair on the back of my neck stood up at the intensity of the man’s stare, and I looked away from him. He wasn’t familiar, but there was a hint of recognition in his expression that unnerved me.
A cold lump formed in my stomach. I’d betrayed a lot of vampires in Vegas and some who worked for Eli, and I had a deep-seated fear that one of them would find me and make me pay. Or worse, make me one of them again. I would die before I went through that hell again.
My heart began to race and sweat broke out on my brow as the edges of my vision blurred. I gripped the edge of the table and forced myself to calm down. Look at him. He’s sitting in the sun. He’s just a man.
I picked up my phone with trembling hands and pretended to play with it while I peeked at the man, who was now writing something in a small notebook. I took the opportunity to study him and found nothing out of the ordinary. He wore dark-blue pants, brown loafers, and a lighter blue button-up shirt – not exactly the attire of a criminal. He probably worked at one of these stores and was having his coffee break.
I let out a puff of air, feeling ridiculous for overreacting. Maybe I hadn’t come as far in my recovery as I’d thought.
The waitress brought our ice cream floats and the bill. I handed her some cash and told her to keep the change. I figured the least I could do was pay for Roland’s lunch after he’d driven me around Portland and lugged my purchases to the car.
I shivered when I felt eyes on me again, and I looked up, my gaze once again meeting that of the strange man. This time, there was no doubt he was interested in me. He wasn’t a vampire, but they weren’t the only predators who would single out a teenage girl.
He stood, and fear shot through me, even though I was in the middle of a busy shopping district and surrounded by people. For a moment, I forgot to breathe as I watched him to see what he would do.
“Sorry about that.” Roland sat across from me, blocking my view of the man. He pulled his chocolate float toward him. “Just in time. Have you tried yours yet?”
I blinked, surprised by his sudden return. “I...”
He frowned and leaned forward. “Are you okay? You look pale.”
Behind him, the coffee shop table was empty and the man was nowhere in sight. I forced my gaze back to Roland’s and attempted a smile.
“It’s nothing. I…drank too fast and got brain freeze.” It was a lame excuse, but the only one I could come up with. I hoped he didn’t notice that I hadn’t touched my float yet.
He smiled. “That’ll do it.”
I took a sip of my drink. It was delicious, but my stomach had too many knots in it to handle something so rich. I had no idea what the man would have done if Roland hadn’t been here, and my imagination conjured all kinds of horrible scenarios.
For so many years, I’d been the hunter and humans were the prey. Now I felt weak and vulnerable, and it terrified me.
Roland
“You don’t like it?” I asked Emma, who’d barely touched her drink. She’d gone quiet all of a sudden, making me wonder what could have happened in the five minutes I was away.
“It’s delicious. I’m just full.” She smiled, but it seemed forced.
“So, what do you want to do now?” I asked. Maybe I could show her the sights and cheer her up again.
She pushed her drink away. “Would you be upset if I asked to go home? I feel a headache coming on.”
“No, of course not.” I studied her face, noting that she really did look ill. “Let me find our waitress and pay the bill, and then we’ll go.”
“I took care of it already.” She picked up her phone and bag that lay on the table beside her.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I’d wanted to pay for her meal, and it bothered me that I couldn’t.
“I wanted to. You’ve been so nice, taking me to those art stores. It’s the least I could do.”
I followed her out into the street. “Okay, but you don’t have to pay me back for stuff like that. Besides, I had a good time.”
She looked at me over her shoulder. “I did, too.”
Emma was quieter on the drive back to New Hastings, and I couldn’t stop wondering what had happened to her. I didn’t believe her story about getting brain freeze. Something had upset her while I was on the phone. I’d seen her using her phone. Had she gotten a distressing call or message? There was so much I didn’t know about her, and I doubted she’d tell me what was really wrong if I asked.
The closer we got to home, the more she seemed at ease. We talked about school and our jobs and laughed over a funny text from Jordan. It surprised me to discover she and Jordan were so close because Jordan was a bit prickly with people. I shared some of my Jordan stories with Emma, who got a kick out of hearing about our adventures.
“She gave you her car?”
I nodded. “Of course, she made a point to tell me not to get dog hair all over the seats.”
Emma burst out laughing. “That sounds exactly like something she’d say.”
I hadn’t realized how much her withdrawal had bothered me until I heard her laugh again. I felt my wolf’s relief, too. Neither of us liked seeing her upset.
“You look better. How’s your head?” I asked as we pulled up to her place. Her face was flushed from laughing, and her eyes were warm and happy.
She unhooked her seat belt. “I’m much better. No more headache.”
“Good.” I reached for my door. “You go unlock the door, and I’ll get your stuff out of the back.”
“You can’t carry all that by yourself.”
I gave her a playful glare. “Are you questioning my manly ability to carry a girl’s shopping bags?”
She shook her head dramatically. “Never!”
“I didn’t think so.”
I grinned and got out of the car, lifting my seat forward to reach her purchases. My arms loaded up with canvases and bags, I carried the lot up to the apartment and set it down in the hallway. Emm
a started taking it up to the studio while I went back to the car for the second load.
My phone buzzed when I reached the car. It was a text from Pete.
You going to the party tonight?
I groaned. Another party? There was no end to it. Not if I can help it.
He sent a smiley face. Not a pack party. Lighthouse party.
I used to know where all the good parties were. Lately, I’d been so caught up in pack business I had no idea what was going on in the social scene anymore. I hadn’t been to a party at the lighthouse since the night Sara, Pete, and I were attacked by a pack of crocotta on the way home. Not one of my fondest memories. Still, it would be nice to see some of my old friends away from all the craziness.
Sounds good. Shannon coming, too?
He and Shannon had been seeing each other since the last party. I was just waiting for him to tell me he’d imprinted. He looked happy and willing, so I hoped he got the girl he wanted, though I was going to miss hanging with him. We’d still see each other, but male wolves settled down when they mated. Another reason I was in no hurry for a mate.
Yes.
We driving together? I asked.
No. Doing dinner first. Meet you there?
Ok.
I grabbed the rest of the bags and took them inside. I heard Emma moving around upstairs, so I carried the bags up to the loft.
“Thanks.” She hurried over to take one from me. “I think I went a little crazy with the shopping.”
I followed her and set the bags on the floor. “You have enough supplies here to paint all of New Hastings.”
She laughed. “I think you’re right. Thanks again for everything. I had a great time today.”
“I did, too,” I said, not wanting our day to be over yet. “Since you’re feeling better, would you like to go to a party tonight?”
Her eyes widened. “The lighthouse party?”
It was my turn to be surprised. “You know about that?”
“Scott texted me about it when we were in Portland. I didn’t know you were going, too.”
“Pete just told me about it.”
“I’m meeting Scott there at eight,” she said. “What time are you planning to go?”
