“I don't know,” she whispered, clutching him tight as her mind cleared of the pain she'd just experienced. Thankfully, for as intense as it was, it didn't linger, and she felt perfectly fine in no time—though sadly just as confused as before.
“Did you see anything?”
“Nothing that explained things,” she qualified in disappointment. “I only heard voices, yours and mine, but nothing said was revealing.”
Troy grumbled, loosening his grip when Aislinn righted herself and stood on her own, glancing down to the sidewalk in order to retrieve her crystal. Thankfully, it wasn't scuffed, and once she'd returned it to her pocket, she looked back up at Troy to spy a hesitant expression on his face.
“So … what do we do now? Should I just go until your cousin calls back?”
It was easy to see that he didn't want to leave, and likewise, she'd been excited about their date that evening without worrying over physical temptations. But what if this engagement was the trigger that led to Troy turning her without consent?
No, don't start second guessing everything. Being careful was one thing, but depriving herself of something she'd looked forward to because of a what if scenario was simply paranoia at its finest. Besides, her intuition wasn't throwing up any stop signs, and instead, seemed to actually be suggesting that she needed to go with him, and Aislinn wasn't quite sure why. I doubt it's the free beer and cake.
Whatever the reason, she only hoped her answer would relieve the apprehension she could see in Troy's eyes over his question.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she shook her head. “I don't want you to go, Troy. Maybe we shouldn't be alone for long until Annika calls back, but we can still go out and enjoy ourselves with other people around.”
Surely enough, his shoulders sagged with relief, and he leaned down, dazing her with a slow and almost painfully gentle kiss, then murmured, “Sounds good. I just don't want you to think I—”
Aislinn pressed her fingers to his lips, whispering, “I don't think you're lying, so let's just go to Blue Moon and have a little fun. Who knows, Annika might call with some good news while we're there.”
Nodding, Troy kissed her again as if he couldn't help himself, then stood back and looked her over, reminding her of the effort she'd put into her attire. But she wasn't sure what to think when he suddenly asked, “Are you sure you wanna go there?”
Aislinn glanced down at herself, then back up. “Why not?”
“You just look so damned good I'm not sure a bar like Blue Moon would suit.”
She bit her lip over the praise, her confidence soaring with satisfaction—he hadn't even seen her without the jacket. But his hesitancy pricked her curiosity enough to ask, “You're not afraid I'll get too much attention from the lupines, are you?”
Troy growled as if the thought grated, insisting, “No, but if they get too close, I can't make any promises that I won't get territorial.”
After so many years working around lupines, Aislinn could easily imagine such a thing happening. Still, his admission confused her. “I thought you were trying to get along with them.”
“I am.”
“Then wouldn't that cause a problem?”
Troy shrugged, “They're lupines, they understand a mate's mentality, and I'd go up against anyone in my own clan for the same thing.”
Aislinn pursed her lips, hoping she didn't get any special attention in that case, though some devious part of her almost wanted to see what Troy would do—as long as no one got hurt of course.
“I was also hoping for something a little more memorable for our first time out together,” he added as an afterthought, turning to lead her to his truck.
Walking with him, Aislinn pointed out, “Hey, Blue Moon's where most of my friends hang out, so it'll be fun. Besides, it could improve your relationship with their pack to hang out there for a night.”
“True,” Troy conceded, opening the passenger's door to let her in. “As long as a fight doesn't break out.”
Climbing into the truck, Aislinn grinned at him, stating plainly, “Well, if it does, you'd better make it worth it.”
“How so?”
“By winning, of course.”
In response to her suggestion, Troy looked deviously pleased, leaning up without warning to pull her in for a fierce kiss. With a soft gasp, Aislinn found his tongue erotically stroking into hers for several moments before he broke it to ask gruffly, “How long do you think it'll take your cousin to call?”
The question reminded her that if they weren't going to spend any time alone together, then there wouldn't be any extra curricular activity after their date that night.
Opening her eyes to gaze into Troy's, she muttered regretfully, “Not long, but probably not soon enough either.”
~*~*~*~
Blue Moon was lively that evening, offering an uplifting atmosphere that Troy could easily appreciate after such a rocky start.
When he walked in with Aislinn, there was a group of lupines near one of the pool tables in the game room, surrounding their Alpha to pose for a picture being taken. Cade was at the center with his arms around the shoulders of a brunette standing before him, and Troy could only imagine she was his mate, a young woman with big hazel eyes and a shorter-than-average-stature.
They smiled just before the flash went off, and everyone cheered as Cade acquired the camera while thanking the photographer. The lupines then began dispersing with some offering the couple well wishes when the brunette noticed Aislinn and called her name, waving her over.
Without hesitation, Aislinn grabbed Troy's hand to go join them, asking on the way, “You guys having a party without me?”
“Nah, they just wanted to get a picture because we're pregnant!” the brunette announced excitedly.
“I knew it!” Aislinn exclaimed, leaning in for a hug as soon as she was in range. “Congrats, sweety!”
Cade looked as proud as any father-to-be should, and Troy offered his hand for a friendly shake. “Congratulations, Hodgins. This your first?”
“It is, and thanks. I get the feeling I'm gonna end up more anxious than Ashley,” Cade remarked with a grin. “So, are you guys out on the town for Aislinn's birthday?”
“Yeah, she wanted to swing by for the free beer,” Troy answered.
Aislinn rolled her eyes, “Way to make me sound like an opportunist, Troy.”
“Oh, I forgot, she also wanted cake,” he amended, grunting when Aislinn elbowed him.
The lupines grinned over her reaction while she chided, “Knock it off, what's a birthday without beer, cake, and a friendly game of pool? What do you guys say?”
“Sounds like fun to me,” Ashley qualified. “We're all celebrating.”
“Alright, set us up and I'll go grab some beers,” Cade volunteered, giving Ashley a quick kiss before adding, “and one soda. Have a preference, Ash?”
“Actually, I'll take a sweet tea.”
Nodding, Cade momentarily departed while Troy inspected the cues to find one he liked, not that his mind was entirely on the task when Aislinn removed her jacket, giving him a proper glimpse of her dress—and all he could think was gods have mercy. The garment was snug on her curvy body, her back bare with crimson curls hanging over it, and when she reached up to hang her jacket on the coat rack near the entryway, he caught a brief glimpse of a garter strap at her thigh.
The mere sight of it had him indiscreetly adjusting his pants for comfort.
But after a moment, he came to realize she was simply standing there, staring into the dining room as if something particularly interesting was going on—or maybe perturbing judging by what he could see of her expression.
Troy tried to follow her line of sight, but didn't notice anything specifically noteworthy where her gaze was focused, and finally asked, “Aislinn?”
As if shaken from a daze, she blinked and looked back, plainly inquiring, “Yeah?”
“What were you looking at?”
“Nothing,” she shr
ugged, stepping over to lean up and give him a kiss. “I need to go to the lady's room, though. So don't wait for me to start, okay?”
“Okay,” Troy agreed, watching her walk away, heading toward the hall at the back of the dining room where the restroom was located.
“Is she alright?” Ashley inquired from her place at the other side of the pool table. “That just seemed kinda … strange.”
Troy wanted to question why she'd said so, but Cade interrupted them when he returned with a small tray carrying three beers and a styrofoam cup of tea, asking, “Where's Aislinn going?”
“Bathroom,” Troy answered. “She said to start without her.”
“Oh, guess now would be a good time to get her that slice of cake.”
Cade had a point, and Troy took him up on it, wondering the entire while if Aislinn had told the truth when his instincts were insisting that something wasn't quite right. What had she been staring at so intently? Nothing special was going on, so it had to be someone in particular who'd gotten her attention—and as soon as he had the thought, Troy figured it out.
Shit, she just saw her father.
The possibility that the warlock could've shown up at random definitely wasn't out of the question considering Miranda's premonition, and the urge to find Aislinn and check on her redoubled. But he hadn't forgotten her desire to handle such a situation on her own, especially when her exit was obviously designed to offer the opportunity.
So Troy was torn between respecting her wishes, and keeping his promise to Miranda—not to mention following his own instincts to protect his mate. But as pressing as those drives were, he resolved to give her a few minutes to talk to Derick Rowden without interference.
Or at least, without letting her know he was there.
Chapter 20
The moment Aislinn gazed into the dining room of Blue Moon, she knew why her intuition had urged her to join Troy that evening.
Sitting alone at a booth was none other than Derick Rowden.
At first, she wasn't entirely certain of his identity. Recalling details from twenty years ago wasn't easy, after all. Still, he had the same blue eyes, and his short, dark hair was just as wiry—simply with more gray.
But all doubt was erased when he looked directly at her with a sorrowfully sentimental expression.
Time seemed to stop for several moments, and Aislinn couldn't move, watching as Derick stood and headed through a small group of people to exit the front doors. On the way, he made eye contact again in a manner suggesting he wouldn't mind talking, and she knew this was her chance.
Her father was here, and he'd acknowledged her. All she had to do was follow him.
It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
As for Troy, Aislinn actually didn't mind the idea of him coming along as much as she thought. However, she feared the werewolf would intimidate her father into lying to protect himself from retaliation, and also didn't know how much time she had to reason with Troy about staying behind before Derick left. So she decided to tell him she was simply going to the restroom—it was a lie, but one she'd admit to as soon as her talk was done.
Thankfully, he believed her, and she left Blue Moon through the back exit in the kitchen, then walked around to the front of the building, hoping she wasn't already too late.
But Derick was standing in plain sight near the fence surrounding the parking lot, leaning against the side of a green jeep while staring down in thought. He was just an average guy in a plain shirt, jeans, and a thick coat to ward off the cold, but he may as well have been dressed as a king for all the disquiet Aislinn felt approaching him.
At the sound of her heels clicking against the pavement, Derick looked up, pushing himself from his vehicle upon spotting her.
“Aislinn,” he stated rather than asked, offering a hesitant smile.
She came to a stop the moment her name exited his mouth, the sound of his voice bringing down the full weight of the situation all at once. Suddenly, she almost couldn't breathe, overwhelmed by too many emotions to easily sort anything out. Anger, frustration, uncertainty, and even relief were all there, making it difficult to concentrate.
But she'd be damned if she let him think she'd yearned for a reunion, and put her anger first, stating, “So it is you.”
Any trace of the smile he'd found faded away, replaced with a look of sorrowful apprehension as he nodded. “Yeah, it's me. Guess you're not too happy with that.”
“Understatement,” she retorted in short. “So why are you here?”
“Honestly, I was hoping to talk.”
“Why now? And how did you know I'd be here anyway?”
Derick looked away, but not before she noticed a hint of shame in his eyes. “I'd already looked you up, I just wasn't sure you'd wanna see me. I kept telling myself I'd only find out if I asked, and finally worked up the courage. I'm glad I did, too. Just seeing how well you've grown up is more satisfying and … painful than I thought it'd be.”
“Painful?” she inquired, balling her fists. It was insulting to hear him say such a thing when he could've been there if he'd just stayed. “Why? Because you didn't get to see it or something? That was your choice! You abandoned us when I was five years old! How do you think I felt when I woke up one day and learned you were just gone? And I don't feel any satisfaction seeing you now at all!”
That was a partial lie—Aislinn did feel some satisfaction in finally having the chance to say these things, but she'd never admit it.
“I know, I know,” Derick rushed out, “I don't have a right to complain when this pain is my doing.” Reaching up to rub his eyes in a defeated manner, he turned and walked a few steps away, grumbling, “I just wish I knew what to say now. You think you have the words right in your head, but you always forget.”
“Maybe you should've just written a note.”
Aislinn muttered the words scornfully, but her tone seemed to amuse to him because he smiled, mentioning, “You got Miranda's fire alright.” With a sigh, he added, “If the roles were reversed, she'd never forget what she wanted to say.”
Aislinn was even more offended by his mention of her mother, demanding, “Don't talk about Mom like you know her, because you don't. Not anymore. So just leave your assumptions out of this and start at the beginning. Tell me why you left, and make it quick, I don't have a lot of time.”
“Okay,” Derick agreed, facing her again. “I guess the short version means saying that leaving you was the hardest thing I ever did.”
“Then why did you, Derick? What was so damned important you thought you had to leave your only child behind?”
There was conviction in his voice suggesting he truly believed what he was saying when he answered, “My path was different from yours. I couldn't bring Miranda where I had to go, so my only options were leaving you behind, or stealing you from her, and I knew losing me would hurt her enough, but losing both of us would've probably killed her.”
Frowning as if he knew how bad that sounded, Derick looked down, adding, “I wanted to give you as much as I possibly could, which meant leaving you with a mother who'd raise you better than I ever could.”
It almost felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach. He left because his path was different? Could that excuse sound any sorrier after twenty years of not knowing? Just as she had at the age of five, she felt betrayed and disappointed all over again, and though she realized he couldn't have offered an explanation that wouldn't sound worthless, rage overwhelmed her.
Before Aislinn knew it, she'd launched herself at Derick, beating her fists into his chest and sides—when he flinched, she hit him even harder.
“You asshole! That's no excuse for the lifetime of doubt you left me with!” Taking a deep breath, she shoved him away, continuing her rant, “I thought you didn't want me because I wasn't a normal kid. Then I realized what you were, and thought maybe I just wasn't good enough. So I started studying harder, trying my best, but nothing I did was ever right, and it's all your
fucking fault!”
With that said, Aislinn couldn't bring herself to look at him any longer, turning away completely. Derick remained silent while she tried to reign in her emotions, needing an anchor to weather the storm so she could think logically—and Troy was the first person on her mind.
But if he saw how upset she was, he'd confront Derick, maybe even hurt him, and no matter how firmly she'd meant what she'd just told the warlock, she still didn't want to see him hurt. At least, not permanently.
“I … I think I should go,” Derick started. “I never should've shown up here tonight, and I'm sorry. For everything.”
Even now, in the midst of her emotional turmoil, some part of Aislinn urged her to stop him from leaving. Their talk left her with even more questions than before, and it wasn't as if she wanted to be his friend, or even fix their relationship. She just needed answers that would provide a sense of closure.
But if he left now, he'd probably stay gone for good.
Derick had already opened the door of his jeep when Aislinn heard herself whispering, “Wait,” without meaning to, but she didn't take it back. What would it hurt to spend a few hours with him? That way, she could get the information she wanted, and move on from this completely.
Stopping, Derick looked back to ask, “What is it?”
Aislinn turned to face him again, stating as plainly as possible, “I have to get back inside before I'm missed, but maybe you could come by Strange Brew tomorrow evening so we can actually talk. Do you know where that is?”
Slowly, he gave a nod. “Yeah, I know, and I'd like that. Uh … what time should I come?”
The next day was Sunday, and Strange Brew was closed for stocking and inventory. So Aislinn wasn't exactly sure when she might get done with her chores, asking, “Can I just call you when I'm ready?”
“Of course,” he agreed.
With her phone in Troy's truck, she requested he write his number down, and Derick searched the inside of his jeep for something to write on. Finally, he located a napkin from a restaurant she'd never heard of, and handed it over with the information.
Strange Brew Page 20
