by Paige Tyler
She held her breath, waiting for him to resist, but instead, the muscles of his forearms continued to twist and shift even as his claws extended.
“Feel the tingling in your fingertips as your claws tear into the dirt,” she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning in a little closer to him. “Push harder, dig them into the ground. Just let go and let it happen.”
His heart beat faster, and she leaned in so close she could feel his breath blowing gently across her face. She gently slipped her hand out of his and carefully rested it on his jean-clad thigh. The muscles quivered under her touch. The exercise was working. His inner wolf was coming out.
Rachel was so elated her plan was actually working—because seriously, she’d been more than ready for failure the first time out of the gate—she didn’t realize that her breathing and heartbeat had perfectly synced up with his until his scent registered, even more powerful than before, almost overwhelming her with its heat and wild energy.
She inhaled deeply, trying to draw in even more of the enticing scent. While it was the same scent she’d grown used to, at the same time, there was an edge and a rawness to it that hadn’t been there before. It was his inner wolf in all its glory. And one whiff was enough to make her whole body tingle.
Rachel opened her eyes to see that Knox’s claws were fully extended now and his upper fangs were long enough to protrude over his lower lip. He looked dangerous and unbelievably hot.
“Knox, I want you to come back now,” she said softly. “Slow down and leave the forest behind. All you have to do is follow my voice back here.”
It took a few moments, and when he finally opened his eyes, Rachel was stunned speechless. They were glowing the brightest yellow gold she’d ever seen. Those amazing eyes widened when he lifted his hand and saw the extended claws, but then he quickly seemed to lose interest in his claws as his gaze met hers again. His nose lifted slightly as he tested the air, then his eyes darkened, smoldering and intense, and her heart beat faster at the heat in their depths.
Rachel didn’t even realize what she was doing until she felt her claws digging into solid muscle. Startled, she glanced down and realized her own claws were out, kneading his legs like a cat with a fuzzy blanket. She ran her tongue over her teeth to find that her fangs were extended, too. When had she shifted?
She lifted her gaze to look Knox deep in the eyes and stopped thinking about her fangs and claws and instead focused on the lips mere inches from hers. He was going to kiss her. There was a small part of her mind telling her that she shouldn’t let him. He was a hunter, one of the bad guys.
But damn, he smelled so delicious. Something told her that he’d taste even better.
Knowing it was probably the dumbest thing she’d ever do, she leaned in, closing her eyes as their lips touched.
Rachel wasn’t sure if she pulled back or if it was Knox. Regardless, one moment they were about to lock lips, and the next they were sitting at either end of the couch looking in any direction but at each other and failing miserably.
“So, um…wow…you got my claws to come out,” Knox said, his voice almost casual as he stared at the claws extending from the tips of his fingers. “That’s pretty amazing.”
She shook her head, knowing she was probably blushing like crazy right then. “It wasn’t me. It was all you. I simply talked you into a place where you let your inner wolf out. In time, your claws and fangs will extend and retract without having to go to that place in your head.”
He seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding. “If I kept going, could I turn completely into a wolf? You know, like with four feet and fur?”
Rachel looked at him, her gaze locking on his sensuous mouth, and for a moment, she found herself wondering what it would be like if they kissed for real. Was he thinking the same thing?
She ran her hand through her hair and cleared her throat, forcing herself to focus on his question. “Some of us can, yeah.”
“Can you?”
“No.” She gave him a small smile. “You have to be in complete harmony with your inner wolf. Apparently, I’m not there yet.”
He held her gaze. “Maybe we can both get there if we work on it together?”
“Maybe,” she murmured, wondering if he was still talking about shifting into a wolf or this thing that was building between them.
Chapter 5
“Do you think this dress makes me look grown-up?” Addy asked, twirling back and forth to see herself from the various angles provided by the trio of full-length mirrors mounted on the store’s dressing room walls in the alcove in front of her.
Rachel frowned at the slit running up the side of the black gown, flashing skin three-quarters of the way up the girl’s thigh, as well as the plunging neckline that didn’t belong in the same frigging zip code as a sixteen-year-old. Grown-up definitely wasn’t the word she’d use to the describe the dress.
She wondered if it was too late to join Knox. After the tenth different gown Addy had tried on, Rachel’s partner for this evening’s security detail had disappeared, saying he’d rather stand guard in front of the mall’s upscale boutique. That was probably good, considering things had gotten a little strained between them ever since they’d almost kissed.
That had been three days ago. Since then, they hadn’t talked much or set up another training session. Apparently, Knox had decided he didn’t need any more werewolf lessons from her. For some ridiculous reason, that bummed her out.
Pushing thoughts of Knox aside, Rachel glanced at Addy’s mom, hoping she would handle the situation regarding the revealing gown. Unfortunately, Jennifer still had her nose stuck in her cell phone, a yellow notepad balanced on her knees. From what Rachel had been able to overhear of the conversation, the prosecutor was talking to one of her investigators concerning new evidence on Marshall that had been uncovered earlier today. It sounded like it was something big, too. At least Rachel hoped it was something big, since Jennifer had ignored her daughter the whole time.
When Jennifer didn’t even bother looking up to see what kind of dress Addy wanted to buy, Rachel sighed. It appeared she’d have to be the one to give the girl some guidance. That was damn scary considering she wasn’t sure she should be giving herself clothing advice most of the time. Fashion wasn’t her thing.
“How about we go for something a little less daring?” Rachel suggested with a smile. “Maybe something more like these.”
Grabbing as many dresses from the nearest rack as she could get her hands around, Rachel nudged Addy toward the dressing room. She wasn’t sure what most of the gowns looked like, but honestly, almost anything would be better than the one the girl had on now.
Addy dug in her heels, looking down at herself with a frown. “What’s wrong with this dress? I think it’s perfect. Don’t you, Ben?”
Rachel almost groaned out loud, wishing they could have avoided pulling a teenage boy’s opinion into this situation. But that was why Addy had dragged her best friend since kindergarten, Ben Sullivan, along on this shopping trip—for his valuable insight on the latest in Valentine’s Day teen fashion.
At the sound of his name, the dark-haired teen boy who’d been sitting quietly on the far side of the fitting area jerked as if startled, staring slack jawed at his friend from behind his hipster glasses while trying his best to make it seem like he wasn’t looking at all. Because while Addy and Ben were supposedly just friends, it was obvious from the way the boy was sweating right then that he’d really rather be anywhere but in the friend zone.
“I think you look amazing,” Ben breathed, clearly not helping the situation at all.
Addy smiled and turned to give Rachel a superior look. Without a word, Rachel shoved the dresses into the girl’s arms and nudged her toward the dressing rooms again.
“I know you think the gown you have on is beautiful, but I think we can find one even better if we keep loo
king,” Rachel said as she followed the teen to the changing rooms. “One that suits your personality a little better.”
Addy regarded her silently for a moment, then sighed and slipped into one of the small alcoves, closing the saloon-style door behind her. “I know you think the dresses I’ve been trying on are a little racy, and maybe they are. But Aaron is a senior, and I have to look the part if I’m going to date him.”
Rachel leaned her shoulder against the wall beside the dressing room. “I know he’s a senior, but is going out with him worth it if you have to wear a dress that really isn’t you just to impress him?”
“Well, yeah. Duh,” Addy said. “Did I mention he’s a senior? And gorgeous? And has a motorcycle and a leather jacket? And can text with one hand behind his back while taking notes with the other one in class? I mean, who else would I want to go to the dance with?”
Opening the door, Addy stepped out to show off a dress with a demure neckline and hem that was perfect in every way but the color. Yellow that bright didn’t work for anybody but Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Rachel shook her head and motioned Addy back into the dressing room. “You could always go to the dance with Ben. He seems nice.”
“Ben?” Addy laughed as if that was the funniest thing ever. Rachel was glad Ben didn’t have the hearing of a werewolf. A laugh like that would have scarred the kid for life. “I can’t go to the Valentine’s Day dance with him. He’s my best friend. Besides, he doesn’t even like girls.”
Rachel did a double take. Could the girl be any more clueless? Ben gazed at Addy like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. How could she have missed that?
“What makes you think he doesn’t like girls?” Rachel asked curiously.
Addy stood on her toes to peek over the top of the changing room door. “I’ve known him since we were five years old, and in all that time, I’m the only girl he’s ever hung out with.”
Rachel rolled her eyes, wanting to tell Addy how stupid she was being. But then she realized that would have been a waste of time. There wasn’t a sixteen-year-old girl on the planet who could ignore a mysterious bad boy like Aaron.
Addy stepped out of the dressing room, modeling another age-appropriate dress. At least, there wasn’t a thigh-high slit or boob-baring neckline. Unfortunately, it was red, which still made it too racy in Rachel’s opinion. From the expression on Addy’s face, she was seriously impressed.
“What do you think?” she asked, twirling around.
“I think we’re onto something with this one,” Rachel murmured. “Aaron is going to go absolutely crazy when he sees you in it.”
Addy looked down at herself, then back up at Rachel, her blue eyes shining. “He is?”
Rachel nodded. If she was going to talk the girl into buying a different dress, she was going to have to be sneaky about it this time. “Oh yeah. You’re going to look like you should be walking on the red carpet—sophisticated…classy…mysterious. Trust me, he won’t be able to take his eyes off of you. I just wish…”
“What do you wish?” Addy asked almost breathlessly.
“Well, red isn’t really your color.” Rachel put on her best disappointed look. “Too bad that same dress doesn’t come in another one.”
Addy immediately darted into the dressing room, flipping through the gowns on the hangers. A moment later, she came back out with the same dress in a pretty pastel blue. “How about this one?”
“Perfect. Try it on.”
As she ducked inside to change, Addy chatted about never even considering a dress like this, whether Rachel really thought Aaron would flip out over it, and what kind of shoes would go best with the gown.
The questions came so fast it was impossible to reply to them. That was okay because Addy answered them for her. Rachel leaned against the wall again and smiled, listening to the endless monologue. Right up until Addy asked a question that simply couldn’t be ignored.
“What are you going to wear to the dance?” the teenager asked, poking her head over the top of the door, eagerly awaiting the answer.
Rachel was about to point out that she probably wouldn’t be at the dance since she worked the day shift, but the look on Addy’s face was so precious she couldn’t disappoint the girl.
“I was hoping I could get away with wearing my uniform,” she said. “What do you think?”
Addy giggled. “I think that might make you stand out a little, don’t you? All the other regular security guys at our school have to dress to blend in, so you probably will, too. You probably have lots of fancy dresses, though.”
“Not really. I don’t wear dresses very much.”
“Seriously?” Addy blinked. “If I was tall like you with legs as long as yours, I’d wear dresses every day and make every boy in school drool all over themselves.”
Rachel couldn’t help but laugh as the girl disappeared behind the door and went back to trying on dresses. “There’s a lot more to life than worrying about what men think about your legs, you know. Trust me, when you grow up, you’ll start wanting guys to notice you for more than your body.”
Addy came out of the dressing room, looking absolutely perfect in the blue dress. Her normal enthusiasm was somewhat dampened though. “You sound exactly like my mom.”
Rachel didn’t bother commenting on the dress, since it was obviously the right one. Instead, she focused on the suddenly serious expression on the girl’s face. Addy didn’t seem like she did serious very often. “Like your mom, huh? Is that a bad thing?”
Addy didn’t answer right away, instead moving to sit on the cushioned sofa to one side of the dressing area. Figuring the girl needed to talk, Rachel joined her.
“I haven’t been getting along with her lately,” Addy said quietly.
“Why’s that?” Rachel prompted when the teen didn’t elaborate.
Addy shrugged. “Mom’s always been focused on work, but it’s gotten really bad the past year or so. She told me she got a promotion at the DA’s office, but what she really meant is that her boss is giving her all the cases no one else wants. Ever since, it’s like we stopped being a family.”
Rachel let out a sigh. “I know it’s tough on you, but your mom is doing a really important job—one that takes a brave, strong person to handle. You mom is that brave, strong person.”
Addy took a deep breath and nodded. “I know what she’s doing is important and I’m really proud of her for doing it, but since this trial started, I barely see her anymore. And when she is home, she and Dad spend most of their time arguing. They probably think I don’t hear them, but it’s hard not to with the way they fight.” Eyes glistening with unshed tears, she turned to Rachel. “I think Mom and Dad are getting a divorce.”
When she and Addy had started this conversation, Rachel had no idea it would head in this direction. Now that it had, she didn’t know what to say. She was absolutely crappy at this kind of stuff. She’d rather deal with a bloodsucking vampire than a scared kid. Especially a girl who reminded her so much of Hannah.
Not knowing what else to do, she wrapped an arm around Addy’s shoulders. “I won’t try and tell you everything is going to work out okay because I don’t know that, but I can promise I’ll be there for you, no matter how things turn out.”
Addy didn’t say anything but instead turned and threw her arms around Rachel’s waist, hugging her tightly. Rachel returned the hug, and for what it was worth, it seemed to help. At least Addy was smiling again when she pulled away.
“Now that we’ve found a dress, I guess I should probably change.” Addy stood up. “We’ve been in here long enough that even my mom might have noticed.”
Addy disappeared into the dressing room, returning a few minutes later wearing jeans and a T-shirt, the blue gown draped over an arm. “Your boyfriend will be coming to the dance with you, right?”
Rachel frowne
d. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Addy looked puzzled for a moment, but then smiled as if she’d just figured something out. “Oh, I get it. You two work together, so you aren’t supposed to let anyone know you’re dating. That’s so romantic.”
Rachel knew she probably looked like a fish out of water standing there with her mouth hanging open. “Okay, I think we need to stop and back up because I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about you and Knox.” Addy grinned. “It’s obvious you two are together. I see the way you’re always looking at him when you think no one is watching. Then there’s the expression he gets on his face when he gazes at you, like you’re the only person in the world he even sees.”
Rachel was so flabbergasted all she could do was stand there continuing her impression of a carp.
“You two are dating, right?” Addy asked, the expression on her face changing back from amused to confused. “I mean, you guys are perfect together.”
Rachel almost laughed at the idea that she and Knox were perfect together. He was a former hunter and she was a werewolf. There was too much that separated them—not that she cared, of course.
“It’s not like that, even if Knox and I did have dinner at my apartment the other night,” she said, wondering who she was trying to convince.
“You are dating!” Addy said, all smiles again. “I knew it!”
“We aren’t dating,” Rachel insisted. “He came over so we could discuss some training techniques. It was nothing more than that.”
“‘Training techniques’?” Addy mimicked with air quotes. “Is that what adults are calling it these days?”
Rachel made a face. “Very funny. Get your teenage mind out of the gutter. Knox came over to my place. We had dinner. We talked. Then he left. That’s it.”
“What’d you talk about?”
“Normal stuff. Family. Work. The fact that both of us happened to be in LA at the same time recently and the odd turns that life can sometimes take.”
