“Even when they’re asinine,” Helen muttered under her breath.
I ignored her as I focused on James. “I will talk to him,” I said. “I’m not promising you anything, though. I want to hear from him why he doesn’t want to go.”
“That’s perfectly reasonable.”
James said the words, but I didn’t get the feeling he meant them. I couldn’t worry about that now.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll finish my juice and then take a shower. I’ll talk to him as soon as I’m done.”
“You might want to put on some makeup, too,” Helen said, making a face when James shot her a dirty look. “What? It will only help her cause to be pretty when she tries to get Aric to do what she wants.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from lashing out. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”
Five
I spent the rest of the day watching Aric for signs of a meltdown, and arguing with Sami about summer camp. Finally, I couldn’t stand the bickering any longer and gave in – which infuriated Aric and made Sami ridiculously happy. Either way, I went from two morose family members to one, and considered it a win.
Instead of leaving Sami unprotected at camp the next morning, though, I insisted on driving, and made her promise that she wouldn’t put up a fuss when I picked her up. Then, like a stalker, I parked on the road (she would’ve seen me spying in the campground’s parking lot) and watched her through the trees for signs of trouble.
That’s where Aric found me an hour into my spying mission. Later he would claim he was simply out for a walk and stumbled across me, but I knew better.
“I knew it,” Aric grumbled, opening the passenger door and climbing into the Ford Explorer to join me. “My father was complaining all morning about you spoiling Sami – which is rich, coming from him – and it made no sense to me. Then I realized what you were really doing.”
“It seemed easier,” I said, powering off my Kindle and dropping it on the armrest. “This way she’s happy, and I don’t have to be in the house watching you and your father glare at each other.”
“We were not glaring.”
“Oh, I must’ve been confused then,” I said. “I couldn’t decide if that was your ‘don’t mess with me’ look or your ‘I’m constipated’ look. Silly me.”
Aric scorched me with a dark look, but he managed to sustain the effort for only a few seconds before breaking. The smile sliding across his face was impish. “You’re such a pain. I have no idea why I put up with you.”
“I think it’s my cooking skills.”
Aric captured my hand and ran his thumb over my knuckles. “That must be it,” he said. “You open a box of cereal with the best of them, baby.”
“Hey, I pour milk, too.”
“How could I forget?” Aric stared at me for a moment before shifting his eyes to the girls playing volleyball on the lakeside pit. “Sami seems to be having fun. I still can’t believe you caved.”
“She wasn’t going to shut up if I didn’t, and I couldn’t take the heavy silence in the house,” I said. “At least she likes me.”
“I like you.”
“That’s not how it felt yesterday,” I countered. “You seemed … aloof … after what your father said. I couldn’t help but wonder if you blamed me for something I didn’t realize I did.”
“No, Zoe, I don’t blame you for anything,” Aric said. “It’s just … my father is so bossy and demanding. He’s manipulative, too. He doesn’t want us to go to the council gathering because he thinks they can help us. He wants us to go because he’s dying to introduce Sami to the pack mentality.”
I figured most of that out on my own. Still, we’d raised Sami to be whatever she wanted to be. If she wanted to identify as a wolf, I had no problem with that. In fact, if she showed more wolf traits than mage, it would almost be a relief.
“I hear your mind working over there,” Aric said after a beat. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that we live complicated lives,” I replied. “Your father wants me to talk you into going.”
“I figured.”
“I’m not going to pressure you, because that’s not my way. You know how easygoing and open to compromise I am.”
Aric snorted. “Yes, that’s exactly what I think when I look at you.”
“I want to make sure that you’re not turning your back on this because you’re ashamed of me,” I admitted, my stomach tensing as I voiced my true worry. “If that’s the case, I can rent a hotel room or something and be close should you run into trouble, but hide away so you don’t have to introduce me to the other wolves.”
Aric stilled, his face unreadable. “What are you saying?”
“It’s something your dad said,” I replied. “He said you pulled away when you married me. I can’t help but think I’m the root of some of those problems. I’m not a wolf, so I don’t know. People probably think less of you.
“It’s not something I seriously considered before now, and I’m sorry about that,” I continued. “That’s not fair to you, and I’ve been a bad wife on that front. I’m sorry.”
“Shut up, Zoe,” Aric snapped, taking me by surprise. “That is so … out there. That’s not why I pulled away from the pack.”
I didn’t believe him. “I think I had something to do with it.”
“You had everything to do with it, but not in the way you think,” Aric countered. “When we first got together, I struggled with putting the pack first and holding onto you. It was impossible. Do you know what I discovered in that time?”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head.
“I discovered that I didn’t want to put the pack first,” he said. “I discovered that I wanted to follow my heart and put you first … and that’s what I did. I’ve never regretted it.
“These pack types are like Star Trek characters,” he continued. “It’s all the good of the many outweighs the good of the one. That’s not how I feel. The good of my one – now two because of Sami – far outweighs the pack.”
It was a sweet sentiment, but I was still confused. “Do you really want to cut yourself off completely from the pack, though?”
“I don’t know that there can be a happy medium,” Aric replied. “I won’t ever put you second and that will be a problem for them.”
“As is the fact that I’m a mage and not a wolf.”
“I’d be lying if I said that wouldn’t be an issue, but that’s hardly the worst thing we’ve ever faced,” Aric said, squeezing my hand. “Baby, I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you. My father loves the pack. I never did. There is no choice, because you’ve already won.”
“What about the other stuff?” I pressed. “Your father seems to believe they can help us with the zombies.”
“You just love saying that word, don’t you?” Aric’s eyes twinkled. “I was wrong about them not being zombies, and you absolutely adore being right. It’s a sickness. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I’m a sick woman.”
“As for the rest, I honestly don’t see how they can help us,” Aric said. “They’re up north. Whatever new threat is coming is here. The bodies were raised close to us. We were attacked from here. How can they help?”
It was a reasonable question. “But what if they can?”
Aric shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve considered it, but it’s going to be stressful for you and Sami if we agree to do it.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Duly noted,” Aric said, brushing his lips over my knuckles before pressing our joined hands against his chest. “I’m honestly more worried about Sami. She’s never shifted. She was raised away from the pack. She’ll be so far behind the other kids.”
Now his reticence made sense. He was only partially interested in protecting me. “She’ll be okay,” I said. “We raised her to be strong and opinionated. If you want to go … .”
“I didn’t say that,” Aric said, cutting me off.
&
nbsp; “Okay, what do you want?” I asked, switching tactics.
“I want to think,” Aric said. “Is that too much to ask? I don’t know what I want, so I need to think.”
“It’s not too much to ask,” I said, leaning my head on the seat rest and focusing on Sami as she spiked a ball over the net. She was so excited she did a little dance, and it was very reminiscent of my “I’m right” moves.
Aric noticed, too. “She gets that from you.”
“She gets the competitive sports thing from you,” I pointed out. “I don’t care about sports.”
“This is true.”
We lapsed into silence for a moment. Aric was the first to break it.
“So, since we’re stuck here for hours, do you want to have sex in the Explorer or what?” Aric asked, shifting his eyes to me.
“I thought you wanted to think.”
“I can multi-task.”
I tilted my head to the side, considering. “Okay, but if the cops show up like last time, I’m blaming you.”
“I expect nothing less.”
“DID YOU see where my panties went?”
Aric was in a self-congratulatory mood when we came up for air. He initially ignored my question. I had to flick his ear to get him to look at me.
“What?” Aric asked, jerking his head away and rubbing his ear. “That hurt.”
“Oh, my big, bad wolf,” I teased, rolling my eyes. “My panties. Where did they go?”
Aric’s sly grin returned. “I have no idea, but you don’t need them. We’re stuck here for another three hours. I have a feeling I’ll want to do that again.”
I made a face. “We’re not college kids,” I reminded him. “We’re too old to keep doing it in vehicles.”
“Age is a state of mind, baby,” Aric said. “I feel young and in love, like I always do.”
“That’s kind of cute,” I conceded. “I still want my panties.”
“I can’t help you,” Aric said, glancing into the back seat of the Explorer. “I have no idea where they went. They’re probably under the seat.”
“Well, great,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I can’t get out because Sami will see us if I do. Then we’ll never hear the end of it.”
“She gets that delightful quirk from you,” Aric said. “Speaking of Sami, she’s not playing volleyball on the beach. Did you see where she went?”
“I was doing the same thing you were,” I said. “How could I see?”
“Chill out, drama queen,” Aric said. “It was just a question. I … there she is. She’s over by the picnic tables with a bunch of the girls from the slumber party. I think they’re playing a board game.”
“Who plays a board game at summer camp?” I asked, staring out the window. “That’s like the lamest of the lame.”
“The lamest of the lame,” Aric snorted. “You have a way with words.”
“I know.”
I leaned back in my seat and studied the girls. The last few weeks – other than the theatrics and drama associated with being a typical teenager – had been kind to Sami. Instead of being ostracized and constantly worried about being different, she’d begun to embrace her oddness. Er, well, that’s how it appeared to me. It could’ve been a case of wishful thinking.
“She seems happy,” I said after a few moments.
“Happier than she was a few weeks ago, that’s for sure,” Aric agreed, bobbing his head. “I have a terrible feeling that the hormones will only get worse before they get better. I think we’re going to have a loud couple of years in our house.”
That was an intriguing thought. “I think you’ll survive. In six years she’ll leave for college and you’ll be stuck with me for the rest of your life.”
“Sounds like Heaven to me.”
I giggled. “You’re feeling very charming. I can tell. If you think that means I’m going to give you a repeat performance, though, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“Never say never.”
“I … .” I didn’t get a chance to finish my statement because my ears started ringing and my brain felt muffled. I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I tried to shake off the sensation.
“What’s wrong?” Aric asked, instantly alert. He could read my body language and knew something terrible was about to happen.
“I’m not sure,” I gritted out. “I … hear … something. No, that’s not right. I don’t hear anything. I feel something. Something is coming.”
I snapped my head up by sheer force of will, essentially kicking the magic muffler to the curb as I shifted my eyes to Sami. Instead of seeing a happy girl smiling and talking with her friends, I found a panicked child taking worried steps away from the table.
The girls sitting with her moved in unison, all shifting their heads at the same time and moving at the same speed.
“Well, that can’t be good,” Aric said, throwing open his door. He cast a worried glance at me.
“Go,” I prodded. “I’ll be right behind you.”
“Be careful, Zoe,” Aric said. “Don’t exhaust yourself again. I can’t carry both of you.”
“I’ll do what I have to do,” I said, pushing open my door. “Get Sami!”
Aric didn’t need to be told twice. He left the door open as he raced through the trees, leaping over fallen branches and landing in the middle of the campground mere seconds after he vacated the truck.
Sami looked surprised to see her father. Instead of relief, though, anger flitted across her face. “Were you spying on me?”
“Suck it up,” Aric said, hopping over the picnic table and splitting the group of the girls as he scooped Sami up in his arms. He held her against his chest as he faced off with the girls. It took me that long to catch up, and I remained on the other side of the table as Aric and I locked gazes. “I think they’re in trances.”
I turned my attention to the blond girl on my side of the table. She tried to walk in tandem with the other girls, but she was so out of it she couldn’t figure out how to sidestep the table bench, so it kept her locked behind the aging wood.
“Do you think?” I made a face as I waved my hand in front of the girl’s face. “Stephanie?” She didn’t answer. “That’s her name, right?”
“Steffy,” Sami corrected, her arms wrapped around Aric’s neck as he moved to his right to avoid one of the girls. “Her name is Steffy.”
“Is that different?” I wrinkled my nose and shook my head as I focused on the girl. “Steffy, can you hear me?”
She didn’t speak words in response, instead letting loose with an eerie hissing and snapping her head in my direction. Her eyes were completely red. Thankfully they didn’t glow. That would’ve been a deal breaker for me. I’ve never seen one horror movie in which a case of glowing red eyes ends well.
“She’s definitely possessed,” I said. “She looks like a stoned vampire from a bad eighties flick.”
“What should we do?” Aric asked, continuing his loop as he worked to get closer to me. He didn’t want any of us isolated from one another. “Should we run back to the Explorer? If so, you should go first.”
“Now is not the time to insult my lack of athleticism,” I groused. “Good grief.”
“You have shorter legs,” Aric snapped.
“Oh, well, that makes sense.” I was about to head for the vehicle when my gaze landed on the board game. It wasn’t really a board game, in fact. It was an Ouija board. It didn’t look like the cheap ones you find at a store. “What is this?” I grabbed the game and lifted it, causing every possessed head in the vicinity to snap in my direction at the exact same moment. “Okay, that was creepy.”
“Leave it behind,” Aric ordered, moving into the space next to me. “We need to run. They’re clearly tied to that board.”
That made total sense to me. Leaving the board behind did not. “I’m taking it.”
“You can’t steal that,” Sami snapped. “It’s Steffy’s. Her grandmother gave it to her.”
Well, that was
interesting. “I’m not stealing it,” I countered. “I’m borrowing it. They’re possessed. They’ll never know.”
“No!”
I ignored her. “I’m totally taking it.” I recognized the symbol in the middle of the board. I needed to study it away from the madness if I hoped to make sense of what was happening.
“Fine. Take it,” Aric gritted out. “Just start running.”
“You’ll be right behind me, won’t you?”
Aric took the time to flash a reassuring smile. “I’ll be right behind you, baby.”
I wasn’t keen on leaving Aric and Sami behind, but he was right. I was a much slower runner. I gripped the board as tightly as possible and bolted toward the Explorer. A tree branch slapped my face at some point – and I was sure it drew blood – but I ignored it.
I hopped into the driver’s seat and slammed my door shut. Aric was right behind me, shoving Sami through the opening into the back seat before closing his door. The possessed girls didn’t follow. Instead they stood next to the picnic table and stared at … well, nothing.
“That is downright creepy,” I said, sticking my key in the ignition and turning it. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”
“I have no idea,” Aric replied, “but we have to get out of here. Sami, fasten your seatbelt.”
“I can’t believe you guys were spying on me,” Sami grumbled, although she did as her father ordered. “Where is the trust?”
“It’s a good thing we did it,” I pointed out. “What would you have done without us?”
“I’m sure I would’ve figured out something. I … what is this?”
I glanced over my shoulder before throwing the Explorer into drive and found my cheeks flooding with color as Sami held up my missing panties. “Oh, um, those are mine.”
“But why are they in the back seat?” Sami asked, confused.
I had no idea how to answer. Ultimately I decided to foist the problem onto someone else. “Ask your father,” I suggested. “I have to focus on driving.”
Aric wasn’t thrilled with the turn of events. “Thanks a lot.”
“Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 31
