by Roxy Wilson
Guilt gnawed at her.
Was she being unnecessarily mean?
Finally, Nya opened the door on a few nights later. He appeared surprised to see her. Perhaps he thought she wouldn’t ever open the door to him. “Reece, this isn’t a good idea.”
“I know,” he agreed. “But I’m bound by something I can’t explain. I just can’t leave you like this.”
Maybe he was right. Perhaps if they talked, it would be easier for them to accept this situation. She hesitated, but then Nya opened the door all the way and he strode in. Since he looked hesitant, she pointed at the kitchen. That was the safest place. There was no way she could sit with him in the living room because that would remind her too much of…
The memories of their lovemaking flooded through her mind, but she pushed them back with ruthless efficiency. In the past days, she’d gotten a bit better at not cringing when the memories came, but there was no way she could ever totally forget that night.
He sauntered into the kitchen. “You’ve been avoiding me,”
“That much is pretty obvious. I did tell you that we shouldn’t see each other again.”
“Do you think about me?”
The question stunned her. “I—I don’t think there is any point answering that question. We can’t be together, and that’s just how it is.”
“I think about you all the time.”
God! Did he have to look so good? She feasted her eyes on his beautiful face, the lips that kissed her with such passion, his strong, wide shoulders, and the way his jeans clung to his legs. Perhaps she was stupid to let him go, but if she didn’t do so, she would lose her mind.
“There isn’t a moment in a day when I’m not wondering what I did wrong to make you think I would ever hurt you.”
She frowned. “Hurt me? I’m not scared of you.”
Reece tilted his head to the side. “You’re not scared of me? But I thought that was the reason why you didn’t want to see me.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I mean, I understand that it’s a lot to take in, that perhaps you think I might lose it, and turn unto some crazed animal, but that’s not how it works.”
It took her a few moments to figure out what he was talking about. Hadn’t she made herself clear? Perhaps not. “I—I just don’t think it’s real.”
“What isn’t real?”
“That whole werewolf thing. I mean, I know they don’t exist. Werewolves don’t live in this world, and I don’t know what you guys did to me that day when I was taken to the shack. Maybe it was a drug or some kind of cool, gimmick but whatever it was, it didn’t work for long. Werewolves aren’t real,” she repeated.
“I changed right in front of you, not only then, but also later when I came to your house.”
“Yes, and I bet you used something cool and exciting to make me believe it was real, but it can’t be. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I don’t want to be a part of it. All I want is a normal life, the one I had before I met you, and that’s—that’s how it is going to be.”
He was quiet for a long time.
It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but she could bet she detected confusion. Maybe he didn’t know what to do now that she’d caught him in his lies. Why would he spin such tales?
“If that were true, if I were a werewolf, you wouldn’t be scared of me?”
Nya shook her head. “No, you’re not capable of hurting anyone, at least not without provocation or if you had to defend yourself. I’ve said it many times,” she insisted. “But that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with the way your mind works. I can’t be with someone who lies just to win the girl.”
“I didn’t win you over. I lost you. Why would I lie to make it seem as if I’m some kind of monster?”
She shrugged. The more she thought about the whole thing, the more confused she became. The line between reality and fantasy was blurred, and it made her question her own sanity. It wasn’t a feeling she particularly liked. “I don’t know.”
“So, you think I actually conspired with those guys to make it look as if I was a wolf?” He grinned. “This is funny, actually. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this. I thought I scared you, and that’s why you broke up with me.”
“We weren’t exactly going out,” she pointed out.
“Come on. We were pretty involved, and that night…Ahhh!” Reece grinned again. “How much involved do we have to be to classify this thing we have as a relationship?”
“You should go,” she said. This conversation wasn’t going the way she liked. Rather than apologize and tell her that he made a mistake, he was actually looking a little amused. “There’s nothing left to say.”
“You’re right. There is nothing more to say.” He backed up so that he was a little distance away from her, and then before she could take a breath, he shifted. His hands and feet changed. His face took on another form. He hunkered down, and there appeared the wolf again.
She gasped. Although she wanted to move, she couldn’t. Her legs were frozen into place. The wolf padded forward, and she should have been scared, but she wasn’t.
It was strange.
It was like something she’d seen on TV.
And yet, it was happening right before her eyes.
The wolf came so close that she could hear its breath as it panted. Its tongue swept out and licked her hand. It actually came so near that she could touch it. Even though she didn’t want to, her fingers curled through its fur. It was smooth and soft. The wolf looked up and she saw its eyes. They were the same color as Reece’s.
It was him.
She simply couldn’t deny this anymore.
The wolf padded back. It shifted, and Reece stood there again. “There was no gimmick and no drugs. This was real. I’m a werewolf, and yes, I like you. A lot. You dominate my thoughts, and I would like to see where this relationship takes us.”
She opened her mouth and closed it. It was impossible to articulate her thoughts.
“I should go now, but I’ll be back and we’ll talk about it some more.” He spun on his heels and walked out.
Nya heard the door as it creaked opened and closed with a decisive click.
Now, she was alone,
Her throat closed up.
She couldn’t talk.
She couldn’t think.
What the hell was she supposed to do now?
Chapter Sixteen
Hope was his constant companion. Now that he’d talked to her, he was sure she would come around. It delighted Reece to know she wasn’t scared of him as a wolf. While he accepted his identity as it was, he’d been sure Nya would have been scared out of her wits, instead, she appeared to be more confused than scared.
It was a good sign.
Or at least, he was determined to think of it like that.
If she could accept him as a wolf, there may yet be a chance that they would be able to renew their relationship. All she needed was a few days to think about it. Reece was determined to give her the time to figure things out.
The only thing that disturbed his peace was the knowledge that the police had been sniffing around in his factory, asking questions of his employees and investigating his claims that he didn’t kill Miles. It wasn’t good for the morale of his employees or for his reputation, but since there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it, Reece decided not to push that issue. They would get tired of their useless investigation and focus on someone else. Still, there was the matter of the missing money. He’d already lodged an official police complaint, but he had a feeling they weren’t that invested to figure out who swindled the money. He would have to do something about it on his own.
Reece picked up the phone and placed a call. “Hey, Dan, it’s Reece. Anything to report?” He’d hired a detective who was supposed to launch an investigation.
“I went through Miles’s records, and so far nothing has turned up.”
“Concentrate on the other employees.
“I might have to com
e to the factory to sniff around,” Dan said.
Reece gritted his teeth. He would rather keep this low key, but then he didn’t have much of an option. “I’ll arrange for a pass. You’ll be given access to accounts and all related data when you come, but I want you to pose as an independent contractor who’s running an audit. If my employees figure out they’re being investigated, it might give birth to a lot of ill feelings, which frankly, I can hardly afford at this point.”
Once he gave him all the instructions, Reece placed the phone down. He concentrated on some pending work that needed to be dealt with. He was honest enough to admit that he’d neglected his work. While the company didn’t really need him on a daily basis, there were some things only he could do. The next three days, he put a lot of his affairs in order. Another person was hired to replace Miles, and Reece was happy to note that the employees didn’t appear too perturbed by the police investigation. Perhaps they figured it was just a routine matter and they didn’t think he was capable of murder.
Small blessings, but he was willing to make the most of them.
On Tuesday night he went to Sal’s. His new friend Lendl was already in place and had already saved a seat for him. “How are you doing?” Lendl asked.
“Good, and you?”
“Business is booming. Can’t complain.”
They placed their orders and waited for their steaks to be delivered. Reece got a prickly feeling on the back of his neck, an instinct that warned him someone was staring at him. Deliberately, he turned around, so he could survey the people in the room. As always, it was packed. There were a lot of faces he recognized. Now that he’d made a habit of dropping in every Tuesday, he recognized the regulars—and he could tell that already they were less suspicious of him as they’d been when he came for the first time.
Still, he’d the uneasy feeling there was someone in the room who didn’t quite like his presence. Reece lifted his hand and greeted a few of his employees who were seated on one of the back tables.
They smiled and resumed their chatter.
Maybe he was imagining things. Life had been a bit strange for the past few weeks, and it was no wonder he was a little paranoid. A kidnapping, a murder, police on his tail; what else could go wrong now? Maybe all he needed was to hunker down and face this storm and soon, it would be a thing of the past.
“Heard the police came to your factory,” Lendl commented.
His first instinct was to say something glib and change the topic, but then he relaxed his shoulders. If he didn’t trust people, he couldn’t expect them to trust him. “Yeah, they’ve been on my case.”
“Officer Mason talked to me. He wanted to know if you said something that would indicate you were the one who murdered Miles”
Reece nearly swallowed his tongue. He didn’t expect this. “Ah, what did you tell him?”
“Known that boy since he was born, and I told him if he wanted to catch the real murderer, he better open his eyes and start looking elsewhere. You’re not the murderer.”
For a moment, he could only stare at Lendl. Reece resisted the urge to hug the man. Instead, he merely placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Thanks, man.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I don’t think he listened to what I had to say. Some of these folks who are born and bred here, don’t even want to consider that some of the people they grew up with could be different from how they perceived them.” Lendl accepted his plate. Reece got his. “But I hope he gets the sense soon. People are getting impatient. Miles was one of us, and we all want to know what happened.”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“Isn’t that what I just said? If I thought you were a murderer, believe me I wouldn’t be sitting with you.” Lendl took a bite of his steak, closed his eyes in a ritual he practiced each time, and then opened them again. “This is as good as it gets, boy.”
No one, except for his late father, ever called him boy, but Reece was willing to let Lendl get away with anything, now that he knew what the man thought about him. “It sure is.”
“You just be careful. There’s something going on in this town that is far more disturbing than anything we’ve experienced before; but we’ve weathered difficult storms and we’ll survive this one too.”
He wanted to kiss the man on the cheek. It’d been a long time since someone showed that kind of faith in him. At the same time, he wasn’t sure if Lendl really knew what was going on. There were things at stake here which the older man couldn’t fathom. Reece’s position in his pack, his reputation, the safety and the ultimate future of the town would all be decided once this investigation as over. If the police arrested him and sent him to jail, he would have to close down his factory. He wouldn’t be able to keep it open if he wasn’t around to supervise it. Hundreds of jobs would be cut, and the town might sink back into the financial depression from which Reece rescued it.
But this wasn’t the time to talk about that kind of thing.
He smiled. “I wish more thought like you. Sometimes, I get the feeling half the town already thinks I did it and will get away scott free.”
“Then they’re fools,” Lendl said. It was his turn to clap Reece on the shoulder. “But I know the officer in charge of your case, and while he may be slow, he isn’t dumb.”
Reece had a different opinion, but he didn’t think it was the time to say it. He was grateful for Lendl’s support, and when his friend changed the topic and started talking about the high school soccer team, he was happy to listen and give his two cents’ worth. For better or worse, he had one friend in the town—and right now, it felt good to sit with him and share a meal.
“You ever coached a soccer team?” Lendl asked.
“I played in school, but coaching? Never.”
Lendl surveyed him. “A good soccer coach gets a lot of respect. There was a time when I was in charge and boy, those were good years. The high school team brought home the trophy twice. We had a good time.”
Coaching?
No, that wasn’t something he ever considered. Sure, he was a good player, but that was because he was strong and fast, and his own coach had taught him how to maximize his strengths well. “I don’t think it’s something I can do.”
“I figure a guy who can run a factory well, can also coach a handful of youngsters. It wouldn’t take too long, maybe a few hours each week, and the rewards would be priceless.”
Reece raised an eyebrow. “Is that a suggestion?”
“Take it as it’s meant, and that’s advice from a friend. Want to win a few friends? Coach the team, help them bring home the trophy, and everyone who has a kid or a nephew on that team will bend over backward to be nice to you.” He grinned. “Of course, if you lose horrendously, they will publicly crucify you, but that’s a risk a man like you should be able to take.”
Reece didn’t say anything. From one thing to another, his life was fast becoming a roller coaster ride, and he had no idea where he would be the next moment. If it was someone else who made this suggestion, he would have dismissed it right then and there, but Lendl seemed to be too honest to mislead him and he was a friend. “I’ll think about it.”
“You do that. In the meantime, this steak is as good as ever. Want another soda?”
“Yes, please.” As was their habit, they lingered in the diner until Sal kicked them out because there was a long queue outside. They strolled out. “See you later.”
“Yeah. If I am still breathing, I will be here. Reece?”
“Yeah.”
“Think about the soccer team. They desperately need a coach, and you need some allies. It’s a perfect match.”
The man was persistent. Reece raised a hand. “I will.”
He watched as Lendl strolled towards his pickup truck. He revved the engine and stormed off.
While they wouldn’t see each other during the week, he already looked forward to their next dinner. It was becoming more of a habit, and it was something he enjoyed. Reece nodded to a few pe
ople and then headed for his car. After his conversation with Lendl, a new optimism filled Reece. Sure, Lendl was only one person, but that was one more person in his corner than there had been a while ago. Slowly and steadily, he seemed to be gaining support in the town, and that made him think there was light at this end of this depressing tunnel.
Perhaps Nya needed to hear about it. He would like to talk to her.
It had been a few days since he last saw her, and maybe by now, she’d realized there was no need for her to keep her distance from him. Maybe she ached for him the same way he ached for her. Perhaps it was time to bury their differences and start afresh. He called her, but she didn’t pick up. A heaviness engulfed his body. It was late. Surely, she was home and chose not to pick his call because she still didn’t forgive him for his deception.
Maybe she figured that since he was a werewolf, he must have been the one who murdered Miles. Perhaps she didn’t trust him anymore.
He should just leave her alone.
But he couldn’t do it.
His heart longed to see her. How could he ever forget that wonderful night when he touched her? Her scent still lingered in his memories. He would give away his fortune to see her again, and he would give it all away for a chance to develop a relationship with her. She was far more important to him than he’d admitted to her. Maybe it was time to tell her that he loved her.
Love?
Yes.
She wasn’t ready, but there was no denying the feelings that simmered in his heart. She was the only woman for him. He wanted her in his life, and for that he was willing to do anything. Reece dialed her number again, but no one picked up.
He could leave this alone, or else he could do something about it.
He started the car and drove towards her house. A bright moon illuminated the sky. It was perhaps an omen. Maybe tonight, he would finally be able to win Nya over. Although he’d talked to her before, it was time to make everything clearer. He loved her, and he wanted her to at least acknowledge his feelings. She didn’t have to reciprocate, at least not yet. In time, he hoped she would feel the same things he felt for her, but for now he was content to simply have her in his life.
