by Melissa Haag
“When this is all done, maybe you won’t need to turn yourself off. I hope Bethi’s right and whatever’s wrong with me will go away.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you.” He wrapped an arm around my back and kissed the top of my head. His love for me leaked out just a bit, but I didn’t comment on it.
Five
After several moments of silence, my stomach rumbled. The big releases made me so hungry afterward.
“I’ll get us another sandwich,” Ethan said.
I nodded and straightened away from him. He knew I’d stay in the barn and starve rather than go back in for more food. It wasn’t just the emotions that kept me sitting but the group’s attitude toward me. I hated myself enough for what I did to people. I didn’t need them silently judging me too.
As his footsteps faded, I considered our situation. I hadn’t thought everything through when I’d agreed to help. I’d only seen the end goal of getting rid of my siphoning. But, before I could get rid of it, I’d have to chum around with these emotionally uninhibited people. I had a feeling I’d be doing a lot more sparring with Ethan in the upcoming days. If it got too bad, he and I could take off for a while. I frowned as I realized just how dependent we were without a car or our bags. I didn’t even have my wallet.
“Do you love the boy?”
The unexpected voice made me jump, but its familiarity kept me seated. I turned to glare at Carlos.
“I wish you’d stop calling him a boy. His name is Ethan. He’s twenty-four—old enough to own the bar you trashed. And yes, I love him. He’s my family.”
Carlos studied me for a moment then looked out over the shadowed fields. His expression left no hint at what he was thinking or feeling. It was so strange not to feel anything from him. I wanted to ask him why he was so emotionally shut off but thought that might not go over so well. So, I joined him in his study of the horizon.
After a few seconds, he surprised me by sitting down in Ethan’s spot. Heat radiated from him, and I found it unsettling.
“How often do you need to purge?”
At first, I thought he was talking about my throwing up in the van and was ready to deck him. Then, I realized he meant the fighting.
“It depends on who I’m around. The group inside is broadcasting emotions so loudly I can feel it from here. I’ll need another round with Ethan before we leave, or if we stay the night.”
“Not Ethan,” he said. “His shoulder needs more time. I’ll do it.”
I glanced at him and found he was watching me. My stomach flipped wildly, and my insides warmed at the thought of us moving together like we had before. But something in his gaze bothered me.
“Why?”
He raised a brow in question, and I thought it might have been the first facial expression I saw him use.
“Why are you so willing to help me?”
“I like watching you move.”
My mouth may have dropped open a little at his words. I wasn’t sure. I was too stunned to notice anything but his intense gaze. It swept over my face then he stood and walked away. Before I turned, I heard Ethan.
“Hey, Carlos.”
“Ethan.”
I swallowed and closed my mouth. What the heck had the big guy meant by his comment? Without his emotions, I had no idea.
Ethan sat next to me while looking behind us, which I refused to do, and made a noise between a grunt and a laugh.
“He’s a weird one. What do you get off of him?”
“Nothing,” I said, accepting the sandwich Ethan handed over.
“Nothing?”
“Absolutely nothing. It’s like he’s a black hole. He’s better at blocking than you are.”
“Really? Interesting.”
I didn’t like the way he said that.
“What do you mean by interesting?”
“Absolutely nothing,” he said before taking a bite of his sandwich.
After a few minutes of silent scrutiny, I changed the subject.
“Do you still have your wallet?”
“Yep.”
“Good. At least we didn’t lose everything back there. If we’re going to be sitting here for a while, maybe one of them will let us use a car to grab a few things.”
“Doubt it. You ran twice on them already. If we leave, I’m betting it’s with an escort. Have you noticed that there’s no friend here?”
I gave him a puzzled look.
“What do you mean?”
“The old woman said we were heading to a friend’s place. Where’s the friend? And why break the lock on the door if it’s a friend?”
I hadn’t noticed any of that.
“And do you know what else is weird?”
“What?”
“The women are all paired up.”
That made me laugh.
“You’re checking out women while on the run from things that look like people but can change into dogs? You overdue for a night out?”
“Nope. I’m waiting for you,” he said with a wink before he got serious again. “All the women with abilities like yours...they’re paired up. With a werewolf.”
I cringed at the use of the word. It didn’t seem real yet, despite the visual affirmations.
“So, what are you saying? They’re going to try to hook me up with a werewolf?”
He shrugged and was quiet. I laid my head on his shoulder once more.
“I’m saying don’t let your guard down,” he said finally.
* * * *
When we walked back into the house an hour later, the emotional soup almost pulled me under. I looked around at the people in the room, trying to pinpoint the source. There was too much of it, though. But, it wasn’t Bethi. She and Luke were absent.
“Who the hell is worrying so much?”
The worry flooding the area immediately receded. Now, toward the back of the house, I felt fear and guilt. That was definitely Bethi and Luke.
“Gabby still hasn’t woken up. We’re trying to decide if we should move on without the guidance or continue to wait.”
“I’ve seen people sleep twelve hours after that kind of hit,” I said.
“My dad slept, what? Eighteen?” Ethan said from beside me.
I knew he was trying to help reassure the group, but it had the opposite effect. Worry clouded the air again. These people wouldn’t relax until Gabby was awake. But everyone was too afraid to slap the girl.
“Okay, just hold tight for a minute.” I marched for the stairs with Ethan right behind me.
“Bad ideas rattle around in that head of yours,” he mumbled as we took the stairs two at a time.
Clay met my gaze as soon as my head cleared the stairs. His concern for Gabby battled with his anger at me. He obviously knew why I was there.
“What do you think’s safer?” I said, getting right to the point. “Sitting here and waiting, or finding out if the bad guys are getting closer? I already told you what they mean to do to us.”
“You’re not touching Gabby,” Clay said.
I grinned.
“You’re right. I won’t need to because you’ll do it. You’ll be gentler. Here’s the thing. When she wakes up, she’ll still be high and loopy. She won’t act like herself. But don’t let her go back to sleep. The effect will wear off faster once she’s awake and moving around. You have ten seconds before I start pulling from you. I can’t aim, so it’ll just hurt her more.”
He glared at me.
“Ten.”
He looked down at her.
“Nine.”
His hand reached up and stroked her cheek.
“Eight...seven.”
He tapped her cheek.
“Pathetic. And six.”
He growled.
“Five. Better hurry.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Four.”
He slapped her. It was harder than I thought he had in him. Her eyes popped open, and her vacant gaze traveled around the room.
She blinked at me, and I could see her trying to focus.
“Check your sonar,” I repeated.
“Is Clay safe?” she asked softly.
“You’re sitting on him. He’ll be safer if you can tell us if there are any bad guys around.”
Gabby blinked again and looked at Clay. She reached up and ran her fingers through his beard.
“So handsome,” she murmured.
“Focus, Gabby,” I said loudly. “Check your sonar.”
She sighed.
“They’re netting again. None are close.” Her eyelids fluttered.
“Keep her awake, Clay,” I said, heading toward the stairs.
Ethan and I returned to the kitchen. The older man and woman were frowning at me. I struggled to recall their names. Winifred. I frowned back at the older guy as I tried to remember. Sam.
“Gabby says they’re not close. I’m not sure you’ll get specifics out of her for a while. Clay needs to try to keep her awake so she becomes more lucid.”
A wave of desire and love hit me hard. It came from upstairs. Time for me to retreat.
“Since it sounds like we’re in the clear, would anyone be willing to loan me a set of car keys and a map so I can grab some things to replace what I lost?”
All eyes turned to Grey, Sam, and Winifred. They, in turn, looked at each other.
“It’s safer to stick together,” Winifred said. “You’re welcome to borrow what you need from us.”
“Yeah, unless you have some stretchy clothes hidden somewhere, it’s not going to work.”
They looked at each other some more, and I got the creepy feeling they were somehow communicating with each other.
“I’m sorry, Isabelle. It’s just not safe.”
“Well, I’m asking to borrow a car, not for permission to leave. You’re just deciding if I drive or go on foot.”
Silence met my statement along with threads of anger. But I didn’t back down and unease drifted through the room.
“Let’s go check out the barn,” Emmitt said to Michelle.
“We’ll come too,” Thomas said, placing a hand at the small of Charlene’s back. Both men steered their women out of the house. The third man, Jim, followed.
Their departure left us alone with Grey, Carlos, Winifred, and Sam. They stared at me, and I stared back. Upstairs, Clay continued to flood the air with love potion number nine. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.
Grey broke the silence with a sigh.
“How do we know you’ll come back?” he asked.
“Told you,” Ethan whispered. I ignored him.
“I guess you don’t. But, I’m telling you my plan is to get clothes and come back. It’s a clearer plan than you’ve given us.” I changed my voice to mimic Bethi’s. “We need your help to make the next Judgement. It should make your powers disappear.” It ended sounding more fairy godmother. “Look, I’m putting a lot of trust in complete strangers. Why is it weird for me to ask you to do the same?”
They glanced at each other again.
“You do know I could just knock you all on your butts and take the keys, right? I’m being nice and asking.”
Ethan snorted. I gave him a quick glare. He’d be the first one lying on the floor.
“We’re concerned for your safety as well as our own. Take Carlos with you and leave Ethan. If you run into trouble, Carlos can protect you. And, if you should need to use your ability, you won’t need to worry about hurting Ethan,” Winifred said.
Did they read minds?
I glanced at Ethan. He shrugged and handed over his wallet.
“Just remember what I said,” he added.
Don’t let your guard down. I nodded but was more worried about leaving Ethan alone than I was about any attempts at matchmaking.
“Be here when I get back,” I said to Ethan.
His lips tilted up in a half-smile.
“I’m not the one leaving.”
I looked at the old people. They had better keep Ethan safe.
“Let’s go, big guy,” I said to Carlos.
He took a set of keys out of his pocket as he opened the door for me. Feeling weird going somewhere alone with him, I stepped outside.
The temperature had dropped with the sun, and I shivered a little. Still, I was glad to be free of the emotions boiling inside the house and breathed deeply as I waited for Carlos to indicate which vehicle.
I kept pace with him as we walked toward the last car, then he stepped ahead to open the passenger door. Gallantry or security? Were they really afraid I’d bolt again? Without comment, I got in, and Carlos closed the door. I studied him as he walked around the hood, then I turned slightly to sit at an angle as he got in.
Carlos adjusted his seat, straightened the mirror, then turned to look at me. Every move he made was so constricted and concise.
“Are you a robot?” Ethan would have cracked up at the question. The big guy didn’t react at all.
“Buckle up.”
“Yep. Robot.” I buckled in and continued to study him as we pulled from the driveway. He wasn’t completely emotionless, though. I’d seen him shake and explode into a dog twice now. I’d felt his relief when he’d found me, and I watched him grab Ethan by the throat just because Ethan had patted my butt. I narrowed my eyes.
Was Ethan right? Were these people trying to set me up with one of their own? There were four single guys along and only one of them I could stand to be around for any length of time. Was that what Ethan meant by interesting? The human women were paired up with werewolves, and one of the remaining bachelors was a guy who didn’t overload me emotionally?
“So, the old folks were pretty quick to send you with me. Why’s that?”
“For your protection.”
I made a noncommittal sound.
“Are they hoping we hook up?”
He twitched. It wasn’t just his facial muscles; it was also his hands on the wheel. I tilted my head and considered his reaction.
“Why did that upset you?”
“It didn’t.”
I wished I could read something from him. If he wasn’t upset, then what was the hand-clenching for?
“Are they hoping I’m going to hook up with some other werewolf?”
This time the steering wheel crackled under his tight grip.
“That upset you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His driving continued to be precise. He even kept his speed exact. I couldn’t imagine anyone wound any tighter.
After a minute of silence, I knew he wouldn’t answer. It didn’t matter. Whatever they had planned for me, I wasn’t going along with it. But, as I continued to stare at him, I had to admit, he was good looking. He had nice skin, a warm light brown. Based on his name, I guessed Hispanic roots. Yeah, it was probably prejudiced of me to assume that, but his looks and name matched the part.
He kept his short hair neatly brushed, and it even looked like he’d used gel or something, which made me grin and wonder if his closet was as neat as Ethan’s. My gaze drifted down as I continued my examination. Carlos’ polo shirt hugged his shoulders perfectly. I leaned forward a little to eye the buttons. His collar was open, but I guessed he would have buttoned it if he could have. His neck was too thick. However, he did have the bottom of his shirt neatly tucked into the waist of his black dress pants.
This guy needed to loosen up big time.
“Do you own any gym shorts?” I asked. “T-shirts?”
The question seemed to surprise him because he glanced at me as he answered.
“No.”
“I think we need to fix that if you’re going to spar with me. I don’t want to mess with what you’ve got going on there.” I waved my hand at his clothes.
He studied my expression for a moment then focused on the road again.
Carlos definitely puzzled me. Ethan and I were
flippant and often rude. We spoke what was on our minds and weren’t afraid to express ourselves in other ways. It was as if this guy was the exact opposite.
“What do you do for fun, Carlos?” I said.
“I read.”
That fit his meticulousness but not his bulk.
“What do you read?”
“Fiction mostly.”
I felt like I was pulling the conversation from him. If there was some matchmaking scheme going on, someone needed to clue Carlos in because he wasn’t putting in much effort.
“Why is it all the other girls are with one of you guys?”
“They’re lucky, I guess.”
Were they?
I turned away from him and looked out the dark passenger window for the rest of the trip. It didn’t take long to reach a town with a clothes-for-everyone chain store.
Carlos followed me as I wandered around a bit. I grabbed four pairs of stretch pants, three black and one a calf-length hot pink, and several tops. Trying not to blush, I bought myself some new underwear and a few sports bras. Then, I went to the sporting goods department and found some gloves. They were cheap but better than nothing. I found my way to the medical supplies and grabbed three first-aid kits, bandages, wraps, and ice packs. Then, I went to the school supplies and grabbed two rugged backpacks.
“Let’s hit the men’s department,” I said, trying not to smirk. Carlos was carrying half the stuff I’d grabbed. Ethan hated shopping with me. I never took a cart.
In the men’s department, I picked out some clothes for Ethan and shorts and a t-shirt for Carlos. Arms full, we went to the register.
The woman rang everything up and told me the total. I used Ethan’s card and signed his name. When suspicion drifted from her, I sucked it away. She smiled and wished us a good day.
Back in the car, I filled the backpacks as Carlos drove. I put two of the first-aid kits into Ethan’s pack. He was the worrier. Everything else fit well. When I was done, I tossed the bags into the backseat and held up the shorts and shirt I’d gotten for Carlos. Black shorts with a true green top.
“What do you think?”
He glanced at the clothes.
“They should work,” he said before focusing on the road.
There was definitely something different about this guy. Very little interpretable body language, succinct verbal responses, and tightly bottled emotions. I couldn’t say I really minded any of it.
