by Melissa Haag
* * * *
The yard and house were lit up when we pulled into the driveway. Ethan strode from the barn to the car as Carlos parked.
I opened the door and the breath whooshed out of me at the raw passion flooding the immediate area.
“What the hell,” I said, looking at Ethan. The tips of his ears were pink. Even if he couldn’t feel it, he knew what was going on.
“It’s Clay and Gabby. Everyone else is in the barn.”
I glanced at the house.
“They haven’t stopped?” I’d known when I’d left that the emotion would spike. But after they’d gotten it out of their systems, it should have mellowed.
“Well, there appears to be a bit of a conflict. She’s still high and saying yes; he’s saying no.”
“Ah.” That explained the intensity of the desire. “Any baddies?”
“No. The group is planning on staying the night.”
The group in question stood near the barn, talking quietly. If we stayed the night, there was no way I could sleep in the house with those two. The barn was mine. That meant I needed to get the group back into the house.
“Be right back,” I said, moving toward the house.
Carlos quickly stepped in front of me.
“No.”
I stopped and looked up at him.
“You have no idea what I intend to do, so what exactly are you saying no to?”
“Going inside. It’s too dangerous.”
“Puh-lease,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “It’s dangerous if I don’t stop this emotional maelstrom. It will seep into my skin until my insides feel like they’re bleeding.”
He stared down at me for a moment, his jaw clenched. I found that interesting. He did have body language, then. Just very little of it.
Finally, he stepped to the side.
I walked into the house and found Clay and Gabby in the kitchen. She had Clay backed against the counter. His hands gripped the ledge of the sink, and his arms shook. Gabby’s hands were in his hair, and they were tightly lip-locked. Based on what colored the air, I knew Clay was struggling not to touch her in return.
“Just give in to her already,” I said.
He pulled back to look at me. Gabby made a small sound of protest and started to kiss his neck. His tremors got worse, but he shook his head.
“Fine. Then this is going one of two ways. I can rip that lust from her, which would keep her high, or you can man up and walk away.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Believe it or not, I’m trying to be helpful. I just can’t stick around with all this emotion. And according to grandma, I can’t leave either. What Gabby’s broadcasting needs to stop. Now.”
Since opening the car door, I’d been slowly absorbing everything despite my effort to close myself off. My head was starting to ache with it. I needed to spar again, and I desperately needed sleep. This had been the longest day in history.
Clay leaned forward, kissed Gabby on the forehead, and tried to untangle himself. It wasn’t easy. She kept clinging.
“Bethi,” I called.
A minute later, the door opened behind me.
“Help Clay,” I said. “I can’t touch Gabby.” If I did, I would pull in what I didn’t want and set Gabby back further.
Bethi went to Gabby.
“Come on. Clay needs to go, and you need to make Sam some coffee.”
As soon as Bethi grabbed Gabby’s hands, Clay quickly fled. Gabby made a small, upset sound and tried to follow; but Bethi wrapped her arms around Gabby to keep her in place.
“I’ll send the rest in,” I said. Bethi would need the help.
I walked out the door and saw Clay pacing near the cars.
“Now you can help me,” I said, waving him to follow me. He only hesitated a second.
As soon as we reached the barn, I looked at Winifred.
“Bethi won’t be able to handle Gabby on her own, and I can’t take anymore emotions. I need you all to go back inside, help Bethi and Gabby, and stay away from me.”
I didn’t really care that I sounded bossy. They all needed to go. Now. Except Ethan and Clay. Thankfully, no one protested. I moved into the barn as the group started back toward the house. It was then I noticed Carlos had followed me and was staying close. It didn’t matter since he was still a lovely void.
Someone had rigged a flood light for the barn. It lit the area in the center. Perfect. I turned to the three men.
“Ethan, can you grab our new bags from the car? Carlos, can you ask around for some blankets? If we have to stay, I can’t sleep inside the house tonight.”
I looked at Clay and grinned at him.
“You look like you need to burn off some energy. How are you at fighting?”
* * * *
I woke with a bone-cracking, muscle-pulling stretch. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t tense thanks to Clay’s sparring the night before and the lack of people around me. However, when I sat up, everything hurt. The blankets Carlos had provided had kept me warm throughout the night, but the hard floor lacked any cushion whatsoever. I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Ethan said. He was sitting at the door with his back against the wall, his blanket folded beside him.
“What’d I miss?” I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to ease the soreness from the spot where Brick had landed a hit.
“Gabby’s sober. Breakfast is cooking. And we’re ready to roll again. Guess there are some baddies headed our way.”
“Figures. How’s the shoulder?” I asked.
“Stiff. Sore.”
“I have some muscle cream in your bag. I’ll rub it in for you.”
He held up the tube with a grin. I shook my head and stood.
“Should I be worried that you were waiting for me?” I asked as I went to him.
“Yep. All that making out last night got me worked up for your touch.”
I snorted.
“Off with the shirt.”
He met my eyes.
“You can help.”
I bit my lip and reached for his hem. Despite how he was trying to play it, he was hurting bad. When I had the shirt off, the bruising made me cringe. It wasn’t good. Not at all.
Squeezing some cream onto my fingertips, I kept my eyes down so he wouldn’t see the threatening tears. Why did I have to hurt everyone around me? Even Clay last night had called Uncle before I was fully drained. He’d been nice enough to say thanks for the distraction, though I figured he was probably still mad about what I’d done to Gabby in the first place.
As gently as possible, I started to rub the cream in. Ethan sighed, closed his eyes, and tried to relax. He didn’t let me wallow in silence long.
“Did I mention you bruised the top of my thigh, too? You should rub me there next.”
“I think that older guy, Grey, might be able to help you with that. He looked like he had soft hands.”
“I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.” Ethan opened one eye to glare at me.
“Good. I call your share of breakfast.” I rubbed the last of the cream in and helped him back into his shirt.
“No way. I’m starved,” he said, standing.
I folded my blankets and carried them to the house. Inside, the kitchen smelled like sausage and eggs. Saliva pooled in my mouth, and my stomach rumbled. Charlene and Michelle stood at the sink, washing and drying dishes. Sam sat sipping coffee at the table. Clay and Gabby sat, too. Gabby had her head bent as she played with her orange juice. Her shame trailed through the air.
I snagged a plate from the counter near the stove and scooped up a healthy portion of eggs and sausage. Then, I joined the three at the table. Behind me, Ethan opened the refrigerator.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” I said without preamble.
Gabby lifted her head and gave me a red-faced nod. Guilt joined the shame. I’d never be able to keep my food down if she didn’t let her emotions go. With a sigh, I pushed my chair
back and stood.
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”
She considered me for a moment then stood. Clay stood, too.
“No boys allowed,” I said.
He didn’t look at me. He kept his gaze on Gabby. Gabby, however, refused to look at him. When we moved to leave the kitchen, he didn’t try to follow.
“Don’t worry, Z. I’ll protect your plate,” Ethan called as the door closed behind us.
Outside, I took a deep breath and let it out.
“What I did might have killed you.”
“It was the only option,” she said.
I nodded, and we slowly walked toward the barn.
“When I was younger, I did the same thing to my parents. I’d thought I’d killed them; they were lying so still on the floor. I remember going to their bedroom and getting pillows to put under their heads. All day, I watched them, and that night, I went to sleep between them. Do you know how I woke up?”
She shook her head.
“With them making out right next to me. My mom wouldn’t stop saying yes. Yes! Yes!” I mimicked my mom’s passionate cries.
Gabby stopped walking, turned, and stared at me.
“I was so happy they were okay, I tried to hug them.” I laughed, remembering. “They didn’t even notice. It took a few more minutes to realize they weren’t themselves.” I sighed and looked at the ground.
“It took me a long time to figure out how to control my ability, how to block myself from people’s emotions. But even when I try blocking, I still feel what people around me feel. So, tell me, why the guilt and shame? Nothing about what happened was your fault.”
Her face darkened further, and her embarrassment soaked into my skin.
“I’m not asking to make it worse. I’m asking to help you through what you’re feeling because if we have to travel together, I won’t last long.”
Gabby looked down at the ground.
“It’s Clay. I remember...” She shook her head. “I was begging him.”
“Trust me,” I said with a grin. “He was loving every minute of it. If he could turn back the clock, he would do it all over again. Well, not the worrying, but he definitely liked what happened when you woke up. He respects you. I warned him that you wouldn’t be yourself, and he didn’t take advantage. That was really sweet.”
She nodded and some of her shame disappeared as she looked toward the house.
“It was. He’s always sweet. I just wish he wouldn’t have said no. It would have made it a lot easier.”
“What?”
“Finally saying yes to him.” The guilt surged.
“Ah.” So that was the problem. She was feeling guilty for holding out. “I hear the longer you wait, the more special it is. He seems like he’s willing to give you whatever time you need. Don’t sweat this. There are other things to worry about, right?”
“You’re right.”
“Are we good to go back in?”
“Yeah, I think we are.”
“How’s the sonar look?”
“We need to move soon. They are going to swing through this area in another hour or two.”
An hour or two sounded a little too close for me.
We walked back to the house, and once we were inside, she went straight to Clay. He leaned against a wall, waiting for her. She gave him a tentative smile. He exhaled slowly, and I felt his relief. Some of my own guilt slipped away.
When I turned to the table, I saw Ethan scraping the last crumbs from my very empty plate. He’d actually eaten my food?
“You’re dead,” I said, stepping toward him.
He laughed and sprang up from the chair.
“It’s on the stove. I swear!”
He grabbed a plate from the stovetop and held it out to me. The corners of his eyes wrinkled as he grinned at me. I shook my head at him, hiding my worry that he was only using his left hand.
“I’ll let you live. For now.”
I took my plate and gobbled the eggs.
* * * *
Ethan and I rode in the backseat again. Winifred drove. Emotionally, she was much quieter, and it made for a relaxing drive.
It was so relaxing that I leaned against Ethan and fell asleep for a few hours. When I lifted my head, his shoulder was wet.
“Sorry about the bath,” I said, wiping my mouth. At least I’d crashed on his left shoulder and not his right.
“No problem. I was overdue.”
I looked out the window. We were in a large city.
“Where are we?”
He shrugged, but Winifred answered.
“Evansville. We’re going to stop for the day. Gabby said they recently swept through the area, so it should be safe.”
“Good. I have to pee,” Ethan said. “And dry off.”
Within minutes, we were pulling into a hotel parking lot. The three vehicles parked close. I immediately felt the weariness and worry of the group as everyone got out and started grabbing bags. How long had Bethi said they’d been looking for me?
Ethan and I got out, already carrying our bags, and walked with the rest into the hotel. It felt good to stretch my legs.
Michelle and Emmitt broke off from the group to go to the front desk. They returned with four room keys.
“We’ll stay with you,” she said as she handed a key to Charlene and Thomas.
Then she handed a key to Sam, Winifred, and Grey.
“An Elder in each room allows for better communication.”
Ethan and I shared a look. Better communication?
“We’ll go with Sam,” Gabby said, taking Clay’s hand.
“Do these rooms have a couch or am I sleeping with Sam?” Jim asked with a grin.
“No pull out sofas. Sorry, Jim,” Michelle said.
He didn’t seem to mind.
“Bethi, you and Luke can stay with me,” Winifred said.
Ethan and I looked at Grey and Carlos.
“I call dibs sleeping with you, Z,” Ethan said under his breath. I nodded. There was no way I’d sleep next to either of those other two.
“Let’s settle in,” Charlene said. “I’ll order room service, and everyone can meet in our room. We need to discuss what’s next.”
Six
Ethan and I followed Grey and Carlos down the hall. The pair didn’t say much. Then again, neither did we. Grey unlocked the door, and Carlos stepped aside to let us in. As I passed, Grey handed me a spare keycard. Ethan set his bag on the far bed, and I took the side furthest from the other two. Ethan didn’t comment.
I ducked into the bathroom for a much needed pee while the other two set their bags on the bed. When I came back out, Ethan was waiting with a clean change of clothes in his arms.
“’Bout time,” I said, moving aside for him.
“Didn’t know how bad you wanted me neck’d.” He never said naked the right way. I couldn’t even remember how it had started. Probably one of the first times I’d slept over at his house. Man, how old had I been? Eleven? My parents most definitely had been fried by then.
Ethan closed himself into the bathroom. The TV was on, Grey was gone, and Carlos sat on the end of his bed.
“Aren’t we using the buddy system? You lost your buddy,” I said, sitting on the end of my bed.
“He’ll find his way back. He always does.”
I couldn’t be sure if that was a joke or not. A timid knock on the door distracted me before I could decide. Carlos stood and answered it.
“I’m here to talk to Isabelle,” Michelle said.
Nervousness exuded from her. Carlos nodded and let her in. Then, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Don’t kill the messenger,” she said with a cringe.
“Uh, that doesn’t sound good.”
The water turned off in the bathroom. World’s fastest shower. He was worried about me.
“Did you even use soap?” I called. Michelle jumped at my sudden volume.
&n
bsp; “Wanna come sniff me?”
His muffled reply made me grin. I shook my head and focused on Michelle again.
“What has you all nervous?”
“They asked me to come talk to you about—”
Ethan opened the door. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and the tube of muscle cream in one hand. When he saw Michelle, he froze.
“Good to know we have company,” he said, giving me a hard look.
“Hey, Ethan,” I called as if he were still in the shower. “Don’t come out in a towel. We have company.”
“You’re useless,” he said before turning around and closing himself in the bathroom once more.
I loved all this Ethan time. Between the exercise and his constant snarky humor, I was feeling great. It was hard to remember I’d been bashed in the head and was on the run from people who could change into dogs. Why did I just think that? Way to ruin a mood.
“Maybe I should come back later?” Michelle said.
“Nah, you’ve scared him for now. We should have at least five minutes before he’s ready to show his face again.”
She moved to sit on the bed that Carlos had occupied.
“Bethi told you the basics about us, but no one’s told you anything about them, the werewolves. The Elders thought you might have a few questions.”
Her term for the old people in the group made me want to smirk.
“If the Elders thought I had questions, why didn’t they come here?”
“You don’t seem to like any of them.”
“Yeah, well, they’re a bit bossy. Since I am too, you can see where there might be some personality conflict.”
She remained silent for a heartbeat.
“Do you have any questions?” she asked hesitantly.
“Nope. Honestly, I haven’t stopped to think about it, and I’m not sure I’m going to. I’m along for the ride. I just want to get rid of this emotion siphoning thing and move on with my life.”
She looked down at her hands, fidgeting. There was a message they’d sent her to share. I was sure of it.
“What questions should I be asking?” I asked.
“When I first saw Emmitt, he felt familiar, almost as if I’d recognized him, even though we’d never met. My stomach went crazy, and I just couldn’t stop staring. It turns out, the werewolves have this built-in sensor that goes off when they see their Mate. A pull. That’s what Winifred calls it. And, apparently, we feel it too.” She stood and moved to the door. “Let me know if you think of any questions.”
