by Sara Dailey
“I’m really going to try this time. You’ll see, Teagan. Things will be different from now on.”
I wish I’d kept count of how many times I’d heard that.
I didn’t reply. I was pretty sure that anything that came out of my mouth would be sarcasm-filled, which would only fuel the fire. Better to just let it go and eat. So, that’s what we did. With only a few minutes to spare, Dad and I made our way out to the car and headed to the mall. Not much was said on the way besides small-talk and the usual parent-child pleasantries. Dad needed me to be nice, so I was, even though I knew how this brand-new-man thing would soon end. Been there, done that.
Dad pulled up to the entrance nearest Sephora and promised once more, “I’ll be here at nine p.m. sharp.”
I got out and said, “Okay, Dad. Be careful.” Then I watched him drive away. I prayed his sobriety would at least last through the night.
12.
Peter
Peter grabbed a map from the lobby of the Red Ridge Motel. He’d been hoping for nicer accommodations, but his choices were limited in this cozy little town and he now knew he needed to be here. He was determined to learn every inch of the place before he left. Maybe he’d never hit Albuquerque after all. Something about this town was calling him. Uncle Raymond seemed to agree.
His room was small and dark, but at least it looked clean and Peter wasted no time. He unpacked and set up his bulletin board with all of the newspaper articles that he’d collected over the last few months. Once he was finished, he grabbed his coat, the town map and his laptop bag, and he headed to the diner down the street. He’d seen a sign bragging that they provided free Wi-Fi.
Within minutes, he was connected to the Internet and searching for anything new on werewolves: facts, sightings, fictions. He had done this so many times that finding new material was almost impossible, but he wasn’t about to give up. His uncle wouldn’t let him even if he wanted. Ray was always in Peter’s head, encouraging him to continue the search, pushing him to avenge his death.
The diner turned out to be a great place to people-watch, too. It seemed a hotspot for the locals, and before long Peter had a good understanding of the Red Ridge population. Still, no one came in that fit the werewolf profile that he and his uncle had put together. Not perfectly at least.
Given their research, they’d decided werewolves in human form would all be well-built and athletic-looking. They’d imagined the bastards all stood on the taller side, too, even the women. Uncle Raymond was sure the wolves would have dark features, dark skin and hair, though Peter wasn’t quite sure why. However, the most important part of the werewolf “profile” wouldn’t be a guess for Peter. It was the eyes. Peter couldn’t describe verbally what he was looking for, but he knew with absolute certainty that he’d know when he found it. He remembered that inhuman look as well as he remembered any other moment of his life. He remembered his uncle’s killer, and he remembered those eyes.
Peter had a good feeling about this town. All he had to do was keep his wits about him and be ready to find what he was looking for. And he was always ready for that.
13.
Aiden
I tried to pry more information about Teagan out of Alli on the way home from school, but it turned out she didn’t know that much. Not really. So much for them being really good friends. When I mentioned this, that she must be a pretty shitty friend if she didn’t even know where Teagan lived, Alli stopped speaking to me completely. Of course, with the way I felt right then, that was probably a good thing. My shoulder was throbbing, and I needed sleep in the worst way.
I suddenly realized that I was being an ass and that I should probably apologize.
“Listen, Alli, I’m sorry,” I said as we walked into the house. “You’re not a shitty friend. I’m just tired and achy and taking it out on you. Forgive me?” I asked, giving her my best puppy dog eyes.
She turned and said, “I forgive you, Aiden. Actually, I think you’re right. I must be a pretty crappy friend. I don’t even know if she has a boyfriend or not. That’s going change starting with this text.” She started for the stairs with her phone in her hand. Glancing back she asked, “Hey, anything else you want to know about her?”
“Plenty. But I plan on finding it all out on my own,” I said with a wink.
“Eww…you’re a pig.” But Alli laughed as she went upstairs.
“Who do you plan on getting to know?” my mom asked, appearing from the kitchen and scaring the hell out of me.
“Oh, hey, Mom. Just a girl,” I answered.
She smiled encouragingly. I knew she wanted me to elaborate, but things were still weird between us. I didn’t know what to say or how to act around her. I just needed space and time. Time away from her and Dad. And from Marcus. Definitely from Marcus.
“I’m going to go lie down before dinner, all right?” I asked.
The smile faded from her face. She just nodded and went back into the kitchen.
*****
I must have been really tired, because I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I hadn’t been sleeping well because of the nightmares. I was still dreaming of the night Alli was kidnapped and Dylan nearly killed me. What bothered me most about it was how defenseless I’d been. If I wasn’t such a weretard and could shift like any other teenage wolf, at least I could have tried to fight, but I’d just stood there stunned. That dream, that whole night, made me feel like such a loser. Like I wasn’t the man I thought I was—which led to the second part of the nightmare, with me waking up not knowing who I am. This part was almost worse than nearly dying. I think that’s why I was so angry with my parents. That they’d kept from me the secret of my biological father’s identity made me feel the same way: like I don’t know who I am anymore.
I wasn’t in the best mood when I woke up for dinner, so the fact that my parents and I got into it wasn’t a surprise. It was my fault, I know it was, but I just couldn’t seem to control my temper. The situation was new to my parents. They’d always known what to say and do when Alli lost it, but not me. Before this week, I don’t think I’d ever even raised my voice at the dinner table. It was a silly argument, too. They’d wanted to talk about our feelings, about how I was handling things, about what I really thought of my new father and brother, and…well, I didn’t want to talk about it. Hell, I didn’t even want to think about it. I just wanted to let it all go.
I walked out on dinner and went to my room, but I couldn’t stay in the house so instead I changed and quickly headed back downstairs. Grabbing the keys to our car, I put them in my pocket.
“Where are you going?” my mom asked, and I could tell that she was worried.
I didn’t want to make her any more upset, so I walked over and kissed her cheek. “Mom, I’m sorry. I just can’t, okay?”
She nodded.
“I need some retail therapy,” I said, using one of her favorite phrases. “I’m going shopping. I could use some new jeans anyway.” Then I smiled, which clearly made her a little happier.
“Be careful and don’t drive too fast,” she said.
“I won’t.”
“I love you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do,” I said. And I did. “I won’t be long, Mom,” I promised.
Shopping had always been my thing. It calmed me down and helped me think. The guys back home used to make fun of me for it. They said I was a metrosexual, but my response was always the same. “I’ve got to look good for the ladies.” And they couldn’t argue because, well…I had done pretty well with the ladies because of it.
The local mall was nice and had some good stores, probably because Red Ridge was a ski town that got a lot of visitors during the season, but it wasn’t all that big. Back in Houston I might have wandered around longer, but here I was able to get all my shopping done by eight forty-five, fifteen minutes to spare before closing—and that included stopping to chat with Luke, who was there buying his father a birthday pres
ent. I liked Luke, though he rarely hung out with anyone from the pack besides Gage, who’d apparently taken a leave of absence after the incident with Dylan and Kendall. I guessed Luke was kind of a loner. Lately, I could relate.
I was almost to the exit when I saw her. She was sitting on a bench by the exit, obviously waiting for her ride.
“Hey, Teagan,” I said, walking up. She smelled so good, it was hard to keep my distance, but I didn’t want to come off as a creeper.
“Oh. Hey, Aiden. How are you?” she asked.
She looked surprised to see me. A little unsettled, even. I cursed Kendall again and sat down on the bench next to her. “Did you just get off work?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I’m just waiting for my dad. His car is in the shop, so he borrowed mine.”
I became acutely aware of how close her leg was to mine. So close that if I moved even one little inch, we would be touching. “I can give you a lift if you want.”
She was quiet for a while, and I hoped that she was considering. Finally she looked down at her watch and sighed, and I made up my mind.
“It’s getting late. Let me give you a ride.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I don’t know where he is. He isn’t answering his phone. Maybe he just forgot.”
Well, the reason didn’t matter. All I knew was that I’d been extremely lucky.
“Come on,” I said, “it will give us a chance to get to know each other a little better. My sister and you are good friends, so I guess I’ve got some catching up to do.”
14.
Teagan
Most people would be worried if their dad didn’t show up when he was supposed to, would be worried that something bad had happened, like a car accident or something. I just knew he’d fallen off the wagon. Already. His break hadn’t even lasted a day this time. It hadn’t even lasted beyond the meeting! I guess he’d decided to stop off at the local bar afterward—that was, if he’d even made it to AA in the first place. So typical. I wasn’t even sure why I was surprised, let alone disappointed. I might tell myself over and over again how nothing would ever change, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that a tiny part of me always hoped I was wrong. I suppose I’m kind of stupid that way.
I tried to hide my disappointment as I got into Aiden’s car. I didn’t want him thinking that my sour mood had anything to do with him, but I also couldn’t help but wonder what the hell I was doing letting him take me home. I’d told myself to stay far, far away from him. He might be Alli’s brother, but that didn’t mean he was any better than the rest of the group he ran with.
He was being nice, though. Quite the opposite of the other beautiful people with whom I’d had dealings. Maybe he was more like Alli than the others.
He slid into the driver’s seat of his Jetta and asked, “Where to?”
“Over by the elementary school on Almond Point. Just drive that way, and I’ll show you where from there.” I paused for a moment, trying to come up with something to add but finally decided on simply thanking him for the ride.
He looked in my direction. “My pleasure. I just hope your dad is okay.”
What was I supposed to say to that? Oh, him? No worries. Dear ol’ Dad’s probably drunk as a skunk by now. Yeah, he likes to swing by Alcoholics Anonymous and then head out for a beer or twelve.
I settled for, “I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just forgot. I should have reminded him.”
We drove in silence for a few minutes. For some reason, I had the feeling that I was making Aiden uncomfortable. He kept shifting in his seat and fidgeting. The tension continued to grow. Finally I asked, “Are you feeling okay? Does your shoulder still hurt?”
“Actually, it hurts like a mother-fu—” He stopped mid-word, probably trying to be a gentleman and not to offend my virgin ears. When I smiled and assured him that I had heard worse, much worse, he just laughed and said, “Sorry. Just didn’t want to sound like a jerk with a potty-mouth.”
That, in turn, made me laugh. Potty-mouth? Really? That sounded like something a mother would say.
He seemed to sense my train of thought. “You’re laughing at me for saying ‘potty-mouth,’ aren’t you? Yeah, I said it. And I’ll say it again. Potty-mouth!”
Giggling, I suddenly found myself unable to stop. Jeez, I probably sounded like one of his many ditzy female admires, but I couldn’t help it. It had been far too long since I’d laughed like this. Something about Aiden just made me happy. Maybe it was that he was so gorgeous and had gone out of his way to take me home. Maybe it was—
No. I was going to ignore him, right? That’s what I’d decided. Or did I not need to?
I caught my breath and said, “Yes, I’m most definitely laughing at you for saying ‘potty-mouth.’ Really? Is that what you call it?”
Aiden elbowed me in the arm, and the brief contact sent tingles through me. “As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I call it. You got a gosh-darn problem with that? Potty-mouth?”
I just started laughing again. How easily he seemed to take my mind off what I was sure to find at home.
“Stop laughing at me. I was trying to be polite,” Aiden pointed out. But there was a glint of humor in his eye. “I didn’t want you to think I had a—”
“A what? A potty-mouth?” I repeated, trying in vain to hold in my laughter.
Aiden took those gorgeous green eyes off the road and looked at me, I mean really looked at me. I became a quivering blob of melty goo, and right then I realized how dangerous this guy really was. I’d had no sense of it before when he was just a gorgeous heartthrob. This guy could easily steal my heart, no questions asked, and with my luck he’d crush it into a million pieces. I could not let that happen. As a matter of fact, I would not let that happen.
Suddenly, nothing seemed funny anymore. I looked away, and his eyes returned to the road. We were almost to my house, so I started calling out directions to get him the rest of the way there. I didn’t speak other than to tell him to turn or stop, though, and at last we pulled onto my block.
“So.” He turned and looked at me again, slowing the car as he did. His crooked smile let loose a rabble of butterflies in my stomach. “You never said. Do you have a problem with my potty-mouth?”
Trying to act as if his flirting had no effect, I replied, “Not one fucking bit.”
His face registered surprise and then delight. It was his turn to laugh, and the sound infected me. We were soon both howling with laughter. It made no sense, but it felt great.
Aiden regained his composure first. “Well, good. I’m glad that’s out of the way.”
I pointed, knowing this had to end. His car was approaching the end of the street. “It’s that house.”
Aiden slowed, and my smile immediately faded. Right there on my front porch was my worst nightmare. It was my father, and his company was a case of beer. From the looks of it, he’d been out there awhile. Empty beer bottles littered the surrounding area. Guess he never made it to AA.
Before I could stop myself, I looked down at my lap and muttered, “Shit.”
Aiden stopped the car. “Is everything okay?”
I turned toward the window, not wanting him to see my face. “Yeah. My house is up here on the right. Just pull up to the curb.” I hadn’t wanted him to see this, but it appeared as if I had no choice. The best I could hope for was that I could thank Aiden, hop out of the car and breeze through the front door without my dad giving me any trouble.
Unfortunately, that was exactly the opposite of what happened.
I turned to Aiden and said, “Thanks again for the ride. I’ll see you at school.” But before I made it out of the car, Aiden placed his hand over my arm.
“You sure you’re okay?”
I could feel my face turning red and tears threatened my eyes. “Yeah, I’m okay, really.” I knew he didn’t believe me, but he let my arm go so I could get out of the car. I opened the door, got out, and shut it without looking back.
I hadn’t made i
t to the sidewalk before my father started shouting. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Don’t you know better than taking rides from strangers?” He tried to get out of his chair but stumbled a bit before he finally grabbed hold of a little side table for support.
“He’s not a stranger, Dad, so settle down,” I said, loud enough for him to hear me but quietly enough that Aiden couldn’t. Aiden’s car didn’t pull away from the curb, though, which only meant one thing. He was watching.
Dad swayed and grabbed the porch rail. “I’m not going to settle down. Not when my slut daughter is showing up after being who knows where for hours doing who knows what!”
I made it to the porch before he had the chance to fall down the stairs. “Dad, I was at work. Remember? You were supposed to pick me up. Guess you got sidetracked, huh?” I pushed past him, anxious to get in the house. Aiden was still parked at the curb.
Dad staggered back to his chair instead of following me inside, but not before he yelled, “Just get your ass inside and clean up the kitchen. You left a huge mess in there, you stupid little tramp.”
The door slammed behind me. I waited a few moments, sure I hadn’t heard Aiden pull away from the curb. He was still out there, and all I could do was pray that he’d drive away. Before my father made things worse than they already were.
Was that even possible?
15.
Aiden
I sat, fists clenched around the steering wheel while I listened to every word her sorry excuse for a father said. It was one of those situations where there was no good outcome. If I just left and pretended that I hadn’t heard anything, I would be up all night worrying, but if I charged in there, guns blazing, I got the definite feeling things would probably be worse for Teagan. I mean, she had to live with him, right? What I really wanted to do was find her and make sure she was okay.
