by Renee Carr
When we reached the edge of the forest, my wolf brought us to a stop, sitting down in front of a tree. I could feel him relinquish some of the control, giving it to me as an understanding that we now had to work together for either one of us to be happy or comfortable. “Thank you. And there’s no need to ruin breakfast when you want to go for a run; all you have to do is say so.”
I could feel the agreement of my wolf, along with a bit of sassiness. He definitely was just like my brothers and me. At the edge of the woods, I could see down the street and up to Lily’s front door. There was only one neighbor outside, pulling things from the back of their SUV to take inside their home. I could see a blanket folded in the back and I took a deep breath, knowing I had to change. I closed my eyes and readied myself for the pain, but as my body moved and twisted, it did so with the grace and agility that my Wolf had as it maneuvered its way through the woods.
The pain was minimal, and when my change was done, I took off toward the SUV, grabbing the blanket as I sped by and wrapping it around myself. The neighbor was inside, and I was pretty sure they wouldn’t notice, at least right then. If I had the chance, I would return the blanket later. Slowing my steps as I approached Lily’s house, I saw that her car wasn’t in the driveway. So, determined to see her and apologize, I trotted up the steps and took a seat by the front door, making sure that I was completely covered by the blanket.
“Well, boy, now we make amends for the mess we’ve made.”
15
Lily
I parked the car, biting the inside of my cheek as I stared up at Brighton wrapped in the blanket, sitting on the front porch. I steadied myself, trying not to be too angry at him. It wasn’t his fault, and he did what he could to get out of the house as fast as he could. I needed him to understand, though, that he had to start trying to control himself. Everybody’s experience was different, I was sure, so it was hard for me to even begin to understand what he was going through. Nonetheless, the last time I’d seen him, he had run out of the house like a wild man, or wolf.
Grabbing the bags from the grocery store, I made my way up and stood in front of him. He was leaning back against the house, the late evening sun cascading across his face, covered in dirt and leaves. Looking at the blanket, I realized that it wasn’t mine and I had no idea where it had come from. I cleared my throat, and his body twitched, his head turning from side to side until he opened his eyes. He blinked into the sun and then looked up at me with a gentleness that I hadn’t seen in him before.
“Hey,” he said sleepily. “I borrowed the neighbor’s blanket, without them knowing, but I’ll return it after I wash it.”
I lifted my brow, setting the groceries down beside me. He sat up and reached out for my hand, turning my arm and seeing the bruises. Immediately his face scrunched and I could see that he felt horribly guilty. “I did that, didn’t I?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I squatted down in front of him. “It’s okay. It’s not that bad. Are you okay?”
Sitting up, he took in a long, deep breath and his shoulders relaxed. “I think I am now. When I first left here, I ran for a long time, fighting back and forth with my wolf for control. When we finally stopped and took a rest, I started to think about how I was going to possibly make a connection with him so that we could stop this back and forth. Then I realized something: Why would he trust me if I didn’t even make the slightest attempt to trust him? So, we talked, and I released my control. We ran free for hours, dodging in and out of the woods, over fallen trees, through the sunlight that came in from above. It was probably the most amazing experience I had ever had.”
I smiled, not being able to be upset with him even for a second. “So, do you think the two of you have an understanding now?”
He shrugged. “I’m hoping so. It seems that way.”
“Well, after you left, I felt like I really needed to talk to someone,” I explained. “I wanted someone to be able to know what was going on with you, someone that can help you. So I called your brothers and I met with them. I let them know that I had been the one taking care of you but that you needed some guidance. I hope you’re not mad at me. I just didn’t know where else to turn. I’m not leaving you, I’m in this regardless, but I knew I couldn’t do it all on my own.”
He reached out and took my hand, pressing his lips to the back of it. “I’m not upset at all. I’m glad you reached out to them. They’re the ones that know what I’m going through the most. Hopefully, soon you can talk to Libby. She knows more about what you’re going through than anyone else and she helped Eric’s wife through it as well.”
“They want you to call them to let them know you’re okay,” I said, reaching in my pocket and pulling out my keys. “I’m thinking maybe you should get cleaned up first.”
He looked down at himself and chuckled. Standing up, I could tell that he had grown in size, both taller and stronger. When we went inside, I started to put away the groceries while he made his phone call. I could hear him from the other room talking to his brothers. “I’m fine. I think I actually made headway with my wolf. I want to come and see you tomorrow, both of you, because of some stuff I want to talk about. I don’t want to come today, though. I’m pretty sure I need to make up for the mess that I caused earlier and thank someone special for taking care of me… yes, I will tell her. Love you too, bye.”
I turned my attention back to the shelves as I organized the soup, trying not to make it too obvious that I was listening to his conversation. When he walked into the kitchen, I turned around and smiled at him. “Everything okay?”
He nodded, clutching his blanket to him. “I’m going to go see them tomorrow. But tonight, I was hoping that I could convince you to go out with me, to dinner, like normal people. You know, like an actual date where I pick you up and take you somewhere nice, and you flirt with me, and one thing leads to another…”
I giggled, pointing at his blanket. “While that’s tempting, I think it might be impossible.”
He furrowed his brow. “Why would it be impossible?”
I shrugged, putting on a serious face. “Well, mostly because you’re a freak.”
There was a moment of silence between us and then we both burst into laughter. Everything had been far too serious lately, and I was ready for it to get back to joking and laughter, like it was the first night I met him. He walked over and wrapped his arms around me, and I could feel his body pressed against mine. His skin was much warmer than before, and it felt good against the chill of the outside.
Leaning back away from me, he grinned. “You are fantastic. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Smiling at him, I nodded. “I’m not sure either. I do know that if you’re planning on taking me out to dinner, you might want to go home and get some clothes. I’m definitely not going out with you if you’re going to be wandering around naked.”
He leaned in and kissed me, and my eyes nearly rolled into the back of my head. I reached my hands up and ran them over his smooth, warm skin, suddenly feeling a spark of heat just the same as we did the other night. I couldn’t help it, I was drawn to him. I needed him.
Just as things began to flame between us, he pulled back and kissed me on the forehead before turning and grabbing his keys off the counter. “I’ll be back in a couple hours to pick you up. Put on something nice. I’d like to take you somewhere other than the diner.”
I put my hands on my hips and pursed my lips. “Oh, you’re getting fancy, are you? I’ll be here waiting, and you better not be late.”
He chuckled, nodding his head. “Promise I’ll be here with bells on. Besides, who else is going to put up with my constant doglike traits?”
I walked toward him, running my finger along his shoulder. “Everyone always says men are dogs. You’re just more upfront and open with it.”
He grabbed me around the waist and yanked me toward him, both of us laughing. He pressed his lips to mine, and I leaned into him, feeling the need and want that had
been surging through me since the moment I laid eyes on him. It never seemed to get old, and I hoped it stayed that way. After all the drama and craziness, the relationship between him and me on the simplest level seemed absolutely perfect. Only time would tell.
16
Brighton
It was definitely uncomfortable driving back to my father’s house wrapped in nothing but a blanket, and my heart dropped when I saw his car parked out front. I was going to have to try to figure out how to get to my room without notifying him that I had come in without clothes. In fact, I had missed work all week and while my father wasn’t someone to hound a person, I knew that he would have plenty to say to me.
I parked the car around the side and hurried over to the back entrance of my area of the house. I crept along, keeping my eyes open and my ears perked, calling on my wolf for a little assistance. I hurried into the door and let out a deep breath, walking down the hallway toward my bedroom. As I put my hand on the doorknob, my father’s voice echoed out, “Well, you are not dead. That’s good to know.”
My whole body tensed and I scrunched my face up as I turned toward him. “Dad, I’m sorry. I should’ve called you.”
He stood there, blinking at me, staring at the blanket wrapped around my body. I pointed at it. “Oh, this looks weird, I know, but I swear it’s…”
He put up his hand. “I really don’t want to know why you’re naked. I don’t know where you’ve been, but I called your brothers the first day you didn’t show up for work and they told me you were going through something. So, I’ve let it go, but you have to understand that this is a business. When I’m gone, and you’re running it on your own, you won’t be able to afford to just disappear for a week. Businesses crumble, and they can do it within hours. You have to show me that you’re serious, Brighton. If it weren’t for the last two years of you always being there, I would think twice about what I’m planning to hand you in the future.”
I put my head down, knowing full well I had been irresponsible, but I’d been going through so much and I couldn’t even explain it to him. “Dad, I am…”
He shook his head and turned to leave. “This is your ‘get out of jail free’ card, Brighton. Whatever’s going on in your life, pull it together, sort it out, and be at work on Monday morning. We have a lot of work to do and a collection coming out soon. I need to know you’re serious. And for Christ’s sake, keep a change of clothes in your trunk or something. Whose blanket is that anyway? If it’s ours, just keep it.”
I jumped slightly as the door shut behind him, both amused by his comments and feeling absolutely terrible for not even thinking about the fact that I’d left my father high and dry on the career that just a week before I had been nothing but committed to 100%. I knew if I didn’t get things together and under control, I was going to lose everything that was important to me, and that included Lily.
My wolf whimpered inside of me as I walked into my room and flipped on the lights. “I know, which is why you and I, we’ve got to become a team. I know you like Lily just as much as I do. And the old man… he grows on you.”
17
Lily
“Oh, the bitch is still alive,” my best friend said, pulling a smile from my lips. “And to think, I was starting to take applications for a new best friend.”
“I’m sorry, things have been… weird,” I chuckled.
“Are we talking Sleepy Hollow kind of weird or all-out alien invasion kind of weird?” she asked.
I stopped for a moment, thinking about it. “I’d say more like Teen Wolf weird.”
Tanya clicked her tongue. “That’s intense. So, spill it. What’s going on?”
I stood at my closet, running my hands over my clothes, trying to decide what to wear. I knew that I couldn’t tell her about the wolf part of things, but I still wanted to talk about the human part. “I don’t know, the first night that I got here, it stressed me out because my grandmother was way more fragile than I imagined her to be. So, I went out to the local pub and got a drink. While I was there, I met this guy. He was really sweet and funny, and I found out his family pretty much owns the entire town. Not to mention they have a multimillion-dollar corporation that was all started here in Galena. Anyway, we ended up drinking a lot and coming back to my place.”
Tanya whistled. “Thank God you finally got some. I was about to take measures into my own hands and hire someone to come seduce you. It’s been, like, a year.”
I chuckled, just letting it go. What was I supposed to tell her? We didn’t actually have sex that night because he turned into an enormous snarling wolf? “Anyway, he’s picking me up tonight for a date. At first, I thought maybe it would just be like a one-night thing, but I really, really like being around him.”
“No,” she said sternly. “This is exactly how it starts. What did I tell you? You were going to go to this small-ass country town, meet some guy who was going to seduce you with his charm, and you were never going to come back. You could end up on a farm with fifteen babies and I won’t even be able to visit because I’m allergic to hay.”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “First of all, you’re not allergic to hay; I remember that hayride we went on two years ago. And if my memory serves me right, you stayed on that hayride after everyone else got off to hang out with the stable boy.”
“It was synthetic hay,” she said with a laugh at the end. “Seriously, though, you can’t leave me. I will never be able to navigate southern Maryland on my own for the rest of my life. Not to mention the fact that I’m pretty sure your parents will just give up on life because the heir to the throne has run off.”
I pulled a dress out of my closet and shook my head, putting it back inside. “You’re being ridiculous, you know that, right? I never said I’m not coming back. I just met this guy, it’s not like there are wedding bells. Besides, what else am I supposed to do while I’m out here? Pick up knitting? Go to a hoedown? He’s down-to-earth, funny, my age, and I like him.”
Tanya sighed. “Fine. But the first moment that you say anything country, anything, I’m coming there and I’m picking you up, forcefully if necessary, and bringing you back here.”
I smiled, pulling out another dress. “Thank you. I love you. Everything is going to be fine, don’t panic.”
“Whatever,” she said gruffly. “I have to go. My father wants to talk about my future. Whatever that means. I love you, have fun tonight, and don’t drink anything out of a mason jar.”
I snorted as I hung up the phone, always feeling better once I talked to her. She seemed like a world away from me, though, and it almost felt as if I had been in Galena for far longer than what I actually had been. A lot had happened over the course of a week, and I was pretty sure more was going to roll around the corner at any moment.
I finally decided on an outfit and went into the bathroom to change my clothes. I pulled my hair halfway back, applied a little bit of makeup since I hadn’t done that in a while, and looked at myself in the mirror with satisfaction. I was actually pretty nervous, something I hadn’t been since I first met Brighton. There had been so many other emotions going on, there was no room for nervousness. This would be my first real date in a long time, and with somebody that I actually really liked. Someone that I could see some sort of future with.
My doorbell rang out and I looked down at my watch with a grin. Brighton was right on time, not a minute early, or a minute late. I wondered how long he sat outside just waiting for the perfect amount of time to pass before he came up to ring the doorbell. I opened the front door and he smiled, holding out a bouquet of beautiful flowers. “I hope you don’t mind, all the florists were closed so I went out to my father’s garden and picked some. My mother planted these flowers originally, years ago, and my father’s kept up with the garden ever since.”
Talk about heart-melting, it was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard. I took a deep breath of their scent and waved him in, hurrying into the kitchen and grabbing a vase out of the cabi
net. Leave it to my mother to stock the house and not forget things like crystal champagne glasses and vases. I put the flowers in water and set them on the table. Brighton leaned over and took a pinch of sugar from the bowl and dropped it in the vase.
Furrowing my brow, I looked at him. “Why did you do that?”
“My mother always told me that a pinch of sugar in a bouquet of flowers will help them stay bright and colorful longer,” he replied. “It makes perfect sense to me. Who doesn’t like a little bit of sweetness?”
I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
He put out his arm to me. “Shall we?”
He was a complete gentleman, from the way he walked beside me, to the fact that he waited until I climbed into the car and then shut the car door for me. Inside, he started the car and began to drive off, reaching over and holding onto my hand. The restaurant wasn’t far away, only a few blocks, but I could tell he was really trying to make it as special as possible. He held the door for me as we walked inside and told the hostess that he had a reservation.
“Right this way, Mister Holbrook.” The hostess walked through the dining room and over to the large glass windows that overlooked the fields and rolling hills of Galena. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was a vibrant shade of orange and red. It was beautiful, not to mention that the trees were beginning to change color, giving that picturesque perfect view of fall.
Brighton pulled out my chair and gently pushed it in as I sat. Walking around the table, he took the seat across from me. We both stared out the window at the scenery. “The first time I ever came here was the first time I realized that Galena was more than just a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. I came here with my family, after my mother had passed away. My father just wanted to get out of the house and he loved this restaurant. I can remember, it was the first time that I heard laughter since the passing of my mother. We sat here just about this time of day, watching the sunset while my father and brothers laughed about different things going on in life. That’s when I knew it was all going to be okay.”
