Skin and Bones

by Susan Harris

  Derek sat at the counter of the kitchen scarfing down the massive sandwich that Ever had made him for breakfast. They ate in an uncomfortable silence, Ever having refused to answer his question when he’d asked what she had been dreaming about. Last night had been a complete cluster of one bad idea after another. He could still feel the wolf’s lust for blood inside him, and he knew it was his own fault.

  He bit into his sandwich again and savoured the delectable taste of bacon in his mouth. Ever sipped her coffee and tried her best to avoid his gaze. But out of the corner of his eye, he could still catch her watching him before a faint, kissable pink flushed her cheeks and she looked away.

  Glancing at the clock on the wall, he saw it was a quarter after nine. He had shifted back to himself around sunrise, he guessed, and had awoken two hours later and watched Ever sleep. He was eager to check in with Sarge and ensure that both his partner and Melanie were doing okay, but he found he was quite enjoying the sensation of having breakfast with someone, someone who had cooked for him and refused to leave him when he was vulnerable. He was falling fast and hard for this amazing woman, and it scared him shitless.

  With last night such a blur in his mind, he wanted to know exactly what had gone down when he had clashed with the wolf in him. Of course, he remembered the pain—how the hell could you forget an agony of fire like that?—and he remembered hearing Ever’s voice before he got shot with the dart. But not much else.

  “So how scary, on a scale of one to ten, did I get last night?” he ventured, trying to lighten the tension with a little humor.

  Ever shrugged before returning his smile. “‘Bout a fifteen. I honestly think a few of the uniforms pissed their pants watching you change. Although, I think they’ll respect the hell out of you after watching it. I certainly do.”

  “Pfft… I messed up.”

  Setting her mug on the counter. “How d’you figure that?”

  “I held out too long. I let myself fight the wolf, and under the moon, he’ll always win. When he forced the change, I dug my heels in, refused to do it, and I enraged the wolf—set him on the path of bloodlust. Once you go there, there’s no return.”

  Ever twisted the ends of her hair as she considered her answer carefully, her nose wrinkling as she thought. “You like to brood, don’t you? It’s like a hobby for you or something. Derek, there aren’t many men—or wolves, for that matter—who could have held on to themselves like you did last night. The moon crept out from behind the clouds, and you remained on two feet. You helped rescue Melanie, and you sit there feeling sorry for yourself. Not buying it, buddy.”

  Derek burst out laughing, so much so that tears ran down his face. When he regained his composure, he said, “I have never been chastised so politely in my life. Apart from my mother, you are the only person to call me out on my shit.”

  “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Derek.”

  “Neither do you.”

  She blinked in surprise and lifted the mug to her lips. Having taken a sip, she set it down again. “I guess I know my limitations. Growing up as I did, being normal in a not-so-normal family, I became attuned to the fact I’d never feel the rush of magic in my veins, the thrill of shifting into something other than myself. I even craved the chance to taste someone’s blood, but then I thought against it. You have within you the power to save lives over an eternity when I have become nothing more than a memory of someone you used to know.”

  “I wish you could see yourself from my eyes, Ever. You’re beautiful, smart, funny, and I’ve a feeling you are more than you could imagine.”

  The moment was interrupted by the sound of the door opening as someone stomped down the stairs. A disheveled Ricky came into view and sank down on the chair next to Derek. Ever poured and slid a warm cup of coffee his way, and he muttered his thanks. He nudged his shoulder to Derek and said, “No hard feelings for last night?”

  “None at all, bro. None at all.”

  “Cool, ‘cause I’m gonna do the same again tonight.”

  “I was just about to ask you to. Any news on Melanie?”

  He gulped his coffee before replying, taking the half-eaten sandwich from Derek’s plate and scoffing a bite. “Donnie called early this morning to say they were both doing well, whatever that means,” he managed through his half-full mouth. He swallowed hard and drank more of his coffee before he went on. “He told me not to come over or Caitlyn would rip me a new one. But he’s coming here for a briefing around noon.”

  “She’ll be fine, Ricky. Melanie is tough… she’ll get through it.”

  Ricky grunted a response as he finished off Derek’s sandwich. Time ticked by, and Derek longed to soak his tense muscles in a long shower, but he suspected they didn’t have time for that.

  “You want me to take you home so you can shower and get some fresh clothes? Things might get a bit mental after tonight ‘round here.”

  Derek had addressed Ever, but Ricky answered.

  “No need,” he said, gesturing to the duffel at the end of the stairs. “Samhain sent over a bag of stuff for Ever this morning. She said to call her whenever you have a free moment. Your dad worries when you don’t call.”

  Ever chuckled. “Yeah, and she doesn’t worry at all. Thanks, Ricky. I’ll ring her there. Is there a shower down here for me to get freshened up?”

  Derek pointed to the door across from where they had slept last night. “There’s a shower in there. Use some of Cait’s fancy stuff. She won’t mind.”

  “Thanks,” she replied with a smile, and Derek felt his stomach summersault.

  Yeah, he was definitely falling for her.

  He watched her as she grabbed the duffel and headed for the shower, closing the door behind her. Cocking an ear, he listened as she spoke into her phone, and when he heard affection in her tone, he relaxed and turned back to his best friend.

  Ricky had a wicked grin on his face. “Man, D, you’ve got it bad.”

  “Pot and kettle, my friend. Pot. And. Kettle.”

  “Touché.”

  Ricky’s phone buzzed and he checked it before getting up from the table. “Sarge wants me upstairs. Take your time getting ready. And for God’s sake, D, kiss the girl already and get it outta your system. It’s been a while, I know, but you still remember the mechanics of it, right?”

  His friend’s teasing brought a friendly growl from his throat. “Why, Ricky? You wanna give me lessons in kissing?” he teased back.

  At the end of the stairs, Ricky turned back. “Nah, man. Everyone knows witches prefer cats… You ain’t my type, girlfriend.” With an elaborate snap of his fingers, he pursed his lips at Derek.

  Derek shook his head as Ricky left, knowing full well under all the jokes and bravado, he was hurting and hurting bad. Derek had lost many loved ones over his lifespan, but to lose someone who you were in love with? That would gut you from the inside out. He was only falling for Ever, and the thought of losing her was like a vice grip on his chest. When he lost him mom to old age, he had been distraught, but he had survived, same when his brother had died. He had mourned the loss of people who had known him when he was human, but his sister’s death had almost dragged him down.

  Derek exhaled and closed his eyes, remembering a time when he had felt powerless.

  Making his way slowly around the side of the bed, he carefully avoided the numerous wires that connected his sister to the machine that kept her alive. The faint beep, beep of the machine monitoring her heartbeat was a stark reminder that with each beep of the machine, his sister’s time on earth was drawing to a close and he was utterly powerless to stop it.

  “Stop brooding, Derek, and come sit with a dying woman.”

  He lowered himself down on the bed and looked at the woman in the bed. Hair as white as snow with a wrinkled face that showed a life fully lived; it was hard to imagine that this was his sister. The private clinic where Sylvia resided thought he was her son, and they kept it that way. Down to her final moments, Sylv
ia protected her brother with the fierceness of a wolf.

  “You look beautiful, Sylvie.”

  “Hush, you charmer,” she rasped. “I’ve already written my will.”

  He snickered and bent down to press a kiss to her cheek. It was clammy, and Derek could smell the scent of death on her skin. What would he do when she was gone, the last remaining person who remembered him for who he had been, not the curse that was bestowed on him?

  “Shall we say our goodbyes, Sylvie? I’m sure you’d much prefer to have your children by your side instead of a reminder of what could have been.”

  “There is no one more qualified to be by my side than you, Derek, so shut up and listen to me one last time.”

  Her breath hitched, and the machine jumped. He studied her face, wishing he could erase the pain the ravaged her body. She placed the oxygen mask over her face and gulped in some air before removing it and placing it on her chest.

  “I worry for you, Derek, like you were my son.”

  He dusted his knuckles over her cheek. “Technically, I am still your older brother. It’s my job to watch over you.”

  Moisture glistened in her eyes. “And you have done so. But now I need you to remain alive and watch over my children and grandchildren and all those who come after that. For as long as our line continues.”

  She knew. She knew what he planned to do once she had become one with the earth, and she was going to make him promise not to. He ducked his head for a moment before he looked back at her. Sadness and worry—that is what he saw in her eyes.

  “Don’t make me promise you something I won’t be able to keep.” His voice cracked with emotion.

  “You’ve never broken a promise to me yet, and you won’t do it now. Derek, I can die happily if I know that you’re out there watching over my family, but you need a life as well. Find a nice girl and settle down. Don’t be afraid to love, and don’t shut out those around you. Wolves were not meant to be solitary creatures, and neither were you.

  “I love you with every fiber in my being, Derek. You survived when you could have been lost to us, and you came home. If I could stay and keep you safe, I would. But my time has come. It’s time to be reunited with my Eamon.”

  The machine faltered again as her heartbeat became erratic. Derek didn’t need the blasted machine to tell him, he could hear it with his ears—the sound of her heart giving way to the illness. He tasted the saltiness of his own tears on his lips.

  “Promise me, Derek. Promise me you will live.”

  How could he not when she had spent her life protecting him from those around him who thought that he had welcomed a demon into his soul and was evil? She entrusted him to care for her precious children, and he would do so until death came knocking on his door.

  “I promise, Sylvie. I promise you.”

  “Good boy,” she uttered with a small smile before her eyes shut and the machine blared and the heartbreak that punched his chest wrenched sob after sob from him.

  “Derek? You okay?”

  Derek lifted his head and opened his eyes. Hair tousled from being towel dried, Ever stood in the doorway, dressed in ripped jeans and a black blazer snug over a white tank top. She shirked her duffle off her shoulder and came to stand by the counter, filling the kettle and switching it on. He inhaled and caught a hint of that cinnamon body wash that Caitlyn liked to wear. The wolf inside him almost bloody purred, and Derek tried to remind him that he wasn’t a stinking cat.

  “Derek? Seriously, are you okay? You look lost in thought.”

  Derek shook out the cobwebs in his mind and let himself think of other things that didn’t involve dredging up the past. “Yeah, just all this stuff with Melanie made me think of my sister. She would’ve liked you.”

  “Do you miss her?”

  “With every breath.”

  The kettle switched off, and she poured herself a fresh cup and topped his up as well. Leaning her elbows on the counter, she rested her chin in her hands. “I’ve never lost anyone I cared about. All my family and friends are supernatural, so it’s not something I think I’ll even have to worry about. But I know I’ll get old. I’ll get sick, and it hurts to think of my parents grieving for me like that.”

  He nodded. “It’s true what people say when they say no parent should outlive their children. I couldn’t imagine it.”

  “Is that why you don’t have kids?” she asked, and then she slapped herself in the forehead. “I’m sorry… as far as I know you could have a whole pack of kids. It was rude of me to assume you didn’t.”

  He laughed. “No, I can assure you that I’ve no kids, no girlfriend or wife hidden away somewhere. I grew up in a time when men courted women, were perfect gentlemen. When you went on dates, you went with a chaperone. The first time you even kissed a woman was on your wedding day. Ricky takes the mick and says I’m so old-fashioned.”

  He pushed away from the stool and rounded the corner. He could hear Ever’s pulse quicken, the only encouragement he needed. She turned when he neared her, her hands glued to her sides, waiting for him to make a move. He cupped her face with his hands and tilted her head up to meet him. He gently pressed his lips to hers, and when she gasped at the touch, her lips parted slightly and he used that to trace the outline of her bottom lip with his tongue as she opened her mouth wider for him.

  He kept his hands on the side of her face as he explored her mouth, Ever meeting the thrusts of his tongue with passion and lust. Her hands trembled against the hem of his tee, slowly gliding under and feathering over the taut muscles of his stomach, exactly like she wanted to do before. He growled into her mouth, and she nipped down on his lower lip, his wolf howling in approval. Neither of them needed a mate who couldn’t stand up to man or beast.

  Derek was dizzy from the pleasure of Ever’s kiss and pulled back reluctantly as she staggered forward and blinked her eyes. He had to step away from her because if he didn’t, Derek was certain he would have taken her on the counter without a second thought. He groaned as images flashed in his mind. He stepped back, his breathing ragged, delighting in the way Ever seemed as affected as he was.

  “I thought you were a gentleman. You certainly don’t kiss like one,” she accused with devilment in her eyes.

  Derek snickered. “I said I grew up in a time when men courted women and were gentlemen. I never actually said I was one. I’ve wanted to do that since the day you bumped into me.”

  She swatted at him. “Um, Mr. Agent, sir, you were the one who bumped into me, and I’m glad you did.”

  He reached out and twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers. “I mean it, Ever. Once this mess is all over and the dust has settled, you and I will figure this thing out between us. I’ll pick you up and take you to dinner. A real date—just you and me.”

  “A real date… just Ever and Derek. I’d really like that.” The minx came closer and bit down on his kiss-swollen bottom lip. He fisted his hands and brought them down to his sides before he lost all resemblance of control and reached for her again.

  Ever’s phone rang, and the smile on her face continued to radiate as she answered.

  “Hello?”

  Derek heightened his hearing and listened in.

  “Ms. Chace, this is Dr. Val. I have some information that might help your investigation.”

  “Dr. Val, that’s great news. We could really use that right now.”

  He heard the rustle of paper as the doctor rifled through some files. “I asked the oncologist if anyone fit the description of the patient you described, and he thinks he may have a suspect for you. The man begged and begged for months for the doctors to try something else to cure him. He even attacked an orderly who tried to console him. On the day Dr. Peters advised the man there was nothing left for them to try, the man did something very strange.”

  Ever shifted the phone to her other ear. “He took the news too well.”

  “Indeed, Ever. He shook Dr. Peters’ hand, thanked him for all he had done, and
left. That was about four months ago, and Dr. Peters hasn’t heard a peep from him since.”

  “Because he thought he found a new way to get better.”

  Derek growled, and Ever waved a hand at him to hush up.

  “I’m afraid I have even worse news to tell you. You see, the man was being treated for brain cancer. He was riddled with it, and he knew he was going to die a slow and painful death, Ever. He worked in the children’s cancer unit.”

  “So that’s how he knew how to take what he needed and barely leave a mark.”

  Dr. Val sighed. “Yes. The man you’re searching for, his name is Stephen Donnelly, and he was a nurse in the hospital here.”