by Marie Medina
“Wow.”
“Yeah, it’s amazing. I’ll take you on a tour when we get in.” He reached over and squeezed her knee. “I’ll try with Vince, but you’ll have to forgive me if I’m very focused elsewhere the next few days.”
She ran her hand over his, a shiver running through her body at the contact. She loved watching his hands as he played, and watching him practice the day after she’d learned he was straight had turned her on in a way she hadn’t expected. She couldn’t wait to find out what else those hands were good at.
“I think I will.”
His eyes warmed, but he transferred his attention to the gate, keying in another code and driving up a twisting path to the house. As they pulled around the circular driveway, she caught a glimpse of the lake, but she also saw Vince in one of the upper windows gazing down at them. His eyes held hers, but he didn’t smile. When she looked back up after retrieving her purse from the backseat, he wasn’t there anymore.
****
Vince made his way down the stairs quickly and flung the front door open. A smile came to his face as Emerson and Alicia stepped out of the car and turned toward him in unison, both of them pushing their hair out of their faces in an equally synchronized gesture. As he smiled and locked eyes with Alicia, a mixture of lust and jealousy swirled inside him. He would love to get her in his bed, but he was far more interested in getting Emerson there instead. Knowing the two people before him were likely to sleep together soon, and picturing what it would be like, made him ache in a way he didn’t fully understand, even as it turned him on a little. When he switched his gaze to Emerson, the other man’s guarded expression made Vince’s smile fade.
“How was the drive?” Vince asked.
“Good. No traffic.” He moved around to the back of the car to retrieve the bags.
Vince came forward to help. “I had a guest room made up. Across the hall from yours.”
“Put my stuff there. Give her my room,” he said, keeping his voice low.
Vince hesitated, but then he picked up two of Emerson’s bags. “Okay.” He glanced back to Alicia, who was admiring the house and walking away from them. “Will it even matter?” he added playfully, nudging Emerson’s leg with his knee.
Emerson’s frustration showed in the firm set of his mouth and the white-knuckled grip he had on the bags. “Her having the choice matters. My room is nicer, so put her there. I’ll tell her it’s mine if she asks, but I’d rather not make a big deal out of it.” He sighed and brushed past Vince. “I’m not like you, Vince.”
I wish you were. Vince didn’t even try to hide his emotions as he watched the retreating form of the man he loved. He took two deep breaths and reined it all in, however, before turning to Alicia.
“You like it?”
She nodded. “It looks familiar.”
He motioned for her to follow him inside. “It’s vaguely based on a famous house in Cologny in Switzerland.” When they reached the foyer, he pointed to a montage of pictures on the wall between two windows. “The Villa Diodati.”
“Ah. The Frankenstein house. Yeah, I saw it in a documentary on the novel. Who designed this one?”
“I did, a little. Someone who knew what he was doing did the actual designing, but the idea was mine. We went back and forth for weeks to get it exactly the way I wanted it. I plan to eventually sell my other place in the city and live here all the time.”
“It’s a lovely setting.” Her eyes took in everything as she turned slowly.
“I love being here. I hope you feel welcome. Let me know if you need anything.”
Emerson coughed, and Vince looked up at the landing. “Coming, darling.” Smiling broadly at Emerson’s scowl, he gestured for Alicia to go before him up the stairs.
She shook her head as she did so. “You guys are here to relax. Don’t get him all pissed off the first day.”
“You think it pisses him off?”
She looked very thoughtful as they slowly made their way up. Had they talked about him in the car? Or had she simply noticed how much Vince teased him? He hardly knew any other way of showing affection, and he wanted to show Emerson so much affection it drove him half mad some days.
“Maybe a little. He really cares about you.”
Vince’s heart sped for a moment. Had he said that or had she come to the conclusion herself? “I love him more than I love anyone else in the world.”
They both stopped after the words had tumbled out. He tried to say something else, but she beat him to it.
“Then listen to him. He’s worried about you. He loves you, too.”
What did that mean? Before he could ask, Emerson came down the hall and took his own bags from Vince. “Thank you,” he said curtly. Turning to Alicia, he said, “I’ll show you yours. Hope you like it.”
Alicia gave Vince a sweet smile before walking away. He leaned against a pillar, his stomach churning. Emerson was worried about him. His mind whirled with all the different ways he could interpret that. He glanced down the hall and their eyes locked, the other man giving him a questioning look. Vince smiled and nodded, and Emerson put his bags down in the hall and then followed Alicia into the room he usually occupied.
Vince tore down the stairs, needing some fresh air and a good, long run.
Chapter Two
Emerson heard Vince rushing down the steps. He’d had such a melancholy almost pained expression on his face for a moment. That made Emerson feel bad for being so possessive and jealous, but he’d already warned Vince once. Maybe over the course of the week he’d be able to find out if something more was going on. Right now, he had more important and less frustrating desires to pursue.
“This room is gorgeous!” Alicia said. “I love the browns and deep reds.” She ran one hand over the solid post at one corner of the four-poster bed. Walking into the large bathroom, she admired the enormous claw foot bathtub. “Oh, I love these!” As she stroked the porcelain, she turned back to him slowly. She gave him a quizzical look with a hint of a smile.
“What?” He glanced around from the doorway, making sure one of the guys hadn’t snuck in and thrown a sex toy or porn magazine anywhere, as he knew he wouldn’t be able to trust them to behave the entire week. Nothing seemed out of place.
“This is your room. It’s very masculine, and on top of that it smells like you in here.”
Much to his surprise, he blushed, but the feeling was not altogether unpleasant. She recognizes my smell? “Must be my soap. We were here for a few nights pretty recently.”
She moved to look behind him, and then walked past him to the door of the bedroom. “Why didn’t you bring your bags in?”
“Well, Vince fixed up the room over there for you,” he pointed across the hall, “but I just put you here. It’s bigger and nicer.”
“You don’t have to give up your room for me.”
“It’s not a big deal. I’d like to have you in here.”
She giggled. “I bet you would.” She brushed past him to go back into the bathroom, her body caressing the length of his.
Rubbing his forehead, he said, “I won’t disagree with what you are assuming I was implying, but I want you here so I can spend time with you. How we spend that time is your call.”
She ran her fingers through her hair and looked herself up and down in the mirror. “Then let’s start with the grand tour. I want to know where all the action happens so I don’t walk in on any orgies.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t worry too much, but I will point out everyone’s bedroom. Despite what you might have ever read online, we all confine such activities to the bedroom.” He hesitated. “Vince has taken girls for really long walks in the woods before, but I try not to think about it since I use some of the trails for jogging when we’re here.”
She giggled again. “Okay, so now I know to listen for lions, tigers, bears, and cries of ‘Oh, Vince!’ in the woods.”
“It’s probably safest that way. Come on. The house really is beautiful.”
Extending her hand, she came toward him, and interlocking their fingers made him forget all the headaches of the past week right away.
****
Vince ran faster, stripping his clothes off and shifting when he reached the cover of the trees. In wolf form, he could outrun almost anyone or anything. Yet his conflicted emotions stayed lodged in his chest. He’d known about Emerson’s interest in Alicia, but truly seeing how serious it had become had been a blow. While he hadn’t fully formed any definite plan for revealing his feelings, knowing he might lose his chance when he’d been so close to finally confessing made him feel sick. At the same time, he wanted Emerson to be happy. If Alicia could do that, who was he to stand in the way? Though it might hurt to see them together, he didn’t want Emerson to leave the band because things had become awkward between them. That would happen if he revealed his feelings at this juncture or did anything else to interfere in the budding relationship he now seemed condemned to watch blossom.
The passage of years and dozens of women had not banished Emerson from his heart. But if he wanted to keep what they did have, he would have to get himself and his emotions under control. He thought back to the sleepovers in high school, the rambles in the woods, and all those nights spent in Emerson’s backyard gazing up at the stars. He pushed himself harder, panting heavily. Recalling drunken nights in college when they’d stumbled back to their shared room and wound up asleep on the floor, snuggled together cozily, made his desire surge forward.
He halted by the lake and let out a howl. The others at the house might hear him, but he didn’t care. Maybe it would keep them out of the woods, and then he could be completely alone. Part of him wanted nothing more, yet the very thought made him howl again. He leapt into the water and swam out to the middle of the lake. A pole topped by a flag stuck out of the water, marking a giant rock that had wrecked more than one boat before they’d discovered it. The water hid the rock completely, but Vince knew its dimensions. He threw his paws up and pulled himself onto it. Resting there on his stomach, the water came halfway up his body. Shaking his head to get the water out of his ears, he steadied his breathing. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the scents of the trees and the water.
The peaceful feeling he’d almost fully grasped evaporated when the cracking of twigs and crunching of leaves caught his ear. He saw no one, yet, but began to shift anyway. When he was comfortable enough with the change, he slid back into the water. Tired as he was, he made his way back to shore, wondering how far away his clothes were. He wasn’t far from the house, but he’d run in a circle so many times he couldn’t remember where he’d stripped.
“Vince!”
Emerson’s voice came to him. Pathetic as it might be, hearing the concern in his voice made Vince’s cock twitch. As soon as he hit shallower water, he stood up, careful to keep his lower half covered by the water.
His eyes found Alicia first, and she looked so shocked he dropped his eyes to make sure he wasn’t flashing his half-mast erection at her. Looking back up, he noticed that her blue eyes had taken on an ethereal glow. He blinked several times, realizing his recent transformation and lustful thoughts had probably made his eyes change. Normally a light green, his eyes shifted to a dark yellow when he was a wolf. Alicia’s eyes told him she was a werewolf, but her scent denied that fact. Confusion made his pulse race as he searched her stunned gaze.
“You’re swimming? Didn’t you hear that wolf?” Emerson said, sounding less concerned now.
Vince shifted his attention. Emerson actually had one of Vince’s father’s hunting rifles with him. “Yeah, I did. Since when are you afraid of them?” He focused his gaze on the gun in Emerson’s hands. “They’ve never hurt anyone here.”
He lowered the gun, and then he actually set it down on a log. “There are lots of people here, and it’s broad daylight. I thought it was weird. The few we’ve encountered are afraid of people. I’ve only ever heard a wolf howl around here at night, and that’s been maybe twice a year at most.”
“And did you see it?”
“No.”
Vince moved his gaze back to Alicia. “You okay?”
She nodded slowly. “He tried to make me stay inside, but I’ve never been afraid of wolves.” She didn’t blink as she looked at him, and he knew they’d need to talk later, but not now. Their locked gaze had probably already pissed Emerson off, especially since Vince was naked.
“Where are your clothes?” Emerson asked, his tone confirming Vince’s guess.
“Somewhere. Not sure.” He sighed. “I can’t remember.”
“You can’t remember?”
“I felt like having a run, and I wanted to do it naked. No sense getting my clothes sweaty.”
Before Emerson could speak, Alicia said, “I think I saw them. And your shoes, too. Hang on.” She jogged up the hill and away from them toward the trees.
“So you wanted to run? Naked? Without shoes?”
Vince remained silent, unsure how to respond.
“Goddamit, Vince, what is wrong?” His friend’s exasperation was evident in his voice and the tension of his body as he came to the edge of the water, as close as he could get without actually coming in with Vince. “What are you not telling me?”
I’ve been in love with you since I was fifteen. I’m a werewolf. I’m going mad because I can’t share either of those things with you. “I don’t know where to start, Em.”
“Try.” Sadness filled his eyes. “How else can I help you?”
“I’m not sure you can.” He only half meant it, but as his fear rose he wanted to send Emerson away and retreat into himself. He knew no other way to protect his heart.
Hurt replaced the sadness. “Who the fuck can if I can’t?”
Vince buried his face in his hands, rubbing vigorously before looking up again. He inched forward to keep his feet from slipping farther into the mud. “I didn’t mean for that to come out that way. I guess I’m saying I’m not sure I can be helped.”
“A few years ago, you wouldn’t have hesitated to tell me everything. You would never have believed that I couldn’t help you.”
“You think I’ve always told you everything?” he whispered.
Emerson stared into his eyes. “You look like you’re about to puke.”
Vince laughed. He was standing there thinking about how much he loved the man looking into his eyes, and that man thought he looked ill.
“Vince, please.” The soft, pleading whisper silenced him, soothing him yet making him feel helpless as well.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to smile. He heard Alicia coming, so he had to pull himself back. “Later. Okay?”
“Tonight.”
After a brief pause, he nodded. “I promise.”
Alicia came down the hill carrying his clothes, shoes, and a large beach towel. She leaned his shoes on the log by the gun and put his clothes down beside it. She walked over and threw him the towel.
“Thank you.”
“Sure. I’d get out of that water. The clouds are blocking the sun, and the wind is picking up. You can’t spend your vacation sick.”
He rubbed the towel over his chest and arms, and then he held it in front of his crotch so he could come out of the water. Alicia didn’t stare, but she did continue to glance at him as he dried off. Emerson had turned away, but he kept glancing over to Alicia. Vince could see the jealousy in the rigidity of his body. But then he softened when Alicia turned to look away with him, linking her arm through his and resting her head against his shoulder.
Vince took several deep breaths as he dressed. She was definitely not a werewolf. But her eyes … he couldn’t explain it. And she seemed to know exactly what he was. Her body language and scent had changed, too. Had she been aroused by seeing him naked or discovering what he was? Perhaps both?
Emerson pointed out two chipmunks chasing each other, and Alicia laughed, commenting on how cute they were. That laugh made him wish he could walk over and join their embrace. He imagin
ed throwing his arms around both of them, kissing Emerson with her pressed tight between their bodies. Hands beginning to roam…
He shook himself as he sat to put his shoes on, keeping the towel on his lap to hide his boner. A plan formed in his mind. He would talk to Alicia and find out how she knew about werewolves. That would be a relief, talking candidly with another person about what he truly was. Then he would talk to Emerson. He didn’t yet know what he would say though. What could he say? He was depressed, unhappy, what? He stared at the dirt in front of him, unsure of everything.
A hand touched his shoulder, and he turned to face Emerson.
“We’re going in.” He picked up the gun. “I’ll unload this, put it back. Are you cool for now?”
“Yes. We’ll talk tonight.”
Emerson squeezed his shoulder briefly. Alicia smiled, though he could see the questions in her eyes. He nodded to her, hoping she could sense he was saying the same to her, letting her know he would explain things. The slight nod she gave before they walked away said that maybe she understood.
When they were out of sight, he sighed. “So much for relaxing,” he murmured.
****
Alicia stood on the balcony outside Emerson’s room looking at the dark clouds rolling in. Somewhere below, she could faintly hear Garren playing the drums. Mike and Tom had left ten minutes earlier to make a grocery run. Vince hadn’t come back to the house yet, and Emerson was across the hall on the phone with one of the lawyers. All the band’s troubles seemed abstract and far away in light of what she’d learned that day.
Vince was a werewolf.
It explained a lot about him. She now knew why she was both drawn to him and wary of him. Her biological father had been a werewolf, and she had only met him twice. An irresponsible loner, he’d never made the slightest effort to do anything for her or her mother. Luckily, her stepfather Samuel had been a saint who adored her without holding anything back. Ever. She never went around other werewolves because they didn’t want her around. She was a “mutt,” a word she had learned was the shifter equivalent of a racial or sexist slur. She also could not shift. The second time she met her father, he’d asked her to shift, and she’d explained that she couldn’t. He’d told her not to contact him ever again unless she could, and he’d even told her to fuck any werewolf that would have her because it might help trigger her instinct. She still remembered Samuel flying out the back door onto the patio and punching him, and then dragging him to his car. After that Samuel had rocked her in his arms as she cried, while her mother screamed every name in the book at her former lover before he finally left for good.
