by Marie Medina
“I think she’ll be a better listener than you think.” Vince zipped his jeans and grabbed a shirt from the dresser. “Go find out.”
Emerson watched him walk away and out the door. He wanted to stop him, yet once he was gone he managed to breathe a little easier. “Go find out?” he muttered. “It’s a fucking mad tea party around here.”
But he knew she was upstairs waiting for him, so he turned his steps that way. All of her potential reactions swirled in his head as he forced himself up the stairs and back to his bedroom.
****
Alicia rushed toward Emerson as soon as he entered the room. She couldn’t help herself. The look on his face told her that Vince had been honest about at least one of his secrets, possibly both if the green tint to Emerson’s skin was anything to go on.
He tried to smile, but his attempt fell short. His expression settled into a frown, as he seemed to realize this, too. Reaching out and cupping her cheek, he leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. “How good are you with huge revelations from guys you’ve only been dating for a day?”
“I think I’ll survive. If you need to talk, I’m here.”
“I need some air. Let’s grab something to eat real quick and take a walk.”
“We can do that.”
He remained quiet as they made their way down to the kitchen. She poured them both glasses of orange juice. He downed his right away as she nibbled on a blueberry muffin.
“Mike?” she asked, holding it up.
He nodded. “No shortage of baked goods when he’s around.” Reaching into the basket, he snagged a muffin and tore it in half. He chewed thoughtfully. “He’d probably make more money catering,” he said before popping the other half into his mouth. Wiping his bottom lip, he closed his eyes and then pinched the bridge of his nose. He poured another glass of juice and drank it down. She watched him stare down into the empty glass as if he might find answers at the bottom of it. After setting it in the sink, he moved toward the window, crossing his arms over his chest. When she’d finished her own juice, she went to him.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.” They went through the laundry room and out the back. The brisk air made them both brace themselves with deep breaths. “You need a sweater or anything? It’ll warm up soon, but the mornings can be a bit chilly.”
“I’ll be fine.” She linked her arm with his. “Whenever you’re ready,” she added softly.
“I think I need to say something else first, if that’s okay?”
“Sure.”
He stopped and looked down into her eyes. “Last night was amazing, and this is definitely the beginning of something. What I’m going to tell you won’t change that.”
“I’m glad to hear it, and I’ll keep that in mind.”
He gazed down at her as if he couldn’t believe how calm she was, and she couldn’t blame him for his incredulity. She already knew what was coming, and she’d been preparing for it. But he didn’t know that. She hoped he wouldn’t be angry with her, as it was obvious Vince hadn’t told him that the two of them had talked the day before.
They started walking again as he began. “Vince told me a couple of secrets, secrets he’s been keeping for a long time, and now a lot of things make far more sense than they once did. I understand what’s been troubling him, but there’s nothing simple or straightforward about what he’s been going through.” He shifted their arms so he could hold her hand. “In some ways I’m relieved, but in others I’m pretty shaken up.”
“Something you didn’t expect?”
He took a deep breath and let it out immediately with a huff. “You could say that.” They turned toward the lake. “I mean, one of the things … I should have guessed before. The other one, I’d never have guessed in a million years.”
“Do you mind if I confess something?”
He searched her face. “What could you have to confess?”
“The thing you believe you should have guessed, I did guess. And the other thing, well, I guessed because I’ve met people with the same … issue before.” She made him stop walking. “We talked yesterday. When he came up out of the water, I sensed what he was. He confirmed it later. He snuck into the house when you went out to look for him so we could talk.”
“You sensed what he was?”
“A werewolf. My father was one. I’m not—not really. It’s there inside me, somewhere, but I can’t shift.”
“So you already knew?” The quiet reply revealed nothing about what he was feeling.
She nodded. “I’m sorry.”
He looked away, but after a moment he looked back. “What do you have to be sorry for? He hid it for nearly two decades. I can hardly get angry at you for hiding it for half a day.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
He approached the shoreline and sat on a log, patting the spot beside him. “It’s one of the few feelings I’m certain of right now.”
She sat and pulled her knees close to her body. “I’m not surprised. I already knew werewolves existed, but I was still a little freaked after I realized he was one.”
He scoffed. “So what else is out there? Vampires? Faeries? Hobbits?”
She held back a laugh, knowing this was probably too surreal for him right now. “Not that I know of. I’ve only encountered werewolves.”
“Maybe we should check with Garren, Mike, and Tom. You never know, do you?”
She wondered if he was hiding behind the sarcastic humor. She didn’t yet know him well enough to really judge, but he rarely joked in this way, so she could hardly come to any other conclusion. “Indeed, you don’t.”
He turned toward her. “So, does it affect you in any way?”
“My eyes will glow at times, just sort of shimmer and look unreal. Every now and then my hearing will spike, but other than that nothing.”
“His eyes changed. He showed me. It went a good way toward convincing me, but I asked him to change.”
“And he did?”
He nodded. “Yeah. It was scary, but … beautiful.”
“Beautiful?”
He nodded again.
“And the other thing…”
He took her hand again. “You said you guessed. Did you really?”
“Yes. If I’m honest, I have to say I doubt you two could live without each other. He’s pretty obvious in some ways. I think you’re just so used to his shifting moods and his teasing and his constant presence in your life. As we talked yesterday, it became more apparent with everything he said.”
“He said you’d be a good listener, and now I see what he meant.” He caressed her curls as the wind moved through them. “I want to be with you, Alicia. I’m not going to abandon this just because Vince has finally mustered the courage to explore the depths of our friendship.”
She considered his words. “Are you saying you don’t think you return his feelings or that you simply never considered the possibility before?”
“We still being honest?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I love him so much it’s hard to tell. I can’t imagine not seeing him every day. When I have a problem, I want to talk to him. When something wonderful happens, I want to tell him.” He stood and repositioned, straddling the log and pulling her closer. “This morning, I was so happy waking up beside you, but I couldn’t wait to tell him about that feeling.”
“Nothing ever happened between you two before?”
He shook his head. “Nothing I took seriously. He’s probably kissed me a hundred times, but never in a way that truly revealed what he felt.” He swallowed. “But today was different.”
“He kissed you?”
“Yeah.”
“And it was different?”
“Oh yes. In every way.”
“Did you like it?”
He shifted in a way that told her the memory might be arousing him. Clearing his throat and looking away, he said, “Yes.” After a few seconds he slid his gaze back to her, looking like he f
elt guilty about his confession.
“Don’t feel bad about that.” She pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. “You two ever like the same girl?”
Obviously not getting what she was driving at, he thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. We had different tastes when we were younger, but—” He cut himself off, looking into her face. “Are you … do you mean you—”
She held her hand up. “I’m still a half-blood. Something in him calls to me. I resisted, thinking I was just crushing on the rock star, but now I know it’s more than that.”
“You’d like to be with him?” His expression showed both self-doubt and a hint of jealousy, along with a little disbelief. As he held her gaze, she thought she saw curiosity as well.
“I like you, and I’m with you. But the attraction is there between us. If you think you’d like to … you know … maybe explore some things.” She felt his body respond, and she pressed closer, realizing this might be her only chance to make her case. “I’d be willing. Emerson, I honestly don’t think you’ll be happy if anyone or anything comes between you and Vince. I’d rather share you than lose you or see you unhappy.”
He closed his eyes and didn’t respond. She leaned against him, and to her relief he slid an arm around her.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
“I’m trying not to picture the three of us together, honestly.”
She slid her hand down to caress him through his pants. “Doesn’t seem to be working.”
“It’s not,” came his husky reply. He shuddered briefly as he drew her closer into a tight hug, then kissed her hair before pulling away. “I’m going to follow Vince’s poor example here for a bit and plead time to think. Is that okay?”
She missed the warmth of his body immediately. “Of course it is.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back for lunch.” He looked toward the area where the other guys had parked their cars. “Looks like Vince left. If he comes back first, check on him? Tell him I’m okay at least.”
“And you are okay?”
He gave a slow nod. “Just need to figure this out.”
She took the chance and added, “I think you already know exactly what you want. You simply have to convince yourself it’s okay to want it.”
He caressed her curls one last time. “Maybe it is that simple.” He let his hand drop. “I’ve got my cell. Call if you need me.”
“Okay.” She watched him cross the grass and head for his car. He glanced back before getting in, and then he drove away.
****
Vince followed the sweet aroma and the sound of voices to the kitchen.
“Hey, man, how you feelin’?” Mike asked just after Vince entered the room.
He and Alicia stood at the counter, their hands covered in cookie dough, while Garren lounged on the old plaid loveseat by the door to the laundry room reading an old issue of Metal Hammer.
“Better. Not quite a hundred percent yet, but definitely better than yesterday.” Mike nodded and turned back to the counter, but Alicia held his gaze for a minute. She gave him a tiny smile and the look in her eyes reassured him, though he would have felt better if she were at liberty to actually say something to set his mind at ease.
“Good news, dude,” Garren said, coming out from behind the magazine. “They fuckin’ caught him this morning.”
“Charles?”
“Yep. Boarding a flight to England out of New York.”
“He was still in the US? All this time?”
Mike turned around again. “I know. Moron! How embarrassing is it we got swindled by a completely incompetent criminal?”
“Any press?”
“A few pieces about his arrest. Theobald’s handling things well. There’s speculation, and he’s going to release a statement tomorrow morning. He’ll email it to you soon, so be sure to check.”
“I will.” He walked over the inspect Mike and Alicia’s work. “What are we making here?”
“Chocolate chip cookies. Oatmeal cranberry are baking. Peanut butter are cooling, though Garren’s eaten half a sheet already.”
“They’re good!” Garren got up and snagged another one, tossing the magazine into a basket full of newspapers and other magazines on the floor. “If I didn’t mind fuckin’ a dude, I’d be proposing.”
Everyone laughed, and Alicia snuck a look at Vince. He could feel that she wanted to talk to him. He’d never felt so aware of another person’s presence before, except for Emerson.
Garren grabbed some sodas from the fridge and headed out of the room. “Tom and I are gonna to practice ‘til lunch. Let us know if there’s any more news.”
“Sure,” Mike said. He took the cookie sheet and slid it into the top oven, then checked the oven below it, while Alicia moved to the sink and washed her hands.
“You like to cook, too?” Vince asked her.
“Like to, but never have much time. I’d love to learn more.”
Vince smiled. “Well, you’ve hit the jackpot here. We try to help sometimes, but we all just get in the way for the most part.”
Mike slapped him on the back as he moved behind him. “Not my fault you don’t know the difference between dicing and julienning.”
“I’m fond of my fingers, thank you.” When Alicia faced him again, he asked, “Wanna take a walk?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“We’re doing mozzarella and tomato sandwiches for lunch. We found some rosemary foccacia bread yesterday,” Mike said. “Will Emerson be back for lunch?”
Alicia nodded. “Yeah, he said he’d definitely be back.”
Vince led the way out the back, wondering if he should say something first or let Alicia start. Emerson was always straightforward and in most cases preferred to get things out in the open right away, which was one major difference the two men had always struggled with in their relationship. But right now he liked knowing that Emerson had most likely told Alicia absolutely everything that had occurred that morning.
“He wanted to make sure you knew he was okay. He just needs to think,” Alicia said.
“He said that? That he’s okay?”
“Yep. I even asked for reassurance when he said so.”
Vince’s heart kept changing rhythms, but he tried to keep his breathing even. “Good.”
“I’m glad you told him everything.”
“It was terrifying. I’m still terrified.”
“Don’t be.”
“You seem so calm. I don’t get it.” They’d just hit the tree line, and he stopped and leaned back against a large pine. “I told your guy that I love him this morning. Shouldn’t you be incredibly pissed at me?”
“I encouraged that, if you recall. He hasn’t been my guy for very long, not as long as he’s been yours.” She drew closer until she stood only a foot in front of him. “I’m the one intruding, really.”
He took in a deep breath before he could stop himself. She smelled amazing, still not like a werewolf, but something had changed. “He’s not mine, never has been.”
“I think he has been for a long time. You two just haven’t seen it.”
He blinked, searching her gaze. “You sound like you want us together.”
“Us.” She smiled. “That’s what I’m thinking.”
“Us?”
She nodded. Her hands came forward, teasing at the hem of his shirt. “I’ve never met anyone as easy to care for as him. I can see all the reasons you love him so much.” She slid her hands under the material, and he drew in a sharp breath. “And I’ve been fighting my attraction to you since we met. But now that I understand it, I don’t want to fight it.”
“And Emerson?”
“I want him to be happy. I’m sure I could do that, but something would always be missing.”
Her fingers traced over every inch of his chest as he asked, “You’d be with both of us? You wouldn’t mind seeing me and him together?”
She tweaked his right nipple, and his cock hardened. “I’d love
to see that.” She leaned up and brushed her lips over his neck. “Maybe be in the middle of it.”
He groaned and turned his head to look into her eyes. “I dreamt of that last night.”
“The three of us?”
He nodded. “May I kiss you?”
She laughed. “I’m groping you, so you don’t need permission.”
“You’re his girl. I don’t want him hurt.”
Inching closer, she whispered, “I told him I’d be open to it this morning. When he imagined it, he got hard. The thought made him tremble.”
Vince captured her mouth then, unleashing all of his emotions. Her sweet and hungry response engulfed him. When they parted, breathless, her eyes glowed. “Run with me,” he said. “I know you can’t shift, but you can run pretty fast, I’ll bet.”
She nodded. “Always.”
He kissed her again. “If I don’t shift, I’ll have you pinned to the ground very soon. I want to wait for him. I want both of you.”
“I don’t think we’ll have to wait long.”
He forced himself out of her arms and stripped his shirt off. When his jeans followed, she didn’t look away. He folded his clothes hurriedly, but his head snapped up when he heard a low, rumbling growl come from her. He smiled. “That a good sound? I wouldn’t know from experience.”
She nodded. “A very good sound, in this case.” Smiling, she added, “Never done that before unless I was angry.”
He licked his lips as his smile broadened. “Really?”
Her gaze slid up and down his body. “I think you need to shift before I pin you to the ground.”
As much as he wanted to see what would happen if she did, he knelt and began to change. Looking back up, he took in the amazed and aroused look on her face. He turned and began to run, soon hearing her join him. Even though she couldn’t shift, her presence was comforting and reassuring somehow. He’d chased so many wolves before, wanting to be near them and run with them, only to be ditched and end up alone. Though they’d been rejected for different reasons, that commonality made him feel even more connected to her. She kept pace with him, running a few feet behind him. Her scent wafted to him, her arousal blatant. Knowing he’d caused that change, knowing that the nature he’d always been forced to hide affected her in such a way thrilled him. His own kind had no interest in him, and the snobbish fools shunned her, but that was their loss. Now that he’d found her, he wouldn’t let her get away.
