Holy crap! We really were lost. I thought I was being dramatic and whiny. Clearly that wasn’t true. Son of a … ! “How long have we been lost?” I managed to keep a cap on my emotions, but just barely.
“About two hours, maybe a little longer.”
I didn’t like that one bit. “We have no idea where we are and we’ve been lost for more than two hours?” I turned shrill, like a crying teenager who just found out she can’t afford to purchase her favorite pair of skinny jeans. “How is this even possible?”
Jack absorbed the verbal assault without blinking. “The prints just stopped, and when I tried to find them – you know, pick up another trail – I couldn’t. By then the trail back was gone and I couldn’t find it.”
I was agog. “I know how we got lost, but … how could this happen?”
Jack held his hands out and shrugged. “I don’t know. But we have another problem.”
Oh, well, this was just great. “And what would that be?”
“My phone has zero service. Check yours.”
No service? I should’ve seen that coming. We were in the middle of nowhere, after all. I dug in my pocket and retrieved my phone, internally cursing the cellular gods when no bars showed on the display screen. I tried placing a call anyway, getting nothing but that annoying bell sound to tell me it wouldn’t go through.
“Nothing?” Jack grabbed the phone and stared at it. “Crap. We really are lost.”
I couldn’t stop from exploding. “Are you freaking kidding me? You’re supposed to be some sort of survival expert. How could you possibly get us lost?”
Jack didn’t cringe, instead taking it on the chin. “I need you to remain calm. It’s not as if we’re going to die.”
That was rich coming from him. “Really? Ethan Savage probably thought the same thing when he took his wife for a simple camping trip.”
“Charlie … .”
“No. No. I’m resigned to my fate. We’re lost in woods where werewolves hunt. This won’t end badly or anything.”
“Oh, geez.” Jack slapped his hand to his forehead. “You’re going to make this intolerable, aren’t you?”
I borrowed his phrase from earlier. “Oh, you have no idea. Me and my made-up baby are totally going to dog you until we die, which probably won’t be long after the sun sets.”
“We have hours before that happens.”
“Oh, well, that makes me feel better,” I drawled. “The anticipation won’t kill me or anything. Of course, that’s because the werewolf will.”
“I thought you called it a lycanthrope.”
“I will kill you if you don’t fix this.”
“I’m on it.”
I TRUSTED JACK WITH MY LIFE. No, seriously. He was a skilled guy who wouldn’t quit unless he had no other option. When darkness fell and Jack insisted we make camp for the night, I wanted to believe we still had options. Jack calmly argued that wasn’t the case, and set about making a campfire even as I ratcheted up my whining.
By the time he was done and settled on the ground, I had a choice. I could remain pouty and sit on the other side of the fire or stick close to him in case a werewolf attacked. Despite my frustration and anger, I chose to sit next to him.
“Don’t worry, Charlie.” Jack kept his voice low as he poked a stick in the fire and kept a wary set of eyes on the trees. “They’ll have realized we’re missing by now. The Jeep has GPS. They’ll have figured out where we were heading and put together a search party.”
That perked me up. “Do you think they’re looking for us right now?”
Jack shook his head. “They’re not going to send searchers when it’s dark, especially because we’re not missing children. We’re on our own until morning.”
That was so not what I wanted to hear. “Do you think it will come for us?”
Jack slipped his arm around my back, a move I was sure was meant to bolster my courage or at least soothe my frazzled nerves, and tucked me in at his side. Unfortunately for him, I felt neither soothed nor courageous. I did feel a little hot and bothered. Jack’s proximity made my heart pound and my stomach turn liquid.
“No one will come for us.” Jack sounded certain. “I’ll stay up all night. You’ll be safe. I promise.”
I wanted to believe him. “I think Ethan Savage probably thought the same thing about his wife.”
“And she survived.”
“I’m not willing to sacrifice you for myself,” I countered. “I won’t run into the woods screaming and leave you behind. You should know that.”
Jack’s expression turned quizzical. “Is that what you think Lisa did?”
I realized too late that I’d tipped my hand. “I … don’t know.” Crap! How was I supposed to cover for that? “She seemed like a woman swimming in guilt at the hospital. Maybe I’m reading too much into things, but … I just can’t shake the feeling that something like that happened.
“It doesn’t matter,” I continued. “I won’t leave you. If something comes, we’ll face it together.”
“No.” Jack shook his head. “You’ll run. That’s what I want.”
“I won’t run.”
“Charlie … .”
“Jack, it won’t happen. Save your breath.”
Jack exhaled heavily, his mouth so close to my face I could feel his warm breath as it lightly caressed my cheek. “You’ll be the death of me … and not just for the reasons you think.”
The sentiment was heartfelt. “I don’t mean to be difficult.”
“No, but … .”
My heart started racing when Jack lowered his mouth. I wanted to ask what he was doing, but knew that would break the spell. I wanted to remind him this was the absolute worst time for him to be doing this. It would be better with a shower and a breath lozenge. Of course, he probably wouldn’t even consider succumbing to the mood under normal circumstances.
I didn’t say any of the things racing through my head. Instead, I waited … and let my heart pound away in anticipation.
When Jack’s lips touched mine I felt as if a wildfire raced through my veins. The kiss was soft, sweet and airy. It turned manic within seconds, though, and before I realized what was happening Jack had me pressed tightly against him as he turned the sweet interaction into a sweaty explosion.
I liked both versions of the kiss, and fireworks were detonating in my brain before I realized that something else might be exploding a little closer. Even when I saw the light and heard the crash I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t.
I was too lost. It was Jack who ended the kiss … and then immediately sprang into action.
“What the holy hell?”
21
Twenty-One
My ears were still buzzing from the kiss when Jack turned aggressive.
“What is that?”
“What?” I felt drunk, lost in a sea of emotions I couldn’t put a name to. Jack, however, was completely focused on something.
“That.” Jack inclined his chin toward what looked to be a ball of light peeking through the heavy foliage.
“I … what?” My mind refused to cooperate, and when Jack lowered his eyes to mine he looked more agitated than besotted.
“That!” He grabbed my chin and forcefully pointed my attention away from him, causing me to frown when I saw the ball of light and finally registered that it wasn’t a product of my imagination.
I couldn’t be sure – I’d never seen anything remotely like it, of course – but it seemed to be watching us. Inherently I knew the sphere didn’t have emotions or even a brain, but it seemed to vibrate with laughter as it surveyed the situation. I couldn’t hear that laughter anywhere but inside my brain, but I knew exactly who sent the light … and why.
“Stay here.” I pulled away from Jack and scrambled to my feet, eagerness to learn more about the light propelling me forward. Jack, however, was not amused by the idea.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He moved to grab me around the waist, but I managed to eva
de him, although I stumbled a bit and lurched sideways for three long steps before I recovered. By the time I straightened, I was staring directly into the ball.
I was mesmerized. I heard Jack cursing behind me, but I couldn’t look anywhere but directly into the ball of light. It seemed to be laughing – and maybe waving – and then it started whispering.
“Come. Walk that way.”
It didn’t point, but I instinctively knew which way it wanted me to go. “Come on.” I was resigned to Jack following. There was no way he wouldn’t.
“Where are we going?” Jack’s frustration was palpable as he started kicking dirt to douse the fire. Hmm. I had to give him credit. I was so enamored with the ball of light I would have wandered away from the fire, which wasn’t a very responsible thing to do.
“We’re about to get out of here,” I answered, immediately moving around the light and heading toward the trees behind it. “I don’t think we’re all that far from safety.”
“And did the glowing ball of … whatever that is … tell you that?” Jack was incredulous. “Do you know what that thing is?”
“I have no idea.”
“Did it speak to you?”
That was an odd question. “Did you hear it speak?”
“No, but … you seem to suddenly know where we should go.”
“Just follow me. I think we’re close.”
Jack cursed, but I heard his feet as he stomped behind me. I focused on the path ahead and left behind the emotions of the immediate past. Now was so not the time to dissect every little thing regarding the kiss.
We didn’t walk far. It couldn’t have been more than an eighth of a mile or so. I knew before I pushed through the wall of trees that we were at our destination, and when I stumbled into the small clearing I found two figures watching me with amusement.
The ball of light – when did that even return? – danced a bit before blinking out of existence. When that happened, only the full moon remained to illuminate Aric and Zoe’s faces.
“What are you doing in the middle of the woods?” I blurted out.
Zoe snorted, genuinely amused. “I was going to ask you the same question. What are you doing out here?”
“I … well, we’re lost.” I risked a glance at Jack and found him glowering at Aric and Zoe. He clearly wasn’t happy. “Look, Jack, we’re saved.” I was going for levity, but his only response was to move closer to me. The unspoken warning his body broadcast was for Aric and Zoe … and he clearly meant business.
“You’re lost, huh?” Zoe pursed her lips. “How long have you been lost?”
“All day.” I tentatively wrapped my fingers around Jack’s wrist to make sure he didn’t go all alpha and start throwing punches. Aric looked amused more than anything – in fact, I was surprised he didn’t burst out laughing and make matters worse – but he also looked the sort of man who enjoyed a good brawl. Jack was strong and trained, but there was something about the way Aric carried himself that told me he shouldn’t be trifled with. “Jack … it’s okay.”
“It’s not okay,” Jack snapped back, finally shifting his eyes to me. They were on fire. “We’re lost in the middle of the woods and these two just happened to appear out of nowhere and you don’t find that suspicious? For the love of all that’s holy, Charlie, something happened to Lisa and Ethan Savage, and these two are wandering the woods as if it’s nothing. Doesn’t that make you question their motives?”
I shrank back in the face of his vehemence. “I feel lucky that we found them so we can get out of here.”
“Then you’re an idiot,” Jack barked.
Hey!” Zoe’s temper was on display as she took a step forward and glared at Jack. “Don’t yell at her. It’s not her fault you got lost. I’ll bet you were leading the way and it’s your fault you got lost. Don’t take it out on her.”
“And how do you know that?” Jack challenged.
Zoe shrugged. “Men never ask for directions. It’s a known fact.”
“Zoe, don’t turn this into a war,” Aric pleaded, his eyes kind as he held up his hands and stepped forward. “No one wants a fight here. As for being lost, if you’d kept going a bit you would’ve ended up at our house.” He pointed through the trees and I saw the lights emanating from the upper windows of the now-familiar abode when I peered hard through the leaves. “You’re not really lost. You’re very close to the road.”
“Oh.” I exhaled heavily, relief washing over me. “That’s good to know.” I poked Jack’s side, desperate for him to relax. “See, Jack. You didn’t really get us lost at all. There’s no reason to be upset.”
Although somewhat placated by the sight of the house, Jack refused to lower his guard. “How did you know we were out here?”
“We didn’t,” Zoe answered. “Although, we did have a guest about an hour ago.”
“Who?”
“Millie.” Zoe smirked. “She was looking for you two. Apparently your group is worked up. Millie volunteered to check our house … and ask Aric to strip out of his shirt again to give her strength to continue the search.”
I couldn’t hold back my chuckle. “That sounds just like her.”
“She’s a trip,” Zoe agreed. “She makes me laugh. She was seriously worried about you two, though. No one has heard from you since this afternoon, and they’ve called out the cavalry for a search. They found one of your rentals close to the original campsite. I figured you guys were out here and perhaps got turned around.”
“So you came out to find us?” Jack was back to being suspicious. “How did you know you would find us? How did you even know it was safe to look? Heck, the thing that dragged off the Savages could still be out here. I have trouble believing that you’d risk your lives for strangers.”
“And I have trouble believing you’re such a tool,” Zoe shot back. “Shut your hole, and thank your lucky stars anyone bothered to look for you.”
Jack’s eyes turned black, a clear sign that he was about to lose his temper. “You listen here … .” He took a step forward, his finger extended, and found his path blocked by a furious Aric Winters.
“Don’t wag your finger at my wife,” Aric growled. He seemed to grow in stature as he vibrated with anger. “Don’t get close to her either. And don’t even think about threatening her. I’ll rip your head off and use it to play catch if you’re not careful.”
As far as threats go, it was impressive. Even though I knew him to be the amiable sort, I kind of believed him. Jack looked embarrassed. “I wasn’t going to hurt her.”
Aric didn’t back down. “No, you weren’t.”
“I don’t hurt women.”
“Maybe not, but you’ve got a temper.” Aric folded his arms over his chest and stared down Jack. “What is your deal anyway? You’ve been nothing but a pill since you arrived. I understand you have a job to do – and it’s not always an easy job – but there’s no reason to be as insufferable as you seem to insist on being.”
Jack was taken aback. “What are you saying?”
“He’s telling you to stop being an ass.” Zoe pushed past Aric, ignoring the look he shot her and stopping in front of me. She almost smiled as she looked me over but I could tell she was as tense as I felt. “We were a little worried. We decided to check the property behind the house. I guess we lucked out.”
I could read between the lines and understood what she wasn’t saying. She created the ball of light to search for me. She cared enough to make sure I was okay. I couldn’t help being profoundly thankful.
“I’m glad you did.” I smiled. “I was afraid of staying in the woods all night alone.”
“I was there to protect you,” Jack protested.
“You got her lost,” Zoe shot back. “It’s your fault this happened.”
“You don’t know that.” Jack had officially reached his limit and I knew he was spoiling for a fight. “She could’ve been the one who got us lost. It’s not as if I wouldn’t have followed her into the woods to keep her sa
fe.”
To my utter surprise, Zoe’s expression softened. “No. That’s true. I see it in you. Loyalty, I mean. But you still got her lost.”
“How can you possibly know that?” Jack protested.
“I know everything.”
Jack cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Everything?”
Zoe nodded without hesitation. “Everything. I know all and see all. Just ask my daughter, who swears up and down I spy on her and that’s how I know about her secret cookie stash and her crush on the Mason boy down the street.”
Aric stilled. “Mason boy? Trevor Mason?”
Zoe nodded. “The blond one who fancies himself a teen model.”
“Why didn’t I know about this?” Aric sounded legitimately irritated. “Why does no one ever tell me the things that happen under my own roof?”
Instead of reacting with an apology – or even a sympathetic cluck – Zoe merely rolled her eyes. “No one tells you about Sami’s crushes because you freak out about them. She’s thirteen years old. She’s allowed to have a crush on a boy … even if that boy is a sniveling little weasel who thinks he belongs in a boy band.”
Aric wasn’t convinced. “No, we talked about this. She’s not allowed to like boys until she’s thirty.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Zoe waved off Aric’s righteous indignation. “You guys are probably hungry and thirsty. We can handle both problems at the house. Aric will call Millie and tell her you’re all right. Of course, something tells me that means Millie will show up again so she can pet Aric, but I think he likes the attention so it’s all good.”
Aric groaned. “I don’t like it when she asks me to flex. I’m too old to constantly flex.”
Zoe absently patted his arm. “You’ll live. Come on, we need to get these two back.”
I immediately moved to follow, but Jack grabbed my arm before I could take a step. “What?”
“Just one thing,” Jack called out, licking his lips.
Zoe arched an eyebrow as she slowly turned. “Yes.”
The Werewolf Whoops Page 19
