Melinda heard William grunt an agreement and rolled her eyes at him pleadingly.
“Right, of course I am,” defied Riley.
“You know, let’s not do this here,” said Lucas. “It’s time to go home, let these guys get on with their day. They have work to do.”
Riley hardened his gaze. “What are you now, my babysitter?”
Melinda grabbed Riley and took him aside.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she asked him, her voice strained.
He frowned.
“You’ve been acting strange all day, Riley. Even stranger all afternoon. I do not understand why you’re being like this. Lucas said you don’t...” she stopped, eyes wide.
He let out a snap of air, throwing an angry glare at her. “Fucking nice. You’re all talking about me behind me back now!”
“Riley please?”
William’s hands fisted, ready to handle the situation his way. His treatment of Melinda deserved no less. Melinda saw and stepped between the two of them. “Please. No fighting.”
Riley let out a puff of air and spun around with a shake of his head.
William stepped back but let Melinda know silently, and with no conditional terms, that this was not acceptable. He would not stand by and let her be treated like this.
Lucas just looked worried. He’d never seen his brother like this.
Melinda walked around Riley. His head hung low, a slow breath releasing. He saw her and looked up.
“I’ve done it again. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I never thought I was a jealous guy, but...”
“But what? And jealous of what?” she needed to understand, although she would have preferred a more private conversation.
“It’s like every guy, or vampire, on this freakin’ island wants to steal you away from me.”
“Oh my God! Are we having the William talk again?” she groaned under her breath. Her skin got hot and prickly. William was listening to everything they said. “And what other guys, Riley? You’re brother? Are you being serious? Sorry, Lucas,” she called out hotly. “No offense.”
He just shrugged, hoping she’d talk some sense into his suddenly idiotic brother.
“You’re not making any sense, Riley,” she continued.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying that,” Melinda cringed impatiently. She took in a calming breath, having no desire to fight. Just hours ago she’d been depending on him to brighten her mood. Now, he was killing it. Stomping on it. Crushing it completely.
“Look. I don’t know how to be clearer. You have no reason to be jealous.” Although as she said it, her heart did that flutter it always did when she was thinking of William. Her eyes went to look at him, but she forced her gaze to stay focused on Riley.
She wasn’t sure what else to do, so she grabbed Riley and kissed him. Against his lips, she pleaded. “Please let this go. I don’t understand why you think people are trying to steal me away from you, but they’re not. And I’m not available to be stolen.” It was hard to say, but the truth. She and William were not a thing. And wouldn’t ever be a thing.
“You’re right Melinda,” Riley whispered. “I’m being such an idiot.”
“You kind of are,” she replied crossly. “And an ass.” She was surprised at herself for standing up to him. But also pleased in a way. This was new for her. She was pissed and she faced it, rather than ignore, make excuses, and run away from the problem.
But where was the Riley she fell so instantly head over heels for? It was like he’d just vanished, replaced by crazy jealous guy who could not deal with her even standing near another man.
“Can we just forget today?” he begged her. “I know I keep apologizing but I’m really really sorry, Melinda. I don’t… I don’t feel so well.”
“Is it your head?”
“No. My head is fine. I just feel… weird. Maybe I’m getting sick or something.” He leaned in and kissed her, softly, then jumped back.
“What?”
“If I am getting sick… don’t want to give it to you.” He shook his head, not wanting to say sorry, again.
“Oh. Right. Okay. No kissing. Kind of too late though,” she smiled weakly.
“I guess we’d better go.” He stalked around her, and his brother. “C’mon Lucas,” he ordered. Melinda wasn’t sure anything had really changed at all. Lucas tossed her and apologetic shrug but followed Riley back to the truck. It was parked a block away.
“William,” Melinda muttered. “I’m sorry.” Now it was her turn to apologize. She could barely find the courage to face him, but when he did not reply she had no choice but to look up.
William wasn’t even looking or paying any attention to her. His gaze firmly fixed across the street at...
Melinda lost her ability to speak, her vocal chords freezing up.
She and staring at... Me. Another Me. A spitting image, standing all the way across the street, looking back at them with wide eyes that shouted I’ve been naughty, and I’ve just been caught.
“Oh my God,” Melinda let out in disbelief. “What is this?”
A long lost twin none of them were aware of? If so, they’d just met her.
The look-alike spun on the spot vanishing into the crowd of tourists.
William bounded across the street in pursuit, but painfully slow, as he could not use his vampire speed in broad daylight with so many people around.
He scoured the area. There was no sign of the imposter anywhere.
How could this other Melinda disappear so fast?
William suspected he knew the answer.
He made his way back to Melinda, still in shock outside the Wicked Muddy Cafe. The enticing sweet smell that was distinctively her blood gushed underneath her skin, instantly proving to him that she was the real Melinda.
“Who was that?” she squeaked out.
He put his hands on her shoulders, to steady her. “Another mystery. She vanished before I could find her.” Melinda thought he actually sounded out of breath.
“How did that just happen?” she asked. “That was me over there. Me! Or...” she lost her breath. “Oh, William, you don’t think...”
“Shapeshifter,” he finished, letting go of her. “We’d theorized the shifter was still alive, it appears this is now proven.”
“But why me, William? Why take my form?” Melinda shivered, a creepy tingle crawling down her spine at the thought of someone impersonating her.
William gasped, all the puzzle pieces falling into place. The reason they’d all been preoccupied that day... he broke the rules, gone in a flash. Melinda spun around, dazed. No one noticed a thing.
They were all staring into their phones, stranger talking to stranger. She overheard the words D.E.S.I. Blog and her heart sank.
“This day just keeps getting worse and worse.”
Melinda assumed William had headed home and followed as fast as her human legs would allow. She heard a horn honking and saw Charlie and Michael turn into the driveway ahead. She reached them, out of breath.
“You’ll never guess what just happened,” she said through shallow breaths. “I really need to get into better shape,” she added in a self-deprecating tone.
“What happened?” asked Charlie and Michael at the same time.
Melinda explained what she and William had just witnessed. After finishing she exclaimed, “We think it was the shapeshifter.”
Charlie had already surmised this. “William came home?” he asked, his tone serious.
“He left so fast, but I think so.”
“This day keeps getting stranger and stranger,” groaned Michael.
“Funny, I was just saying something similar,” Melinda returned.
They headed inside, only to freeze at the sight.
“Ransacked,” said William, appearing suddenly in the kitchen from a whirlwind of speed. Drawers and cupboards had been emptied, their contents strewn across counters, spilling onto the floor.
“Anything missing?” asked Charlie.
“I do not know. I have not done a thorough search. My suspicions tell me if something is missing, it will be from the study.” The study being where their most valuable assets were kept. Books, research, spells, pretty much the entire Howard family history on paper.
They filed into the study. Otherwise known as William’s office.
“Oh my,” said Melinda upon entry.
“I wonder if they found what they were looking for,” said Michael, knocking a book lying on the floor with his foot.
“I had planned on having a meeting once we’d all returned,” explained William, his tone vacant. “I had a theory. One obviously now confirmed.”
“And that would be?” asked Charlie.
“That today’s events were a distraction meant specifically for us.”
“I guess you were right about that,” whispered Melinda.
“And we were right about the shapeshifter definitely being alive,” said Charlie. “Has to be, right?”
“I’d wager that’s a yes,” replied Michael bitterness cutting his tone.
“How do we figure out what’s missing? Or what they were looking for? Or if they even found it... maybe they didn’t,” spouted Melinda.
Michael had a hard time being in the room. Between his own anger and disappointment over this intrusion, combined with his siblings’ feelings, he found himself sinking deeper and deeper into helplessness and gloom. It took everything he had to block them out and deal with just his own feelings.
Someone had broken into their home. Their sanctuary. They were in the process of heightening security, unfortunately, a little too late. Michael gasped when without warning William shot into vampire speed searching through everything. He put things back in their proper places, hoping to spot the missing item, or items, hoping when all was in its rightful place nothing would be missing.
He came to an abrupt stop, his skin pale and still, even for him.
He plunked down, his hand reaching inside a pulled out drawer on his oak desk. Empty. It was empty.
“What?” Charlie asked. But by the look on William’s face, they didn’t want to know.
“Your father’s diary. It’s not here. It’s not anywhere in this room.”
Michael blew air into his cheeks, puffing them up and holding his breath. Melinda fell onto the arm of the sofa.
“Are you sure, William?” asked Charlie. “That diary is filled with so much stuff I’d never want anyone to see. About everything we do. We don’t exactly hide who we are around the Isle, but...” just the thought of all that information in the hands of the enemy, or just stupid hands, made him sick.
William opened his mouth and closed it. They’d never seen him having such difficulty. “The diary... I have added things. Important details necessary to future generations of Howards. I’ve been adding to it since your parents...” William trailed off, his voice giving out.
Charlie was the first to realize what William was really trying to say.
“You wrote down where Mom and Dad thought the power source was located.”
William nodded, regretting the choice to add that information immensely.
Charlie sank into a chair. After a few minutes of silence, he asked, “So was any of this ever really about me? Or has it been about the power source all along?”
“Shifter probably thought it could get to the source, by getting to you,” replied William. “I should not have written it down.”
“It’s not your fault,” whispered Melinda.
Charlie got himself out of the chair, pacing the study.
“She’s right. It’s not,” agreed Charlie. “We should have upped our security a long time ago. The world has changed, and we have not changed with it. We don’t live in the same age our ancestors did, or even our parents. We cannot let this happen again.”
“What do you want to do Charlie?” asked Michael.
“We need to get Dad’s diary back for one. We need to secure this place. I’m thinking we really do need to start securing the entire damn fucking island,” he charged in a raised voice. “It’s clear from the things going on around here lately that something’s changing. Like Nina and the Guardians warned us about. And we are clearly not prepared for it. William’s been trying to tell us, but I don’t think we’ve been listening hard enough. We just let some of the most important information we own walk right out of here, into the hands of the enemy.”
“And we don’t even know who that is.” Michael shook his head in dismay.
William wished now that he’d pushed harder, and faster, for the security updates.
“Maybe if Mom and Dad were still here none of this would have happened,” muttered Melinda. Personally, she felt her share of the responsibility, seeing as it was only recently that she’d even started living up to her duties as a witch. What she said was meant for herself, in dealing with her own guilt. However, Charlie heard it differently.
This situation was entirely his fault. He wasn’t living up to their expectations as the eldest sibling. He could only imagine his parents’ reactions if they’d been here. How disappointed they’d be with him.
Melinda realized her mistake too late. Theme of the day she chided herself. I really need to think about what I say before I say it.
She tried to fix it. “Just because the shifter has the diary doesn’t mean they’re going to be able to access that tree in White Pines, any easier than us. And we’re not even sure it is the power source.”
“Regardless, it doesn’t mean they won’t try,” said Michael. “Let’s just hope they don’t find a way.”
“Even if they can’t find a way, it doesn’t make any of this acceptable.” Charlie’s head sank in defeat.
“It does give us time,” noted William.
“But how much?” asked Charlie, looking to William. “How long until this shifter, or alpha, or whatever the hell you want to call it, does whatever it came here to do? We seem to be ten steps behind, all the time. How will we prepare for this?” They all heard what he was really saying. I failed. And I have no idea what to do, or how to protect this family.
No one answered. Not even William, who usually had something to say, whether good or bad.
Charlie stood up to leave. “We need to regain the upper hand. Somehow. We have no idea what this shifter is up to, and too many things are happening just under our noses... we can’t keep letting this happen.” He left the room, needing a chance to think.
He bounded up the stairs to his bedroom slamming the door behind him. Soon it would be night, which he was already dreading. He didn’t want to wake up in the middle of the woods again.
The alpha/werewolf/shapeshifter was not dead, and now, had used its ability to gain entrance into the Howard Family’s house, and steal vital information about the Demon Isle’s power source. The source he was charged with protecting.
“I’m letting the family down,” he let out with an exhale. “Even after Nina gave her life so I could have this ring, I’m just letting people down. I can’t even control my own life, how am I supposed to control anything else?”
He looked out his window, staring at nothing in particular, wishing more than anything he could talk to his father. He’d know what to do. Jack Howard always knew what to do.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Back in the study, Melinda was picking up her phone. “I need to call Riley.”
“Why?” asked Michael.
“To tell him what happened of course. I need to tell him if he sees another me, that it might not be me. What if the shifter uses him to... I don’t know what. I just think he should know.”
“Fine. But just that, okay,” Michael stated.
“What are you implying?” She’d expected this argument, but didn’t feel that now was the right time.
“Just... how do we know the Deanes aren’t involved with all this? Timing’s a bit con
venient, don’t you think? They just happen to show up, followed by Lizzy, and now the Feyks, old allies of the Deane family. Even you can’t deny that’s a little timely, Melinda.”
“So what? You’re saying that Riley’s just pretending to like me.” She didn’t want to think about that possibility, but considering his behavior today, she could not help but wonder. People can only hide their true natures for so long.
Melinda’s breathing became shallow, her chest getting heavier.
Michael paced the study. “We need to be more careful about who we let, know what. And of anyone, Deanes being at the top of that list! I think Charlie would agree. William?”
The vampire sat behind his desk, stacking up papers and books at a pathetic human speed. Riley’s odd behavior and poor treatment of Melinda had him rather suspect of the young man. Did he need to visit him again? Remind him of his promise not to hurt her?
“I do not believe the Deanes came here to do harm, Michael. Lizzy is from a different time… a time before dark magic came to the Isle. But… but I suppose I cannot be certain.”
“I can’t believe you two!” Melinda protested, her breath barely reaching her throat. “Do you actually think I’d date the enemy? Do you think I’m that stupid? That I’m so gullible I’d fall for a guy that wanted to hurt us? Hurt my family?” She stormed out of the room, unable to hold back the panic attack about to strike.
Michael plunked down in the same chair Charlie had removed himself from just minutes before.
“We all need to take a deep breath,” said William.
“Yeah, tense much?” Michael countered. “I didn’t mean to be so hard on her, it’s just... she’s dating a fucking Deane! And suddenly we’re all supposed to act like we’re best friends or something.”
“And I agree with you on that part. However truth be told, I am fairly confident they are innocent.”
“Yeah, I imagine you’re probably right, William. I guess it’s just not easy to lose old hatreds.”
“No. Indeed it is not,” he agreed.
“I’d better go see if she’s okay,” said Michael.
A Nightmare to Remember (Wicked Good Witches Book 5) Page 10
